From the Philippine News Agency (Oct 7):
Lawmakers, peace panels apprise public on prospects of BBL passage
The Government of the Philippines (GPH) and Moro Islamic
Liberation Front (MILF) negotiating panels together with House of
Representatives members who have taken active roles in the bill’s legislative
process held a press conference Wednesday to shed better light on the status of
the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) amidst recent uncertainties and continuing
delays.
“We have communicated to our representatives at the House
the urgency of apprising the public especially the Bangsamoro people who have
been waiting with bated breath for the realization of their aspiration for
genuine autonomy,” said GPH Chief Peace Negotiator Professor Miriam
Coronel-Ferrer.
“The Bangsamoro want and need the BBL. Let us not drive them
to hopelessness by continuously delaying the process and keeping them in the
dark of the bill’s status. We don’t want them, or any segment of the Filipino
people, losing trust in our government institutions.”
The BBL is the legal iteration of the Comprehensive
Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) which in turn is a product of more than 18
years of negotiations between the government and the MILF. When passed, the BBL
will establish a parliamentary autonomous government that will replace the
current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
“We have explained that this dialogue needs to happen before
Congress goes into recess because, aside from the on-going budget hearings at
both Houses, the election season has slowly begun gripping the country,”
continued Ferrer.
Election fever not reason to stall work on BBL
The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has set the period for
the filing of candidacies from the position of President down to municipal
councilors on October 12-16.
Despite this, the Philippine chief peace negotiator
explained that politicians who were running for posts in the 2016 elections
need not worry about their popularity rating when championing the BBL. “Recent
surveys point to inflation, poverty, and corruption as the most critical issues
for voters.”
“The BBL, and even the peace process in general, should be
seen for what it is: a tool to bring socio-economic and political justice in
the Bangsamoro,” she continued. "It enjoys the support of key sectors like
the church, youth, business, academe as well as the international community."
Maguindanao and Cotabato
City 1st District
Representative Bai Sandra Sema and Anak Mindanao Party-list Representative
Sitti Djalia Turabin-Hataman are joining the press conference. The two serve as
House Ad Hoc Committee on the BBL Vice Chair and member respectively.
After President Benigno S. Aquino III officially transmitted
to Congress the original BBL draft last 10 September 2014, it was shepherded in
the House by a 75-member ad hoc committee chaired by Cagayan de Oro City
Representative Rufus B. Rodriguez and in the Senate by Senator Ferdinand
“Bongbong” Marcos, Jr.’s committee on local government. Following numerous
public hearings across the country, the two committees came up with their
respective substitute BBL both called the Basic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous
Region (BLBAR) which are the versions being deliberated at the House and Senate
plenary.
Statements of support from the Catholic Education
Association of the Philippines (CEAP) and the Ateneo University
system have been published in major newspapers this week and more are expected
to be published including statements from the business sector. This is not
counting the numerous other positive statements that came out in the previous
weeks and months.
Pushing for a November passage
“Together with the OPAPP (Office of the Presidential Adviser
on the Peace Process) and the BTC (Bangsamoro Transition Commission), we at the
GPH panel worked hard. I cannot stress enough the importance of passing the BBL
as soon as possible,” said Ferrer.
Both Houses of Congress are set to go into recess this week
and will resume their respective sessions on 3 November 2015. Addressing the
possibility of encountering more quorum problems as election season kicks into
higher gear, Ferrer stressed that “while we understand that everyone is gearing
up for the elections, that is not reason to not come back to work in November
to finish all the important pending legislation.”
Both Senate President Drilon and Speaker Belmonte have
expressed doubt that the Bangsamoro Law could be passed before Congress goes on
recess on October 9 and have set a new deadline for its passage to December 16
this year. Today, news reports quoted Drilon saying that they are having a hard
time constituting a quorum due to the election season. One Senator is a
presidential candidate, five are vice-presidential candidates and 6 are
re-electionists.
Despite this pronouncement, Ferrer is still hopeful that
there is enough time to beat the said deadline by a month. “Why pass it in
December if we can do it this November? After all, with the APEC (Asia Pacific
Economic Conference) here, the world will once again be watching the Philippines and
it will be good for the whole country to have a BBL before then.”
“Leaders around the Asia Pacific would want assurances that
the Philippines
is peaceful, progressive, and ready for development and integration. Let us not
let that international meet be a missed opportunity.”
The press conference will be held at the Media Centre of the
House of Representatives in Batasan Complex, Quezon City. It will begin at 2:00 p.m.
“It is never too late to achieve something good. As we
Filipinos say, huli man daw at magaling, naihahabol din,” Ferrer concluded.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=812430
