Issues

A Muslim lawmaker on Wednesday said he would question the BBL be measure allowed six municipalities of Lanao del Norte to join the Bangsamoro Region via a plebiscite.

To let the six towns join the Bangsamoro Region, according to Rep. Khalid Dimaporo of Lanao del Norte, would violate the Constitution.

His plan to take issue with the municipalities’ inclusion came as a group of retired generals and admirals from the Armed Forces of the Philippines took issue with the BBL’s silence on the disarming of rebel groups.

The bicameral conference committee was deadlocked over the inclusion in the plebiscite of the six Lanao del Norte towns, as well as 39 barangay (villages) of North Cotabato and the cities of Isabela (Basilan) and Cotabato.

Dimaporo, a member of the bicameral conference committee on the BBL, said these cities, municipalities and villages should only be included in the Bangsamoro Region, which will replace the ARMM as provided by the BBL, if these places got the approval of their mother units.

In the case of the six Lanao del Norte towns, Dimaporo said the whole province should vote in favor of the inclusion of these towns in the Bangsamoro Region instead of just letting them decide on whether they should join the proposed region.

“We will challenge it [BBL] before the Supreme Court. If the Supreme Court will say these places will be included in the Bangsamoro [Region], then we will accept it. But I know that I did my best as a political leader of our province,” Dimaporo said in a news conference.

The six Lanao del Norte municipalities, which voted to be included in the existing ARMM during the 2001 plebiscite, are Tagoloan, Balo-I, Pantar, Munai, Tangcal and Nunungan.

The 39 barangay in North Cotabato, which is under the ARMM, are located in the towns of Aleosan, Carmen, Kabacan, Midsayap, Pigcawayan and Pikit.

Dimaporo said the 2001 plebiscite does not count because records from

“Given the situation, if anybody will challenge the BBL in [Supreme] Court and ask if these places indeed voted in favor of being included in the ARMM,