Senate ratifies Bangsamoro Organic Law

THE Senate on Monday ratified the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), abolishing the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and creating instead a Bangsamoro Autonomous Region ( BAR) with more powers.

The 22 senators present at the opening of the third regular session of the 17th Congress did not object to a motion of Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri to ratify the bicameral conference committee report on the clashing provisions of the BOL.

The BAR’s territorial jurisdiction

includes the ARMM area ( Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao), six towns in Lanao del Norte, 39 barangay (villages) in North Cotabato, Cotabato City and Isabela City in Basilan.

The BAR will receive a yearly “block grant” of about P60 billion, which is equivalent to 5 percent of the net national internal revenue tax collection of the Bureau of Internal Revenue and Bureau of immediately preceding the current

“After close to three administrations, we finally have reached this far and with this we’d like to put on record that we are in receipt of the bicameral conference committee report on the disagreeing provisions of Senate Bill 1717 and House Bill 6475 or the Organic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. We move to consider said bicameral committee report,” Zubiri said.

“I believe this is the dawn of a new beginning for Mindanao; a dawn of peace followed by unhampered prosperity for our region, that I’m sure could catapult our economy to double- digit growth rates, and the effects felt all throughout the country,” he added.

“Many of our Filipino brothers

and sisters do not really understand the Bangsamoro Organic Law as shown by the recent SWS survey. But what the people should know is that this law may have local application in the Bangsamoro region. But the peace and prosperity we hope to achieve there in this area will be felt from Batanes to Tawi-tawi,” the chairman of the Senate contingent to the committee that approved the BOL said.

Zubiri expressed hope that the proposed law would boost tourism and bring in more investments in Mindanao.

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said he voted in favor of the bicameral report “essentially because what was passed is essentially the Senate version with the exception of one or two provisions.”

“I do have some reservations as far as one or two provisions are concerned particularly on the 40 percent development fund which was not adopted in the bicameral version,” Recto added.

“In the first three years there is a fiscal cost to the national government here. As I’ve mentioned during the period of amendments, our calculation is, roughly P370 billion in the next three years. And that is why we put on record amendments to the Senate version then that 40 percent of this money should be spent for development projects,” he said.

“The second issue, which was also deleted, was the 50-50 sharing. And I take note that in the bicameral conference committee report for the next 10 years, the Bangsamoro region will not contribute anything to the national government, not a single cent to the national government at least in the next 10 years,” Recto noted.

“The block grant shall be appropriated and released immediately. The block grant formula shall be - thereafter,” he said.

The Bangsamoro Parliament, to be headed by a Chief Minister, will govern the BAR.

The Chief Minister must be elected by 80 members or representatives, of which at least 40 are party representatives.

The other half must be divided into district representatives and sectoral representatives.

Seats will be reserved for members of the non-Muslim indigenous peoples, such as the Teduray, Lambangian, Dulangan Manobo, B’Laan and Higaonon.

The BOL provides that a plebiscite must be held not earlier than 90 days and no later than 150 days after the effectivity of the BOL.

The Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) should be composed of 80 members appointed by the President.

“Personnel in the education, health and social welfare offices shall be retained during the period of transition,” Zubiri said.