Senate mulls passing more bills ahead 2025 elections

The Senate of the Philippines is considering passing more bills ahead of the upcoming midterm elections next year.

Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero touted that the chamber is now halfway through the third regular session of the 19th Congress, with 72 bills already signed into law under his leadership.

Escudero noted that the Senate has focused on passing laws that help the government “achieve its development plans, strengthen Philippine sovereignty, further enhance the viability of the country as an investment destination, and improve the lives of many Filipinos.”

“We maximized each session day and leveraged every hour, minute, and second on the Senate floor. We passed 108 bills in total. Of these, 72 reached the President’s desk and were signed into law, including 11 LEDAC priority measures,” Escudero said in a statement on Friday.

Escudero explained that many of these laws stemmed from inquiries conducted by various Senate committees to support legislation.

“Our hearings, probes, and exposés did not merely serve dinner-table gossip for the people’s entertainment. These brought to the table a bounty of bills that will fill plates, sustain families, and nourish Filipinos for generations to come,” he pointed out.

Escudero credited the Senate's recent accomplishments to his colleagues and all the staff and employees, "who tirelessly worked to deliver meaningful legislation to the people and the country as a whole."

“Indeed, in the past year, we weathered typhoons, braved stormy public opinion, and navigated choppy political waters,” he said.

“We overcame these challenges because our 23 senators, strengthened by diversity, sharing a common vision and united in purpose, are more than the sum of its parts.”

According to Escudero, 72 laws were enacted from the start of the third regular session on 23 July 2024, until the adjournment for the Christmas break on 18 December 2024, most of which were recorded from the 19th Congress.

Based on Senate data, a total of 19 laws, including bills approved during the latter part of the 18th Congress, were enacted in the first regular session, from 25 July 2022 to 2 June 2024.

Additionally, a total of 54 measures passed in the second regular session were enacted, while five were vetoed by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., from 24 July2023, to 24 May 2024.

The 108 bills approved by the Senate on the third reading during the Escudero-led third regular session is seven times higher than the 14 bills passed in the combined first and second regular sessions.

As of now, 44 bills have been transmitted to the Office of the President for Marcos’ approval, including the 2025 General Appropriations Bill, while seven others are pending action at the bicameral conference committee level.

The Senate also adopted 106 simple resolutions and nine concurrent resolutions in the first half of the third regular session.

Escudero emphasized that each measure underwent rigorous and thorough deliberations.

“We did not sacrifice quality for quantity, scrutiny for speed, nor consensus for expedience in passing these measures. Each bill underwent the crucible of deliberation and debate, carving out the extraneous, the excessive, and the unconstitutional,” he said.

He noted that the strict vetting of bills helps prevent vetoes from the President.

Escudero then vowed that the Senate would “pass as many bills pending before the chamber as possible once sessions resume in January.”

“We will make the most out of its remaining session days to continue giving the people the public service that they deserve,” he said.

The 19th Congress is set to adjourn on 14 June 2025.