Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri expects that once the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) is signed into law, it would be questioned before the Supreme Court (SC) as some political clans and groups allegedly want to derail the BBL.
“I am sure may magpa-file laban dito sa Korte Supreme pag napirmahan na. I’m sure about it because there are political clans who want this derailed. There are certain groups that don’t want to see this approved because this would change the landscape in the autonomous region,” Zubiri said at the weekly Kapihan sa Senado forum on Thursday.
Zubiri, chairman of the Senate subcommittee on the BBL, earlier defended the anti-political dynasty provision they included in their BBL version, or Senate Bill 1717.
Under their proposal, political families up to the second degree of consanguinity would be banned from holding any position in the Bangsamoro parliament, he said.
READ: Zubiri defends anti-political dynasty provision under Senate’s version of BBL
Zubiri said this would empower more party-lists to take roles in the government and advocate for good governance.
He also stressed the importance of a constitutionally sound final version of the BBL before President Rodrigo Duterte signs it into law on July 23.
“That is why mahalaga po yung final outcome ay constitutionally compliant kasi kung hindi, ma-strike down sya,” he said, noting that another failure to pass the BBL could lead to conflict.
“Kung ma-strike ito ng SC talagang magkakagulo dahil ito po ang huling hakbang ng gobyerno sa comprehensive agreement of the Bangsamoro, which is the peace agreement para i-surrender ng MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) ang kanilang armas at magde-commission and sign ng final peace agreement with the government,” Zubiri explained.
“Kung hindi natin ito ma-comply at ma-strike down ito ng SC magkaka-problema po tayo sa kapayapaan sa Mindanao,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, the senator also dispelled claims that the that the Senate version they passed on final reading, which seeks to abolish the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), was “watered-down.”
“They’re complaining its watered-down, I don’t think its watered-down. What we approved is a stronger version than the autonomous region,” he said, citing provisions on the block grant, territorial jurisdiction and parliamentary mode of governance were retained in the bill. /vvp
READ: House version of BBL measure disappoints Muslim groups