Zubiri eyes LEDAC meeting after SONA to discuss Marcos priority bills in 19th Congress

Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, who is expected to sit as the next Senate President, is seeking a meeting of the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council after the State of the Nation Address (SONA) to discuss the direction of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s priority measures in the 19th Congress.

"What is important is that we convene the LEDAC right after the SONA so we can discuss the direction and request of the executive department in terms of legislation," Zubiri said in a Viber message to reporters.

The lawmaker made the statement when asked about his position on the rightsizing of the government bureaucracy as proposed by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

Zubiri said the plan to rightsize government agencies needed to be expounded on by the economic managers, particularly the DBM and the Department of Finance (DOF).

"I shall seek clarification first with the DBM and the DOF before I make any further comment on rightsizing," he said.

On Wednesday, DBM Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said the DBM was planning to ask Congress to give Marcos the authority to rightsize the bureaucracy to save funds.

Pangandaman said they would be checking 187 agencies, departments, offices, and bureaus, including government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs)—which employ an estimated two million personnel—for redundant or overlapping functions.

Right after the DBM made the statement on rightsizing the government, at least three senators expressed support for the proposal, while others expressed reservations as there were issues that needed to be addressed before pushing through with the idea. — DVM, GMA News