Explain to us why no-el is necessary: Sotto

Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III on Thursday said those pushing for the cancellation of the 2019 midterm elections must clearly explain first to senators the necessity of the proposal.

House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez earlier floated the possibility of a "no-el"(no election) scenario for 2019 for Congress to focus on Charter change and the country’s shift to federalism.

Alvarez suggested that this could be done by amending the constitutional provision requiring elections every three years through people’s initiative.

“That is the reason why perhaps I am not supportive of the proposal. Why is there a need? I think that is the question that needs to be answered,” Sotto said during the regular Kapihan sa Senado forum.

“Why do we need no-el? Please explain it to us, maybe you will convince majority of the senators to support it if you can explain it,” he added.

Sotto said he opposes the proposal of amending the Constitution through a people’s initiative because it lacks an enabling law.

“There was a law that was passed but was struck down by the Supreme Court and it was deemed inadequate,” Sotto said.

He was referring to Republic Act 6735 (People’s Initiative and Referendum Act) which was passed in 1989.

While its intent was to propose amendments to the Constitution, RA 6735 was struck down by the High Court because it was “incomplete, inadequate, or wanting in essential terms and conditions insofar as initiative on amendments to the Constitution is concerned.”

Sotto said Congress has to address first the inadequacies mentioned by the SC to come out with an enabling law that will be constitutionally compliant.

He warned that pushing for a people’s initiative to cancel the 2019 elections without the enabling law would result to massive vacancies in government posts from the local to the national level.

Sotto said this would happen in the event that proponents managed to force the cancelation of the midterm elections through an unconstitutional people’s initiative.

“The SC would strike it down for sure. This is not allowed in the Constitution,” he said.

“So when it is struck down, at tapos na yung 2019 election period at hindi nagkaroon, ang matitirang public officials sa gobyerno ay presidente, vice president at 12 senador. Lahat wala na,” Sotto said.

(When it is struck down, and the 2019 election period is over and there were no elections, the only public officials left would be the president, vice president and 12 senators.)

The Constitution does not allow for the automatic extension of the terms of the incumbent officials, he added.

And even if President Rodrigo Duterte is allowed to appoint local officials in a "no-el" scenario, Sotto noted that the sheer number of vacancies will make it impossible.

"There are a thousand positions in the government that has have been filled up by the executive. Then there would have vacancies in 1,800 cities and municipalities.. I don't think that's possible," he said.

Sotto said it is the sense of the Senate to oppose the postponement of the 2019 elections.

“I don’t want to speak for anyone else, but I have yet to hear from a member of the Senate who agrees to that particular people’s initiative or other forms of extending the terms of officials,” Sotto said. (PNA)

Sotto: No need to railroad federalism efforts after Bangsamoro Organic Law approval

The proposed Bangsamoro Organic Law hurdles the scrutiny of the bicameral conference committee following the reconciliation of all its sensitive and contentious provisions on Wednesday (July 18).

And with the expected enactment of the proposal, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said that the Congress will no longer need to railroad the efforts for the shift to federalism.

During a weekly press briefing at the Senate, Sotto noted that the proposed organic law could be a good test case to see if a federal type of government would work in the country.

“Magandang experimental itong Bangsamoro Organic Act. Dito makikita natin kaya hindi natin kailangang apurahin yung federalism,” Sotto said.

The measure seeking to create a Bangsamoro entity that aims to help attain lasting peace in Mindanao is expected to be ratified by the Congress on July 23.

President Duterte is expected to sign the bill into law on the same day when he delivers his third State of the Nation Address (SONA).

Sotto added that in the two years of the implementation of the Bangsamoro Organic Act, the public would be able to weigh in if it is effective or not.

He said that the Congress can always repeal the law if it fails to cease the hostilities. But if it turns out positive, it would not be hard to push for charter change.

Sotto admitted that for now, he is not keen to push for the immediate passage of the proposed federal charter as it contains issues that need to be thoroughly scrutinized.

These include the proposed political party system, putting up of a democracy fund and the anti-political dynasty.

“Maraming debatable issues pa,” said the Senate president.

The Senate leader plans to call for a caucus after the SONA on Monday (July 23) to get his fellow senators’ take on the proposed constitutional revisions.

Duterte rejects ‘no election’ scenario in 2019

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte rejected a “no election” (no-el) scenario in 2019 because he “believes in democracy,” his spokesman said on Thursday.

“[The President and I] have talked about [the proposal of no-el.] I will quote the President, ‘I will not have any hand in that.’ He is strongly opposing no-el for Charter change. That is his stance,” Secretary Harry Roque told a press briefing.

“He believes in democracy and he believes in the elections. He wants the referendum to go with the election [next year],” Roque said.

Roque also said that the President would want to lead by example and expected his allies not to benefit from charter change through the no-el.

“Let’s put it this way. He has asked the consultative committee to add a provision to make sure he will not benefit form charter change. He would like to see all his allies do the same thing not to benefit from charter change, leading by way of example,” Roque said.

However, Roque said that if there would be a people’s initiative, the government would have no choice but to bow to the will of the Filipinos. RALPH VILLANUEVA

Drilon doubts BBL to result in good governance in Bangsamoro

Less than a day after both houses of Congress agreed on a consolidated version of the Bangsamoro Basic Law, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said that he had low expectations that it would result in improved governance.

Drilon explained that the law, officially known as the "Organic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao," did not have effective measures to address governance issues which hounded the current ARMM for decades.

"I am not optimistic that the BBL will result in good governance. The failure of governance in the ARMM, not only the decades-long conflict, is also to be blamed for the high incidence of poverty in the region," Drilon said.

According to the former Senate chief, the BBL was pro-peace and stability but lacked teeth that could improve the prevailing politics and governance in ARMM which he blamed for the poverty of many of its provinces.

He lamented the removal of the anti-political dynasty provision from the measure, which he said could destroy the other good governance measures lawmakers put in the proposed law.
Among the measures aimed at ensuring better governance in the envisioned Bangsamoro region were the provisions which would maintain the Commission on Audit as the exclusive auditing agency and the tightening of qualifications for the justices of its Sharia courts.

After more than a week of debates, the Senate and the House of Representatives came up last night with a version of the BBL which would be submitted for President Rodrigo Duterte's signature.

Lawmakers from both chambers said that the measure, which would establish a region that would replaced the ARMM, could withstand questions over its constitutionality.

Sen. Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Angara said that the measure would result in the attainment of peace and development in the Bangasamoro region.

"We are hoping that once this is signed our countrymen in Mindanao will witness and feel genuine peace and development in their region which has been enveloped by violence for decades," Angara said in a statement after the agreement.
Sen. Paolo Benigno Aquino IV hailed the approval of a consolidated version as a big step in defeating poverty in the region.

He also urged Filipinos to ensure that the measure would result in peace and development for the Bangsamoro people.

Once signed, the proposed law will give the Bangsamoro government devolved powers such as fiscal autonomy, devolution of health, urban and land reform, administration of justice, control over free ports and economic zones, administrative reorganization and creation of government-owned and -controlled corporations.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said in a press briefing in the palace that Duterte might sign the measure on Monday afternoon following the Senate's and House's ratification.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2018/07/19/1834940/drilon-doubts-bbl-result-good-governance-bangsamoro

Duterte likely to sign BBL before SONA: Palace

President Rodrigo R. Duterte will possibly sign into law the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) before his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday (July 23), Malacañang said on Thursday.

The bicameral conference committee of the House of Representatives and the Senate approved on Wednesday the reconciled versions of the measure seen to end decades-long conflict in Mindanao.

“It is possible that it (signing) could be on Monday,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a regular Palace press briefing.

Roque thanked the lawmakers, as well as the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC), for approving the bicameral conference committee report of the BBL.

