Lawmakers are worried all their efforts may come to naught if President Aquino fails to act on nearly two dozen pending bills still awaiting his signature, even after the measures earlier passed by the Senate and the House were already transmitted to his office for signing into law shortly after Congress adjourned on June 11. Aquino is set to step down on June 30.
“If the [enrolled bills] are on his desk for more than 60 days on or before June 30, it will lapse into law. If not, they will be deemed unacted,” said Sen. Vicente C. Sotto III, incoming Majority Leader in the next Congress.
This means that the unsigned bills will have to be refiled by their authors when the 17th Congress convenes in July, after which, these measures will again be referred for another round of committee hearings, after which, the bills will be resubmitted for floor debates and plenary approval before it is sent to Malacañang for signing into law by new President Rodrigo R. Duterte.
However, Aquino on Tuesday was reported to have signed three enrolled bills, including Republic Act (RA) 10868, which, apart from granting P100,000 “gift” to centenarians, declares every September 25 as National Day of Respect for Centenarians.
Aquino also signed into law RA 10866, or the Batanes Responsible Tourism Law, and RA 10865, to be known as the Mayor Hilarion Ramiro Sr. Medical Center Act.
Still pending Palace approval are at least 23 other legislative measures already approved by both chambers of Congress, including five enrolled bills originating from the Senate and 22 House bills.
It will be recalled that President Aquino’s loyal allies, Senate President Franklin M. Drilon and speaker Feliciano R. Belmonte Jr. worked extra efforts in mustering the votes needed to pass several vital pending legislations in their respective chambers before the 16th Congress finally adjourned plenary sessions on June 10.
Among the Congress-approved measures transmitted to the Office of the President last June 16 were Senate and House-approved bills on Balanced Housing, Basic Education, Anti-Carnapping, and other reform measures and pending renewal of franchises for broadcasting firms and the proposed Foreign Investment Liberalization Act.