By Charmaine A. Tadalan
JOINT panels at the House of Representatives have approved a report adopting House Bill (HB) 6475 on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law.
The Committee on Local Government, voting 32-3, Committee on Muslim Affairs, voting 27-3, and Special Committee on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity, voting 27-3, gave the go-ahead on Rep. Jose Christopher Y. Belmonte’s motion to approve HB 6475 without amendments.
Pampanga Rep. Juan Pablo Bondoc clarified the voting aims only to speed up the process.
“Amendments definitely will be allowed at the proper time,” Mr. Bondoc said, adding this will be during the “caucuses and then again at the plenary.”
Majority Leader Rodolfo C. Fariñas, for his part, told reporters, “Without a committee report, everything is not final yet.”
He added that the House targets approval of the bill by May 30.
The joint panels moved to adopt HB 6475 on April 16. Principally filed by Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez, the bill is the same version submitted by the Bangsamoro Transition Commission to Congress. It will be consolidated with HBs 92, 6121, and 6263, authored by Representatives Bai Sandra A. Sema, Gloria M. Arroyo, and Mohammad Khalid Q. Dimaporo, respectively.
