Congress vows 10 of 35 priority bills approved before recess

Leaders of Congress committed yesterday to approve 10 out of the 35 priority bills before lawmakers go on their Christmas break on Dec. 21.

The assurance to approve the pending urgent measures came during the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting in Malacañang presided by President Arroyo.

Among the bills leaders from the Senate and the House of Representatives agreed to rush are the proposed P1.227-trillion national budget for 2008, the Cheaper Medicine Bill, the establishment of a credit information bureau, the proposed amendments to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA), the Magna Carta for Small and Medium Enterprises, the amendments to the University of the Philippines Charter, the Personal Equity Retirement Account bill, the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF) extension and the proposed Civil Aviation bill.

Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., and Senators Miriam Defensor Santiago and Edgardo Angara, in separate interviews, said two other urgent legislative actions – the congressional approval for Mrs. Arroyo’s amnesty proclamation for communist rebels and the ratification of the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) – would have to wait until next year due to lack of time and legal and constitutional questions.

Deputy Presidential Spokesman Anthony Golez said despite the short time remaining before Congress takes its break, lawmakers at the LEDAC did not appear bothered by it.

“We decided to pull down the list (of urgent bills). There are many pet bills and there are many critical and strategically important bills but we have to limit ourselves to what is possible,” Santiago told reporters after the LEDAC.

She said the Cheaper Medicine bill is virtually passed since the Senate has already approved it. The only thing needed is for the entire Congress to pass the bill.

Santiago said the EPIRA is on its way to be passed on second reading while the UP bill as well as the ACEF have likewise been “virtually passed.”

“There are many bills. Let me say that half a dozen have virtually passed the Senate. In effect, we can work on nine or 10 (bills), we can pass them in both houses before the Christmas break,” Santiago said.

In the case of JPEPA, Santiago said the Senate is mainly concerned with constitutional issues that may be raised before the Supreme Court (SC) after senators ratify it.