ADMINISTRATION parties led by the ruling party Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) have committed to support the passage of President Marcos Jr.’s 13 remaining priority bills before Congress adjourns sine die on June 2.
Leaders of Lakas, led by its president, Speaker Martin Romualdez, the PDP-Laban, Nacionalista Party (NP), National Unity Party (NUP), Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), and Party-list Coalition Foundation, Inc. (PCFI) gave the commitment during an all-party caucus held late Monday afternoon which was presided over by the Speaker.
“We will try to achieve that objective on a best-effort basis. The bills on deck will complement those that we have already passed and which support the Agenda for Prosperity and eight-point socio-economic roadmap of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.,” Romualdez said.
Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. of Pampanga and Reps. Johnny Pimentel of Surigao del Sur and Rida Robes of San Jose City represented PDP-Laban in the party leaders’ caucus, while the NP was represented by Reps. Eleandro Jesus Madrona of Romblon, Robert Ace Barbers of Surigao del Norte and Janette Garin of Iloilo.
The NPC was represented by Quezon Rep. Mark Enverga and Ilocos Sur Rep. Kristine Meehan Singson, and NUP by Antipolo City Rep. Robbie Puno and Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte, while Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co, chair of the powerful committee on appropriations who is PCFI president, spoke for his group.
Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco, BHW party-list Rep. Angelica Natasha Co, and Rep. Brian Yamsuan (PL, Bicol Saro) also joined the meeting, which Romualdez convened shortly after presiding over the first day of resumption of session.
The Speaker told his colleagues they have only four weeks to approve the remaining priority bills, urged them to maximize the time so that the House could pass all the urgent measures identified by the President in his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July last year and later adopted by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC).
Gonzales told the Speaker that they are ready to go the “extra mile to accomplish the task” while Barbers said the President’s legislative priorities “deserve our support.”
On Sunday, Romualdez said Marcos has approved 11 additional bills, including the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) to be included in the list of priority legislation that he wants Congress to pass the soonest time possible.
The additional bills brought the priority administration measures to 42, from the original 31 measures.
On Monday, the House of Representatives approved on third and final reading House Bill (HB) No. 7751, or the proposed Department of Health Specialty Centers in Hospitals Act that aims to expand healthcare services by establishing specialized care centers in hospitals under the supervision and control of the Department of Health (DoH).
