By Rey E. Requejo, The Standard

 

THE Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed a petition assailing the legality of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law being deliberated in Congress, but recognized two suits seeking to declare as unconstitutional the two peace agreements signed by the government with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

 

In Malacañang, deputy presidential spokeswoman Abigail Valte said they agreed with the high court’s decision dismissing the petition seeking to declare the BBL unconstitutional.

 

“We tend to agree with the Supreme Court. The bill is not even law yet and is undergoing the legislative process still,” Valte said in a text message to reporters.

 

The high court, meeting as a whole, dismissed the petition submitted last month by a Rolando Mijares for being premature.

 

High court spokesman Theodore Te said the high court ruled that there was no issue yet on the BBL because Congress had not yet passed it. Moreover, the petition was also un-docketed, meaning the petitioner was not able to pay the filing fees.

 

But the high court took cognizance of two petitions seeking to void the agreement forged by the government with the MILF for the proposed creation of a Bangsamoro entity.

 

Te said the tribunal ordered the government to answer the separate petitions of the Philippine Constitution Association  through its president, Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, and former Negros Oriental Rep. Jacinto Paras assailing the constitutionality of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro or CAB and the  Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro or FAB and its annexes.

 

The high court ordered the respondents former government peace panel chief and now Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, chief peace negotiator Miriam Coronel Ferrer, MILF peace panel head Mohagher Iqbal, Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, and the Commission on Audit to submit their respective comments on the petition and the application for a temporary restraining order.

 

They were given 10 days to comply with the order.

 

In its petition last week, Philconsa argued that the government peace panel committee committed a grave abuse of discretion in signing the FAB and CAB on Oct. 12, 2012, and March 27, 2014, respectively.

 

Romualdez aside, the other petitioners are former Senator Francisco Tatad, Archbishops Ramon Arguelles, Fernando Capalla and Romulo de la Cruz and former National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales. With Sandy Araneta