What is the BOL and why do we need one?

The BOL, now officially called the Organic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous
Region in Muslim Mindanao (OLBARMM), is the result of decades-long peace
negotiations between the rebel groups in Mindanao, mainly the MILF, and the Philippine
Government.

The OLBARMM abolishes the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM),

established in 1989 through Republic Act No. 6734 and strengthened in 2001 through
Republic Act No. 9054. Officials have earlier called the ARMM a failure, marred by
corruption and mismanagement.

The new law then creates the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao
(BARMM), or simply the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region.

University of the Philippines Islamic law and politics professor Jamel Cayamodin said
the Bangsamoro law is designed to address the grievances, sentiments, and demands
of Muslims in the region.

"When you talk about the BBL, it's the advocacy of every Muslim… For the past years,
since martial law, the Muslims have been asking for self-determination," Cayamodin
said.

He added the MILF previously called for total independence when under the helm of its
founder Salamat Hashim. When Hashim died in 2003, the rebel group toned down its
demands and instead lobbied for a truly autonomous region.

Cayamodin said provinces in the ARMM are consistently among the poorest sectors of
the country, mainly due to corrupt and inefficient government officials. Clan wars or Rido
were also prevalent in the region.

TIMELINE: Road to peace in Mindanao: The Bangsamoro Organic Law

In 2011, Malacañang said former President Benigno Aquino III considers the ARMM a
"failed experiment."

After multiple rounds of talks that spanned almost a decade, the government and the
MILF signed the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) in 2012.

In 2014, the two parties signed the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro
(CAB), which incorporated the FAB and annexes on transitional arrangements, wealth,
power-sharing, and water territories. It served as the basis of the draft BBL.

Several versions of the BBL have been proposed by lawmakers, including the first
version submitted by Aquino to Congress in 2014. In 2015, a House committee
approved the draft and renamed it the Basic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous
Region. The Senate, meanwhile, passed its version of the bill and renamed it the
Bangsamoro Autonomous Region Law.

While there were efforts to pass the BBL during the Aquino administration, the length
and complexity of the bill led the Senate to temporarily defer its proceedings. The 16th
Congress eventually failed to pass the measure before it adjourned.

The OLBARMM - the latest version of the BBL passed during the Duterte administration
- reconciles versions of the proposed measure acceptable to both the government and
the rebel groups.

MILF Vice Chairman Ghazali Jaafar, who also chairs the Bangsamoro Transition
Commission (BTC) that created the first draft of the BBL, earlier said they will not accept
an autonomy that is equal to or less than the ARMM, which was the result of peace
deals between the government and the MNLF.

How will the OLBARMM quell the rebellion in Mindanao?

In the peace deal that led to the creation of CAB in 2014, the MILF promised to
decommission its troops and end the decades-long rebellion once the national
government delivers its commitment of a new Bangsamoro region.

The MILF will then create its own political party to be involved in the governance of the
new entity.

Jaafar said they are satisfied with the version approved by the bicameral conference
committee.

"Satisfied kami, maganda po 'yung proceeding ng both Senate and House of

Representatives. Doon sa provisions ng Bangsamoro Organic Law, more or less, ang
gusto (naming) mapasama ay napasama sa provisions," Jaafar said.

[Translation: We are satisfied, as there were good proceedings in both Senate and
House of Representatives. The provisions we want were more or less included in the
Bangsamoro Organic Law.]

He added the MILF will work with the MNLF to achieve a unified government in the
region.

"Hanggang ngayon, nakakausap ko 'yung prominent leaders ng MNLF in Davao. At sa

pag-uusap naming ito, hindi nila nasabi sa akin na hindi sila pabor sa BBL. Pabor sila
sa BBL," Jaafar said. "Natitiyak ko naman na tutulong sila, at hindi sila sasalungat. After
all, itong gobyerno na ito ay inclusive to everyone."
The MILF is a breakaway group of the MNLF. The establishment of the ARMM is the
result of negotiations between the government and the MNLF.

"Hindi po ito gobyerno ng MILF o MNLF. Ito po ay gobyerno ng lahat ng tao na

nandoon," he added.

[Translation: Until now, I still get to talk to prominent leaders of MNLF in Davao. In all
our conversations, they never told me they were against BBL. They are for BBL. I am
sure they will help and will not oppose. After all, this government is inclusive to
everyone. This is not a government of the MILF or MNLF. This is a government of all
the people residing there.]
 Under the OLBARMM, Moro Islamic Liberation Front combatants may join the police force of the Bangsamoro
region.
What are the differences between the ARMM and the
BARMM?
 Political structure and justice system
While the ARMM has a unitary form of government, the BARMM will have a
parliamentary-democratic one. This means that the legislative and executive bodies in
the ARMM are independent, while those in the BARMM are more closely related and
empowered to enact its own laws.

In the ARMM, the residents elect their regional governor and vice governor. The
regional governor has his own Cabinet and advisory council. The legislative power lies
with the regional legislative assembly, whose 24 members are also elected by the
people.

In the BARMM, the residents will elect an 80-member parliament representing different
parties, districts, and sectors, including indigenous peoples. The members of the
parliament will then elect a chief minister and two deputy chief ministers among
themselves. The chief minister shall also appoint members of his Cabinet.

For the judiciary, both autonomous regions give Shari'ah courts jurisdiction over cases
exclusively involving Muslims in the region. The OLBARMM gives the Supreme Court
the authority to grant the incumbent Shari'ah District and Court judges who are not
regular members of the Philippine Bar a period to qualify. Tribal laws will still apply to
disputes of indigenous peoples within the region.

 Fiscal autonomy and special development fund

Regional government officials under the ARMM must justify their funding before the
Congress like other agencies. This resulted in the dependency of the supposed
autonomous region on the national government for its annual budget.

Meanwhile, the BARMM will have an automatic allocation of the annual block grant,
equivalent to five percent of the net national internal revenue of the Bureau of Internal
Revenue and the Bureau of Customs.

The region's share in government revenue taxes, fees, charges, and taxes imposed on
natural resources will increase to 75 percent from the current 70 percent.

The national government will also allocate the Bangsamoro P5 billion annually for a
period of ten years, which will be used for the rehabilitation of conflict-affected areas.