4 senators inhibit selves from anti-dynasty measure

By Christina Mendez (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - Four senators, who are scions of political families, have strongly expressed their intent to inhibit themselves from the passage of the Anti-Political Dynasty Act that would ban any spouse or relative of an incumbent elective official to run for any elected office.

The senators signed the committee report on the Anti-Political Dynasty Act, but admitted plans to hold it back.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson, the bill’s principal sponsor, re-filed the measure just before Congress went into recess last Oct. 14.

The measure is recommended for approval without amendment before the Senate plenary. If passed into law, the measure will be effective in the May 10, 2010 elections.

Sen. Francis Escudero, who bolted last Wednesday from the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) in his fight against so-called traditional and party politics, signed the report as chairman of the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments, Revision of Codes and Laws.

He vowed to “sponsor” the measure even if there was “potential conflict of interest” on his part.

Escudero’s father is Salvador Escudero III, a congressman from Sorsogon who was a member of the Marcos cabinet. The senator’s great grandfather, Salvador Sr., and grandfather, Salvador Jr., were also politicians of their time in Casiguran, Sorsogon.

Aside from Escudero, Senators Benigno Simeon Aquino III, Rodolfo Biazon, Loren Legarda, Manuel Roxas II, Jamby Madrigal, Richard Gordon, Lito Lapid, Joker Arroyo and Francis Pangilinan signed the report as committee members.

Sen. Pia Cayetano, also a member of the committee, did not sign the report, notably because her brother, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano is also a member of the Senate.

Their father, the late Rene Cayetano, was a senator. Sen. Alan’s wife, Lani, is incumbent congresswoman of Taguig.

Ex-officio members Senate President Pro-Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, and Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. also signed the report.

Although they signed the measure, Lapid, Zubiri, and Estrada separately noted that they “may have to inhibit due to possible conflict of interest,” while Arroyo signed with “serious reservation.”

Aquino, who has been banking on the political influence of his parents, the late Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. and late President Corazon Aquino, in his presidential bid, said he would interpellate on the measure.

Lapid’s son, Mark, is also a former Pampanga governor. The senator is reportedly mulling to leave the Senate and return to Pampanga where he intends to run again for governor next year.

On the other hand, Jinggoy is a member of a political empire founded by his father, former President Joseph Estrada who has declared his bid to run anew for the presidency.

Ex-president Estrada’s wife, Dr. Loi Ejercito, recently retired from politics but without first being elected as senator while the former president was still in jail on plunder charges.

Apart from Jinggoy and Loi, one of the ex-president’s sons with another woman, Juan Victor (JV) Ejercito, is mayor of San Juan.

Zubiri is a scion of Bukidnon Gov. Jose Ma. Zubiri Jr. His brother, Jose Ma, Zubiri II and the governor’s nephew Ignacio Zubiri are also involved in local politics in the province.

In Malacañang, President Arroyo is seen as the best example of what political dynasty is. Presidential sons Dato and Juan Miguel Arroyo are representatives of Camarines Sur and Pampanga, respectively. The president’s brother-in-law, Ignacio Arroyo, is a representative of Negros while Rep. Ma. Lourdes Arroyo, another sibling of First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, has been accredited recently as a representative of Kasangga party-list group.

Voters’ right to choose leaders

However, the passage of the measure may again be derailed because Congress is in recess until Nov. 8 and will resume session from Nov. 9 to 20.

Congress will have a break again from Nov. 21 to Nov. 30, presumably to allow candidates to file their certificates of candidacy.

During the resumption of session between Dec. 1 to Dec. 18, the lawmakers hands will be full with the continuation of deliberations on the 2010 General Appropriations Act set to be passed before Christmas break on Dec. 19.

By January 2010, candidates for national and local posts are expected to be busy with their respective campaigns.

Before Lacson, the anti-dynasty bill was first advocated by Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago who has expressed disappointment over Congress’ dilly-dallying with the passage of the measure in past Congresses.

In his explanatory note for Senate Bill 1468, Lacson lamented that Congress failed to pass the law since its first filing during the 8th Congress because most lawmakers come from “well-entrenched political clans.”

Under the measure, political dynasty refers to the concentration, consolidation or perpetuation of political power by persons related to one another.

“Unfortunately, despite numerous attempts to introduce an anti-political dynasty law (as early as the 8th Congress) to effect electoral reforms and level the political landscape, Congress failed to pass such a law,” Lacson said.

He added that the inaction can be attributed to the fact that many members of Congress came from well-entrenched political clans.

