THE Senate, given the delayed transmission of awaited bills originating from the House of Representatives, is likely to run out of time in passing economic reform measures, including the Duterte administration’s Bayanihan to Arise as One Law, before Congress goes on sine die adjournment from June 5 to July 25.
“Whatever measure emanates from the House of Representatives, if it has no counterpart with us, we [senators] can only start working on it once it reaches us. For the length of time it takes them to pass it, that’s the only time it will reach us,” Senate President Vicente Sotto III said, mainly in Filipino.
“So, when that reaches us, we have only four days before June 4, so I’m saying we may no longer tackle that,” Sotto told DWIZ in an interview at the weekend.
For instance, he said, the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments may have difficulty convening a hearing during the recess. “And our schedule is filled with priority measures that must be passed—like the Public Service Act, the Foreign Investments Act, the BARMM elections, to name a few.”
Sotto III also cited still unfinished business in the final version of the senior citizens bill, but added: “We have already passed a number bills…there are measures we are tackling for second reading and now for interpellations—we will try very hard to squeeze these in. Perhaps whatever we can pass by Monday (May 31), those could make it to third reading on Thursday if they are passed on second reading on Monday. But if not, and it’s not certified urgent by the President, it cannot hurdle the three-day rule, Sotto said, referring to the rule that certified bills may be passed on second and third reading without waiting for the usual three-day gap in between approvals.
The amendatory bills to the Public Service Act, the retail trace liberalization law and the Foreign Investments Act were earlier certified urgent by the President.
Cha-cha?
The Senate leader likewise indicated an uphill battle for the joint resolution of both Houses to amend the economic provisions of the Constitution, saying, “in my view that will be very hard to take up this week.”
Sotto, however, said they are set to meet with Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, who is known to be ardently pushing the Charter change initiative in the House of Representatives.
“We have a meeting with them (House leaders) Tuesday,” the Senate President confirmed. “We will listen to what they will say,” he added.
Sotto added that more likely their meeting will have to do with the upcoming State of the Nation Address (SONA) before the joint session of Congress. He said only he, Speaker Velasco, and the Senate Secretary, the House Secretary General, and the Sergeant at Arms of both chambers are included in the meeting. “So, I’m sure the SONA [is] the topic.”
The Senate leader, however, did not completely rule out Charter changes down the line. “After our July resumption after the SONA, everything on the agenda has hopes of passing. Still, the question is, will measures like this make it?” He noted there is “enough time from July 26 all the way to January something, or mid-January or no, all the way to last week of January except the two breaks—Easter break and the Christmas break. Except for that. Anything is possible.”