Congress urged not to forestall passage of Bangsamoro bill

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - Malacañang appealed today to Congress not to forestall the passage of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda made the appeal after lawmakers from both the Senate and the House of Representatives suspended deliberations on the draft measure following the killings of 49 Special Action Force (SAF) commandos in an alleged clash with Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in Mamasapano in the southern province of Maguindanao.

The passage of the proposed BBL is part of the peace deal between the Philippine government and MILF, the largest Muslim rebel group in the country.

"So our plea to all our legislators... the Bangsamoro Basic Law is in your hands... let us deliberate, but let's not forestall the passage of an instrument that could contribute to lasting peace in Mindanao," he said in an interview over a state-run radio station.

"We cannot lose focus on our fight for peace," he said.

Lacierda said the Mamasapano incident had already happened, and accountability is being called for.

"But over and above accountability, we have to move forward," he said.

Some lawmakers have warned that the passage of the draft BBL might no longer be possible within the first quarter of this year, the government's initial target, after the Mamasapano clash.