‘Law needed for Bangsamoro transition extension’

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang said a law has to be passed to extend the transition period of the Bangsamoro government.

“The advice of the President is a law is needed because the election in BARMM (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) was provided under a law,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said.

Roque said the President gave assurance that he would push amendments to the law but BARMM residents need to coordinate with the House and the Senate.

Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Carlito Galvez Jr. said Duterte sought his opinion on the possible extension as the President  agreed that three years is too short for a transition.

“I told the President that being the chief implementer, we saw the difficulty in the implementation of the normalization and political track,” Galvez told a House hearing.

The interim Bangsamoro parliament passed a resolution asking Congress to extend the term of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority, which is supposed to end in 2022, for another three years.

Moro National Liberation Front Chairman Muslimin Sema said BARMM officials need three more years to fully accomplish the transition to an expanded Bangsamoro government. – Jose Rodel Clapano, John Unson