Bill creating housing dep't to be passed in 2 months

Perhaps buoyed by his being introduced as the next Senate President, Majority Leader Franklin Drilon assured President Estrada yesterday that a proposal to create a Department of Housing will be passed within two months.

Drilon made the assurance a day after Mr. Estrada announced that he will be the Senate president in April.

In a speech before various civic groups in Iloilo City on Thursday, the President referred to Drilon as the next Senate chief.

On Friday, Drilon told a press conference that the Senate committee on government reorganization may pass the bill creating the housing department.

"We should be able to pass this into law within the next two months," he said. "This is in support of the President's housing program, which is also a priority legislative measure."

The proposed department will put under one roof the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, the Home Insurance Guarantee Corp., the Home Mutual Development Fund, the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board, the National Housing Authority, and the National Home Mortgage Finance Corp.

Mr. Estrada said he is considering the appointment of Secretary Leonora de Jesus of the Presidential Management Staff as head of the department.

De Jesus, who is also vice chairman of the Presidential Commission on Mass Housing, worked with Drilon when he was secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment and the Department of Justice.

The Senate presidency was up for grabs when Marcelo Fernan resigned from this post last year due to health reasons.

Drilon and then Sen. Blas Ople fought hard for the post. The battle between the two partymates was so intense that President Estrada was called in to mediate.

It was then agreed that Ople would get the first crack at the post and would step down in April this year. Drilon, who is seeking re-election in the May 2001, would then take over.