President Rodrigo Duterte’s projected calling of the Congress to a special session to tackle and approve the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) is grossly premature.

The BBL bill must be first cleansed of constitutional infirmities, foremost of which is the legislative abolition of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) whose establishment is mandated by the 1987 Constitution.

No amendment to the Charter is allowed by ordinary statute.

Accordingly, there is need for a prior constitutional amendment to replace the ARMM with the expanded and more powerful Bangsamoro Autonomous Region.

EDCEL C. LAGMAN