Filtered By: Topstories
News

Divorce, FOI bills refiled at the House


Several measures that failed to get Senate approval in the 17th Congress were refiled at the House of Representatives on Monday, the first day of the 18th Congress.

A booth has been set up at the House's South Wing Lobby for lawmakers and their staff who want to file their bills and resolutions way ahead of the opening of sessions on July 22.

 

 

However, each Representative is only allowed to file a maximum of 10 measures, and the slots for House Bills 1 to 10 are reserved for the next Speaker of the House.

Among the measures that were refiled are the Medical Marijuana Bill by Isabela Representative Antonio Albano, the Absolute Divorce Bill by Albay Representative Edcel Lagman, and the Human Rights Defenders Bill by Lagman and Bayan Muna party-list Representative Carlos Zarate.

Cebu City Representative Raul Del Mar has also filed the Freedom of Information Bill, and a measure seeking to allow the use of motorcycles as public utility vehicles, both of which were approved by the House during the 17th Congress.

The Bayan Muna party-list has filed 30 measures on the first day of the 18th Congress, 10 each for their three lawmakers, including the bills prohibiting political dynasty, increasing social pension, introducing amendments to the Party-list Law, repealing the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Law, establishing the Coconut Trust Fund, and instituting a P750 national minimum wage.

Meanwhile, the Gabriela Women's Party, the Kabataan party-list, and ACT Teachers party-list have also filed 10 bills each, including the measure repealing the Rice Tariffication Law, the Magna Carta for Daycrare Workers, the Students' Rights Bill, Campus Press Freedom Bill, the Anti "No Permit, No Exam" Bill, the measure increasing the salary of public school teachers and other government employees, and the Teacher Protection Bill.

All in all, the Makabayan Bloc filed 67 bills on the first day of the new Congress.

Measures that failed to be passed into law during the term of a specific Congress may be refiled to the succeeding Congresses for their own consideration.

The House may tackle the newly filed measures once they open its sessions on July 22, the same day that President Rodrigo Duterte is set to deliver his fourth State of the Nation Address. — BM, GMA News

LOADING CONTENT