Senate leaders committed to fastrack Charter changes facilitating the shift to a federal system of government favored by the Duterte administration, along with other pending legislation when Congress reconvenes regular sessions on July 23.
Senate President Tito Sotto III confirmed Thursday their priority list also include the Universal Health Package bill, as well as proposed amendments to the Public Service Act, along with other pending bills relegated to the backburner to allow quick passage of the BangsaMoro Basic Law (BBL) before Senators adjourned the 2nd Regular Session of the 17th Congress way past midnight Wednesday.
The Senate and the House of Representatiives are set to reconvene in joint session July 23 for their 3rd Regular Session during which President Duterte will deliver his third State of the Nation Address (SONA).
After the traditional SONA rites, Minority Senators, however, are also poised to press deeper legislative scrutiny of the controversial “quo warranto” petition ousting Chief Justice Lourdes Sereno that preempted the Senate and the House of Representatives’ constitutional duty to open congresional impeachment proceedings and try Sereno’s case.
Senator Risa Hontiveros told reporters Thursday minority Senator were “not satisfied” with Duterte administration officials explanation on why they effectively skirted congressional impeachment proceedings as provided in the Constitution.
“They should respect a co-equal branch of government,” Hontiveros said adding Senators will resume interpellations on their pending resolution on Sereno’s case. “We are disappointed the Resolution was not put to a vote but we hope the process will continue when we resume sessions,” the senator said, adding: “We expect to vote on it when we resume.”
Senate President Sotto III formally adjourned the session at 2 am Thursday, concluding nearly ten hours of plenary deliberation on Senate Bill 1717 embodying Bangsamoro Basic Law, which Senators approved on third and final reading, voting 21-0.
Before Sotto III banged the gavel adjourning their marathon session, the Senate likewise passed other pending measures, ratifying the bicameral conference committee reports for Senate Bill 1762 embodying on the proposed Retirement Law of the Office of the Ombudsman which seeks to increase retirement benefits of the officials and employees of the Office of the Ombudsman, as well as Senate Bill 1459 on the proposed Personal Property Security Act, which aims to provide entrepreneurs with expanded access to loans.
Before adjourning their regular sessions, the Senate also passed six other pending bills converting the Land Transportation’ Office (LTO’s) extension offices into regular centers, as well as 11 local bills establishing, converting or renaming high schools and colleges nationwide.
The Senators also voted to ratify the bicameral conference report on Senate Bill 1738, or the proposed Philippine Identification System Act of 2018, and adopted Resolution746 which lauded the heroism of soldiers and police officers who served in the Marawi crisis, and Senate Resolution 748 which confirmed AECOM as the winning architectural firm to design a new multi-storey Senate building in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.
Among other legislative outputs, the Senate also managed to pass before going on a seven-week recess (June 2 to July 22) several pending bills and resolutions, including pro-consumer legislations such as the Lifetime Cellphone Number Act (Senate Bill 1636), Recoverable Systems Loss Act (Senate Bill 1623), the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act of 2017 (Senate Bill 1531); pro-Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) legislation such as the Handbook for OFWs Act of 2016 (Senate Bill 192); as well as pro-health legislations, including the bill embodying the Pagkaing Pinoy para sa batang Pinoy Act (Senate Bill 1279); and the proposed Magna Carta for Scientists (Senate Bill 1534) and the Reservist Employment Rights Act (Senate Bill 1698).