SENATOR Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Tuesday Congress would likely pass the proposed Basic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region if the House could muster a quorum to tackle its own version of the bill.
Marcos, chairman of the Senate committee on local governments, said he was ready to answer his colleague’s questions on the BLBAR as the Senate would resume its deliberations on the bill this week.
“The deliberations on the BLBAR in the House had been stalled because of a lack of quorum. Now, if they can muster a quorum to proceed with their discussions, it may be possible to pass the bill before our session ends,” Marcos said.
House ad hoc committee chairman Rufus Rodriguez admitted that, because of the coming elections, many lawmakers preferred to spend most of their time in their respective districts.
Earlier, Marcos said the Senate would try to pass the BLBAR within the remaining session days of Congress.
“We are still in the period of interpellation, but after that we will take up the amendments that the other senators will propose. Then we will vote on it and pass it,” Marcos said.
“I think the substitute bill that I wrote, once it has been properly amended by the senators, should pass.”
Marcos said he had no control over the length of the interpellations, but he remained confident the Senate could speed up their deliberations on the measure that is meant to bring peace to Muslim Mindanao.
“The peace process cannot end. We cannot allow it to end. We must continue to find a way to bring peace to Muslim Mindanao,” he said.
Senate President Franklin Drilon said there was still a chance that the Bangsamoro law would be passed in the Senate, but he could not speak for the House.