“Because they have already finished the bicameral conference on the BBL, our President can sign it before his SONA. I’m not sure when. Anytime now he can actually sign as soon as we receive the consolidated version of the proposed Republic Act that he will sign,” he explained.

Roque said both the House and the Senate can ratify the bicameral report when they meet separately on Monday morning to open the third regular session of the 17th Congress.

“The ratification will happen there. It can be done because it (BBL) was certified as urgent bill,” said Roque, a former lawmaker.

Under the final version, the BBL will be renamed the Organic Law for the Bangsamoro seeking to abolish the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and replace it with the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

According to media reports, the new Bangsamoro region will be composed of Tawi-Tawi, Sulu, Basilan, Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur. (PNA)

Senate President: 2019 elections cannot be canceled

The mid-term elections set for May 2019 cannot be put off, Senate President Tito Sotto said on Thursday.

"The elections cannot be cancelled," said Sotto. "Even with a joint resolution, we cannot do that. A constitutional amendment is the only way you can do that."

Sotto was citing Article VI, Section 8 of the 1987 Constitution, which provides: "Unless otherwise provided by law, the regular election of the Senators and the Members of the House of Representatives shall be held on the second Monday of May."

He noted that a constitutional amendment was the "only way" to cancel an election. Under the law, elections could only be moved, he added.

In light of the push for charter change, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez proposed scrapping mid-term elections, which translates to extended terms for legislators. But this just gives people the idea that the shift to federalism will serve politicians, who will have a prolonged stay in power, Consultative Committee member Nene Pimentel warned.

Alvarez said they could always gun for a people's initiative if the Upper House refuses the no-election scenario. However, Sotto also maintained this method needed an enabling law.

Senators have spoken out against term extension, and Sotto affirmed that majority were not interested in a longer term.

"I have yet to hear a member of the Senate that agrees to that particular people's initiative or other forms of extending the terms of officials," he said.

Opposition Senator Bam Aquino also told CNN Philippines' The Source on Thursday that he believes Filipinos will want to exercise their right to vote. Because the proposed extension is in view of federalism, he also noted Pulse Asia and SWS surveys that said most Filipinos were against charter change.

He also warned that the push to cancel elections was a "red flag," and it "brings [the country] closer to an autocracy or to dictatorship."

"May mga tao talaga [There are people]... pushing for a federal form or a change in our Constitution who genuinely want to see real change," said Aquino. Among them, he believed, are ConCom members former Chief Justice Reynato Puno, former Associate Justice Atonio Eduardo Nachura, and former Senate President Nene Pimentel.

But he added, "There are those who want this because they want the 2019 elections postponed and they want to extend their terms. Kailangang ihiwalay natin yung mga hangarin na iyon [We need to separate those intentions]."

Drilon worries BBL lacks anti-dynasty provision

By Hannah Torregoza

Senate minority leader Franklin Drilon on Thursday said he is not confident that the consolidated version of the Bangsamoro basic law would be as effective as they expect it to be due to its lack of a powerful anti-political dynasty provision.

Drilon said both the Senate and House panel rejected this amendment he proposed to be included in the proposed Bangsamoro organic law.

“I am not optimistic that the BBL will result in good governance due to the rejection of my amendment to include an anti-dynasty provision similar to that found in the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Reform Law,” Drilon said.

The bicameral conference committee approved the BBL Wednesday night after a lengthy and marathon discussions on the provisions of the measure.

Drilon said he pushed for the inclusion of an anti-political dynasty provision in the BBL as an Ateneo de Manila University study showed that five of the country’s poorest provinces are in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) where political clans are rampant.

But lawmakers questioned why political plans would only apply to the ARMM provinces and not in other regions.

“So instead of blocking the passage of the BBL, I said, okay, even if without an anti-dynasty provision in place, I’m still thinking this might still bring about peace in the region,” said the senator in a Radio DZMM interview.

“But good governance? I’m not sure that the BBL will be able to bring about good governance in the Bangsamoro region precisely because there is no anti-dynasty provision in the proposed law,” he pointed out.

“The BBL is pro-peace peace and stability but it lacks teeth to reform the prevailing politics and governance in ARMM that resulted in its provinces being one of the poorest in the country,” Drilon said.

He said the absence of this very powerful provision could put to naught other measures that Congress has put in place to promote good governance in the Bangsamoro region.

Among them are the provisions that promote accountability by maintaining Commission of Audit as the exclusive auditor and tighten the qualification of Sharia’h courts justices.

The proposed law also gives the Bangsamoro government the power to create government corporations but subject to compliance with the provisions of the GOCC Governance Act.

It may also enact its own civil service rules that should be compliant with existing rules.

“Unfortunately, the future of the Bangsamoro region will be in the hands of a very few families again, because of our failure to prevent political dynasty,” Drilon said.

Duterte to sign Bangsamoro Autonomous Region Law on Monday

By Genalyn Kabiling

A bill creating a new Bangsamoro region will be finally be signed into law by President Duterte before his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday following the approval of the measure at the bicameral level, Malacañang said Thursday.

Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque lauded the bicameral conference committee for approving the reconciled version of the proposed Bangsamoro Organic Law after nearly a week of deliberation.

“We thank our lawmakers and members of the Bangsamoro Transition Council because the bicameral conference on the BBL (Bangsamoro Basic Law) is finished. Because they completed the bicameral conference, the President will sign the BBL before his SONA this coming Monday,” Roque said in Filipino during a Palace press briefing.

The bicameral conference committee approved the final version of the BBL, which has been renamed as organic law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) last Wednesday.

Roque said the Senate and the House of Representatives are expected to ratify the bicameral measure when they start the third regular session on Monday. It will then be submitted to the President for his signature before he delivers his nationwide public address that same day.

“Anytime now we can sign it. As soon as we receive the consolidated version of the proposed Republic Act, the President can sign it,” Roque said.

“It’s possible it will be on Monday. That’s the target anyway,” he added.

Despite the imminent approval of the Bangsamoro Organic Law, Roque still pushed for proposed amendments to the Constitution particularly the shift to a federal form of government. He said federalism would empower local government units to enhance development in their respective regions.

“There is a need to change the Constitution, to make this an institutional change,” he said.

Sotto: Senate to ratify Bangsamoro Organic Law on Monday

Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III. INQUIRER.NET PHOTO/CATHY MIRANDA

Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III on Thursday said the Senate is expected to ratify the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) on Monday, July 23 as Congress crams to pass the law in time for the President’s State of the Nation Address (Sona).

The bicameral conference committee approved Wednesday night the reconciled version of the Bangsamoro Basic Law which was subsequently renamed as the Organic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) or the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL).

Sotto said the ratification of the bicameral conference committee report will be the top agenda when the 18th Congress opens on Monday.

Malacañang earlier said President Rodrigo Duterte will sign the BOL before he delivers his Sona on Monday.  /muf

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1011957/sotto-senate-to-ratify-bangsamoro-organic-law-on-monday

'No election' plan will lead to massive vacancies in gov't: Sotto

Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III warned Thursday there will be thousands of vacancies in government posts from the local to the national level if the 2019 national elections do not push through.

Sotto said while President Rodrigo Duterte is allowed to appoint lawmakers and local officials in a no-election scenario, the sheer number of vacancies will make it impossible.

"There are a thousand positions in the government na hindi pa nafi-fill-up-an ng executive. Tapos magkakaroon ng [vacancies] sa 1,800 cities and municipalities.. I don't think that's possible," he said.

Sotto's remarks came after Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez made a pitch for a people's initiative to postpone next year's midterm elections to allow Congress to facilitate charter change.

Sotto, however, said there is no enabling law yet for a people's initiative. He stressed that there is no need to rush charter change as many of the proposed amendments are still debatable.

