Screening body for BTA appointments urged
BASILAN Rep. Mujiv Hataman on Thursday said it would greatly benefit the people of Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) if a screening committee will be formed to make sure that all appointments to the 80-seat Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) are based on merit, proven competence and unassailable integrity.
“Nais natin na masiguro na ang mga uupo sa susunod na BTA ay may sapat at angkop na kakayahan para matugunan ang lahat ng pangangailangan ng Bangsamoro at ng mamamayan nito. Kaya ang aking mungkahi: masusing kilatisin ang sinumang maa-appoint dito,” Hataman, former governor of the now-defunct ARMM, said.
“And I suggest that this be done by a panel of equally competent personalities who can vet candidates for the BTA appointments independently, free of any political influence. We just have to make sure that those who will be appointed will really perform the mandate of his or her office,” he added.
Under the BOL, the BTA has 80 members appointed by the president who were earlier set to serve until 2022, the end of the transition period.
However, the 18th Congress enacted into law Republic Act (RA) No. 11593 last year, which extended the transition period for the BARMM government from 2022 to 2025 and postponed the 2022 BARMM elections.
According to the new law, the President may exercise his powers to appoint new members of the BTA.
Hataman also said that “equitable representation” should be one of the main guiding principles when appointing members of the BTA, as he believes all areas, sectors and ethnicities should be properly represented in the BARMM transition government.
“Kailangan natin siguraduhin na walang madedehado. There should be equitable distributions of seats. Hindi lamang ito BARMM ng iilan. Ito ay pamahalaan ng lahat nang nasa Bangsamoro,” the lawmaker from Basilan stressed.
Earlier, Hataman proposed a midterm review of the BTA’s accomplishments to assess where the national government can provide additional support for the transition body’s initiatives.
“We have to make sure that the BOL is implemented well,” Hataman said. “We must ensure that the mandate of the transition authority covers all the areas of governance that will best benefit the people of the BARMM.”
