Review of the Draft of the Internal Rules of Procedure of the Committee on Good Government, Accountability of Public Officers and Investigation, Otherwise Known as The Blue Ribbon Committee
Authored by Atty. Hisham Nazz Ala Biruar, CPA
This pertains to the request for the review of the draft of the “Internal Rules of Procedure of the Committee on Good Government, Accountability of Public Officers and Investigation, otherwise known as the Blue Ribbon Committee in the Conduct of Inquiries and Investigations in Aid of Legislation”.
At the outset, we must state that Section 5(d), Article VII of Republic Act No. 11054 (RA 11054), otherwise known as the Organic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, sets forth the power of the Parliament to conduct inquiries in aid of legislation. The provision pertinently reads as follows:
Bangsamoro Parliament
SEC. 5. Powers. – The Parliament shall have the following powers: xxx
(d) Conduct inquiries in aid of legislation in accordance with its rules. The rights of persons appearing in or affected by such inquiry shall be respected; xxx.
The said provision is akin to Section 21, Article VI of the 1987 Philippine Constitution which reads as follows:
SEC. 21. The Senate or the House of Representatives or any of its respective committees may conduct inquiries in aid of legislation in accordance with its duly published rules of procedure. The rights of persons appearing in or affected by such inquiries shall be respected.
A careful perusal of both provisions reveals that unlike Sec. 21, Art. VI of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, the phrase “or any of its respective committees” is absent in Section 5(d) of RA 11054.
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