VILLAR: NUMBER OF BILLS PASSED
ON THIRD READING BREACHED 100
Bills-passing spree continues even on the last session day

With most of the session days ending in the wee hours of the morning of the following day, the Senate continues its bills-passing spree. The running total of bills passed on third reading has reached 105 as of Thursday morning45 of national and 60 of local applications.

We have only up to today (Thursday), so we were really in a frenzied mode in the last few weeks especially during the last few days. During Wednesdays session which lasted until early morning of today, we managed to pass 15 more bills, making the total so far at 105. We may still pass a few more today, says Villar.

According to Villar, There is a consensus and conscious effort among the senators to finish up pending bills and work even amidst the election fever that seems to be gripping the nation. In fact, most of us are postponing the declaration of our candidacy until the adjournment because we want to concentrate on the work that still needs to be done in the Senate.

The bills passed on Wednesday include Senate Bill (SB) 2371, Human Security Act (otherwise known as the anti-terrorism bill) SB 2591, additional benefits to judiciary members; SB 2589, anti red tape; SB 2581, Philippine Dental Act; SB 2541, anti-rabies; SB 2233, PERA; among others.

Many of the bills we have passed are in the last few weeks are of major importance such as the biofuels, automated election, lowering the prices of medicines, anti-terrorism and of course the importance of local bills, mostly declaring the cityhood of municipalities, cannot be discounted also, adds Villar.