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Sotto: Charter change not in Senate’s agenda

By Camille A. Aguinaldo and
Arjay L. Balinbin, Reporters
CHARTER CHANGE is no longer in the Senate’s legislative agenda after none of the senators included this priority of Malacañang in their priority bills.
But Malacañang also on Wednesday said it expects lawmakers to act on President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s priority legislation, including federalism, as he identified in his State of the Nation Address last Monday.
Asked by reporters before Wednesday’s Senate session, Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III said none of the senators submitted Charter change as among their priority measures to be tackled in the 3rd regular session.
The Senate leader said: “Well, we have asked the members of the Senate to submit a maximum of three priority bills so that we may be able to consolidate them and sit down with the House and the Executive department to keep it together. None of the submissions contained the Cha-cha (charter change).”
“You take it from that,” he said when asked if charter change is no longer in the Senate’s agenda.
In contrast, newly installed Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo told reporters on Wednesday that charter change will be a priority of the House of Representatives.
“It’s a priority, of course. But right now, we’re also done with the House resolution to call a constituent assembly so it requires two Houses, so the ball is in the Senate,” Ms. Arroyo said.
Mr. Sotto also said the Senate has agreed to allow its committee on constitutional amendments and revision of codes, chaired by Senator Francis N. Pangilinan, to complete its committee report on charter change. Only when the report is submitted to the Senate will the chamber take up this matter, the Senate leader said.
Asked about charter change being tackled this year as earlier targeted by the Consultative Committee (ConCom) to review the 1987 Constitution, Mr. Sotto said, “Let me say that perhaps the chances are very slim.”
The Senate panel has been conducting public hearings since early this year to determine if there is a need to amend the 1987 Constitution and to discuss the best mode of charter change. The ConCom has also submitted its draft federal constitution to both chambers of Congress early July.
For his part, Presidential Spokesperson Harry L. Roque, Jr. said in a radio interview on Wednesday regarding Malacañang’s legislative priorities: “Well, dalawa po iyan: pederalismo, tapos BOL. Pero iyong BOL yata ay nai-ratify na, so ang Malacañang po ay mag-i-schedule na ng signing. Pero napakataas ng expectation ng Presidente, BOL at iyong iba pang mga administration bill(s) kagaya ng Universal Health Care, ng rice tariffication, ng pagbubuo ng Department of Disaster Relief Resiliency….”
(Well, there are two: federalism, then BOL [Bangsamoro Organic Law]. But the BOL has been ratified, perhaps. Hence, Malacañang will have to schedule its signing. The President has a very high expectation that the BOL and the other priority bills of the administration such as universal health care, rice tariffication, and the creation of the Department of Disaster Relief Resiliency….)
Mr. Duterte, in his report to the nation, also urged Congress to pass the security of tenure bill, the coconut levy trust fund bill, the proposed national land use act, the proposed Department of Disaster Relief Resiliency, the rice tariffication bill, the universal health-care bill, and all five packages of his tax reform initiative.
Mr. Zubiri said the universal health-care bill and security of tenure bill are set to be sponsored in plenary next week.
A bicameral conference committee will begin deliberations on Aug. 1 to reconcile the provisions on the coconut levy trust fund bill, the senator from Bukidnon also said.

