DAVAO CITY - The Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) approved on Wednesday the Bangsamoro Administrative Code (BAC), a landmark legislation that will provide the "structural, functional, and procedural principles and rules of governance" of the Bangsamoro government.
In a statement, the Bangsamoro government said 58 Members of the Parliament (MP) voted for the passage of Cabinet Bill No. 60 entitled “An act providing for the Bangsamoro Administrative Code and for other related purposes.”
"By nominal voting, 26 voted physically while 32 voted via Zoom. None of the MPs voted against nor abstained on the approval of the said bill, which is authored by the Government of the Day," it said.
It said the BAC "shall take effect 15 days after its publication in a newspaper of general circulation or within the BARMM (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao)."
Chief Minister Ahod "Al Haj Murad" Ebrahim said one of the basic principles and policies of the BAC "provides that the Bangsamoro government, in pursuit of moral governance, shall maintain honesty, integrity, transparency, and accountability in governance and take positive and effective measures against graft and corruption.”
“This salient point speaks of our earnest desire to leave a system that adheres to the concept of amanah, where leadership and responsibilities are not just titles or positions, but more importantly a trust given by the Almighty,” he added.
Prior to its passage, Cabinet Bill No. 60 was filed in the plenary on July 22 this year. Minister Raissa Jajurie headed the technical working group (TWG) which conducted a series of public consultations among various stakeholders from August 14-26.
The TWG collated the position and policy papers on the bill submitted by the participants before submitting its report to the Committee on Rules. The report was approved on October 22 and was introduced to the plenary on October 27.
Ebrahim admitted that the Bangsamoro Government has a "lot of work to do."
“But let’s take this time to celebrate this milestone. I hope that our passion for the Bangsamoro remains unshaken, regardless of the pandemic and the countless challenges ahead,” Ebrahim added.