(NI ABBY MENDOZA)

PARA matiyak na walang panukala na mabi-veto kung saan walang maaksayang pera at oras, mas pinalakas ng Kongreso ang koordinasyon nito sa Palasyo para matiyak na ang mga aaprubahang panukala ay hindi maaksaya at tuluyang maisasabatas.

Ayon kay House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez para masiguro ang No Veto sa 18th Congress ay nagkaroon na sila ng pagpupulong sa Malacanang sa pagitan ng Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) at mga Cabinet secretaries.

“We agreed to hold a regular monthly meeting to ensure a better shepherding of President’s  priority measures. This would smoothen the process and avoid the unfortunate experiences of having vetoed measures. This is an effort to make sure that we have better linkages, synergy and coordination to fast-track, facilitate and harmonize measures, especially those actually spelled out by the President as priority measures,” paliwanag ni Romualdez.

” We do not want to put to waste all the money, time and effort which are normally spent in passing bills,”dagdag pa nito.

Ang naganap na Ledac meeting ay pinangunahan nina  Executive Sec. Salvador Medialdida, Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano, Romualdez,

Senate President Tito Sotto, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, House Minority Leader Bienvenido Abante, Senators Ralph Recto at  Sonny Angara, Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, Deputy Speaker at Camarines Sur Rep. LRay Villafuerte, Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab, Finance Sec. Carlos Dominguez III, Labor Sec. Silvestre Bello III, former acting Budget Sec. Janet Abuel,  acting Budget Sec. Wendel Avisado, at Presidential Adviser on Legislative Affairs (PLLO) Sec. Adelino Sitoy.

Ilan sa napagkasunduan na tutukang maipasa sa oras ay ang  2020 national budget, pagbuo ng  Department of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), pag amyenda sa Public Service Act, pagtaas ng excise tax rates sa alcohol, pag institutionalize sa Malasakit centers at pagbuo ng Tax Reform for Attracting Better and High-Quality Opportunities( Trabaho).

Matatandaan na noong 18th Congress ay nai-veto ni Pangulong Duterte ang ilang bahagi ng General Appropriations Act gayundin ang 9 pa na panukala.

“This is the reason why we are now adopting best practices from previous Congresses as well as innovative mechanisms to avoid miscommunication between the Palace and Congress. Tighter coordination between the Executive and legislative departments may be the key to avoid any possibility of a Presidential veto,” giit pa ni Romualdez.

Sinabi ni Romualdez na ang pag-veto ng Pangulo sa mga panukala ay hindi dahil tutol ito sa panukala bagkus ay may probisyon lang na hindi ito sinasang-ayunan, para maiwasan ay kailangan ng koordinasyon sa Malacanang.

Ayon sa Congressional Planning and Budget Office nasa P3M ang nagagatos ng Kongreso bago maipasa sa third and final reading ang isang panukala kaya malaking aksaya kung maveveto lamang ito sa bandang huli.

“We do not want to waste the people’s money. A well-crafted legislative measure, discussed thoroughly with Cabinet members and other stakeholders, will ensure that government resources are spent wisely and prudently,”pagtatapos pa ni  Romualdez.