Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s policy to do away with unnecessary investigations in aid of legislation was the reason the House was able to pass all of President Rodrigo Duterte’s legislative agenda in less than a year, an official said Friday.
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Albay Rep. Joey Salceda said more than 700 resolutions for investigations were filed before the House of Representatives but only 14 were allowed to be taken up by the respective committees.
He said this enabled the lawmakers to concentrate on their real job”•to create and pass new laws for the benefit of the people.
“We had 744 resolutions for inquiry in aid of legislation, but only 14 got through. So we virtually had a suspension, a moratorium on inquiries so we could focus on legislation rather than investigation,” Salceda said.
He said Arroyo practiced what he said was “management by sitting in,” in which she sat in all the committees to make sure differences were settled so that the bills were passed on time.
“Legislation during her time was very efficient. She removed all obstacles in the process of legislation which is a lot of inquiries, 744 inquiries. She removed that,” Salceda said.
Deputy Speaker Sharon Garin of the party-list AAMBIS OWA said Arroyo’s exceptional work ethic enabled them to do their job with speed, dedication and resolve.
“During the term of Speaker GMA, we passed more than 250 laws. It was a working Congress, we achieved a lot. You could see the performance,” Garin said.
House members led by Majority Leader Fredenil Castro and Minority Leader Danilo Suarez also praised Arroyo for her exceptional performance as leader of the 17th Congress in the House of Representatives.
“Speaker GMA is one of the most brilliant political and academic minds in recent Philippine history,” Castro said.
Said Suarez: “I would like to thank our venerable Speaker, Honorable Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, for her dedication and competence in leading the members of Congress towards the achievement of the priority legislative measures of this administration.”
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