Fireworks on the Floor?

After a few weeks' delay, the Senate committee on local government headed by Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has finally come up with a substitute Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL). As much as 80 percent of the original Bangsamoro bill was “touched,” but its “original intent” was “very much preserved,” Marcos said. As such, he said, the bill   “will establish a strong mechanism for peace in Mindanao.”

      

At the outset, the substitute bill emphasizes the asymmetric relationship between the national government and the Bangsamoro regional government: “Within its territorial geographical area and subject to the provisions of the 1987 Philippine Constitution and national laws, the Bangsamoro regional government in the exercise of its right to self-governance is free to pursue its economic, social and cultural development.”

      

Apart from recognizing the Bangsamoro region's  diverse culture and identity, the proposed bill gives the autonomous region more powers and less intervention from the national government as compared to other territorial and political subdivisions.

      

But when the senators begin deliberations on the proposed bill, we can expect staunch opposition to some of its provisions. For example, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano is staunchly against a block grant because he said it could give the leaders of the Bangsamoro region wide discretion in using the funds. It’s good if the money would be used to build schools and hospitals, but what if the taxpayers' money is used to buy weapons? It's a valid concern that should be cleared up. 

      

Let's give the senators and other stakeholders enough time to discuss the substitute BBL. It's much better to have noisy fireworks on the Senate floor instead of intense exchange of gunfire in the battlefield. -End-

Image by: philstar.com