[Xinhua] Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte on Monday expressed the hope that the new expanded Muslim autonomy law will finally end the decades-old conflict in Mindanao. In the signing ceremony for the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), Duterte urged Filipino Muslims, the indigenous communities and Christian settlers living within the Bangsamoro areas "to actively participate in constructive discussions about the law in your homes, in your villages, and communities"."But more importantly, I encourage you to take part in the upcoming plebiscite so that you may express your sovereignty through the ballot," Duterte added.
The BOL is the result of decades-long, on-and-off peace negotiations between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MLIF) and the Philippine government. The law abolishes the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), established in 1989 after the government signed a peace deal with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).
The BOL then creates the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), or simply the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region. According to the BOL, the BARMM will have a parliamentary-democratic form of government, meaning that it is empowered to enact its own laws. Tribal laws will still apply to dispute of indigenous peoples within the region.
Under the BOL the new autonomous region gets a 75% share of the total national taxes collected within its territory. And the BARMM will also have an automatic allocation of the annual block grant, equivalent to 5 percent of the net national internal revenue of the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs.
On defense and security, the national government will be responsible for the defense and security of the BARMM. The Philippine National Police will also organize, maintain, and supervise a police regional office to enforce the law. The BOL also allows members of the MNLF and MILF to be admitted to the police force.
The Bangsamoro government will be headed by a chief minister and a ceremonial leader called a Wali. There will be a parliament composed of 80 members.
The plebiscite for the establishment of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region will be held within three to five months after the effectivity of the BOL or between November and January next year. After the BOL is ratified in the plebiscite, the second phase of decommissioning of some MILF combatants will begin.