BANGSAMORO NEWS UPDATES

KIDAPAWAN CITY -The composition of the parliament that would be established in a Bangsamoro political entity as introduced by Senator Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., in his version of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), will ‘impair’ the ‘democratization’ of the representation in the assembly, according to government chief negotiator talking peace wit the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

MANILA (PNA) -- The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) vowed to look for all avenues to restore the 28 items that the House Ad Hoc committee on Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) has struck down, MILF chief negotiator Mohagher Iqbal said on Tuesday.Iqbal, together with government chief negotiators Miriam Coronel Ferrer and Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Deles, met with the panel chairman and Cagayan de Oro City Rep.

MANILA (PNA) -- UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Victoria Tauli-Corpuz will spearhead reviewing Senate local government committee chairperson Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s proposed substitute for the Malacanang-backed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) bill.She assured undertaking such action to see if such substitute upholds rights of indigenous peoples (IPs) in the target Bangsamoro area.

MANILA (PNA) – Senator Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. on Monday filed his committee report on the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), drawing signatures from majority members of the committees on local government and peace and unification.Marcos refused to name the signatories but claimed at least 17 senators have already affixed their signatures to his report on the Malacanang-backed bill.Registered as Senate Bill No.

SULTAN KUDARAT, Maguindanao -- Malaysia will continue to invite Malaysian traders to invest in Mindanao even as it expressed continued support to the Mindanao peace process, a ranking Malaysian official in the Philippines told officials of a Moro group in Southern Philippines. Malaysian Ambassador to the Philippines His Excellency Dato Mohammad Zamri Mohammad Kassim made the renewal ofcommitment during his visit to Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) stronghold in Barangay Darapanan, Sultan Kudarat town in Maguindanao over the weekend.

MANILA -- Members of the House of Representatives on Tuesday are heeding the call of President Benigno S. Aquino III to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) and are already buckling down to work on the administration’s priority bill, which solons say is the best option” to bring peace and development to the Bangsamoro and to Mindanao.House Ad Hoc Committee on the Bangsamoro Committee Vice Chair and Antipolo Rep. Romeo Acop explained that there are only two options for the country -- either pass the BBL, or allow the status quo in Muslim Mindanao to continue.

COTABATO CITY – The Bangsamoro Transition Commission
(BTC) on Wednesday rejected House Bill 5811 or the draft Basic Law for
Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (BLBAR) and called on Senate and House leaders to
pass the original draft of Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

We listed at least 28 provisions of the original
BBL that were deleted or changed in HB 5811,” Mohaqher Iqbal, BTC chair, said.
By that, he said the draft law becomes less autonomous than Republic Act 9054
that created the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

MANILA (PNA) – Senate President Franklin Drilon said on Wednesday a caucus will be held on Aug. 3 to tackle the committee report on the 14 Senate hearings on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).Before the session adjourned on Wednesday afternoon, Drilon informed the body that the Senate Committee on Local Government chaired by Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

MANILA -- The House of Representatives leadership expressed optimism on Monday that the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) will be approved by both chambers of Congress before the end of the 3rd and last regular session of the 16th Congress.Speaker Feliciano Belmonte said they still have enough time to pass the BBL, noting that they have stripped it of all unconstitutional provisions. We are committed to our Muslim brothers to pass the agreement.

COTABATO CITY -- A Muslim religious leader today urged politicians not to make use of the Mindanao peace process to advance personal interest at its expense. Politicians should refrain from using the Bangsamoro peace process as a platform from which to launch their political bids in the 2016 elections,” Ebra Moxsir, Al Haj, Imam Council of the Philippines (ICP), said.