Chiz: House passed wage hike bill in last days of session

Senate President Chiz Escudero on Friday criticized the House of Representatives for “passing the buck” over the non-passage of the legislated wage hike in the 19th Congress.

In a statement, Escudero said the House passed the P200 legislated increase in the minimum wage in the "last session days" before Congress adjourned sine die, and expected the Senate to hurry in passing the measure.

The Senate President has said that the Senate passed its version of the legislated wage hike – a P100 increase – more than a year earlier in February 2024.

Escudero issued the statement a day after House spokesperson Atty. Princess Abante said that it was the Senate that killed the wage hike bill after it didn't respond to the House's call for an immediate bicameral conference committee meeting before the session adjourned.

According to Escudero, the Senate immediately acted upon it. He and Senator Joel Villanueva also separately met with House legislators to request that they adopt the Senate version of the bill. 

Escudero said he and Villanueva were told that the House was amenable to adopting the Senate’s version but received no word until the last session day of the Congress on June 11.

“Bakit ba kung kailan huli biglang sasabihin dine-delay namin at wala kaming oras para i-adopt ‘yung kapapadala lang nila. Kung pinadala nila bago kami mag-adjourn noon pa, e ‘di mas madaling pag-usapan ‘yun at mapag-aralan,” Escudero said. 

(Why do they act on this belatedly, then accuse us of delaying its passage? They did not pass this on time.)

“Talaga bang ganito na ang gagawin ninyo? ‘Yong impeachment pinadala niyo huling araw na lang ng sesyon namin. Ito ganoon din huling mga araw ng mga sesyon namin tapos ayan na naman kayo, mamadaliin niyo na naman kami na parang kami ang may kasalanan,” he added.

(Is this what they would always do? They also submitted the impeachment to us on our last session day.) 

“Pinasa namin itong wage hike na P100 February 2024, mahigit isang taon nilang inupuan ito. Tapos bigla ngayon sila ‘yung gigil na gigil at nagmamadali,” said Escudero.

(We passed the P100 wage hike in February 2024. They sat on it for a year, then they will force us to act immediately?)

“May proseso kung gusto talaga nilang i-adopt ‘yong bersyon ng Senado. Simpleng mosyon lang ‘yan sa plenaryo ng Kamara at diretso na ‘yan sa opisina ng ating Pangulong Marcos,” he added.

(There is a process to adopt the version of the Senate. One motion and this will be delivered to the Malacañang.)

Senator Joel Villanueva, chairperson of the Senate Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development, blamed the House of Representatives for the failure to pass the P200 wage hike, saying they "clearly set the stage to ensure the wage hike bill’s failure".

"They never had any intention of passing this measure in the first place,” he said in a statement.

“It was dead on arrival because of the intransigence of some to have a measure that is more realistic and more acceptable to all stakeholders,” he added.

The Senate passed a P100 wage hike law more than a year earlier in February 2024.

"We urged them to adopt the Senate version, given the limited time remaining to pass this important measure in the 19th Congress," said Villanueva.

"However, instead of acting on Sen. Villanueva’s plea, they transmitted the third reading copy of HB No. 11376 just 24 hours before we started our last day of session. Upon receipt of the measure, the Senate conferees were manifested on the floor," he added.

Villanueva also denied the Senate did not want to compromise.

“If they are truly agreeable to the Senate version — as they now claim — why did the Chairperson of the House panel send a letter of rejection knowing fully well that there is lack of material time to do a bicam?” he said.

“This practice of adopting the other House’s version is not novel. In fact, many bills approved by the House on third reading during the last three days were adopted directly from the Senate version.

Further, the senator said his office met with labor organizations in relation to the proposed measure as he underscored that the National Wage Coalition asked the House to pass the Senate version of the bill. 

“The labor groups and Sen. Villanueva share the same goal — to pass a legislated wage hike this Congress while also taking into consideration the realistic timelines,” he said.

“We could have had a landmark law for our hardworking Filipinos if he added.

The 19th Congress adjourned sine die on Wednesday night.

The legislated increase in the minimum wage needs to be refiled and again go through the legislative process in the 20th Congress.

Villanueva had expressed concern regarding the House’s version of the bill as it might get vetoed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. if adopted by the Senate.

Malacañang said President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. will look into the economic implications of the proposed increase in the minimum wage. 

Escudero said on Monday that the measures seeking an increase in the daily minimum wage of workers is not a priority of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC). – NB/BAP, GMA Integrated News