Senate OKs bill seeking creation of PhilATOM, legal framework of nuclear energy use
The Senate approved on third and final reading the proposed measure which provides a comprehensive and legal framework of the safe utilization of nuclear energy in the country.
With 23 affirmative votes on Monday, Senate Bill 2899 also seeks the establishment of the Philippine Atomic Regulatory Authority.
This measure aims to harness the peaceful, safe, and secure use of atomic energy to provide benefits to the Philippines in the fields of energy production, health and medicine, scientific research, agriculture, industry, education, and others.
Further, this seeks the use of nuclear energy only for peaceful purposes, such that facilities and activities related to the acquisition or development of nuclear explosives, radiological dispersal devices and other non-peaceful uses of nuclear or other radioactive material or technology, including assisting others, are strictly prohibited.
Under the proposed law, the PhilATOM shall have sole and exclusive jurisdiction to exercise regulatory control in accordance with the measure for the peaceful, safe, and secure uses of nuclear energy and radiation sources in the Philippines.
The PhilATOM shall serve as the point of contact for providing any information or assistance regarding nuclear or radiological emergencies under the terms of relevant international instruments to which the Philippines is a party.
In 2023, the House of Representatives already passed the proposed bill seeking to create the PhilATOM and a legal framework that will facilitate the country's foray into nuclear energy.
The Marcos administration has been keen on exploring the use of nuclear energy in the country. —RF, GMA Integrated News
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GMA Network
7 hours ago
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Azcuna: Senate action insures impeachment raps cross from 19th to 20th congresses
'I therefore find the novel and unprecedented step as an adoption of a unique but allowable procedure to insure a proper crossover of the same Articles of Impeachment from the 19th Congress to the 20th Congress,' Azcuna said. The Senate impeachment court's move to return to the House of Representatives the articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte was a unique but allowable step that "insured" the raps crossing over from the 19th to 20th congresses, retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Adolf Azcuna said on Wednesday. Azcuna issued the statement on Facebook after the impeachment court voted to return to the House of Representatives without dismissing or terminating the impeachent case until such time that: The House of Representatives certify to the non violation of Article XI, Section 3, paragraph 5 of the Constitution, which provides that 'No impeachment proceedings shall be initiated against the same official more than once within one year; include the circumstances on the filing of the first three impeachment complaints"; and The House of Representatives of the 20th Congress communicates to the Senate that it is willing and ready to pursue the impeachment complaint against the Vice President. "I first declined to comment as I find this as uncharted territory mainly for the reason that this never happened before. I then realized that this never happened before because this is the first time that an impeachment trial is caught between two Congresses and the case must cross over from one Congress to another. 'I therefore find the novel and unprecedented step as an adoption of a unique but allowable procedure to insure a proper crossover of the same Articles of Impeachment from the 19th Congress to the 20th Congress,' he added. Azcuna was also a member of the Constitutional Commission that drafted the 1987 Constitution. It was he who drafted Article XI, which dealt with the accountability of public officers, including impeachable officials. "I also wrote the procedural Section including the word 'forthwith' referring to the need for the Senate to proceed to trial after the House itself adopts by one-third or more votes a resolution of impeachment which thereby constitutes the Articles of Impeachment such that 'trial by the Senate shall forthwith proceed,' and it is precisely meant to mean immediately and without unreasonable delay or in the national language official version 'agad-agad'," Azcuna said. Eighteen senator-judges voted for the motion to return the articles of impeachment to the House. Five voted against it. The negative votes came from Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III, Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros, Sen. Grace Poe, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, and Sen. Nancy Binay. Those who voted yes include Escudero, Dela Rosa, Sen. Robin Padilla, Sen. Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go, Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino, Sen. Imee Marcos, Sen. Cynthia Villar, Sen. Mark Villar, Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, Sen. JV Ejercito, Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr., Sen. Joel Villanueva, Sen. Lito Lapid, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, Sen. Pia Cayetano, Sen. Loren Legarda, Sen. Raffy Tulfo, and Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri. The House on Wednesday night adopted House Resolution No. 2346, certifying that the impeachment complied with the 1987 Constitution. The plenary, however, deferred the House's acceptance of the articles of impeachment while seeking a clarification from the Senate as regards its move. "The all-important element is that the impeachment court has acquired jurisdiction over the case and is still on course to proceed to trial and decision without undue delay after the crossover," Azcuna said. Likewise, former Integrated Bar of the Philippines president Domingo Cayosa does not see anything wrong with the Senate's action. 'There is no direct or clear violation naman kasi internal proseso na nila yan. What is important is it wont delay the trial which has happened,' he said in Joseph Morong's report in '24 Oras' on Wednesday. However, Christian Monsod, who also authored the 1987 Constitution alongside Azcuna, believes that the move from the Senate only derailed the impeachment proceedings. 'Yes. Kasi that's not part of their powers. Kasi if there is a constitutionality issue, that's the Supreme Court…These people have another agenda other than obeying the mandate of the Constitution. Kasi self-executory 'yung Constitution eh,' he said. 