AQUINO introduces 13 new priority measures

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino 3rd on Tuesday laid out 13 additional priority measures before members of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) that will be part of the administration’s agenda this year.

President Aquino defended his move to keep the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill out of his priority list.

“Marami pong detalye na hindi pa natalakay doon sa mungkahi, ano, ‘di ba. [There were details that were not discussed regarding the FOI bill]. May technical working group tayo [We have a technical working group] under Undersecretary Manolo Quezon who has been tasked to deal with both chambers, various NGOs [non-government organizations], other stakeholders,” the President told a press briefing in Malacañang.

Mr. Aquino, however, said that he would want the FOI bill to be passed during his term, adding that even without the bill, his administration will remain transparent to the public.

Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. said that six out of the 13 bills had been unveiled by the President during his second State of the Nation Address.

The new proposals are: adequate protection for househelps; expansion of science and technology scholarship programs; amendments to the Rural Electrification Law; sin taxes; amendments to the Human Security Act; Data Privacy Act; responsible parenthood (RP) bill; expanded consumer protection; reorganization of the Philippine statistical system; amendments to the PTV-4 law; provision for the delineation of specific forest limits of public domain; 12) stiffer penalties for stealing and tampering with government risk-reduction and preparedness equipment; and amendments to the Lina Law or the Urban Development Housing Act of 1992.

Twelve of the measures are in line with the administration’s Philippine Development Plan (PDP) based on Mr. Aquino’s 16-point agenda or Social Contract with the Filipino People.

The priority bills have been processed and determined by Cabinet clusters.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr.—who were present during the press briefing—agreed that both Houses will make time for the proposed 13 measures before making any decision.

RH bill amendments

The President said that several changes were made in the RH measure—now called responsible parenthood bill as it gained priority status during the second LEDAC meeting.

Omissions included provisions fixing the ideal number of children to only two and changing the appropriate age for teaching sex education to children at 11 years old or when the child is in grade six or in high school.

The access to artificial contraceptives will still be part of the provisions of the bill but the President said that the revised bill will also include giving parents the option to hold sex education talks by themselves and giving Church-based hospitals the right to distribute artificial or natural family-planning methods within their jurisdiction.

Despite the new priority measures, Ochoa said that the government will still push the passage of the 22 priority measures first submitted during the previous LEDAC session.

Three of the first set of bills have been enacted into law: the Government-Owned and Controlled Corporation (GOCC) Governance Act of 2011 or RA 10149; Rationalizing the Night Work Prohibition on Women Workers or RA 10151; and Resetting and Synchronizing the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Elections with the National and Local Elections in 2013 or RA 10153.

Congress also enacted RA 10150, which extended implementation of the lifeline rate to amend the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) of 2001.

This amendment was one of four recommended by the executive branch. –MARIA NIKKA U. GARRIGA REPORTER, Manila Times