President Benigno S. Aquino III leads the Ceremonial Switch-on of the 300- Megawatt (MW) Davao Baseload Power Plant, Davao Base load Power Plant Complex, Boundary of Bgy. Binugao, Toril, Davao City and Bgy. Inawayan, Sta. Cruz, Davao Del Sur on Friday (January 8, 2016). Also in photo are Mindanao Development Authority (MinDa) chairperson Luwalhati Antonino, Department of Energy Secretary Zenaida Y. Monzada, Aboitiz Power Corporation CEO Erramon I. Aboitiz, Davao City OIC Mayor Karlo S. Bello and Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin.This Power plant is one of the critical projects needed to finally solve long term the perennial Mindanao power shortage. This power plant supplies power to more than twenty (20) electric cooperatives and distribution utilities all over Mindanao. (MNS photo)
MANILA (Mabuhay) – President Benigno Aquino III will meet with members of the House of Representatives next week to once again tackle the approval of the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).
“May meeting kami, if I’m not mistaken, next week with the House of Representatives precisely to push for the passage of the BBL,” Aquino said in a media briefing held in Davao City, where he led the inauguration of a 300-megawatt baseload power plant.
The meeting is scheduled just a month after Aquino made what several lawmakers described as an “emotional” pitch for the approval of the BBL, the proposed law that embodies the government’s peace pact with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Despite the December meeting attended by more than a hundred lawmakers, the House of Representatives still failed to consistently muster a quorum needed to resume plenary deliberations on the BBL before Congress went on its holiday break.
Congress is scheduled to resume its session on January 19 until February 5 and will go on a long break during the campaign period for the 2016 national and local elections.
The BBL seeks to create a political entity called the Bangsamoro, which would replace the existing Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Aquino said there’s still a good chance of the BBL being approved in Congress before his term ends in June.
“Si Congressman Rufus Rodriguez tells me na patapos na sila doon sa tinatawag na stage ‘turno en contra’ at pagkatapos ‘non pagbobotohan na. So maganda pa rin ang pag-asa na maipasa ‘yung BBL,” he said.(MNS)