The House of Representatives approved on third and final reading House Bill 6475 or the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law by an overwhelming vote of 227 in favor of the measure, 11 against and 2 abstentions.
Approval of the measure on 2nd and 3rd reading was made possible after President Rodrigo Duterte certified the measure as urgent.
The measure was approved after three all-member caucus and marathon proceedings that lasted late Tuesday night to hear the objections and proposed amendments of several lawmakers who expressed concern over several provisions of the bill.
“We listened to the concerns of the congressmen, mostly those who are from Mindanao whose areas would be affected. The majority caucus addressed that so we can proceed to pass the bill smoothly,” said Speaker Bebot Alvarez in a short press briefing after the caucus.
Alvarez, who is the principal author of HB 6475, earlier expressed confidence the House of Representatives would be able to pass the measure before it adjourns its session.
“I’m satisfied,” the House Speaker said when asked for his sentiments over the outcome of the caucus on BBL.
Zamboanga City Rep. Celso Lobregat, who was among the outspoken critics of the proposed BBL, said the caucus has addressed many of the provisions that are either seemingly inconsistent with the constitution.
“Before anything else I’ve always said no, I am for peace. I am not anti-peace but I want to make sure that we have a Bangsamoro Basic Law that is just, fair, acceptable, feasible and consistent with the constitution and existing laws. Now many of the issues have been addressed in the substitute bill. Not fully but substantially,” said the legislator.
Among others, Lobregat said the substitute version of the bill has done away with the creeping expansion of Bangsamoro territory by limiting the opt-in provision to a single plebiscite that would be held upon ratification of the law and limited only to areas contiguous by land.
Likewise, the lawmaker said that under the new provision, the Philippine National Police (PNP) would retain control and supervision of the police in the Bangsamoro territory and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) does not need to coordinate its movement and protocol with Bangsamoro authorities.
In connection with fiscal autonomy of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, Lobregat said that as far as he could remember the substitute bill entitles the BAR to a block grant amounting to about 5 percent of the national taxes, including the collections of the Bureau of Customs.
He said the Senate version may be substantially different from the House version of the BBL so nothing is final until the bicameral conference committee reconciles the different provisions of the measure.
On the other hand, Speaker Alvarez foresees the possibility the constitutionality of the BBL may be questioned before the Supreme Court, especially since the new law would abolish the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao that is specified in the 1987 Constitution.
“As a lawyer I share that doubt as the ARMM is indeed specified in the constitution. Let the Supreme Court decide on this matter,” the House Speaker said.
The House of Representatives believes the version of the BBL approved is consistent with the Constitution.
Alvarez stressed that the House believes the version of the BBL approved is consistent with the constitution.
“We believe what we are doing here is constitutional. But nobody can stop anyone from filing or questioning the constitutionality of a law,” Alvarez said.
Duterte has appealed to Congress to pass BBL by May 30, as he stressed the crucial role of the proposed law in maintaining peace in Mindanao amid threats posed by radical Islamic groups.