2017: A banner year for the Senate
BY BERNADETTE E. TAMAYO
2017 was a banner year for the 101 yearold Philippine Senate.
The upper chamber saw the passage of landmark laws that would benefit generations of Filipinos, among them the Free Tuition Law, the Philippine Passport Law, and the Tax Reform Acceleration and Inclusion ( TRAIN) Act.
However, certain sectors, including the opposition, claim that TRAIN would become a “burden” not just to poor families but also those in the middle income bracket since it would increase the prices of basic commodities starting January 1.
To stabilize the peace and order situation in Mindanao, majority of the senators voted to allow President Rodrigo Duterte to declare martial law in May to quell the rebellion of the Islamic State-inspired Maute extremist group.
Then, in a joint session with the House of Representatives on July 22, the Senate also granted the President’s proposal to extend martial law for six more months, or until the last hour of December 31.
On December 13, the two houses met again in joint session and allowed the extension of martial law in Mindanao for one more year or until December 31, 2018 to “defeat threat groups in the region and sustain economic recovery efforts the government has set in motion.”
Legislative accomplishments
The Senate ratified the bicameral conference committee report for the proposed P3.76-trillion 2018 national budget and TRAIN before it adjourned on December 13 for the month-long holiday break.
The TRAIN covered a package of reforms, including income tax relief for almost 6.8 million workers.
The Senate approved on third and final reading Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 11, which would raise the base salary of military and uniformed personnel starting January 2018.
It adopted SJR No. 8 and House Bill 5241. The first authorized the National Housing Authority (NHA) to award the unoccupied and unawarded housing units of uniformed personnel to other qualified beneficiaries such as informal settlers. The second declares December 8 or the feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a special non-working holiday throughout the archipelago.
Since the start of the 2nd Regular Session in July, the Senate passed six measures that were signed into law by the President. These include the Philippine Passport Act (RA10928); Free Internet Access in Public Spaces Act (RA 10929); Extending the Validity Period of Driver’s Licenses to 5 Years (RA10930); Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act (RA10931); Anti-Hospital Deposit Law (RA 10932) and Amending the Revised Penal Code (RA 10951). Also signed into law on December 29 was the Gift Check Act of 2017 (SBN 1466).
Also in the list of new laws is the postponement of the barangay polls from October 23, 2017 to the second Monday of May 2018 (Republic Act 10953), which the President signed into law on October 4.
Other bills passed on third reading include the proposed Free Irrigation Service to Small Farmers Act of 2017 (SBN 1465), Motorcycle Crime Prevention Act of 2017 (SBN 1397), the Expanded Anti-Red Tape Act (SBN 1311), Fiscal and Monetary Report Act of 2017 (SBN 1483), and the Electric Cooperatives Emergency and Resiliency Fund Act of 2017 (SBN 1461).
The Senate adopted Resolution 213, which directed the appropriate committee to conduct an inquiry into the economic effects of the present operations and regulation of the telecommunications industry.
The Senate also adopted the following resolutions:
• Resolution 481, which expressed the sense of the Senate to support the President’s appeal to the American government for the return of the Balangiga bells that American military troops took home as trophies of war in 1901.
• Resolution 529, authorizing the chairmen of the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs and the Senate committee on justice and human rights to make public John Paul Solano’s testimony during an executive session, in connection with the Senate investigation into the death of hazing victim Horatio Castillo 3rd.
This year, the Senate gained a “+56 or very good” net satisfaction rating based on the latest Social Weather Station (SWS) survey, up by 10 points from the +46 it achieved in September.
The survey, conducted nationwide from December 8 to 16, had 1,200 respondents. The SWS said it was not commissioned by anyone.
Senate President Aquilino Pimentel 3rd was “quite happy” with the SWS survey but he emphasized that the Senate’s accomplishments were the result of the hard work of all the senators. “It’s a team/group effort. The majority (group) is blessed to have hardworking members and also a reasonable and cooperative (not obstructionist) minority ( bloc),” Pimentel said. ( To be continued)