House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez (File photo)
MANILA – House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez on Tuesday assured that the House of Representatives will thoroughly deliberate the proposed bill restoring the death penalty for drug-related crimes.
Romualdez said the House is ready to stand up to the task and pass the priority bills outlined by President Rodrigo Duterte in his fifth State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA), including the revival of the death penalty, the Bayanihan to Recover as One bill, and the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) bill, among others.
“We, in the House of Representatives, are committed to deliver to the President the measures needed to support his vision for the nation in the years to come. We are ready to take on the challenge,” Romualdez said. “Despite the uncertain times brought by the global pandemic, we will ensure that the administration’s priority bills will be realized with efficiency for the welfare of the Filipino people.”
Romualdez said he will work closely with Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri to tackle and harmonize the President’s latest priority measures and those that have been mentioned in his last year’s SONA.
“We expect that the Senate will work hand-in-hand with the House to smoothen the deliberations and passage of these vital bills,” said Romualdez. “Of course, this will be done without sacrificing the quality of debates and discussions in both the committee and plenary levels.”
He noted that all measures outlined in Duterte’s SONA will be prioritized together with their top agenda to pass the 2021 national budget and coronavirus disease-19 (Covid-19) roadmap for recovery.
Also included in Duterte’s legislative priorities are the National Housing Development bill, Rental Housing Subsidy bill, Advanced Nursing Education bill, Medical Reserve Corps bill, unified system of separation retirement and pension for uniformed personnel, and the modernization of the Bureau of Fire Protection and Bureau of Immigration.
Duterte also asked Congress to pass the National Land Use Act; the Coconut Farmers Trust Fund; the Rural Agricultural and Fisheries Development Financing System Act; as well as the Internet Transactions Act.
He also pushed for the creation of the Department of Overseas Filipinos, Department of Disaster Resilience, Boracay Island Authority, and National Disease Prevention and Management Authority. (PNA)
