Bongbong Marcos: BBL not yet dead but in a coma due to Mamasapano clash

For Senator Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr, the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law is not yet dying but it is in coma due to the still unclear events surrounding the Mamasapano clash that left 44 Special Action Force commandos dead.

 

“I don’t know about dying, but it is in a coma dahil tigil lahat eh. All the legislative processes has been stopped,” Marcos told reporters Wednesday.

 

He said the BBL could only be revived when the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) had regained trust of the public.

 

“Maaalala nyo yung BBL tayu-tayong lang ang nag-uusap tungkol dyan eh, ngayon buong bansa pinaguusapan ang BBL, pinag-uusapan ang peace process, pinag-uusapan ang MILF,” he said. 

 

“The general sentiment eh dahil nga out of sympathy with our policemen, eh bakit natin itutuloy yan eh yung ka-negotiate natin eh ganito ang ginagawa. Kaya that’s something that we have to regain that trust of the people kasi kahit na suportado ng mga legislator kung ayaw ng taumbayan eh hindi magsa-succeed yan,” the senator added.

 

He said given the present situation, the BBL will not get favorable vote from lawmakers.

 

“Kausap ko ang ating counterparts sa House at ganun din ang kanilang assessment. Ang assessment nila kahit anong klaseng BBL ang isalang ngayon pag nagbotohan dyan talo yan, hindi makakalusot. Emotions are running high and it is against the MILF because of the atrocities committed against our policemen,” he said. 

 

While the fate of BBL is hanging, Marcos stressed that he has not given up on the peace process.

 

“Delikado talaga ang status ng BBL…pero ang pananaw ko sa aking role dito ay hindi lamang sa BBL kundi peace process. I have not given up on the peace process,” he said. 

 

In a separate interview, Senator Loren Legarda said she also would "never give up on the peace process.”

 

“I will never give up with our communist rebel brothers, I will never give up on our Muslim brothers but someone should be held accountable, dapat may managot, dapat managot yung mga nag-coddle kay Marwan,” she said. 

 

Marcos reiterated the importance of MILF peace panel chairman Mohagher Iqbal in the hearings to shed light on the incident and the  letter sent to the Senate that the MILF is still a revolutionary organization despite signing a peace agreement with the government. 

 

“The provocative statement was totally unnecessary, it doesn’t help the peace process at all. Sana nagpaliwanag na lang ang chairman kung bakit hindi siya nakarating, that would have been sufficient. This is extremely provocative. Eh marami na nga umaayaw sa BBL eh papano ngayon natin ipagpapatuloy ang peace process kung parang nanduduro pa,” he said. —NB, GMA News