EDITORIAL - Legislative priorities

Delivering his annual report card to the nation for over an hour yesterday, President Aquino mentioned only four measures that he wanted Congress to pass.

One is the “sin tax” bill on cigarettes and alcoholic beverages. Congress has been kicking around this proposal for many years. With Malacañang stressing that the additional revenues are needed to finance social services including health care and public education, perhaps the measure will finally get congressional approval.

Another presidential priority is the measure providing for the revenue sharing scheme in mining operations. The government wants a greater share in earnings from mining operations, and the revenue scheme is needed before new mining permits will be issued. Businessmen who welcomed the recently released executive order outlining the national policy on mining have expressed concern that a long wait for the revenue measure will dampen investor interest in the sector.

A third priority is the Responsible Parenthood Bill, also known as the Reproductive Health Bill. When President Aquino was a member of Congress, he was a strong proponent of the RH measure. Universal access to reproductive health services by 2015 is one of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, which the Philippines has committed to achieve. In his third State of the Nation Address, the President noted that the nation continues to suffer from a high maternal mortality rate and resources cannot keep up with the demands of a growing population.

The RH bill will benefit mainly women from low-income households. Women with financial means and education have always enjoyed access to reproductive health care and can make informed choices on family planning. President Aquino’s pitch for responsible parenthood yesterday was one of the most applauded in his SONA.

His fourth priority measure is another amendment to the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2001, which aims to expand the coverage of the law. Congress passed a separate amendment in its previous session and promised to work on the other measure, which will include bribery and malversation of public funds among the predicate crimes covered by the law. The amendment is necessary for the success of any serious anti-corruption campaign.

Four is not an unwieldy number, and the measures mentioned by the President have been deliberated on for a long time by the legislature. Four is not too much for the Chief Executive to ask of Congress. Lawmakers should buckle down to work.