Congress aims to pass Bangsamoro Basic Law

Congress aims to pass

Bangsamoro Basic Law

Senate President Franklin Drilon said Wednesday they aim to pass the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law in the first quarter of next year.

"We are giving ourselves until the first quarter of next year," Drilon said when asked by reporters about the Senate's timetable in passing the bill.

During the ceremonial turnover of the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law, President Benigno Aquino III asked Congress to pass the bill immediately so that Muslim Mindanao would have sufficient time to prepare to govern itself.

Drilon said passing it in the first quarter of next year would give the region enough time to conduct a plebiscite and have the transition commission in place before the 2016 election.

The proposed Bangsamoro law will have bipartisan support in the Senate, he said, noting the presence of Senate minority leader Senator Tito Sotto, chairman of the Senate’s local government committee Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, and Peace and Unification Senator TG Guingona.

“This bill will have bipartisan support. We will co-author it with several of our colleagues and we will immediately set the committee hearings, next week. We will request Senator Bongbong and Senator TG to set the committee hearings next week,” he said, adding that the Senate will tackle the Bangsamoro Basic Law after the ongoing committee hearings on the budget.

Drilon said he is confident that the measure will be passed.

“What we will look at with care is that the Bangsamoro Basic Law should be within the four corners of the Constitution," he said.

The Senate President said he is glad that the President has assured that the bill is within constitutional boundaries.

He in turn guaranteed that they will respect the rights and consider the aspirations of Muslim Filipinos.

Once the basic law is ratified, the Organic Law that created the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao will be repealed, Drilon said. (PNA) (091214)