Group fears displacement of 2,400 ARMM gov't workers with creation of Bangsamoro

Labor group Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP)-Nagkaisa is worried that around 2,400 government employees in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao will lose their jobs once the region is dissolved and taken over by the Bangsamoro Transition Council.

In a statement, the group said the public sector workers are currently employed in municipalities, cities, provincial and regional government offices in the region.

“The labor center expresses concern over the unknown fate of these workers who will be dislodged once the Bangsamoro law takes effect,"said Gerard Seno, executive vice president of the Associated Labor Unions (ALU).

He said the Civil Service Commission should step in, adding the CSC does not seem to have prepared for "one of the very important elements of transition."

During House deliberations on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law chaired by TUCP Party-list Rep. Raymond Mendoza, CSC resource persons could not answer

TUCP-Nagkaisa said the CSC should make sure that the existing workforce will be integrated into the new Bangsamoro government through "lateral transfer and merit-based integration".

Meanwhile, TUCP Executive Director Louie Corral said that it is the responsibility of the government to look after the welfare of public sector workers.

"Rather than allowing these people fell through the cracks, they should be integrated because they are already an asset," he said. — JDS, GMA News

House begins work on Bangsamoro law amid kinks

MANILA - The Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) is expected to be the key to a lasting peace in Mindanao. However, the start of its legislation has turned out to be rather problematic.

House Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II said the closed door organizational meeting of the ad hoc committee on Tuesday turned out some problems.

"Unang-una, kita niyo naman kahapon kaagad that's organizational meeting of ad hoc committee, marami na kinks. And si committee has requested the committee on rules to have to meet kahit may plenary kami Wednesday next week. We will grant them, pwede magsimula sila before session starts 9 a.m. 'til 2 p.m. Mas kailangan quorum pagdating ng hapon," he said.

Gonzales thumbed down plans to invite as resource persons former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Governor Nur Misuari, who has been blamed for the 2013 siege of Zamboanga.

"DOJ (Department of Justice) has no intention of applying for the withdrawal of warrant of arrest. Di ko alam how committee can go about it considering we have no power to stop implementation of warrant dahil that's a judicial function, not a legislative function."

The House is on day 3 of plenary deliberations on the 2015 national budget. Under the rules, no committee can hold hearings during this time unless with prior authorization.

Gonzales said all committees have been allowed to meet during the coming 3-week break.

"Nothing prevents the committees including the ad hoc committee to meet during the break. Nakita ko schedule, napag-agree-han mukhang at least 7 ang gusto outside committee meetings," he said.

The ad hoc committee finds itself in the same boat as the energy committee, which is also hammering out an equally important piece of legislation -- a joint resolution authorizing President Aquino to contract additional power generating capacity to address a power crisis in the summer of 2015.

Both committees will be granted permission to hold hearing alongside the budget plenary for so long as they can rush to the plenary during quorum calls.

WARRANTS VS MNLF, BIFF

Cagayan de Oro Representative Rufus Rodriguez, who chairs the committee, told ABS-CBN they agreed to ask the DOJ to apply for a suspension of the warrants of arrest for Nur Misuari and Umbra Kato to allow them to attend the congressional hearings in Manila on behalf of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF).

The panel expects to finish the bill by November 30 and have it enacted by Congress by December 17.

House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte previously declared "we have set the ball rolling in creating this Ad Hoc committee and it's systems go" for the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law.

"The passage of a Bangsamoro Basic Law is our fundamental role as legislators recognizing and responding to the call of our diverse culture as Filipinos. It is also our contribution to a global quest for genuine and sustainable peace," Belmonte stressed.

The ad hoc committee agreed to hold open public hearings, starting September 24 until December 17, five days a week, with hearings to be conducted in Zamboanga, Zamboanga Sibugay, Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Marawi, among others.

The 75-member committee represents leaders and members of the majority coalition and five members of the minority group.

HB 4994 is entitled: "An Act providing for the Basic Law for the Bangsamoro and abolishing the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, repealing for the purpose Republic Act No. 9054, entitled 'An Act to strengthen and expand the Organic Act for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao,' and Republic Act No. 6743, entitled 'An Act providing for the Organic Act for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao,' and for other purposes."

