‘House outperforms Senate in approving LEDAC bills’

MANILA, Philippines — Key officials of the House of Representatives have floated the disparity in the legislative performance of the two chambers of the bicameral Congress, where the Senate paled in comparison to the House.

Data from both chambers showed the House passed 54 of 57 priority measures listed in the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC), as well as all 17 bills mentioned in President Marcos’ July 2023 State of the Nation Address (SONA).

The Senate passed only 31.6 percent or 18 LEDAC priority bills and five measures mentioned in the SONA, House Deputy Speaker Rep. David Suarez pointed out.

“We have considered, deliberated on and passed all of the President’s priority bills and almost all of the LEDAC measures with a deep sense of urgency, which, unfortunately, was obviously not shared by our Senate colleagues,” Suarez said.

The House also passed ahead of time all 20 priority measures that LEDAC wanted Congress to approve before Christmas break last year while the Senate approved only nine, he added.

The Senate’s highest bill approval rate is less than half of the lowest House passage level, he noted.

Suarez also lamented that the economic Charter reform, or Resolution of Both Houses 6 (RBH6), is moving at a snail’s pace in the Senate.

Meanwhile, Bataan 1st District Rep. Geraldine Roman and Iloilo 1st District Rep. Janette Garin are observing a pattern of “leadership vacuum” in the Senate.

“Here in the House, the rules are clear-cut. The Speaker (Martin Romualdez) is in charge. He gives the command. He tells our rules committee chairman, Majority Leader Mannix Dalipe: this is our priority. Find a way to have this bill passed,” Roman said. 

“In the Upper House, who is in charge? Who’s on top? Who’s on the bottom? Is it SP Migz or Sen. Joel?” she asked, referring to Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senate Majority Leader Villanueva.

In previous meetings with Marcos and Romualdez, Zubiri reiterated that RBH6 will be passed by March but senators hinted that deliberations may reach October.

Garin urged senators to “walk the talk.”