From “mission impossible” to “mission accomplished.”
This is how House Appropriations Chairperson Rep. Karlo “Ang Probinsyano” Nograles sums up the successful passing by the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) and the National ID Law which will be presented at a ceremonial signing ceremony in Malacañang today.
“These measures had previously experienced rough sailing in both houses of Congress because of the issues surrounding them. The National ID law, for example, was first proposed over 20 years ago but never saw the light of day; the BOL, on the other hand, has been the subject of intense debate for several congresses,” said Nograles.
“One could say that passing these bills was Mission Impossible,” added the solon, referring to the blockbuster franchise starring action star Tom Cruise.
“But when the President threw his support behind these measures by certifying them as urgent, Congress acted and what was once mission impossible is now mission accomplished––a feat that was achieved because the President enjoys the support of a Legislature that embraces his legislative agenda,” explained the congressman from Davao.
According to Nograles, the passage of the BOL and the National ID law reflected the President’s commitment “to bring peace and progress to the country, especially to his fellow probinsyanos.”
“Mindanao, especially, needs the BOL to bring peace and stability to the region. The National ID Law, on the other hand, will ensure quicker and easier access to government services for those in the regions who need them.”
Nograles is among the legislators invited to Malacañang today for the presentation of Republic Act 11054, or Bangsamoro Organic Law, and the ceremonial signing of Senate Bill Number 1738/House Bill Number 6221, or “An Act Establishing the Philippine Identification System.”
“The passage of the BOL and the National ID law reflected the President’s commitment to bring peace and progress to the country, especially to his fellow probinsyanos.”
Signed by the President on July 26, the BOL creates a new entity, the “Bangsamoro Autonomous Region” (BAR), which replaces the existing Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. The BAR will be headed by a chief minister and two deputy ministers, to be elected from the parliament.
“The President enjoys the support of a Legislature that embraces his legislative agenda.”
The National ID law mandates the issuance of a national ID card to every Filipino. It is a machine-readable government card that will store important data about the cardholder and will be the only ID needed for government and private sector transactions.
