Ejercito to Alvarez: Senate a ‘thinking, responsible’ institution

Senator JV Ejercito (left) said Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2017, that the Senate was a ‘thinking and responsible institution’ in response to criticism by Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez (right) that the upper chamber was slow in acting on proposed legislation. INQUIRER FILES

“It’s because the Senate is a thinking and responsible institution,” retorted Senator JV Ejercito to House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez after the latter branded the Senate a “mabagal na kapulungan” (slow congress).

“Excuse me po, Mr. Speaker, hindi po mabagal na kapulungan, kundi nag-iisip, nag-aaral at responsableng kapulungan ang Senado! #SenatePH,” tweeted Ejercito on Tuesday morning.

Alvarez, in a recent radio interview, hit the Senate for its supposed inaction on certain measures that the House of Representatives had passed.

“Masisipag ang mga congressman ngayon. Ang problema namin, ang dami na naming naibigay sa mabagal na kapulungan na hanggang ngayon wala pa rin,” Alvarez said.

House lawmakers have approved on third and final reading a total of 110 bills at the end of the first regular session.

Asked which bill the Senate had been thoroughly studying, Ejercito said it was the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) or the tax reform package the Malacañang had endorsed.

The lower chamber approved Train last May. /cbb