MANILA – Heeding the request of President Rodrigo Duterte to fast-track the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), the House of Representatives is eyeing to pass its version of the bill on May 30.
House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas said they will schedule an all-member caucus next week where the House members can iron out their differences on BBL.
“Kailangan ma-approve ang BBL by May 30. Mas matagal without the committee report, everything is not final yet. You have to start something already approved by the committee,” Farinas said.
He added, “Kung sa committee pag-uusapan ‘yun, matatagalan ang committee and then they’ll make the committee report. To expedite it, we’ll approve it as filed by the Speaker, myself and some members. ‘Yun na ang pag-uusapan.”
Fariñas assured all lawmakers that they would be given a chance to talk during the caucus but their recommendations will not be necessarily approved.
Duterte recently said the passage of the BBL, a measure that would implement the peace deal between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in 2014, shall be done immediately.
Three House committees (local government; Muslim affairs; and peace, reconciliation and unity) on Tuesday have approved House Bill No. 6475, or the proposed version of the BBL that will be sent to the plenary.
The bill seeks to provide a basic law for a Bangsamoro region and the abolition of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Its previous version failed to pass under the Aquino administration over questions on its constitutionality./PN
