Catamco to move for scrapping of BBL if her amendments are ignored

KIDAPAWAN CITY – A Mindanao solon vowed to withdraw support for the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) if the Adhoc Committee on the BBL won't consider her proposed amendments.Representative Nancy Catamco of North Cotabato's 2nd district andchair of the AdHocCommittee on Indigenous Peoples, was among the 12 solons who submitted proposed amendments of the draft law that triggered the postponement of voting on Monday.The revisions she wanted included in the BBL are focused on the rights of the indigenous peoples, in particular, their right to self determination and ancestral domain claims. Catamco admitted she was one of the members of the Ad Hoc that submitted last minute changes to the draft law. One of the amendments, she explained, was in Section 2, Article 2 of the BBL, where it defined the aspirations and the identity of the indigenous peoples, in particular. The indigenous peoples, although they are non-Moro, are the original inhabitants of Mindanao,” Catamco stressed. Catamco said she also introduced changes in the Article 4 of the BBL, in particular on the provisions about giving Bangsamoro political entity the exclusive powers. Instead of giving the Bangsamoro the exclusive powers to determine the ancestral domain of the indigenous peoples, these powers, she explained, should be given to the national government. Also, a mechanism should be created under the Bangsamoro, that is, the Ministry of the Non-Moro Indigenous Peoples which will ensure that rights of thelumadsor the non-Moro are protected. Catamco said there are too many highly contentious issues and provisions in the BBL, which need amendments. Gusto namo ma-harmonize sa usa ang gusto sa tribo nga makahaom kini nga dili ma-dminish ang right nila og atuang mapasulod ang Indigenous Peoples Rights Act diha sa BBL(We want to harmonize the aspirations of the tribes that this BBL won’t diminish their rights.We also want the IPRA to be included in the BBL),” she said. The IPRA is a legislation that recognizes and promotes all the rights of indigenous cultural communities or indigenous peoples of the Philippines. Catamco said that if members of the House won’t agree to her amendments to the BBL, she might as well consider scrapping such proposal on May 18.Catamco is entitled to one vote among the 98 regular members and ex-officio members of the AdHoc Committee.Voting was supposed to take place Monday and Tuesday but were postponed to May 18, 19 and 20 in consideration of the proposed amendments of a dozen lawmakers.