Lawmakers vow swift action on Duterte’s priority measures

HOUSE leaders assured on Tuesday that they would work closely with their Senate counterparts for the immediate approval of the 21 priority bills mentioned by President Duterte in his fifth State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday.

Majority Leader Martin Romualdez said that upon the instruction of Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, he will work closely with Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri to tackle and harmonize the President’s latest priority measures and those that have been mentioned in his last year’s Sona.

“We expect that the Senate will work hand-in-hand with the House to smoothen the deliberations and passage of these vital bills. Of course this will be done without sacrificing the quality of debates and discussions in both the committee and plenary levels,” said Romualdez.

House Committee on Trade and Industry Chairman and Valenzuela Rep. Wes Gatchalian said his panel already approved a bill regulating online transactions by creating the Electronic Commerce Bureau.

He said the bill will now be presented to the plenary for approval.

“I am very delighted that the President emphasized the need to build confidence in online transactions, by providing stronger protection for online consumers and enabling measures for online businesses through the enactment of the Internet Transactions Act,” he said.

The lawmaker said the bill seeks to regulate all business-to-business and business-to-consumer commercial transactions conducted over the Internet, including those related to Internet retail, online travel, online media, ride-hailing services, and digital financial services.

“These concerns cannot come at a more appropriate time as this pandemic has forced millions to resort to e-commerce as the primary means to transact. E-commerce will be the new normal but unfortunately, regulations to protect consumers and businesses from unscrupulous individuals who take advantage of this borderless economy are inadequate,” he said.

Bayanihan 2

DEPUTY Speaker for Finance Luis Raymund Villafuerte said the lower chamber’s top priority will be the passage of the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act or Bayanihan 2 to arm President Duterte with continued special powers to deal with the contagion.

Villafuerte made this call as President Duterte sought the swift congressional approval of Bayanihan 2.

“The Congress needs to arm the President anew with special powers for his government to best deal with the highly infectious and lethal virus that apparently has no intention of going away anytime soon,” Villafuerte said.

‘Quite comprehensive’

SEN. Sherwin T. Gatchalian, for his part, credited President Duterte’s directives setting in motion various measures to propel economic recovery that the Chief Executive outlined in Monday’s Sona before a joint session of Congress.

Citing the country’s ongoing battle against Covid-19, Gatchalian noted that the economic agenda set by the President was “quite comprehensive.”

This, he added, “is embodied in the Bayanihan to Recover as One Act [Bayanihan 2] which is supported and certified as urgent by the President.”

Noting that Bayanihan 2 will supplement funds for “recovery and response” against the impact of the pandemic, Gatchalian pointed out that this also “includes emergency subsidy to workers, cash-for-work programs, prevention and control of other diseases, and support programs for impacted sectors.” He added that it will also give the President the mandate to realign funds within the General Appropriations Act “so that he can immediately respond to the changing social landscape brought about by the pandemic.”

In a news statement, Gatchalian acceded to President Duterte’s key economic legislative measures: one is the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises or CREATE Act, which cuts the corporate income tax to 25 percent from the current 30 percent; and two, the Financial Institutions Strategic Transfer or FIST Act that will assist banks and other financial institutions in managing their non-performing assets (NPAS).

At the same time, Gatchalian commended the President’s support for the micro, small and medium enterprises by providing capitalization for their business operations, and for providing loans and assisting displaced overseas Filipino workers (OFWS) in entrepreneurship projects. The President laid out a series of policy support for MSMES such as reprieve from rent and regulatory relief from banks and other financial institutions through the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

Death penalty

ROMUALDEZ also said the lower chamber is ready to stand up to the task and pass priority bills outlined by the President, including thorough deliberations on several measures calling for the reimposition of death penalty for drug-related charges.

“The House also assures that the death penalty measures will be deliberated on thoroughly,” said Romualdez.

“We are ready to take on the challenge,” Romualdez said following the President’s speech where he also reiterated the need for Congress to pass several measures that were already mentioned in his last year’s Sona such as the bill reviving the death penalty by lethal injection for drugrelated offenses; the proposed law creating the Department of Overseas Filipinos that was already transmitted by the House to the Senate; the measure creating the Department of Disaster and Resilience, among other measures.

In his Sona, Duterte called on Congress to expedite the passage of several key measures, including the Bayanihan To Heal as One Act 2; the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives Enterprises Act (CREATE); the National Housing Development bill; and the Rental Housing Subsidy bill.

“The House had already passed on third and final reading some of the measures mentioned by the President on Monday such as the CREATE, and the bill creating the Department of Overseas Filipinos. Others are either being deliberated at the committees, or at the plenary,” said Romualdez.

The Chief Executive said bills amending Republic Act (RA) 10912 or the Continuing Professional Development Act of 2016 must also be approved along with the Advanced Nursing Education Act; the Medical Reserve Corps Act; and measures that would institutionalize the National Disease Prevention and Management Authority.

A lso spelled out as legislative priorities were the Unified System of Separation Retirement and Pension for Uniformed Personnel; the Modernization of the Bureau of Fire Protection; and establishment of education centers in every city and municipality.

Duterte also asked Congress to pass the National Land Use Act; measures creating the Boracay Island Authority; the Coconut Levy Act, the Coconut Farmers Trust Fund; the Rural Agricultural and Fisheries Development Financing System Act; as well as the Internet Transactions Act.

Besides the Sona priority bills, Romualdez said the chamber’s top agenda also includes the 2021 national budget and Covid-19 road map for recovery.