Congress vows to pass BBL before June 30

 

Source: RPN9

House and Senate leaders on Tuesday, March 3, agreed to pass the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) before June 30 – just before President Benigno Aquino III delivers his final State of the Nation Address in July.

But the peace pact still faces an uncertain fate despite the target deadline because of the repercussion of the Mamasapano encounter, in which Moro fighters killed 44 commandos of the Special Action Force (SAF).

In their monthly meeting, on Monday, March 2, the leaders of both houses of Congress sealed an agreement to revise and amend the proposed BBL to ensure its constitutionality even if this would result to a watered-down version as feared by Moro rebels.

“Aming napagkasunduan ipapasa bago matapos ang second regular session, which means by June 30 we will have a Bangsamoro Basic Law that is in accordance to our constitution,” said Senate President Franklin Drilon.

Congress suspended deliberations on the BBL pending results of the official Philippine National Police (PNP) probe on the Mamasapano clash.

After the Senate wrapped up its investigation, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. became hesitant about his chamber's own probe.

“I think we can take it up in the House, pero definitely I don't want to repeat what has already been done,” Belmonte said.

Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, meanwhile, echoed Belmonte’s statement, saying the PNP report – to be released on Friday, March 6 – should be enough.

Rodriguez, chairman of the 75-member Ad Hoc Committee on the Bangsamoro Basic Law, said the bill's passage would largely depend on the cooperation of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The MILF has around four months to gain back lawmakers' trust, he added.

“Certainly there's a loss of trust at the House with the MILF,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said his committee might resume the BBL hearings in two weeks – giving them four days to meet before their six week break.

He is also proposing one to two weeks special session to salvage the ”dying” bill seeking to create the Bangsamoro juridical entity.

Sen. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., on the other hand, said Senate BBL hearings might resume as soon as reports on Mamasapano by the PNP and the MILF are released.

“Ano ba talaga ang mekanismo para pag alam na ng commander na ang pinapuputukan niya ay tropa ng gobyerno, kelangan dapat matigil,” he said.

According to Marcos, the MILF and the government would need to regain the people's trust by telling the truth about the Mamasapano operation as well as for President Aquino to explain why he "created another chain of command" outside of normal procedure. – 9News Online, from a report by Pia Bonalos