Duterte Congress fared a bit better than Aquino’s 1st 5 months

How did Congress under the administration of President Duterte fare in its first five months in 2016, compared to Congress under then President Benigno Aquino III in 2010?

It’s better—but not by much, based on records of the House of Representatives.

As of December, the 17th Congress has enacted one law postponing the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections and ratified the P3.35-trillion budget for 2017, which is up for signing by Mr. Duterte this week.

The 293-seat House passed 18 bills on third reading, and 11 bills on second reading in this period after receiving 6,029 bills and resolutions. It approved 63 measures and produced 46 committee reports, according to the Bills and Index Division of the chamber.

Congress adjourned for the holidays last week after 56 session days.

By comparison, the Aquino Congress, by Dec. 14, its last session day of 2010, had not yet enacted a bill into law, but had already passed 20 bills on third reading, another five bills of national significance on second reading, and ratified the budget for 2011.

Aquino signed the P1.6-trillion budget for 2011 into law on Dec. 27, 2010, the first time in 11 years that the appropriations act had been enacted on time.

The House under then Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., now a supermajority member in the new Congress, had received more than 4,600 measures after 45 session days.

In a statement on Tuesday, the House leadership under Speaker Alvarez patted itself on the back for its “hard work and productivity” this year.