YEARENDER: Senate probes hit P-Noy, Binay
As it marked its centennial year, the Philippine Senate made headlines in 2015 with its investigations on controversial cases and deliberations on important measures. STAR/File photo
MANILA, Philippines – As it marked its centennial year, the Philippine Senate made headlines in 2015 with its investigations on controversial cases and deliberations on important measures.
At the start of 2015, the committee on public order and dangerous drugs chaired by Sen. Grace Poe led the inquiry into the Mamasapano incident.
Forty-four members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Special Action Force were killed in an encounter with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and other rebels while the SAF were on a mission to arrest Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, and his Filipino cohort Basit Usman in Mamasapano town in Maguindanao on Jan. 25.
The killings happened amid the peace process between the government and MILF, with passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) – the measure that would create an autonomous Bangsamoro political entity in Mindanao – being pushed in Congress.
The Mamasapano raid was reportedly launched by then suspended PNP chief Alan Purisima and approved by President Aquino with US assistance to neutralize Marwan and Usman, who were hiding in a part of Mamasapano under MILF control.
The Senate panel found that the President was responsible for the Mamasapano fiasco. Poe also pinned the blame on Purisima, who enjoyed the support of the President despite the foul-up.
Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., chairman of the committee on local government, sought the immediate suspension of public hearings on the BBL, which had provisions that run counter to the Constitution.
Marcos also filed a substitute bill for the BBL in a bid to address the many constitutional flaws on the BBL version submitted by Malacañang.
In August, the continuing Senate investigation into the alleged ill-gotten wealth of Vice President Jejomar Binay and his son Makati City Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr. marked its first year.
The Vice President, who had bared his presidential bid, was accused of corruption for allegedly being involved in the overpriced construction of the Makati City Hall parking building during his term as mayor. His son was also tagged in other anomalies in Makati.
Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III, head of the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee investigating the corruption allegation against the Binays, expanded the probe by pursuing alleged ghost senior citizen beneficiaries in Makati City.
Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, a critic of the Vice President, exposed how Binay and his dummies allegedly benefitted from Makati’s programs for senior citizens.
The Office of the Ombudsman then slapped Mayor Binay with a six-month preventive suspension. The Department of the Interior and Local Government, then under the supervision of now Liberal Party standard-bearer Manuel Roxas II – rival of the Vice President in the 2010 elections – replaced Binay Jr. with an LP ally as acting mayor of Makati.
The failure to pass the Income Tax Reform bill was attributed to the apparent lack of support from President Aquino and his economic advisers, principally from the Department of Finance and the Bureau of Internal Revenue.
Angara initially proposed to lower the tax rates across-the-board and compress tax brackets from seven to five in a bid to adjust tax rates to account for inflation.
Under the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, individuals with taxable income of over P500,000 are taxed with a fixed amount of P125,000 plus 32 percent in excess of P500,000.
Taxable income refers to an individual’s gross income less the deductions and/or personal and additional exemptions.
At present, the Philippines has the second highest individual income tax rate at 32 percent in the ASEAN region, next to Thailand and Vietnam with 35 percent each.
The Senate capped 2015 with 148 bills of local and national application passed on third and final reading, 66 of which were signed into law by President Aquino.
“This year has proven to be a bountiful harvest for the Senate, in terms of new legislation that will improve the life of Juan de la Cruz through expanding the economy, advancing social welfare and strengthening the judicial system,” Drilon said in his year-end report.
In total the 16th Congress, which opened on July 22, 2013, has passed 89 new laws so far.
Drilon said among the 66 new laws is a package of new legislation aimed at increasing the take-home pay of Filipinos. These are the P82,000 tax exemption cap for 13th month pay or Republic Act 10653, and Joint Resolution No. 5 that increases the daily subsistence allowance of all enlisted and uniformed personnel.
The Senate also passed House Bill 5842 which provides the P2,000 across the board increase to the monthly pension received by retirees under the Social Security System. It is now with the President for signature.
The Salary Standardization Law IV, which will increase the salaries of over 1.6 million government employees, will be approved on third reading upon the resumption of session on Jan. 18.
The Senate also passed on third reading the measure that will grant education assistance and benefits to dependents of all members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, PNP, Bureau of Fire Protection, National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, Philippine Coast Guard and Bureau of Corrections.
Also approved was the bill that will provide retirement benefits to barangay officials, including tanods, members of the Lupon ng Tagapamayapa, barangay health workers and daycare workers.
To further bolster the country’s economic development, the Senate was also successful in securing the passage into law of landmark and long-sought economic reform measures.
These are the Philippine Competition Act, which enforces a national competition policy and prohibits unfair and anti-competitive business practices, and the amended Cabotage Law, which allows foreign-flagged ships to call at multiple ports within the country.
“The passage of the Philippine Competition Act and the amendments to the Cabotage Law, which had languished in the legislative mill for decades, is the defining point of this year’s session. It is a victory for the average Filipino who will benefit the most from improved market policies,” Drilon said.
Congress also enacted RA 10564 to strengthen the campaign against illegal fishing in the country.
