LEADERS OF indigenous people (IP) communities have called on the National Government to include in the new draft of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) their right to ancestral domain. At a meeting of the Mindanao Indigenous Peoples Legislative Assembly in Davao City last Friday, the IP leaders said their right to ancestral domain, particularly in areas defined under the BBL proposal, should be covered to “strengthen the attainment of the main objective of peace in Mindanao.” Santos Usmad, spokesperson of the assembly, said the proposed BBL does not have clear provisions that “recognize the rights of the non-Moro indigenous peoples.”

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Meanwhile, Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus G. Dureza said the Legislative Executive Advisory Council (LEDAC) is expected to later include for its consideration the proposed BBL, which has yet to be officially filed in Congress. Mr. Dureza said Secretary Adelino B. Sitoy of the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office explained that the priority list approved by LEDAC last week, which had 28 items, covered “all those pending bills that had been filed earlier.” The new BBL proposal, drafted by an expanded Bangsamoro Transition Commission, was officially handed over to President Rodrigo R. Duterte in July and transmitted to Congress in August. — Carmelito Q. Francisco

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