500,000 signatures to back BBL passage

MANILA, Philippines - More than half a million signatures of Mindanaoans backing the passage of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) will be submitted to President Aquino and Congress, a group said yesterday.

This is to remind our political leaders that at least 500,000 of their constituents back the BBL, according to Marjanie Macasalong, Coalition of Moro Youth Movement (CMYM) chairman.

Macasalong warned politicians that they would lose the votes of millions of Mindanaoans desiring peace in the south if they vote against the BBL.

“They should think twice before using the Bangsamoro for their political agenda because they could lose the support of half a million people,” Macasalong said.

Members of CMYM gathered and verified the 500,000 signatures in three months with no funding.

They traveled to Metro Manila to submit to political leaders copies of the signatures in time for Aquino’s last State of the Nation Address.

On Friday, the CMYM held a prayer meeting and the signature campaign in which hundreds of individuals signed to support the BBL’s passage.

Half a million signatures have been collected and documented simultaneously at a Greenhills mosque and the Golden Mosque in Quiapo, Manila.

The group proceeded to the Senate in a pro-BBL caravan of 100 vehicles to show the support of Muslim communities in Metro Manila to the proposed law.

“We hope with the help of these signatures, Congress will pass a BBL that responds to the genuine aspirations of our people,” Macasalong said.

CMYM members began collecting signatures in March in response to declarations from critical lawmakers that the BBL does not have enough support among Filipinos, especially Mindanaoans.