Alvarez concedes to new speaker but allies question her election

OUSTED House speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez in a statement on Wednesday conceded to his newly installed successor Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, whom Mr. Alvarez also met that day at the House of Representatives.
But Mr. Alvarez’s allies continued to challenge Ms. Arroyo’s election last Monday at Wednesday’s plenary session.
Mr. Alvarez said in his statement: “We cannot undo the past, but we can certainly shape our future. The House of Representatives has chosen a new Speaker in the person of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Alang-alang sa bayan (For the sake of the country), let us get back to work and move on.”
Ms. Arroyo said she discussed with Mr. Alvarez the legislative agenda of the President Rodrigo R. Duterte.
She later told reporters: “Looking at the legislative agenda that he (President Rodrigo R. Duterte) talked about in his SONA (State of the Nation Address), number one was the Coconut Farmers Fund, we’re done with that, it’s in the Senate. Number two, the Land Use Act, we’re done with that, it’s in the Senate. Number three is the Disaster Management Department. I’ve looked through where it is, it is still in the technical working group.”
For his part, Rep. Rodolfo C. Fariñas of the 1st District of Ilocos Norte, now deemed the former majority leader by Ms. Arroyo’s allies, questioned Wednesday’s plenary proceedings after a resolution was entered into the House records upholding Ms. Arroyo’s election as Speaker.
The House was in the course of adopting the said resolution, No. 2025, when Mr. Fariñas questioned on the floor that it should have passed the committee on rules, which he heads.
“As of the last session the other day, I am the Majority Leader and chair of Committee on Rules. May I know if this resolution passed the Committee on Rules?” he said. “I am chair and I do not know of this.” But Mr. Fariñas was told there was an “interim” committee head, at which point, despite his objections on the floor, the House voted to adopt the resolution.
Interim Majority Leader Fredenil H. Castro said his appointment by Ms. Arroyo “implicitly” removed Mr. Fariñas from the post.
“When I was designated by the duly elected speaker of the House as interim majority (leader), I had the authority to take over the position of the Majority Leader,” Mr. Castro later told reporters.
For its part, the House Minority said it will remain the minority despite objections by independent groups also seeking that designation.
“We still maintain that we are the duly constituted minority. You know what was declared vacant was the position of the Speakership, all other else, status quo ‘yon,” Deputy Minority Leader Alfredo A. Garbin, Jr. said in a press briefing on Wednesday with members of that minority.
Minority Leader Danilo E. Suarez, who voted for Ms. Arroyo, said on Tuesday he was eyeing the post of Majority Leader, but later withdrew, saying he had a “change of heart.”
Albay Rep. Edcel C. Lagman, however, argued that Mr. Suarez and the rest of the Minority bloc “ousted themselves from the minority” after voting for Ms. Arroyo.
Marikina City Rep. Romero S. Quimbo of the Liberal Party said House Rules dictate that members who voted for the winning candidate shall be part of the Majority.
He also said Mr. Suarez not only voted for Ms. Arroyo, but also campaigned for her. Mr. Suarez was also the first to sign the manifesto that sought support for Ms. Arroyo and was circulated in Monday’s session.
“I did my part. I informed the Minority about this possible scenario of a possible change of leadership, I asked my friends to spread to the… lahat naman sila may mga kaibigan (all of them have friends),” Mr. Suarez said in his defense.
The Makabayan bloc also criticized the new Speaker in its press conference on Wednesday.
“Patunay ito na talagang batikang magnanakaw ng kapangyarihan si Arroyo. Siya na ang ‘Cheater for All Seasons’,” Gabriela Rep. Emmi A. de Jesus of Makabayan said. — Charmaine A. Tadalan

Anti-dynasty bill sponsored in Senate

A BILL against political dynasties was sponsored at the Senate on Wednesday by Senator Francis N. Pangilinan, chairperson of the Senate committee on constitutional amendments and revision of codes.
Before this body, the Committee on Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation (headed by Koko) and the Committee on Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes are submitting Committee Report No. 367 on Senate Bill No. 1765, in substitution of Senate Bills No. 49, 230, 897, 1137, 1258, and 1668,” Mr. Pangilinan said in his sponsorship speech.
He said in his speech that the “Anti-Political Dynasty bill proposes to define and prohibit political dynasties, and provide penalties therefor as again mandated by the Constitution.”
The senator added: “The bill defines political dynasty as the ‘concentration, consolidation, and/or perpetuation of public office and political powers by persons related to one another within the second degree of consanguinity or affinity.’”
Mr. Pangilinan also noted that “the question of whether or not dynasties are good for the country is immaterial because the Constitution mandates that the Congress must define by law political dynasty that it should be, ought to be prohibited.”
“It has been more than 30 years since the people, ratifying the 1987 Constitution in a plebiscite, directed us, lawmakers, to define by law political dynasties,” Mr. Pangilinan said.
He cited a study by the Ateneo School of Government, conducted “over a short nine-year period from 2007 to 2016,” that showed an increase of 58% to almost 70% among mayors from political dynasties; 70% to 81% among governors; 75% to almost 78% among members of the House of Representatives.”
Mr. Pangilinan cited further a study by the University of the Philippines showing that “19 of…23 sitting Senators (in 2013) came from families with political ties.”
“Furthermore, we here at the Senate, all products of Philippine political realities, have ourselves encountered and engaged with political dynasties, whether occupying government positions successively or simultaneously,” Mr. Pangilinan said.
Even the party-list system, the senator said, citing the UP study, “(which is) designed to democratize representation in Congress, has been hijacked, with one of every four sectoral representatives, or 14 of 56, now also from dynastic backgrounds.”
Mr. Pangilinan said further: “We’ve seen the ill effects of political dynasties, not just during the Marcos dictatorship, but in its resurgence post-EDSA. The Maguindanao Massacre comes to mind. The political system that promotes political dynasties, in a way, promotes bullying, allowing powerful blood relations to get away with one petty crime after another, and gaining more swagger every time they get away with it, until the crime becomes murder, plunder, and the like.”
“Dynastic clans control not just government positions but also resources. The evidence presented by the academicians in our hearing — evidence also presented and peer-reviewed by experts at the Oxford Development Studies — have shown, among others, that political dynasties are pervasive in the 10 poorest provinces in the country, and that the more severe the poverty, the higher the prevalence of political dynasties.”
In March, the Consultative Committee reviewing the 1987 Constitution voted to regulate rather than impose a total ban on political dynasties, extending this regulation up to the second degree of consanguinity and affinity.
But for its part, the bicameral conference committee which came up with the draft Bangsamoro Organic Law removed the ban on political dynasties, noting that no ban is in effect outside the Bangsamoro region.

