Senate to focus on tax reform, BBL, nat’l ID system, federalism

The Senate has its plate full during the second regular session of the 17th Congress, with tax reform, the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), provision of a national identification system and a shift to the federal form of government among its priorities.

“We are looking at a lot of work. These are large numbers, but they are not daunting numbers,” Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III said in a speech on Monday during the opening of a joint session of Congress attended by Cabinet officials and foreign dignitaries.

Pimentel said the Senate would tackle bills of “national importance,” including the proposed Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Act to help ease the burden of working and middle-class Filipinos while ensuring that all government programs remained funded.

The Senate will also beef up the antiterrorism law and push the provision of a national ID system to ensure the safety of the people and improve the delivery of basic services.

“We will pursue a path to lasting peace in Mindanao by addressing the valid concerns of our Muslim brothers and sisters through the Bangsamoro Basic Law,” Pimentel said.

“We will empower our regions to determine their development plans through the shift to federalism,” he added.

He said these priorities would undergo thorough discussion, scrutiny and analysis by the senators, on top of the 1,242 bills and 297 resolutions pending on the various committees.