📌BTA Resumption of Second Regular Session No. 51
January 28, 2021
Highlights:
☑️The plenary adopted and then approved Committee Report No. 53 by the Committee on Rules regarding Cabinet Bill No. 59, the Bangsamoro Civil Service Code.
☑️The Bangsamoro Civil Service Code is one of the six (6) priority codes. The Bangsamoro Administrative Code had already been approved last October 2020.
☑️The Majority Floor Leader, MP Lanang Ali Jr., upon presenting the Committee Report on the Committee Bill explained how the draft Bangsamoro Civil Service Code underwent rigorous public consultation from all sectors of society such as from the government, civil society organizations, the academe, and various other stakeholders.
☑️The period for deliberations on Cabinet Bill No. 59 was opened, with the BTA Parliament set to thoroughly deliberate and scrutinize the Bangsamoro Civil Service Code. MP Maisara Latiph is a member of the Committee on Rules which prepared the report, and she herself submitted many amendments covering eligibility and disciplinary actions among many others which were incorporated in the proposed draft.
☑️The plenary also approved Committee Report No. 54 submitted by the Committee on Rules regarding the “Approval of Amended BTA Parliament Rules, Procedures and Practices for BTA – Parliament”.
☑️During the discussions on the report, the area of responsibility was clarified. As part of the amended, and thereafter approved rules, the Committee on Accounts and Audit shall be in charge of internal audit of the budget of the Bangsamoro Parliament, while the Committee on Finance, Budget and Management shall be responsible for the review of the budget of the rest of the Bangsamoro Government.
☑️MP Maisara Latiph clarified why in the latest Committee on Rules meeting, the members decided to amend the rules to conform to what has already been established practice. She discussed how the Committee on Accounts shall only be responsible for the internal review of the budget of the parliament, however it is necessary to establish a Public Accounts Committee which shall be responsible for the review of the entire Bangsamoro Government, as has been long practiced in other well-established parliaments in other countries.