Labor chief fires back at detractors

LABOR Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III on Wednesday said he will pursue legal charges in connection with recent controversies thrown at him.
“I am left with no recourse but to do what is legal and proper under the circumstances. All of you detractors, I’ll see you in court,” Mr. Bello said in a press briefing on Wednesday.
Also present in Mr. Bello’s press briefing were Labor Undersecretaries Joel B. Maglunsod, Claro A. Arellano, and Renato L. Ebarle, recently appointed to his post. Labor Undersecretary Jacinto V. Paras, who’s reported to have a rift with the labor chief, was not among them.
On Wednesday, recruitment agency owner Amanda Lalic-Araneta claimed in an interview with reporters that she gave Mr. Bello P100,000 and an iPhone as a gift. She also claimed that he demanded P10-15 million pesos to approve the license for MMML Recruitment Services, Inc. of which she is president.
Ms. Lalic-Araneta has brought her allegations against Mr. Bello to the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC), soon after after Monalie Dizon of the Kilusang Pagbabago National Movement for Change filed graft charges against the labor chief also before the PACC.
Mr. Bello said the license for Ms. Lalic-Araneta’s firm “was cancelled not by me but by the POEA (Philippine Overseas Employment Administration),” adding that he had nothing to do with the cancellation.
He said she sought him “to ask me to reconsider the cancellation of her license and I promised a case, provided if she files a motion for consideration. According to her, she filed a motion for consideration pero di ko pa nakikita ang motion for consideration na yun (but I haven’t seen that motion for consideration yet).”
Mr. Bello said that “(b)efore her motion could come to me,” he received “a report from NICA (National Intelligence Coordinating Agency)” that her agency was “involved in recruiting underaged women.”
“I asked NICA to submit additional facts to support their allegation,” Mr. Bello said, adding that the intelligence agency gave him another report which he forwarded to the POEA.
“Hindi totoo na iniipit ko lisensya niya (It’s not true that I’m keeping her license on hold),” Mr. Bello said.
Mr. Bello declined for now who he will charge in court. “As soon as I confer with my lawyer and (collect) the evidence,” he said.
“Go to court and sue me if you have any evidence against me,” he added. “You are clearly engaged (in) trial by publicity.”
Regarding his Ombudsman application, Mr. Bello said his case with the Department of Justice, which was cited in his disqualification by the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC), has been pending for seven years.
“There was a case filed against me as early as 2012. Seven years ago, I was charged (with) syndicated estafa as a chairman of the board of an alleged corporation,” the labor chief said.
“I filed my counter-affidavit,” he said, on which he wrote, “Wala akong alam na korporasyon na ako ay(I don’t know any corporation that I am a) member (of) board of directors, at lalong lalo na wala akong alam na korporasyon na ako ay (and most especially I don’t know a corporation of which I am) chairman of the board. To support my allegation, I presented the articles of incorporation of the said corporation at wala po akong pangalan sa (my name is not on the) board.”
“If they had that case against me, why did they not (ask) me about the case?” Mr. Bello said of his interview with the JBC.
“In fairness to the JBC, hindi ko kinikwestyon ang pagpili nila ng nominees (I do not question their choices for nominees). That is their privilege,” he added.
“But the process, I think, was very unfair. They denied me due process,” Mr. Bello also said. — G. M. Cortez

