TO speed up the reforms under the Duterte administration, the Judicial-Executive-Legislative Advisory Council (Jelac) will be reconvened soon to hand-walk and iron out the 33 government’s proposed priority bills, a Cabinet source told Manila Standard on Tuesday.
President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday reconvened the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council after more than a decade.
“There is a suggestion that like in FVR’s time, the Ledac invites the Judiciary as part of the group next time,” a senior Cabinet official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said.
The initials were in reference to President Fidel V. Ramos, the head of government from 1992 to 1998.
The Ledac will also be convened every quarter to check on the progress and settle differences in the proposed legislations while its various committees will meet once a month, the Cabinet source added.
Duterte previously held a mini-Ledac last December which identified priority bills of the government, including an income tax reform package, anti-money laundering law amendments, and the budget reform and government rightsizing bills.
Among those present during the Ledac on the part of the executive on Monday were the President, Vice President Leni Robredo, and seven Cabinet members—Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Ernesto Pernia, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III, Budget Secretary Benjamin Diokno, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Peace Process Secretary Jesus Dureza, Public Works Secretary Mark Villar and Transportation Secretary Arturo Tugade.
Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III and House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez led the delegation from the Legislative, along with Senators Franklin Drilon, Tito Sotto and Ralph Recto, and Congressmen Rodolfo Fariñas, Dax Cua and Danilo Suarez.
“All were present … except sectors not yet appointed: The youth, LGU’s and private sectors,” the Cabinet source said.
A list obtained by Manila Standard identified some 30 priority bills tackled during the LEDAC on Monday which focused on some of Duterte’s priority legislations — revision of the constitution, income tax reform, emergency powers for traffic and congestion crisis, and an expanded universal healthcare act for the poor.
In a palace briefing, presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said among those discussed were “the possible termination of barangay elections, salary increases of the military, incentives for retirement pay of military, tax reform, and fiscal incentives.”
Other bills in the pipeline included estate tax reform, revision of the corporation code,
free internet access in public places, coconut farmers industry development act, a measure to review the allowable or recoverable system lost act, revision of the government procurement act, institutionalization of a salary standardization law for government employees, prohibition of conversion of irrigated land, and revisions to the family code and penal code indexation, among others.
During the meeting, President Duterte appealed to Congress and Senate to fast-track the legislation of his priority measures.
“We should not delay. Time is running out, let’s do these legislations quickly,” the Cabinet source quoted the President as saying.
The President also deferred to Congress to decide on the issue of the coco levy trust fund bill, which would guarantee a return and distribution of more than P93 billion in coco levy funds to farmers.
“Let congress decide in whatever way…” the President was quoted as saying.
Meanwhile, things worked out smoothly for Vice President Robredo and President Duterte, who met for the first time in months after Robredo resigned following Duterte’s order for her to desist in attending Cabinet meetings.
“It was a very civil meeting,” Abella said.
The Cabinet source, meanwhile, described the first encounter between the two as “business as usual.”
“The President greeted her and joked with her from time to time,” the source said.
Abella said the President still cracked jokes about Robredo’s knees, jokes the Vice President admitted she found “inappropriate.”
“Again, he made a passing reference to that. It was a humorous reference, and I think the Vice President understood the context this time,” Abella said.