Belmonte: Let’s vote on RH, FOI bills
July 24, 2012 at 16:11
MANILA, Philippines- House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. on Monday told colleagues at the House of Representatives that it is time for lawmakers to vote on the Reproductive Health Bill, one of the most contentious measures in the country where the influence of the catholic Church remains strong.
In his speech at the opening of the third regular session of the Congress, Belmonte mentioned 15 measures that would need the Congress’ attention, and two of these are the RH bill and the Freedom of Information bill.
“The Reproductive Health Bill is already in plenary debate. It has been discussed from every possible perspective by advocates and opponents alike not only in this Congress but in past congresses. I think it is time we finally put it to a vote. Let the chips fall where they may. The same goes for the Freedom of Information Bill,” Belmonte said.
Other measures that should be prioritized are the amendments to the Build-Operate-Transfer Law, Anti-Trust Act, amendments to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act, strengthening the National Electrification Administration, Rationalization of the charters of the Philippine Ports Authority, Maritime Industry Authority, Civil Aeronautics Board, the National Transport Policy Act, amendments to the Government Procurement Reform Act, amendments to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Charter, amendments to the Witness Protection, Security and benefit Act, the Extension of the AFP Modernizaton Program and the amendments to the National Defense and Security Act.
Belmonte added that priority bills should include the K+12 meaure – the act of Enhancing the Curriculum of the Basic Education System, and the measure Expanding the Coverage of the Science and Technology Scholarship Program.
Belmonte conceded that “challenges” remain for the country, including the global economic crisis. Constraints for lawmakers, meanwhile, include the preparations for the 2013 mid-term polls.
“We must break the boom-and-bust cycle. We need to attain much higher and more consistent rates of growth to eventually eradicate poverty. We need to bring in more and better investments,” Belmonte said.
He also cited the need to revisit the economic provisions of the 1987 Constituion.
“I am not proposing to change the restrictive economic provisions of the Constitution overnight. What I am suggesting is for us to take the first step towards relaxing the restrictive economic provisions of our Constitution to allow Congress to enact the laws that would define foreign participation and nationality requirements in strategic sectors of our economy. Those who advocate the maintenance of restrictions will have all the time and opportunity to convince Congress otherwise,” Belmonte said.
Belmonte also said the House of Representatives was able to pass five priority measures of the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Counci, including the amendments to the Anti-Money Laundering Act.
“Fifteen LEDAC priority measures were also passed on Third Reading among which were the law Restructuring Excise Taxes on Alcohol and Tobacco products, the Fiscal Incentives Rationalization Act, the Data Privacy Act, the Amendment to Strengthen the Anti-Money Laundering Act, the Philippine Maritime Zones Law, the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act, the Whistleblowers Act, and the Universal Mandatory Healthcare Coverage Act,” Belmonte added.
‘Economic measures’
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, meanwhile, urged his fellow senators as he opens the session at the Senate to focus on “vital economic measures,” noting that the current international economic trends tended to favor the Southeast Asian Region.
Enrile said that there is a need for the government to adopt new economic policies because “countries with the friendliest investment climates will be able to attract business.”
The veteran senator and Belmonte are pushing for debates on proposed amendments to the 1987 Constitutions, particularly on some economic provisions, at the resumption of the 15th Congress.
Belmonte has said that he and Enrile will bring the idea to President Benigno Aquino III.
Enrile, meanwhile, said that the government must also protect local businesses.
“The improvement of the economy is a government’s vital concern. But our way of allowing business to prosper must be guided, not only by a sense of free enterprise, but also by the spirit of stewardship,” Enrile said as he opened the session of the Senate.
Citing Burma as an example, Enrile said a number of multinational corporations were training their investment sights to Southeast Asia.
“Although we desire to emerge as the country which can bag these economic opportunities, we should not permit it to happen at the expense of the local economy,” he added. “We should also be mindful that unbridled business expansion often leads to the transformation of corporations into conglomerates that may prove unhealthy in the long run. “
Enrile said experts in business and economy have suggested that when only a few emerge as owners of business, a majority of the people are reduced to “being workers along the conveyor belt or robot consumers of products they have no control over,” adding that “the concentration of wealth that these businesses generate leaves less for those who already have none.”