Two more pro-economic measures that await approval of the President are the creation of the Department of Information and Technology and the acquisition of road right of way for government infrastructure projects.
The bill that amends the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. Charter is pending in the bicameral conference committee. The bill will protect depositors from financial ruin and maintain confidence in the banking system.
The Senate also concurred in nine treaties aimed at enhancing the country’s trade and investment relations with other countries.
It has also given its nod to 15 new laws creating municipal and regional trial courts to help improve judicial efficiency.
Drilon said the Senate continues to give priority to expanding the reach of educational services in the country by passing the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education Act which will harmonize student financial assistance programs for poor but deserving college students, and the law which authorizes the Open High School System for out-of-school youth.
“We have also increased the state’s support for our student athletes by enacting the National Athletes, Coaches and Trainers Benefits and Incentives Act for greater and more organized provision of state funding and support to our athletes, and the Student Athletes Protection Act to ensure that student athletes receive quality education even while participating in athletic events,” he said.
Drilon added that the Senate acted to pass the PAGASA Modernization Act, which would pour more funds into our state weather bureau and boost the nation’s ability to “effectively manage weather and geological-related risks.”
The measure that will expand the benefits and privileges of persons with disability is waiting for the approval of the President.
Drilon vowed that there would be no let up in the Senate’s legislative efforts. “Even with the elections drawing close, we have much work to do in the Senate. We intend to make good on our promise to the Filipino people at the start of the 16th Congress that we will help the poor, widen the delivery of education and other social services and improve the economy.”
Drilon said that deliberations on the proposed BBL would continue when session resumes. The Senate would also prioritize the passage into law of the SSL IV, the CTMA and the Public-Private Partnership Act.
“The Senate will continue to be a working Senate, and we vow as one chamber that we will maximize our remaining time to continue our mandate and work on relevant, important and much-needed laws for our people,” he added.
In August, the Senate paid tribute to Aquino who served as senator from 1987 to 1995. He was among the principal authors of the Magna Carta for Small Farmers, the Cooperative Code of the Philippines, and the Seed Industry Development Act of 1992.
The senators mourned Arroyo’s passing in October due to complications from heart surgery in the United States.
The Senate passed a resolution in November to express condolences to the family of Herrera, described as a “tireless crusader for the welfare of the Filipino worker.”
At the start of 2015, the committee on public order and dangerous drugs chaired by Sen. Grace Poe led the inquiry into the Mamasapano incident.
Forty-four members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Special Action Force were killed in an encounter with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and other rebels while the SAF were on a mission to arrest Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, and his Filipino cohort Basit Usman in Mamasapano town in Maguindanao on Jan. 25.
The killings happened amid the peace process between the government and MILF, with passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) – the measure that would create an autonomous Bangsamoro political entity in Mindanao – being pushed in Congress.
The Mamasapano raid was reportedly launched by then suspended PNP chief Alan Purisima and approved by President Aquino with US assistance to neutralize Marwan and Usman, who were hiding in a part of Mamasapano under MILF control.
The Senate panel found that the President was responsible for the Mamasapano fiasco. Poe also pinned the blame on Purisima, who enjoyed the support of the President despite the foul-up.
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Marcos also filed a substitute bill for the BBL in a bid to address the many constitutional flaws on the BBL version submitted by Malacañang.
In August, the continuing Senate investigation into the alleged ill-gotten wealth of Vice President Jejomar Binay and his son Makati City Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay Jr. marked its first year.
The Vice President, who had bared his presidential bid, was accused of corruption for allegedly being involved in the overpriced construction of the Makati City Hall parking building during his term as mayor. His son was also tagged in other anomalies in Makati.
Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III, head of the Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee investigating the corruption allegation against the Binays, expanded the probe by pursuing alleged ghost senior citizen beneficiaries in Makati City.
Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, a critic of the Vice President, exposed how Binay and his dummies allegedly benefitted from Makati’s programs for senior citizens.
The Office of the Ombudsman then slapped Mayor Binay with a six-month preventive suspension. The Department of the Interior and Local Government, then under the supervision of now Liberal Party standard-bearer Manuel Roxas II – rival of the Vice President in the 2010 elections – replaced Binay Jr. with an LP ally as acting mayor of Makati.
Income tax reform bill
While the Senate succeeded in conducting investigations, the Senate and the House of Representatives failed to pass this year the Income Tax Reform bill despite aggressive efforts of its proponents, Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara and Marikina Rep. Miro Quimbo.The failure to pass the Income Tax Reform bill was attributed to the apparent lack of support from President Aquino and his economic advisers, principally from the Department of Finance and the Bureau of Internal Revenue.
Angara initially proposed to lower the tax rates across-the-board and compress tax brackets from seven to five in a bid to adjust tax rates to account for inflation.
Under the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, individuals with taxable income of over P500,000 are taxed with a fixed amount of P125,000 plus 32 percent in excess of P500,000.
Taxable income refers to an individual’s gross income less the deductions and/or personal and additional exemptions.