He added that it is better to observe first what will happen to the Bangsamoro entity, which is an example of a region working in a federal set-up.

Duterte is set to sign the Bangsamoro Organic Law, creating the Bangsamoro entity that will grant wider autonomy the areas of Muslim Mindanao.

Bangsamoro law not a magic bullet - solon

A lawmaker acknowledged Thursday that the proposed Bangsamoro Organic Law, which grants wider self-rule to the Muslim minority in the south, is "not a silver bullet" against the conflict-wracked region's problems.

The bill is among the requirements under a 2014 peace agreement between Manila and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the country's largest Moro rebel group.

Under the measure, the MILF will lead a transition authority that will supervise creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region to replace ARMM.

Asked about the possibility of other Moro groups contesting MILF's leadership, Zamboanga Rep. Celso Lobregat said: "'Yan nga ay isang problema (That is a problem)."

"This is one step towards peace, but the basic law is not a silver bullet na pagpasa nito e magkakaroon ng kapayapaan (that will instantly create peace after it is passed)," he added.

"Marami pang ibang problema (there are many other problems), but at least, it will be a step in the right direction. We are hoping for the best, but we also have to level our expectations."

A bicameral conference approved Wednesday the Bangsamoro Organic Law, paving the way for President Rodrigo Duterte to sign it into law.

The law will funnel into the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region 5 percent of the national internal revenue amounting to at least P60 billion to P70 billion a year.

The region headed by a chief minister and 2 deputy ministers, to be elected from the parliament – half of which will be political party representatives while 40 percent are district representatives and 10 percent are sector representatives.

Quest for Bangsamoro peace

WE ARE near the final leg of reforming and updating the autonomy parameters for Muslim Mindanao through the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL). It is very likely President Duterte will sign the BBL just hours before his State of the Nation Address next week, right after the Senate and House ratify the bicameral conference committee report in the morning. That is the necessary formality.

The BBL is now on record one of the most meticulously examined, written and rewritten pieces of legislation ever to go through Congress. There is no such thing as a perfect bill or law. BBL was crafted by a 17th Congress fully aware of the previous constitutional challenges hurled at earlier attempts to reform the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and address ancestral domain issues. Congress did its homework and did what it could for the BBL.

Filipino Muslims are resilient. They have survived great adversities in life over the centuries. They were in the Philippines long before the Spanish colonizers came. Now is not the time for fear of the other. Let us give peace in Muslim Mindanao a chance. Let us set aside decades and centuries of animosity, distrust, and enmity among us.

There a misguided few who still want to wage war. We are now weary and tired of war. We want peace and progress, not death and misery. Alexander Pope, the great English philosopher, said it best: For forms of government let fools contest, that which is best administered is best.

We have tried the ARMM solution and it yield mixed results, but mostly extremely disappointing results. The ARMM is longer overdue for overhaul. It simply is not working the way it should.

But real success of the BBL relies mostly on electing competent, faithful, and courageous leaders into office. Training for aspiring local officials, voter education for residents, capability-building mechanisms on the ground, empowered watchdogs to keep officials in check, and fair law enforcement are what will truly bring Muslim Mindanao forward to prosperity, inclusive economic growth, and genuine political change.

Again, let us find ways instead of shutting doors and windows.

Fariñas explains changes in approved version of Bangsamoro measure

The reconciled version of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) – now known as the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) – approved by the bicameral conference committee on Wednesday night made certain revisions in key sections.

According to House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas, the committee not only changed the name of the law but also edited its preamble.

“We accepted mainly what they wanted, but we saw to it [that we retained the phrase] Filipino people’,” Fariñas said in ambush interview after the committee hearing. “The way they crafted it, it was like the Bangsamoro people were speaking of themselves.”

“So we put in there ‘Filipino people,’ in recognition of their aspirations of the Bangsamoro people and the other inhabitants of Muslim Mindanao,” he added.

Fariñas said he was confident that the unified BOL version would pass all tests of constitutionality, especially with its renaming.

“Definitely, because we were very careful, precisely we had several problems along the way because we could not grant everything they want,” he said.

The common criticism about the BBL was its use of the phrase “basic law,” which in legal parlance refers to a constitution.

Critics feared that once the old BBL was adopted, it would have created a state – the Bangsamoro – inside another sovereign state – the Republic of the Philippines. This would have effectively granted secession of the Bangsamoro from the Philippines.

Fariñas also shrugged off the possibility of critics bringing the case of the BOL to the Supreme Court, saying that it would favor the proposal since it would be the highest court which would decide on its constitutionality.

“They have the right, and we want them to bring it (BOL) para it would pass the test of constitutionality,” he said. /atm

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1011819/farinas-explains-changes-in-approved-version-of-bangsamoro-measure

BBL is now Bangsamoro Organic Law

The bicameral conference committee has changed the title of the Bangsamoro Basic Law to Bangsamoro Organic Law in compliance with the 1987 Constitution.

Section 1 of Article 1 of the reconciled measure now states that it shall be known as the Organic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao while Section 2 states that the political entity shall be known as Bangsamoro Autonomous Region.

"Because that is what the Constitution provides," House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas told reporters Wednesday when asked why they changed the title.

"The Constitution provides that the Congress shall enact an Organic Law for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and the Cordillera, so 'yun ang sinunod namin," he explained.

The joint panel approved the measure Wednesday night, after six days of deliberations.

Fariñas said they will send a copy of the reconciled bill to President Rodrigo Duterte to allow him to study it.

The Senate and the House of Representatives will ratify the measure when they open the Third Regular Session morning of Monday, July 23, and before the President delivers his State of the Nation Address.

Duterte is expected to sign the bill into law on the same day. — BAP, GMA News

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/660991/bbl-is-now-bangsamoro-organic-law/story/

Mayor Domogan: Sky Ranch to boost Baguio tourism

Baguio City Mayor Mauricio Domogan said SM City Baguio’s Sky Ranch project will boost the local industry.

The Baguio politiko said the additional attraction will maintain the influx of tourists in the Summer Capital.

Domogan said the project has his full support.

“We welcome the upcoming completion of SM City Baguio’s Sky Ranch project because it will definitely provide added attractions, especially for the children wanting to enjoy patronizing amusement and recreation facilities,” he said.

The Sky Ranch is scheduled in the third quarter of 2018.

“We will definitely support the project to the fullest because it will surely do good for our city,” Domogan added.

http://northluzon.politics.com.ph/mayor-domogan-sky-ranch-to-boost-baguio-tourism/

Another Jake-Celine duet in the offing?

Some 10 years after Jake Zyrus, then known as Charice Pempengco, shared the stage with pop diva Celine Dion at the Madison Square Garden in New York, there is great clamor for the two singers to do a duet again when Celine performs at the Mall of Asia Arena tonight.

It was TV host Oprah Winfrey who recommended Charice to sing with Celine onstage in the latter’s concert, “Taking Chances World Tour,” in 2008. That early, Charice became the country’s pride after Celine introduced her as an “incredible young singer.”

“Let me tell you, she has a voice that can literally blow the roof off Madison Sqaure Garden,” Celine excitedly told her fans. They rendered “Because You Loved Me” and got a standing ovation from the crowd.

In an interview early this year, the international diva said she remembered her duet with Charice and the latter’s “amazing voice.”

Celine even expressed her happiness for the new life of Charice as Jake Zyrus.

So, will Jake get a chance to sing with Celine again? Maybe they will do another duet and render “The Prayer.”

This time, Jake can sing the part of Andrea Bocelli. If that happens, thousands of Filipinos who will watch the Celine Dion concert will undoubtedly be thrilled that a Filipino performer will get to perform with an international pop artist.

Meanwhile, Jake just finished a successful concert tour in Europe and performed in London, Newcastle and Birmingham in the United Kingdom and Dublin in Ireland. In the last quarter of 2018, he is set to embark on another US concert tour.

