BBL passage eyed before Duterte’s Sona

TUBOD, Lanao del Norte -- Lawmakers in the Lower House tackling the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) are optimistic they can pass the legislation in time for the state of the nation address (Sona) of President Rodrigo Duterte this July.

Lanao del Norte First District Representative Mohamad Khalid Dimaporo said it is very likely that the BBL can be approved by both the Lower House and Senate before May 30 so that the President could include it in his report during the Sona.

This was echoed by Tawi-Tawi Representative Ruby Sahali, House committee chair on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity, who said they are now fine-tuning all the provisions of the BBL and expects to finish it next month before submitting it to the plenary for approval this May.

“We hope [the plenary] can pass it before the adjournment,” Sahali told reporters after the conduct of the consultative meeting with local government officials and other stakeholders at the Mindanao Civic Center gymnasium in this town on Thursday.

On Friday, Sahali and other committee members were in Marawi City to wrap up the last leg of the BBL consultation held in the Lanao provinces.

At present, the concerned committees have deliberated on the 13th article of the BBL, which includes the Bangsamoro economy and social justice, equitable and social development, among others.

She said the President wanted to have the BBL passed before July so he could present it on his Sona.

The BBL is a “top priority legislation,” Sahali said, noting that all the concerned committees are working hard to iron out any issues in the proposed legislation.

Dimaporo noted that there should be a new plebiscite that will include those six towns in Lanao del Norte who signified their intent to become part of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm) during the 2001 plebiscite.

The municipalities – Tagoloan, Balo-i, Pantar, Munai, Tangcal, and Nunungan – still belong to Lanao del Norte geographically and politically until now.

But Dimaporo said that the Armm and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region are two different entities, and as such, the people in the province must still vote in a plebiscite which is expected to be held following the passing of the BBL.

Once passed into law, the BBL would lead to the creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region that would replace the Armm but with more provisions seen to improve the political and economic standing of its constituents.

During the consultation in Tubod, leaders from the civil society, local government and religious sectors voiced out their stand on the BBL.

Acmad Guro, an imam from Matungao, Lanao del Norte, said once the BBL is approved, it will be a “win-win solution to the Bangsamoro problem” as he asked government officials not to repeat the mistakes of the past presidencies who failed to address the issues and concerns of the Moro people.

He cited the all-out combat offensives of Joseph Estrada and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who waged war against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) during their terms.

Iligan City Mayor Celso Regencia raised the BBL provision on “contiguous territory” and wanted BBL proponents to make a clear delineation of boundaries of the new Bangsamoro region.

“The territory of the Bangsamoro should be definite and should not be increased or changed in size by annexing adjacent areas,” Regencia said.

But Lanao del Norte Governor Imelda Quibranza-Dimaporo said the National Government must conduct another round of information dissemination especially in areas that will be affected once the BBL is enacted into law.

“There should more information campaign as there are still people who don’t understand the BBL,” the governor said, adding that in her province the Christians and Muslims live in harmony.