'Nakalimutan yata nila that they are senators because the people voted them as senators, so they are senators of the people. They are not senators of Vice President Sara Duterte. Dapat mag-inhibit themselves if they have any integrity,' Monsod added. For his part, University of the Philippines College of Law assistant professor Paolo Tamase agreed that the return of impeachment articles is unconstitutional. 'Dapat ma-offend yung House. Yung remand essentially seconds guesses yung House kung ano yung ginawa nya and puts the Senate higher. Co-equal sila, nirerespeto nila yung isa't isa,' he said. (The House has the right to be offended. The remand essentially second guesses the action of the House and puts the Senate in a higher status. They should be co-equal, respecting each other.) 'Hindi naman kinukwestiyon ng Senado pag ang House nagpapasa ng bills sa kanila, kung sinunod ba ng House yung proseso nila. So bakit kinukwestiyon ng Senado ngayon kung sinunod ng House yung proseso nila sa pagpapasa ng impeachment complaint,' Tamase also said. (The Senate does not question the House if there are bills referred to them or if the House followed their process. So why does the Senate now question the House if they followed the procedure in approving an impeachment complaint.) However, Senate President Francis Escudero, who presides over the impeachment court, said that both chambers of Congress are not co-equal when it comes to the impeachment trial. 'Hindi kami pantay sa bagay na ito [...] 'Di ito parang bicam na kailangan mag-agree. Ito ay kautusan galing sa impeachment court na nakatuon sa prosecutor na isa lamang partido sa kaso,' he said. (We are not on the same level when it comes to this matter [...] This is not like a bicam wherein we should both agree. This is an order from the impeachment court that implies that there is only one party to the case.) Further, Monsod said that the 20th Congress can continue working on the impeachment trial. 'It should continue. Because ang argument ni Tolentino is that there is no quorum because unlike in the United States, there's always a quorum. 'Pag 12 lang, hindi quorum. Mali siya, right? Sabi ko, the term of office niya at tsaka those who are leaving expires at noon of June 30. And at noon of June 30, starts the term of the newly elected. So there's never only 12." (It should continue. Because Tolentino's argument is that there is no quorum unlike in the United States that there's always a quorum. If there's only 12, there's no quorum. He's wrong on that part. His term and those who are leaving expires at noon of June 30 and by then, the term of the newly-elected senators starts. So there's never only 12.) –NB, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
8 hours ago
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House says Sara Duterte impeachment complied with Constitution
On a motion by Isabela Rep. Inno Dy, the House plenary deferred acceptance of the articles of impeachment until the Senate Impeachment Court has responded to the queries sought by the House prosecution panel regarding the remanding of the articles of impeachment. The House of Representatives on Wednesday night certified that the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte complied with the 1987 Constitution, a day after the Senate impeachment court voted to return the articles of impeachment to the House. On a motion by Isabela Rep. Inno Dy, the House plenary deferred acceptance of the articles of impeachment until the Senate Impeachment Court has responded to the queries sought by the House prosecution panel regarding the remanding of the articles of impeachment. With no objections, the motion was carried. In a voice vote, the House plenary adopted House Resolution No. 2346, which certified that the impeachment initiated on February 5, 2025, against Sara Duterte fully complied with the constitution, including the circumstances on the filing of the first three impeachment complaints. Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio "Dong" Gonzales Jr., Deputy Speaker David "Jayjay" Suarez, and Majority Leader Manuel Jose "Mannix" Dalipe authored the resolution. The Senate sitting as an impeachment court on Tuesday night voted for the articles of impeachment to be returned to the House of Representatives without dismissing or terminating the case until such time that: The House of Representatives certifies to the non-violation of Article XI, Section 3, paragraph 5 of the Constitution, which provides that 'No impeachment proceedings shall be initiated against the same official more than once within one year; include the circumstances on the filing of the first three impeachment complaints"; and The House of Representatives of the 20th Congress communicates to the Senate that it is willing and ready to pursue the impeachment complaint against the Vice President. Batangas Rep. Gerville "Jinky Bitrics" Luistro, in a news conference on Wednesday, said that the House would defer the acceptance of the articles of impeachment while House members sought clarification from the Senate impeachment court. 'We are certain and it is in the face of the impeachment complaint, that we are fully and strictly compliant with the requirements of the Constitution,' Luistro said. 'They're asking for reconfirmation of the 20th Congress, whether it will pursue the impeachment complaint against the vice president. How can this order be complied with when the 20th Congress does not yet exist?' she added. Those who voted yes include Senate President Chiz Escudero and Senators Ronald 'Bato' Dela Rosa, Robin Padilla, Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go, Francis Tolentino, Imee Marcos, Cynthia Villar, Mark Villar, Jinggoy Estrada, JV Ejercito, Ramon Revilla Jr., Joel Villanueva, Lito Lapid, Alan Peter Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, Loren Legarda, Raffy Tulfo, and Juan Miguel Zubiri. The negative votes came from Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III, Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros, and Senators Grace Poe, Sherwin Gatchalian, and Nancy Binay. –Tina Panganiban-Perez/NB, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
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Senate ratifies bicam report extending terms of barangay, SK officials
The Senate on Wednesday evening ratified the bicameral conference committee report seeking to extend the term of barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) officials to four years. The ratified bicam report came from Senate Bill 2816 and House Bill 11287. The Bicam report states that Barangay officials will have a maximum of three terms in the same position. Meanwhile, SK officials will only have one term in the same position. The report also postpones the 2025 Barangay and Sanggunian Kabataan Elections from December 2025 to the first Monday of November 2026. — BAP, GMA Integrated News
