Better economy seen with Bangsamoro law

By PRINCE GOLEZ
Manila Reporter

MANILA — Rep. Jerry Treñas of Iloilo City believes that the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law will bridge gaps among Filipinos in the southern Philippines.

“We need a peaceful Mindanao to strengthen the local economies of our southern provinces,” Treñas told Panay News yesterday.

President Benigno Aquino III today will personally submit the draft law to Senate President Franklin Drilon and House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. during a turnover ceremony at 10 a.m. in Malacañang.

Treñas said the measure will “create a better Philippines for the next generation of Filipinos.”

It is also “very timely,” he said, since the country is preparing for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations economic integration.

The Mindanao peace process will be the country’s “path toward true integration with our neighboring countries, especially those with Muslim populations like Brunei, Malaysia and Indonesia,” said Treñas.

“Peace is one of the main avenues for development, and the Bangsamoro Basic Law is one of the main avenues for peace,” he stressed.

For his part, Rep. Niel Tupas Jr. of Iloilo’s 5th District described the measure as “very important,” saying it reaffirms the government’s commitment to a just and lasting peace in Mindanao.

“The President wants to emphasize that by personally submitting the draft law to Congress, the law could be the answer to the age-old problem of peace in the area in Mindanao,” Tupas told Panay News.

Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Deles urged the public to “pray” and “support” for the successful implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro.

Deles said the bill’s turnover from President Aquino to Congress leaders will be attended by Bangsamoro Transition Commission chair Mohagher Iqbal and members of the negotiating panels./PN