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ssInsight
Monday, May 20, 2019

Last 3 weeks
for Congress
to pass bills
i itHE Senate will tackle bills on
anti-terodsm and eodiflg cdntrac-
tualization, among othets, when
it resumes session today, majot-
ity leader Juan Miguel Zubi-ti said
yestetday.
'qWe had a preliminary discus-
sion on pushing amendments to
the aoti-terrorism act and 'endo,'
of the majot bills," Zubiri said but
added senators vrould still have to
discuss today the testof the cham-
ber's agenda duting the last nine
session days of the 1 Tth Congress
which will adjourn on June 5.
'Ve need to get consensus...
with ow membets fot the Priori
ties this next tl'uee weeks," he said.
The House of Reptesentatives
will tty to finish some pending
business on the floor, including the
formal dismissal of the imPeach-
ment co4plaint against now rctired
chief iustice Tetesia I-aonardo'De
. Castto and six other Supteme Coutt
justices who r.oted to oust former
chief justice NIa. Lourdes Sereno.
Tlie House is also exPected to
vote on Pending bills that need
approval on thitd and final rcading
such as Bill 9059 or the "Anti-False
Bomb Threat Act" vrhich seeks to
impose stiffer penalties on Persofls
found, guilry of spreading false
bomb threats; trial of all libel cases

See IAST 3 ) Page 83

LAST 3 proval on second teading and ate still

ir! regional trial courts situated in the
province where an accused commu
nity or local journalist holds of6ce;
ao{ revival of the Reserve Officers
Training Corps Acq mandatory im-
mtrnization of chil&en.
Senate President Vicente Softo
III reiterated tlat bills amending
the anti-tertorism lavr aod the Pub-
lic Services Act will be prioritDed.
All 6ese bills have pt to hurdle ap
beirg debated in the plenary Thus,
there is a slim chance of immediate
passage on third aod 6nal teading
The "Secutity of Tenure and
End of Endo Act" seeks to man-
date that job conuactors obtain a
license from the Depattment of
Labor and Employrneng and tight-
en the defnition of the unlav{rl
practice of labor-only contracting
Labor-only contacting entails
the use of agents or manpovef
agencies solely to recruitworkers on
behalf of a bigger business, so the
latter could citcumvent labor rules,
avoid reguladzation of employees,
and make it easier to terminate drcm
by disowning their employment.
The proposed Anti-Tertorism
Act amends the Human Security
Act. It has been ctiticized because
of the proposed removal of nu-
merous safeguards against the vio-
lation of the righs of suspects. -
Vinec Nonato andWenfull Vigilia

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