By Edwin Fernandez, Mindanao Cross

The Indigenous Peoples of Upi and South Upi will be the first to be consulted by the House adhoc committee on the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law as the Lower House starts consultations on the draft bill.

Cagayan Rep. Rufus Rodrigues will lead the House panel to a consultations on October 22 at the Upi gymnasium.

This starts the visit of a 75-man ad hoc panel that is tasked to scrutinize the draft BBL.

Rodriguez, adhoc panel chair, will be accompanied by Basilan Rep. Jim Hataman-Salliman, vice chairman of the ad hoc panel, in visiting the proposed core territory of the new political entity.

"All the 75 members have been invited, all stakeholders in Mindanao are also invited," Rodriguez said in a statement.

In a separate statement, Hataman-Salliman said the committee wants to listen to all concerned stakeholders to ensure that the BBL is acceptable to all.

"We encourage healthy discussions of the peace measure to further refine the BBL draft," Hataman-Salliman said.

Rodriguez sees a healthy discussion among indigenous peoples in the Upi municipalities.

After the Upi consultations, the adhoc committee will proceed to Cotabato City on October 23, Thursday, for a similar public hearing at the Notre Dame University, still with Rep. Rodriguez as the presiding officer.

On Friday, October 24, the panel will proceed to Tacurong City for the consultations with the people of Sultan Kudarat province (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.).

Simultaneously, a consultation will also be held in Koronadal City (10:30 to 3:30 p.m.) and Gen. Santos City at Mindanao State University gym (11 a.m. to 4 p.m.). Rep. Pedro Acharon Jr. will preside over the consultations in Gen. Santos.

IAG and PCID report from the House and the Senate highlights of deliberations on the BBL. Visit our #BBLWatch page here.