Zubiri: I tried to lobby for BBL which is in accordance with the government-MILF agreement

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said Wednesday night that he had done his best to have a fundamental law Bangsamoro (BBL) that would be in accordance with the Good that what had previously been adopted by the bicameral conference committee on BBL was not a provision in accordance with the peace agreement signed by the Government and the Moro Front of Islamic Liberation (MILF) in 2014, Zubiri appealed to the understanding and patience of the Bangsamoro people.

"I have done my best to respect the Bangsamoro Comprehensive Agreement … We want to maintain the government's commitments to the major liberation fronts and make sure we are the Senator, also co-chair of the bicam panel on the BBL, said at a press conference

"But en route, we must seek the patience of our partners. d stakeholders, together with the MILF and the MNLF [Moro National Liberation Front] and all other NGOs named there kailangan talaga sundan ang Constitution. The Constitution is our basic law of the country, "he said.

The CAB, the final peace agreement aimed at ending the conflict in Mindanao, served as a basis for the BBL version of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC).

READ: What is the Global Agreement on the Bangsamoro?

Earlier in the day, President Rodrigo Duterte convinced the bicameral panel of the World Bank. adopt the provision of the House on the territory and the plebiscite of Bangsamoro, which states that local government units may accede to READ: Congress adopts the House provision on the inclusion of Bangsamoro

This despite the preference of BTC and other peace groups in Mindanao for the "opt" -in "a proposal in the senatorial version of the BBL, which would allow 39 barangays from North Cotabato and six cities from Lanao del Norte to join the planned Bangsamoro area as a result of 39, a plebiscite.

In cont rast, the votes of the other regions of Lanao del Norte and North Cotabato will not matter in the Senate version.

READ: Moro leaders prefer inclusion clause in BBL Senate version | The BTC lawyer insists to include 39 villages, 6 towns in the Bangsamoro region

CAB no higher than the Constitution

Rodolfo Fariñas, panel co-chair, claimed that it was just that the panel adopts the provision of housing because CAB, which BTC and various peace groups had always invoked, was "not superior to the Constitution".

READ: The groups urge the Bangsamoro to reject BBL if they do not comply with CAB

in the decision on the agreement on the ancestral domain case (MOA-AD), the Court Supreme declared that all that was in the framework agreement on the Bangsamoro, these are instruments taken by the executive department [alone] ", he explained, 19659004]" The legislative power is not not even bound by the CAB … Congress can not say blindly: "O, if we do, we must follow the Constitution," he added. "We have not given anyone false hope."

Another bicam member, Lanao del Norte Rep. Mohamad Khalid Dimaporo said that he would be ready to take measures against the inclusion of the 39 villages of North Cotabato and six Lanao del North American Cities in the proposed Bangsamoro area and challenge its constitutionality before the Supreme Court (CS) if necessary.

Read: Dimaporo asks about the inclusion of 39 villages, 6 cities in Bangsamoro before SC

The OPPAP should strengthen

Meanwhile, Mr. Zubiri called the Secretary General, Mr. Jesus Dureza, Presidential Advisor on the peace process, to step in and explain the situation to the MILF. Zubiri said that he could only speak to certain members of the CTB after the meeting with the president.

"I have not spoken to the MILF leadership yet," he said. "I hope that OPAPP [Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process] will do it because mag-trabaho nama ng konti ang OPAPP." Yan ang trabaho nila eh, "said Zubiri.

" Trabaho nila is to link all these elements between the government and the MILF … I hope that Secretary Jesse could step in, come here, talk to them – explain the situation, "he added.

million. Zubiri said they would continue their deliberations Thursday if they could not finish the BBL project on Wednesday night.

He said that the group of experts hoped to clean up the project in the coming days, in time for the approval of bicam before Monday, July 16, before being able to transmit the bill to the President on next day for examination. – With reports of Syrah Vivien Inocencio / INQUIRER.net trainee

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