By Filane Mikee Cervantes/Philippine News Agency
MANILA — Senate President Vicente Sotto III on Monday said he would prioritize again the three measures that the previous Congress failed to pass.
As the Senate opened its first day of session, Sotto said the priority bills that he would push for in the 18th Congress include the proposed Anti-Terrorism Act, the Foreign Investment Act, and the proposed amendments to the Public Service Act.
“More or less the amendments to the Human Security Act which eventually be called the Anti-Terrorism Act is going to be a priority, and then the amendments also to the Public Service Act and the Foreign Investments Act,” Sotto told reporters in an interview.
“These were some of the bills that I know were left from the 17th Congress that we wanted to prioritize, but for lack of time,” he added.
Sotto said he is also expecting President Rodrigo Duterte to ask Congress to pass some of his priority bills, particularly those that will support the administration’s “Build, Build, Build” program, during his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA).
“We expect him to ask Congress to pass some of the bills that were not taken up during the last Congress, and that he will seek the support of Congress again so that programs, particularly the ‘Build, Build, Build’ program will continue and that the other programs will be supported,” Sotto said.
Sotto, who was re-elected as Senate President during the first day of the first regular session of the 18th Congress, vowed that the chamber would be “independent, balanced, and sincere” while still being “cooperative” with the current administration.
“I will reiterate what we promised during the May elections when I was elected Senate President, that we will be cooperative but independent, balanced, and sincere,” Sotto said.
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