The Bangsamoro Transition Authority conducted on January 16 a public consultation in Parang, Maguindanao del Norte, on the proposed BTA Bill No. 267 which seeks to create parliamentary districts in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. (Comenei Ali/BIO)
MAGUINDANAO DEL NORTE—As the series of public consultations on the re-districting bill in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) continue, people of over a year-old Maguindanao del Norte expressed their full support to the proposed measure during the event held on Tuesday, January 16, in Parang town.
The public consultation, attended by more than a thousand constituents from the 12 towns of the province along with their respective local chief executives, welcomed the Parliament Bill No. 267 that would divide their province into four parliamentary districts once signed into law by Chief Minister Ahod Ebrahim of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA).
BTA Deputy Floor Leader Atty. Mary Ann Arnado, who presided over the consultation, said that while many constituents were pushing for the creation of more districts, the parliament is hand-tied in Section 10 of Article VII of the Republic Act 11054 or the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL), which states:
“The redistricting, merging, or creation of parliamentary districts shall be based on the number of inhabitants and additional provinces, cities, municipalities, and geographical areas, which shall become part of the Bangsamoro territorial jurisdiction.
For the purpose of redistricting, parliamentary districts shall be apportioned based on the population and geographical area: Provided, That each district shall comprise, as far as practicable, contiguous, compact, and adjacent territorial jurisdiction: Provided, further, That each district shall have a population of at least one hundred thousand (100,000).”
“We understand the circumstances but we have also limitations for now,” Arnado explained in response to a constituent concerned about the creation of more districts.
Under the parliament districting bill, BARMM will be divided into 32 respective districts which account for 40% of the 80 seats in the BTA, in compliance with the provision of the BOL.
Lawyer Arnado further explained that though the parliament is continuously studying for further improvement of the said legislative measure, any amendment to national legislation lies in the national legislative bodies, such as the House of Representatives and the Senate.
In the Special Geographic Area (SGA) of the BARMM to which the consultation was done simultaneously in Midsayap town, residents have also expressed their support for the bill. Once signed into law, SGA will have a lone district that will cover its eight municipalities.
Both SGA and Maguindanao del Norte were carved out of their mother provinces— the former from the Cotabato province and the latter from the now-defunct one Maguindanao.
The public consultation, which commenced in Cotabato City on January 15, will continue for the constituents in Maguindanao del Sur, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi. BTA has encouraged constituents to submit their position papers on or before February 2, 2024. (Abdullah Matucan/BIO)
