THE Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) is significantly moving in both Houses, Congress and Senate. In past few weeks, the Senate Sub Committee on the BBL finished their Public Hearings in the different provinces and municipalities in the ARMM. They are now at the stage of having Technical Working Group meetings with the different government line agencies to improve the provisions of the BBL.
There are three Committees in the House of Representatives that handle the Bangsamoro Basic Law. They are the Committee on Local Government, Committee on Muslim Affairs, and Committee on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity. The Chairman of these joint committees is Representative Pedro B. Acharon, Jr., from General Santos City.
Early this month the office of Cong. Acharon send an invitation for the Members of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission to attend the meetings in Congress and provincial Public Hearing/Consultations for the HB # 92, 6121, 6263, and 6475.
I attended the Public Consultations in Cotabato City, Midsayap, and Davao City. However, due to limited time, not all members of the BTC were given a chance to talk during the consultations. In those three areas, I was happy to be there and show moral support to the Chairperson of the BTC.
My reflections while sitting and listening to the statements of the members of the Committee on the BBL and from the people who attended the hearings, are as follows:
I believe we need to remind our lawmakers to set aside local politics and see the importance of the enacting the BBL. The BBL tries to address historical and structural injustices against the Bangsamoro people. The Bangsamoro people aim to exercise their right to self-determination. The 1987 Philippine Constitution even recognizes this right and mandates the government to put in place an Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao.
In providing the Bangsamoro the right to self-determination, the Bangsamoro needs genuine political and fiscal autonomy that is even more comprehensive compared to the current set up in the ARMM. The provinces in the ARMM are within the top ten poorest in the country. Since the time the ARMM was established, the Bangsamoro problem was not fully addressed.
The BBL that we drafted is supported by the framers of the 1987 Constitution. Former Chief Justice Davide and Associate Justice Azcuna said in the Senate Hearings on the BBL that the BTC version is free from constitutional infirmities. Congress needs to invite them and some members of the academe to enlighten their fellow lawmakers about the provisions within the BTC draft BBL.
On the side of the participating public, I noticed that most of them did not read the BBL. They are not fully aware of what are the important provisions that the BBL aims to achieve for the Bangsamoro. Thus, they cannot give substantial comments and recommendations for the Members of the Congress.
Because of this, I think that the role of the CSOs and NGOs is crucial in the whole Bangsamoro peace process. There must be intensive information and education campaign about the BBL. The public needs to have an informed opinion about the BBL.
The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process is doing its best in giving IEC materials to the public. It also conducts series of fora and lectures about the BBL with the different sectors and groups within the ARMM. However, we need more public participation and support for people to understand what the BBL is all about.
I am optimistic that the BBL will pass in Congress and Senate within the timeline set by the Duterte administration. The BBL will be ratified by the people before or after the President Duterte's delivers his State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July. The BBL is one of the priority bills of the current administration and hopefully it will be mentioned by the President in his SONA that he fulfilled his campaign promise to the Bangsamoro.
However, our task as peace and development advocates of Mindanao does not end by merely having the BBL in place. The huge challenge is actually how we can make sure that the BBL will be able to deliver its main objectives to the Bangsamoro; how we can ensure that we address poverty, have sustained delivery of social services to our people, and ensure that we will have good governance, transparency and accountability in running our regional autonomy.
In the next Public Hearings, I hope that I can hear more from the voices of the Bangsamoro youth. I am interested to know what are their stances on the BBL? What roles are they going to play in the whole peace process? I also hope that I can hear more informed opinion and critical comments and suggestions from the people whose lives will be affected in the passage of the BBL.