ROXAS: WERE WORKING ON SPEEDY APPROVAL OF
LOWER-MEDICINES BILL
PRE-BICAM TO THRESH-OUT HOUSE, SENATE DIFFERENCES

Senator Mar Roxas today said that despite the legislative lull due to the election season, there is sustained effort to hasten the approval of Senate Bill No. 2263, an urgent measure seen to significantly lower the prices of medicines.

Even if Congress is in recess for the national polls, we, together with fellow legislators across party lines, our staff and various stakeholders, are engaging in constant consultations in order to build a consensus on the lower-priced medicines bill, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Trade and Commerce said.

The need of Filipinos for quality and affordable medicines is urgent. It is incumbent upon us legislators to exercise political will and push for this measure within the present Congress, he added.

Roxas, also known as Mr. Palengke, is the primary author and sponsor of Senate Bill No. 2263. Senator Pia Cayetano, chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, is his co-author and co-sponsor.

Roxas announced that a staff-level meeting would be held on May 22, Tuesday, to formally thresh out differences of the Senate and House versions on the lower-priced medicines bill. This is in preparation for upcoming Bicameral Conference Committee meetings once session resumes on June 4.

But even before this pre-bicam meeting, weve been in constant communication with our counterparts in the House, and our staff are doing consolidation drafts of the bill, he said. Roxas counterpart in the House is Quirino Rep. Junie Cua, chairman of the House Committee on Trade and Commerce.

The Senate has approved Senate Bill 2263 on Third Reading on January 31, 2007. The House of Representatives, meanwhile, has passed its versionHouse Bill No. 6035on February 20, 2007.

The President has certified Senate Bill 2263 as urgent. The 13th Congress will resume shortly on June 4, and will finally adjourn sine die on June 8.