Deputy Speaker and Davao City 3rd district Rep. Isidro Ungab appears undaunted even as President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. laid out a legislative agenda composed of nearly 20 bills.
Ungab, in a chance interview with House of Representatives reporters Tuesday afternoon, July 26, said the solons can take advantage of a legislative shortcut in the interest of hastening the passage of the executive's priority bills.
Marcos enumerated the measures during his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, July 25.
"There are 19 bills mentioned by the President yesterday which I think, some of which we can fasttrack kasi pasado na yung iba (others have already been approved). So the rules of the House will of course be followed, kapag napasa na in the previous congress, pwede nang direcho sa plenary (if it has been approved in the previous congress, it can go straight to the plenary)," Ungab said.
The Mindanao solon was referring to bills in Marcos's list that have already been approved on third and final reading in the House. This is as far as the proposed laws can go in the 19th Congress.
At the same time, kung mayroong mga refinement na gagawin, pwede pa ihabol (if refinements are to be done, they can be accommodated)," he noted.
Ungab said there's a provision in the House rules that "clearly states legislation previously approved by the preceding or previous congresses considered also approved and may go directly to the plenary".
This shortcut is spelled out in the House rules provision on "bills and resolutions favorably acted upon" (Section 48).
"No need for hearing pag approved na (if it's already approved) in the previous congress," said the veteran lawmaker, who once chaired the House Committee on Appropriations.
Albay 2nd district Rep. Joey Salceda said in a separate statement Tuesday that out of the 18 priority bills that he counted from Marcos's SONA (adjusted by the solon due to a supposed duplicate listing), 10 have already been approved on third and final reading by the House during past congresses.