President Rodrigo Duterte said on Thursday that he signed into law the Bangsamoro Organic Law.

In a speech in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay, Duterte said even if he inked the bill creating the Organic Law for Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, formerly known as the Bangsamoro Basic Law, there would be a ceremonial signing where stakeholders would be invited.

"The BBL is signed," he said, adding that Moro Islamic Liberation Front chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim and MILF vice chair for political affairs and Bangsamoro Transition Commission chairman Ghazali Jaafar would be invited for the ceremonial signing.

"And also I'd like to talk to Nur (Miruari) so that we can have it by the end of the year. I can create also just like an autonomy for him if that's what he wants, and pending the federal system implementation he can just wait for it if he (Nur) trusts me," he added.

Misuari is the founding chairman of the Moro National Liberation Front.

Duterte said he would be "pleading and begging" to give peace a chance.

Shortly after Duterte's statement that he signed the BOL, in a text message to reporters, Special Assistant to the President Christopher "Bong" Go said Duterte was yet to do it. This was also the text message of Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, saying the enrolled bill was still with the Office of the Executive Secretary.

But later in the evening, Roque and Go said Duterte had signed the bill.

The House of Representatives had ratified the BOL on Tuesday after a controversial leadership change in the Lower Chamber, with Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo becoming the new Speaker, replacing Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez.

The signing of the Bangsamoro bill into law was supposed to take place before Duterte's third State of the Nation Address on Monday.

But the House failed to ratify the bill despite the Senate's approval of the proposed measure. Celerina Monte/DMS