House OKs 21 national bills, 40 local measures

MANILA, Philippines - The House of Representatives on Monday approved on final reading 21 national bills, 40 local measures and four joint resolutions amid the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona.

The chamber likewise passed on second reading seven other national bills.

“This proves that House members are fully focused on their legislative duties. Credit goes to the collective leadership and the members of the majority as well as to the critical cooperation of the minority. We continue to work silently but consistently,” Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. said.

The House gave the green light to the reconsideration of the approval on 2nd reading ofHB 5298, providing for the disclosure of lobbying activities in the Philippines or the Lobbying Disclosure Act.

Lawmakers adopted House Resolution 218 commending Science Undersecretary Fortunato de la Peña for having been elected as the new chairman of the United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development.

Before the chamber adjourned at 6:25 p.m. Monday, the House passed on third reading the following: House Bill 709 or the Anti-Cable Television and Cable Internet Pilferage Act; HB 5620, Exempting from the population and land area requirements the conversion of a municipality into a component city if it has a locally generated average annual income of at least P200 million; HB 5640, Regulating the practice of Geology in the Philippines; HB 3005, Declaring December of every year as “Anti-Corruption Month” in the entire country; HB 3962, Amending Republic Act 6949, ‘An Act to declare March 8 as a working holiday,’ to make it a non-working holiday; HB 5681, Amending Sections 10, 11, 22 and 24 of RA 776, otherwise known as “The Civil Aeronautics Act’ as amended; HB5682, Further amending Presidential Decree 1869, as amended by RA 9487, otherwise known as the Pagcor Charter.

The other national measures propose to create 39 branches of regional trial courts (RTC) spread across Negros Occidental, Agusan del Sur, Iloilo, General Santos City, Samar, Cebu, Cavite, Lapu-Lapu City and Lanao del Norte.

Seven RTC branches in Taguig City are also to be converted into the RTC of Taguig.

Also approved on final reading was the creation of 21 more municipal trial court branches in Kidapawan City (Cotabato) Lapu-Lapu City, Taguig, Las Piñas City, and Cavite, among others.

The House also adopted four House Joint Resolutions – HJR 8, Extending the tenure of the Congressional Oversight Committee on the Optical Media Board until June 30, 2013; HJR 22, Declaring Aug. 31, 2012 to Aug. 30, 2013 as the Centennial Year of National Artist for Architecture, Design and Allied Arts, Ramon Valera; HJR 25, Declaring May 1, 2012 to April 30, 2013 as the Centennial Year of National Artist for Music, Felipe Padilla de Leon; and HJR 26, Declaring Nov. 4, 2012 to Nov. 3, 2013 as the Centennial Year of National Artist for Painting Carlos “Botong” Francisco.

Approved on second reading were the following: HB 5567, Mandating the designation of a Cooperative Officer in the Local Government Unit; HB 5666, Strengthening the Cebu Port Authority, amending thereof certain provisions of RA 7621, otherwise known as the Charter of the Cebu Port Authority; HB 98, Defining and Penalizing Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance; HB 5715, Providing for the Protection, Security and Benefits of Whistleblowers; HB 5851, Regulating the Practice of Metallurgical Engineering; HB 5868, Upholding the Constitutional Right of the People to Information on Matters of Public Concern on Food included in the list of basic necessities or prime commodities to guarantee the right of the people to affordable and adequate food supply; and HB 5870, Authorizing the Land Management Bureau to conduct a survey of Cadastral lots in the entire country.