MANILA – A senior Palace official declared that the pending autonomy bills in both chambers of Congress are consistent with the context of the draft federal charter submitted by the 22-member Consultative Commission (ConCom) created by President Rodrigo Duterte to review the possible amendments that must be introduced to the 1987 Constitution.
Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO) Secretary Adelino Sitoy, however, claimed that the pending autonomy bills presuppose a presidential form of government when the draft federal charter provides for a hybrid federal-presidential form of government.
“The major provisions dealing with the Cordillera region in the draft Constitution are found in the pending autonomy bills, however, there is no exact parallel provision in the proposed autonomy law that the Cordillera shall be entitled to 75 percent share of all net revenues in the exploration, development and utilization of natural resources in the region,” Sitoy stressed.
The Palace official emphasized that all the pending autonomy bills in both Houses satisfy the purposes of which an Organic Act for the Cordillera are to be made as proposed by the draft charter, thus, there is consistency between the clamor of the Cordillerans to achieve autonomy and the desire of the present administration to shift to federal form of government.
According to him, the PLLO will work out the desired certification of the pending autonomy bills as an urgent administration measure and a common legislative agenda once the bill have been calendared by either of the Houses on second reading to fast-track the passage of the measures into law and for the subsequent signing of the President, similar to what has been done with the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL).
The pending autonomy bills in both chambers of Congress include House Bill (HB) 5343 authored by all Cordillera congressmen, namely Abra Rep. Joseph Sto. Nino Bernos, Baguio City Rep. Mark Go, Benguet Rep. Ronald M. Cosalan, Ifugao Rep. Teodoro Baguilat, Jr., Apayao Rep. Eleanor Bulut-Begtang and Kalinga Rep. and Mountain Province caretaker congressman Allen Jesse C. Mangaoang, which is now being tacked in the House Committee on local government; Senate Bill (SB) 1678 authored by Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri; SB 1923 authored by Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito; SB 1930 authored by Senator Paulo Benigno Bam Aquino IV and another upcoming similar measure to be authored by Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, which are all pending before the Senate committee on local government chaired by Senator Juan Edgardo Angara, who also made a commitment to support the passage of the pending measures in his committee.
Autonomy advocates recently heightened their lobbying efforts thereby making representations with various lawmakers and national officials during previous gatherings held in various venues in Metro Manila early this month. They were successful in eliciting the all-out support of Mindanao lawmakers and a good number of senators for the immediate passage of the pending autonomy bills which will supposedly follow the track that had been undergone by the BOL.
Supporting the region’s clamor for autonomy include the PLLO, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process through Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza and the Cotabato-based Institute of Autonomy and Governance (IAG).
By Dexter A. See