Palace: Duterte to visit Israel and Kuwait

By Arjay L. Balinbin, Reporter
Malacañang on Wednesday, July 25, announced that President Rodrigo R. Duterte is set to visit Israel in September this year.
In a text message to Palace reporters, Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Christopher “Bong” T. Go said, “There will still be a joint official announcement on the dates in September.”
In another text message, Mr. Go said that in October, the President may also visit Kuwait.
“October pa Kuwait depende sa availability ng Emir,” he said.
(The President’s visit to Kuwait will be in October, depending on the availability of the Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.)
The Times of Israel reported last Tuesday that “an Israeli official” has confirmed “the Philippines’ controversial president, Rodrigo Duterte, is due in Israel in early September.”
The Israeli news site also quoted the Yedioth Ahronoth, a national daily newspaper, as saying that Mr. Duterte “will sign agreements about Philippine nationals who provide long-term care in the Jewish state and combating drug trafficking.”
“He and his Israeli interlocutors are expected to discuss establishing a direct flight route between Israel and the Philippines, agricultural cooperation and security deals,” The Times of Israel also said.
Last month, Mr. Duterte hinted that he might visit Kuwait because all of his demands have been granted. “I think I’ll go there. I’d like to thank the Kuwaiti government for understanding us, keeping their faith in us, and practically giving all of my demands,” he said in his speech during his meeting with the Filipino community in South Korea on June 3.
He also said the Filipino workers in Kuwait will now be allowed to enjoy a day off, keep their passports, and cook their own food, among others.

Nationwide Round-Up

DepEd chief worried as higher pay in gov’t schools pulling in teachers from private institutions

PHILSTAR

DEPARTMENT OF Education (DepEd) Secretary Leonor M. Briones on Wednesday said several private elementary and secondary schools in the Philippines are closing down because of the migration of teachers and students to government schools.
“The [reason is that] teachers’ salary from the private schools are not competitive anymore with the salaries of public school teachers. This is not something the public is not totally aware of. You remove the five leading private schools who can happily survive with or without government assistance, but think of private schools in your provinces, Catholic and Protestant schools and they cannot compete with the salaries of the public school teachers,” Ms. Briones said in an economic press briefing at the Palace.
The average salary for the public school teachers, according to the DepEd chief, is “P21,000 plus two months vacation leave, two weeks Christmas vacation, and all other benefits.”
In contrast, “Small private schools, I have gone to private schools, the starting salary is from P6,000, P8,000, to P9,000,” she cited.
“The private sector cannot catch up with that (government rates). So, usually, after young graduates pass the board examinations for teachers, they move on and apply to the public sector. This is what I call a ‘migration’, and this is a serious policy concern,” she added.
Asked what can be done to save the private schools, she said: “What can be done is what is being done right now. There are schools, if they make a presentation, if it is a reasonable presentation, they are allowed to increase their tuition fees. The CHEd (Commission on Higher Education) does that also, but the law says that any increase in tuition, 70% has to go to the increase in the salary of teachers. But there have to be other ways by which private school teachers can be persuaded to stay at a small private school.”
As for the scarcity of teachers, Ms. Briones said: “It’s not so much scarcity, the reason is we are reducing the sizes of classes. You used to report in your childhood and youth about classrooms with 70-80 pupils. We are reducing it to a minimum of 45. To be able to do that, we need more teachers. We introduced also the senior high school program. In the senior high school program, we need different kinds of teachers. Before, we relied on academically-trained teachers; this time we need teachers with different skills. You also have a lot of catching up to do. So, I will not describe it fully as a shortage but as a reordering.”
On the proposal of the private school administrators to create a bureau for private schools that would look into their concerns, Ms. . Briones said she is unsure for now.
“Right now, we have to study that…,very carefully, because we will have to ask more taxes from you to create an additional bureau. When a law is passed, you can be sure there is always a financial implication. When a policymaker opens his or her mouth and says we are giving this to the public, there is a financial implication; and at the end of the day, it goes back to us, to our taxes.” — Arjay L. Balinbin