He said that amending certain economic provisions in the Constitution will enable the government to be more flexible in allowing for the foreign ownership of certain industries, particularly those that are involved in the exploration, development and utilization of our natural resources.
He said the Senate will prioritize measures geared towards generating an economic climate that “encourages the creation of goods and services in a playing field that is intentionally made fair for all.”
Among the bills that will be prioritized is Senate Bill 3098, which seeks to prohibit or discourage the formation of anti-competitive mergers and anti-competitive conduct.
“In order to protect our people, we must ensure that prices are dictated by the market and not fixed as a result of any corporation’s control over the quantity of products produced,” Enrile said, adding that “we should not permit businesses to abuse their dominant status by artificially creating barriers against other firms who want to do business.”
Enrile reiterated the need to pass Senate Bill 3071, which aims to promote competitive Filipino design by strengthening the Product Development and Design Center of the Philippines and at the same time pass Senate Bill 2842, which seeks to upgrade the copyright section of the Department of Trade and Industry into a servicing bureau under the Intellectual Property Office (IPO).
Enrile also addressed the need for more consumer protection initiatives especially in the face of rampant reports of the sale of “botcha,” meat products taken from animals that died because of contamination or disease.
“The sale of contaminated food is a health hazard that our families must never endure. Senate Bill 2746 provides that meat and meat products bear a label indicating its place of origin. Once enacted into law, this requirement will energize our meat retail industry by bringing back the public’s trust in their products,” Enrile said.
Enrile also said that the Senate will also prioritize Senate Bill 3199, which provides for an improved framework by which the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and its attached agencies can improve housing conditions specially in already-crowded urban communities. He also mentioned the National Land Use Act under Senate Bill 3091, which he says is “ripe for review”.
Another priority measure is Senate Bill 3208, which is more popularly known as the People’s Ownership over Government Information (POGI) Bill.
“We in the Senate commit to the principle that the key to good government is accountability. I would think that, with a few exceptions, government spending should be open to public scrutiny. Passing the POGI Bill is important because it will establish the guiding policy to the public’s access to basic information about the government operations, thereby making government agencies more accountable to their constituencies,” Enrile explained.
Senate’s version of RH bill
Enrile also mentioned the need to tackle the Reproductive Health Bill, a measure that he says have been cause for intense debates.
“The issues raised by the Reproductive Health Bill and the charter change stem from a need we have to address and thus demand an answer from this chamber. I know that we, in the Senate, will tackle these issues with tact and bravery,” he said.
Other measures that the Senate is set to prioritize are Senate Bill No. 3093, declaring the filing of false complaints against public officers as an aggravating circumstance of perjury; Senate Bill No. 2857, institutionalizing the participation of civil society organizations in the preparation of the annual national budget; Senate Bill No. 107, requiring public officials and employees to submit a written permission of waiver in favor of the Ombudsman to look into bank deposits; Senate Bill No. 3214, strengthening the political party system; and Senate Bill No. 3123, further amending the Anti- Money Laundering Act.
Enrile also lauded the work being done by the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on Automated Election Systems, which he says provides the basis for Congress’ concurrence with the purchase by the Commission on Elections of PCOS machines.
“We are counting on the work of this oversight committee to ensure not only the timely delivery and testing of these PCOS machines but also to ascertain that all the other requirements and preparations for the 2013 elections will be dutifully undertaken by all agencies concerned,” Enrile said.
With regards to the submission of the proposed 2013 national budget by the Executive Department to Congress in the next few weeks, Enrile said that he was confident that the Senate Committee on Finance will work hard for the timely passage of the 2013 budget.
“I am certain that the Committee will see to it that the 2013 budget will be thoroughly studied so that each peso contributed by every Filipino’s toil will be spent wisely and conscientiously on programs and projects for the country’s gain,” Enrile said.
The Senate earlier passed several measures that were enacted into law, which includes the following, among others: R.A. 10154 which seeks to guarantee the early release of government employees’ retirement pay; R.A. 10156 which confers civil service eligibility to the members of the Sangguniang Bayan, Panglungsod and Panlalawigan, under certain conditions; R.A. 10158 which decriminalizes vagrancy; R.A. 10167 which strengthens the Anti Money Laundering Law and plugs the loop-holes in the old law; and, R.A. 10168 which prohibits financing of terrorist activities.
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