President Rodrigo Duterte is racing against time to have the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) passed by Congress to fulfill his commitment to the Moros.

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According to the President, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has set a timeline for the passage of the long-overdue law.

“I am racing against time. The MILF is in a hurry and has placed on us the burden of a timeline. And I have agreed to that period,” Duterte said during the ceremonial distribution of the Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) to 1,680 agrarian reform beneficiaries in Isulan town in Sultan Kudarat.

“I gave my solemn promise and I assure you I am working hard to meet the deadline,” he added.

Last week, the President met with MILF officials and members of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) in Davao to discuss the BBL.

Prior to the meeting, he had expressed concerns about the BBL, raising doubts if it could bring unity to the Moro people.

“I am worried. Would it do well to mix it all in one pot? Meaning to say, are you Joloanos ready to be led by a Maranao?”

In his speech in Sultan Kudarat, Duterte assured that he would talk to “everybody,” including Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) leader Nur Misuari, to “arrive at a lasting peace.”

“Kaya ho ako, this week, I will be in conference with everybody and after that, I will go back to maybe Jolo to talk to Misuari again if we can come up with an arrangement to arrive at a lasting peace,” he said. /atm

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