Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — A Moro convention will be held this year to draft a new Bangsamoro law that will grant wider autonomy in the south, Moro National Liberation Front leader Abul Khayr Alonto revealed late Sunday.
He said the draft law will be based and inspired by the Bangsamoro Basic Law, which was proposed and deliberated, but failed to pass in the 16th Congress of the Philippines.
The Moro convention is eyed after the end of Ramadan, he added.
“This convention will craft the kind of law, based and inspired by the Bangsamoro Basic Law. An improved, inclusive, all-embracing that we will present to the Duterte government to make it for an easier and a smooth sailing on our move to a federal system of government,” he told reporters in Davao City.
The proposed new law will be presented to President-elect Rodrigo Duterte this year.
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“If we can convince and hopefully we will work hard to convince him—that he will pass it to Congress for immediate passage,” he added.
Alonto said delegates of the convention will include the “best and the brightest” representatives of the MNLF, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), members of the academe, and political leaders.
He said even MNLF leader Nur Misuari will be apprised of the convention’s outcome.
Alonto denied any divisions within the MNLF and said that he intends to personally meet with Misuari after the Ramadan to discuss the Duterte administration’s peace efforts.
Alonto is confident there will be no opposition to Duterte’s plans to shift to a federal form of government.
“We will be meeting him on this. And we will be meeting him on what transpired in this meeting and we will convey what he wanted and what the people wanted. But definitely, Nur is for this purpose.”
“There is no Misuari faction. There is no Alonto faction. There is only one MNLF,” he said.
Alonto also said the “spirit” of the BBL will be tackled in the convention and delegates can decide to “adopt, pursue or perfect” its provisions.”
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“I think the nation will understand if we come into an agreement and install a stronger Bangsamoro government in line with our move for the adoption to the federal-parliamentary form of government. That will give us the distinct honor — the Bangsamoro and the Cordilleras — the distinct honor of being the first two states of the Philippine federation,” he pointed out.
“It can be done this year and then that serves as the entire model for the entire country,” he said.
The BBL was crafted as part of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, a deal between the government and the MILF. Its purpose is to establish a political entity with its basic structure of government that will secure the identity and posterity of the Bangsamoro people and allow for their self-governance.
Alonto said the measure they’re now eyeing is inclusive.
“It represents all the fronts. It represents the Bangsamoro itself. No more MILF. No more MNLF,” he said.
Alonto stressed that while the proposed measure is inspired by the BBL, they don’t want it tagged as another BBL.
“If you talk about the BBL, it creates negativism. Immediately, what you emit is negativism. What you will come to your mind is the Mamasapano. We want to avoid that,” he said.
“The Mamasapano was a betrayal,” he also said.
Last week, MILF Vice Chairperson for Political Affairs Ghadzali Jaafar said they want the BBL enacted first before the government shifts to federalism.
