Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — With about five weeks left before Congress adjourns, Senate and House leaders met on Thursday morning (September 3) to discuss a list of priority bills. The gathering was part of their monthly meeting.
According to their respective legislative calendars, both chambers are scheduled to adjourn on October 10 — before the Commission on Election’s (Comelec’s) period for the filing of certificates of candidacy for next year’s elections. Their respective sessions will resume on November 3.
Starting next week, the House of Representatives will have plenary sessions even on Thursdays and Fridays to fast track pending bills.
Both the Senate and House leaders have come up with a short list of eight priority bills:
The 2016 budget
The Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL)
The Sangguniang Kabataan reform law
The creation of the Department of Information and Communications Technology
The Tax Incentives Management Act
Amendments to the Build-Operate-Transfer law
Amendments to the Customs and Tariff Modernization Act
Amendments to the monetary values of crimes under the Revised Penal Code
For the House’s budget hearing, the bill should ideally be tackled at the plenary starting September 28 and submitted by October, so that the Senate can review it by November.
As for the BBL, Senate President Franklin Drilon said that every effort will be exerted to pass the bill — but no deadline is set and no special sessions will be created for it.
House Speaker Feliciano “Sonny” Belmonte said that the BBL interpellations will push through on Thursdays and Fridays. He noted that he will talk to interpellators to make sure they are present during their respective turns to interpellate.
Yesterday (September 2), BBL interpellations at the plenary were cut short, as those lined up to interpellate were not present.
House Adhoc Committee on the BBL Chairman Rufus Rodriguez said that the BBL may be considered dead if it is not passed by September 27. This is because the budget deliberations will already be at the plenary and some lawmakers will already be busy prepping for the upcoming elections.
Noticeably, the Freedom of Information Bill and Anti-Dynasty Bill have not been included on the list of priority legislation for the next five weeks. But Belmonte said these bills will remain a priority — but they can be tackled when session resumes in November.
CNN Philippines’ Patricia de Leon contributed to this report.
