📌HIGHLIGHTS on the BTA Parliament Session on August 27, 2020
☑️The session resumed at around 1:30PM. Some MPs were present physically while others were present via Zoom.
COMMITTEE REPORTS ARE AS FOLLOWS:
☑️The Parliament Status of the Committee Report No. 28 submitted by the Committee on Labor and Employment on August 26, 2020, RE: BTA-Parliament Bill No. 36, entitled: An Act to Institutionalize Policies for Bangsamoro Overseas Employment and Establishing a Standard of Protection and Promotion of the Welfare of the Overseas Bangsamoro Workers and their Families, and for other Purposes, was in the period of interpellation on August 26, 2020.
☑️The period of interpellation was resumed as agreed yesterday (August 26, 2020).
☑️MPs continue to manifest their queries to the proponent of the bill, MP Romeo Sema.
☑️The following were the interpellations that were raised pursuant to the Committee Report No. 28, to wit:
🔸Q: What kind of Salary Grade (SG) do we plan to give the Help Desk Officer and what kind of support will be given?
🔸A: It is the provision that it is a Coterminous Position and since Help Desk siya hindi siya bababa sa director level. We will define in the implementing rules and regulation.
🔸Q: If that is the case, we should also provide in the IGR body a coordination in some way to allow the Bangsamoro Government to appoint this Overseas Bangsamoro Workers Help Desk in the respective embassies that is controlled and supervised by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
🔸Q: Clarification in the Article II, are the Overseas Bangsamoro Workers (OBW) and Bangsamoro Overseas Filipino Workers the same?
🔸A: Yes, they are.
🔸Q: Ang Overseas Bangsamoro Workers kasama po ba dito ang ating mga katutubo?
🔸A: Yes, lahat po ng constituents Bangsamoro Government is part of the OBW because we are only one people in the Bangsamoro territory.
🔸Q: Baka pwede ho tayo maglagay ng isang provision na kelanganin natin ang proper mechanism na kung saan ano yung administrative relations nung bawat embassies.
🔸A: This concern shall be discussed in the period of amendment.
☑️MP Atty. Maisara C. Dandamun-Latiph manifested her support and clarification on the said bill, stating:
“With respect to the migrant affairs, the DFA jurisdiction, the DOJ jurisdiction and the other opposition about the Help Desk, I submit that they do not encroach on the reserve powers of the state. If you look at the reserve powers of the state, it is in the foreign affairs reserve powers, so the powers that was not concurrent nor given as exclusive powers to the Bangsamoro would appear very limited and these are the following:1) Banking/Foreign Currency; 2) Foreign Affairs; 3) Security of the State; 4) Passporting/Citizenship. In this case, I agree with the proponent that we have to assert our right to self-determination and localize these powers. How can we protect our very own migrant workers if we do not exercise the right to self-determination that was granted to us none less than the BOL? This law does not suffer any legal infirmity it is only the supreme court that can declare that. This is for the Bangsamoro, we are exercising the welfare clause of the Bangsamoro.”
☑️Due to many views, opinions and clarificatory questions asked by the members of these august body, the Committee Report No. 28 was deferred and recommitted to the Committee on Labor and Employment.
☑️The Chair of the Special Committee on Marawi, Deputy Chief Minister Ali Solaiman, gave his brief remarks.
☑️The Committee Report No. 35 on August 26, 2020, RE: Special Committee Report on Marawi was delivered by MP Anna Tarhata Basman.
☑️The Committee Report No. 35 submitted by the Special Committee was adopted.
☑️Other MPs manifest their support and commendations on the said committee report.
☑️MP Atty. Maisara C. Dandamun-Latiph delivered her statement on “Signed with Reservation on the Committee Report of the Special Committee on Marawi.” The highlights of her statement were written below:
🔸Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Section 16, Article VII of Parliament Rules, the undersigned Member of the BTA Parliament hereby issues this statement of reservation of vote in signing the Final Report of the Special Committee on Marawi Rehabilitation AND FOR INCLUSION OF THE RESERVATIONS IN THE REPORT.
