Sotto sees no Senate objection to bill declaring Marcos birthday a local holiday
MANILA, Philippines — Citing precedents, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said a House bill declaring a holiday in Ilocos Norte to commemorate the birth anniversary of former President Ferdinand Marcos will likely “breeze” through the Senate.
In an interview over CNN Philippines on Thursday, Sotto expressed doubts that the said measure will face objections in the upper chamber since it is only a local bill.
“A bill of local application when it comes to the Senate, usually is not really debated upon. It is a bill of local application, it is for Ilocos Norte, I doubt if there will be objections to that,” he explained.
“If it is nationwide, baka magkakaroon ng objection yan, medyo mahihirapan ‘yan. For us, it is not a matter of whether we are going to support it or not. Usually, bills of local application breeze through the Senate unless one or two objects,” he added.
The House of Representatives recently approved on final reading House Bill No. 7137 declaring September 11 as “President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos Day” in Ilocos Norte.
Following its passage in the lower chamber, the said measure will then be transmitted to the Senate for deliberation.
Article continues after this advertisementAsked if he would object to the measure once it reaches the Senate, Sotto said: “No, I won’t.”
Article continues after this advertisement“It is a bill of local application, it is in Ilocos Norte, as far as Ilocos Norte is concerned, President Marcos was the past president, he has done a lot for Ilocos Norte, so I will not be surprised if Ilocos Norte agrees,” he added.
Earlier, various progressive groups expressed dismay over declaring a holiday in Ilocos Norte in commemoration of the late dictator.
Bayan Muna Rep. Eufemia Cullamat and rights group Karapatan said that the approval of the bill merely sought to rewrite the dark history of the Marcos martial regime.
“The bill seeks to deodorize the image of a murderer, a plunderer, and a criminal. It is a grave disgrace to the memory of martial law victims and survivors, who have been violated many times over by the Marcos dictatorship,” Karapatan Secretary-General Cristina Palabay added in a statement.
