Drilon worries over parliamentary system in proposed BBL

“We have failed to develop a strong political party system.”

This was the sentiment of Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon as he stressed on Tuesday the crucial role of political parties in the parliamentary type of government being proposed in the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).

“This is the fact we have to face. We have failed to develop a strong political party system which is essential in a parliamentary system of government,” Drilon said during the 5th joint committee hearing of the Senate on the proposed BBL.

“If we keep on changing our political party, the scenario of a ‘no confidence vote’ is always a possibility,” he added.

The proposed BBL seeks to establish a parliamentary form of government in Mindanao, replacing the existing Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Earlier, Senate subcommittee chair on BBL, Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, explained that under the draft BBL, the new Bangsamoro government would consist of 80 members of the parliament.

Fifty percent of the parliament would be comprised of party representatives, 40 percent district or geographical representatives, while the remaining 10 percent would be composed of sectoral representatives.

Reacting to Drilon’s concerns, retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Adolfo Azcuna pointed out that the ARMM have been practicing the parliamentary type of government, so it should not be considered an “oddity.”

Drilon even made a reference on the recent activities of the ruling political party, Partido Demokratiko Pilipino Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).

“We witnessed that in contemporary political scene, you know just to make a reference, the Inquirer cited the changing political scene in Iloilo because all those who attended the Dinagyang festival were suddenly members of the political party,” he said.

At this point, he asked Azcuna whether a parliamentary system would work for Mindanao.

“I think, to start, we should give a chance to our friends in the proposed Bangsamoro to prove themselves because this is what they’ve been practicing,” Azcuna answered.

“Secondly, we should begin somewhere… I think, as the late Senator Diokno used to say, we have to start now if we want to get somewhere. I think we should give them a chance to prove themselves, if necessary let us let them make mistakes necessary in the beginning in order to learn.”

“But this is not an argument against the system and its constitutionality, and I’m still in favor of allowing such system (BBL),” he added.

Drilon then suggested if the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC), which drafted the BBL, could look into the possibility of adding a provision that “will address that weak party system, in order for parliamentary system to work.”

Senators and leaders of the existing ARMM are convinced that the BBL would help address the longstanding issues in the southern region, specifically their issues on peace, self-determination, and injustice.                    /kga