The series of public consultation must reflect what has been gathered from the public consultations. And one of the very important data and information that should have been reflected is a faithful recounting of what the residents of Marawi said during the series of public consultations as to their status, sentiments, realities and situation.
Mr. Speaker and members of this honorable Parliament, I laud the Special Committee of Marawi for coming up with a comprehensive report, however, there is one missing essential element in the report, and that is what the IDP people of Marawi says on Kambalingan. Why are the voices of the IDP or Bakwits on their Kambalingan Clamor not highlighted in the report?
The issue of Kambalingan or Homecoming is the heart of Marawi. Our failure to give a complete documentation on each and every report of the IDPs stated on this very important issue renders our report incomplete.
Why is it important to report accurately what each of the IDPs and Local Officials and other Stakeholders from Marawi stated about Kambalingan? It is because these individual statements will serve as a Memorialization of the Memory of a People, the Meranao People, who lost their homes and civilization to a heartless war. It is important to remind ourselves of our MARATABAT as a people. That we honor them and will do our best to solve their problems, we the BTA is tasked in the BOL to be the guardians of the people’s welfare.
Mr. Speaker, the issue here is not just about the right to property but the right of the people to liberty of abode guaranteed by the Constitution. This right is not about the property, it is about the freedom of the people to exercise their rights to self-determination, to movement, to go home.
To this time, I am still awaiting my recommendations on the very short Executive Summary, in 1-page Executive Summary, that they prepared. It failed to fully capture the essence of the public consultations, but there was a call for unity so I signed the report amidst all of these reservations. I reserve my right to comment on this also in due time upon receipt.
Further, comment on the Executive Summary will be given upon receipt. I thank the Special Committee of Marawi for allowing my comments and amendments to be included in the report. But in view of the foregoing, I sign with reservations on the Special Committee Report.
Thus, I move Mr. Speaker to “ALLOW THE PEOPLE OF GROUND ZERO TO GO HOME and even if I LOSE IN THIS PARLIAMENT let it be put on record that I so move to ALLOW THE PEOPLE OF GROUND ZERO TO GO HOME. Thank you!
☑️The period of interpellation was opened for the Committee Report No. 35.
☑️The following were the questions and answers that were raised pursuant to the Committee Report No. 35, to wit
🔸Q: For clarificatory questions, the word Department of Health – is it referring to the DOH National or the DOH-ARMM or the Ministry of Health (MOH).
🔸A: We refer this to national and regional offices.
🔸Q: What would be the relationship of this committee or body to the Task Force Bangon Marawi (TFBM).
🔸A: It is optimal for them to have coordinative and collaborative relationship with the TFBM.
🔸R: We have to review the terms of reference (TOR) on how best to transition on the Special Committee on Marawi to a certain action that may be needed to implement some of the doables and all the recommendations as contained in the report. Magta-transition ang nature ng committee. Dapat tingnan ang TOR ng Special Committee baka kailangan may konting pagbabago para maging effective ang committee na ito.
☑️Some MPs manifested their support and delivered their statements to the said Committee Report.
☑️The Committee Report No. 35 was transmitted to the Government of the Day including the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Philippines as a reference for the BARMM initiatives and the rehabilitation of Marawi.
☑️The Proposed Resolution No. 286 entitled: A Resolution Expressing Profound Sympathy and Most Sincere Condolences to the Family of the Late Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Undersecretary Dimasangcay Alangadi Pundato, was adopted and by the parliament.
☑️The Proposed Resolution No. 289, entitled: A Resolution Condemning the August 24, 2020 Twin Bombing in Downtown Jolo, Sulu, in the Strongest Terms, and Urging the Government of the Day to provide Immediate Assistance to the Families of the Victims, was adopted and approved by the parliament.
☑️The Committee Report No. 32 jointly submitted by the Committee on Rules and the Committee on Finance, Budget and Management on August 26, 2020, RE: Committee Substitute Bill No. 52 entitled: An Act Creating the Bangsamoro Sports Commission, Providing its Mandate, Powers, and Functions, Appropriating Funds Therefor and for other Purposes, was opened for the period of amendments.
☑️The BTA Parliament live broadcast ended at around 5:30 PM and will resume next month (September).