120,000 deaths annually attributed to air pollution

HEALTH AND environment advocates have warned that air pollution contributes to 120,000 deaths in the country every year.
“In the Philippines, about 120,000 die annually because of air pollution, putting the country as second in the Asia-Pacific Region in terms of mortality rate,” air pollution watchdog Heath Care for Clean Air said in a statement of commitment signed during Wednesday’s launch of an alliance for cleaner air.
The alliance is led by the organization Health Care without Harm Asia (HCWH).
“Air pollution is not just a problem — it is a health menace too,” HCWH Executive Director Ramon San Pascual said.
“We know that at some point, we have to put up a health air alliance that would (push for the) need to improve the air pollution standard,” Mr. San Pascual said.
“It’s about time,” he added.
HCWH cited a World Health Organization (WHO) report released in May indicating that “7 million premature deaths due to air pollution, a third, or 2.2 million, were from the Western Pacific Region, which includes the Philippines.”
Heart disease and stroke contributed to most of these deaths, along with other ailments such as chronic pulmonary disease, lung cancer, pneumonia.
HCWH also reported that the “Philippines ranked third in the number of deaths at 45.3 per 100,000 due to outdoor air pollution. China recorded 81.5 and Mongolia 48.8 respectively.”
The WHO report said “inefficient energy use in households, industries, the agriculture and transport sectors, as well as coal-fired power plants” are the main causes of “outdoor air pollution.”
Dr. Rogelio V. Dazo, outgoing CAMANAVA governor of the Philippine Medical Association, said, “We cannot afford to lose our countrymen to preventable health problems.”
He added, “It is time for us to start demanding for better air quality standards in order to protect our dear kababayans, and the health sector should take active part in supporting the government to do that.”
President Rodrigo R. Duterte, in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) last Monday, said that “Protection of the environment must be top priority.”
Mr. San Pascual stressed that even with the Clean Air Act of 1999 and the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, “What is forgotten is action to carry out laws.” — Gillian M. Cortez

Coal spill

WORKERS mobilized by Holcim Philippines, Inc. clean up the shores of Quirino, Bacnotan in La Union on July 20 after coal spilled from the company’s cement factory. Holcim, in a statement, said: “The heavy rain experienced in the evening of July 13, 2018, caused water coming from the mountain to create a gap in the benched wall pushing coal from the stockpile and thereby diverting from the siltation pond and into the shoreline.” The company said most of the clean-up, with help from community volunteers, has been completed as of July 25. Environmental group Greenpeace, meanwhile, said nearby residents are not aware of the use of coal in the cement facility.

Rehabilitation center

JAPANESE and local officials led by Japan’s Ambassador Koji Haneda and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Chief Representative Yoshido Wada break ground on July 19 for a Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Center that will be built in Trece Martires City. The facility, targeted to be operational by 2020, is one of the Grant Aid for Budget Support worth 1.85 billion yen (about P863 million) concluded between JICA and the Philippine government under the Programme for Consolidated Rehabilitation of Illegal Drug Users (CARE) Project.

Cebu needs more MICE facilities — Colliers survey

ASIDE FROM building more hotel rooms in Cebu to accommodate the anticipated surge in tourist arrivals, Cebu is being encouraged to increase the capacity for MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions). A market survey conducted by Canadian consultancy firm, Colliers International Philippines showed that Cebu’s appeal as both leisure and business destinations attracts more MICE organizers abroad, specifically from the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) region. “We see the regional event further boosting Cebu’s overall hotel occupancy in 2019 and raising Cebu’s stature as a MICE destination in the region,” Collier’s forecasted. Hotels near the expanded Mactan Cebu International Airport (MCIA) are preferred venues for major events and should maximize this advantage over hotels located at the Cebu Business and IT Park by expanding and building new MICE facilities. — The Freeman
>> See full story on https://goo.gl/sRNyT4

