Bongbong Marcos certifies as urgent Maharlika fund bill in Senate

President Ferdinand “Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. (Photo screengrab from RTVM)

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has certified as urgent the Senate bill seeking to establish the controversial Maharlika Investment Fund. m

In a letter to Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri dated May 22, Marcos tagged as high-priority Senate Bill 2020, or the proposed MIF bill, which is known to be his brainchild.

Marcos cited “the downgrade of the global growth projection this year on account of debilitating inflation, fluctuating and unstable prices of crude oil and other fuels due to the protracted conflict between Ukraine and Russia, and continuing interest rate hikes in the international financial sector” in his justification of his certification of the MIF bill as urgent.

“There is a compelling need for a sustainable national investment fund as a new growth catalyst to accelerate the implementation of strategic and high-impact large infrastructure projects that will stimulate activity and development,” he said. 

Senate Secretary Renato Bantug Jr. read out Marcos’ letter as part of the session’s reference of business on Wednesday, which Zubiri referred to the rules committee headed by Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva.

Certifying the bill as urgent will allow the Senate to forgo the three-day rule as mandated by the 1987 Constitution between the proposed measure’s second and third reading.

Over the past few weeks, there had been daily session deliberations on the proposed MIF in the Senate, which had been questioned by Senate Minority Leader Sen. Koko Pimentel.

Marcos-allied Senator Mark Villar, the main proponent of the bill in the upper chamber, would take the podium to respond to interpellations made by his fellow lawmakers.

Marcos’ certification sets up a similar picture to the MIF bill’s journey in the House of Representatives last year.

When Marcos certified as urgent the MIF proposal in the lower chamber, it allowed the House to approve the bill less than a month since it was filed by Speaker Martin Romualdez and other other legislators.

Bayan Muna chairman Neri Colmenares argued that Marcos’ certification of the Senate’s MIF bill is “an admission that there was no urgency when he certified it at the House of Representatives many months ago.”

“There is no emergency that Maharlika will address. I bet that after Maharlika is passed, it will not get off and earn profit in years. All these certifications are just intended to shortcut procedures and stifle questions and opposition,” he said in a statement.

Colmenares was among the petitioners who challenged before the Supreme Court the presidential certification as urgent of the MIF bill in the House.

The petition, however, was dismissed over failure to present to the court “any fact establishing the existence of an actual case or controversy ripe for adjudication.”

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