House rule allows shortcut for bills passed in 17th Congress
July 24, 2019 at 15:05
House rule allows shortcut for bills passed in 17th Congress
Xave Gregorio | CNN Philippines | July 24, 2019
This is seen to grease up the legislative mill in the House, as bills it passed in the 17th Congress would not need to be refiled and undergo several committee hearings before they are taken for debates by the entire chamber.
“This is done for continuity. And it takes ₱3 million to be able to pass a bill properly — that’s the expense that the taxpayers spend for us to be able to muster a bill through three readings. So that we don’t waste money, we don’t have to refile it, we just go directly to plenary. Anyway, there’s a period of debate and amendment,” Senior Deputy Majority Leader Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla told CNN Philippines’ The Source on Wednesday.
The rule was first adopted in the 17th Congress. The House provisionally adopted these rules during its opening session on Monday.
Section 48 of the House rules states that bills identified as priorities of the chamber which have been passed on third reading by the immediately preceding Congress can be sent to plenary and included in the calendar of business.
One of the bills that they want to take up again under this rule is the second package of the administration’s tax reform program — known as the TRABAHO Bill — which seeks to cut corporate income tax rates and slash their tax incentives.
The House passed this on third reading, but the measure lost steam in the Senate whose members were spooked by the backlash from the first package of the tax reform program, which slashed personal income tax rates but hiked excise taxes on several goods and services.
Some members of the House have already expressed reservations on the TRABAHO Bill, fearing that it may hit small businesses.
“Ayaw naman natin maapi ‘yung [We don’t want to oppress] small entrepreneurs. They have a lot of small business people in the Philippines that feel like they are being discriminated upon. Okay? They cannot put up … capital like big business,” House Minority Leader Bienvenido “Benny” Abante told The Source.
But whether they would have enough time to voice their concerns at the committee level remains to be seen, as the House intends to hold only one hearing on measures that have been passed in the 17th Congress.
Upon third reading in the previous Congress, the House passed a proposed joint resolution calling on Congress to convene into a constituent assembly to propose and vote on revisions and amendments to the Constitution, in order for the country to shift to a federal form of government.
This, too, lost steam at the Senate, whose 23 members feared being overpowered by the nearly 300 members of the House should they vote jointly.
Unlike the TRABAHO Bill, President Rodrigo Duterte left out Charter change from his fourth State of the Nation Address, leading Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon to say that the push to make changes to the Constitution has been put to rest.
READ: No time for charter change – Gatchalian
However, Cabinet members clarified Tuesday that the government is still pushing for Charter change and even the shift to federalism.
As for the House, Remulla said there is still no policy direction from newly-elected Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano on Charter change except for his desire to extend terms of select government officials.
But if the House does pick the Charter change up, it can easily speed through the chamber.
“It can be brought directly to the committee. We have to refer it to the committee first. After one hearing, if they so decide to really recommit it, then it can be brought to plenary,” Remulla said.
Historically, the House is the chamber of Congress, which is more willing to bend to the will of the President, while the Senate is able to maintain a good degree of independence from the executive branch.
But the domination of pro-Duterte lawmakers in both chambers have raised some concerns that Congress would be turned into Duterte’s rubber stamp.
House leaders and members, however, have assured that they can maintain independence from Duterte, even if they are his allies.
Source: https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2019/7/24/House-bills-shortcut-18th-Congress.html
