Palace to Senate: No pressure on BBL

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque answers questions in a briefing held at Malacañang on Monday, Nov. 6, 2017. (Photo by JOAN BONDOC / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

No pressure.

This was the message of Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque to senators who had said passing the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) before the year ends would be impossible given all the major measures the Congress is set to pass in December.

“I don’t want to pressure Congress right now but I think they have received the message that this is one of the top priorities of the administration,” Roque said in a press briefing on Tuesday.

While stressing the importance of the BBL, Roque said that President Rodrigo Duterte did not limit the measure’s passage within the year or the remaining part of December.

“He [Duterte] didn’t say naman when he will actually call for the special session. He only emphasized that if need be, he will call Congress for a special session,” Roque said.

“In fact, the Bangsamoro bill is still at the committee level at the House ‘no. So we expect that we have time for Congress to discuss the BBL,” he added.

Duterte said on Monday that he would ask the Congress to hold a special session to discuss the long-awaited measure.

“I will work very hard for it. I will ask Congress to a special session just to hear you talk about this in Congress,” Duterte said in a speech in Sultan Kudarat.

Senate leaders thumbed down on Tuesday the idea of passing the BBL, saying that the Senate has no more time to hold such session before it goes on Christmas break on December 15.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said the upper house is rushing the approval of the 2018 national budget as well as the tax reform measure./je