BANGSAMORO NEWS UPDATES

COTABATO CITY --The Mindanao Peoples Caucus (MPC)remained confident the BBL will be passed in due time at the committee level.MPC is a member of the Friends of Peace (FOP), an umbrella organization convened by His Eminence Orlando Cardinal Quevedo, archbishop of Cotabato, that supports the passage of the draft BBL into law even with revisions provided it will not dilute the proposal.Voting of the draft law at the committee level was supposed to take place on May 11 with the FOP members in attendance but was postponed to May 18 to give other proposed amendments incorporated in the draft law.

One for All,All for One for Peace. (From left to right) Parang Mayor Ibrahim Ibay, Mindanao Peoples Caucus' Atty Mary Ann Arnado,GPH chief negotiator Prof. Miriam Coronel Ferrer, ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman, OPAPP Sec. Teresita Deles, Akabayan's Riza Hontiveros and other peace advocates pose during the 'peace march' in front of House of Representatives on May 11, 2015. (Photo by Edwin O. Fernandez)

KIDAPAWAN CITY – A Mindanao solon vowed to withdraw support for the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) if the Adhoc Committee on the BBL won't consider her proposed amendments.Representative Nancy Catamco of North Cotabato's 2nd district andchair of the AdHocCommittee on Indigenous Peoples, was among the 12 solons who submitted proposed amendments of the draft law that triggered the postponement of voting on Monday.The revisions she wanted included in the BBL are focused on the rights of the indigenous peoples, in particular, their right to self determination and ancestral domain claims.

The Long Tortuous Road to Reace and Bangsamoro Self-Determination The journey to peace in Southern Philippines has been arduous and tedious, at times hostile and adversarial, replete with stops and punctuated by intermittent warfare and all out war. But at other times, the journey was collaborative, infused with mutual trust, slowly reaching the final steps -- the 10 Decision Points on Principles, Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB), later the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) and finally the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

ZAMBOANGA CITY -The government peace panel for talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) lauded the Senate Committee on Local Government chaired by Sen. Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. for organizing public hearings on the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) in Jolo, Sulu and Zamboanga City today, May 13, and tomorrow, May 14, respectively. We thank Senator Marcos for steering the various public consultations on the BBL, particularly in these areas in Mindanao. We appreciate his efforts to expedite the completion of his committee's report, government peace panel chair Prof.

MANILA -A Palace official is not worried about the postponement of the voting for the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) as he is confident that lawmakers know the importance of the said measure and its urgency.Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr., in an interview over state-run DZRB Tuesday, said the proposed law is still in the committee level and it is important that all members of the committee will be able to input what they consider are necessary for the proposed measure.He explained that since the law provides the policies and programs o

JOLO, Sulu (PNA) -- Key leaders in this island province have asked lawmakers, particularly Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. whose Senate committee is set to conduct a public hearing on the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) on Wednesday, to heed the Mindanaoans’ call for peace in the South. The Senate should read the sign of the times.

QUEZON CITY – Things are
not black, nor white. One cannot simply be pro-BBL or anti-BBL. Issues in the
proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) are far more complex to be taken like
this.”

COTABATO CITY - Whosays that Basilan is synonymous to kidnapping-for-ransom and beheading Abu Sayyaf bandits?A 14-year old boy from Simisip, Basilan won the Bronze Medal in the groundbreaking science competition of the International Sustainable World Energy, Engineering and Environment Project (I-Sweep) for high school students, in Houston, Texas on Sunday.Ahmed Turabin Hataman, a junior high school from Fountain International School, invented for his entry a plastic made of coconut which biodegrades in 20 days, unlike most other plastics.Ahmed’s invention qualified and ranked third among 4

COTABATO CITY– Officials and employees of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) showed today their support to the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) as the House of Representatives’ Ad Hoc Committee on the BBL start voting on the provisions of the proposed law and its endorsement to the plenary.Hundreds of government workers attended the short program that followed the regular flag raising ceremony at the region’s seat in Cotabato City.ARMM Executive Secretary Laisa Alamia said the BBL is the best alternative to address the issue of peace and development in parts of Mindana