(CNN Philippines) — Members of the House of Representatives finished discussing on Tuesday (May 19) all the major amendments in the 109-page working draft of the Bangsamoro Basic Law, which would create a political entity to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
On Wednesday afternoon, members of the House Ad Hoc Committee on the Bangsamoro Basic Law are expected to vote on the entirety of the bill — regardless of whatever amendments they add or remove.
Once approved, the bill will go to the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on Ways and Means and then finally to the plenary of the 291-member chamber for deliberations and final voting.
Tentatively, the draft BBL is scheduled to be transmitted to the plenary next week.
But due to delays, Majority Floor Leader Neptali Gonzales II admitted that passing the draft in the plenary by June 11 would be impossible.
Instead, he said, the lawmakers could make use of the window time from August to September to pass the bill, before the start of 2016 budget deliberations.
Meanwhile, here’s a recap of some of the amendments that the lawmakers agreed to include during the 14-hour discussion on Tuesday.
Protecting the rights and interests of the indigenous peoples are now shared with the national government, rather than putting it under the exclusive powers of the Bangsamoro government.
The Bangsamoro government will have exclusive powers over its settlements, a provision previously removed but now restored on the insistence of Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate, a member of the minority bloc.
Another amendment from the minority bloc that made it to the final committee draft is the proposal for the Bangsamoro parliament to have two deputy ministers.
Zamboanga City Rep. Celso Lobregat, a majority bloc member and BBL critic, also got some some minor amendments inserted — among them a provision allowing non-Moro citizens to be elected in the Bangsamoro government.
Rep. Sitti Turabin Hataman of the Anak Mindanao partylist was able to push for provisions on gender equality, such as as allowing women to hold important positions in the Bangsamoro government and in the Sharia court.
