While the Bangsamoro Basic Law is now considered dead in the
16th Congress, the peace agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front still
holds, Senate President Franklin Drilon said on Monday.
After he and Speaker
Feliciano Belmonte declared the BBL dead under the Aquino administration,
Drilon said the next president should continue the peace process with the MILF.
“We cannot finish the BBL by the time we adjourn on Wednesday, but that does
not mean that the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro is dead,"
Drilon said.
"I think it is to the national interest that whoever is the
next president should pursue the peace process,” he added.
Asked if the Senate
could tackle the BBL when Congress resumes its session on May 23, Drilon said
he could not say for certain as it would be resuming as the National Board of
Canvassers.
“Whether or not we can resume sessions for purposes of the bills
that are pending is beyond me to predict at this point,” Drilon said.
He said
the BBL was still on the agenda but only for the purpose of finishing the
period of interpellations.
“Right now, the parliamentary status is that Senator
(Juan Ponce) Enrile is availing of the period of interpellation,” he said.
In a
separate interview, Senator Sergio Osmeña III said Monday the next
administration should take charge of the BBL.
“I think the peace process is
never dead. That peace process has been going on since my lolo’s time and we
will continue to find a way to bring about peace in Mindanao,” he told
reporters referring to Sergio Osmeña Sr., the fourth president of the Philippines
The senator said Congress’ failure to pass BBL was a personal disappointment
for the President.
“Mamasapano (incident) got in the way. Mamasapano triggered
a very strong emotional reaction from the Filipino people and the people of
Mindanao,” he said, referring to the operation of Special Action Force
commandos to take down Malaysia
A total of 44 SAF members were killed
after the commandos neutralized Marwan in known MILF territory on January 25,
2015.
The Senate President indicated on Monday that the next Congress need not
start from scratch as regards the BBL.
Drilon said once Congress adjourns its
session on February 5 and the BBL is not acted upon, the measure may be refiled
in the next Congress and the committee, which will handle it, may consider as
reintroduced all the testimonies of resource persons and materials in the
present Congress.
“It does not have to go through again all those hearings. The
chairman, at his or her discretion, can simply incorporate into the records of
the 17th Congress the proceedings in the 16th Congress,” Drilon said.
“In other
words, there is nothing that will prohibit the chairman of the committee in the
17th Congress to say, ‘We consider all the testimonies in the 16th Congress as
duly incorporated in the proceedings of the 17th Congress’,” he added.
However,
a new member can always ask the committee to conduct a hearing.
“It does not
prevent any new member of the committee to say, 'We would want to hear,’ but as
a process, it is allowed, the matter of incorporating by reference the
proceedings in the 16th Congress,” said Drilon.
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