DEPDev urges Congress to pass 7 priority bills before session ends on June 13
The newly-created Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) has called on Congress to pass seven priority measures crucial for connectivity and healthcare before the 19th Congress officially ends on June 13.
In a statement, DEPDev Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said the seven bills include:
Amendments to the Foreign Investors' Long-Term Lease Act
Rationalization of the Mining Fiscal Regime
Amendments to the Universal Health Care Act
E-Government Act / E-Governance Act
Konektadong Pinoy Act
Establishing the Virology Institute of the Philippines and
Blue Economy Act.
All these measures are pending the approval of the bicameral conference committee composed of contingent from the House of Representatives and the Senate.
'We thank the leadership of both the Senate and the House of Representatives for their dedication in crafting sound, strategic, coherent, and responsive policies for our country. We remain hopeful that the remaining set of bills will be passed just in time before the end of the 19th Congress,' Balisacan said.
'We look forward, in particular, to the Konektadong Pinoy Act - a critical bill that DEPDev has been championing for some time. We firmly believe this measure holds immense promise in transforming the lives of all Filipinos by ensuring reliable and affordable Internet access,' he added.
The Konektadong Pinoy Act aims to improve digital connectivity in the country and provide affordable internet access for every Filipino by enhancing market accessibility, upgrading physical and digital infrastructure, and enabling full participation of individuals and businesses in the digital economy.
The 19th Congress will resume on June 2 for a six-day session before it adjourns sine die on June 13. The 20th Congress is set to convene its first session day on July 28.
The LEDAC serves as the primary consultative and advisory body to the President, ensuring synchronized executive development planning and congressional budgeting.
For the 19th Congress, the Council identified 64 bills expected to advance the country's socioeconomic and development goals.
Senate President Francis Escudero earlier said the Congress needs to focus on passing these priority measures first before the Senate convenes as Senate impeachment court for the trial of Vice President Sara Dutetre.
Escudero has rescheduled the reading of impeachment charges against the Vice President from June 2 to 11, or the last day of session since Congress only conducts plenary sessions from Mondays to Wednesdays.
Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives on February 5, with over 200 congressmen endorsing the complaint against her. She was accused of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, and other high crimes mainly over alleged misuse of around P612.5 million worth of confidential funds and threatening to kill President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., First Lady Liza, and the President's cousin and Speaker, Leyte First District Rep. Martin Romualdez.
The Vice President, for her part, said she is looking forward to her impeachment trial in the upcoming 20th Congress because she 'wants a bloodbath." —Llanesca Panti/AOL, GMA Integrated News
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'It is a uniform of duty worn whenever the Constitution demands it,' he added. Bayan president Renato Reyes, for his part, said the Senators should think long and hard because being silent on accountability will eventually catch up on them. Reyes referenced the 2001 impeachment trial of then-President Joseph Estrada, which was upended due to the lack of senator-judges' votes for the opening of the second envelope that would supposedly show strong evidence of Estrada's involvement in corruption. Since the second envelope was not opened, throngs of people packed EDSA, calling for Estrada's resignation, if not conviction before the Senate impeachment court. The days-long protests were followed by the military and police to withdraw support to Estrada, prompting him to leave Malacañang. Then Vice President Gloria Arroyo was installed as President. 'We are confident in the evidence that the prosecutors will present. We are confident that if we are able to present the evidence, maiintindihan ito at susuportahan ito ng taong bayan at kikilos ang taong bayan para hilingin ang pananagutan [the Filipino people will understand and support and they will move to seek accountability]. We did not have the numbers to open the second envelope in 2001, but it triggered something more important: it triggered people power,' Reyes said. Estrada was eventually detained for six years and convicted of plunder by the Sandiganbayan in 2007. Arroyo pardoned him in October 2007 or six weeks after his conviction. GMA News Online has reached out to the Senate for comment. — BM, GMA Integrated News
