Duterte: BBL may not hurdle constitutional barriers

MANILA, Philippines — The proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) may not hurdle constitutional challenges, President Duterte said yesterday even as he stressed the need to continue talking peace with Moro groups to prevent violence in Mindanao. 

Duterte said Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) chairman Murad Ebrahim wanted to meet with him to discuss the progress of the BBL, which aims to form a Bangsamoro political entity with broader political and economic powers. 

“I do not think that it will hurdle constitutional barriers...I’ve been reading it repeatedly,” Duterte said during the signing of the 2018 national budget. “If we fail to give them that, kindly help me think of ways how to do it.”  

The President said the government should pursue talks with “well-meaning” Moro factions.  

“The other option is I do not even want to imagine how it would evolve itself before the public,” the President said. 

“I said the choice is if they go to war, it opens the floodgate of Mindanao to everybody else,” he added. 

Duterte said groups affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria could exploit the conflict and commit more atrocities.

 The BBL, which was bypassed during the Aquino administration because of the Mamasapano clash, was not approved when Congress went on recess last week.