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House, Senate clear way for Bangsamoro bill’s OK

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President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to sign the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law before May 30, after both houses in the Congress agreed on one version of the BBL, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Thursday. 

In a press briefing in Marawi, the Palace spokesman said both the Senate and the House agreed on one version of BBL and would be certified as urgent for speedy passage by Congress.

In related developments:

• In a letter dated May 23, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and House Majority Floor Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas said only the certifcation of the President would guarantee the timely passage of the BBL on third and final reading next week. 

“We once again respectfully request that House Bill 6457 be certified as urgent  by your administration,” the House leaders said, referring to the BBL.

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“We aim to pass the said measure on third and final reading before the sine die adjournment of Congress on June 2, 2018. Thus, we are hoping for your usual support as we work for the prompt passage of this law,” they said. 

Last Tuesday, the Bangsamoro Transition Commission asked the House of Representatives to give the group until Monday next week to respond to the undisclosed amendments on the peace bill principally authored by Alvarez.

• Newly-elected Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Thursday expressed hope the Senate could come up with a conservative but well-crafted proposal for a Bangsamoro Law and pass it on second reading either Tuesday or Wednesday next week.

“We would be able to pass the period of amendments by Monday, at the latest Tuesday, and pass it on second reading on Tuesday. If we receive the certification as urgent from the President, then we do away with the three-day rule,” he said.

Without the certification, Sotto said they could not approve it on third reading because of the three day rule “and we don’t have three days after Wednesday.”

Congress adjourns on Wednesday and resumes on the last Monday of July for the State of the Nation Address of the President.

Sotto also said the House version was much closer to what the Bangsamoro Transition Committee submitted.

“So, the bicam would take a lot of time, I think. But we’re also optimistic that if the President sees the Senate version, we might get the support,” he said.

.“We’re thinking that the BBL, if we pass it, might become the template for the regional federal states or federal areas or federal regions [under federalism],” he said.

The President earlier said the BBL would give rise to a genuine autonomous region as well as bring healing and reconciliation to the historical injustices committed against the Bangsamoro people.

He stressed that the entire country would benefit from the BBL as well as the Bangsamoro region.

Duterte said the BBL “embodies our shared aspirations of a peaceful, orderly and harmonious nation” following decades of armed struggle and violence.

“The proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law puts into life and spirit the constitutional mandate provided in the 1987 Constitution for the establishment of a truly autonomous region in Muslim Mindanao,” the President added. 

Sotto also disclosed that the .strategy he wanted to do as presiding officer would be to do the amendments. page by page on Monday.

Meanwhile, Senator Joel Villanueva said identity, ancestral domain and the protection of their rights as non-Moro Indigenous Peoples were the issues he had heard from Lumad leaders, and he would bring these to the plenary debates on the BBL.

Senator Ralph Recto, which received the MIPLA proposals told Unsad and the group, committed to “push for the MIPLA revisions 100 percent.”

The IP leaders also met with Senators Nancy Binay, Paolo Aquino, Risa Hontiveros, and representatives from the offices of Senator Loren Legarda, JV Ejercito, Antonio Trillanes and Franklin Drilon. 

They are scheduled to meet with Senator Leila de Lima.

Timuay Leticio Datuwata, a Lambangian leader, said: “We have left our communities again to be here and meet with the members of Congress. 

“There have been promises and commitment of support to our cause. 

“We hope that this time, these promises will be translated to actual amendments, and will be incorporated in the bill and an inclusive BBL will finally be passed.”

This came after House leaders led by Alvarez held an executive meeting last Tuesday morning at Batasan Complex with BTC and Government Republic of the Philippines officials, Alvarez, Fariñas, the heads of the House joint committees on local government, chaired by South Cotabato City Rep. Pedro Acharon; on Muslim affairs chaired by Lanao del Sur Rep. Mauyag Papandayan; and on special panel on peace, reconciliation and unity, chaired by Tawi-Tawi Rep. Ruby Sahali to come up with t1he final version of the BBL.

Fariñas, chairman of the House committee on rules, maintained he could not reveal details of the proposed amendments to the BBL until the BTC is able to submit its draft proposal to Congress.

Alvarez’s proposal proposes to create a political entity, give a basic structure of government for the Bangsamoro people and provide authority for them to rule politically.

Fariñas said he was hopeful President Duterte would be able to sign into law the BBL bill before his third State of the Nation Address on July 23, 2018.

On May 15, the committees on local government, on Muslim affairs, and the special committee on peace, unity and reconciliation approved the consolidated bill of the peace measure.

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