NAGPAHAYAG ng kumpiyansa si Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. na mabilis na ipapasa ng Kongreso ang ‘priority bills’ ng administrasyon.

Ito’y matapos na magpatawag ng pulong ang Pangulo sa Palasyo ng Malakanyang kasama ang mga opisyal ng Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO) officials sa pangunguna ni Secretary Mark Llandro Mendoza para pag-usapan ang legislative priorities ng administrasyon.

Kabilang sa agenda ng miting ang “legislative calendar at accomplishments, updates sa bills sakop ng Presidential certifications o direktiba at iba pang PLLO-related concerns, ayon sa state-run Radio Television Malacañang (RTVM) sa Facebook post.

Nasiyahan naman ang Pangulo sa progreso ng kanyang priority bills at umaasa na ipapasa ng Kongreso ang mga ito upang maging ganap na batas para suportahan ang kanyang development agenda, ayon naman kay Communications Secretary Cheloy Garafil sa isang kalatas.

“President Marcos enumerated the priority bills in his 2022 State of the Nation Address (SONA), which are essential in the implementation of the administration’s plans and programs for the country, particularly the 8-point socioeconomic agenda,” ani Garafil.

“Among those he certified as urgent include the Fiscal Year 2023 General Appropriations Bill, Amendments to Republic Act (RA) No. 11709 (AFP Professionalism), Maharlika Investment Fund, the Mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) and National Service Training Program,” dagdag na wika nito.

Tinukoy ang report ng PLLO, sinabi ni Garafil na may 10 hanggang 20 priority legislative measures na nabanggit ni Pangulong Marcos sa kanyang Unang SONA ang naipasa ng Kongreso at naipadala naman sa Senado, “as of Jan. 18.”

Tinuran ni Garafil na ang bills na inaprubahan sa third at final reading ng Kongreso ay ang panukalang Tax Package 3 or Real Property Valuation and Assessment Reform Act; panukalang Tax Package 4 or Passive Income and Financial Intermediary Taxation Act (PIFITA); at Government Financial Institutions Unified Initiatives to Distressed Enterprises for Economic Recovery (GUIDE) bill.

Aniya, ang Internet Transactions bill, ang panukalang E-Commerce Law at ang batas na naglalayong kaligtaan na ang ‘unpaid amortization at interests of loans’ ng mga agrarian reform beneficiaries’ ay nakakuha rin ng pagsang-ayon mula sa mga mambabatas.

Aniya pa, ang panukalang amyendahan ang Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) Law at planong lumikha ng Medical Reserve Corps, the Philippine Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) at Virology Institute of the Philippines ay kasama rin sa priority legislations ng administrasyong Marcos.

Ani Garafil, may ilang bills ang sinertipikahan bilang urgent ni Pangulong Marcos at iba pang Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC)-priority bills ang naipasa na ng Kongreso subalit nananatiling nakabinbin sa Senado.

Kabilang sa LEDAC-priority bills ay ang panukalang New Passport Law, Leyte Ecological Zone, Waste Treatment Technology, Free Legal Assistance for Military and Uniformed Personnel, Eastern Visayas Development Authority, Revised National Apprenticeship Program at ang Magna Carta of Barangay Health Workers.

“Those being pushed by the Palace based on the President’s directives include the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) Regulatory Functions, Amendment to RA No. 8172 or ASIN Law Amendment, Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) (for Senate ratification), and Anti-Agricultural Smuggling Act,” ayon kay Garafil.

Ayon pa rin kay Garafil, ang natitirang 10 SONA priority bills ay nananatili sa committee levels, kapwa ng Senado at Kongreso.

“These include [the proposed establishment of the] Department of Water Resources (DWR), E-Government/Governance Act, Government Rightsizing Program (GRP), National Land Use Act, Budget Modernization, Natural Gas Industry Enabling Law, EPIRA (RA 9136) Amendments, MUP Pension Reform, and National Defense Act,” lahad nito. (CHRISTIAN DALE)