Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Wednesday, June 7, warned that changing the words to "perfect" a bill that has been approved on third and final reading might amount to a crime. Sen. Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III during the plenary deliberations on the proposed Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) Act last Wednesday, May 31, 2023 (Senate PRIB Photo)


“Naku ‘wag nilang gawin yan (They should not do that). It is ‘not ok’ and may even amount to a crime if words are changed to ‘perfect’ a bill as the perfecting exercise should have been done on the floor only by the elected members of the Senate,” Pimentel said. This was Pimentel’s reaction to a statement of Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva on Tuesday, June 6 that the controversial Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) bill is still with the Senate as it is still being corrected. This is after the House of Representatives adopted and ratified the Senate version of the MIF bill following a bicameral conference committee meeting at Manila Golf club in Makati city just before both legislative chambers adjourned sine die last week. “Hindi pa enrolled bill, it is still with us, fina-finalize po, still in the process of cleaning up the bill, typo error and clerical errors,” Villanueva told Senate reporters during the press briefing. An enrolled bill is sent to the Office of the President for veto or approval. “That is why it is a great privilege to be a member of the Philippine Senate, only 24 individuals at one given time are given this great opportunity and privilege,” Pimentel who, along with his Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros, spent their time scrutinizing the measure during the Senate floor debates. Pimentel warned that no unelected staff should be allowed to change the work of the elected members of the Senate. “However, to change section numbers from the sequence of 48, 50, 49, 50 into section numbers 48, 49, 50, 51 may be allowed,” he pointed out.
“But to change the words, the content of the version approved on third and final reading will amount to falsification. Mawalan ng meaning ang word na ‘final’ if puede pa palang galawin ng iba (The word ‘final’ loses its meaning if the bill is corrected),’’ he stressed. Pimentel also said that Senate staff could not change the entries like some words or add new words. “They cannot change meanings or nullify some expressed idea. They are not allowed to replace their ideas for the words of the senators,” he stressed. “No one else can perfectly express the sentiment and intent of the Senate other than the elected members of the Senate,” he added. “Pag sabi nila na approved na ang (when it is said that that is the) final version then that’s it, that is the final version,” the lawmaker stressed.