Sotto seeks more session days to discuss priority bills

Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Thursday said he is looking to have more session days to allow the chamber to discuss priority bills when Congress resumes on May 17.

“I will propose to have sessions on Thursdays which we had in the Old Congress so we can have 12 days instead of 9,” Sotto said in a message shared with reporters.

He said he will call a caucus or meeting with fellow senators on Monday.

The Senate usually holds session from Monday to Wednesday. With the sine die adjournment on June 5, the Congress only has three weeks to discuss the bills.

Sotto said the priority bills to be tackled are the proposed Public Service Act, Retail Trade Act, Department of OFW, among others.

His colleagues are amenable to the proposal.

“Yes. SP Sotto broached that proposal to me a few days ago, and I supported it. When SP Sotto and I were neophyte senators in the 90s, the Senate had 4 sessions a week, although the Thursday sessions were devoted to local bills,” said Minority Leader Franklin Drilon.

Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto, Senators Panfilo Lacson, Francis Pangilinan, Imee Marcos, Sherwin Gatchalian, Sonny Angara,and Grace Poe also agree with having additional session days.

Gatchalian said nine session days is too short to finish all the priority measures.

Poe said the Public Service Act, a priority measure her committee, is a complex and often times contentious bill and will require extensive scrutiny and debates for the body to come up with the most equitable version.

“We hope to pass (it) into law at the soonest possible time. The PSA is expected to encourage more foreign investments to aid our economy and create the much needed employment especially at this time,” she said.—AOL, GMA News