Senators agree to pass priority bills in 2 weeks

Opposition and administration senators have agreed to buckle down to work and pass pending major bills before going on recess next month.

After a caucus yesterday, Senate President Franklin Drilon said the lawmakers have agreed to pass within the next two weeks the proposed salary standardization for the judiciary, the magna carta for the working child and the amendment to the Medical Insurance Act, among other measures.

"We have also agreed to give priority to the passage of the farmlands as collateral," he said. "We agreed to have the amendments to the Value Added Tax Law as it imposes VAT on loans from banks," he said.

Drilon said they will also pass the amendments to the VAT Law to impose the gross receipts tax on bank loans.

"We have agreed that the rationalization of documentary stamp tax will also be debated on and hopefully passed before Dec. 12," he said.

"We will put also on debate the agreement on the issues raised by Sen. John Osmeña to put on calendar the resolution calling for a constitutional convention as a mode to change the Charter," he added.

Drilon said opposition and administration senators have also agreed to call the session at exactly 3 p.m. starting today.

"Those speeches being made on the privilege hour will be placed at exactly 3 p.m., so that we can devote time to the substantive issues,"’ he said.

Senate President Pro Tempore Juan Flavier earlier said the chamber failed to tackle at least 30 important bills because of the Senate investigation on the failed July 27 military uprising and the exposé of Sen. Panfilo Lacson.on the alleged money laundering activities of First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo.