Belmonte to Cabinet members: attend hearings

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — With the 15th Congress set to wrap up its work this week, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. issued a reminder to Cabinet officials to personally attend congressional hearings on important measures.

“This is a call on Cabinet members, when the bills are important, come and attend yourself. If you adopted a certain position, defend it,” he said.

He made this statement in the wake of President Benigno Aquino III’s recent veto on various bills passed by Congress.

Among the measures vetoed by the President last week were the proposed Centenarian Act and the Rights of Internally Displaced Persons Act of 2013.

House senior deputy majority leader Janette Garin agreed that it was necessary for Cabinet members to be present during discussions on priority measures.

“Maybe not really the Cabinet secretary (himself) but at least send a representative. (Although) sometimes they send a director who doesn’t know what to do,” she said.

Having the Cabinet members’ presence during hearings on key measures would ensure that there will be no conflict with internal administrative orders
once the bill is passed.

“Expanded communications can solve this. On some occasions, some bills were tackled without the presence of representatives (from concerned agencies),” Garin said.

But she did call the President’s veto on various bills a “blessing in disguise”–a way to make sure that the measures would be “perfect” once they are approved in the future.

“By August, again these bills will be passed pero this time, perfected na.

(The issues on the bills) can be corrected in a few months,” she said.

Belmonte suggested that a “smaller group” knowledgeable about the measures being tackled could meet with the President “and touch base on these bills.

Once we tell them these are pending, then they can take precautions and give their point of view.”