International, local business groups renew calls for BBL passage

MANILA, Philippines - As Congress resumes session on Tuesday, international and local business groups yesterday renewed their call on the Senate and the House of Representatives to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) to address security issues and attract more business ventures in Mindanao.

“(This is) a very sincere appeal to our political leaders to give peace a chance. Unless we try to correct the imbalances, the problem in Mindanao cannot be worked through the barrel of a gun. The best solution is economic intervention,” said Mindanao Business Council president Vicente Lao in a statement. The Mindanao Business Council is among the numerous regional affiliates of the Makati Business Club, which organized a forum on Tuesday.

Lao said both local and foreign investors are discouraged from doing business in the country because of security issues. He added that the BBL could act as a starting point in developing Mindanao through the proposed structural changes which, in turn, would have positive effects on the whole country.

“If there is a semblance of governance in the area that could be held accountable, past tragedies wouldn’t happen. This is a new form of government we are trying to experiment (with). If it succeeds, we can use this formula for the Philippines,” Lao said.

The proposed basic law seeks to establish a parliamentary form of government that will replace the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), which has been patterned after the country’s presidential setup of governance.

Under the new law, the regional assembly will be made up of district, sectoral and party-list representatives who would be empowered to unseat an abusive chief minister through a vote of no confidence.

On Tuesday, Makati Business Club chairman Ramon del Rosario Jr. appealed to Congress “to act quickly and with urgency, not only to pass the BBL, but to pass a version that is consistent with the Constitution, adheres to the commitments contained in the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) and truly embodies the dreams and aspirations of Muslim Filipinos.”

“We are not trying to pressure (lawmakers) with the tight deadline… the benefits (of passing the BBL) would go beyond the Bangsamoro. It is in this context that it needs support from the whole country,” Del Rosario added.