Civil society groups in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao are urging President Rodrigo Duterte to certify as urgent the passage of bills seeking to move regional elections in 2022 to 2025.
Mohamad said time is crucial in the push for extending the Bangsamoro transition as Congress has only less than 30 session days left before it adjourns the second regular session in June.
He explained that the law mandating the postponement of the 2022 election must already be in place before the filing of candidacy certificates in October. “There is nothing impossible if the President will certify the legislation urgent. We understand that the legislators will honor and respect the priority of the President,” said Archie Buaya of the Confederation of Descendants of Rajah Mamalu .By certifying the bills as urgent, these can be given “more prominence and a sense of urgency given the equally important and competing concerns of Congress,” the petition read.
“We believe that the BTA and national government will be able to accomplish more and uplift the quality of life of the people in a massive scale if they will be given additional time,” the groups said. The House of Representatives will begin on Feb. 16 public consultations on the bills seeking an extension of Bangsamoro transition.