BBL plenary debates ‘unresponsive, insensitive,’ says solon
A lawmaker on Friday expressed disappointment over the ongoing plenary debates on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law in the House of Representatives, saying “unresponsive” answers from the bill’s sponsors showed the measure was not carefully studied in the committee level.
Buhay party-list Rep. Lito Atienza said no clear responses were coming from his colleagues when being asked to explain why certain provisions of the BBL were approved.
“The answers were not responsive. We were asking for enlightenment but they don’t want to answer,” Atienza said in an interview with dzIQ Radyo Inquirer 990AM. “If the debate is going to be like this, we’re wasting our time.”
“It only shows that they approved BBL in the committee level without thoroughly discussing, debating and studying it,” he added.
Atienza said the proposed law creating a new Bangsamoro entity in Mindanao was not at its best version yet, as the sponsors themselves could not defend controversial provisions.
“It appears that they are trying to make us look dumb here,” he said. “We are asking questions because we want to learn more about it.”
The former Manila mayor called some of his colleagues “insensitive,” which he said was a reflection of the state of the administration.
“If things will go on like this, then it would be very clear that they are rushing BBL’s passage,” he said.
Just a few days before the adjournment of Congress on June 11, Atienza said it would be impossible for the lower chamber to pass the BBL, as more than 20 lawmakers were yet to raise questions.
“If we are going to follow the fair and appropriate way of discussion, if we are going to follow the right process of crafting laws, BBL won’t make it before June 11 because we are just at the fourth out of 31 congressmen set to debate,” he said.
On Wednesday, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said he was hopeful the interpellation would be finished within two weeks, adding the chamber had allotted three extra days for the debates.
READ: BBL on track for House OK–Belmonte
The 91-page bill, which seeks to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, is set to be put to a final vote by the 289-strong chamber after the plenary debates. With Sheen Limbo/RC
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