Philippines: MILF submits new Bangsamoro law to Duterte

By Hader Glang

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (AA) - President Rodrigo Duterte is set to receive a draft law by the Moro rebel group on Monday, in an important step to broker peace in the southeast Asian country.

Jesus Dureza, presidential adviser on the peace process, said that the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) will be submitted at the presidential palace in the capital Manila at 5.30 p.m local time (0130GMT).

The BBL was part of a peace agreement signed between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in 2014. It proposes an autonomous Bangsamoro region.

The draft law will be marked urgent so that its movement in the Congress, both in the House of Representatives and the Senate, can be expedited, Dureza said.

In a post on its official website, the rebel group said that after several postponements it seemed likely that the draft law will be submitted to the president.

The group said that official invitations had been sent to guests including Dato’ Kamarudin bin Mustafa, the current Malaysian facilitator of the peace process.

"Our take is that this time, the BBL has a greater chance of being passed into law under the Duterte administration, than it was during the previous administration and Congress...," the post added.

A clash in January 2015 in central Mindanao had derailed the passage of the law, after 44 policemen, 17 rebel fighters and some civilians were killed.

The proposed law has been facing constitutional challenges such as Bangsamoro’s total control on agriculture, food, trade, banking and education, which opposition leaders claim will reduce the authority of the Philippine government.

The Moro rebel group active in southern Philippines demands an autonomous region, for its predominantly Muslim Moro people.