MANILA – The Senate unanimously ratified on Monday the Bicameral Conference Committee report on the proposed Organic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
But the House of Representatives failed to ratify the measure due to disagreements during an hour-long all-members caucus.
Called the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), the measure seeks to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao with the Bangsamoro territory.
Senators ratified the BOL hours before the third State of the Nation Address of President Rodrigo Duterte at the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City.
The enactment of the Bangsamoro law will bring “just and dignified peace” in Mindanao, said Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, chairman of the subcommittee on the BOL.
“I believe this is the dawn of a new beginning for Mindanao – a dawn of peace followed by unhampered prosperity,” Zubiri added.
But President Rodrigo Duterte cannot yet sign the measure into law after the Lower House postponed its ratification.
The House version of the BOL was “held hostage” due to the reported ouster plot against House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, Rep. Tom Villarin (Akbayan party-list) told the press.
“Sa tingin ko hindi naman sinet-aside (ang BOL), only that it was taken over by intramurals within the administration coalition,” Villarin said. “And the longer these intramurals are not resolved, andaming masa-sacrifice na mga priority bills.”
‘TEMPORARY SETBACK’
Malacañang found the House’s non-ratification of the BOL “unfortunate.”
“We consider this a temporary setback in the administration’s goal of laying the foundation for a more genuine and lasting peace in Mindanao,” Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said in a statement.
But Roque is “confident” President Duterte will sign the proposed Bangsamoro law once both houses of Congress ratify the measure.
Presidential Adviser for the Peace Process Jesus Dureza said the event was “due to some leadership issues internal to the House of Representatives” and had nothing to do with the proposed law.
“The BOL suffered this temporary setback, as a ‘collateral damage’ to an internal leadership issue in the House, but I trust and expect that in due time, the ratification it deserves will take place as a matter of course,” said Dureza.
Zubiri was “saddened” by the House’s non-ratification of the measure.
“Of course gusto sana namin ma-highlight ito sa SONA ng Pangulo at maging symbolic gesture of peace to our brothers in the Bangsamoro region, lalo na sa stakeholders, the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) and the MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front). Talagang ilang dekada nilang hinintay ito,” he said.
He added: “We know that with the intramurals that are going on there now, medyo politically magulo ang House as of the moment, so we respect that. We just patiently wait tomorrow.”
RESERVATIONS
For her part Sen. Risa Hontiveros said the BOL’s Senate ratification is a “testament to our commitment to the democratic process.”
“It is a sign that the system works. That all we needed was a shared and unwavering belief in justice and that all roads lead to peace,” Hontiveros said.
Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto also expressed support for the BiCam report but with reservations.
“Our calculation is roughly P370 billion in the next three years. And that is why we put on record amendments to the Senate version then that 40 percent of this money should be spent for development projects,” said Recto.
“I do have reservations because, if 40 percent was deleted, then that money can be spent for other purposes instead of development projects,” he added.
The lawmaker also opposed the removal of the proposed 50-50 revenue sharing.
“In the [BiCam] report, for the next 10 years, the Bangsamoro region will not contribute anything to the national government – not a single cent to the national government at least in the next 10 years,” Recto noted. (With Adrian Stewart Co/PN)
