Senators start filing pet bills today
Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Sun, 30 Jun 2019 09:49:32 +0000
Senators will start filing their pet bills and resolutions starting today, the Senate Secretary said yesterday.
In the past, staff members of senators would start lining up on the eve of the first day of filing of bills and resolutions to get the principal authorship of a measure.
But this time, according to Senate Secretary Myra Marie Villarica, the sequence of filing of bills and resolutions for the incoming 18th Congress “shall be in accordance with the principle of seniority or length of service of each senator.”
Villarica said the drawing of lots for senators with similar lengths of service was held last June 20.
For the first round of filing, which will be held from July 1 to 4, each senator could file up to 10 bills or resolutions.
In the second round of filing from July 8 to 11, each senator can file up to 10 additional. In the third round of filing, the senators may file any number of bills or resolutions in a first come, first serve basis.
“These guidelines, in consultation with the Office of the Senate President and concerned officers of the Legislative Department, are prescribed to prevent early and long queuing, conserve human resources and manpower, and maintain order within the Senate premises,” Villarica said.
Based on these guidelines, Senate President Vicente Sotto III, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, Senators Panfilo Lacson and Francis Pangilinan, and Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto will file their first 10 bills or resolutions.
Next to file their pet bills and resolutions will be returning Senators Manuel “Lito” Lapid, Pilar Juliana “Pia” Cayetano, and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., and incumbent Senators Richard Gordon, Aquilino Pimentel III, and Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri.
Re-elected Senators Maria Lourdes Nancy Binay, Grace Poe, Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara Jr., and Cynthia Villar, and incumbent Senators Joel Villanueva, Sherwin Gatchalian, Leila de Lima, and Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao will follow. (Hannah Torregoza)