The bicameral conference committee tasked to reconcile the two versions of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) has agreed to retain provisions already granted to the Autonomous Region of the Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
“We’ve reached the consensus that whatever was in the ARMM Law, Republic Act 9054, we will retain and hopefully enhance,” Senate Majority Leader Senator Juan Miguel F. Zubiri said in a press briefing, Monday, July 9.
“In other words, we do not want an ARMM minus, what we want is an ARMM plus,” he added.
Bangsamoro Transition Commission chairman Ghazali B. Jaafar echoed this, arguing as well that maintaining current provisions present in RA 9054, amended Organic Act of the ARMM, would save the Congress from questions of constitutionality.
He also said anything less than the ARMM would be deemed as a watered-down BBL, which the people on the ground might not accept. — Charmaine A. Tadalan

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