Senate rushes interpellation on former BBL

With only five session days to go, the Senate may complete interpellations on the much delayed Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (BAR) bill before Congress goes on a nearly one month break starting Oct. 9.

Senate President Franklin Drilon said Monday he was trying his best but could only “do so much” to push the measure that seeks to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao with a Bangsamoro region.

Drilon told reporters that the interpellations on the BAR was “number one on our agenda.”

“Nobody can assure anything. We’ll keep working on it, and we’ll keep on talking to the senators,” he said.

Congress is set to go on recess on Oct. 9, return on Nov. 3 and work until Dec. 18 before going on the Christmas and New Year break.

It looks like the upper chamber may just be able to complete the interpellations next week.

Drilon said that only Senators Vicente Sotto III and Juan Ponce Enrile were left to interpellate on the BAR, formerly the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

Sotto had been posing questions on the measure since last week. Enrile, on the other hand, is on sick leave.

“Sotto just manifested that he hopes to finish by Wednesday (Sept. 30). If Enrile is well, we will reserve sessions on Oct. 5, 6 and 7 for his interpellation,” Drilon said.

Sen. Ferdinand Marcos, who is chair of the Senate local government committee and is defending the BAR, said the chamber might just finish the interpellations before Oct. 9.

While initially a number of senators had manifested their intention to interpellate the BAR, Marcos said some eventually decided to just consolidate their interpellations with other senators.

Marcos was hopeful the Senate would approve the measure before the Dec. 18 holiday break.

He said that while the approval of the P3-trillion national budget for 2016 would be the priority of the Senate when it returns on Nov. 3, there may be time for the senators to complete deliberations on the BAR before Dec. 18.

Malacañang and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front have been pushing Congress to approve the BAR before President Aquino steps down in July next year.—Christine O. Avendaño