Outgoing Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III on Tuesday, June 21 reported that the Senate passed during the current 18th Congress over 197 of bills of national importance that were eventually signed into law.
One bill was vetoed while 182 bills are awaiting action by President Duterte that might lapse into law if not signed within a reglamentary period or might be taken up by the incoming administration, Sotto said.
During a press interview, Sotto cited three adopted resolutions on the Senate's concurrence in the ratification of treaties, namely, the Convention on Temporary Admission, the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, and the Arms Trade Treaty.
With President-elect Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. deciding to temporarily hold the Department of Agriculture post, Sotto thinks that ‘’we might be ready for the RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) {Agreement}.’’
Probably due to time constraint posed by the June 12 sine die adjournment, the Senate failed to resume debate on the RCEP.
The feared negative effect of the RCEP to the Philippine agriculture sector helped increase objection to the agreement.
During the press conference, Sotto was also asked on various issues, including the composition and reported members of the Senate minority bloc under the incoming 19th Congress.