Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., on Wednesday vowed swift passage of a proposed law that would pave the way for the creation of Bangsamoro region in response to President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino 3rd commitment for peace which he highlighted during his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) last Monday.
Belmonte said there would be no serious or stiff opposition to the establishment of Bangsamoro Region as the end result of the peace agreement being pushed by the President and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), especially if proponents can explain very well the necessity of the details, including the wealth-sharing agreement.
“As usual, there will be pros and cons. But I am very confident that as along as it can be shown to us to be a reasonable thing and that would finally end the decades of conflict which is really one of the things that is holding back the development of our country, I am confident that the House will carry it,” Belmonte said in an interview.
Anak Mindanao party-list Rep. Sitti Djalia Turabin, wife ofAutonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Gov. Mujiv Hataman, credited President Aquino for his commitment to attaining peace in
“The highlight for me was his commitment to the peace process. The call for Congress to support it and the assurance that what the Bangsamoro Basic Law will contain will be deliverable,” Turabin explained in a separate interview.
According to Turabin, she thinks they need to support the negotiations first and applaud the fact that both parties reached an agreement, particularly on the wealth-sharing.
“It is not the time to be negative about the figures as it will still go through the Transition Commission, Congress, and then ratification by the people thru a plebiscite. Let us be thankful that both parties continue to talk, eventually, it will be the people who will decide the fate of the Bangsamoro region,” Turabin pointed out.
Belmonte also said he is hoping that what the creation of Bangsamoro region will just need new laws and would not deal on amending the Constitution.
Under the agreement of the government and MILF, 75% of the taxes collected by the central leadership will go to Bangsamoro region from the current 70 percent under ARMM.
With respect to natural resources, the Bangsamoro government will enjoy 100 percent of revenues from non-metallic resources (sand, gravel and quarry resources) and 75 percent from metallic resources.
In the case of fossil fuels (petroleum, natural gas, and coal) and uranium, the Bangsamoro government and the central government would equally share the income.
But both parties committed to incorporate a review mechanism of this scheme in the Bangsamoro law.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=547576
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