Palace: Enough time given for BBL

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang yesterday maintained that Congress was given enough time to discuss the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) amid finger-pointing on who deserves blame for the delay in the passage of the measure.

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the administration has been coordinating with the legislature to craft a BBL that would promote peace and development in Mindanao.

“In our view, members of Congress, including the critics of the measure, were given enough time to articulate their positions during the recently concluded plenary debates on the proposed BBL,” Coloma told state-run radio station dzRB yesterday.

“Last year, there were thorough discussions with different groups including those conducted by the House committee on the Bangsamoro. I think they held at least 75 public consultations. Even during the sessions of Congress, they were given enough time to express their insights during their committee hearings and floor debates,” he added.  

Coloma said there is still time left to improve the BBL, one of the priority measures of the Aquino administration.

“The participation of all the members of Congress is important once the sessions resume in January 2016,” he said.

Earlier, House Minority Leader and San Juan Rep. Ronaldo Zamora blamed Malacañang and its allies for Congress’ failure to pass the proposed BBL. 

Congress adjourned session last Wednesday without passing the proposed BBL, a measure that seeks to create a new Bangsamoro entity in Mindanao with greater economic and political powers.

Zamora claimed that the Aquino administration and its allies in Congress had refused to amend the questionable provisions of the bill drafted by the peace negotiators of the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

Last week, Senate local government committee chairman Ferdinand Marcos Jr. claimed that the BBL is dead and that there is no more time to pass it within President Aquino’s term.

Marcos also expressed doubt that Congress could finish deliberations on the measure even after the resumption of session next year due to the low attendance at the House of Representatives.

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., however, said he remains hopeful that the proposed BBL and other bills including amendments to the economic provisions of the Constitution would still be passed. 

Congress will resume session on Jan. 18 next year. It has three weeks – from Jan. 18 to Feb. 5, 2016 – to pass the proposed BBL before the start of the campaign season for the 2016 polls.

President Aquino previously said he remains optimistic about the passage of the proposed BBL, which he described as “inevitable.” He said the measure should be enacted sooner than later, believing that the farther away from the elections, the better its chances of being passed.