Bangsamoro upbeat on possible extension of transition period

Davao City—the Bangsamoro transition authority (Bta), the interim Parliament of the Bangsamoro autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), commended the Philippine Senate for “shepherding the process” of the passage of a bill that would postpone the election of the Barmm officials.

the Senate on august 25 approved its Senate Bill no. 2214 on second reading, bringing it one step closer to final approval. Senate Bill 2214 aimed to reset the BARMM elections from 2022 to 2025 and extend the transition period for another three years.

a postponement of the elections would cover only the positions in the Bangsamoro government, including the Bta, but not the regular local government positions, from mayors to governors and the legislative councils of the towns and provinces, who shall proceed with their elections next year, alongside the national and Presidential elections.

Member of Parliament Raissa Jajurie said the intention of passing the resolution, is to “highlight the process of ensuring that the bill is presented to the Senate members and reaches the second reading towards its enactment.” Jajurie is one of the authors of the Bta resolution commending the Senate action on the bill.

“We want to thank each and every senator, even those who voted no, for participating in the discussion and raising issues that may be important for us,” Jajurie added.

the resolution cited the collective contribution for the “fruitful deliberation” of SB 2214 of Senator Francis tolentino, Majority Floor Leader Juan Miguel zubiri, Minority Floor Leader Franklin Drilon, under the stewardship of Senate President Vicente Sotto.

“While we commend the whole of the Senate as an institution for approving it [SB 2214] on second reading, we’re also commending the officials and mechanisms that brought the bill to that point,” Jajurie said.

“this representation reiterates that if we are going to postpone, the postponement should be 2025,” Sen. Francis tolentino, chairman of the committee on local government and principal author of Senate Bill 2214, said.

During the period of amendments, the legislature adopted the deletion of the entire Sections 2 and 3 of the measure. Senators zubiri and Drilon replaced Section 2 with:

“Upon the expiration of the terms of the incumbent members of the Bangsamoro transition authority, the President shall appoint 80 members of the Bta, who shall serve up to June 30, 2025, or until their successors have been elected.”

zubiri disclosed that “the stand of the executive is to postpone the forthcoming elections.”

“I just got off the phone with Secretary [Carlito] Galvez [of the Office of the Presidential adviser on the Peace Process], and the position of the Cabinet turns in favor, Secretary on Finance as well,” zubiri said.

according to him, there is also a similar bill pending for discussion in the House of Representatives.

If enacted, the legislation would allow the interim government to accomplish its mandated duties, as cited in the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), Jajurie added.