Zubiri bares over 100 bills lapsed into law

SENATE President Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri on Tuesday night revealed that 110 local and national bills that they have passed in the Senate under the 18th Congress have lapsed and are now considered laws.

Zubiri made the revelation during the Senate's plenary session, saying that these more than 100 Senate bills were among the last batch submitted for then president Rodrigo Duterte's signature.

"Much attention was given to five vetoed bills when there are at least 110 bills that will now have the full effect and force of the law," the Senate chief said.

The first five Senate bills that were reported to have lapsed into law were: Republic Act 11683 (Requisites for the conversion of a municipality into a component city); 11697 (Electric Vehicles and Charging Stations Act); 11698 (Vintage Vehicle Regulation Act); 11700 (Catanduanes as abaca capital of the Philippines); 11707 (Egg Basket Act); 11840 (Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation Charter); 11861 (Expanded Solo Parents Welfare Act); 11897 (National Baptist Day Act); 11898 (Extended Producer Responsibility Act); 11899 (Second Congressional Commission on Education Act); and 11901 (Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development Financing Enhancement Act).

Zubiri had called on President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. to convene the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (Ledac) to discuss directions and requests of the Executive branch in terms of legislation.

Senate Majority Leader Emmaneul "Joel" Villanueva also echoed Zubiri's call, saying that the Senate looks forward to the convening of Ledac so it could take up the 19 pieces of legislation that President Marcos laid out in his State of the Nation Address (SONA).

"As Senate majority leader, [I] will pay close attention [to] and prioritize these proposed laws. It is clear that these proposals are rooted in the experience and lessons from the crises of the pandemic, in the economy, energy and education. These give the proposals a sense of urgency," he added.

It is at the Ledac that lawmakers discuss what bills the President and the whole executive branch want Congress to pass.

Source: TheManila Times