Gov't to fast-track review of draft Bangsamoro Basic Law

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - The government assured today to speed up the review of the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) in order to meet the target timeline of passing it into law by the end of the year.

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. made the remarks after the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) led by Moro Islamic Liberation Front ( MILF) peace panel head Mohagher Iqbal submitted to the Office of the President the draft BBL late Monday afternoon.

"There is a sense of urgency in being able to complete this review because we are all aware of the indicative timetable. The target is to be able to submit an enacted Bangsamoro Basic Law to the people of the affected areas by (end) 2014," he said in a news briefing in Malacanang, the presidential palace.

The government is eyeing to pass the BBL by December in order to have sufficient preparations for the conduct of elections for officials that will regularly administer the Bangsamoro entity by 2016, he explained.

He said the people whom President Benigno Aquino III tasked to review the draft BBL are "quite familiar" with the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), which the government and the MILF signed last month.

"The CAB is certainly a very substantial input into the crafting of the Bangsamoro Basic Law," Coloma said.

The Office of the President hopes to forward the draft BBL to Congress next month when it resumes session.

The BBL, as enacted by Congress, shall serve as the organic act for the autonomous region in Muslim Mindanao provided for in the 1987 Constitution. The envisioned Bangsamoro government will replace the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.