Signed, lapsed into law, or vetoed

Like the outgoing administration of President Benigno “Noy” Aquino III, lawmakers of the 16th Congress are also set to bow out from office this June 30. But many of them are running in the May 9 elections, either as re-electionists or vying for higher offices in the case of some, or for several others, to run for local elective posts.

As a continuing body, half of the 24-man Senate – or those who were elected during the last May, 2013 elections – will remain in office until June, 2019 to complete their six year term.

Five of them, namely, Senate majority leader Alan Peter Cayetano, Senators Gregorio Honasan, Francis Escudero, Antonio Trillanes IV, and Grace Poe, are running for higher office. These five senators have the benefit to return to the Senate and finish their remaining three years in office if they lose in the coming May elections.

Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. who is still eligible to run for a second term at the Senate, opted to run for the vice presidency instead. Thus, from among the senators who are candidates in the coming elections, only Marcos cast the greatest stake because he has no office to return to in case he fails in his vice presidential bid.

The other half of the Senate are either re-electionist senators, or “graduating” on their second and last term in office this June. From among the “graduating” senators, Miriam Defensor-Santiago will run in the forthcoming presidential race, while Lito Lapid is running for mayor in his hometown in Porac, Pampanga.

The rest of the graduating senators are, namely, Senate minority leader Juan Ponce Enrile; Pia Cayetano, Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., and Jinggoy Estrada. Still being held at the Philippine National Police (PNP) detention center in Camp Crame, Quezon City, Revilla and Estrada are both cooling their heels there while undergoing plunder trial at the Sandiganbayan.

The two senators, along with Enrile were among the lawmakers charged for alleged misuse of their “pork-barrel funds” at the Sandiganbayan. However, Enrile secured his provisional release after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of his bail petition and was released from hospital detention in Camp Crame in August, 2015.

At the House of the Representatives, a majority of the 287 members including party-list, are up for re-election. A number of the graduating congressmen are running for the Senate race in May. They include the likes of Valenzuela Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian, Leyte Rep.Martin Romualdez, and, Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares.

According to Senate President Franklin Drilon, a total of 59 bills passed by both houses of Congress are awaiting President Aquino’s signature while 116 have been signed into law as the third regular session of the 16th Congress winds down this June.

Drilon cited the Senate passed 284 bills, including the 59 pending Palace review and presidential approval into law and the 116 already signed into law.

On the part of the House, Belmonte conceded they failed to deliver the passage into law of President Aquino’s pet bill on the Bangsamoro Basic Law. The Speaker, however, remained optimistic the failure of legislating BBL into law was not the end for the peace agreement of the Aquino administration with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Also seeking re-election as congressman in the 4th district of Quezon City, the Speaker promised to bring BBL back at the legislative mills. “It will help us move forward as a nation, as we must, when the 17th Congress convenes in July,” he vowed.

Four bills approved by the bicameral conference committee and ratified by the Senate are still waiting ratification by the House. These are on the modernization of the National Bureau of Investigation; amending Foreign Ownership Restrictions in specific laws governing adjustment companies, lending companies, financing companies and investment houses cited in the Foreign Investment Negative List, except those in the Constitution; banning the reappointment of a regular member of the Judicial and Bar Council who has served two full terms, and strengthening the Balanced Housing Development Program.

Also still pending before the bicameral conference committee is the latest controversial bill on the Salary Standardization Law IV for government employees. 

Both chambers will resume session on May 23 for their mandated congressional canvassing of election results for president and vice president. In between the conduct of canvassing, these four bills will likely be ratified by the House before sine die adjournment on June 10. Proponents of the P2,000 hike on Social Security System (SSS) were still hoping to override the presidential veto of this Congress-approved bill.

Several enrolled bills transmitted to the Office of President await their fate: either be signed, lapse into law, or also suffer veto.

Except this SSS pension hike, P-Noy has sparingly used his veto power. If not vetoed within the 30-day period after transmittal by Congress, the following will become new laws of the land:             

• Acquisition of Right of Way of Government Infrastructure Projects

• Amendments to the Customs Modernization and Tariff Administration

• Declaring Large-Scale Agricultural Smuggling as Economic Sabotage

• Creating the Department of Information and Communications Technology

• Overseas Workers Welfare Act Amendments

• Voluntary Election Service

• Extending the Life of the Human Rights Victims Claims Board        

• Providing Emergency Relief and Protection for Children before, during and after Disasters;

• The mandatory installation of speed limiters and setting speed limits for public utility buses; making election service non-compulsory for public school teachers;

• Amending the period of collection and utilization of the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF), and

• The amendments to the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation charter.

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Senate president Drilon is our guest at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay this Wednesday (February 10) at Café Adriatico in Remedios Circle in Malate, Manila.