Drilon: BBL not dead yet

The proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) “is not yet dead,” said Senate President Franklin Drilon even after Congress adjourned Wednesday without passing it.

This, despite the earlier statement of Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., chairman of the Senate committee on local governments, that the BBL might be passed in the next administration due to time constraints.

READ: BBL passage under Aquino admin? Not likely, says Marcos

But Drilon said BBL deliberations will continue when Congress resumes its sessions on January 18. The bill is pending at the plenary of the Senate and the House.

“No, it’s not yet dead,” he said during the weekly “Kapihan sa Senado.”

He said he and Marcos shared a common belief that there was no “serious objection” on the bill in the Senate.

“There are a lot of interpellations for clarifications, maybe amendments when there are doubts on the constitutionality but we don’t see any effort to block it,” the Senate leader said.

READ: BBL is dead, says Bongbong Marcos

But if the BBL is not passed before the 16th Congress ends, then Drilon said it would have to be debated again in the next Congress.

Asked about the implications of the non-passage of the BBL, Drilon said: “We just continue to hope that the peace process as a process will continue even if the BBL could be delayed in its approval.” CDG