The House super committee tasked to hold deliberations on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) is set to hold public hearings on the measure from September 24 to December 17 in several Mindanao provinces.

“It’s all systems go,” said Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. on the marathon hearings that would be held by the House ad hoc committee on the BBL chaired by Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez.

The draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), which was submitted by President Benigno Aquino III to Congress last Sept. 10, aims to establish a new Bangsamoro political entity, provide for its basic structure of government and carve out a new Muslim autonomous region.

The proposed BBL  was adopted and  authored as House Bill 4994  by the majority coalition in the House led by Belmonte, Deputy Speakers Roberto Puno of the National Unity Party (NUP), Henedina Abad, Sergio Apostol and Pangalian Balindong of the Liberal Party, Giorgidi Aggabao of the Nationalist People’s Coalition, and Carlos Padilla of the Nacionalista Party; Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II; Representatives Mel Senen Sarmiento, Enrique Cojuangco, Mark Llandro Mendoza, Eleandro Jesus Madrona, Elpidio Barzaga, Jr., Antonio Lagdameo, Jr.,  Rolando Andaya, Jr.,  Nicanor Briones,  and Raymond Democrito Mendoza.



Barzaga and Lagdameo are also members of the NUP.

"The passage of a Bangsamoro Basic Law is our fundamental role as legislators, recognizing and responding to the call of our diverse culture as Filipinos. It is also our contribution to a global quest for genuine and sustainable peace," the Speaker said.


The BBL committee has approved its Rules of Procedure to guide its deliberations during its recent hearing.  The panel also agreed to hold public hearings five days a week in Zamboanga, Zamboanga Sibugay, Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Marawi, among other Mindanao provinces, between Sept. 24 and Dec. 17.
 



The 75 members of the BBL ad hoc committee, also dubbed as a super committee,  represents leaders and members of the majority coalition and five members of the minority group.



“The proposed Bangsamoro entity will enhance existing systems and procedures, as well as establish a new set of institutional arrangements and modalities between the central government and the autonomous government with respect to power-sharing, wealth- and revenue-sharing, transitional aspects, and normalization," Belmonte said.



Once the BBL is approved by Congress, it will be ratified through a plebiscite to be conducted in several identified areas, which include 1) the present geographical area of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM); 2) selected municipalities in Lanao del Norte and all other 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; 3) and all other contiguous areas where there is a resolution of the LGU or a petition of at least 10 percent of the registered voters in the area asking for their inclusion in the Bangsamoro political entity at least two months prior to the conduct of the ratification of the BBL. 

After the ratification of the BBL through a plebiscite, the ARMM will be deemed abolished and a Bangsamoro Transition Authority will serve as the interim government until the election of the first set of Bangsamoro officials in 2016.