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President Rodrigo Duterte hopes Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) Chairman Nur Misuari will participate in the discussions of Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

“I hope Chairman Misuari can be convinced to join the talks so that if there are corrections or maybe additions, or provisions that would not sit well with Tausug and the rest of the southern part of Mindanao, then maybe we can realize altogether the friction of the Moro Islamic (MI), Moro National (MN) and the rest of Mindanao,” Duterte said in his speech in Davao City on Saturday.

“But if you will say that --- if we do not think about it, if we kind of adapt an intransigent behavior...it will result in a war,” he added.

Duterte emphasized the government will try to pass the BBL and urges the public not to join the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

“More dangerous is the coming in of ISIS. Please do not join that, or even the brutality of ISIS in the Middle East. It is something which nobody can stomach. Raping women, killing children, dropping bombs against human beings, and most of the time, the children are the victims who suffer pain,” he said.

“That’s the problem with ISIS. That is why it is very important that we get together. We will try to pass the BBL with no catch,” he added.

“I am for federalism. I am for peace. Now on (MILF) Chairman (Al Haj) Murad (Ebrahim)… we can do it now, I said, we’ll just wait for the passage of the law and we can have a draft there existing to be added in the federal scheme of things. But it must be something like alongside the Philippine Constitution,” Duterte noted.

It can be recalled that Senate and House of Representative passed their versions of BBL before Congress adjourned sine die.

Both Houses of Congress are set reconcile their versions in the coming bicameral conference committee. Robina Asido/DMS