Bicameral panel tackles provisions on transition, inland waters in BBL

THE BICAMERAL Conference Committee as of Tuesday afternoon said it is set to finalize within the day the provisions in the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) regarding transition and territorial jurisdiction on inland waters.

“We don’t want to make a mistake on the transition period and, of course, we will discuss and finalize (the) inland bodies of water,” Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel F. Zubiri told reporters in an interview Tuesday.

If approved, the senator said a plebiscite could be held in November this year, while he sees the creation of the transition body by December or by January 2019.

“We’re looking at the plebiscite hopefully in November of this year, for ratification. If it is ratified, the President can appoint members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) by December or January, at the latest, of 2019,” Mr. Zubiri said.

The BTA will be the governing body of the Bangsamoro as it transitions from the Autonomous Region of the Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). The BTA will also sit as the Bangsamoro parliament for three years. Thus, there will be no mid-term elections for the region.

Should the law fail to hurdle the plebiscite, Mr. Zubiri said, the Bangsamoro region will have to revert back to the ARMM.

If passed, however, the BBL will result in the “disposition,” according to that draft charter, of government personnel, except those under social service sectors such as health, education and social welfare.