Some bills fail to pass Senate despite Duterte’s certification as urgent

With 464 bill signed into law, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said  the Senate in the 17th Congress performed well for Filipinos.

In his valedictory speech, Sotto said some of the bills enacted into law were proofs that senators delivered on their promise to pass laws that will benefit the country and every Filipino.

These include the following.

• Bangsamoro Organic Law
• National Identification System
• Universal Health Care Law
• Mental Health Act
• Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education
• Act
• Mandatory PhilHealth Coverage for PWDs
• Corporation Code of the Philippines
• Telecommuting Law
• Magna Carta of the Poor, and
• Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Programs (4Ps) Act.

The chamber also recently passed the bill increasing the excise tax on tobacco products which would provide additional funds for the implementation of the UHC law.

However, several bills didn't pass the Senate even after President Rodrigo Duterte certified them as urgent.

These include the measures on mandatory  Reserved Officers Training Corps (ROTC) program in public and private senior high school, amendments to the Public Services Act, and the Foreign Investments Act. 

The proposed lowering of the minimum age of criminal responsibility did not reach the plenary.

Pending bills have to be refiled in the next Congress to be discussed at the committee level.

But more than the bills passed, Sotto said they preserved the doctrine of the separation of the executive, legislative, and judiciary.

“Late last year, in spite of a perceived preference of the Prosecutorial Service and the Courts to serve a warrant of arrest on one of our members, we took the view that the same may not be served while the subject of said warrant was in our castle,” Sotto said referring to the case of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV.

He said senators did not prejudge the case in favor of their colleague.

“We only meant to consider our premises as inviolable while in the discharge of its functions,” Sotto said.

He added senators also insisted on due process of law especially when it came to legislative enactments.

He cited the budget impasse where they contended that no amendments may be made after the bicameral conference committee had terminated its proceedings and the report ratified and adopted in each House of Congress.

“In those two months of stalemate, we insisted on our position, and made known our stand when the budget was submitted to the Office of the President. Though we eventually signed, we made known our observations, and the Executive Department sustained our position,” Duterte said.

Sotto further said the Senate was vigilant in the scrutiny of the performance of public duties, ferreting out acts of corruption in the bureaucracy.

“In the numerous hearings conducted by the committees concerned, we were steadfast in the search and exposure of anomalies attendant to the performance of public functions,” Sotto said.

He thanked all his colleagues.

Sotto said that the Senate sought to provide the legal framework for an independent and progressive Philippines in the span of three years and expressed hope it will be carried on to the next.

“We wish the coming Senate to carry on the task we are passing on to them. Let us remain cooperative but independent, balanced, transparent and sincere,” he said.

Sotto then announced the sine die adjournment of the 17th Congress. The 18th Congress will start on July 22.—NB, GMA News