Jake recorded the theme song of indie movie, “She’s A Killer,” where he is also among the stars. The movie will be released in Japan and other Asian countries this October.

This August and September, Jake will do another indie film, to be released summer of next year.

Jake is also set to launch a book about his life and journey.

• • •

Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings today, July 19, go to former DOT Sec. Obet Pagdanganan, Alessandra de Rossi, Gary Flores, Jovit Moyà, Cyril David, Arlette Ledesma, former Brgy. Fairview Chairman Art Quebal, Samuel Garcia, Leona Nepomuceno, Mercurio Vito Cruz, Dra. Aurea Carlos, John Paul Celeste, Chris Baluyut, Charlene Bobis, Queen Duna and Gerry Baja… July 20: MB Pres. Dr. Emil Yap III, Rep. Rosemarie Arenas, Jorge Araneta, Raymart Santiago, Claudine Barretto, Anjanette Agbayani, Zenaida Tantoco, Nenita Evans, Dr. Mely Europa, Francesca Teotico, Vice Consul Ron Castro, Tess Pamintuan, Dennis Ladaw, Fe Arellano, Doc Gamboa, Eric Cham, Biboy Ramirez, Bebong Munoz, Gloria Roco, Agot Isidro, Rayver Cruz, and Solenn Heussaff…

Bicam approves Bangsamoro law after six marathon hearings

By Charmaine A. Tadalan

THE Bicameral Conference Committee has approved on Wednesday night, July 18, the reconciled version of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), which will be called the Organic Law of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in the Muslim Mindanao.

The landmark bill, according to Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel F. Zubiri, hurdled the bicameral level a year after the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) submitted the draft BBL to President Rodrigo R. Duterte.

“First of all, we’re addressing the aspirations of our brothers and sisters for self-governance, additional funding for the block grant, they’ll be able now to chart their own path,” Mr. Zubiri told reporters in a chance interview, following the approval.

House Majority Leader Rodolfo C. Fariñas, for his part, expressed confidence the Committee had addressed all possible constitutional breach.

“Definitely, we want them to bring it (to the Supreme Court), (so that) it will pass the test of constitutionality,” Mr. Fariñas said.

The Majority Leaders said a copy of the reconciled version will be provided to the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process and will be subject for review of the President. “Both panels will be able to ratify it Monday morning, barring any unforeseen circumstances,” Mr. Zubiri said.

The Committee on Wednesday afternoon finalized the last five articles of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) including the article on the economy and patrimony. The committee has held six marathon hearings on the draft law.

“(We’ll) discuss these five articles, and hopefully approve it by this afternoon,” Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel F. Zubiri said in a press briefing. “We’re down to the last five articles and we see only one article that is contentious and sensitive, which is patrimony and natural resources.”

The senator from Bukidnon said the BBL has by far the longest bicameral meeting. “This measure probably has the longest bicam. Ito siguro pinakamatagal (This probably took the longest), longer than TRAIN (Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion). TRAIN, we did in four days,” Mr. Zubiri said.

Earlier, he said the draft BBL, if approved, will only amend, not repeal, Republic Act 9054 on the organization of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Under the article on economy and patrimony, the proposed measure identifies the power, authority and control of the Bangsamoro government on the utilization of inland bodies of water, natural resources, and fossil fuels among others.

The panel agreed last week to allow the national government, through the Department of Energy (DoE), and the Bangsamoro government to jointly explore and utilize natural resources in the region.

It was also resolved that inland waters of the Bangsamoro region will be under the control of the Bangsamoro regional government, save bodies of water that contribute power outside the region. Case in point is Lake Lanao which produces power for about 30% of Mindanao. Further, the proposed measure provides that Bangsamoro waters in the Sulu Sea and Moro Gulf will extend up to 19 kilometers from the low-water mark at the coast.

Also resolved by the committee were issues concerning the Shari’ah courts. At present, according to Mr. Zubiri, the Shari’ah justice system does not require court members to be lawyers, but they must be experts on the Qur’an and Islamic Law.

“Right now, hindi needed na abogado dahil meron silang special exam na binibigay ng (it’s not required that they be lawyers because they take a special exam given by the) Supreme Court, (the) Special Shari’ah Bar Exam,” Mr. Zubiri said.

But he also noted that the proposed BBL expands the Shari’ah justice system, which will now have criminal jurisdiction on minor offenses.

“Hawak na ng Shari’ah Courts ang ibang (The Shari’ah Courts will have jurisdiction over) criminal cases involving Muslims to Muslims…, (on) which the penalty is Arresto Menor. I think that is six months and below,” Mr. Zubiri said. “Since may criminal aspect, dapat abogado naman po (Since there is already a criminal aspect, a lawyer should be placed) at the bare minimum.”

The other provisions the committee discussed are those on rehabilitation and development, the holding of a plebiscite, the Bangsamoro Transition Authority, amendments and revisions, and final provisions.

Mr. Zubiri also said the committee will take a final look at the Preamble, following debates on Tuesday among the House and Senate panels, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC).

“We’ll go back to the Preamble kasi pinagdebatehan namin kahapon (because we were debating on this yesterday). There (were) concerns (from the) BTC and MILF on the changing of the Preamble,” the senator said.

Mr. Fariñas said the Preamble should state “the Filipino People,” instead of “the Bangsamoro People,” which he said is not aligned with the 1987 Constitution. He argued that the people of the Philippines, in general, can order Congress to pass legislation. He then proposed that the preamble should read “the Filipino people, cognizant of the aspirations of the Bangsamoro people.”

The committee also had to assure stakeholders that last-minute amendments are not intended to diminish the ARMM.

“There was no agenda for diminishing the ARMM or diminishing the gains of the bicameral meetings we had last week. These were just correcting or cleaning up certain provisions…, to better stand the test of constitutionality,” Mr. Zubiri said.

Senate, House OK Bangsamoro Law

After more than a week of debates, the Senate and the House of Representatives finally came up last night with a consolidated version of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) that lawmakers say will stand the test of constitutionality.

The approval came a year after the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC), which drafted the BBL, submitted the measure to President Duterte, the Senate and the House.

The measure is now called the “Organic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao” – the name of the political entity that will replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

President Duterte is expected to sign the consolidated bill into law in the afternoon of July 23 when he delivers his third State of the Nation Address (SONA).
“It’s a very emotional day for everyone. I’m just overwhelmed,” said Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, co-chair of the bicameral conference committee on the BBL.

House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas, who is co-chair of the panel, noted that the past two administrations failed to craft a basic law for the Bangsamoro.

He thanked the members of the BTC, chaired by Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) vice chairman Ghazali Jaafar, for their support and patience.

“Your smiles wiped away our exhaustion,” Fariñas told Jaafar and other BTC members present. The BTC is composed of leaders of the MILF, Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and other representatives of various sectors in Mindanao.

 The bicameral committee held its final meeting yesterday at the Senate to go over the landmark document one last time after writing several amendments on contentious provisions on security, territory, wealth-sharing and governance, among others.

 ‘100% satisfied’
The BTC leadership is “100 percent satisfied” at how the bicameral conference committee resolved the issues on the BBL.
“We thank the bicam for respecting our concerns,” Jaafar said in a statement.

Among the concerns is the assurance that all laws that will be passed in the Bangsamoro parliament will be compliant with national laws.

Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri said it was agreed during the caucus on Tuesday that there would be “one general provision within the context of the Constitution so that it wouldn’t have to be repeated that it is subject to national laws.”

Jaafar promised that when the Bangsamoro parliament creates laws, the measures would be in accordance with the Philippine Constitution.

The BTC also agrees that the organic law on the Bangsamoro should fully comply with the charter.

