Manila Times/Makati

The failure of congress to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) does not diminish the gains of the house of representatives under the Aquino administration, House leaders said yesterday.
Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr and representative Rodel Batocabe of Ako Bicol party-list noted that the non-passage of the BBL should not be used as a gauge of the chamber’s success because it was able to pass “ground¬breaking bills”.
These include bills that increased the prices of cigarettes and liquor, grants Philhealth coverage for all senior citizens, excludes 13th month pay worth P82,000 and below from taxes, as well as the reproductive health bill and the fair competition law that outlaws monopoly.
“We have already accomplished a lot of things despite time spent on the proposed Bangsamoro law,” Belmonte said.
“The lower house under speaker Belmontehas passed several vital measures which were languishing for several congresses and could not even pass second reading. This alone is an achievement which we can be proud of, the proposed Bangsamoro Basic law notwithstanding,” Batocabe, who heads the party-list coalition in Congress, said
But for representative Silvestre Bello 3rd of 1-BAP party-list, congress will have nothing to show off without the passage of the freedom of information and the anti-political dynasty bills.
“Without these two, congress has failed. And this is also indicative of the president’s performance,” he said.
Representative Terry Ridon of Kabataan party-list meanwhile believes that the situation of the youth worsened under Aquino’s term.
Ridon said under Aquino, tuition rates increased by an average of 108%, from P257 per unit to P574. The rate of increase is even higher at the National Capital Region at 143%.
“The onslaught of commercialisation and education deregulation under the Aquino administration has driven not one, but many students to desperation and even death. This is Aquino’s real legacy to the Filipino youth,” Ridon said.
Politicians should not make the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) their platform to gain political advantage, Imam Council of the Philippines (ICP) president Imam Ebra Moxsir al-Haj said yesterday.
“The Bangsamoro peace process, at its heart, is about social justice for a segment of our population who, for decades, were made to endure gross injustices and discrimination. Using it to further a personal, political agenda will be a form of another injustice,” Moxsir explained.
On July 21, senator Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr released a statement noting the growing concern of lawmakers fearful of losing voter support if they back the Bangsamoro Basic Law. Earlier, Senators Grace Poe and Francis Escudero also declared that they are against BBL while at the house of representatives, two legislators led the filing of treason and sedition charges against members of the government peace panel and members of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission in a move described by former senator Saguisag as “prosecutorial terrorism”.
“President Benigno Aquino 3rd is to deliver his SONA (state of the nation address) next week. We are already beginning to hear in the news political rumblings and rumored pairings for 2016. It is very evident that our country is about to be gripped soon by political fever,” Moxsir said.
“They should leave the Bangsamoro out of it. We need to detach the process from the political noise and see the process for what it is —a democratic means being attempted to close the socio-cultural divide among the peoples of the Republic of the Philippines,” the imam, who also serves as spiritual ministry division chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) with the rank of police superintendent, said.
Moxsir was among the non-Catholic religious leaders whom Pope Francis met when he visited the Philippines in January this year.
Sulu 1st district representative Tupay Loong, vice chairman of the house of representatives ad hoc committee on the BBL, said they had always known that the BBL measure that is pending in congress will be dragged into politics.
“As they say, the Philippines has three seasons: summer, rainy, and elections. To be honest, we wanted our work on the BBL to be done before election season arrives because we know for a fact that there are those who’d make the basic law another casualty in their quest for power,” he said.
“But [the BBL] didn’t happen, and we’re nearing October. What I can personally promise is that we’d do everything in our capacity to ensure that the remaining house debates will be sober. And that the fate of the BBL will be determined by its own merits, not by political forces,” Loong said.
Albay governor Joey Salceda agreed with Moxsir.
“Of course, we want the BBL to not be affected by politics. But for those who’d step on the process just to reach their personal, selfish goals, they’d know that the people would ultimately decide their fates,” Salceda said.
“Filipinos support the Bangsa¬moro process, not to mention peace in general. I believe peace will be one of the determining factors of next year’s elections. The people are tired of war and I can see the public voting for candidates who seek to end it permanently,” he added.