“Over the years, they have successfully argued for the so-called electorate’s right to choose their elected leaders using the oft-repeated principle that sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them,” the senator said.

Senate OKs on third reading bill decriminalizing vagrancy

The Senate has approved on third and final reading the bill decriminalizing vagrancy.

Senate Bill 1965, submitted jointly by the committees on justice and human rights, and constitutional amendments, revision of codes and laws was approved by the body for transmittal to the House of Representatives for consideration.

Vagrants are people who stay out on the streets at night. The existing anti-vagrancy law contained in Article 202 of the Revised Penal Code usually causes the arrests of prostituted women, street children, and homeless people.

The bill removes vagrants in the law, but prostitution remains a crime.

Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero, chairman of the justice committee and author of the bill, together with Senators Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, Richard Gordon, and Loren Legarda, said that the existing law on vagrancy failed to see that vagrants were victims of poverty, who don't have the opportunities for employment or access to decent standards of living and quality of life.

"Vagrancy inflicts no harm to society, but if at all, very minimal compared to those grave offenses which cause damage to person, community, and property. This should be addressed with treatment rather than with punishment," Escudero said Wednesday.

The bill, he said, provides equal protection to women, children and men as authorities cannot anymore recklessly and conveniently use vagrancy in arbitrary arrests.

"We see it all the time in the news, when authorities round up people and no definite charges can be made, vagrancy comes in handy. Cases of this nature have already piled up in our justice system,” he said.

Escudero said that with SB 1965, two issues were addressed: A more humane justice system, which prioritizes the rehabilitation of the offender and acknowledges the value of every human life; and the decongestion of the load of the justice system.

By decriminalizing vagrancy, Escudero said law enforcement officers could pay more attention to graver offenses and improve the administration of justice in the country.

The neophyte senator said the Senate was optimistic that their counterparts in the House would approve the same bill once transmitted there. By Veronica Uy - INQUIRER.net

Senate passes 5 of 9 LEDAC priority bills

By Veronica Uy
INQUIRER.net


MANILA, Philippines -- The Senate has approved five of nine bills that had been prioritized by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC), Senate President Manuel Villar said Thursday.

Apart from the P1.227-trillion proposed national budget for 2008, Villar said the Senate also passed the Magna Carta for Small and Medium Enterprises, Cheaper Medicines Bill, Personal Equity and Retirement Account Act, and the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF), the last one being passed Wednesday night with 12 affirmative votes.

ACEF, sponsored by Senator Edgardo Angara, seeks to ensure more benefits to Filipino farmers with more agricultural infrastructure, post-harvest facilities, research and development, and training.

It also provides that 10 percent of the fund be used to support scholarships in agriculture and fisheries, and in courses such as veterinary medicine.

“Next week we are set to ratify the bicameral report on the national budget and present it to the President for her signature. We will also work on the passage of the bill creating the Credit Information Bureau and bills for the benefit of the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” Villar said.

Senate Majority Floor Leader Francis Pangilinan said the bicameral conference meeting that would thresh out the differences in the versions of the two Chambers was scheduled next week.

Villar said this showed that the Senate honored the commitment it made during the LEDAC meeting to pass more priority bills before Congress adjourns for Christmas.

With these bills and the ratification of the Transfer of Sentenced Persons Treaty between the Philippines and Spain, Villar said the Senate had approved 14 measures “after only four months of holding plenary sessions.”

“The passage of these bills indicates that the Senate recognizes the real need to institute reforms in governance. This feat belies allegations that the Senate engages in too much politics at the expense of its legislative work,” he said.

The other priority bills specified at the LEDAC meeting were: amendments to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act, Civil Aviation Authority bill, amendments to the University of the Philippines Charter, and the Credit Information System.

“The Senate is willing to extend a hand of cooperation to the administration in order to fast-track the enactment of laws needed by the people,” Villar said.

Bill on cheaper drugs approved

The Senate passed Senate Bill No. 1658, the Quality Affordable Medicines Act of 2007, on final reading, as Congress resumed session after a month-long break.

“I commend my colleagues in the Senate for acting immediately to pass the Quality Affordable Medicines bill on third and final reading. Now we await the House of Representatives to pass their version, so we can immediately convene a bicameral conference committee hearing,” Roxas, primary author of SB 1658, said.

“The good thing is that we now have time on our side. This should not, however, be an excuse to sit on the bill. The more time the House and Senate have to discuss and reconcile the versions of the bill, the more responsive the bill could be for our countrymen’s health needs,” Roxas added.

