Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 13) — A presidential advisory body expects Congress to approve by June 2 the controversial Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) bill and several priority measures identified by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in his first State of the Nation Address.
“Ten priority bills were adopted for passage by June 2 this year during the first Executive Committee Meeting of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC),” the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said after the meeting on Monday.
Last December, the House of Representatives swiftly approved the Maharlika fund bill amid concerns on capital sources and timing after Marcos certified it as urgent.
READ: The proposed Maharlika Investment Fund: What you need to know
READ: Makabayan bloc asks SC to nullify Marcos’ certification of Maharlika fund as urgent
The measure is still being deliberated in the Senate.
Besides the MIF bill, among those seen to be passed by the end of Congress’ first regular session is another contentious one — the proposal to mandate the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) and the National Service Training Program (NSTP).
Mandatory ROTC was abolished in 2002 following the death of Mark Welson Chua, a cadet at the University of Santo Tomas.
Those pushing to once again require ROTC in schools believe that doing so would help promote discipline and nationalism among the youth. However, critics argue that forcing students to undergo ROTC would just be an added burden to them.
Meanwhile, the PCO said the eight others expected to be passed by June 2 are bills on the following:
– Amendments to the Build-Operate-Transfer Law
– Creation of the Medical Reserve Corps
– Establishment of the Philippine Center for Disease Prevention and Control
– Establishment of the Virology Institute of the Philippines
– Condonation of unpaid amortization and interests of agrarian reform beneficiaries’ loans
– Proposed Internet Transactions Act/E-Commerce Law
– Proposed Attrition Law/Fixed term in the Armed Forces of the Philippines
– Salt industry development
Senator Joel Villanueva separately told reporters that lawmakers met with some Cabinet secretaries for a “pre-LEDAC” meeting where it was also agreed that bills on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership or RCEP, and on the National Employment Action plan will be passed by June.
