Alejano calls for careful deliberation on BBL proposal

Magdalo party-list Representative Gary Alejano on Wednesday urged the House of Representatives to carefully deliberate on the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) proposal, as he claimed that its approval was being rushed.

Alejano made the call a day after the joint panels of Local Government, Muslim Affairs and Peace, Reconciliation and Unity approved the committee report for House Bill 6475, the version backed by President Rodrigo Duterte.

In a statement, Alejano said the joint panels allotted several hearings and consultations for the bill, only to be approved without revisions.

“There have been 22 committee hearings and five out-of-town public hearings. It is unfortunate that after a number of hearings we just ended up adopting House Bill 6475 without actually considering the provisions of the other measures and proposals of invited resource persons. Ideas, efforts, and resources were wasted,” he said.

“There was assurance that the amendments to House Bill 6475 will be entertained during the plenary deliberations, but knowing the practice of the House leadership, BBL will be another railroaded measure,” he added.

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez introduced House Bill 6475 to the House of Representatives, based on the proposal of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission to Duterte.

The bill seeks to establish a political entity, provide for a basic structure of government to recognize the justness and legitimacy of the cause of the Bangsamoro people and their desire to chart their own political future through a democratic process securing their identity and allowing self-governance.

Alejano, however, noted how the House leadership is seemingly rushing the passage of the proposal.

"There are still provisions that need to be reconciled and should pass scrutiny on their constitutionality. On my part, the primary concern is on the security provisions pertaining to the AFP and PNP in the Bangsamoro which I hope to be addressed through thorough discussion," he said.

"However, if as early as the committee-level deliberations there are already attempts to rush the passage of BBL, the opportunity for critical discussion is already taken away,” he added.

Being a former marine officer who was stationed in Mindanao, Alejano underscored the need to enact the BBL to achieve long-lasting peace in the region.

"I want BBL to succeed. Having witnessed the situation in Mindanao directly from the battlefields, I hope for a long-lasting peace," he said.

"Hence, I ask that we carefully develop a BBL that would result to such without, of course, unreasonably delaying the process. We do not want to compromise the quality of this measure for the sake of beating the deadline,” he added.

Three other bills for the same purpose have also been filed: House Bills 92, 6121 and 6263 authored by Maguindanao Representative Bai Sandra Sema, Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Lanao Del Norte Representative Mohamad Khalid Dimaporo, respectively. — BAP, GMA News