BBL remains useful in achieving peace in Mindanao – Marcos

MANILA – The proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) may have contained infirmities but it remains useful in achieving peace in Mindanao, Senator Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. said on Tuesday.”I think the BBL remains useful,” Marcos said when, during media interview, asked if the proposed law deserved to be rejected since it contains provisions that are unconstitutional.Marcos explained to the media that his Senate committee on local government continued to hold public hearings in order to iron out problematic provisions of the BBL.”We have to consult more stakeholders so that we will be able to get more inputs that would make this bill a better one and so that I will be able to answer the questions once it reaches the plenary here in the Senate,” Marcos said.During Tuesday’s public hearings, government peace negotiating team member Senen Bacani admitted the BBL is not a perfect legislation to achieve the lasting peace in Mindanao.”But it is the first step towards achieving our goal of peace and development in the region,” Bacani said.Senator Ralph Recto said a national plebiscite should decide the fate of the BBL since share from the taxes of all Filipinos will be provided to the Bangsamoro government.”If you create a regional government, it’s an additional cost, not to the Bangsamoro people, but to people outside of Bangsamoro, because they are the ones paying for it,” Recto said.Recto said a lot of money had already been wasted when we created the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).If passed into law, a Bangsamoro government will replace the ARMM.Recto said it’s possible that when the BBL is passed by Congress and it gathered majority support in a plebiscite in ARMM, another armed group will come out and declare that they do not recognize the newly created regional government.Asked by Recto on what guarantee that Mindanao will achieve peace after spending billions of pesos, Bacani repliedand ‘no guarantee.’For his part, Marcos said he would ensure the Bangsamoro police that would be created under the proposed BBL won’t turn into anybody’s private army.Marcos pointed out that concerns were raised on the provision of the draft BBL giving the Bangsamoro Chief Minister the power of operational control and supervision” over the Bangsamoro police not granted to any other local government official.Under the draft BBL, the Bangsamoro police will be headed by a Bangsamoro Police Director who will have two deputies. All these officials will be selected by the Chief Minister”.Police Officers I to Senior Police Officer IV, as well as other personnel for the Bangsamoro police will be appointed by the Bangsamoro Police Director.To address these concerns Marcos said the committee plans to introduce explicit provision in the BBL not only to clarify the role of the Bangsamoro Chief Minister in the police chain of command, but also the requirements in the hiring of Bangsamoro police.One way to do this, according to Marcos, is to harmonize BBL provisions on Bangsamoro police with that of Republic Act No. 6975 (An Act Establishing the Philippine National Police Under a Reorganized Department of Interior and Local Government).Senator Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero said the October deadline to pass the BBL is not enough, the lawmakers needs more time to scrutinize and identify the necessary revisions and adjustments needed by the BBL. I honestly don’t know if a deadline is doable, we also have to factor in the bicameral approval. Again I am not a believer in deadlines when it comes to a very important piece of legislation,” Escudero said. What is important is the BBL will be based on the Constitution,” he added.Marcos said his committee might conduct at least two more public hearings, including one scheduled on Wednesday for the local officials of the areas to be covered by the Bangsamoro government. (PNA)CTB/JFM