BARMM approves the local government code
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EMPOWERMENT. BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Balawag Ebrahim and Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Speaker Pangalian Balindong hold copies of the new law on local governance at the Bangsamoro Government Center in Cotabato City. Members of the Bangsamoro parliament joined them shortly after passing the Bangsamoro Local Governance Code on its third and final reading on Thursday night (Sept. 28, 2023). (Photo courtesy of BTA-BARMM)
MindanaoHerald | BARMM approves the local government code | COTABATO CITY – CEO of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), Ahod Balawag Ebrahim, signed the Bangsamoro Local Governance Code (BLGC) into law on Thursday night.
In the time between BARMM and 2025, Ebrahim is pushing seven important acts. One of them is the BLGC, or Bangsamoro Autonomy Act 49.
Raissa Jajurie, chair of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Committee on Local Government and a lawyer, talked about how important it was to pass the code. She said that the BARMM has a different way of running its government than other parts of the country.
She also talked about five important parts of the bill: giving local communities and government units more power; making it easier for power to be gradually given to local communities and government units; making sure that everyone gets an equal share of the money; promoting democracy; and making sure that the Bangsamoro government and LGUs work together and are supervised.
“At the heart of the code is the grant of powers to LGUs,” said Jajurie.
Ebrahim stated that the code “will not only redefine but also solidify the autonomous region’s governance landscape by forging a well-defined and harmonious path between the regional government and the LGUs.”
As part of the plenary’s amendments time, the Bangsamoro Parliament kept the word “governance” in the code instead of “government” to emphasize the role of citizens.
Susana Anayatin, a parliament member for the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) and a voice for the 80-person BTA’s Christian settlers, was thrilled that the draft bill became law.
She said the rule keeps with the BARMM motto, which is “no one will be left behind.”
The code is more than just a list of rules, according to BTA Speaker Pangalian Balindong. He called it “a sign of our support for the Bangsamoro people and their journey to a better future.”
The code also listed the things that people who are running for local elections could not do.
Family members of current local officials who are running for office in the second civil degree of consanguinity or affinity cannot run for the same provincial, city, municipal, or barangay posts. This includes people who are half-blood or full-blood relatives.
They also can’t run for local office in the same province, city, municipality, or barangay if they are related to each other within the second degree of consanguinity or affinity and not related to an incumbent in the same degree, or if all incumbents are related within the same degree.
The BLGC was discussed for a long time before it was approved. There were eight public meetings at the regional and national levels, and the committee level discussed it for 23 days.
The BTA, which is BARMM’s temporary lawmaking body, has passed five of its priority codes so far. These are the administrative, education, civil service, electoral, and local government codes.
The revenue and Indigenous Peoples’ codes are the last two top bills that should be passed this year. (via PNA)
