MANILA: Malacañang has not yet submitted to the House of Representatives the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law. It is supposed to go through a plebiscite after hurdling Congress. Leaders of the Senate and the House have agreed on a timetable to pass the basic law before the end of the year.
Once the Bangsamoro Basic Law is approved in a plebiscite, Congress will set up a Bangsamoro Transition Authority to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) before the 2016 elections.
Congress is scheduled to adjourn sine die next week and resume on July 28 for President Aquino’s State of the Nation Address. Thereafter, lawmakers would be busy deliberating on the proposed 2015 national budget, as well as other priority bills.
Last Monday, Malacañang spokesmen said the Bangsamoro Basic Law was still being reviewed. Speaking to reporters, Leyte Rep Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, independent bloc leader, said Malacañang had announced that the basic law would be submitted to the House early last month.
“The administration is doing a great disservice to the peace process because they’ve promised our Muslim brothers and sisters that work will be done as soon as possible but now, we’re being held hostage here (in the House) and submit the draft bill late and we’ll be rushed, just like the impeachment proceedings and say the President’s image is at stake,” he said.
“Why bother inviting the international community, (Malaysia) Prime Minister Najib Razak (to the signing of the agreement) and disturb him from Flight MH-370 crisis if the document is still not final.” Malacañang had all the time to study the annexes of the peace agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (Milf) as they came in stages, he added.
Romualdez said he expects administration officials to blame lawmakers for any delay in the passage of the draft law even if it was their fault in the first place.
“We have to make sure the draft law is not unconstitutional and legal even as we expect it to be questioned in the Supreme Court,” he said.
“I know the Speaker (Feliciano Belmonte) and other leaders of the House are putting a brave face and that everything’s hunky-dory, but it’s not.”
Milf chairman for political affairs Ghadzali Jaafar said on Tuesday that the delay in the submission of the Bangsamoro Basic Law to Congress for passage into law is causing anxiety and restlessness among the Bangsamoro people. “What I can say is that the Bangsamoro people are worried because of the delay,” he said.
The Milf is not impatient over the slow pace in the law’s submission to Congress, but hopes that Congress would have enough time to deliberate and pass it, he added. Last April 23, the Bangsamoro Basic Law was submitted to Malacañang for endorsement to Congress.
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Deles dismissed speculations the peace process could suffer a setback. “I know some people would like to take advantage of that and try to stir up some things, but I think the two parties are committed to try to explain this to everyone,” Deles said.
The Philippine Star
