Wish list for last three years

As of last count, there are already more than 500 Senate bills (SBs) filed since the 20th Congress took life on the first day of this month. At the House of Representatives, composed of about 314 or so lawmakers, perhaps the number of bills filed to date might even be double or triple those filed at the 24-man Senate. But the bulk of these proposed new laws of the land were all re-filed legislative bills that originated from the just concluded 19th Congress.

Unfortunately, many of these bills languished in the legislative mill and never got to see the light of day.

In the past, the staff of the senators jockeyed at the Senate secretariat as early as the crack of dawn just to get the first slots in the numbering of SBs. To avoid this spectacle, they decided to draw lots to determine the succession of senators in filing their respective SBs. And each senator is limited to file 10 bills for the first round and another 10 bills for the second round. Once the two rounds are completed, anybody can take a turn.

During the Kapihan sa Manila Bay news forum last Wednesday, Sen. Joel Villanueva disclosed he got the draw as fifth in the first round and first in the second round of filing bills.

For the first round, Villanueva picked his “top ten” priority bills as follows: SB 41 for End of ENDO (end of contract) and Security of Tenure; SB 42 for Freelancers Protection Act; SB 43 for TUPAD, or Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers Act; SB 44 for Living Wage Act; SB 45 for An Act Expanding the Use of the Legal Assistance Fund for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs); SB 46 OFW Hospital Act; SB 47 for Anti-Online Gambling Act; SB 48 for Magna Carta of Religious Freedom; SB 49 for the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) and SB 50 National Independent Commission Against Corruption.

In the specific case of the ENDO bill, Villanueva recalled with obvious bitterness that it was approved into law during the 18th Congress. However, for whatever reason, it was vetoed by former president Rodrigo Duterte. Villanueva lamented its enactment would have provided protection of security of tenure to thousands, if not millions, of workers employed under job order contracts in private offices and even those employed in government.

For a veteran lawmaker who has walked the halls of Congress for more than two decades, Villanueva is already on legacy mode. This early, Villanueva is now talking about his planned retirement from politics at the end of his second term as senator ending in June 2028. Rising through the ranks, so to speak, Villanueva started his legislative career as the “Benjamin” or the youngest member during the 12th Congress. That was in 2001 when he was then just 27 years old as a party-list representative of the Citizens’ Battle Against Corruption (CIBAC).

Turning 50 years this coming Aug. 2, Villanueva wants to spend his golden year in pursuing the same pet bills he has filed through the years in Congresses past. Many never got approved into law and worse, many just managed first reading in plenary session and referred to Senate committees, but never reached second reading approval. So in this 20th Congress, Villanueva vowed to make a final push for his dream bills to be passed into law.

As the line of the old song “Mona Lisa” goes: “Many dreams have been brought to your doorstep. They just lie there, and they die there.”

One week from now, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (PBBM) delivers his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA). On July 28, PBBM will again render his SONA as part of the ceremonial joint opening session of the 20th Congress. By tradition, the President is expected to render his administration’s annual accomplishment report as against his previous year’s SONA.

As required under our country’s Constitution, the proposed General Appropriations Act (GAA) or the budget bill must be submitted to Congress a month after the SONA. Last year, while PBBM turned over to the Lower House the proposed 2025 GAA bill just a week after his SONA, it got badly mangled at the bicameral conference committee (bicam). Called the “third congress,” the bicam version of the 2025 GAA containing the National Expenditure Program (NEP) of the Marcos administration suffered a lot of congressional “insertions.”

Many of these “insertions” were either vetoed or re-classified by PBBM “for later release.” In fact, several petitions were filed at the Supreme Court against these “insertions” as illegal and unconstitutional. The High Court, however, has yet to rule on any of them.

While the passage of the GAA bill is mandatory, the rest of the legislative measures do not enjoy the same built-in guarantee of being enacted. For these proposed bills, they get better chances of being passed into law if the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) pick them as priority measure. The LEDAC, chaired by the President, is convened to come up with a common legislative agenda, or the list of proposed laws identified as priority bills for enactment by Congress.

Since there is no new set of congressional leaders yet, it is safe to assume PBBM would only be able to convene the LEDAC not sooner than after his SONA. Before SONA day, however, PBBM is embarking on his latest trip to the United States on July 20-22. He is set to meet with US President Donald Trump at the White House.

Malacañang billed this US trip as crucial in addressing the higher tariff rates set to be imposed this Aug. 1 on all Philippine export products being sold to the American markets. This comes at the start of the remaining three years of PBBM’s term in office that coincides with the three-year life of a Congress.

Other than “ayuda” or state subsidies, PBBM’s “wish list” of priority bills should create more productivity for his Bagong Pilipinas vision for Filipinos.