MANILA, March 5 (PNA) — The Palace said on Thursday that 14 members of the 1986 Constitutional Commission have agreed that the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) follows the 1987 Constitution’s provisions on human development and social justice.
“Ayon sa pahayag ng 14 na miyembro ng Constitutional Commission na bumuo ng 1987 Constitution, naninindigan sila na ang inihaing BBL na batay sa FAB (Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro) at CAB (Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro) ay tumatalima sa probisyon ng 1987 Constitution sa dalawang mahalagang aspeto, namely, human development at social justice,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. told reporters during a press briefing in Malacañang.
Addressing lawmakers’ doubts on the constitutionality of the BBL, Secretary Coloma explained that those who crafted the proposed law made sure that it abides by the Constitution.
“Nais nating sabihin at ulitin na isa sa mahalagang batayang prinsipyo ng pamahalaan sa pagbuo at pagsulong ng Bangsamoro Basic Law ay ang pagtiyak na ito ay tumatalima sa mga probisyon ng Saligang Batas. Ang mga katanungan hinggil sa constitutionality ng draft BBL ay inumpisahan nang matalakay sa idinaos na iba’t ibang konsultasyon at public hearings tungkol dito,” he said.
Coloma noted that according to the 14 Constitutional Commission members, “The core principle of the 1987 Constitution in mandating a special status for the autonomous regions is the human development of the people of Muslim Mindanao and the Cordilleras. Hence, the public conversation should not be about semantics but about people — their needs, their aspirations, their choices — and about empowering them with the environment and institutional framework for social justice. Social justice that calls for genuine social change is the central theme of the 1987 Constitution; and here, it is broader in scope and intent than in the 1973 and the 1935 Constitutions.”
The 14 former members of the ConCom fully support the creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, noting that the “Bangsamoro can be a model for us to do the same for the rest of the country and thereby build together a more just and peaceful nation,” the Palace official said.
Last January, 14 of the 18 surviving former members of the 1986 Constitutional Commission forged a consensus on the issue of the Bangsamoro.
They are Felicitas Aquino-Arroyo, Adolfo S. Azcuna, Teodoro C. Bacani, Joaquin G. Bernas, Florangel Rosario Braid, Hilario G. Davide Jr., Edmundo G. Garcia, Jose Luis Martin C. Gascon, Christian S. Monsod, Ricardo J. Romulo, Rene V. Sarmiento, Jaime S.L. Tadeo, Wilfrido V. Villacorta, and Bernardo M. Villegas. (PNA)