Over 15 key bills passed on third reading at House

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

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:

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 

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