COTABATO CITY —  To maintain transparency and accountability, Atty. Rasol Mitmug Jr. filed a bill seeking to operationalize the Bangsamoro Gazette.

Every Bangsamoro, as stated in the bill, must have access to information, official records, public records, and documents and papers relating to official acts, transactions or decisions, as well as to research data used as the basis for policy development.

The gazette will serve as the official journal of the Bangsamoro government. 

It will publish all legislative acts and resolutions, executive and administrative issuances of general application, and significant Shari’ah Court rulings. 

“It is therefore submitted that it is high time and apt for the Bangsamoro government to publish its official gazette to be published in print and electronic form,” Atty. Mitmug said in his explanatory note. 

He said that it is important for the public to be kept informed on public concerns through platforms that are easily accessible. 

Under the measure, the Bangsamoro Information Office (BIO) will be responsible for the editorial functions over the Bangsamoro Official Gazette, the collection of its subscription fees, and the creation and maintenance of its official website and/or social media pages.

Aside from print publications, the gazette will be published through BIO’s official website, which will also serve as an open-access digital archive for all published material. It will be published in English, with Filipino and Arabic translations as needed. 

Meanwhile, the Bangsamoro Government’s ministries, commissions, bureaus, offices, and agencies and the province, city, and municipal governments within the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, shall subscribe to the gazette and pay for it. (Publication and Media Relations Division)