Senate-House leaders discuss Rice Tariffication Law amendments, Ledac

MANILA, Philippines — The meeting between Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero and House Speaker Martin Romualdez serves as a “preliminary to the full Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (Ledac) meeting on June 25.”

This is according to the statement of Romualdez on Thursday afternoon.

He said the event symbolized a “renewed and reinvigorated partnership” between the  Senate and the House of Representatives.

Romualdez also said he discussed the amendments to the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL) with the Senate leader.

He noted the Senate is open to passing the amendments.

READ: LOOK: Escudero, Romualdez meet in Palace to discuss legislative priorities

Romualdez added the lawmakers who attended the event also identified the next steps to secure the approval of the existing priority legislations.

“The focus remains on the twenty Ledac priority measures targeted for approval by June 2024, with significant advancements already made, including ten measures approved by both Houses, one enacted into law, and several others in various stages of the legislative process,” he said.

“The discussions covered the 2023 Sona (State of the Nation Address) priority measures and the Common Legislative Agenda (CLA),” he noted.

“The House has approved fifty-six out of fifty-nine measures identified in the CLA, with the remaining measures – Amendments to the EPIRA (Electric Power Industry Reform Act), National Defense Act and Budget Modernization Bill – still under consideration,” he mentioned.

Escudero and Romualdez met at the Aguado residence in Malacañang.

Aside from the two leaders, Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino, House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe, Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr., Deputy Speaker David Suarez and House Committee on Appropriations Chairman Zaldy Co, among others, joined the meeting.