SB 1658 was passed last October 2, and enjoys the support of the Departments of Health and Trade, groups such as the World Health Organization, Oxfam and Ayos na Gamot sa Abot Kayang Presyo (AGAP), and members of the academe such as Felipe Medalla and Rene Azurin, both of the University of the Philippines.

The bill will ease patent laws and bring in more affordable medicines abroad, helping spur competition to bring down prices. For instance, he noted how a common maintenance drug for diabetes, Daonil, costs P9.86 locally for a 5-mg tablet, which is taken twice a day. The same tablet however could be bought from India for less than one peso at roughly P.80.

Another diabetes treatment drug, Diamicron, costs P11 locally for a 30-mg tablet, taken twice a day. The same tablet can be bought for P5 from Pakistan and P7.57 from India , up to P12 savings in a day.

First among SB 1658’s provisions are the proposed amendments to the Intellectual Property Code which seek to allow the parallel importation of more affordable medicines from abroad; support the generics industry by adopting the “early working” principle and to disallow the grant of new patents on grounds of “new use;” and give ample muscle to the government through a framework for government use and compulsory licensing.

The bill also recommends strengthening the Bureau of Food and Drugs to serve as a counterfoil to attempts to bring in fake or substandard medicines by allowing BFAD to retain its operating income from fees and other charges so it could upgrade its facilities and beef up its human resources.

The bill also contains provisions allowing the President to impose drug price ceilings in times of calamity, public health emergencies, events that cause artificial and unreasonable price hikes, the prevalence of illegal price manipulation and whenever prevailing prices have risen to unreasonable levels. Roxas said that this mechanism is patterned after the provisions of the Price Act.

How a bill becomes a law

1. Preparation of the bill

The member of the Bill Drafting Division of the reference and research bureau prepares the bill.

2. First Reading

The bill is filed with the Bills and Index Service. On first reading, the secretary-general reads the title and number of the bill. The Speaker refers the bill to the appropriate committee.

3. Committee consideration/action

The committee where the bill was referred to evaluates it to determine the necessity of conducting public hearings.

4. Second reading

The Committee on Rules schedules the bill for consideration on second reading.

5. Third reading

Amendments are engrossed and printed copies of the bill are reproduced. The bill is approved by a majority of the members present. If the bill is disapproved, it is transmitted to the archives.

6. Transmittal of the approved bill to the Senate

The bill, signed by the Senate President and the Speaker of the House, is transmitted to the President.

7. Senate action on the House bill

The bill undergoes the same legislative process in the Senate.

8. Committee conference

A conference committee is constituted and is composed of members from each house of Congress who will vote for or against the bill.

9. Transmittal of the bill to the President

The bill, signed by the Senate President and the Speaker of the House, is transmitted to the President.

10. Presidential action on the bill

If the bill is approved by the President, it is sent back to the House. If the bill is vetoed, a message citing the reason for the veto is sent with it.

11. Action on approved bill

The bill is sent for publication and distribution to the implementing agencies.

12. Action on vetoed bill

If Congress overrides the veto, the House and the Senate shall proceed separately to reconsider the bill. If it is passed by a two-thirds vote of each house, it becomes a law.

Tanods to get allowances

By: Bernadette E. Tamayo - Journal

BARANGAY tanods deserve to get monetary allowances.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. stressed this yesterday even as he filed a bill authorizing the grant of P500 monthly allowance to barangay tanods.

Tanods are barangay residents who render voluntary services to maintain peace and order in the community.

Pimentel said the allowance to be provided by the national government under the Annual General Appropriations Act should be in addition to, and separate from, any other form of remuneration that barangay tanods may receive from their respective cities and municipalities.

“This is in recognition of the vital contributions of tanods in delivering basic services to the residents of the barangay. They regularly patrol the streets of the village especially at night when burglars, kidnappers and other criminal elements usually ply their nefarious activities,” the senator said.

Under Senate Bill 1529, every barangay unit should enlist the services of a maximum of 10 barangay tanods whose names and dates of service should be properly recorded and forwarded to the city/municipal authorities by the barangay secretary or the chairman for monitoring.

Under Pimentel’s bill, funds will be released to the barangay which should create a trust fund for this purpose. The barangay will then release the allowances of barangay tanods.

”Initially, the amount necessary for the implementation of the allowance proposal shall be funded out of the appropriation of the Department of Interior and Local Gvernment under the current GAA. Thereafter, this item shall be included in the succeeding GAA,” he said.

”The secretary of the DILG, in consultation with the Liga ng mga Barangay, should within 30 days from effectivity of this Act, issue such rules and regulations necessary for the proper implementation of the provisions of this legislation,” Pimentel said.