Bill on faster permit processing to get urgent stamp

THE MEASURE granting President Rodrigo R. Duterte special powers to expedite permit processing amid the coronavirus pandemic will be certified as urgent, a Palace official said. This comes as Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel F. Zubiri requested that the bill be certified to have it passed on final reading before Congress suspends session from Oct. 17-Nov. 15. “May request ako, ‘yung ating (I have a request, the) emergency powers for the Ease of Doing Business, baka pwedeng ma- certify (perhaps it could be certified),” Mr. Zubiri asked Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea at a hearing. In response, Mr. Medialdea said the Office of the President (OP) will act on the request of the senator. Senator Christopher Lawrence T. Go, who chaired the finance subcommittee hearing, also confirmed the OP’s commitment. The lawmakers were referring to Senate Bill No. 1844, which is currently pending second reading in the chamber. A notice certifying a bill as urgent will allow Congress to pass the measure on second and third reading on the same day, doing away with the three-day interval. In its last version, the bill provides Mr. Duterte the authority to speed up and streamline the process for new permit applications as well as suspend or waive requirements. This was filed after Mr. Duterte consulted Congress for possible amendments to further reduce red tape. Mr. Medialdea was attending the hearing on the P8.239 billion OP budget for 2021, which is slightly higher than the P8.201 billion allocation this year. — Charmaine A. Tadalan