Fariñas: Congress leaders, Bangsamoro commission to meet with Duterte on BBL

The Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) members and Congress leaders will discuss with President Rodrigo Duterte later on Monday how to reconcile the contentious provisions under the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas bared this in an ambush interview after the lower chamber’s brief all-member caucus Monday afternoon.

“‘Yung mga contentious portions, we agreed kung sino yung mga affected areas or persons dadalhin namin kay Presidente mamaya, para makausap namin si President because we have to admit na the negotiation process, the peace process kasi on the part of the government of the Republic of the Philippines, when you say GRP, executive ‘yun, hindi naman kasama ang legislative,” Fariñas told reporters.

The House leader said he, together with House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, BTC members, Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, would meet the President.

Amendments

Fariñas refused to discuss specific amendments on House Bill (HB) 6475, the Chamber’s version of BBL, but he said the BTC “agreed to several of the amendments proposed.”

“We agreed that—in fairness to the BTC, they agreed naman to several of the amendments proposed. I’m working kasi on the draft presented by the Bangsamoro Transition Commission. May mga amendments, karamihan naman na-accept,” he said.

But he mentioned that the BTC agreed that the Autonomous Region of Bangsamoro (ARB) would remain concurrent with the national government, and the Bangsamoro police would still be under the Philippine National Police.

Fariñas said both camps have yet to agree on the opt-in and fiscal autonomy provisions of the BBL.

After the meeting with Duterte and once he certifies BBL as urgent, Fariñas said the lower house would pass BBL on second and final reading on Tuesday, the second to the last day of sessions before Congress adjourns sine die on June 1. /vvp