(21) Senate and House Bills that the Senate Approved

> Records show that the Senate, even while it was also functioning as an impeachment court in the trial of ousted Chief Justice Renato Corona, still managed to approve on third and final reading at least 21 bills until it adjourned on Wednesday evening. Among those bills are:

• SBN 50 Dept. of Information and Communications Technology
• SBN 429 Discrimination Against Women
• SBN 1537 Witness Confidentiality Act
• SBN 2796 Cybercrime
• SBN 2965 Data Privacy Act
• SBN 3009 Anti-Money Laundering Act
• SBN 3113 Clerical or Typographical Error
• SBN 3127 Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act
• SBN 3146 Arbor Day
• SBN 3164 Amending AFP Modernization Program
• SBN 3206 Early Years Act
• SBN 3209 Red Cross and Other Emblems
• HBN 4245 Quezon City Legislative Districts
• HBN 4379 Franchise on Reliance Broadcasting
• HBN 4668 Franchise for Cultural Foundation
• HBN 5491 Franchise for Nueva Vizcaya
• HBN 5492 Franchise for TV Maria
• HBN 5574 Franchise for Telecommunications Technology Solutions
• HBN 5608 Reapportioning Province of Palawan
• HBN 5613 Amendment to the Franchise of Wi-Tribe
• HBN 5917 City of Ilagan

Also, the Senate adopted at least 17 resolutions during the same period. The Senate usually sets aside three session days a week for tackling legislative matters. However, it only held two session days a week while the impeachment trial was ongoing.

The trial, held Mondays to Thursdays at 2:00pm, ran from January 16 to May 29. "In closing, permit me to make a confession. With candor, I will admit that this Second Regular Session has been the most challenging that I have had to lead, and mostly in part because of the impeachment," Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said in a statement released Wednesday.

Since the second regular session of the 15th Congress began July last year, Senate Majority Floor Leader Vicente Sotto III said that at least three bills were vetoed by the President, 32 bills were passed on third reading, 18 House bills passed on third reading, four joint resolutions passed on third reading, 79 Senate simple resolutions were adopted, and 31 resolutions of concurrence to treaties were passed. "As chairman of the Committee on Rules, I am very satisfied with the production or output for the entire year," said Sotto.

Source & Image Credit: GMA News & Everything in Budget Blogspot

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