House panel ends deliberation on BBL draft after 13-hour marathon hearing

Rep. Gary Alejano (2nd from left, standing), Rep. Tupay Loong (3rd from left, standing) Rep. Bai Sandra Sema (R), Rep. Bai Sandra Sema during the second day of voting on the Bangsamoro Basic Law in Congress. Also in photo are Rep. Raymond Mendoza (left, standing), Rep. Eleandro Jesus Madrona (left, seated) and BBL Ad Hoc committee secretary David Amorin (2nd from left, seated).
INQUIRER PHOTO/LYN RILLON

The House ad hoc committee on the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) held a marathon hearing that lasted for 13 hours to finish its deliberation and vote on its draft measure late Tuesday night.

After discussing 12 pages during Monday’s hearing, Tuesday’s meeting started with a discussion on Article V, Section 3, of the “chair and vice chairpersons’ draft” which critics slammed as influenced by Malacañang.

Motions to adjourn the hearing was proposed around 7:20 p.m. and 8:35 p.m. but both were junked by the majority eager to finish voting for the proposed law.

At 9:53 p.m., Rep. Jim Hataman-Salliman moved to extend the hearing for another 30 minutes to let the body finish voting. By 10:30 p.m., ACT Teachers party-list representative Antonio Tinio moved to extend the hearing until such time that the panel finished voting for the proposed law.

At 10:45 p.m., Rodriguez declared that the panel had finished voting for the provisions of the bill.

Panel chair and Cagayan De Oro representative Rufus Rodriguez thanked the House members for staying to vote for the proposed law.

As the hearing reached its last stretch, Makabayan bloc lawmakers, Mindanao solons and the administration majority locked horns on some contentious provisions related to the exploration and usage of natural resources including the possibility of the Bangsamoro government inking economic agreements and cultural exchanges with other countries.

Tinio slammed the “radical” rewording of Art. XII, Sec. 8, pertaining to the natural resources. The said provision mandates the Bangsamoro government to coordinate with the national government if it plans to explore and utilize fossil fuels, petroleum and mineral oils. His motion was subsequently rejected.

Rodriguez said that rewording was necessary so as to not clash with Article XII, Sec. 2, of the Constitution.

After his motion was rejected, Tinio quipped: “This law does not solve the long-time struggle of the Moro people. After being used by the national government for its resources, the Moro people will not be able to use these for their benefit.”

Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares slammed Malacañang for having a hand in drafting the BBL version being tackled by the House panel.

“This is the problem when Malacañang interferes. We cannot understand why they are proposing this section,” Colmenares said.

Meanwhile, Zamboanga del Sur Rep. Victor Yu decried the “preferential rights” accorded to Bangsamoro fishermen under Article XII, Sec. 18, saying that granting them access to areas of joint cooperation, which include the Moro Gulf, was unfair to fishermen of the Zamboanga Peninsula. Yu’s motion lost, 7-27.

Rodriguez said that at least 84 House members attended the hearing, 73 of whom are committee members. The ad hoc panel on BBL chair also acknowledged the arrival of appropriations committee chair Isidro Ungab and ways and means panel chair Miro Quimbo Tuesday night.

Quimbo said that the joint hearing of the ways and means and appropriations committees on the draft BBL will be held on May 26.

The panel will reconvene on Wednesday so that members can vote yes or no to the proposed law.

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