Drilon sees peace to spur economic activities in Mindanao

Senate President Franklin Drilon. Photo courtesy of Drilon’s official Facebook page.

MANILA – Senate President Franklin Drilon expressed optimism on Monday that foreign investors will flock to Mindanao once true and lasting peace is achieved in the region through the proposed Bangsamoro government.

”The peace and order is crucial to improve the economy in Mindanao. Many foreign governments are waiting for the Bangsamoro Basic Law so that they can offer grants for our poor Muslim brothers and sisters in Mindanao,” Drilon said in a radio dzRH interview.

Drilon earlier appealed to his colleagues in Congress to set aside their political ambitions in 2016 for the sake of achieving lasting and genuine peace in Mindanao as the Senate expects Malacanang to submit the BBL draft within this week.

”I hope they will avoid politics and defer their 2016 ambitions so that will be able to immediately pass the proposed BBL,” the Senate chief said.

Drilon said everyone’s support is needed for the crafting of an effective and lasting basic law for the Bangsamoro in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Once submitted within this week, Drilon said they will immediately start deliberations on the BBL.

”We will request the Senate Committee on Local Government headed by Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the Senate Committee on Peace, Unity and Unification headed by Senator Teofisto Guingona III to immediately conduct committee-level hearings,” he said.

Drilon said he is expecting debates on BBL to start in the first week of December after the proposed 2015 national budget deliberations and have it passed before the end of the first quarter.

“I’m confident that our self-imposed deadline is still within reach,” he stressed.