EDITORIAL - Work to do

Experts from the World Health Organization warned yesterday that SARS could make a comeback in Asia as the cold season sets in. The WHO said Asia is better prepared this time for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, but experts had earlier warned that the SARS virus could mutate into stronger strains.

This should remind our leaders that legislation is needed to improve the nation’s response to SARS and other new diseases that might emerge. The measure detailing a quarantine program for SARS is one of 15 priority pieces of legislation jointly approved by Malacañang and Congress last week, when the nation was preoccupied with coup rumors.

Congress has only a few months left to act on the 15 priority mea-sures, which include the anti-terrorism bill, reforms in campaign finance, the dual citizenship proposal, the Transco franchise and the proposed Securitization Act. Apart from the 15 bills, congressional leaders committed during the mee-ting of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council to consider 28 other measures for possible approval.

Aside from these measures, both chambers of Congress are also expected to be preoccupied with proposals to amend the Constitution. One provision that the House of Representatives wants to change is a sentence that has been invoked by military officers to withdraw support from duly constituted authority. Just arguing over the mode of amending the Charter – the House favors a constituent assembly while senators prefer a constitutional convention — could eat up several session days.

The mutiny in Makati and continuing coup jitters have further set back the weak economy, and the nation must work double-time to repair the damage. Even before the mutiny, the nation was already suffering from its image as a haven of kidnappers and Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah terrorists. With so many things on its plate, can Congress get any work done? Lawmakers have to buckle down to work.