BBL, SK reform among Congress priority bills

MANILA, Philippines - The Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) and Sangguniang Kabataan Reform Law, along with the 2016 national budget, are among the priority bills of the Senate and the House of Representatives before the end of regular sessions.

The leaders of the Senate and the House met on Thursday to set priority bills in the remaining five weeks before congressional recess.

The Congress leaders have also agreed to give priority to the following measures:

• the creation of the Department of Information, Communication and Technology
• Tax Incentives Management and Transparency Act
• amendments to the Built-Operate-Transfer Law
• amendments to the Customs and Tariff Modernization Act
• a review and amendments to the Revised Penal Code insofar as the monetary values are concerned

READ: Bangsamoro Law, 2016 budget among Senate priority bills

"There are measures which have been passed in the House or the Senate, and are now in various committees of both houses. What we have identified are measures that both houses have agreed to work on," Senate President Franklin Drilon said in an interview.

Drilon also said that he has discussed the priority bills with majority of the senators. He added that they will exert every effort to pass the proposed BBL.

However, Drilon clarified that he is not imposing any deadline for the passage of the said proposed measure.

"I hope you will not misinterpret it as a deadline. We are not imposing any deadline. We have been open on this," Drilon said.

Government peace panel chair Miriam Coronel-Ferrer earlier urged Congress to have extra session days to ensure the passage of the BBL this month.

The Senate president said that they have not discussed yet if they are going to hold a special session for the BBL.

RELATED: Congress urged: Hold extra session days to pass BBL

For more proposed measures in the House of Representatives, visit our Bill Tracker.