May 22 (PIA) – A top executive of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) expressed strong support to the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), saying that it will fill in the gaps in the current autonomous setup of for the Bangsamoro people to finally realize their aspirations for genuine autonomy.
ARMM Executive Secretary, lawyer Laisa Alamia, said that the draft Bangsamoro law approved by the House Ad Hoc Committee on the BBL, aims to institute genuine autonomy by building on the ARMM.
“Mahalaga na maipasa ang BBL para mabuo ang Bangsamoro region na siyang tugon at kasagutan sa matagal ng hangad ng Bangsamoro (It is important to pass the BBL so that a Bangsamoro region can be created, which is the answer to the long-time aspiration of the Bangsamoro.),” Alamia said in a statement.
“Ang BBL ang nagsasaad ng panawagan ng Bangsamoro para sa kapayapaan at kaunlaran. Nawa’y matugunan ito ng ating mga kapwa Pilipino. (The BBL embodies the call of the Bangsamoro for peace and prosperity. I hope that our fellow Filipinos will respond accordingly.)
Its proposal to strengthen Bangsamoro’s self-governance (through its own police and bodies for check and balances like auditing, human rights, civil service, and electoral body) are according to that aspiration for genuine autonomy which is recognized in the Philippine Constitution,” Alamia said.
The ARMM executive says the autonomous region already has this similar arrangement, contrary to claims that these are new creations sought under the BBL that could violate the Constitution.
Alamia said the regional agencies of the constitutional commissions and the police command are already parts of the system of government of the Philippines and will still exist under the proposed Bangsamoro—which will replace the ARMM.
The government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which signed a Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), have repeatedly reiterated that the proposal to create specific auditing, electoral, human rights, and civil service bodies in the future Bangsamoro will not supplant nor will they, in any way, derogate from or take away the constitutional powers and duties of the Constitutional Commissions and other constitutionally-mandated offices.
According to former Chief Justice Hilario Davide, a member of National Peace Council, “The wording of the BBL is clear. The Bangsamoro special bodies were created with the goal of supplementing, not supplanting, the work of their national counterparts.” (PPMB) (Cotabato City)
