InterAksyon.com
The online news portal of TV5
MANILA, Philippines -- A total of 19 bills were approved on third and final reading by the House of Representatives in the last few days of session before it goes on holiday break on December 16.
But the controversial Reproductive Health bill remains pending on the floor for debates.
Advocates like the Democratic Socialist Women of the Philippines said they hope the lawmakers can work on the bill as fast as they impeached Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona.
Corona was impeached Monday by 188 lawmakers, who all signed and verified the complaint in just three and a half hours.
“What this political issue showed us is the fact that Congress can act swiftly on any issue if it so desires. There can no longer be any acceptable justification to further delay the measure since the HOR has shown the country that time is not a problem,” Elizabeth Angsioco, DSWP chairperson, said.
Among the bills approved on thrid reading were:
House Bill 5490, seeking stiffer penalties for the sale of “botcha” or “double dead” meat.
House Bill 5496 or Anti-Bullying Act of 2012.
House Bill 2951 or An Act to established periods of prescription for violations penalized by special acts and municipal ordinances and to provide when prescription shall begin to run.
House Bill 5445 or the bill prohibiting public and private hospitals from requiring the payment of money upon registered nurses who want to gain work experience.
House Bill 4936 or the bill decriminalizing vagrancy, amending article 202 of Act No. 3815 or the Revised Penal Code.
House Bill 5492 or the bill granting franchise to the TV Maria Foundation Philippines, Incorporated allowing it to construct, install establish, operate and maintain television
broadcasting stations in the Philippines.
House Bill 1215 or the bill amending Section 2 of Republic Act No. 4103 or the Indeterminate Sentence Law.
House Bill 5475 or the bill expanding the positions reserved for persons with disability.
House Bill 1219 or the bill amending Article 98 of the Revised Penal Code.
House Bill 5395 or the bill institutionalizing recognizance as a mode of granting the release of
an indigent person in custody as an accused in a criminal case and for other purposes.
House Bills 5461 and 3871 or the bills extending the term of the Land Bank of the Philippines further amending Republic Act No. 3844 or the Agricultural Land Reform Code and mandating the representation of cooperatives in the Board of Directors of the Land Bank of the Philippines.
House Bill 5471 or the bill strengthening the regulation of health facilities and services in the Philippines.
House Bills 4097 and 5069 or the bills declaring October 5 of every year as “National Teacher’s
Day” and declaring September 3 of every year as special commemorative day to be called the National Victory and Liberation Day of the Philippines.
House Bills 5421 and 5485 or the bills aiming to establish an “Adopt-A-Wildlife Species Program”,
providing incentives therefore and providing for the protection, rehabilitation, and sustainable management of forest ecosystem.
House Bill 5431 or the bill granting exemption to an individual taxpayer amending the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997.
House Bill 5446 or the bill strengthening the balanced housing development program.
House Bill 2951or the bill amending the Act to establish periods of prescription violations
penalized by special acts and municipal ordinances.
The House also adopted a Joint Resolution increasing the 2011 corporate budget of the National Power Corporation from P7.5 billion to about P14 billion. The measure was authored by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr.