The authors of the proposed law consists of the leaders of the majority coalition led by Belmonte, among them are: Deputy Speakers Henedina Abad, Giorgidi Aggabao, Sergio Apostol, Pangalian Balindong, Carlos Padilla and Roberto Puno; with Gonzales; and Representatives Mel Senen Sarmiento, Enrique Cojuangco, Mark Llandro Mendoza, Eleandro Jesus Madrona, Elpidio Barzaga Jr., Antonio Lagdameo, Jr., Rolando Andaya Jr., Nicanor Briones, and Raymond Democrito Mendoza. - By RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News

House Ad Hoc panel working full swing to pass Bangsamoro Basic Law

Ad Hoc Comm. on Bangsamoro Chair Rufus Rodriguez conducting its first meeting with the 8 Vice-Chairs and its Secretariat 2014Sep11

While the House plenary conducts marathon sessions zeroing in on the proposed 2015 P2.606-Trillion national budget, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte today declared "We have set the ball rolling in creating this Ad Hoc committee and it's systems go" for the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law.

Hon. Feliciano Belmonte, Jr."The passage of a Bangsamoro Basic Law is our fundamental role as legislators recognizing and responding to the call of our diverse culture as Filipinos. It is also our contribution to a global quest for genuine and sustainable peace," Belmonte stressed.

Wasting no time, the House Ad Hoc Committee to review, evaluate and proposed legislation relative to the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, chaired by Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, has approved its Rules of Procedure to guide its deliberations.

"We are tired of war. We cannot afford to lose time. We want peace," Chairman Rodriguez exclaimed after their organizational meeting Tuesday morning, echoing the sentiments of lawmakers especially those from Mindanao.

Gratified by the enthusiasm shown by his colleagues during the initial Ad Hoc meeting, Rodriguez revealed that they agreed to hold open public hearings, starting September 24 until December 17, five days a week, with hearings to be conducted in Zamboanga, Zamboanga Sibugay, Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Marawi, among others.

Hon. Rufus B. Rodriguez"We have decided to give one day for each of these areas to give ample time for concerned people in the said areas to participate actively in the deliberations," Rodriguez added.

The 75-member Ad Hoc Committee represents leaders and members of the majority coalition and five members of the minority group.

During the interim, the committee will be completing the line-up of resource person-invitees or guest who could give valuable insights and proposal to improve or fine-tune the provision in the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law contained in HB 4994.

HB 4994 is entitled: "An Act providing for the Basic Law for the Bangsamoro and abolishing the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, repealing for the purpose Republic Act No. 9054, entitled 'An Act to strengthen and expand the Organic Act for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao,' and Republic Act No. 6743, entitled 'An Act providing for the Organic Act for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao,' and for other purposes."

It is interesting to note that the authors of the proposed law consists of the leaders of the Majority coalition led by Speaker Belmonte, among them are: Deputy Speakers Henedina Abad, Giorgidi Aggabao, Sergio Apostol, Pangalian Balindong, Carlos Padilla and Roberto Puno; with Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II; and Reps. Mel Senen Sarmiento; Enrique Cojuangco; Mark Llandro Mendoza; Eleandro Jesus Madrona; Elpidio Barzaga, Jr.; Antonio Lagdameo, Jr.; Rolando Andaya, Jr.; Nicanor Briones; and Raymond Democrito Mendoza.

Recalling recent events, the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), signed on March 27, 2014, signalled the end of the decades-long armed conflict in Mindanao that has posed major setbacks to the full progress and development of the country, Belmonte and his co-authors pointed out.

"The negotiated CAB outlines the mechanisms, processes, and modalities through which the parties aim to establish and entrench a regime of peace, development, social justice, and the rule of law in the conflict-ridden areas and communities in Southern Philippines," the authors stressed.

Furthermore, inspired by the constitutional foundation on autonomous regions under the 1987 Constitution, the CAB prescribes the design for a new political entity to build upon the vital reforms introduced by the current government of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), they added.

"The proposed Bangsamoro entity will enhance existing systems and procedures, as well as establish a new set of institutional arrangements and modalities between the central government and the autonomous government with respect to power-sharing, wealth- and revenue-sharing, transitional aspects, and normalization," Belmonte assured.

Chairman Rodriguez said that, among other important considerations, his committee is will never compromise on the issue of constitutionality of all the provisions embodied in the proposed Basic law.

"We will make sure that it will be a win-win framework for all Filipinos," Rodriguez stressed. - by Dionisio P. Tubianosa, Media Relations Service-PRIB