MANILA – Even if the regular session will start on July 22, returning and newcomer senators started filing their “pet bills” for the first regular session of the 18th Congress on Monday.
Senate secretary Myra Marie Villarica said unlike before, the sequence of filing of bills and resolutions for the incoming Congress was in accordance with the principle of seniority or length of service of each senator.
In the case of senators with similar lengths of service, the drawing of lots was held last June 20, Villarica added.
For the first round of filing, which will be held from July 1 to 4, each senator could file up to 10 bills or resolutions.
Ten additional bills or resolutions can be filed for the second round on July 8 to 11.
The third round, meanwhile, will be on a “first-come, first-served” basis and each senator may file any number of bills or resolutions.
“These guidelines, in consultation with the Office of the Senate President and concerned officers of the Legislative Department, are prescribed to prevent early and long queuing, conserve human resources and manpower, and maintain order within the Senate premises,” Villarica said.
Based on seniority and length of service and draw-lots done by the Bills and Index Service, Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III, Senate Minority leader Franklin Drilon, Sen. Panfilo Lacson, Sen. Francis Pangilinan and Senate president pro-tempore Ralph Recto, could file their first 10 bills or resolutions, respectively.
They will be followed by returning Sen. Manuel “Lito” Lapid, Pia Cayetano and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., Sen. Richard Gordon, Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III and Senate Majority leader Juan Miguel Zubiri.
Next would be re-elected senators Nancy Binay, Grace Poe, Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara Jr. and Cynthia Villar, and incumbent senators Joel Villanueva, Sherwin Gatchalian, Leila de Lima, and Manny Pacquiao.
The last would be newly-elected senators Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, Francis Tolentino, Imee Marcos and Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa./PN
