Romualdez wants House hearings on ‘noteworthy’ bills during recess

MANILA, Philippines — Committees in the House of Representatives should be allowed to conduct hearings on “noteworthy and meaningful” legislation even during the lower chamber’s scheduled break in early June, House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez said Tuesday.

During the joint hearing of the House committee on legislative franchises and the committee on good government and public accountability on ABS-CBN’s bid for a 25-year franchise, Romualdez said he would make a motion to allow hearings during recess before their sine die adjournment on June 5.

“It is only in this premise and context that I support the continuous hearings of the Committee on Legislative Franchises on the franchise application of ABS-CBN,” Romualdez said.

“In fact, this afternoon, I will move in Plenary session, prior to its adjournment sine die, to authorize not only this Committee but all the Committees, to conduct its hearings and deliberations on noteworthy and meaningful proposed legislation even on recess,” he added.

Romualdez vowed that even if hearings are being held on the issue of ABS-CBN’s franchise, the lower chamber will not be distracted in pushing for priority legislations especially in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

“We must work doubly hard not only to arrive at the decision on whether to grant the franchise application of ABS-CBN but more importantly, to craft and put into fruition the passage of the priority measures relative to the fight against the pandemic, and the eventual defeat of COVID-19,” Romualdez said.

Earlier in the day, the House’s Defeat COVID-19 Committee (DCC) approved three measures: the Philippine Economic Stimulus Act (PESA), Philippine Banking Industry Resiliency Act, and COVID-19-Related Anti-Discrimination Act.

Several measures related to COVID-19 are also pending in the clusters within the DCC.