Duterte certifies as urgent Bangsamoro and tax bills
To facilitate their swift passage in Congress, President Duterte has certified as urgent legislation the bills seeking the creation of the Bangsamoro region and implementation of the comprehensive tax reform program.
The President made the endorsement of the two priority bills during a meeting of
the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) in Malacañang on Wednesday.
“Among a number of items discussed, the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process and the Finance Secretary presented updates on the status of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) and Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act (TRAIN), respectively,” presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said.
“In the course of the discussion, the President agreed to certify as urgent the proposed measures on the BBL and TRAIN,” Abella said.
The President has described the BBK bill as the legal instrument to lay the foundation for lasting peace in Mindanao. He said it is a significant step to end the centuries of hatred, mistrust, and injustice that have affected the lives of Filipinos.
The bill provides for a Bangsamoro entity, with political and fiscal autonomy, which will replace
the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM),
The TRAIN bill seeks to reduce personal income tax rates while imposing new or additional taxes on certain consumption. It seeks to generate funds for the country’s massive infrastructure program.
Apart from the proposed BBL and TRAIN, the President and other LEDAC members tackled the amendments to the Government Procurement Reform Act and other updates on the common legislative agenda.
Also in the LEDAC agenda was the proposed creation of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (DHUD).
Among the legislators at the LEDAC meeting were Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, Senators Ralph Recto and Franklin Drilon, and House Majority Floor Leader Rudy Fariñas.
On the executive were were Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno, Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, and Socio-Economic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia.
During the meeting, Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep.Rodolfo Fariñas said
President is leaving to the "wisdom of Congress" the final version of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).
"We will file next week the bill for the BBL submitted by the BTC (Bangsamoro Transition Commission). The President informed us that he will leave to the wisdom of the Congress the final version of the BBL," he said.
Deputy Speaker and Maguindanao Rep. Bai Sandra Sinsuat Sema, Lanao del Norte Rep. Mohamad Khalid Dimaporo, and former President now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo filed their measures on BBL.
Alvarez at media forum
On the move to amend the Constitution, Speaker Alvarez said in a media forum, "By the first quarter next year, maybe we can agree to convene Congress into a Constituent Assembly and start deliberating on the proposed draft of the Constitution.”
The House Committee on Constitutional Amendments created four technical working groups while the President has also created a 25-man commission to make studies and prepare a draft of the proposed Federal Constitution.
Alvarez said they have to have in place a new Federal Constitution by the end of President Duterte's term in 2022.
Southern Leyte Rep. Roger Mercado, chairman of the House Committee on Constitutional Amendments, said the members of the technical working groups agreed that the draft of the new Constitution will be submitted to the House Committee on Rules, chaired by Fariñas, by December this year.
Alvarez said he has received a draft prepared by a group commissioned by the President's PDP-Laban party. Te draft was sent to party members for their scrutiny.