Over 15 key bills passed on third reading at House

Batasang Pambansa plenary. —MALACAÑANG FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Over 15 bills of high importance, like proposals to establish a green public procurement policy and forgive the outstanding debt of agrarian reform beneficiaries, were passed by the House of Representatives on the third and final reading.

During’s Monday session — possibly the third to the last session of the 19th Congress in the calendar year 2022 — the following bills were passed via a majority vote:

• House Bill (HB) No. 3917 – Amendments to Sections 3 And 4 Of Republic Act No. 10845 or the Anti- Agricultural Smuggling Act Of 2016 (225 affirmative votes, zero negative votes, zero abstentions)
• HB No. 6416 – Bill strengthening mental health services within state universities and colleges (227, 0, 0)
• HB No. 6468 – Bill establishing green public procurement program for government offices (232, 0, 0)
• HB No. 6483 – Bill allowing college students with unpaid tuition fees, school fees to take periodic and final examinations on justifiable grounds (237, 0, 0)
• HB No. 6524 – Bill extending the period of implementation of the Agricultural Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (ACEF) (242, 0, 0)
• HB No. 4 – Internet Transactions Bill, which seeks to provide protection to consumers and merchants engaged in internet transactions (245, 0, 0)
• HB No. 6 – Open Access in Data Transmission Act, which seeks provide additional powers to the National Telecommunications Commission (243, 0, 3)
• HB No. 6336 – Bill emancipating agrarian reform beneficiaries from financial burden by condoning unpaid amortizations and interests, plus estate tax exemption awarded under CARP (245, 0, 1)
• HB No. 6444 – Bill to repeal Section 20 of R.A. No. 8749 or the The Philippine Clean Air Act Of 1999 (244, 3, 0)
• HB No. 6509 – Bill providing free legal assistance to uniformed personnel of the country involved in cases in line of duty (248, 3, 0)
• HB No. 6510 – Bill establishing new passport law, while repealing R.A. No. 8239 or the Philippine Passport Act of 1996 (252, 0, 0)
• HB No. 6517 – Bill to strengthen professionalism and promote the continuity of policies and modernization initiatives in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (251, 3, 0)
• HB No. 6518 – Bill establishing the Health Emergency Auxiliary Reinforcement Team, which is a team under the Department of Health (254, 0, 0)
• HB No. 6552 – Bill creating the country’s version of a Center for Disease Prevention and Control (255, 0, 0)
• HB No. 6523 – Bill establishing a revised national apprenticeship program, repealing Chapters I and II of Title II, Book II of the Labor Code of the Philippines (253, 3, 0)
• HB No. 6527 – Bill providing an enabling environment to foster growth of public-private partnerships (254, 3, 0)
• HB No. 6557 – Bill establishing Magna Carta of Barangay Health Workers (258, 0, 0)
• HB No. 6558 – Bill on Real Property Valuation and Assessment Reform, which would also reorganizing the Bureau of Local Government Finance (254, 4, 0)

Several bills passed by the House have had lengthy discussions before arriving at the plenary.  For example, HB No. 6509 was already discussed in the 18th Congress, with former president Rodrigo Duterte pleading during his final State of the Nation Address to pass the bill.

Duterte reasoned that his police officers are at the mercy of cases against them — either from human rights groups or people trying to get back at them.  It was not passed in the 18th Congress due to time constraints.

READ: Duterte to Congress: Pass law giving free legal aid to soldiers, cops, uniformed personnel 

The bill’s version was refiled by House Speaker and Leyte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez last July.

READ: Bill on free legal assistance for military, other uniformed personnel refiled in House 

READ: PNP only has one lawyer for every 1,400 cops 

The original version of HB No. 6468, HB No. 1272, was filed last July.  It was approved by the House Committee on sustainable development goals last November 8.

READ: Green procurement program bill gets House panel OK; solons want terms clarified 

JPV/abc