Bangsamoro plebiscite seen to be held in June

From the Manila Bulletin (Dec 28): Bangsamoro plebiscite seen to be held in June

The plebiscite for the Bangsamoro region will be held in June next year as the 75-man ad hoc panel on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) eyes the Lower Chamber’s final passage of the peace measure in   February.

Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, who heads the ad hoc panel expressed confidence that the House plenary will be able to pass the proposed measure by February so that the plebiscite can be held by June.

“We have almost finished the consultations and by January, there will be an executive session meeting among the 75-members of the ad hoc panel to finalize the bill. We are confident that by first quarter, by March, all is settled and after three months, by June, there will be a plebiscite,” he said in a phone interview.

He explained that after Congress approves the BBL, the Commission on Elections will be given 90 days to prepare for the holding of a plebiscite.

Last September, Rodriguez said his panel expected the peace measure will be approved in the plenary by December 17, with the holding of a plebiscite by March 30 at the latest. Malacanang wanted to have the plebiscite for the Bangsamoro region by end of the year.

Rodriguez said his committee will approve the final draft of the Bangamoro measure or House Bill 4944 on February 11.

“The committee report will be approved on February 11. The panel members will just vote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ if they agree or not with the final draft of the measure,” Rodriguez said, even as he assured that some provisions of the BBL, which may be declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court (SC) would be threshed out.

Among those questioned in the BBL are the provisions allowing other areas outside the Bangsamoro territory to also join the entity upon a petition of at least 10 percent of the constituents; creating own internal audit body despite the presence of the Commission on Audit (CoA);  disciplining of public officials and employees; establishing civil service, and human rights body, and allowing Bangsamoro to run its elections, among others.

Rodriguez expressed hope that after the ad hoc panel approves the committee report, President Aquino will formally certify the measure as urgent to ensure its immediate passage.

Under the panel’s calendar for BBL’s approval, the plenary debates on the measure will be held on February 16 to 17, 23 to 25, 2015. Rodriguez said during this period of plenary debates, the House would be able to appove HB 4944 on second and third reading.

The Rodriguez panel will resume its hearing on BBL on January 19 with governors and vice governors of 26 provinces, which will be part of the Bangsamoro region as well as the mayors of 26 cities in the region.

On January 20, another hearing will be set and will be attended by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), all factions in the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and representatives from th Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).

“We want to hear all concerned stakeholders. We just hope they will attend the hearing and present their views,” Rodriguez said.

He even cited that the committee report that will be approved by the panel will contain the list of their panel meetings as well as the resource persons, the compilation of the minutes and the  compilation of position papers submitted by various stakeholders, including House members and non-government organizations on BBL.

http://www.mb.com.ph/bangsamoro-plebiscite-seen-to-be-held-in-june/