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