Varf: ‘I did not vote for BBL’

By Nora Sorino and Tomasita Asequia
of GSD-Iligan Bureau

ILIGAN City––Rep. Vicente Belmonte Jr. of the city’s lone district over the weekend denied that he voted for the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) in the House ad hoc committee two weeks ago, adding he could never favor it knowing full well that the majority of his constituents were against it.
The congressman said the “Belmonte” who voted in favor of the proposal was his cousin Jose Christopher, a representative of Quezon City.
The list of congressmen who voted “yes” in the committee level corroborates Belmonte’s claim. But the same list also show he neither voted against it nor abstained.
Belmonte said he was absent during the voting, and if he were present, he would not vote in favor because “maulaw kosa mga Iliganon.”
He said 90 percent of the people in Iligan are against the proposed law.
He however said his vote would not have made any difference given that 50 congressmen voted in favor against 17.
Belmonte said he was certain it would pass the committee level, and so he focused on introducing an amendment to a provision on “contiguous territory.”
The amendment, he said, would make sure Iligan would “no longer be in danger” of being included at any time in the Bangsamoro area.