Senate leaders unsatisfied over Aquino’s priority bills

MANILA, Philippines—Senate leaders were not satisfied with the 13 priority measures approved during the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting but kept quiet because President Benigno Aquino III was allegedly not “receptive” to proposals of the Senate.

Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III said he along with Senate President Juan Ponce -Enrile and Senator Ralph Recto decided not to participate in the discussion of priority measures when none of the 41 proposals of the Senate was accepted during the meeting.

“We were waiting yesterday (Tuesday), they even added 13 measures but did not touch any of our 41 proposals so we just kept quiet because some of the priority measures being mentioned by the President during the meeting, are not really a priority,” Sotto said in Filipino in an interview over radio.

“But we are polite leaders of the Senate so we just kept quiet,” he said.

At first, Sotto said they were participating in the discussion but stopped when they noticed that the President was not “receptive” to their proposals.

“In our perspective, the President was not receptive of what we were saying, so we just kept quiet. We agreed to just listen to their priority measures. Theirs,” he stressed.

Sotto described the approved priority measures as “barya-barya” and cluttered.

And since the sentiment was against the approved priority measures, Sotto rejected speculations that the controversial Reproductive Health bill also known as Responsible Parenthood bill could easily get the approval in the Senate.

“I don’t know where that came from, that it will pass in the Senate. We were very quiet especially when it comes to that matter,” he said.

Sotto, who has been against the RH bill, clarified that the Senate has no plan to install the discussion on the matter.

“As a matter of fact, we want to debate on it early on. We want to dispose it early,” he added.