Marcos on certifying Cordillera autonomy bill as urgent: We will study it thoroughly
Legalities surrounding the bill that aims to provide autonomy to the Cordilleras must be studied thoroughly to see whether or not it can be declared as urgent, President Marcos said.

In an ambush interview in Apayao on Friday, July 19, Marcos was asked if he can declare as urgent the House Bill 3267 “An Act Establishing the Cordillera Autonomous Region.”
"There is a constitutional question in this," Marcos said on the sidelines of the distribution of assistance to farmers and fisherfolk in Luna, Apayao.
The President explained that the 1987 Constitution allows the creation of two autonomous regions. One of these is the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), while the other one was supposedly in the Cordilleras.
However, he said, it did not get enough votes for its establishment.
"Because the 1987 Constitution allows the creation of two autonomous region, the autonomous region… Kaya nabuhay ang ARMM nun na naging BARMM, yung Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Tapos dapat dito rin. Ngunit hindi nakuha ang sapat na boto para dito (That is why the ARMM, which is now the BARMM, was established. The Cordilleras was supposed to be one too but it dis not get enough votes)," Marcos said.
He further explained that in order to tag the bill as urgent, they must look into its legalities first.
"Ngayon, ang legal question is kung pwede bang balikan o sinabi ba ng Constitution, minsanan lang 'yan. So titingnan natin, pag-aaralan natin ng mabuti (Now, the legal question is: can we do it again or does the Constitution only allows a one-time attempt. So we will look into that, we will study it thoroughly)," Marcos said.
At present, the bill establishing the Cordillera Autonomous Region is now pending with the House committee on appropriations after being passed upon by the House committees on local government and ways and means.
Lawmakers in the region have been urging the President to certify the bill as urgent and include it in his third State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 22.