House OKs bill fixing redundant, overlapping gov’t agencies

The House of Representatives on Wednesday approved on third and final reading a bill which seeks to implement a program that would rightsize the national government, one of the priority legislation of President Rodrigo Duterte.

House Bill 5707, otherwise known as the proposed "Act Rightsizing the National Government to Improve Public Service Delivery," was approved with a vote of 230-6-0.

The bill, principally-authored by Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles, aims to eliminate redundant and overlapping functions in government, as well as reduce overhead costs and re-channel government resources to core and priority programs and projects.

It covers all agencies under the executive branch and all other entities attached to or under their administrative supervisions and government-owned or controlled corporations (GOCCs) not covered by the GOCC Governance Act of 2011.

The legislature, judiciary, constitutional commissions, the Office of the Ombudsman and local government units are likewise provided the optional adoption of the rightsizing program.

The bill, if enacted, will also provide for the establishment of the Committee on Rightsizing the Executive Branch to oversee its implementation.

Co-authors of the bill include PBA party-list Representative Jericho Jonas Nograles, Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Jay Velasco, Davao Oriental Rep. Joel Mayo Almario, South Cotabato Rep. Ferdinand Hernandez, and MANILA TEACHERS party-list Rep. Virgilio Lacson.

Meanwhile, the six lawmakers who voted against the bill were Anakpawis party-list Rep. Ariel Casilao, Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Zarate, Gabriela Women's Party Reps. Arlene Brosas and Emmi De Jesus, ACT Teachers party-list France Castro and Kabataan party-list Rep. Sarah Jane Elago.

"This will lead to massive disenfranchisement or termination of thousands of government workers. This will also worsen the sorry state of hundreds of thousand contractuals in different national departments, bureaus, agencies," Casilao said in a text message to reporters.

Nograles, however, clarified that his bill will not force the termination of employees.

"The Rightsizing Law is not firing anyone. It is not a forced retirement or separation scheme," he said in a text message to reporters.

"Those government workers who will be affected by rightsizing have the option to avail of the package or they can opt to stay in government service. If they opt to stay in government office they will be placed in a training pool for training and re-tooling and eventual redeployment to another government office," he added.

Further, Nograles said the law will also not simply mean the abolishing or merging offices.

"It will also consider the creation of new offices if necessary," he said. — Erwin Colcol/RSJ/KVD, GMA News