Fariñas reiterated that the plan is for both chambers of Congress to ratify their respective versions on the third regular session on July 23, the same day that President Duterte will deliver his SONA.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said the approval of the BBL showed there is no need to revise the Constitution to shift to a federal form of government to achieve autonomy or self-governance for local government units (LGUs).

Drilon said the proposed BBL showed that empowering local governments can be done without having to amend the Constitution.

“The principle of self-government can be achieved without overhauling the Constitution or shifting to a federal form of government as evidenced in the BBL that we are set to pass within the week,” he added.

The senator said in crafting the BBL, it has been proven that it is entirely doable to give LGUs more powers, which are crucial in the exercise of their autonomy.

In the draft BBL, there are about 56 specific powers and responsibilities that are transferred and devolved to the Bangsamoro region, which will replace the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Among these powers are fiscal autonomy, devolution of health, urban and land reform, administration of justice system, control over free ports and economic zones, the power for administrative reorganization, and creation of government-owned and controlled corporations.

“In the BBL, we have maximized the principle of decentralization enshrined in the Constitution and the local government code in order to guarantee its autonomy. The same can be done to all other regions in the country,” Drilon said.

Drilon noted that five percent of the taxes collected, estimated to be around P60 billion to P70 billion, will be automatically appropriated to the Bangsamoro region as block grant. That is on top of its share in the taxes collected within the region, which will also get its share from the Internal Revenue Allotment.

Federalism is giving more powers to the LGUs and less intervention from the national government. “We can achieve that goal by way of a legislation or by strengthening the Local Government Code of 1991, which is a better, faster and less controversial way than amending the Constitution,” Drilon said.

“Unless they have ulterior motives like a term extension or ‘no-el’ (no-election), I don’t see any reason why they would not attempt to explore that route rather than forcing Cha-cha (Charter change) upon the Filipino people,” he added.

AFP commits to support Bangsamoro
Meanwhile, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr. has reaffirmed the military’s commitment to the peaceful resolution of all conflicts and achievement of lasting peace and development in Bangsamoro.

He made the assurance as the AFP’s top brass met with the BTC on July 12 at Camp Aguinaldo.

 “The cooperation and solidarity among us is necessary now more than ever, as we are only a few steps closer to achieving the objectives of the transition process,” Galvez said in a statement yesterday.

 “I trust that we shall see better days ahead for our brothers and sisters in Mindanao,” he added.

Also present in last week’s meeting were AFP vice chief of staff Lt. Gen. Salvador Mison Jr., deputy chief of staff Vice Admiral Gaudencio Collado Jr., Western Mindanao Commander Lt. Gen. Arnel dela Vega, 1st Infantry Division Commander Maj. Gen. Roseller Murillo, 6th Infantry Division Commander Brig. Gen. Cirilio Sobejana, and the chiefs of the AFP’s Joint and Personal Staff.

Jaafar was joined by BTC commissioners Abdularaof Macacua, Ibrahim Ali, Haron Abas, Said Shiek, Hussein Muñoz, Melanio Ulama, Gafur Kainan, Ammal Solaiman, Dr. Susana Anayatin and Romeo Saliga.

Jaafar thanked the AFP and all the agencies involved for their collective effort in pushing for peace and development in Mindanao.  “We pray to Allah and to your God that they will finally give peace to us,” Jaafar said.  – With Michael Punongbayan


Read more at https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2018/07/19/1834880/senate-house-ok-bangsamoro-law#LaWXSMA6kJv1RRym.99

PTV4 to the fore

Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) secretary Martin Andanar with President Rodrigo duterte (Photo from Andanar’s Instagram)

People’s Television Network (PTV-4) has undergone rebranding and it does not begin and end with the spanking new logo it sports, no sir.

According to Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) secretary Martin Andanar, PTV, currently broadcasting at 55,000 watts, shall increase to 120,000 watts by first quarter of 2019.

“The more power (watts), the more people can watch you. That way, we can keep pace with other TV networks in the Philippines,” he said in Filipino.

And get this: PTV’s social media engagements have grown from 20,000-30,000 followers to 1.4 million.

News programs will be airing from dawn till past dusk.

“We’ll have morning shows, newscast from morning, noontime, prime time (6 o’clock) till late night. We also have the newscast from Philippine News Agency (PNA) and programs that our President Rodrigo Duterte promised,” Andanar reiterated. These are “Salaam Television” for the Muslims and “Lumad TV” for the Lumads.

PTV-4 President and General Manager Dino Antonio Apolonio noted that “most of the news and public affair and public service shows are in-house production of PTV. It is our strong suit, although we’ll still be conceptualizing more in the future.”

Aside from those programs, the secretary said there will be block timers to enhance the variety of content.

Viewers will also be able to watch foreign shows from Japan, China and the re-airing of certain Koreanovelas from South Korea.

“We work with the entire Southeast Asian nations, also with other bigger countries,” Andanar said. PCOO’s Memorandum of Understanding includes Russia, China, Japan, South Korea, and Cambodia, then Thailand and Myanmar soon.

“These programs (from other countries) are free. The Philippines will not spend a single penny for it.”

He said these programs will help Filipinos learn about the culture of those countries, and get a glimpse of how they produce shows.
What programs from PTV-4 will be sent to foreign countries, we asked.

Apolonio said, “News. But mainly those locally produced documentaries here in the Philippines because it’s part of the cultural exchange. We are aiming for our neighbouring countries to know more about our culture.”

Since the network is taking a step forward, will they get prominent personalities to attract more audience?

“People always prefer the content (of a program). And I also believe in the current personalities that we have like Jojo (Alejar), Dianne (Medina) and Aljo Bendijo,” Andanar added

“President Duterte is always here to support PTV. He’s the biggest star,” Andanar explained.

PTV is partly subsidized by the government.

Bicam approves final version of Bangsamoro law

The Congress bicameral committee approved Wednesday the final version of the proposed Bangsamoro law.

Representative Rodolfo Fariñas (left) and Senator Miguel Zubiri (right), Chairs of Bicameral with Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) Chairman Ghazali Jaafar after the ceremonial signing of the Bangsamoro Organic Law at Senate, July 18, 2018 (Rio Leonelle Deluvio/MANILA BULLETIN)

After almost two weeks of debates — which even involved the President — and two missed self-imposed deadlines, the bicameral panel approved the reconciled version of the bill that is seen to address conflicts and violent extremism in the Mindanao.

From the original Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) the bill was amended to be the proposed “Bangsamoro Organic Law” to adhere to the 1987 Constitution.

A ceremonial signing of the bicameral committee report took place as a clean copy of the bill is yet to be produced.

Following the approval, the two chambers of Congress are set to ratify the reconciled bill in their respective chambers when sessions resume Monday, in time for President Duterte’s third State of the Nation Address (SONA).

Peace

The approval of the final version marks the first year anniversary of the submission of the draft BBL to President Duterte.

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, chair of the Senate bicam panel, expressed hope that the approval of the proposed Bangsamoro Organic Law will “address the aspirations of our brothers and sisters in the Bangsamoro” and “convince the population not to join extremist groups.”

Bangsamoro Transition Commission chair and Moro Islamic Liberation Front chair Ghazali Jaafar said they are satisfied with how the Bangsamoro measure came about.

“It may not be a perfect law, but it is good to start with,” Jaafar said as he thanked the bicameral committee.

Zubiri said that the enactment of the Bangsamoro Organic Law will lead to the economic development of the Mindanao and the country.

“When guns go silent in the island of Mindanao, that would lead to the advantage of every Filipino,” he said.

Delays

Contentious provisions slowed down the deliberations of the bicameral committee. Lawmakers earlier hoped to finish last Thursday, and then Tuesday, but to no avail.

