Press Release
February 11, 2016

Sen. Marcos to PNoy: It's the process, Mr. President

VICE presidential candidate Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos Jr. today said President Aquino may need enlightenment on the process on lawmaking in order to understand why the bill creating a Bangsamoro autonomous region was not passed.

Marcos, chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Government who sponsored the Basic Law for Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (BLBAR), his substitute bill to the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) of Malacañang, was reacting to reports that the President alleged that two senators had conspired to block the passage of the BBL.

Although the President did not name names, it was quite obvious that he was referring to Senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Marcos.

"Siguro mayroon dapat ipaliwanag kay Pangulo na ang BBL na dine-deliberate naming batas, 'yun ay batas na local application. Ibig sabihin, pang-local na batas. Ang rules namin kapag local application kailangan hintayin matapos sa House of Representatives bago namin puwedeng iboto (o pagbotohan sa Senado)," he said in an interview with Mike Enriquez during the program "Ikaw na ba? The Vice Presidential Interview" over radio dzBB.

He said like the process for passage of the yearly national budget, the Senate could not vote on the bill if the House of Representatives has not yet finished on its version and transmitted it to the Senate.

The BLBAR was in the period of intepellation with Enrile propounding questions to Marcos when Congress adjourned last February 5. Congressmen also failed to approve their version.

Marcos said despite the failure to enact the proposed measure, the peace process must still continue as he lauded Mohagher Iqbal, chief negotiator of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, for saying that they will continue the peace process.

"Suportado ko ang proseso ng kapayapaan, suportado ko ang Basic Law on Bangsamoro Autonomous Region. At sa palagay ko kailangan ipagpatuloy ang proseso na ito," he said.

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