Drilon considers 16th Congress a success

MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Franklin Drilon on Wednesday said that he considers the 16th Congress a success as it comes to a close despite its failure to pass the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law.

"We are passing about 2 bills a week, in the 16th Congress, before we close, on the average. I think we passed around 285 bills on third reading in the Senate of which 116 were enacted into law. 27 are with the President pending signature and another 14 are in the bicameral conference committee," Drilon said in an interview with ANC's Headstart.

Drilon noted that three senators—Sens. Juan Ponce Enrile, Bong Revilla and Jinggoy Estrada—were jailed due to the investigations done in the Senate in connection to the pork barrel scam.

The senate leader added that an investigation on the corruption allegations against Vice President Jejomar Binay resulted to a committee report which recommended plunder charges.

"All these investigations notwithstanding, we did not neglect our principal duties of enacting laws and policies for the good of our country," the Senate president said.

Drilon cited the Fair Competition Act and the amendments to the Cabotage Law as the latest reform measures that the Senate passed.

"This Congress was not affected by the controversies we saw in the past three years. We passed many reform measures which languished in the legislative mills for years and we are proud of particularly of those bills concerning the economy," Drilon said.

The senator further noted that one-fourth of the Senate is running for either president or vice president in the May 9 elections which "never happened in our history before."

Sens. Grace Poe and Miriam Defensor Santiago are running for president while Sens. Alan Peter Cayetano, Chiz Escudero, Gringo Honasan, Bongbong Marcos and Antonio Trillanes IV are seeking the vice presidency.

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