Senate holds first hearing on BBL

FILE: Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, chair of the sub-committee on the BBL, opened the hearing vowing to hold more hearings when the Senate resumes its session in January 2018. (Photo: Senator Migz Zubiri/ Facebook)

MANILA — The Senate on Wednesday held its first hearing on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) with the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC).

The proposed BBL seeks the creation of a new Bangsamoro government to replace the existing Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, chair of the sub-committee on the BBL, opened the hearing vowing to hold more hearings when the Senate resumes its session in January 2018.

“We promise to hold succeeding hearings,” Zubiri said as he vowed to invite more resource persons including ARMM officials.

Zubiri who hails from Mindanao, also said that the BBL would be presented to the plenary session by March 2018.

Present during the hearing were representatives from Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Secretary Jesus Dureza, Defense Undersecretary for Defense Operations Cesar Yano, BTC Commissioner Maisara Dandamun-Latiph, among others.

During the hearing, Dureza expressed gratitude to the Senate for starting the discussions of the BBL despite adjourning its session last week.

Latiph assured that the BBL is not meant to separate the Bangsamoro from the rest of the country but it simply meant “accepting the diversity of people existing in this country.”

“We are willing to be identified as Filipino and as a Bangsamoro,” Latiph said noting that it would also address the alienation the Bangsamoro people feel.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon pointed out that this is the third time the Congress is attempting to pass the BBL. It may be recalled that the last BBL failed to pass in the 16th Congress.

Drilon, meanwhile, suggested adopting comments made in the 16th Congress to save time.

Senator Loren Legarda, chair of the Senate committee on finance, meanwhile asked Zubiri to also hold a “finance-focused meeting” so give true autonomy to Filipinos in the South.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier called for the passage of the BBL in his second state of the nation (SONA) last July and again during the first BBL assembly in November.

It was also Duterte who asked Congress to hold a special session to discuss the passage of the BBL.

He said that the BBL would help correct “the fundamental issue of historical injustice.”

Zubiri said that hearings on the BBL would resume on the third week of January. (PNA)