MANILA – Malacañang clarified on Tuesday that the ceremonial signing of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) slated on Aug. 6 will be a “re-enactment”.
“There is a ceremonial re-enactment of the signing of the BOL on Aug. 6 at 3:45 p.m.,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a Palace briefing.
Roque earlier announced that President Rodrigo Duterte has already signed the BOL last July 26, two days after the House of Representatives ratified its bicameral report on the BOL.
Duterte was supposed to sign the BOL during his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 23 but failed to do so since it was only the Senate that was able to approve the bicameral report.
The lower chamber failed to ratify the landmark measure during the opening of the third regular session following a leadership shakeup.
“Re-enactment lang ‘yun. ‘Yan ‘yung seremonya (It’s just a re-enactment. That will be the ceremony) that we were deprived of kasi (because) the ceremony was supposed to be in Congress itself,” Roque said.
He said that authors, and stakeholders, including the Bangsamoro Transition Committee (BTC), of the landmark measure will be invited during the event.
On Monday, Roque said that Duterte is “not really fond of” holding ceremonies, although he personally felt that the BOL deserves one.
“Alam ninyo si Presidente talaga, hindi mahilig sa seremonya (You know, the President, he’s not really fond of holding ceremonies),” Roque said in an earlier briefing.
He said if the administration of former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III held a ceremony for the signing of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) despite it not being passed by Congress, the Duterte administration’s BOL certainly deserves a ceremony as well.
On Monday, Duterte’s top aide, Christopher “Bong” Go confirmed that a ceremonial signing will be held in Malacañang.
The BOL, which seeks to establish a new Bangsamoro political entity to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), is expected to pave the way for lasting peace in Mindanao.