No assurance of BBL’s passage — Drilon

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

MANILA — Senator Franklin Drilon yesterday said that there is still no assurance that the senate will approve the draft of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

Not the way Malacanang has envisioned it, according to Drilon who cited the unpredictable landscape of the Senate.

Drilon said that “in the Senate, you are never sure of what the number is tomorrow.”

“Theoretically, the majority in the Senate is 13. If you have 13, in fact, it’s less than 13, it’s only 12, but assuming it is 13, the vote required is only the majority of the 13. That’s eight,” Drilon explained.

Drilon also pointed out the concerns on the constitutionality of the bill.

“We will not agree in its present form which may be outside the constitutional boundaries,” Drilon said.

She also said that there might be a possibility of having debates on the inclusion on the orginal bill’s opt-in provision.

The said provision seeks to allow voters in areas contiguous to the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region to hold a plebiscite to join the new political entity following the bill’s passage.

Despite this, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said that he is confident that the proposed law will be passed in the House of Representatives in September.

“I am confident of its passage as far as the House of Representative is concerned,” Belmonte said in a text message to the Philippine Star.

He added that the bill remains a top priority as the Congress opens its third regular session next month.