MANILA, Philippines - President Duterte expanded yesterday the membership of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) to ensure that all stakeholders are consulted in the crafting of a law that would form the Bangsamoro government.
The BTC, which was tasked to draft the enabling law that would serve as the legal foundation of the Bangsamoro government, now includes representatives of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), indigenous peoples, Mindanao sultanates and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Local government units, women, youth and other sectoral groups will also be consulted.
The BTC was created in 2012 through Executive Order No. 120 signed by then president Benigno Aquino III.
Duterte created a still unnumbered executive order establishing an expanded BTC in an apparent effort to address concerns that some sectors were not consulted during the crafting of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) during the term of Aquino.
“It is not only the representatives of the government, the MNLF and the MILF that have a place at the table. Peace is everyone’s concern so we must have a venue like the peace tables where people’s voices can be heard and taken seriously,” government implementing panel chair Irene Santiago said.