By Ben Rosario
Leaders of the bicameral conference committee on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law are confident that President Rodrigo Duterte will sign during his upcoming State of the Nation Address a law that will pass constitutional scrutiny.
This developed as Bangsamoro Transition Commission Chairman Ghazali B. Jaafar warned Monday that a watered down version of the proposed law should be expected to be rejected when it is presented to voters during a plebiscite.
Jaafar stated that a watered down “BBL” is a law that falls short of what the law creating the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao already provides.
House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Farinas, head of the House contingent, said the bicameral panel will have to be “guided by the Constitution” as it refines the House and Senate version of the measure.
On the other hand, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri aired confidence that the bill will pass a Supreme Court review on constitutionality.
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Of the 18 conferees sent to the bicameral panel, only six represent non-Mindanao congressional districts. They are Senior Deputy Majority Leader and Pampanga Rep. Rimpy Bondoc; Deputy Majority Leader and Iloilo Rep. Arthur Defensor Jr., Asst. Minority Leader and ABS Partylist Rep. Eugene Michael De Vera; Reps. Rodolfo Albano (NPC, Isabela); Romeo Acop (NP, Antipolo City) and Farinas.
The Senate sent a ten-man team headed by Zubiri.
“Hopefully, the agreement is if we come up and do away all the disagreements provisions and doubtful versions acceptable to both panels… we will present it to our chambers for ratification when we open the third regular session on July 23,” said Fariñas.
The House official said that if both houses of Congress agreed and ratified the version that will be decided during the bicam, they will submit it to President Duterte on the afternoon of that same day when the chief executive delivers his third SONA.
He noted that the BBL version of the House conformed with the proposals of the BTC and are constitutional.
“We have to be guided by the Constitution. We will have to ensure anything that we do here will be compliant with the Constitution,” said Farinas.
He said that the final version of the BBL should “past the test of constitutionality” since some groups will surely question the proposed measure before the Supreme Court (SC) once Duterte signs it into law.
As of press time Monday, the bicameral panel already reached an agreement on the first four provisions that included the Preamble and the territory, according to Lanao del Sur Rep. Mauyag Papandayan Jr., chairman of the House Committee on Muslim Affairs.
In an interview, Jaafar said a watered down version of the measure is what Mindanao Muslims want Congress to avoid.
Jaafar, vice chairman of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, said a rejection of the law when presented for ratification should be expected if the measure fails to satisfy the expectations of an enhanced ARMM law version.
He disclosed that the MILF already has “several options” to pursue should the BLL fail.
“There are several options but I cannot say as of today what option to use. I can categorically assure you the best way to resolve the issue is through peace process, which is most civilized move,” Jaafar said. (Ben R. Rosario)
Leaders of the bicameral conference committee on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law are confident that President Rodrigo Duterte will sign during his upcoming State of the Nation Address a law that will pass constitutional scrutiny.
This developed as Bangsamoro Transition Commission Chairman Ghazali B. Jaafar warned Monday that a watered down version of the proposed law should be expected to be rejected when it is presented to voters during a plebiscite.
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| Members of the Senate and House of Representatives sing the Philippine National Anthem during the bicameral conference for the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) at Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria, July 9, 2018. (Mark Balmores / MANILA BULLETIN) |
House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Farinas, head of the House contingent, said the bicameral panel will have to be “guided by the Constitution” as it refines the House and Senate version of the measure.
On the other hand, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri aired confidence that the bill will pass a Supreme Court review on constitutionality.
.
Of the 18 conferees sent to the bicameral panel, only six represent non-Mindanao congressional districts. They are Senior Deputy Majority Leader and Pampanga Rep. Rimpy Bondoc; Deputy Majority Leader and Iloilo Rep. Arthur Defensor Jr., Asst. Minority Leader and ABS Partylist Rep. Eugene Michael De Vera; Reps. Rodolfo Albano (NPC, Isabela); Romeo Acop (NP, Antipolo City) and Farinas.
The Senate sent a ten-man team headed by Zubiri.
“Hopefully, the agreement is if we come up and do away all the disagreements provisions and doubtful versions acceptable to both panels… we will present it to our chambers for ratification when we open the third regular session on July 23,” said Fariñas.
The House official said that if both houses of Congress agreed and ratified the version that will be decided during the bicam, they will submit it to President Duterte on the afternoon of that same day when the chief executive delivers his third SONA.
He noted that the BBL version of the House conformed with the proposals of the BTC and are constitutional.
“We have to be guided by the Constitution. We will have to ensure anything that we do here will be compliant with the Constitution,” said Farinas.
He said that the final version of the BBL should “past the test of constitutionality” since some groups will surely question the proposed measure before the Supreme Court (SC) once Duterte signs it into law.
As of press time Monday, the bicameral panel already reached an agreement on the first four provisions that included the Preamble and the territory, according to Lanao del Sur Rep. Mauyag Papandayan Jr., chairman of the House Committee on Muslim Affairs.
In an interview, Jaafar said a watered down version of the measure is what Mindanao Muslims want Congress to avoid.
Jaafar, vice chairman of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, said a rejection of the law when presented for ratification should be expected if the measure fails to satisfy the expectations of an enhanced ARMM law version.
He disclosed that the MILF already has “several options” to pursue should the BLL fail.
“There are several options but I cannot say as of today what option to use. I can categorically assure you the best way to resolve the issue is through peace process, which is most civilized move,” Jaafar said. (Ben R. Rosario)
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