THE Senate-House conference committee, after a marathon meeting that lasted till late Wednesday night, approved a reconciled version of Senate Bill 1717 and House Bill 6475 embodying the awaited BangsaMoro Basic Law covering all provinces in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), to be called the BangsaMoro Autonomous Region or BAR.
Jointly presided by Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri and House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas, the ‘bicam’ concluded its debates on the contentious provisions of House Bill 6475 and Senate Bill 1717 after six days of debates and deliberations.
The final version provides the organic law for the BangsaMoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, repealing for the purpose Republic Act 6734, which provided the original law creating the ARMM.
As approved, the purpose of the organic law is to “establish a political entity, provide for its basic structure of government in recognition of the justness and legitimacy of the cause of the Bangsamoro people and the aspiration of Muslim Filipinos and all indigenous cultural communities in the autonomous region in Muslim Mindanao to secure their identity and posterity, allowing for the meaningful self-governance within the framework of the Constitution and the national sovereignty as well the territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippines.”
Allaying fears they won’t meet their self-imposed timeline, the bicameral committee worked overtime to wrap up a reconciled version of the BangsaMoro Basic Law for final ratification when Congress reconvenes on Monday, after which the BBL will be submitted to Malacanang for signing into law by President Duterte.
BBL ‘exhibit’ vs federal shift
Citing the soon-to-be-enacted Basic Law adopting a parliamentary system in the envisioned BangsaMoro region for Muslim Mindanao, Senate Minority Leader Frank Drilon asserted this is proof other major government reforms can be carried out without shifting to a federal system of governance.
Interviewed at the sidelines of Wednesday’s bicameral talks to hammer out a reconciled Senate-House version of the BangsaMoro Basic Law, Sen. Drilon, a former Justice Secretary, vouched the BBL can “withstand the test of constitutionality” even as he did not rule out the possibility that the BBL’s parliamentary setup could be questioned in the Supreme Court.
He said early enactment of the BBL will prove “we do not need federalism or amending the Constitution in order to achieve the self-governance or the benefits of the federalism that are being presented to the people.”
“Why? The BBL grants self-governance. The law provides ample powers to the Bangsomoro government,” said Drilon, pointing out there are “55 enumerations of the powers of the Bangsamoro” that he caused to be adopted in the proposed law.
Moreover, the Minority Leader cited adoption of other key provisions on “fiscal autonomy and generation of resources” in the law.
“At least P60 to P70 billion in block grants (will be) automatically released,” he added, noting that only the Bangsamoro government is empowered to decide “where to put the money.”
Drilon noted the envisioned Bangsamoro government was likewise granted taxation powers, such as excise taxes and other tax impositions previously reserved to the national government.
“Clearly, we do not need federalism to achieve what we want to do,” Drilon declared, asserting that the Constitution “allows the alleged benefits of federalism to be done by legislation.”
This could be done, he said, through proposed legislation that will be submitted to a national plebiscite. Once ratified in a plebiscite, Congress can no longer impose changes in its provision “unless the amendment is submitted to a plebiscite.”
Drilon said the issue stirred public perception that Charter changes are being pushed to allow incumbent elected officials to stay in power, including those whose terms are set to expire by June 30, 2019, after which the President will be “empowered to appoint officers-in-charge.”
Jointly presided by Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri and House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas, the ‘bicam’ concluded its debates on the contentious provisions of House Bill 6475 and Senate Bill 1717 after six days of debates and deliberations.
The final version provides the organic law for the BangsaMoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, repealing for the purpose Republic Act 6734, which provided the original law creating the ARMM.
As approved, the purpose of the organic law is to “establish a political entity, provide for its basic structure of government in recognition of the justness and legitimacy of the cause of the Bangsamoro people and the aspiration of Muslim Filipinos and all indigenous cultural communities in the autonomous region in Muslim Mindanao to secure their identity and posterity, allowing for the meaningful self-governance within the framework of the Constitution and the national sovereignty as well the territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippines.”
Allaying fears they won’t meet their self-imposed timeline, the bicameral committee worked overtime to wrap up a reconciled version of the BangsaMoro Basic Law for final ratification when Congress reconvenes on Monday, after which the BBL will be submitted to Malacanang for signing into law by President Duterte.
BBL ‘exhibit’ vs federal shift
Citing the soon-to-be-enacted Basic Law adopting a parliamentary system in the envisioned BangsaMoro region for Muslim Mindanao, Senate Minority Leader Frank Drilon asserted this is proof other major government reforms can be carried out without shifting to a federal system of governance.
Interviewed at the sidelines of Wednesday’s bicameral talks to hammer out a reconciled Senate-House version of the BangsaMoro Basic Law, Sen. Drilon, a former Justice Secretary, vouched the BBL can “withstand the test of constitutionality” even as he did not rule out the possibility that the BBL’s parliamentary setup could be questioned in the Supreme Court.
He said early enactment of the BBL will prove “we do not need federalism or amending the Constitution in order to achieve the self-governance or the benefits of the federalism that are being presented to the people.”
“Why? The BBL grants self-governance. The law provides ample powers to the Bangsomoro government,” said Drilon, pointing out there are “55 enumerations of the powers of the Bangsamoro” that he caused to be adopted in the proposed law.
Moreover, the Minority Leader cited adoption of other key provisions on “fiscal autonomy and generation of resources” in the law.
“At least P60 to P70 billion in block grants (will be) automatically released,” he added, noting that only the Bangsamoro government is empowered to decide “where to put the money.”
Drilon noted the envisioned Bangsamoro government was likewise granted taxation powers, such as excise taxes and other tax impositions previously reserved to the national government.
“Clearly, we do not need federalism to achieve what we want to do,” Drilon declared, asserting that the Constitution “allows the alleged benefits of federalism to be done by legislation.”
This could be done, he said, through proposed legislation that will be submitted to a national plebiscite. Once ratified in a plebiscite, Congress can no longer impose changes in its provision “unless the amendment is submitted to a plebiscite.”
Drilon said the issue stirred public perception that Charter changes are being pushed to allow incumbent elected officials to stay in power, including those whose terms are set to expire by June 30, 2019, after which the President will be “empowered to appoint officers-in-charge.”
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