COTABATO CITY – A cabinet member in Muslim Mindanao has expressed gratitude to members of the Senate for proposed legislation seeking to extend the transition period of the newly-constituted Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
“We welcome the development in the Senate relative to the extension of the period of transition and the consequent resetting of the parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro,” said Naguib Sinarimbo, BARMM Minister of the Interior.
Sen. Francis Tolentino introduced Senate Bill 2214 late last week.
“We thank Sen. Tolentino and the members of the committee on LocGov in the Senate for expediting the process by holding a public hearing while Congress was on recess just to complete the committee report and proceed quickly to the plenary,” said Sinarimbo who was physically present throughout the entire Senate deliberations.
Sinarimbo added that he looks forward to a similar process in the House of Representatives and that they are appealing to the President to certify the bill as urgent given time constraints.
Asked by media recently, Malacañang spokesperson Harry Roque hinted that the President was inclined to back up the BARMM’s transition extension.
“While Duterte continues to be supportive of the initiative for the transition and even if he will certify the measures as urgent, Roque said Congress would have the final say whether to extend or not the Bangsamoro transition,” a report said.