Noy wants BBL, investor-friendly laws this year

MANILA, Philippines - The Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) and measures aimed to attract investments are among 18 of 29 priority bills President Aquino wants passed this year, a Malacañang official said yesterday.

Press Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the executive department would continue to coordinate with legislators in pushing forward the reform agenda of the Aquino administration to achieve inclusive growth.

These are the programs, projects and advocacies that aim to strengthen the local economy and commerce as well as expand and improve social services, national security and peace and order, Coloma said.

“The government is hoping that 18 out of the 29 priority legislative agenda of President Aquino would be passed by Congress this year,” he said.

Coloma said this was the expectation of Secretary Manuel Mamba of the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office, whose office is tasked to coordinate with members of both legislative houses regarding the passage of priority bills.

Coloma said among the measures that the national government wants passed as soon as possible is the Bangsamoro Basic Law, wherein a Bangsamoro Transitional Assembly will be established to allow the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to join the May 2016 elections.

The MILF has formed its political party for the 2016 polls. Officials of the proposed Bangsamoro Political Entity should also be nominated prior to the holding of the synchronized presidential and local elections.

Congress is set to resume session on Jan. 19 after a month-long recess.

Other administration measures that should be given attention are the amendments to the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) law, road right of way law to give way to more infrastructure projects, and cabotage laws for the shipping industry.

The government also wants proposed measures on the rationalization of fiscal incentives, rationalization of the mining fiscal regime, tax incentives management and transparency, antitrust, national land use and strategic trade management passed into law right away.

It also wants to give priority to the customs modernization bill that will continue the reforms under the fiscal reform package. All of these are still in the interagency level, according to Coloma.

Other priority bills include the designation of the Philippine maritime zone, designation of archipelagic sea lanes, delineation of specific forest limits of public domain, the whistleblowers’ protection act and strengthening the witness protection program.