MANILA – A lawyer of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) on Sunday warned Congress against passing a "diluted" version of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL). 

Algamar Latiph of the BTC said a watered-down version of the law creating the Bangsamoro political entity will not achieve its true objective, which is lasting peace in Mindanao.

"The BBL seeks to create a condition in which development, peace can be realized. We have to give that kind of instrument. If we put an instrument there, craft a law that is diluted, how can you create a condition in which development and peace can be realized?" the lawyer told ANC.

The Senate and the House are set to convene this week to reconcile their versions of the BBL.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front has said it hopes lawmakers will come up with a BBL draft that is as close to the version proposed by the BTC. 

"Gusto namin 'yung mga proposal namin sa BBL maipasok 'yan lahat. Hindi man buo, at least it will not be diluted or it will not be watered down," said the rebel group's vice chairman for political affairs Ghazali Jaafar.

(We want our proposals to be included in the final version of the BBL. If not all our proposals, at least the final version should not be watered-down.)

MILF hopes Bangsamoro Law to include 'more' of its inputs

Passing the BBL is among the requirements under the peace deal between the MILF and the government under former President Benigno Aquino III in 2014.

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