At present, the Philippines has the second highest individual income tax rate at 32 percent in the ASEAN region, next to Thailand and Vietnam with 35 percent each.
Drilon’s report card
While the Senate failed to pass the Income Tax Reform bill, Senate President Franklin Drilon said the Senate approved pro-consumer and pro-worker measures, which are among the more than 100 proposed legislation the Senate passed in 2015.The Senate capped 2015 with 148 bills of local and national application passed on third and final reading, 66 of which were signed into law by President Aquino.
“This year has proven to be a bountiful harvest for the Senate, in terms of new legislation that will improve the life of Juan de la Cruz through expanding the economy, advancing social welfare and strengthening the judicial system,” Drilon said in his year-end report.
In total the 16th Congress, which opened on July 22, 2013, has passed 89 new laws so far.
Drilon said among the 66 new laws is a package of new legislation aimed at increasing the take-home pay of Filipinos. These are the P82,000 tax exemption cap for 13th month pay or Republic Act 10653, and Joint Resolution No. 5 that increases the daily subsistence allowance of all enlisted and uniformed personnel.
The Senate also passed House Bill 5842 which provides the P2,000 across the board increase to the monthly pension received by retirees under the Social Security System. It is now with the President for signature.
The Salary Standardization Law IV, which will increase the salaries of over 1.6 million government employees, will be approved on third reading upon the resumption of session on Jan. 18.
The Senate also passed on third reading the measure that will grant education assistance and benefits to dependents of all members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, PNP, Bureau of Fire Protection, National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, Philippine Coast Guard and Bureau of Corrections.
Also approved was the bill that will provide retirement benefits to barangay officials, including tanods, members of the Lupon ng Tagapamayapa, barangay health workers and daycare workers.
To further bolster the country’s economic development, the Senate was also successful in securing the passage into law of landmark and long-sought economic reform measures.
These are the Philippine Competition Act, which enforces a national competition policy and prohibits unfair and anti-competitive business practices, and the amended Cabotage Law, which allows foreign-flagged ships to call at multiple ports within the country.
“The passage of the Philippine Competition Act and the amendments to the Cabotage Law, which had languished in the legislative mill for decades, is the defining point of this year’s session. It is a victory for the average Filipino who will benefit the most from improved market policies,” Drilon said.
Congress also enacted RA 10564 to strengthen the campaign against illegal fishing in the country.
Two more pro-economic measures that await approval of the President are the creation of the Department of Information and Technology and the acquisition of road right of way for government infrastructure projects.
The bill that amends the Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. Charter is pending in the bicameral conference committee. The bill will protect depositors from financial ruin and maintain confidence in the banking system.
The Senate also concurred in nine treaties aimed at enhancing the country’s trade and investment relations with other countries.
Improving justice system, social services
Drilon said that the Senate also passed the amendments to the Sandiganbayan Act to further strengthen its functional and structural organization, and the amendments to the Probation Law which expands the benefit of probation.It has also given its nod to 15 new laws creating municipal and regional trial courts to help improve judicial efficiency.
Drilon said the Senate continues to give priority to expanding the reach of educational services in the country by passing the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education Act which will harmonize student financial assistance programs for poor but deserving college students, and the law which authorizes the Open High School System for out-of-school youth.
“We have also increased the state’s support for our student athletes by enacting the National Athletes, Coaches and Trainers Benefits and Incentives Act for greater and more organized provision of state funding and support to our athletes, and the Student Athletes Protection Act to ensure that student athletes receive quality education even while participating in athletic events,” he said.
Drilon added that the Senate acted to pass the PAGASA Modernization Act, which would pour more funds into our state weather bureau and boost the nation’s ability to “effectively manage weather and geological-related risks.”
The measure that will expand the benefits and privileges of persons with disability is waiting for the approval of the President.
Drilon vowed that there would be no let up in the Senate’s legislative efforts. “Even with the elections drawing close, we have much work to do in the Senate. We intend to make good on our promise to the Filipino people at the start of the 16th Congress that we will help the poor, widen the delivery of education and other social services and improve the economy.”
Drilon said that deliberations on the proposed BBL would continue when session resumes. The Senate would also prioritize the passage into law of the SSL IV, the CTMA and the Public-Private Partnership Act.
“The Senate will continue to be a working Senate, and we vow as one chamber that we will maximize our remaining time to continue our mandate and work on relevant, important and much-needed laws for our people,” he added.
Death of esteemed senators
The year 2015, however, was also marked by the death of esteemed former senators Agapito ‘Butz’ Aquino, Joker Arroyo and Ernesto Herrera.In August, the Senate paid tribute to Aquino who served as senator from 1987 to 1995. He was among the principal authors of the Magna Carta for Small Farmers, the Cooperative Code of the Philippines, and the Seed Industry Development Act of 1992.
The senators mourned Arroyo’s passing in October due to complications from heart surgery in the United States.
The Senate passed a resolution in November to express condolences to the family of Herrera, described as a “tireless crusader for the welfare of the Filipino worker.”
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