The long wait for the signing of Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) which aims to bring peace and development in the Philippines' predominantly Muslim south is finally over.
President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday, July 26, 2018, signed the Bangsamoro Organic Law that will replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and creating instead a Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (BAR) with more powers.
Bangsamoro law is one of the requirements under a 2014 peace agreement between Philippine government and the MILF. It is the result of decades-long peace negotiations between the government and the country's largest Moro rebel group in Mindanao.
"The BBL has been signed, but I’m still going back because I have a ceremony with Jaafar (Moro Islamic Liberation Front vice chairman Ghadzali Jaafar) and Murad (MILF chief Murad Ebrahim). Also, I would like to talk to [MNLF founding chairman] Nur [Misuari] so that we can have it by the end of the year. I can create also an autonomy for him if that’s what he wants, and pending the federal system implementation he can just wait for it if he trusts me," Duterte said in his speech during the celebration of 69th Araw ng Ipil in Zamboanga Sibugay.
The President was supposed to sign the BOL during his 3rd State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July 23, however, the plan did not happen after the debacle at the House of Representatives, where the session was suspended without ratifying the bicam report on BOL and pushing through with the ouster of Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and installation of former president, now Pampanga 2nd District representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Both Senate and the Lower House had originally planned to ratify the Bangsamoro law during their morning sessions so Duterte can sign it into law before delivering his SONA. The Senate already ratified the measure during its morning session.
A day after the standoff between Alvarez and Macapagal-Arroyo for the House speakership, the lawmakers ratified the BOL with no objections before the afternoon session on Tuesday, July 24, was suspended.
The newly installed house speaker vowed to carry out the legislative agenda of Presiden Duterte.
Commenting on the House ratification of BOL, MILF Vice Chairman for Political Affairs Ghazali Jaafar, who also chairs the Bangsamoro Transition Commission, told reporters in Manila that he is very happy.
"I'm sure our people are very much happy, jubilant. This is an historic event of the Moro peopl. I think our people will approve the ratified Bangsamoro Organic Law and eventually to be signed by our beloved President.
So far this will be our selling point to the youth and after the plebiscite we will reach out to our brothers in the field and convince them to join us and support the Bangsamoro government...the coming in of this Bangsamoro government would mean the coming in of a just and dignified peace in our place," said Jaafar.
Meanwhile, in its editorial posted on luwaran.com, the MILF wrote that in consequence, many people almost lost hope, others were already jittery, especially those in the provinces in Mindanao.
"They waited in baited breadth whether or not the House would ever ratify it. Playing in their mind was the ghost of the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) in March 2008 which was abandoned by the government during the presidency of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo," it says.
“We cannot sign it in the present form or in any other form,” the MILF further said referring to the statement of then Solicitor General Agnes Divinadera.
"Be this as it may, what is good is that Congress ratified it under the new House leadership. In one way or the other, setting aside the internal bickering, nay House dynamics, Speaker Arroyo and allies should also deserve our expression of thanks and gratitude. Without any hesitation, they ratified the BOL. This is the main thing.
For now, we feel great relief in our chest; it is indeed an immense fulfillment. No doubt, the road remains bumpy and tortuous."
The MILF pose some questions: "Challenges ahead are still great. Will someone go to the Supreme Court and challenge the constitutionality of the BOL, and similarly during the plebiscite, will the people in the affected provinces, cities, and barangays ratify or reject it?"
These are some of the hard questions. We have no ready answers now. We will cross the bridge, so to speak, once we are there. Our view is to proceed and face every challenge head-on. “There is no rocky hill for an iron will,” runs another cliché.
The Moro rebel groups started their struggle in 1970s and they did not know they will ever reach this point, the editorial statement says. "Our only weapon is that we believed in the correctness of our cause and in pursuit thereof, we believed in the power of struggle or jihad."
"God helps those who help themselves', says the Holy Qur’an. Similarly, when we agreed to engage government in negotiation, dubbed by critics as 'very local negotiations' we did not know whether we reached or achieved what we have now. Faith and perseverance change the world."
