Catamco boycotts BBL voting

QUEZON CITY -A Mindanao solon was a ‘no show’ during Wednesday’s voting on the amended draft of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) at the ad hoc committee level of the House of Representatives. Cotabato 2nddistrict Representative Nancy Catamco decided to stay away from the voting saying she has lots of reservations on the bill. I am not yet ready to accept the bill.I just restrained myself in going there.Many of my proposals were lost during the deliberations,” she said. Catamco, chair of the Committee on the Indigenous Peoples at the House of Representative, has submitted a 10-page proposals or amendments to the bill, mostly on the protection and promotion of the identity, rights, and interests of the indigenous peoples in the Bangsamoro entity. Of the many revisions she proposed, only two were carried at the committee level. The bill, described by some members of the House of Representatives, as ‘chairman and vice-chairman’s draft’, was approved at the ad hoc level on the last day of the 3-day scheduled deliberations.At least 50 voted ‘yes’ 17 ‘No’, and one abstained.Many of those that voted for the passage of the amended BBL were members of the Liberal Party. Beyond party affiliation Catamco is a member of the majority block at the House. But her decision not to support the BBL, at this time, was beyond party affiliation.” She admitted she was invited by a top official of the Liberal Party to a meeting with President Aquino at the Malacanang on Sunday but she decided not to go. I don’t want my position on IP issues be compromised,” she stressed. Catamco explained that it’s her personality of being independent and someone who would not take any ‘order’ which she thinks was not right” influenced her much on what position she would take on the BBL. I won’t be influenced by things or persons that are not in compatible with my advocacy, vision, and mission.This is very important, that is, to know your purpose in life.If there’s somebody who would dictate on me, I will have to stand up for what’s right,” she said. No to Bangsamoro ‘expansion’ Cotabato 3rddistrict Representative Jose Tejada voted ‘no’ on the passage of the draft BBL when the provision on Bangsamoro expansion was approved at the ad hoc level. On Monday, majority bloc in the House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted 35-17 to retain a provision in the draft that allows expansion of the Bangsamoro region after the enactment of the BBL. The BBL is a codification of the Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro, which was signed by the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front on March 2014, after 17 years of their arduous peace negotiations. The provision states that cities or municipalities contiguous to the Bangsamoro region can join the area upon petition of 10 percent of registered voters and approval of such petition by a majority in a plebiscite, but only within five to 10 years after the BBL is enacted into law. Tejada said he is vehemently opposed to such provision saying the Bangsamoro territory should be developed first before it can expand. We all know that many of the areas in the Muslim autonomous region are not yet developed.The central government should concentrate on developing it first before it can expand to other areas,” Tejada explained. Tejada said he is happy with his decision. I have sought divine guidance before I made such an important decision last Wednesday,” he said.