Senate minority: Sorry to beneficiaries of bills in limbo due to lack of sessions

MANILA, Philippines — Following two days of missed Senate sessions, the minority senators on Tuesday apologized to the stakeholders of bills that were put on hold. 

This comes after a second day of session failed to convene due to the absence of Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano as a presiding officer, and the rest of the majority senators needed to form a quorum.

“We apologized earlier because the two guests for the bills supposed to be on third reading were there again. I apologized to them,” Sen. Kiko Pangilinan told the media.“I apologize to the Filipino people on behalf of the Senate that this is the way it is,” he added.

READ: Senate majority ‘no-show’ again in plenary

He continued: “Four of the eight on the agenda today were supposed to be agri[culture] bills that would have benefited farmers and fishermen, and all of the citizenship bills were not acted upon due to this abandonment of responsibility.”

Pangilinan is referring to his sponsored bills awaiting amendments: Senate Bills No. 1990 and 1991, which seek to protect and promote the agriculture and fisheries sector.

He also has two citizen bills set for approval on third reading.

These measures are HB No. 6639 and 6644, granting Philippine citizenship to basketball athlete Bennie Francois Boatwright III, and wrestler Matthew James Ramos.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros also lamented the delay on amending bills that she sponsored, namely, SB No. 1511 or the Anti-Hospital Detention Bills, SB No. 1905 or the Magna Carta of Barangay Health Workers.

“The Magna Carta of Barangay Health Workers and the Anti-Hospital Detention Bills are already in the amendments, but they won’t allow the session to complete them for all our countrymen,” she said.

The Anti-Hospital Detention Bill aims to prevent medical institutions from holding hostage patients who are unable to pay their fees, while the Magna Carta of Barangay Health Workers seeks to provide compensation and benefits for community health frontliners.

READ: Senate minority bloc urges Cayetano to resign

With the absence of a quorum and a presiding officer, plenary sessions, where bills and resolutions are debated and passed, fail to commence. /apl