Cebu Rep. Gwendolyn Garcia. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
Some lawmakers on Monday foresee no conflict in the ongoing efforts of the House of Representatives to approve the draft of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) and the proposed Charter change (Cha-cha) to effect a federal form of government, among others.
During the bi-monthly press briefing at the chamber, Deputy Speaker and Cebu 3rd District Rep. Gwendolyn Garcia said in so far as Cha-cha is concerned, this may further strengthen the BBL or what may be passed in March before the session adjourns.
“When under a federal system of government, more powers may be given to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region within the parameters, the confines set by what would then be the Constitution that the people shall adopt through a plebiscite,” Garcia said.
Asked if the provisions of the BBL could be adopted in Cha-cha, Garcia said that could not be the case because the BBL was being drawn up within the confines of the current 1987 Constitution.
“Kasi hindi pa nga natin na-amend or na-revise ‘yung Constitution natin. Ibig sabihin, kaya nga if you would notice, we are not calling this the Bangsamoro State. We are calling this the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region,” she added.
So far, she said the subcommittee created by the committee on Muslim affairs and special committee on peace, reconciliation and unity had agreed to the creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region and acknowledged its purpose, which is “to establish the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in accordance with the provisions of the 1987 Philippine Constitution.”
Meanwhile, Lanao del Norte 1st District Rep. Mohamad Khalid Dimaporo, one of the authors of four bills seeking the BBL creation, said it would not matter which gets approved first.
“I don’t think they are interrelated. It doesn’t matter what comes first or what comes next. As far as Congress is concerned, this was a promise of the President to the Filipino people, to the Bangsamoro people…his promise to deliver the BBL. So therefore, Congress is working as hard as possible so that the President can deliver his promise,” Dimaporo said.
He said the un-constitutional provisions of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) version of BBL were identified in the subcommittee level. On the other hand, he said the constitutionally-acceptable language is embedded in the bill of Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and in the 16th Congress version.
“So more or less, at the top of my mind, we retained mga 50 percent of the BTC version. The remaining 50 percent, it’s either we adopt the GMA version or the 16th Congress version,” he said.
He said one of the concerns in the proposed BBL was that under the BTC version, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) would be under the control of the Bangsamoro government, which they are opposing.
Dimaporo said they are targeting to approve the bill in the plenary before the House adjourns this March. /je