SEN. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. yesterday said his proposal to come out with a substitute bill would not mean abandoning the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL). He however said 49 percent of the proposal submitted by the Palace would be changed.“What I’m doing right now is preparing the list of possible amendments. I would like to clarify that the substitute bill contains proposals that are not in the original version of the BBL,” Marcos explained. Marcos said only close to 50 percent of the draft BBL that Malacanang submitted to the Senate would be changed in the committee report he was preparing for the plenary debates after the State of the Nation Address (Sona) of President Aquino next month. “At least 49 percent will be changed. A substitute bill is a list of possible amendments,” said Marcos who chairs the Senate committee on local governments. Marcos also said his proposed amendments would be submitted for the approval of the 19 members of his committee before it is forwarded to the plenary. “I’m going to make proposals to the committee. It is the committee that will approve. If approved by the committee, it will be put as substitute bill,” Marcos explained. He said some of the provisions that are expected to be removed or amended include the opt-in provision which allow an area to be included in the Bangsamoro government territory upon the petition of 10 percent of the population. “Debates are also expected to focus on the power-sharing, constitutional bodies, fiscal and monetary, police, and taxation,” Marcos said. Marcos denied that he was blocking the passage of the BBL.“I don’t feel alluded to,” Marcos said, reacting to the statement of Aquino that some lawmakers were opposing the passage of the BBL.“I have not stopped the process of deliberating the BBL. I have no desire to get in the way to pass the BBL,” he said.-pna