Senate, House leaders agree to pass Bangsamoro law by year-end

Senate President Franklin Drilon. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA,  Philippines – Leaders of the Senate and the House of Representatives have agreed to pass the  Bangsamoro basic law  before the  year ends,   Senate  President  Franklin  Drilon  announced on Thursday.

Drilon said the agreement was reached after the Senate leadership met with  its counterparts in the House led by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte.

“All of us agreed that the enactment of the Bangsamoro basic law should be made by the end of this year, by the end of December 2014. That is our target…”  the Senate leader  said after  a closed-door meeting  with the Bangsamoro Transition Commission led by Mohagher Iqbal.

Secretary  Teresita “Ging” Deles,  presidential adviser on peace process,  and  Senator Teofisto Guingona III, chairman of the Senate committee on peace, also attended the meeting.

During the meeting, Drilon said  the  Transition Commission  committed to  submit its first draft of the basic law by March 31, 2014.

He said the Senate will then wait for  the administration’s version of  the law  , which  the chamber expects to receive   in the first week of May.

Drilon  pointed out that the crafting of the law would not require an amendment to the  Constitution.

“We emphasize to the Transition Commission that the Bangsamoro Basic Law BL should  be within the four corners of the Constitution. That’s  the commitment of the President…that there will be no  Constitutional amendments necessary,” he said.

“We’re not to saying the Bangsamo people can’t advocate for Charter change. What we’re  just saying is that the basic law is not the avenue through which the amendments can be done  because Congress in a debate  on the basic law can’t propose amendments to the Constitution. We are limited on the four corners of the Constitution,” he pointed out.

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