Zubiri: BBL 99% finished

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri on Saturday said the consolidated version of the Bangsamoro Basic Law is now at 99 percent, but noted the bicameral conference committee still have a few things to finalize.

“99 percent na po ang achievements namin. May mga one percent pa na hindi pa namin natatapos,” Zubiri told DWIZ.

(Our achievements are now at 99 percent. We still have around 1 percent that remains unfinished.)

Over the previous days, the panel has been trying to harmonize the Senate and the House of Representatives’ separate versions of the law that would replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Zubiri, also the co-chair of the bicameral panel, however, noted that they didn’t want to rush the consolidated version of the BBL.

“Hindi po namin pwedeng madaliin ito dahil ito po ay magiging Konstitusyon (We cannot rush this because it will be the Constitution),” the Senator said.

“Tinitingnan po namin lahat ng articles to make sure na wala po kaming maling nailagay,” he added.

(We are looking at all the articles to make sure we don’t put anything wrong.)

Zubiri further noted the panel has asserted the two versions of the BBL equally.

“Kaya nga tumagal tayo, sinisigurado po namin na constitutionally compliant po siya [BBL],” he said.

(That’s why it took us long because we are making sure the BBL is constitutionally compliant.)

READ: Zubiri: I tried to push for BBL that complies with gov’t-MILF agreement