Senators yesterday hailed the signing of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) by President Duterte on Thursday, but stressed that the difficult task to implement it should now start.

Senate Majority Floor Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, who led the Senate contingent in the bicameral committee that produced the BOL, said that more work has to be done now for the proper implementation of the law.

“We thank President Duterte for signing the BOL as he promised. He closely followed our work. Now, the more difficult part begins,” said Zubiri.

Zubiri said that they do not want BOL to suffer the same fate as that of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) which was branded as a failed experiment.

The ARMM is the product of the 1996 Final Peace Agreement (FPA) between the government of the Philippines and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), while BOL is the result of the decades-long negotiations between the GPH and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

The next important task, Zubiri said, is the approval by the Bangsamoro people of the BOL.

“The Bangsamoro stakeholders, including legislators should see to it that the preparatory measures are completed. We need a plebiscite to implement the law,” said Zubiri.

“Majority should approve of this, otherwise the ARMM areas shall continue to be administered under the ARMM law,” he added.

Zubiri said he will work, in coordination with the Commission on Elections, for funding of the plebiscite which is being eyed by November.

The Senate Majority Leader, however, said that measures are in-place to prvent the repeat of ARMM failure.

“From experience, we had all learned that the old ARMM law has become deficient as a framework for peace and economic growth for the region. The old set up of the ARMM did not promote the peace and development that it had promised to do by lacking the political reform measures that are sorely needed to achieve those gains,” said Zubiri.

“Thankfully, the BOL has many of these measures in place. From transparency and accountability, to political party system of governance to fiscal autonomy and strengthened self-governance. The BOL will be able to achieve what ARMM failed to do. Which is to equally serve every Filipino living in the Bangsamoro area,” he added.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson branded the signing of BOL as a huge leap towards peace in Mindanao, which has been host to decades long of fighting between government troops and Moro secessionist groups.

Lacson credited President Duterte for the law.

“BOL is not perfect but is a big leap towards peace in Mindanao nevertheless. Or so we hope. Much credit goes to PRRD (Mr. Duterte’s initials) and his strong political will in this regard,” said Lacson.

Sen. Sonny Angara echoed Lacson’s pronouncements, citing the President and the congress efforts to pass the BOL.

“We are grateful to the President and to both houses of Congress for prioritizing the bill. As chair of the senate committee on local government it is our hope that the greater powers and autonomy given the new Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao will be used for the greater good and welfare of its residents,” said Zubiri.

For his part, Sen. Richard Gordon said “We have to stretch ourselves without violating the constitution, without unjustified appeasement but more importantly to achieve unity, peace and upliftment of all our people especially in Muslim Mindanao.”

Sen. Nancy Binay, for her part, said that the BOL is a clear testament that the government can empower local governments within the framework of the 1987 Constitution.

“With the passage of the BOL, it only shows that true local autonomy can be achieved within the framework, context, ideals and spirit of the 1987 Constitution,” said Binay.

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