Congress cuts session breaks to focus on key bills

MANILA, Philippines - Leaders of Congress agreed yesterday to shorten their session breaks in the last six months of the year to allow for more time to work on the passage of key bills, including the controversial Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), before the campaign season for the 2016 elections kicks in.

Senate President Franklin Drilon and Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. along with other congressional leaders met over breakfast in Pasig City to finalize the list of bills that should be passed before Congress goes on a break in December.

Both leaders agreed to ensure the passage of the proposed BBL, the proposed P3-trillion national budget for 2016, the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill, the proposed amendments to the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) Law, the PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration) Modernization Bill and the creation of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT).

Also present at the meeting were Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, House Majority Leader and Mandaluyong Rep. Neptali Gonzales II, Minority Leader and San Juan Rep. Ronaldo Zamora and Senate Assistant Minority Leader Gregorio Honasan.

“We will work every day until the end of the year, except for a short break in October for the filing of the certificates of candidacy and All Souls’ Day. We will be looking at a very busy next six months,” Drilon told reporters.

“We have a limited period so we extended our working days, cut down on recess days,” Belmonte said in the same press briefing.

“This does not prevent us of course from passing other bills. We will try our best to pass other bills as much as possible,” Belmonte said.

The controversial BBL, which seeks to create a new autonomous region in Mindanao, is being debated in plenary in the House while it remains at the committee level in the Senate.

Both chambers aim to approve and ratify the budget to enable President Aquino to sign it into law before the end of the year.

The FOI bill, which seeks to promote transparency in government by way of mandating public access to government transactions, data and other information upon prior request and approval, has been approved on third and final reading by the Senate, but is still pending at the committee level in the House.

The DICT Bill has been approved on third and final reading at the Senate, and the counterpart version in the House was approved in the committee level and is set to be presented to the plenary in the coming weeks.

The proposed amendments to the BOT Law in the House are expected to be referred to the floor for plenary approval in the coming weeks.

The PAGASA Modernization Bill has been approved on third and final reading in the House.

“We have agreed that for the last six months, on top of our agenda we will give the highest priority to six measures,” Drilon said.

Apart from the six bills, Drilon said there are about 15 other measures which the two chambers “will closely monitor and push” before the end of session next year. – With Christina Mendez, Jose Rodel Clapano