Marcos urges MILF: Be flexible on BBL

Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Sunday said he was prepared to defend his substitute bill on a proposed Bangsamoro entity that will replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and urged the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to exercise flexibility.

The Senate begins Monday floor debates on the substitute bill for the Palace’s proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) that Marcos’ committee had submitted to the Senate floor.

In an interview with Radyo Inquirer, Marcos expressed hope that the measure would be approved before the October deadline for candidates to file their certificates of candidacy for the ARMM regional legislative assembly whose election would be held simultaneously with the May 2016 national and local elections.

The Bangsamoro charter to be crafted by the Senate and the House of Representatives would abolish the ARMM and set up a substate envisioned under a peace agreement hammered out last year between the Aquino administration and the MILF.

Speaking to Radyo Inquirer, Marcos said he believed the Senate debates would be “smooth sailing” as the substitute bill was very detailed.

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“That’s why I could possibly answer questions on the amendments and changes made there,” he said.

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He said the MILF was seeking to meet with senators—the same way it did with House counterparts—but there was no definite schedule as of now.

Asked what the government would do if the MILF rejected the new version, he said this would be up to the government and the MILF negotiating panels.

What the Congress and Senate can do is to make sure discussions are complete and detailed so people can understand why the changes have to be made in the Palace bill, he said.

Marcos expressed hope that he would be given the chance to explain the changes and that “our partners in the peace process could be flexible— not pushing to accept only the original draft.”

“Otherwise, we cannot do anything. What will happen after that is really up to the two parties, the Philippine government and the MILF,” he said.

Marcos said his committee would provide research materials used in making the substitute bill to explain the changes but added that it was “impossible” to say when the debates in the Senate would be completed.

Fourteen senators have registered for the interpellation, Marcos said. “I think almost all the senators will ask questions,” he said.

Even if the proposed BBL is not passed after October, lawmakers will include a provision that will allow a smooth transition of elected ARMM members to the new Bangsamoro autonomous region.

Marcos said he was saddened by reports that the MILF had dubbed his substitute bill a “a man without a soul” because the changes constituted more than 100 percent.

“I’m sorry that was their view on what I did. But I only did what I think is needed to make the bill legal and we also fixed the problems in the original draft,” he said.

Marcos said the committee could not retain proposed provisions in the original draft that he said were unconstitutional.

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