House approves all LEDAC, SONA bills

As of Sept. 27, 2023, he said the House has approved all 20 of LEDAC’s priority measures, 10 of which were passed on third reading as early as 2022. (PNA File Photo by Joan Bondoc via Philippine News Agency/Facebook)

MANILA – Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Friday said the House of Representatives already approved all the measures prioritized by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) and by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July 2023.

In a press briefing, the Speaker pointed out that the 2023 LEDAC bills that were supposed to be passed by Congress last December have been passed by the House in September, while the SONA priorities that are supposed to be passed before the next SONA this July has been approved by the House in December, or three months and six months in advance, respectively.

“Kumbaga, wala kaming back subjects, hinihintay na lang natin ‘yung mga kaibigan natin sa Senado kung kailan nila tatapusin, (We have no back subjects, so to speak. We are just waiting for our friends in the Senate on when they can finish them),” Romualdez said.

He said that instead of carping on other matters like the People’s Initiative and Resolution of Both Houses No. 6, senators should just do their part for the people and focus their efforts on their legislative work on the LEDAC and SONA measures.

“Let’s focus on our work, get down to work, buckle down, there’s just 24 of you. Get your act together, focus on your work. And stop hitting on Congress and maintain parliamentary courtesy,” Romualdez said.

He also reiterated his and his chamber’s continued support to the President, saying the House “is working hard towards realizing the common legislative agenda of the executive and legislative branches.”

As of Sept. 27, 2023, he said the House has approved all 20 of LEDAC’s priority measures, 10 of which were passed on third reading as early as 2022.

These are the Internet Transactions Act, Public-Private Partnership Act, Ease of Paying Taxes, New Philippine Passport, Centers for Disease Prevention and Control, HEART Act, Virology and Vaccine Institute of the Philippines, NCST Program Act, Valuation Reform, and Waste Treatment Technology Act.

Five of the 20 LEDAC bills have been enacted into law, while three – New Philippine Passport Act, Salt Industry Development Act, and Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers – would soon be sent to the President for his signature.

Meanwhile, the proposed amendments to the Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act are being finalized by the bicameral conference committee.

The rest of the LEDAC measures approved by the House have been sent to the Senate for action, Romualdez said.

“And out of the 57 LEDAC common legislative agenda measures, all have been approved by the House of Representatives except three. The latest that was approved was the Philippine Self-Reliant Defense Posture Program Act, which was passed on third reading last January 24,” he said.