Bangsamoro Basic Law relegated to backburner

MANILA, Philippines - Leaders of Congress have relegated the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) to the backburner.

The House of Representatives and the Senate will devote their last 12 session days before their Christmas recess to the approval of the proposed P3.002-trillion 2016 national budget and the bill that would grant a new round of salary increase to government personnel.

The Senate will start plenary consideration of the 2016 budget bill on Monday.

After his last consultation meeting with Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. two weeks ago, Senate President Franklin Drilon estimated that it would take his chamber up to the first week of December to finish floor debates on the proposed budget and approve it.

That would leave the two chambers two weeks to agree on a final version and ratify it. The Christmas break will begin on Dec. 19.

This means that the Senate will have little or no time at all for the controversial draft BBL during the remaining session days of Congress this year.

While the Senate is taking up the 2016 budget, the House is expected to try to approve on third and final reading the bill on the salary increase and other measures already passed on second reading.

During their last consultation, Drilon and Belmonte briefly discussed the draft BBL.

Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II, who attended the meeting, said the House contingent promised to resume plenary consideration of the proposed BBL “the moment we are able to muster a quorum.”

He said the Senate group made the same promise.

He said Drilon informed them that it would take Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile at least one week to ask questions about the draft BBL.

Belmonte has told reporters that passing the proposed law that would create a new autonomous Bangsamoro region “remains a challenge for the House.”

Cagayan de Oro City Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, principal sponsor of the controversial measure, is optimistic that the draft BBL would be approved before yearend “at least by the House.”

“We can do it and we should do it for the sake of peace. We have the time to tackle it while the Senate is discussing the budget,” he said.

Zamboanga City Rep. Celso Lobregat, who still has a lot of questions to ask Rodriguez, does not share the latter’s optimism.

Lobregat said most likely, the burden of approving the proposed BBL would be passed on to the next Congress.