Government of the Philippines (GPH) chief peace negotiator
Prof. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer conveyed her appreciation to the members of the
House of Representatives Ad Hoc committee on the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) for
exerting due diligence as they deliberated and voted on every section of the
proposed measure, noting that substantive elements of the proposed law were
retained in response to the call of the Bangsamoro people for genuine autonomy.
“We have been monitoring the proceedings in Congress since
Monday and we definitely appreciate that our honorable representatives have
exerted all efforts and and responded to the call of the people to draft a BBL
consistent with the CAB (Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro) and in
accordance to the 1987 Philippine Constitution,” she said as the ad hoc
committee on the BBL approved on Wednesday the proposed law at the committee
level.
The line by line voting on the specific provisions on the
proposed BBL started Monday afternoon. The lawmakers resumed their session
early morning Tuesday and adjourned once more around 11 p.m. The Ad Hoc
Committee continued its proceedings today for referral of the bill to the House
committee on appropriations and the committee on ways and means before
submission to plenary.
Substantive parts of BBL
According to Ferrer, the three most substantive elements of
the BBL were carried in the amended draft of the ad hoc committee.
“The important elements are still there, notably: the
structure of government; automatic block grant; and the layered voting process
where the majority vote in the six Lanao del Norte municipalities and 39 North
Cotabato barangays shall be determined at the level of the local government
unit,” she said.
The chief peace negotiator added that most articles,
especially on fiscal and economic matters were also preserved.
“We are thankful that substantive parts and the spirit of
the BBL to address the Bangsamoro aspiration for political and fiscal autonomy
were heeded by our lawmakers in their voting on the provisions of the
Bangsamoro law,” she said.
During the two-day proceedings, the ad hoc committee has
entrenched certain substantial changes to the bill such as the provision for
the Chief Minister to have two deputies, one from the island provinces and
another from central Mindanao ; as well as the
unequivocal recognition of the validity of the Indigenous Peoples' Rights Act
(IPRA) in the Bangsamoro. The latter has allayed the anxiety of the Lumad
communities who have been clamoring for the same.
“The welfare of the indigenous peoples has been enhanced.
The same is true with the protection of women’s rights and welfare. While there
were cutbacks on the jurisdiction of the Bangsamoro government over natural resources,
the wealth-sharing from the exploration, development, and utilization of these
resources were not changed,” continued Ferrer.
One step closer to BBL passage
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos
Deles also hailed the passage of the BBL at the committee level, saying that
“this is a good day in our quest for just and lasting peace as the draft BBL is
one step closer to passage, having been approved on the committee level.”
"Kami po ay nagpapasalamat sa liderato ng Kamara de Representante
at sa pamunuan at mga miyembro ng Ad Hoc Committee on the BBL sa kanilang
pagsagot sa panawagan ng Bangsamoro para sa kapayapaan at kaunlaran (We would
like to express our thanks to the leadership of the House of Representatives
and to the chair and members of the Ad Hoc Committee on the BBL for answering
the call of the Bangsamoro for peace and prosperity)," she said.
"We are aware that there will still be challenges along
the way but we are confident that our lawmakers will heed the call of the
people for meaningful autonomy and end to conflict," Deles added.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=763869
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.