Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri. INQUIRER.net / CATHY MIRANDA
The Congressional panel on the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) has agreed to retain the automatic appropriation of the annual block grant or development fund for the Bangsamoro government.
Bicameral conference committee chair Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri said this late Monday, after the panel suspended its 13-hour deliberations in a bid to harmonize House Bill 6475 and Senate Bill 1717.
“Good news. We now have automatic appropriation of the block grant. We will keep the block grant similar to the IRA or Internal Revenue Allotment of the local governments, similar to the IRA of local governments, wherein it is automatically appropriated and the Sangguniang Bayan or the Sangguniang Panlalawigan is the body that will craft the budget similar to what will be happening in the Bangsamoro government wherein the parliament will craft the budget automatically appropriated to them through a block grant,” Zubiri said.
The block grant is the 5 percent share of the Bangsamoro government from the national internal revenue of the government, which Zubiri earlier said was pegged at P72 billion.
The senator from Mindanao said that previously, there was a “reportorial requirement” in the bills wherein the Bangsamoro government needs to report its plans and programs first to specified intergovernmental financial or fiscal body, before the release can actually be made.
But they opposed this provision and instead pushed for a less stringent process of releasing budget through the block grant.
“So hindi kami pumayag don. Ang sabi ko, dagdagan natin ang transparency and accountability measures, pero wag nating pigilan ang pag-release ng pondo,” he explained.
Zubiri has likewise assured that the proposed measure provides mechanisms to audit the automatically-appropriated annual block grant.
“Doon na papasok yung COA, yung sumission of reports, submission of the accounting procedures required by the DBM and other government agencies like the Department of Finance. Diyan na papasok yung Procurement Act and all,” he pointed out.
Aside from being subjected to audits, Zubiri said they also provided safeguards for the use of the block, like requiring certain percentages of the fund for specific programs.
“May mga safeguards. Like for example, hindi pwedeng 100 percent lang ay personal services, or sweldo lang yung 100 percent ng block grant. No. We spelled out there: Not less than 40 percent will be given to the developmental programs and also we also put like certain funds like calamity funds, we also put that for personal services you cannot go over a certain percentage and I just forget now what we agreed upon,” the lawmaker explained.
READ: BBL has mechanism to monitor Bangsamoro block grant –Zubiri
Zubiri, as well as House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas said the bicameral committee on BBL has formed six subcommittees to focus on specific conflicting provisions. The committee proper would then meet at 11 a.m. Tuesday to receive the subcommittee reports.
So far, the bicameral conference committee has agreed to delete the bill’s anti-political dynasty provision, and has reached a consensus to enhance the powers given to the Bangsamoro under the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) law.
READ: Bicam committee deletes proposed BBL’s anti-political dynasty provision
READ: Whatever was in ARMM law, BBL will enhance — Zubiri
The panel has begun its work on Monday, and is expected to finish their new BBL draft by Tuesday evening. /cbb
READ: Bicam body starts work on harmonizing BBL provisions