The Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) will result in a better Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, as well as address the missed points of the 1987 Constitution.
“The BARMM (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) is better than ARMM,” said Jose Lorena, commissioner of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission, in a media forum on Bangsamoro Peace Process and Violent Extremism.
Lorena said the ARMM is not fiscally capable to deliver services that is intended to be given because it has no fiscal autonomy. For one, the budget of ARMM part of the executive budget which is approved by the DBM and congress.
He added that in BOL, the provision on block grant will make the approval of the Bangsamoro budget be done in the regional parliamentary government.
This will pave way for the subsidiarity which will provide the local government for primary identification of priorities and problems in the local area.
“The solution crafted outside without knowing the context of the problem will not be benefited,” Lorena added.
In BOL, the peculiarities of the region has been also duly recognized. This includes the recognition of other groups such us the ethnic ones. In the administration of the government of the Bangsamoro, a collective leadership is also provided.
“If the chief minister is from the mainland Maguindanao, the two deputy ministers will come from the island provinces so that they will not be left out. If the chief minister will come from the island provinces, the deputy ministers will come from Maguindanao,” Lorena explained.
The collective scheme will diminish the monopoly of the government and will address the problems of the entire region. The indigenous people and the women, will also be given a chance to select their representative for a reserved seat in the Parliamentary Government.
“There will be 10% of the parliamentary seats reserved for them,” Lorena affirmed.
Usec. Nabil Tan also added that the 1987 Constitution did not fail but it is a foundation of the better provisions of the Bangsamoro Organic Law.
Lorena also said that the Bangsamoro may be defined in three contexts in the BOL. These are the identity of the Bangsamoro people, the political entity which will replace ARMM, and the Bangsamoro government, which will replace the ARMM regional government.
The Bangsamoro areas beyond the core territory will still benefit from the BOL although it is not provided in the law given that the parliamentary government may create this law instead. He also added that BOL will leave no one behind.
