“Mabuti po ‘yon kasi maganda din po na nagkaroon sila ng ganitong exchange because the government is always open to explain [the] contents of the agreement,” she said in an interview on state-run dzRB radio.
“Hopefully, matuloy po ‘yung pag-uusap ni Senator Santiago at ni Ma’am [Miriam Coronel-]Ferrer para mapakita kung ano ho ‘yung mga proseso at ano ho ‘yung annexes, ‘yung mga nilalaman nung Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro [CAB],” she added.
Asked to comment on Santiago’s claim that the historic peace agreement is unconstitutional, Valte said: “Should there be a challenge to it in the Supreme Court, siyempre, lahat po tayo ay umaasa na maa-uphold po ‘yung constitutionality nung CAB.”
Earlier, Senator Santiago said the peace agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front on the Bangsamoro violates the 1987 Constitution because it creates a “substate.”
Senator Santiago chairs the Senate committee on constitutional amendments.
“The Bangsamoro Agreement appear(s) to facilitate the secession of the Bangsamoro from our country, in a manner similar to the secession of Kosovo and Crimea,” Santiago told graduates of the Gordon College on Wednesday.
Last week, the Philippine government and the MILF signed a comprehensive peace pact that is expected to end the decades-long armed conflict in Mindanao.
However, government peace negotiators have insisted the peace agreement with the MILF was done in accordance with the 1987 Constitution.
But Sen. Santiago said the final peace deal violates the principle of “constitutional supremacy” due to a provision empowering the Bangsamoro Transition Commission “to work on proposals to amend the Philippine Constitution for the purpose of accommodating and entrenching in the [Charter] the agreements of the Parties.”
“Say again? What? The agreement embodies the consent of the executive branch to amend the Philippine Constitution, in order to accommodate the agreement!” she said.
Moreover, the senator said the executive branch may have “misrepresented” the Philippine government when it entered into an agreement with the MILF.
“The executive branch, in negotiating the agreement had no power to bind the two other branches – legislative and judicial. In negotiating for the government, I am afraid that the executive branch not only exceeded its powers, but may have infringed upon the powers of the legislative branch,” she said.
On the other hand, Ferrer was earlier quoted as saying she and other members of the government peace panel will seek a meeting with Santiago and other legislators “to extensively discuss the different provisions” of the peace agreement. — Amanda Fernandez /LBG, GMA News
