Prof. Coronel-Ferrer on turn over of draft BBL to Congress

The submission of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law to the leaders of the Philippine Congress today, 10 September 2014, brings us to the next, crucial stage in our roadmap to the Bangsamoro political entityand the formal legislative process. The proposed BBL has transposed into legal form and further elaborated on the various annexes -- notably the Wealth-sharing and Power-sharing Annexes -- to the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB). It builds on the foundation provided by the past organic acts on the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). But it has several distinct features that distinguish it from the ARMM.Significantly, the proposed BBL provides that the Bangsamoro government shall be parliamentary in form. This institutional design would allow for a broader base of political representation and participation in governance. It would compel the formation of competitive and sustainable political parties in the region. In this regard, we welcome the ongoing efforts of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to form a political party that would serve as their vehicle for effective participation in electoral politics and consequently assist in their transformation from combatants to full-time civilian life as active Filipino citizens in the Bangsamoro. We enjoin other groups and sectors to consider forming their political parties that would equally enable them to participate fairly and peacefully in the Bangsamoro elections in 2016 and thereafter. As envisioned, the Bangsamoro Government will enjoy significant powers over and above the powers granted to the ARMM today, all on the basis of the powers given to autonomous regions in our Constitution, and the creative spaces or flexibilities found therein. As envisioned, the Bangsamoro shall enjoy fiscal autonomy through fiscal and other revenue-generating powers in its hands. It shall be given an automatically appropriated annual block grant similar to the internal revenue allotment (IRA) received by other local governments. Moreover, it would be provided with additional funding support that would hasten socio-economic development in this region that has been left behind due to intermittent conflicts and malgovernance in most of the last five decades. With more powers and resources come more responsibilities. This is the advantage as well as the duty of those who will be leading the Bangsamoro in the years to come. It is an opportunity that must be made available for the common good, but also one that must not be squandered.As envisioned, the Bangsamoro Government shall be secular and democratic, a government of all, even as it establishes institutions, programs and policies that would serve the needs and uphold the ways of life of its majority Muslim population. The basic rights of all inhabitants shall be guaranteed, and special rights accorded all indigenous peoples, women, children, and minorities shall be respected and promoted. These and other key features are detailed in the draft BBL that shall very soon be deliberated on by Congress. We trust that our esteemed lawmakers, cognizant of the historic import of this process, would view the submitted draft with open hearts and minds, and would take on the monumental responsibility of bringing forth the Bangsamoro with seriousness of purpose and urgency.