Villar: Pro-poor bills highlight Senate accomplishment on the First Regular Session, 14th Congress

Senate President Manny Villar today said the Senate approval of a record number of more than 30 bills on second and third reading is highlighted by eight measures that would help uplift the plight of the Filipino masses during these difficult economic times.

In a statement a day after Congress adjourned sine die Wednesday, Villar said he was proud of the Senate accomplishment, which should put to rest criticisms that the Senate has reneged on its lawmaking functions in favor of oversight congressional investigations on allegations of fraud and corruption in government.
 
“We will continue to give priority to the passage of bills that would benefit the Filipino masses, particularly the poor,” said Villar, who is also Nacionalista Party president. “This is an outstanding accomplishment considering that in the past, most bills were not approved in the first regular session of a Congress.” A Congress has three regular sessions.
 
Villar added the Senate’s accomplishment in the First Regular Session of the 14th Congress has the greatest number of bills passed. He noted that in the First Regular Session of the 12th Congress, the Senate passed 16 bills in Second and Third Reading. In the First Regular Session of the 13th Congress, eight bills were approved.
 
“We believe these bills will play an important role in our campaign to improve the lives of the Filipino people in the face of widespread poverty and high prices of food and other basic commodities,” Villar added. “I am happy to report to the nation, that despite the unwarranted criticisms, the Senate labored on and fulfilled its mandate to legislate measures designed to alleviate the plight of the masses.”
 
Villar commended his colleagues for the fortitude and commitment they displayed amid the numerous Senate investigations in connection with questionable transactions by the Executive Branch.
 
He noted that from July 2007 to May 31 this year, the Senate and its various committees conducted a total of 342 public hearings, 22 of which were related to the oversight functions of Congress to investigate allegations of graft and corruption in government.

For the 1st Regular Session of the 14th Congress from 23 July 2007 up until 11 June 2008, the Senate has passed on Third Reading 30 legislations of national application.

These measures including the following:

1) S.B. No. 1620 ¨Granting Additional Retirement Benefits to Members of Judiciary (Approved on Third Reading on 01 October 2007)
 
2) S.J.R. No. 4 ¨Directing the DOJ, PNP, DILG, All Law Enforcement Agencies and Other Government Agencies Tasked to Enforce Peace and Order to Issue Rules and Regulations on Presentation of Suspects under Their Custody to the Media (Approved on Third Reading on 05 November 2007)
 
3) S.B. No. 1646 ¨Promoting Entrepreneurship by Strengthening the Development and Assistance Programs to Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (Approved on Third Reading on 05 November 2007)
 
4) S.B. No. 1647 ¨Providing for Good Conduct Time Allowances (GCTA) to Detention Prisoners and Those Serving Sentence by Virtue of Final Judgment (Approved on Third Reading on 05 November 2007)
 
5) S.B. No. 1658 ¨Providing for Quality Affordable Medicines (Approved on Third Reading on 05 November 2007)
 
6) S.B. No. 1662 ¨Providing Additional Benefits & Protection to Househelpers (Kasambahay) (Approved on Third Reading on 05 November 2007)
 
7) S.B. No. 1697 ¨Providing Stiffer Penalties for the Crime of Theft and Robbery of Portable Telecommunications Devices (Approved on Third Reading on 05 November 2007)
 
8) S.B. No. 1698 ¨Expanding the Promotion of Breastfeeding (Approved on Third Reading on 05 November 2007)
 
9) S.B. No. 1699 ¨Promoting Environmental Awareness through Environmental Education (Approved on Third Reading on 05 November 2007)
 
10) S.R. No. 39 ¨Resolution Concurring in the Ratification of the Treaty on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons between the Republic of the Philippines and the Kingdom of Spain (Approved on Third Reading on 26 November 2007)
 
11) S.B. No. 1532 ¨Providing Compensation to Victims of Human Rights Violations during the Marcos Regime (Approved on Third Reading on 05 December 2007)
 
12) S.B. No. 1882 ¨Establishing a Provident Personal Savings Plan, Known as the Personal Equity and Retirement Account (PERA) (Approved on Third Reading on 05 December 2007)
 
13) H.B. No. 2454 ¨General Appropriations Act (Approved on Third Reading on 11 December 2007)
 
14) S.B. No. 1648 ¨Extending the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF) (Approved on Third Reading on 12 December 2007)

15) S.B. No. 1881 ¨Establishing the Credit Information System (Approved on Third Reading on 19 December 2007)
 
16) S.B. No. 1964 ¨Strengthening the University of the Philippines as National University (Approved on Third Reading on 19 December 2007)
 
17) H.B. No. 3156 ¨Creating the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Approved on Third Reading on 19 December 2007)
 
18) S.B. No. 1874 ¨Declaring May 7 of Every Year as Health Workers’ Day (Approved on Third Reading on 30 January 2008)
 
19) S.B. No. 1710 ¨Limiting the Reappointment of a Regular Member of the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) Who has Already Served the Full Term (Approved on Third Reading on 04 February 2008)
 
20) S.B. No. 1659 ¨Allowing Filipino World War II Veterans to Continue Receiving Philippine Government Pensions and Benefits even when Similar Pensions and Benefits are Provided by the US Government (Approved on Third Reading on 05 February 2008)
 
21) S.B. No. 1965 ¨Decriminalizing Vagrancy, Amending Article 202 of Act No. 3815, otherwise known as the Revised Penal Code (Approved on Third Reading on 12 February 2008)
 
22) S.B. No. 2009 ¨Further Expanding the Organizational Structure of the Court of Tax Appeals, Amending for the Purpose Certain Sections of the Law Creating the Court of Tax Appeals (Approved on Third Reading on 03 March 2008)
 
23) S.B. No. 2092 ¨Establishing Livelihood and Skills Training Centers in 4th, 5th and 6th Class Municipalities (Approved on Third Reading on 11 March 2008)
 
24) S.R. No. 64 ¨Resolution Concurring in the Ratification of the Headquarters Agreement between the Republic of the Philippines and the International Rice Research Institute (Approved on Third Reading on 28 April 2008)
 
25) S.B. No. 2116 ¨Strengthening and Expanding the Coverage of the Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES), amending Republic Act No. 7323 (Approved on Third Reading on 06 May 2008)
 
26) S.B. No. 2293 ¨Amending Sections 22, 24, 34, 35, 51 and 79 of Republic Act No. 8424, as Amended, Otherwise Known as the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997 (Approved on Third Reading on 27 May 2008)
 
27) S.B. No. 2361 ¨Providing a Mechanism for Free Legal Assistance (Approved on Third Reading on 10 June 2008)
 
28) S.B. No. 2077 ¨Establishing the Pre-Need Code of 2008 (Approved on Third Reading on 11 June 2008)
 
29) S.B. No. 2325 ¨Amending Section 140(a) of Republic Act No. 7160, otherwise known as the Local Government Code of 1991 (Reducing the Local Amusement Tax) (Approved on Third Reading on 11 June 2008)
 
30) S.B. No. 2213 ¨Declaring a National Policy for Tourism as an Engine of Investment, Employment, Growth and National Development, Reorganizing the Department of Tourism and its Attached Agencies to Effectively and Efficiently Implement that Policy, Providing Necessary Incentives for Investment and Appropriating Funds Therefor (Approved on Third Reading on 11 June 2008)

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