SENATE President Franklin Drilon said Thursday he would welcome any alternative to the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) as long as it would serve the purpose of achieving peace in Mindanao.
In his privilege speech Wednesday, Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he could not support the draft BBL in its present form and would instead present a substitute bill, which is the result of the hearings conducted by his committee.
Marcos, chairman of Senate local government committee, branded the Palace's draft as "grossly unconstitutional."
Some of the provisions of the draft BBL that run counter to the Constitution, Marcos said, are: BBL provides for a parliamentary form of government within a presidential form of government, BBL seeks to impose limitations to the power of Congress, exclusive powers given to Bangsamoro will diminish sovereignty of the Republic, and BBL has no power to create Bangsamoro territory.
Once Marcos submits a committee report on the draft BBL, Drilon said it would be discussed in the plenary.
Drilon said he would ensure that the proposed law will be thoroughly reviewed and will follow the Constitution.
“We will debate on the substitute bill when it will be submitted to the chamber and we have many common grounds. Number one, it should pass the constitutional test. Number two, it should result in peace in Mindanao. Number three, the national interest should be served,” Drilon said.
“This is something that all senators have agreed upon on,” he added.
Malacañang though is banking on its allies in the Senate for the passage of its version of the BBL.
Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda told reporters that President Benigno Aquino III, who has been on a four-day state visit to Japan, was already informed of the decision of Marcos junking the Palace version.
"As to what we will do, I think we will leave it with our allies in the Senate to do what is proper. We believe that the Bangsamoro Basic Law as drafted is the best course of action," Lacierda said.
While the Palace and Marcos have disagreements on the draft BBL, he insisted that the administration's version would stand scrutiny.
"It has already passed through the House...how the deliberations will take place, we hope that the Senate will be able to come up with a BBL that will be acceptable to all stakeholders," he said.
Lacierda expressed hope that the Senate could immediately approve the bill.
"So we hope at the soonest possible time that the Senate will come up with a BBL that will also move forward in the same manner as the House so that there will be a bicam as soon as possible to iron out the final BBL," he said.
Malacañang has been targeting the passage of the bill this month so that a plebiscite can be held in the envisioned Bangsamoro territory before October, the period for the filing of the certificates of candidacy for 2016 elections.
Asked if the Palace felt that the BBL is now caught between an Aquino and a Marcos, Lacierda said it is not.
"I think Senator Bongbong Marcos has [personally held] beliefs that it is unconstitutional, we believe otherwise," he said.
The President's father, late Senator Benigno Aquino Jr. was a staunch critic of Marcos' father, late President Ferdinand Marcos, who was allegedly behind the assassination of the former lawmaker. (SDR/Sunnex)