Bicam committee okays Bangsamoro bill
The bicameral conference committee of Congress approved on Wednesday evening the proposed Organic Law for Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (BAR) after six days of hearings.
The committee led by Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri and House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas held a ceremonial signing of the consolidated bill shortly after the hearing was suspended at around 9 pm at the Senate in Pasay City.
The lawmakers also made a ceremonial hand over of a copy of the bill to the leadership of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission led by Moro Islamic Liberation Front vice chairman for political affairs Ghadzali Jaafar.
The 25-man BTC drafted the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law, which became the basis of the newly-approved draft of the Bangsamoro Organic Law.
According to Zubiri, it was "providential" that they were able to finish the deliberations on the bill exactly one year after the draft BBL was submitted to both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Jaafar welcomed the consolidated bill, saying, "it may not be a perfect law, but it's a good start."
"I'm overwhelmed at this time. I can only say, thank you very much," he added.
Farinas said once President Rodrigo Duterte approves the draft bill over the weekend, both the Senate and the House of Representatives would ratify the bill in the morning of July 23 when Congress opens the session. Thereafter, Duterte could sign the enrolled bill into law, he said.
Zubiri noted that the most contentious provision in the bill was the territory, specifically on the inclusion of the six municipalities in Lanao del Norte and the 39 barangays of North Cotabato in the BAR.
Duterte had to break the impasse on the matter by endorsing the House's version that in order for these areas to be part of the Bangsamoro territory, there should be a majority vote from the entire province during the plebiscite.
Farinas said the plebiscite for the new law could take place by November and under the bill, the Bangsamoro Transition Authority will lead the region for three years.
The first regular election will be held in May 2022 simultaneous with the national elections.
The BAR, which will replace the existing Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, will be led by a parliamentary government headed by a chief minister.
Farinas said they expect that once the bill becomes a law, its constitutionality will be questioned before the Supreme Court.
Both Farinas and Zubiri expressed belief that it will be declared constitutional.
The passage of a Bangsamoro bill into a law is part of the peace deal that the MILF signed with the Philippine government during the Aquino administration.
The realization of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro will end the decades old MILF rebellion, which started in the early 1970s.
It will lead to the decommissioning of 30,000 to 40,000 regular and irregular MILF fighters, according to Mohagher Iqbal, chairman of the MILF peace implementing panel. Celerina Monte/DMS
