Zubiri: Congress can pass supplemental budget for Bangsamoro plebiscite

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri. INQUIRER.NET / CATHY MIRANDA

Sen. Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri on Tuesday allayed the concern of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) after the agency admitted that it had no budget for the plebiscites on the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) being eyed this November.

Zubiri, chairman of the Senate subcommittee that tackled the Bangsamoro bill, said Congress can pass a supplemental budget to fund the BOL plebiscite.

During a House hearing on Monday, Comelec officials said that the agency had no budget for the BOL plebiscite.

READ: No budget for Bangsamoro, Cha-cha plebiscites — Comelec

“There is no provision for the Bangsamoro Organic Law plebiscite,” a presenter from the Comelec told the House Committee on Appropriations’ hearing on Monday.

However, Zubiri, during the Meet Inquirer Multimedia forum in Makati City on Tuesday, said, “The reason why we could not provide in the budget in the BOL [the funding for the plebiscite] because…under the laws passing budgets, we need to get from the national treasury certification the availability of funds otherwise it would be an unfunded budget,”

“Ang sabi nila para ma-hasten na lang yung proceedings, let us get it from the savings of the Comelec. So if need be, we can easily pass a joint resolution of Congress doing supplemental budget for the ARMM plebiscite,” he added.

The Comelec said the expenses for a plebiscite in the areas covered by the BOL in Mindanao would cost P854 million.

“Kung kulang, wala silang budget, don’t worry, back to Congress and the Senate will pass it (supplemental budget),” Zubiri said.

Status quo remains

If the BOL loses in the plebiscite, Zubiri said the current ARMM government stays.

“[There is] no backup plan. ARMM still remains. So business as usual for ARMM. That is under the final provisions that if it is not approved by the majority of the voters of the ARMM, it’s status quo,” he said.

The senator said he was hopeful the plebiscite would be held in November this year.

“We are looking at November,” he said, adding that the Comelec asked for an extension citing that they have to come up with the implementing rules for the plebiscite.

“Once it’s approved and passed, the President now will form the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BAR). Now, the BAR will be there for the next three years. They will be the there till 2022. The elections of the parliament will be on 2022,” he said.   /vvp