BTA targets passing districting bill before lawmakers adjourn

LAMITAN CITY — Bangsamoro lawmakers are determined to pass a bill creating 32 single-member parliamentary districts within the region before end of February, announced Floor Leader Atty. Sha Elijah Dumama-Alba.

Highlighting the urgency, Atty. Dumama-Alba stressed, “we really have to pass this legislation before the sine die adjournment. So, it is crucial to follow the Committee on Rules calendar for deliberations and amendments next week, allowing us to file the committee report before the regular session in February.”

The sessions in Parliament will resume on February 19 and will adjourn on February 29.

Lawmakers pose at a public consultation in Lamitan City.

Parliament Bill No. 267, filed by the Government of the Day, delineates the distribution of districts, including allocations such as three for Basilan, seven for Sulu, three for Tawi-Tawi, eight for Lanao del Sur, four for Maguindanao del Norte, four for Maguindanao del Sur, two for Cotabato City, and one for BARMM Special Geographic Area.

The committee engaged in a series of similar public consultations across the region, concluding in Basilan province. During the public consultation, Deputy Speaker Atty. Laisa Alamia clarified to stakeholders that the districting bill would serve as the foundation for district representatives’ elections in 2025.

“We are going to prioritize and weigh the options and the justifications that were made by all sectors and stakeholders from the different provinces and prioritize them accordingly,” said Alamia foreseeing a difficult deliberation at the committee level.

Various stakeholders in Basilan expressed support for the bill, though some recommended additional seats and reconfiguration of municipalities within the district.

Local government units in the province proposed an additional seat for Lamitan City for a “more localized representation.”

Basilan Governor Jim Salliman, in the provincial government’s position paper, underscored the importance of localized district representatives, saying it will “enhance political participation and empower residents to have a more significant say in decision-making processes that directly affect their community.”

Following the consultations, the committee is scheduled to convene on February 5 to begin deliberating on the proposed measure with legislative input from stakeholders.

Atty. Dumama-Alba assured stakeholders of meticulous deliberations at the committee level, with further discussions planned in the plenary. (LTAIS-Public Information, Publication, and Media Relations Division)