Following the grueling bicam meeting Wednesday, House Majority Leader Roldolfo Fariñas said he is confident that the final version of the Bangsamoro law will “definitely” stand the test of constitutionality.

“Because we were very careful. Precisely, we had several problems along the way because we could not grant evrything they want. An in [all] fairness to them they accepted everything,” he said.

Zubiri and Fariñas agreed that the bicam was most challenged on the provisions of the Bangsamoro territory which triggered a brief deadlock.

President Duterte then settled the deadlock over the Bangsamoro territory. The Bicam adopted the House version which excludes the 39 villages of North Cotabato and six municipalities of Lanao del Norte from the Bangsamoro autonomous region without the approval of their mother provinces despite their 2001 vote to be included in the ARMM.

Legislators have to make revisions Tuesday over provisions subjecting the Bangsamoro parliament under “national laws” as opposed by the BTC, which crafted the BBL.

The bicam, following an executive session of more than an hour, decided to delete the words of contention.

There were also debates on the Bangsamoro preamble, territorial waters, and the plebiscite.

Zubiri said their deliberation of the BBL, which started July 9, had been one of the longest bicameral conferences aside from that of the national budget. It was even longer than the Duterte administration’s priority Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion which took only four days, he said.

New Bangsamoro region

The proposed Bangsamoro Organic Law, once enacted, will create the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) to replace the current Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

The proposed Bangsamoro region shall have a parliamentary system of government, which parliament shall have 80 members. A Chief Minister shall be voted to lead the Bangsamoro region, and two Deputy Chief Ministers from the mainland and island provinces, respectively.

Block grant

The proposed Bangsamoro Organic Law would also provide the Bangsamoro autonomous region its fiscal autonomy to ensure long-term development.

The region shall have an automatic allocation of the annual block grant, which would be five percent of the internal revenue and customs taxes collected by the national government, or about P60 billion.

Aside from the block grant, further assistance would also be provided to the Bangsamoro region, such as the P** special development fund; and taxes collected by the Bangsamoro, such as capital gains tax, donor’s tax, estate tax, and documentary stamp tax.

A 75-25 percent wealth-sharing term in favor of the Bangsamoro was adopted and taxing powers already granted to the ARMM were retained.

Lawmakers earlier assured that transparency and accountability measures are in place to ensure that the grant, which amounts to about P60 billion, will be used properly.

For instance, Commission of Audit (COA) in the Bangsamoro region would still be under the COA National. Aside from COA, an internal auditing body shall also be created to review how the grant is spent.

Transition

A plebiscite for the Bangsamoro Organic Law shall take place at least 90 to 150 days after President Duterte had sign it into law.

Zubiri said they look into having a plebiscite by November to allow the Commision on Elections to prepare.

A Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) shall lead the transition from the current ARMM government to Bangsamoro parliament.

The President shall appoint lead members fo the BTA, which shall be composed of 80 members. The elected officials of the current ARMM government shall automatically become members of the BTA and shall serve June 30, 2019, unless otherwise subsequently appointed by the President.

Non-moro indigenous communities, youth, women, settler communities, traditional leaders, and other sectors shall have representatives in the BTA.

The BTA shall lead the parliament for three years until the national elections on 2022.

Congress crams to pass BBL in time for signing by Duterte before Sona

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.”

Zubiri hails bicam approval of Bangsamoro Organic Law

A “new dawn” has come for the Bangsamoro people, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri exclaimed shortly after the congressional bicameral conference committee approved Wednesday night the proposed Bangsamo Basic Law, which is now called the Bangsamoro Organic Law.

The reconciled version of the measure will be sent back to the Senate and the House of Representatives on Monday for ratification.

Once ratified, it will be transmitted to President Rodrigo Duterte for signature.

Zubiri, head of the Senate contingent, said the law would not only address the aspirations of the Bangsamoro people but it is also expected to pave the way for peace in the region.

“They can now also convince the extremists, may mga nag iisip na mangugulo doon, sila na mismo – ang MILF and MINL – ngayon ay partners ng gobyerno in convincing their populations not to join extremism, not to join extremist groups, because there’s a new dawn in the Bangsamoro region,” he said in an interview after the approval of the measure

MILF stands for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, while MNLF stands for Moro National Liberation Front.

Zubiri’s counterpart, House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas, said he was confident the approved measure would stand the test of constitutionality.

“We had several problems along the way because we could not grant everything they want,” he said. “In fairness to them, they accepted everything.”

Ghadzali Jaafar, chairman of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC), said they were satisfied with the version approved by the panel.

“We’re satisfied, and as I say, it maybe not a perfect law, but it is good to start with,” Jaafar said in a separate interview.

Jaafar and other BTC members were present when the bicam panel approved the measure in the Senate.

Bicam approves final version of Bangsamoro Basic Law

The congressional bicameral conference committee on Wednesday night approved the final version of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), which was renamed as the Organic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The bicameral panel, under the leadership of House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas and Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, was able to reconcile conflicting provisions of the landmark measure after six days of marathon hearings.

The BBL is expected to be ratified by both chambers on Monday, July 23, during the opening of the third regular session at 10 a.m., and be signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte on or before his third State of the Nation Address at 4 p.m.

Zubiri noted that the approval of the reconciled version is one year after the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) submitted to the President the draft BBL.

Fariñas said while it was noteworthy that previous administrations tried to attain peace in Mindanao through peace agreements, those never came into fruition.

Fariñas, however, said the Duterte administration was able to reach this achievement in one year.

Anak Mindanao Partylist Rep. Amihilda Sangcopan said the final form of the BBL will provide Moros "something better than the status quo that is the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao."

"We do not say that the BBL is the solution, but we had hopes that this will be one of the most important instruments to begin pursuing our long aspirations of just and lasting peace," Sangcopan said.

The measure seeks to create a new Bangsamoro political entity that would replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

A copy of the reconciled version has not been released to the media. 

Bicam OKs final Bangsamoro bill for Duterte signature

APPROVED. The bicameral conference committee on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law approves the final version of the bill, which will now be up for President Rodrigo Duterte's signature. Photo by Mara Cepeda/Rappler

The bicameral conference committee for the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) finalized on Wednesday, July 18, the measure that would grant greater autonomy to the region.

It took the bicam more than a week to reconcile the differing provisions of the House and Senate versions, with heated exchanges between members.

The House and the Senate would now have to ratify the bicameral conference committee report. They are set to do it on Monday, July 23, during the opening of the 3rd session of the 17th Congress and ahead of President Rodrigo Duterte's 3rd State of the Nation Address (SONA).

Duterte is expected to sign the proposed BBL into law just hours before his SONA.

The final version seeks to abolish the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), replacing it with the Bangsamoro region which would have greater fiscal autonomy, a regional government, parliament, and justice system.

The proposed region would be composed of the current ARMM – Tawi-Tawi, Sulu, Basilan, Maguindanao, and Lanao del Sur – pending a regional plebiscite.

The bill also seeks to include 6 municipalities of Lanao del Norte and 39 barangays of North Cotabato in the Bangsamoro, provided that the province and their municipalities, respectively, vote for it. These areas previously voted to be included in the ARMM but failed when their mother units voted otherwise.

This was the most contentious provision in the bill, leading to an initial deadlock. The panel eventually sought the advice of the President, who in the end sided with the House on the issue and not with the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC).

The chartered cities of Cotabato and Isabela would also be excluded in the proposed region, subject to the approval of their respective registered voters in the plebiscite.

The bill also has an opt-in provision, allowing adjacent areas to join the Bangsamoro, with a petition of at least 10% of their voters.

Parliament, justice, wealth

Once the proposed BBL is signed into law, a Bangsamoro government would be established, headed by a chief minister and a ceremonial leader called a Wali.

There would also be a parliament composed of 80 members – 50% party representatives, 40% district representatives, and 10% sectoral representatives, including two reserved seats for "non-Moro indigenous peoples and settler communities."

