Senate infighting and leadership changes have slowed the passage of priority bills under the Marcos administration, Malacañang said.

Citing Senator Imee Marcos' recent remarks that repeated leadership changes in the Senate may have contributed to the lack of legislation passed so far, Palace Press Officer and Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro acknowledged that several happenings in the upper chamber affected the passage of key bills.

The Palace official also cited the shooting incident in the Senate and the absences of some senators from several sessions.

Castro also questioned who initiated the leadership change that was followed by another change just under a month later.

"Nadinig din po natin si Senator Imee Marcos na binanggit niya na nagiging dahilan yata ang pabago-bago ng liderato. Pero, unang-una, sino po ba ang nag-umpisa ng pagbabago ng liderato at noong nagkaroon po ng pagbabago ng liderato, nandoon na po iyong nagkaroon ng putukan ng Senado, nagkaroon na po ng gulo sa Senado, nagkaroon ng tatlong araw na sunod-sunod na hindi pagpunta at pag-attend sa sesyon (We also heard Senator Imee Marcos mention that the changing leadership may have become a contributing factor. But first and foremost, who was the one who started changing the leadership? And when the leadership change happened, that was when the Senate shooting incident occurred, when there was already disorder in the Senate, and when there were three consecutive days of absences and non-attendance during sessions)," Castro said in a Palace briefing on Tuesday, Aug. 4.

Out of 52 bills, only two were passed into law.

Castro also said the previous situations in the Senate should serve as a lesson for all public servants to always put the nation's interests above their own.

"Magsilbing aral sana ito sa lahat ng public servants na hindi puwedeng daanin sa ganitong klase ang pamumuno, at ang dapat laging manguna ay ang interes ng bayan, hindi ang sariling interes. Hindi ang interes para lagi lang mamuno, kung hindi dapat ay para sa kabutihan ng bawat Pilipino (May this serve as a lesson to all public servants that leadership should not be carried out in this manner. What should always come first is the interest of the nation, not personal interests. It should not be about wanting to remain in power all the time, but rather about serving the welfare and betterment of every Filipino)," the Palace spokesperson said.

Executive Secretary Ralph Recto convened the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) Ad Hoc Team on Monday, Aug. 3 to finalize the administration’s priority legislative agenda for the 20th Congress.

According to Recto, the proposed measures are anchored on Marcos' vision for a more responsive, transparent, and inclusive government.

It focuses on accelerating economic growth, providing tax relief to workers and businesses, lowering electricity costs, strengthening food and energy security, expanding social protection, intensifying the fight against corruption, and improving the delivery of public services through key institutional and political reforms.

Recto added that the legislative priorities align with the policy directions outlined by the President during his recent State of the Nation Address (SONA), including measures to expand income tax exemptions, provide tax relief for small businesses, grant tax amnesty, and reduce power costs by eliminating system loss charges.

The meeting served as a preparatory session for the upcoming full LEDAC meeting, where the Executive, the Senate, and the House of Representatives will discuss and adopt a common legislative agenda aimed at fast-tracking the passage of priority measures.

The meeting was attended by the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan and Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO) Secretary Joey Salceda.

According to Salceda, the meeting also "focused on the proposed reprioritization of priority legislation to facilitate the passage of key measures by the end of 2026."

"A clear and coordinated legislative agenda remains essential to translating policy priorities into meaningful reforms that promote economic growth, strengthen institutions, and improve the lives of Filipinos," Salceda added.