Solons bat for swift passage of Cordillera Organic Law

Citing the support thrown by Luzon lawmakers for the passage of the Bangsamoro Organic Law, Mindanao congressmen returned the favor by leading the move for the swift passage of the bill proposing a similar organic law for the Autonomous Region of the Cordillera.

Cordillera lawmakers and local government officials lauded the show of support for House Bill 5343 that was demonstrated by Reps. Manuel F. Zubiri (PDP-Laban, Bukidnon); Khalid Dimaporo (NPC, Lanao del Norte) and Wilter Palma (PDPLaban, Zamboanga Sibugay) during a recent congressional hearing.

Dimaporo and Zubiri asked the House Committee on Good Government to approve in principle the bill which provides the legislative support for the constitutional mandate for the creation of the autonomous region of Cordilleras.

“We must give to our brothers in the north the same autonomy we gave our brothers and sisters in the south,” declared Zubiri.

Baguio City Mayor Mauricio Domogan welcomed the move even as he called on Congress to pass the measure before the closure of the 17th Congress next year.

“Since the BOL has been passed by you, please, be part of history of our country especailly the Cordilleras by completing the process of passing the autonomy of the Cordilleras,” Domogan stated.

A former lawmaker, Domogan told the House panel that legislative process for the bill has already been observed during past Congress, adding that the measure merely require few amendments.

However, the good government panel decided to hold further consultations to be conducted by the technical working group in the Cordillera region.

Authors of HB 5343 included Reps. Teddy B. Baguilat Jr. (LP, Ifugao); Joseph Sto. Nino B. Bernos (PDP-Laban, Abra); Eleanor BulutBegtang (NPC, Apayao); Ronald Cosalan (PDP-Laban, Benguet); Allen Jesse Mangaoang (PDP-Laban, Kalinga); Mark Go (NP, Baguio City) and the late Maximo Dalog of Mountain Province.

The filing of HB 5343 will be one of the numerous attempts of Cordillera lawmakers to pursue the passage of an organic act for ARC.

Two Organic Acts were passed by Congress in 1990 and 1998 but failed ratification.

Authors blamed “people’s lack of information and discussion of the pros and cons of self-governance” for the lack of support by Cordillera folk.