For Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, legislative “inquiries in aid of legislation” are acts of futility “because no legislation, only harassment” happen during such investigations.
Arroyo met with reporters Monday during which she intimated that in one instance, Rep. Deogracias Victor Savellano of Ilocos Sur sought her support for a resolution that calls for an “investigation in aid of legislation.’’
“[Congressman] DV Savellano came to me… he mentioned something [about an investigation] and I said, ‘DV you know inquiries in aid of legislation, I don’t like them to be done unless you give me a rough draft of the legislation you are thinking of, otherwise let’s call it oversight,’” she said.
“Let’s have a briefing not an inquiry where you are going to be so inquisitorial,” she added.
Following that suggestion, Arroyo said Savellano changed his resolution.
Arroyo said briefings from experts and other resource persons will help craft legislation better than investigations.
This way, she said legislators will be encouraged to study the issue at hand and have an idea of the law to be crafted instead of congressmen going on fishing expedition during investigations, and later deciding on what bill to file.
During Arroyo’s watch as president, several of her Cabinet members and other senior officials were summoned to the Senate for “Senate investigations in aid of legislation” only to be browbeaten by legislators who had an ax to grind against her administration.
Soon after Arroyo stepped down from power, a former Armed Forces chief of staff wasted himself after being insulted during a Senate investigation.
Arroyo said the proper implementation of laws is better than enacting them.
“There will always be room for making new policy and legislation. But on the whole, I think it is time to pivot from mere policies to implementation,” Arroyo said.
“We must harvest the results during the final three and a half years of President [Rodrigo] Duterte’s term,” she added.
In just 25 session days under the watch of Arroyo, the House of Representatives tackled a total of 778 measures or an average of 31 measures a day.
This means that in only 25 session days, Arroyo was able to accomplish 21 percent of the total 3,707 measures or output of the 17th Congress that opened on July 25, 2016.
Most of the measures tackled are on the legislative agenda of President Rodrigo Duterte as Arroyo proved true to her word that she will endeavor to push the measures backed by Duterte.
Of the 778 processed measures during the Third Regular Session, a total of 32 were enacted into law, eight of which were of national significance and 24 of local significance.
Four days after the opening of the Third Regular Session, the much-awaited Organic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao was signed into law by President Duterte as Republic Act 11054. That law was based on House Bill 6475.
Also among those signed by the President was Republic Act 11055, or the Philippine Identification System Act that is based on HB 6221, which establishes a single national identification system to promote the seamless delivery of government services, and increase transparency while reducing corruption in the delivery of social services.
Meanwhile, 41 more measures are awaiting the President’s signature to become laws.
Apart from these landmark measures, the House ratified 10 bicameral reports, nine of which are of national importance and one of local significance.
Also during Arroyo’s watch, the House approved House Joint Resolution 26, which extends until December 31, 2019 the period of availability of funds intended for victims of human rights violations during the imposition of martial law by former President Ferdinand E. Marcos.
Meanwhile, the House approved on second reading 16 bills, all of national significance and adopted a total of 24 resolutions—17 regular resolutions, four concurrent resolutions, two resolutions on inquiries in aid of legislation and one resolution of the Committee of the Whole.
