Marcos says Bangsamoro law will breeze Senate

MANILA, Philippines - Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Thursday expressed confidence that the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law will breeze through the Senate once it reaches the chamber.

Marcos, chairperson of the Senate committee on local government, remains optimistic that Congress can pass the measure despite a very tight schedule since the draft has not been submitted to them by the Transition Commission.

“I think it will not be as contentious in the Senate as it is already in the House (of Representatives) because there are parochial concerns for the congressmen,” he added.

Once submitted to and approved by the Congress, Marcos noted that there is still a need to conduct a plebiscite, which will automatically dissolve the Transition Commission and render moot the Autonomous Region and Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Under the processes, the Bangsamoro Transition Authority will serve during the interim period until members of the Bangsamoro government is elected in 2016, followed by the signing of the final agreement.

“I am quite confident that when we come back, that there would already be a basic law, an organic law. In the meantime, we have already started in the committee, studying the annexes because that’s all we have,” the senator said.

By the time the basic law reaches the Senate, Marcos said the senators can easily tackle the matter. “If there will be an oppositor, it will be fast. But if there will be many oppositors, we have to hear everybody. That will take more time.”

He admitted that the process will not be a “simple thing because so many issues have already been raised in the annexes alone.”  “But I think, we can still make it (the deadline),” Marcos said.

“More or less the timetable for the Bangsamoro organic law is end of this year ‘til beginning of next year. Hindi natin mamadaliin, but we’ll put in extra hours to ensure that we will do it in the time Comelec has given us,” the senator added.