SENATOR Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has vowed not to waste time, once the draft Bangsamoro basic Law (BBL) reached the Senate, to fast-track its approval.
Marcos, chair of the Senate committee on local government, assured he would commence hearings as soon as the Senate receives the document.
"The minute it is passed to us, we will immediately meet and put out for ourselves a schedule so that we don't waste any time. I think in the Senate, kasi iilan lang kami, we can always figure out an accelerated hearing schedule," he said.
He said he and Senate President Franklin Drilon agreed to immediately sit down and sort out the best way to expedite the process for the bill.
"Papaspasan ko ito the minute it gets in. 'Yun ang pinag-usapan namin ni Senate President (Drilon) na the minute it gets here, mag-uusap na kami para we map out how we do it...With the budget (deliberation), kahit ipasa (ang BBL) sa Congress today, mahirap matapos by the end of the year," Marcos said.
He added: "Baka sa first quarter (of 2015) kaya, pero sa end of the year, palagay ko nalampasan na natin 'yung deadline na 'yun because 'yung budget gumigitna."
Marcos said most of the committee hearings will be conducted in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (Armm).
"Most of the hearings will be conducted in the present Armm areas. We have to conduct hearings there," he said.