By Brian Campued
With the recent development in the Senate leadership, Malacañang on Tuesday stressed that any changes in Congress must not affect the passage of priority bills identified in the last Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting.
In a press briefing, Palace Press Officer and Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro said the 21 priority legislative measures were already approved by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in a meeting with lawmakers of the House of Representatives and the Senate in February.
“Kung meron po tayong priority bills na 21 at yan po ang huling napag-usapan sa LEDAC, sa pamumuno pa po ni (former) Senate President [Vicente Sotto III], wala naman po dapat sigurong ipagbago dahil kung ito po ay para sa taumbayan.
Hindi naman dahil sa nagbago ang liderato sa Senado ay babagalan nila ang trabaho at hindi ito makakabuti sa taumbayan, hindi rin ito makakabuti sa Pangulo at sa Kongreso,” Usec. Castro said.
Senator Alan Peter Cayetano was elected Senate President on Monday after a majority of senators voted to declare all leadership positions in the chamber vacant, ending the tenure of Sen. Sotto.
Usec. Castro said that the President and Congress leaders will meet on May 19, where the proposed Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (UPLIFT) bill is expected to be raised for inclusion in the priority legislative measures under the LEDAC.
PBBM would not interfere with Senate matters
With the changes in Senate leadership happening at the same time as Vice President Sara Duterte’s looming impeachment trial, Malacañang reiterated that Marcos Jr. would not interfere with the upper chamber’s decisions.
“Everything that happens in the Senate is within their power; it is within the authority to decide on all matters within the Senate. So hindi po panghihimasukan ng Pangulo yung anuman po ang magiging desisyon ng Senado,” Usec. Castro said.
The House of Representatives (HOR) on Monday voted to impeach VP Duterte for the second time over alleged misuse of confidential funds, unexplained wealth, bribery, graft and corruption, and threats against President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.
“Sa pangkalahatan po, sa lahat ng maaaring may akusasyon, dapat lamang po na magkaroon ng pagdinig, malaman kung ano ang katotohanan hindi para husgahan,” Castro said.
She emphasized that it is now up to the Senate whether to conduct a trial, adding that she hopes the Senate will exercise fairness in performing its mandate as the impeachment court.
“Kung anuman ang gagawin nila diyan—kung ito po ay papabor para sa taumbayan o papabor lang sa iisang tao—bahala na po ang taumbayan [na] humusga para sa kanila,” she said.
-jpv
