Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Monday said he would request President Rodrigo Duterte to certify as urgent the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law so Congress can approve the measure before it goes into its sine die adjournment on June 1.
“I would [ask the President to certify it as urgent],” Alvarez said in a news conference after emerging from a three-hour all-member caucus of the House of Representatives on the BBL to discuss concerns on several provisions of the proposed law.
Alvarez said he would relay his request to the President to certify the measure as urgent at the soonest possible time.
Duterte earlier urged Congress to pass the BBL by May 30, saying the government is “racing against time” to enact the measure that could help keep peace in Mindanao amid threats of the spread of radical Islamic movement.
“Definitely, the House can meet the May 30 deadline. We would pass that before our sine die break,” Alvarez said.
Alvarez said what was tackled during the caucus were proposals to resolve “objections” raised by several members of the House on the current draft of the proposed BBL that was approved on May 16 by the committees on Local Government; Muslim Affairs; and Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity.
The lawmakers, however, decided to defer taking action on the proposed amendments pending a dialog with the Bangsamoro Transition Commission.
“Today [Tuesday] we will sit down with the BTC to look at the concerns raised and how we can address these issues. It’s important to involve them [BTC] so we could lessen disagreements when it reaches plenary debates,” Alvarez said.
Apart from Alvarez, other House officials who would meet with the BTC include Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas and the chairpersons of the three concerned committees: Rep. Pedro Acharon of Local Government, Rep. Mauyag Papandayan, Jr. of Muslim Affairs, and Rep. Ruby Sahali of Peace, Reconciliation and Unity.
Fariñas, for his part, said the House would hold another caucus after the meeting with the BTC.
“If we want it passed by May 30, the Speaker would request the President to certify the bill as urgent so we can approve it on second and third reading (on the same day) and then we could transmit it to the Senate. Then we can hold a bicam and if an agreement is reached, the President can sign it,” Farinas said.
