President Rodrigo Duterte vowed on Monday to sign into law the proposed Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) within 48 hours.

In a 49-minute third State of the Nation Address during the joint session of Congress at the Batasang Pambansa, Duterte said despite criticisms against BOL, he made it a solemn commitment that he would never deny Muslims of their basic legal tools to chart their own destiny within the constitutional framework of the country.

"When the approved version is transmitted and received by my office… The law has been passed actually and I intend to… Give me 48 hours to sign it and ratify the law," he said.

Duterte said he would read first the enrolled bill before signing it to ensure that there would be no sudden changes on the proposed measure.

Duterte was supposed to sign the proposed BOL if both Houses of Congress ratified it.

The Senate approved the reconciled version of proposed Organic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, formerly known as the Bangsamoro Basic Law, when the third regular session of the 17th Congress opened on Monday.

However, the House of Representatives failed to do the same as its opening session was marred with the move to oust Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.

The SONA was even delayed for over an hour as it started past 5 pm due to the squabble on the House leadership.

Former President and Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo tried to assume the speakership, but Alvarez remained the speaker at least until the SONA finished.

Members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) led by Al Haj Murad Ebrahim were present during the SONA.

Mohager Iqbal, former chief negotiator of the (MILF) said: "Of course, (our) expectation did not happen. It is unfortunate BOL was hijacked. Let us wait for 48 hours."

The passage of the Bangsamoro bill is part of the peace agreement signed by the Aquino administration and the MILF rebel group but the previous government failed to pass the law. Celerina Monte/DMS