Bicam drops anti-dynasty provision in BBL

The Senate panel in the ongoing Bicameral Conference Committee hearings on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) dropped the anti-political dynasty provision from its version of the landmark measure yesterday.

This was confirmed by House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas in a message to House reporters on the second day of the Bicam meetings.

It appeared that members of the House panel pointed out to their Senate counterparts that Section 15, Article VII, of Senate Bill (SB) No.1717 (Senate’s version of the BBL) violated the equal protection clause of the 1987 Constitution.

The particular provision on prohibition states that “No Party Representative should be related within the second (2nd) civil degree of consanguinity or affinity to a District Representative or another Party Representative in the same Parliament.”

“It was dropped by the Senate after we cited the flaws of the provision that violates the equal protection clause of the Constitution,” Fariñas said.

“We...called the Senate’s attention to the constitutional infirmity of the prohibition as crafted. The Senate panel decided to remove it from their bill; hence, there was no conflicting provision that we had to reconcile on the matter,” he added.

According to the Majority Leader, the provision violates the equal protection clause since it applies only to a party representative (PR) and not to a district representative (DR).

“[It] applies only to elective officials of the proposed region to the exclusion of all other elective officials of country,” Fariñas further said.

Moreover, the House official said the prohibition would disqualify the second civil degree relatives by affinity of a PR “but not the same people with whom such PR is cohabiting or living in without the benefit of marriage.”

He noted that Muslims are allowed to have up to four spouses.