Palace still hopeful on BBL passage

MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang is not giving up on the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) despite Congress becoming preoccupied with the upcoming elections in May 2016.

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the Aquino administration would have to see what pieces of legislation could still be reasonably tackled in the few session days left before the start of the campaign in February.

“BBL remains number one priority,” Coloma said.

“We continue to work with leaders and members of Congress for the enactment of the BBL as this is essential to the peace build- ing process,” he added.

Congress went on a Christmas break last Dec. 18 and would resume session on Jan. 19 until Feb. 5 before the start of the official campaign period.

Despite failure to pass the BBL before Congress’ adjournment, the peace panels of the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) said Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was still optimistic that the BBL would still be passed by the current Congress.

“I am confident that the Sen ate would do its best to pass the proposed measure within the remaining session days of Congress after considering all the amendments introduced by the senators,” Marcos said in a letter addressed to peace panel chairs Miriam Coronel- Ferrer of the government and Mohagher Iqbal of the MILF dated Dec. 1 but just recently received by the panels.

Marcos, chairman of the Senate committee on local government who drafted a substitute bill to the BBL, earlier claimed that the controversial BBL was dead because it could not be passed during the term of Aquino for lack of time.

Marcos’ letter was in response to the open letter of the peace panels sent to Congress on Nov. 26.

In the joint letter, the peace panels underscored the importance of passing the BBL to continue the decommissioning of MILF forces and weapons, generate positive effects on the succeeding administration and arrest the spread of extremism. – With Jose Rodel Clapano