(Eagle News) –The Bangsamoro interim parliament held its inaugural session on Friday, March 29, with President Rodrigo Duterte expressing elation over the development at the inauguration of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao later in the day.
In his speech, Duterte expressed “extreme happiness,” as he said the inaugurations were proof “we were able to realize at least a part, maybe not all, but a part of what the entire country would have wished for the Moro people of Mindanao.”
“I cannot express my sense of gratitude for you, for understanding, for giving us time, to craft the law, to make it legal, and a promise for a new dawn for the Moro, the Bangsamoro area,” Duterte said.
BARMM and BOL
He was referring to the Bangsamoro Organic Law which created the BARMM and which was ratified on January 25.
He expressed hope he would “be able to fix” the western part of Mindanao, saying he hoped to talk “to our brother Nur Misuari.”
Misuari is the founding chair of the Moro National Liberation Front.
“Talagang totoo ang kaligayahan ko. .Let me reiterate my solemn promise….that in my term, and for the next three years, we will all work and truly work for the benefit of the Bangsamoro people. Salamat po,” Duterte said.
Bangsamoro interim parliament officials
Prior to Duterte’s speech, officials of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority elected lawyer Pangalian Balindong, a former member of the House of Representatives, as speaker of the BARMM interim parliament in its inaugural session.
Balindong had been appointed as deputy speaker of Ghazali Jaafar of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. who had been appointed as the interim parliament speaker.
But Jaafar passed away due to a heart ailment in a hospital in Davao City weeks ago.
Elected as Balindong’s deputy speaker was Hatimil Hassan from Basilan while lawyer Laisa Alamia was voted the minority floor leader.
Maguindanao lawyer Lanang Ali Jr. was elected majority floor leader while Raby Angkal and Dan Dimakenal Caludtiag, were voted as secretary-general and sergeant-at-arms, respectively, of the BARMM interim parliament. With a report from PNA