‘House can’t meet deadline to pass BBL this year’

MANILA, Philippines - The House of Representatives will not be able to meet its self-imposed deadline of approving the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) this year, Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II said yesterday.

“The draft law is still with the special committee chaired by Congressman (Rufus) Rodriguez (of Cagayan de Oro City), which has been conducting public hearings on it,” he said.

Gonzales said the committee has scheduled public hearings and consultations in Mindanao and other parts of the country until the third week of December when Congress goes on a month-long Christmas break.

“They want to hear the views of all concerned groups, all stakeholders. So with their schedule, they will not be able to submit a report before the Christmas break. They could possibly submit their report in January or February,” he said.

Gonzales estimated that the House could start plenary deliberations on the proposed BBL in the first quarter of next year.

The Rodriguez panel has conducted at least 19 public hearings and consultations, shuttling between the House offices at the Batasan complex in Quezon City and various cities and towns in Mindanao.

For his part, BBL ad hoc committee member Rep. Vicente Belmonte of Iligan City said they support the passage of the proposed law. However, he said the residents of Lanao del Norte and Pagadian City want at least 50 percent of its provisions amended.

The last public hearings in the second and third weeks of December will be held in Cebu City and Iloilo City for stakeholders in the Visayas, and in Baguio City and Laoag City for those in Luzon.

Primer on BBL launched

The Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) launched a primer on the proposed BBL on Friday.

As part of the European Union’s support for the peace process in Mindanao, EU funds have enabled the production of the primer.

The primer will be published in English and six local languages in more than 50,000 copies.

EU Ambassador Guy Ledoux said the primer is a tool that can be used to organize conversation, debate and dialogue with all the stakeholders.

“It will prove to be an excellent tool in the preparations for the future plebiscite. It will help to describe, explain and clarify the various aspects of the law and how this will affect the everyday life of the Bangsamoro people,” Ledoux said.

Gov. Mujiv Hataman of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao will give a “vote of confidence” to the draft BBL during his state of the region address tomorrow.

Meanwhile, one of the police officers escorting BBL delegates from Iligan City to Cagayan de Oro City died when their vehicle crashed in Gitagum, Misamis Oriental Friday night. – With Pia Lee-Brago, Lino dela Cruz, Gerry Lee Gorit, John Unson