For his part, MILF Chairman Al-haj Murad Ebrahim expressed his delight over Congress' action, hoping "that this is key to moving forward, that there are no more hindrances after this (BOL ratification)."
The signed BOL will create a new autonomous region to be called the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (BAR), which will comprise six municipalities in Lanao del Norte, 39 barangays in North Cotabato, the cities of Cotabato (Maguindanao), Isabela (Basilan) and it will also include provinces already part of the ARMM like Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi.
It provides that a plebiscite must be held not earlier than 90 days and no later than 150 days after the effectivity of the law for the people to vote if they are for or against it.
Once fully establish, the BAR will receive 75% percent of the taxes that will be collected, an increase from the 70% percent the ARMM currently receives and will also receive a yearly "block grant" of about P60 billion, which is equivalent to 5% percent of the national internal revenue tax collection of the Bureau of Internal Revenue and Bureau of Customs from the third fiscal year immediately preceding the current fiscal year.
Under the BOL, furthermore, the Bangsamoro Parliament is to be headed by a Chief Minister who will govern the BAR. The Chief Minister must be elected by 80 members or representatives, of which at least 40 are party representatives.
The other half must be divided into district representatives and sectoral representatives. Seats will be reserved for members of the non-Muslim indigenous peoples, such as the Teduray, Lambangian, Dulangan Manobo, B'Laan and Higaonon.
Defense and security of the Bangsamoro is the responsibility of the National Government -- Police: Members of the MNLF and MILF shall be admitted to the Philippine National Police. Age, height and educational attainment qualifications may be waived and can be availed of within 5 years after the ratification of the BOL. Recruit from the MNLF and MILF have to 15 years after their entry to fulfill the educational attainment requirement.
Judges in the Shari'ah courts shall be required to be Regular members of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines. Non- IBP judges in Shari'ah district and appellate courts are granted a period to be qualified.
Other provisions of the BOL include the preservation and management of all inland waters is with the Bangsamoro. However, when the inland waters are utilized for energy in areas outside of the Bangsamoro, there will be cooperation between the Bangdamoro and Department of Energy, as primary agency.
Municipal regional waters: Municipal waters are extend to 15 kms. from the low-water mark while regional waters extend up to 19 kms. from the low-water mark, which is above that of regular municipal waters that extend only up to 15 kms.
The Intergovernmental Mechanism: This consist of various coordinative bodies, as follows: Philippine Congress Bangsamoro Parliament Forum; Fiscal Policy Board; Energy Board; and Sustainable Development Board.
The Interngovernmental Fiscal Policy Board shall provide for the sharing of the National government and the Bangsamoro in the income of GOCCs in Bangsamoro. Revenues from the exploration, development and utilization of natural resources, including mines and minerals shall be granted fully to the Bangsamoro. As fossil fuels and uranium, the revenues shall be shared equally.
Education: Teachers in the Madaris schools are treated as personnel in special technical positions for which the Civil! Service Commission shall set standards for their qualification and appointment. As it strengthens the Mindanao State University system, the Bangsamoro government shall also establish a Tribal University System. Similarly, the Madaris Educational system, Islamic and Arabic Studies will be established, maintained and supervised by the DepEd, CHED, TESDA and the Bangsamoro government.
Social Justice: Measures were provided to ensure every Bangsamoro people and inhabitant access to basic services, and, protection to labor, children, youth, women and settler communities. At least one woman shall be appointed as a Cabinet member.
Rehabilitation and development: The livelihood and other needs of members of the MILF/Bangsamoro Armed Force, the MNKF/Bangsamoro Armed Force, and, their women's auxiliary forces shall be addressed by rehabilutration , reconstruction and development packages as part of the normalization process.
A 10-year Special Development Fund amounting to P50 Billion shall be provided by the National Government, in which P5 Billion shall be released annually, for ten years, starting upon the ratification of the BOL. MGPI News
No comments:
Post a Comment