HOUSE OKS ANTIRED TAPE BILL

The House of Representatives on Friday night approved on third and final reading the bill authorizing the President to cut down red tape and expedite the processing and issuance of permits, licenses and certifications during a national emergency.

On the last day of the special session for the 2021 national budget, 267 congressmen voted to approve House Bill No. 7884, which was filed by Speaker Lord Allan Velasco and majority leader Martin Romualdez two days earlier.

The six-member Makabayan bloc, comprised of Bayan Muna Representatives Carlos Zarate, Ferdinand Gaite, and Eufemia Cullamat, Gabriela Women’s Rep. Arlene Brosas, ACT Rep. France Castro and Kabataan Rep. Sarah Jane Elago voted against the measure.

The approval of the bill, certified as urgent by President Duterte, came after the Senate approved its own antired tape measure on third and final reading on Wednesday.

Before dawn on Friday, the House convened as a committee of the whole to consider four measures and approve a final version at the committee level before the consolidated bill was OK’D on second and third reading as required by House rules. Three proposals—hb 7831, 7880 and 7882— were consolidated into HB 7884.

The approved HB 7884 aims to accelerate the economy’s recovery by authorizing the President to accelerate and streamline regulatory processes and procedures for new and pending applications and renewals of permits, licenses, clearances, certifications, etc.

The President can also suspend or waive the requirements in securing permits, licenses, clearances, certifications or authorization issued by agencies under the executive branch.

This includes departments, bureaus, offices, commissions, boards, councils, government instrumentalities and government-owned and -controlled corporations.

But such powers should not be used to undermine existing procedures and processes meant to “protect the environment, especially those that aim to safeguard protected areas and its buffer zones, and environmentally critical areas.”

Mr. Duterte was also authorized to suspend or remove a government official or employee performing acts contrary to the proposed bill.