Rodriguez seeks one-week extension of legislative calendar to pass COVID-19 response bills

By JOHN CARLO M. CAHINHINAN

Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez has urged both the Senate and House leadership to extend the 18th Congress’ first regular session until next week so legislators could pass pending COVID-19 response bills.

Rodriguez on Monday filed House Concurrent Resolution No. 8 which seeks to amend the legislative calendar so that Congress would continue to meet up for another week, instead of adjourning sine die this coming Friday, June 5.

He stressed that there are “important measures the country needs during and in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic that have to be passed by Congress.”

According to Rodriguez, among the key legislations that need to be address before the sine die adjournment are the Accelerated Recovery and Intervention Stimulus for the Economy Act (ARISE), which seeks P568 billion for this year and P650 billion for 2021; COVID-19 Anti-Discrimination Act; the Financial Institutions Strategic Transfer Act (FIST); COVID-19 Unemployment Reduction Economic Stimulus Act (CURES), and Better Normal for the Workplace, Communities and Public Spaces Act.

The House of Representatives on Monday approved on second reading the proposed P1.3-trillion stimulus package for COVID-19 economic recovery under House Bill No. 6815 or the proposed Philippine Economic Stimulus Act (PESA).

Rodriguez explained that his suggestion for the extension of the first regular session by five days “is within the purview of such constitutional provision.”

“Under their legislative calendar, the House and the Senate are scheduled to go on their annual mandatory adjournment on Friday. However, the House usually holds session only from Monday through Wednesday,” said Rodriguez.

Some colleagues of Rodriguez have also called for prolonging the current session to give them more time to pass important bills while other congressmen have appealed to President Rodrigo Duterte to call Congress to a special session during the mandatory recess.

Under Section 15 of Article 6 of the 1987 charter, the President is authorized to ask lawmakers to convene in a special session any time during their break.

Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)