By Butch Fernandez & Jovee Marie N. dela Cruz
MALACAÑANG maintained as “maybe just coincidental” the reported imminent filing of cases against the third batch of lawmakers being linked to the pork-barrel scandal, insisting that it was not time to influence crucial congressional voting on the controversial Bangsamoro basic law (BBL) in the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Deputy Presidential Spokesman Abigail Valte on Wednesday debunked reports that the Palace had anything to do with the Department of Justice (DOJ) preparing the next batch of pork-barrel scam cases just as lawmakers are inching closer to a final vote on the BBL before Congress adjourns in June.
“At least, from our point of view—we would not put any malice as to the timing and, especially, remember that people have already been asking the Department of Justice to get on with the filing,” Valte said.
In a Palace briefing, she insisted that “sa amin po walang ganyan. Wala ho sa…. Kumbaga, hindi po iyan nasa style ng administrasyon.”
Valte added: “Siguro po coincidental lang and you have remember that the DOJ has been readying the third batch of cases for quite some time now.”
The Palace official pointed out that President Aquino gave specific instructions to government lawyers to make sure the charges they file will stand in court and not just “for PR [press release]” purposes.
“At ang utos naman po lagi sa kanila ng Pangulo ay kung ano ho mang kaso ang ipa-file ninyo ay siguraduhin ninyong tatayo at hindi naman po puwedeng finile [filed] lang para sa PR,” Valte told reporters.
Valte also played down reports quoting Sen. Sergio Osmeña’s observation that Malacañang might dangle pork barrel to buy votes for the BBL. “Well, obviously, we don’t agree with the premise, because we don’t have what you formerly knew as the Pdaf [Priority Development Assistance Fund] existing in the 2015 GAA [General Appropriations Act],” Valte said.
House defers debates on BBL
THE House of Representatives on Wednesday deferred the plenary sponsorship of the proposed Basic Law on the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region.
Centrist Democratic Party Rep. Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro, who will sponsor House Bill 4994 on the floor, said that several lawmakers want to scrutinize the substitute bill of the peace measure first before the start of plenary deliberations.
“The sponsorship and start of plenary debates will be on Monday. The lawmakers requested for more time to study the substitute bill of the peace measure,” he said.
He also said that he is still confident the lower chamber would be able to approve the bill on final reading before the Congress sine die adjournment on June 12.
On Tuesday the House Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on Ways and Means have approved the budget provisions and the tax provisions of the bill, respectively.
Moreover, Liberal Party Rep. Alfredo Benitez of Negros Occidental, chairman of the Visayan bloc, expressed concerns on some provisions of the basic law.
He said that among the contentious parts of the basic law are the “opt-in” provision or the “creeping expansion” and the provision on barter trade.
Under the basic law, areas which are contiguous and outside the core territory may opt on the fifth and 10th year after the BBL’s approval into law—to be part of the territory upon petition of at least 10 percent of the registered voters and approved by a majority of qualified votes cast in a plebiscite.
“Among the issues they are concerned with are the issue on opt-in provision and the barter-trade provision,” he said.
Benitez said that the provision on barter trade might create an opportunity for smuggling to spill over to the Visayas, which is near Mindanao.
Under the proposed basic law, the barter trade and countertrade with the Association of Southeast Asian countries were one of the “exclusive powers” granted to the Bangsamoro government.
Meanwhile, Benitez said that his 42-man group would vote as one on the measure once it is put to a vote in plenary session.
“All members of [the] Visayan bloc will vote as one. We’re voting as a bloc,” Benitez said, adding, “bloc stand will prevail over party stand. For those who will not follow the agreement, then I guess they’re not serious with the bloc.”
Congress is eyeing to pass the proposed BBL, which seeks to stop the conflict in Mindanao, on June 11 or before the Congress sine die adjournment on June 12.
The BBL aims to create the new Bangsamoro juridical entity replacing the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.