THE Magnificent Seven bloc at the House of Representatives urged the House leadership to hold proper deliberations on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) instead of railroading its approval.
This, after the House leadership held a meeting with the members of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission early Tuesday, May 22, a day after the all-party caucus was held on the measure.
Lagman said it will be a problem if the House will fast track the passage of the BBL.
"It will be a problem if the House leadership will fast track the approval of the BBL," Lagman said.
"We are urging the House leadership to give opportunity to all those who would like to debate on the measure and not to fast track the measure at the expense of a serious and deliberate consideration of a very important measure," added Lagman.
House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Monday said he will ask President Rodrigo Duterte to certify the bill as urgent so that they can pass it on third reading by May 30.
Magdalo Representative Gary Alejano said that among the contentious provisions discussed during the caucus on Monday was the opt-in provision of the bill.
"Karamihan diyan from Mindanao are not amenable to that provision," Alejano said.
Under the opt-in provision, contiguous areas of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) may join the Bangsamoro region provided that there is a resolution by the local government unit or a petition of at least 10 percent of the registered voters in the area asking for their inclusion in the Bangsamoro region.
The decision is still subject to the approval of majority of the residents in the area through a plebescite.
Alejano said another major amendment being sought for is the provision on security and public order and the provision on plebiscite.
Alejano said the BTC will most likely disapprove the proposed BBL just like in the last Congress.
"Now the leadership is going to talk with the BTC para tignan kung tatanggapin nila yan. Precisely, what happened in the last congress, the BTC will not accept that," he said.
The meeting with BTC earlier in the day was attended by Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez, among others.
Another caucus on the proposed BBL will be held next week, according to House majority leader Rodolfo Fariñas after the BTC's discussion on the proposed amendments.
"The BTC will bring the proposed amendments to its principals and will come back to us on Monday. We will have the Caucus after I get their reaction," Fariñas said. (SunStar Philippines)