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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Senate leadership change shouldn't slow down passage of priority bills—Palace

Senate leadership change shouldn't slow down passage of priority bills—Palace

Published May 13, 2026 10:21 am

At A Glance

  • The change in the Senate leadership should not slow down the passage of 21 priority bills eyed for passage this June, a Palace official said.
  • The piority measures include the Travel Tax Abolition; Expanded Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children and Anti-Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials Act of 2026; Anti-Fake News and Digital Disinformation; as well as the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Elections.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. leads the LEDAC meeting to discuss priority bills on Feb. 10, 2026. (PCO)
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. leads the LEDAC meeting to discuss priority bills on Feb. 10, 2026. (PCO)
Malacañang said the change in the Senate leadership should not halt the passage of 21 priority bills identified during the previous leadership.
Palace Press Officer and Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said that just because there was a reorganization in the Senate, it does not mean the previously identified 21 priority bills will be affected.
"Kung mayroon tayong priority bills na 21 at iyan ang huling napag-usapan sa LEDAC sa pamumuno pa ni Senate President Tito Sotto, wala naman dapat sigurong ipagbago (If we have 21 priority bills, and that was the last thing discussed at the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council under the leadership of Senate President Tito Sotto, then there really should not be any changes)," Castro said in a  Palace briefing on May 12.
"Dahil kung ito ay para sa taumbayan, hindi naman dahil sa nagbago ang liderato sa Senado ay babagalan nila ang trabaho at hindi ito makakabuti sa taumbayan at hindi rin ito makakabuti sa Pangulo at sa Kongreso (because if these are for the people, the work should not be slowed down just because the leadership in the Senate has changed. That would not benefit the people, and it would also not benefit the President or Congress)," Castro stressed.
During the last LEDAC meeting in February 2026, President Marcos approved 21 priority measures targeted for passage in June.
These priority proposals include the Travel Tax Abolition; the Expanded Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children and Anti-Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials Act of 2026; Anti-Fake News and Digital Disinformation; and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Elections.
The other priority legislative measures include the Anti-Political Dynasty Law; Citizen Access and Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability or CADENA Act; Independent People’s Commission Act; and Party-List System Reform Act.
The rest of the priority proposed laws are the Amendments to the Bank Deposits Secrecy Law/ Banking Reform for Integrity, Good Governance, Honesty, and Transparency (BRIGHT) Act; Right to Information Act; Amendments to the Coconut Farmers and Industry Trust Fund Act; Amendments to the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) Act; Amendments to the Masustansyang Pagkain Para Sa Batang Pilipino Act; Amendments to the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE) Act; Classroom-Building Acceleration Program (CAP) Act; and the National Center for Geriatric Health.
Also included in the priority legislations are the Waste-to-Energy (WTE) Bill/Waste Treatment Technology Act; Amendments to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA)-Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) Strengthening Bill; Amendments to the Rice Tariffication Law/Rice Industry and Consumer Empowerment (RICE) Act; Department of Water Resources; and Estate Tax Amnesty. 
Castro said the next LEDAC meeting will be convened on May 19.
On May 11, the Senate voted to oust Sotto as the Senate President and elected Senator Alan Peter Cayetano as his replacement.

Related Tags

President Marcos Senate Priority Bills LEDAC Senate leadership change
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