THE House of Representatives yesterday ratified the bicameral conference committee report on the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), a day after ex-president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo replaced Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.
It was the first item completed in the agenda of Speaker Arroyo.
Arroyo said before the session started: “As I intend to carry out the legislative agenda of President Rodrigo Duterte, we will ratify the Bangsamoro Organic Law today.”
Duterte was supposed to sign the BOL before his third state-of-the-nation address on Monday but it was only the Senate that was able to approve the bicameral committee report on the BOL.
The had lower chamber failed to ratify the landmark measure during the opening of the third regular session as a result of the leadership shakeup.
The measure seeks to create a new Bangsamoro political entity that would replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm).
The bicameral panel approved the reconciled version of the BOL in July 18 after six days of marathon hearings.
It provides for the 75/25 wealth-sharing term in favor of the Bangsamoro territory. This increases the share of the Bangsamoro in government tax revenues by five percent compared with the current 70 percent being received by the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm) from national internal revenue taxes, fees, and charges, as well as taxes imposed on natural resources.
The automatic allocation of the annual block grant for the Bangsamoro region was adopted by the committee. This is equivalent to five percent of the net national internal revenue of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC).
The national government would set aside P5 billion for the Bangsamoro annually for a period of 10 years. This is equivalent to P50 billion during the entire implementation. The amount would be used for the rehabilitation of conflict-affected areas within the region.
The bicameral committee adopted the provision covering the Bangsamoro justice system, which includes the creation of the Shari’ah High Court.
The measure provides for the addition of Shari’ah high, district, and circuit courts to regular courts within the territorial jurisdiction of the Bangsamoro.
The committee also agreed to have the Bangsamoro government and national government jointly explore, develop, and utilize fossil fuels and uranium in the new region.
The coverage of the region includes current Armm provinces, such as Tawi-Tawi, Sulu, Basilan, Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur.
It also provides that six municipalities of Lanao del Norte and the 39 barangays of North Cotabato could vote to join the territory in a referendum to be conducted in the mother territory of the areas involved. (pna)
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