Postponement of Bangsamoro parliamentary election hurdles House 2nd听谤别补诲颈苍驳听
THE PROPOSED three-year postponement of the 2022 election for 80 parliament members in the Bangsamoro region was approved on second reading at the House of Representatives on Thursday, a day after a counterpart bill was similarly passed by the Senate.听听听
With 39听鈥榶es鈥櫶齰otes, 4听鈥榥o鈥, and 0 abstention, three House committees听鈥斕齋uffrage and Electoral Reforms, Muslim Affairs, and Peace, Reconciliation and Unity听鈥斕齤ointly approved moving the parliamentary elections to 2025.听听听
Similar to the Senate version, the House bill also maintains the term of the current members of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) to June 30, 2022 or until the new Philippine president who will be elected in May next year appoints the new set of members.听听听
The current BTA, whose members were appointed by President Rodrigo R. Duterte, serve as parliament members under the transition period of the new region.听听
Maguindanao Representative Datu听Roonie听Q. Sinsuat, Sr. emphasized during the joint committee deliberations the urgency of the bill as the election period nears.听听
鈥淭he main issue is the postponement of elections,鈥澨齢e said, adding that all other听鈥減eripheral issues鈥澨齭uch as the normalization stage of the peace process could be tackled through other venues.听听听
The Senate voted on the bill听18-1-2, with听Senator Panfilo M. Lacson, Sr.听the only one giving a听鈥榥o鈥櫶齰ote, while听Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph G. Recto and Senator Mar铆a Imelda Josefa 鈥淚mee鈥 R. Marcos听abstained.听听
Senator Francis N. Tolentino,听chair of the Senate Committee on Local Government and the principal sponsor of the bill, said in a statement that the approval will ensure the swift implementation of the political and normalization tracks听that were agreed upon during the听peace talks between the national government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.听鈥斕齅arifi听S. Jara and听Alyssa Nicole O. Tan听
