Belmonte downplays LP version of BBL in House
Video by Noy Morcoso/INQUIRER.net
Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. on Tuesday denied that the ruling administration party is exerting pressure to pass its version of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).
In a press conference, Belmonte, who is vice chair of President Benigno Aquino III’s Liberal Party (LP) denied the existence of an LP version of the bill to ensure that the administration’s version would pass the House of Representatives.
Reports of an LP version of the bill floated when Davao del Norte Representative Anthony De Rosario, an LP member, pitched in several amendments to the bill during the ad hoc Bangsamoro hearing on Monday.
Panel chairman Cagayan de Oro Representative Rufus Rodriguez said this could be an LP version of the bill.
“May utak din naman si Del Rosario (Del Rosario can think). He must have studied it really well. Not necessarily an LP (version),” Belmonte said.
Belmonte said it is the administration that is pressuring Congress, not any political party. The lower chamber is dominated by allies of the President.
“There is pressure from the administration, not from any particular party. The administration because they want the BBL to be an accomplishment of the administration,” he said.
Belmonte maintained that the voting initially scheduled Tuesday was postponed to next week not to give way to an LP version of BBL, but to give more time for lawmakers to study a consolidated amendment to the bill.
He said the House leaders met Monday night and decided to postpone the voting, despite chairman Rodriguez’s pronouncements that their constituents are waiting for the votes already.
Some coalition members from other allied parties also attended the meeting and were supportive of the decision, Belmonte said.
“The coalition members who were present were very supportive of it… We all thought this was a good idea to do it this way and to take it up on Monday,” Belmonte said. The voting was rescheduled May 18 to 20.
The Speaker of the House denied the LP is apprehensive that the administration bill would not be passed in the current Congress.
“I’m reasonably certain we have the numbers. Mas mahirap na magulo (It’s harder, chaotic). We should be voting on a bill that has been reported out,” Belmonte said.
The Speaker has asked Rodriguez to submit a working draft of the bill so that lawmakers will be able to study it before voting.
Rodriguez also denied the LP is exerting pressure on his committee.
“There is no pressure of any party… I came to be reasonable that there should be a consolidated amendments before the voting. We have to give that to them,” Rodriguez said.
The Cagayan de Oro lawyer seemed to have backtracked on his initial declaration before the committee when he said the panel should already vote on Tuesday because their constituents are waiting for the vote.
“We will vote tomorrow. We already bent the rules. The people are waiting for our votes. We owe it to our people already that we should vote,” Rodriguez on Monday said.
The House panel is expected to vote on a per line basis on the bill through a roll call of members.
Lawmakers will be able to explain their vote during the plenary debate for nominal voting under second reading.
The proposed BBL will create a more politically autonomous Bangsamoro region to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and implement the government peace deal with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
Lawmakers were critical of various provisions seen as contradictory to the Constitution. Their trust also waned in the aftermath of the Mamasapano tragedy last Jan. 25 when Special Action Force troopers and MILF fighters were killed in a gunbattle despite a ceasefire.
The operation dubbed “Oplan Exodus” succeeded in killing international terrorist Zulkifil bin Hir alias Marwan who was allegedly coddled by the MILF.
Among the contested provisions in the BBL are the creation of a Bangsamoro police, a commission on audit and an election body, among others, which lawmakers claimed contradictory to the constitutional powers of the existing bodies.
However, the Citizens’ Peace Council led by former Chief Justice Hilario Davide said the bill remains compliant with the Constitution.
The following are a few of the BBL amendments lawmakers will vote on next week:
– The national government (through the Bangsamoro police), and not the Bangsamoro government, to have primary responsibility over public order and safety in the region
– Bangsamoro Commission on Audit (COA) to become Bangsamoro auditing body to assist COA central
– Bangsamoro electoral office to become Commission on Elections (Comelec) regional office in Bangsamoro region
– Bangsamoro government’s disciplinary authority over its own officials to have no prejudice against Ombudsman Central’s powers to discipline public officials
– Bangsamoro Civil Service to become Bangsamoro civil office
– To delete the provision for coordination between national and Bangsamoro government about the Armed Forces’ movement in the Bangsamoro region
TVJ
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