27 civil service bills to be refiled

MANILA, Philippines — Twenty-seven civil service and professional regulation bills that the Senate failed to act on will be refiled in the 20th Congress, reelected Bohol Rep. Kristine Tutor said yesterday.

“We have no choice but to refile dozens of bills that the Senate did not act upon, which came from the House committee on civil service and professional regulation,” said Tutor, chair of the House panel.

One of the bills set for refiling would extend to five years the validity of the Professional Regulation Commission license.

Civil service and professional regulation measures should be included in President Marcos’ State of the Nation Address on July 28, Tutor said.

Meanwhile, 41 neophyte and returning members of the House of Representatives completed on Wednesday the three-day executive course on legislation in preparation for the start of the 20th Congress in July.

Bukidnon representative-elect Audrey Kay Zubiri, a neophyte lawmaker, said the course taught her how to “scrutinize budgets, interpret data and legislate with conscience.”

The course was organized by the House in partnership with the Center for Policy and Executive Development of the University of the Philippines College of Public Administration and Governance.

Priority measures

Reducing rice prices, increasing health care benefits and strengthening the anti-illegal drug campaign are among the priorities of the lower chamber, House spokesperson Princess Abante and neophyte Bulacan representative-elect Agatha Paula Cruz said Wednesday.

Abante and Cruz cited Speaker Martin Romualdez, who earlier expressed support for an overhaul of the National Food Authority to help stabilize rice prices.

Romualdez also welcomed the expanded benefits of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. and the Marcos administration’s anti-drug campaign.

‘Support Marcos’

Members of the 20th Congress, especially young lawmakers, should support the President’s legislative priorities, Romualdez said on Wednesday during a fellowship dinner at Malacañang.

“We want to make sure that the 20th Congress is much in sync with the administration’s policies, his Philippine Development Plan, his Fiscal Medium-Term Framework for the economy and the vision for the Bagong Pilipinas,” he said.

Romualdez also praised the so-called Young Guns for their performance in the 19th Congress, saying they have evolved into the “Top Guns.”

“Very eloquent, very learned, very experienced and always on point. They are the pride of the 19th Congress,” he said.