Pangilinan urges Marcos to certify four reform bills as urgent

Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan is urging President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to certify as urgent four reform measures aimed at strengthening the government’s anti-corruption and transparency efforts.

In a radio interview, Pangilinan welcomed the inclusion of Senate Bill No. 1512, or the Independent People’s Commission (IPC) Act, in the administration’s priority legislative agenda. Pangilinan is sponsoring the bill as chair of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights.

“It’s a welcome move on the part of the President, pero palagay ko mas aani ng maraming suporta sa mga kababayan natin kapag cinertify niya na urgent ‘yung apat,” Pangilinan said.

Aside from the IPC Act, the senator is also pushing for the urgent certification of the Anti-Political Dynasty Bill, the Party-list System Reform Act, and the Citizens Access and Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability (CADENA) Act. All four are among the 48 priority measures endorsed by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC).

Pangilinan said certification is crucial, noting that the volume of priority bills makes it unlikely that all measures will move swiftly through the legislative process unless the President flags specific proposals for immediate passage.

The senator attended the LEDAC meeting earlier this week to present the IPC Act, which was principally authored by Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III.

A presidential certification would allow the Senate to approve the bill on second and third readings on the same day, bypassing the required three separate days of deliberation.

However, Pangilinan noted that even with certification, the measures will still need majority support in both the Senate and the House of Representatives to be enacted into law.