Alvarez’s BBL version approved by House joint committee

The proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) that seeks to abolish the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) was approved by a joint committee of the House of Representatives on Monday, April 16. (Photo: House of Representatives of the Philippines/Facebook)

The proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) that seeks to abolish the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) was approved by a joint committee of the House of Representatives on Monday, April 16.

In an executive session held yesterday, the House committee in Muslim affairs and special committee on peace, unity, and reconciliation voted affirmative on the House Bill (HB) 6475. The committee on local government was the only body that rejected the proposed measure by a vote of 1-9.

It was House Deputy Speaker Bai Sandra Sema of Maguindanao who sought to pass the HB 6475 that was principally authored by Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.

Alvarez’s proposed bill was among the four measures filed in the lower house this 17^th Congress. The other three HBs are 92, 6121, and 6263 authored by Sema, Pampanga 2^nd District Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, and Lanao del Norte 1^st District Rep. Mohamad Khalid Dimaporo, respectively.

HB 6475 is similar to the BBL version submitted by the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) to Congress in July 2017.

The three panels will meet again to approve the committee report in HB 6475, when Congress resumes its session on May 15.

If enacted into law, the proposed measure would repeal Republic Act (RA) 9054 or “An Act to Strengthen and Expand the Organic Act” for the ARMM and RA 6734 or “An Act providing for an Organic Act” for the ARMM.

The bill, among others, seeks to establish a new Bangsamoro political entity, and provide for its basic structure of government.

Under the bill, the Bangsamoro territory shall remain a part of the Philippines.

HB 6475 outlines the core territory of the Bangsamoro to be composed of: the present geographical area of the ARMM; the Municipalities of Baloi, Munai, Nunungan, Pantar, Tagoloan and Tangkal in the province of Lanao del Norte and all barangays in the municipalities of Kabacan, Carmen, Aleosan, Pigkawayan, Pikit and Midsayap that voted for inclusion in the ARMM during the 2001 plebiscite; the cities of Cotabato and Isabela; and all other contiguous areas where there is a resolution of the local government unit or a petition of at least ten percent (10%) of the qualified voters in the area asking for their inclusion at least two months prior to the conduct of the ratification of the BBL and the process of delimitation of the Bangsamoro.

A popular ratification shall also be conducted among all the Bangsamoro within the areas for their adoption to ensure the widest acceptability of the Basic Law in the core areas.

The measure retains the central government’s power and control over defense and external security as it provides for the creation of the Bangsamoro Military Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for the Bangsamoro which will be organized, maintained, and utilized in accordance with national laws.

The BBL was a key component of the peace deal signed by the Aquino administration with Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). However, it failed to get the approval of Congress after the bloody Mamasapano clash, where 44 members of the elite Special Action Force (SAF) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) were killed by several assailants in 2015.