Marawi locals form ‘conflict watch’ group for reconstruction program

RESIDENTS AND other stakeholders formally launched on Wednesday, July 25, the Marawi Reconstruction Conflict Watch (MRCW), an independent and neutral group that aims to engage all agencies involved in the rebuilding of war-torn Marawi City.
The MRCW members include families affected by the conflict, internally-displaced businesses, religious leaders, community leaders including women and the youth, academia, and non-government organization (NGO) representatives.
Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM), the government arm leading the rehabilitation process, had previously announced that it will begin reconstruction of the city’s most affected area in late August.
In a statement released yesterday in time for the group’s launch, Sultan Nasser D. Sampaco, member of the MRCW and chairman of the Marawi Sultanate League, said they intend to harness the people’s “deep understanding of the local context and the web of formal and informal institutions that govern the city” to ensure that the rebuilding process is “people-centered, informed by best practices, and conflict-sensitive.”
Mr. Sampaco said “meaningful local participation will not only foster trust and help prevent violent conflict, it will also nuance and sharpen government responses to ensure positive outcomes.”
Nikki de la Rosa, country manager of peace-building organization International Alert Philippines, said the MRCW was born out of a series of dialogues that International Alert conducted with clan members, together with the World Bank and the TFBM in April and July.
“The clan consultations provided an opportunity for people to voice out their aspirations and anxieties about the reconstruction process and for their opinions to be heard, understood, and accepted. The people had clamored for this momentum of engagement to be sustained in a feedback loop among stakeholders,” Ms. De la Rosa said.
Among the issues raised are the possibility of revenge killings due to the loss of lives, properties, livelihoods and businesses; land-related conflict that may re-ignite during the period of reoccupation of the main-affected area; push back against government if the amount, allocation and release of reparation and compensation package and the provision of public works and basic services are deemed unjust; and violent extremist tapping into local grievances to expand recruitment.
Dr. Fedelinda Booc Tawagon, another MRCW member and president of Dansalan College, said the MRCW will regularly meet with concerned agencies to assess the economic, political, social, and cultural effects of the reconstruction process from awarding of the Joint Venture Agreement with the developer, the construction proper, return of the residents of the most affected area, and post-reconstruction.
Dansalan College, the only Christian school that operated in the Islamic City of Marawi, was burned by the Maute group and completely destroyed by government airstrikes during the five-month siege in 2017.
“It is an emotional time for all of us, seeing that our homes, businesses, schools, and communities, the result of sleepless nights, of passion and commitment, of industry and frugality, and of a lot of sweat, blood and tears, were reduced to rubble. But we are pledging our collective knowledge, expertise, deep experience, and fortitude in the cause of conflict-proofing the economic, social, cultural, and political transition during the Marawi reconstruction process, and rebuilding relationships of peoples,” Ms. Tawagon said.
International Alert Philippines’ Peace and Conflict Adviser for Asia Francisco Lara, Jr. said their role is to provide timely data and analysis to the MRCW to ensure evidence-based approaches and strategies.
The NGO will also link the MRCW with an experts action group composed of auditors, engineers, development and conflict specialists, among others, who will give input on issues and help the people decide on their recommendations.

Basilan governor to Isabela City: Think about joining Bangsamoro region now

THE GOVERNOR of the island province of Basilan said it is time for Isabela City to start thinking about becoming part of what will be a new Bangsamoro territory, which is seen to provide more opportunities for development. Gov. Hadjiman S. Hataman-Saliman said it “is high-time for the people of Isabela to realize and to think about it.” He added, “The truth is, if we look at Basilan in terms of development, those who are developing are those areas under the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)… In term of horizontal infrastructures and intervention of development Isabela is left behind.” Basilan, a province under the ARMM, is composed of 11 municipalities and two cities. Isabela City, located on the northwestern part of the island, did not vote to become a part of the ARMM and remains under the political juridiction of the Zamboanga Peninsula region. The Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) has been ratified by both chambers of Congress and is now awaiting the President’s signature. Under the BOL, a plebiscite will be held for areas outside the ARMM that might become part of the new Bangsamoro area. — Albert F. Arcilla

Nation at a Glance — (07/26/18)

News stories from across the nation. Visit www.bworldonline.com (section: The Nation) to read more national and regional news from the Philippines.

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