Despite having its own government, the Bangsamoro would not have its own military and police force, as these would still be under the national government. (READ: Bicam adopts Senate provision vs Bangsamoro firearms purchase)

As for justice, the region will have its own system based on the unique cultural and historical heritage of the Bangsamoro. (READ: Bicam approves creation of Shari'ah High Court in Bangsamoro)

The justice system of the region would be aligned with the 1987 Constitution, Shari'ah or Islamic law, traditional or tribal laws, and other relevant laws.

Shari'ah law would apply exclusively to cases involving Muslims. If a case involves a non-Muslim, Shari'ah law may apply only if the non-Muslim voluntarily submits to the jurisdiction of the Shari'ah court.

The traditional or tribal laws, meanwhile, would be applicable to disputes of indigenous peoples within the Bangsamoro.

The bill also seeks 75-25 wealth sharing between the national and Bangsamoro government. This means 75% of the national internal revenue collection would go to the Bangsamoro, and 25% to the central government.

An annual block grant, pegged at a 5% share of the national internal revenue or some P59 billion, would also be automatically appropriated to the region without any conditions.

https://www.rappler.com/nation/207524-bangsamoro-bill-final-version-approved-for-duterte-signature

Time travel mission to retrieve love

Vhong Navarro returns to the big screen with his brand of comedy in Regal Entertainment Inc.’s “Unli Life,” an official entry to the Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino film festival.

In the movie, Vhong’s character is given a chance to mend the breakup with his girlfriend, played by Teresita Ssen “Winwyn” Marquez, by going back in time through the help of a magic “wishkey.” He is transported in different time periods, such as the Dinosaur Era, Magellan, and the ’70s Era, in an effort to correct his mistakes and prevent her girlfriend from breaking up with him in the current time.

After making the country proud by being the first-ever Filipina contestant and eventually crowned Reina Hispanoamericana 2017, “Unli Life” marks Teresita’s comeback to acting in her first major role.

“Unli Life” also stars Joey Marquez, Ejay Falcon, Donna Cariaga, Jon Lucas, Isabelle de Leon, Alex Calleja, Kamille Filoteo, Red Ollero with James Caraan, Anthony Andres, and Jun Urbano.

Special participation includes Dimples Romana, Joem Bascon, Jun Sabayton, Epy Quizon, and Jhong Hilario.
Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino opens Aug. 15 to 21.

Joyce Bernal will direct SONA for free

Film and television director Joyce Bernal said she would be directing the third State of the Nation Address of President Rodrigo Duterte free of charge.

“Tinawag po ako e bilang mamamayan so, ok po. At saka presidente natin siya and para din po sa mga tao ‘to, sa mga kababayan natin, para sa kapwa ko Pinoy (I was called as a citizen, so okay. And besides he’s our president. This is for the people, for our fellow Filipinos.),” Bernal said in Filipino in a recorded interview.

“Kailangan ba magpabayad doon? Hindi ako magpapabayad doon (Do I need to be paid for it? I won’t ask for payment.),” she added.

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar earlier confirmed that Bernal was tapped to direct the third SONA of Duterte.

Bernal would replace Brillante Mendoza as the SONA's director. Mendoza also previously directed the SONA for free.

Bernal is known for directing comedy, romance and drama films and it would be her first time to direct a SONA.

Bernal's box office-hit films include “Gandarrapiddo! The Revenger Squad,” “Last Night,” “The Super Parental Guardians,” “Everything About Her,” and “Kimmy Dora: Kambal sa Kiyeme,” among others.

The director earlier visited the House of Representatives where the third SONA would be staged.

Duterte is set to address the Congress as it convenes its regular session on Monday, July 23.

Aquino to snub Duterte’s SONA while FVR, Erap, Robredo confirm attendance

By JOHN CARLO M. CAHINHINAN

Former President Benigno Aquino III will once again skip the upcoming State of Nation Address of President Rodrigo Duterte.

According to the House of Representatives’ Inter-Parliamentary Relations Service (IPRS), Aquino already sent his regrets as early as May 18 and will not be able to attend Duterte’s upcoming third SONA on July 23 (Monday).

The former president hasn’t yet to attend any of Duterte’s SONA since the latter assume office in 2016.

Those VIPs who were already confirmed attending the said event include former President Fidel Ramos, former President and current Manila Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada; Vice President Leni Robredo; former Senate Presidents Juan Ponce Enrile, Aquilino Pimentel Jr., and Manuel Villar, Jr.; and former Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr.

Meanwhile, though there is no official confirmation yet from the IPRS, former House Speaker Prospero Nograles will also attend the event as per his son, Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta (PBA) Partylist Rep. Jericho Nograles.

Bicam meet: Question stalls BBL approval

Should the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) repeatedly mention that laws enacted by the autonomous region’s parliament must be “subject to national law?”

This question came up at the last minute, just as when the Senate-House conference committee was aiming to finalize the draft of the measure on Tuesday afternoon.

The conferees failed to clear the bill because of the objection raised by stakeholders led by the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC).

Work on the measure will continue on Wednesday.

Asked why the conference committee could not finish its task within the targeted time, House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas, the group’s cochair, said the deliberations got extended because of “due diligence out of our desire to come up with a better output.”

The wording was so important that BTC Chair Ghadzali Jaafar, earlier in the day, told reporters: “If that will happen, we will also change our opinion regarding the Bangsamoro Basic Law.”

Later, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri explained that the BTC members were “ticklish to the issue that continuously mention the word ‘national laws’ in each and every paragraph, in each and every article.”

Although Zubiri played down the significance of such a wording, he said the lawmakers agreed to just mention this qualification under the “general principles and policies” of the measure.

Even with the reduced mention in the draft BBL, Zubiri noted that Section 20, Article X of the 1987 Constitution mandates that the regional laws should be “subject to the provisions of this Constitution and national laws.”

“It’s not very important, but it is a cause of concern to some members of the BTC. We’ve resolved it now,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the closed-door deliberations in Mandaluyong City.

After this resolution came about, Jaafar told reporters: “I’m satisfied, 100 percent.”

He said the BTC was initially worried that “we would have problems with the parliament in the Bangsamoro” had the measure been peppered with the phrase, although he did not specify these concerns.

Inland waters

The final deliberations on the measure was also aimed at dealing with another contentious provision: the administration of the region’s inland waters such as Lake Lanao.

The Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro — the final peace deal signed in March 2014 by the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) — as well as the version passed by the House granted the Bangsamoro region “exclusive powers” over the inland waters.

But Zubiri on Tuesday told reporters that inland waters would likely be placed under “comanagement” with the national government, especially as Lake Lanao’s hydropower supplies 30 percent of the energy needs of the entire Mindanao.

Instead, a 50-50 revenue-sharing scheme would be implemented when in the use of inland waters, similar to the proposals for the use of fossil fuels.

‘Good’ quality

Asked if the BTC was satisfied with the compromise, Jaafar replied in the affirmative.

Mohager Iqbal, chair of the MILF peace panel, said the Moro rebel group expected alterations “for the betterment of the bill” and saw the quality of the proposed BBL as good.

“We are looking forward to an enhanced bill,” Iqbal told the Inquirer by phone.

“The totality of the bill as expected is not 100 percent but I would rate it as 85 percent,” he said.

But the Bangsamoro Insider Mediators, a group of civil society organizations awaiting the final text of the measure, called on Congress to be faithful to the concessions made under the 2014 peace agreement.

Power plants

“This is about self-determination and should never be the determination of those who have committed injustices against us, much less by those who have nothing but ill will and prejudice against us,” Shallom Allian said in a press briefing.

Allian said the inland waters should be exclusively governed by the regional government “without distinction whether it be a source of energy or not.”

