12 senators back need for BBL to be ‘substantially revised’

Senate of the Philippines. Inset Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS

At least 12 senators are supporting the view that the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) should be “substantially revised” to withstand legal scrutiny before the Supreme Court, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago said on Wednesday.

Santiago, chair of the Senate committee on constitutional amendment and revision of codes, said the 12 senators, herself included, signed a report of her committee, which she transmitted to the committee on local government being headed by Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. His committee is the primary body which has been deliberating the BBL.

READ: BBL needs Charter change, says Senate report

Aside from Santiago, the other senators who signed the report were Marcos, Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, Sonny Angara, Teofisto Guingona III, Gringo Honasan, Lito Lapid, Cynthia Villar, detained Senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, and two ex-officio members—Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto and Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano.

Santiago said the 12 signatories represent an overwhelming majority of the committee composed of 14 members.

The two other members who did not sign were Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, who was out of the country, and detained Senator Juan Ponce Enrile. Enrile’s staff member said he did not sign because he has not studied the matter fully.

“By affixing their signatures in the committee report, senators are agreeing with the conclusion that the present BBL draft is essentially unconstitutional. I expect that more of my colleagues will adopt the same view on the Senate floor,” Santiago said in a statement.

The committee report said that if approved in its present form, the draft BBL will be challenged in the Supreme Court for doubts on its constitutionality, particularly on issues of sovereignty, autonomy, the creation of a sub-state, and territorial integrity.

READ: Santiago: BBL sure to be challenged in SC

“The Bangsamoro Basic Law has much merit, but its promulgation requires constitutional amendment or revision; mere legislation will not suffice, and will spark Supreme Court litigation,” said the report, which was released to the media last week.

Santiago’s committee came out with the report after conducting two public hearings on the BBL. Resource persons included presidential adviser on the peace process Teresita Quintos Deles, government chief negotiator Miriam Coronel Ferrer, and Moro Islamic Liberation Front leaders.

Santiago also sought during the hearings the opinion of former Supreme Court Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban, former Justices Florentino Feliciano and Vicente Mendoza, former UP Law Dean Merlin Magallona and other experts.

She said her committee report will either be consolidated with the reports of the committee on local government and the committee on peace, unification, and reconciliation, or adopted as an individual report. Either way, she said, it is expected to form the basis of plenary debates.

“Newspapers have predicted that the report of my committee will slow down Senate proceedings on the BBL draft. If so, then the report would have served its purpose. We need to consider the BBL with caution, not with haste,” Santiago said. IDL