Drieza Lininding noted that historically, the governments of Lanao del Norte and Iligan City have gotten much of the hydropower revenue despite lying outside the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao — instead of the Moro province of Lanao del Sur where the lake is located.

This was because the power-generating plants were located in Lanao del Norte and Iligan City.

“Radical groups and extremism occur because of the unequal policies,” Lininding said.

Other provisions that the groups wanted to be restored include the holding of periodic plebiscites to determine if other areas wanted to join the Bangsamoro, and the delimitation of the Bangsamoro waters to 22.224 kilometers from the coastline. —With reports from Julie Alipala, Kristela Danielle Boo and Anna Patricia Campos

BBL reaches the finish line

A NEW era is set to dawn on Muslim Mindanao with the impending approval of the basic law creating the Bangsamoro autonomous region, after years of false starts and legal setbacks.

There is ample reason to be confident that the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) will hurdle challenges, legal or otherwise, and not go the way of its predecessor, the Arroyo-era Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain or MoA-AD.

The MoA-AD, which sought to establish a “Bangsamoro Juridical Entity” without going through Congress, was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 2008.

This time, the BBL is shaping up to be the product of legislative-executive consensus, with the concurrence of the Bangsamoro Transition Council led by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which signed a peace deal with the Aquino administration in 2014.

By going through the legislative mill, the BBL promises to be more effective in addressing the roots of the Moro conflict and achieving peace in Mindanao through greater self-rule, compared with the existing Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

The national government will yield 60 specific powers to the Bangsamoro region, including the setting up of shariah circuit, district, and high courts that will have jurisdiction on personal, family and property cases as well as minor criminal offenses.

This will make the Bangsamoro region more potent than the existing ARMM, a failed exercise in autonomy because its umbilical cord remained attached to the national government.

The Bangsamoro region will also have enough means to develop its economy, with its powers of taxation and block grants of P60 billion to P70 billion from the national government.

This will be on top of the internal revenue allotment, or the share of national tax collections, received annually by provinces, cities, municipalities and villages.

The BBL is already in the final stages of bicameral deliberations, after Malacañang intervened to break a deadlock over the measure’s territorial provisions last week.

The MILF is to be commended for agreeing to the provision in which six Lanao del Norte municipalities and 39 villages in North Cotabato will be incorporated into the Bangsamoro region if voters in their “mother units” or provinces approve it in a referendum.

This is a significant concession as it could reduce the Bangsamoro territory. There are questions on the legality of the inclusion of the six towns and 39 villages in the ARMM, which, following legal precedent, would be settled by province-wide plebiscites.

Another significant concession is the provision prohibiting the Bangsamoro government from procuring firearms, ammunition and explosives under its annual appropriations law.

The MILF’s patience throughout the entire process is admirable. It could have bailed at any point given the tediousness of the legislative process, but instead made it an opportunity to affirm its commitment to peace and willingness to abandon violent struggle.

President Rodrigo Duterte is also to be commended for sticking to his promise to “shepherd” the BBL to passage, as shown by last week’s Palace intervention.

The formal signing of the BBL into law will be historic as it begins the process of correcting centuries of injustice to the Moro people. Filipinos will look back to this period in the nation’s history in which democratic processes and institutions prevailed over decades of fighting.

House vows more quality bills

The House of Representatives is keen on passing “more quality legislation” aimed at uplifting the socioeconomic condition of the people as Congress’ Third Regular Session opens on July 23, in time for President Rodrigo Duterte’s State of the Nation Address.

House Deputy Speaker and Cebu City Rep. Gwendolyn Garcia said the 17th Congress under Speaker Pataleon Alvarez had productive first and second regular sessions where 120 measures were passed.

“We expect that number to increase further as we have already ratified a few bicameral conference committee reports and there are several measures that remain unacted on by bicameral conference committees,” Garcia said.
Garcia added several of the priority measures had been identified by the administration in the common legislative agenda as agreed on by the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Committee.

“There are a few more measures in this list that are still pending before the respective House committees and we are optimistic we could fulfill our commitment to approve these during the Third Regular Session. There could be some additional items in our legislative agenda that may be identified after the President’s Sona,” Garcia said.

One of the last measures the House approved before adjourning sine die last May 30 was the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law.

“The approval of BBL is an affirmation of our support to the President who believes the legislation is crucial to securing lasting peace in Mindanao which is now facing threats from Islamist extremists. The BBL bill is currently under deliberation by the bicameral conference committee and we expect to ratify it by July 23 to be presented to President Duterte on the same day for his signature,” Garcia added.

The House also expects to receive the administration’s proposal for the 2019 General Appropriations Act shortly after the Monday’s Sona so that the House could start deliberations on the proposed budget for next year.

“With the budget deliberations expected to take up the bulk of our time for the remaining months of 2018, the House faces a huge challenge in approving the pending priority legislations,” she said.

“But as the House had shown in the past two regular sessions, we possess the determination and the will to fulfill our responsibility to pass meaningful laws to bring about meaningful change in the lives of our people,” Garcia said.
Aside from passing the priority administration measures pending at the House of Representatives, Garcia said one of the biggest challenges they face was the amendment of the 1987 Constitution for a shift to a federal system of government.

The consultative committee tasked to prepare a draft Federal Constitution has completed its job and submitted the draft to Duterte.

Last week, the Speaker formally received a copy of the draft Federal Constitution from the members of the Con-Com led by former Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno.

“But let me note the position of Speaker Alvarez and the House leadership that the work of the Con-Com is merely recommendatory. Such position is in accordance with the 1987 Constitution which prescribes only three modes of amending the Charter, namely, through a constitutional convention, through Congress acting as a constituent assembly, or through the so-called people’s initiative,” Garcia said.

The House had passed a joint resolution to convene Congress into a constituent assembly. It is Congress acting as such that would determine the final draft of the federal charter to be presented to the Filipino people for ratification, she stressed.

Alvarez said the House leadership would have to revisit its present timetable to find out how to attend to he lawmakers’ legislative duties, particularly the consideration of the 2019 budget, and the task of amending the Constitution given the additional complication posed by the mid-term elections in 2019.

“But even before the Con-Com was created, the House committee on Constitutional amendments has been working continuously to prepare our own draft of a federal system based on numerous public consultations as well as the draft submitted by the PDP Federalism Institute,” Garcia said.

Among the ratified bicameral conference committee reports awaiting Mr. Duterte’s signature are the law on Strengthening Compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Standards (OSHS); Filipino Identification System; Retirement Benefits System in the Office of Ombudsman; and Strengthening Legal Framework for Creation, Perfection, Determination of Priority Rights and Enforcement of Security Interests in Personal Property.

From 25 July 2016 up to 11 July 2018 the House of Representatives processed 2,929 measures in 183 session days, for an average of 16 measures processed per session a day.

Out of these measures, 133 were enacted into law within the period, 38 of which were bills of national importance, 93 local bills, and two joint resolutions of Congress.

Among the most significant measures that have been enacted into law during the period were the Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act; Free Irrigation Services Act; An Act Strengthening the “Anti-Hospital Deposit Law”; Ease of Doing Business Act; An Act Extending the Validity of Philippine Passports; An Act Extending the Validity Period of Drivers’ Licenses; and Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN).

After Congress adjourned sine die on May 30, Duterte signed into law various measures ratified by the bicameral conference committee.

These include the Philippine Mental Health Act; Strengthening the Balik-Scientist Program; National School Feeding Law ; Expanding the National Integrated Protected Areas System; 5) Electric Cooperatives Resiliency Fund; and Anti-Hazing Act of 2018.

Garcia said the House also ratified a total of five bicameral conference reports on four national bills and one local bill. Still pending consideration by the bicameral conference committee are eight national bills and eight local bills.