DAPAT umanong magtulong ang Senado at Kamara de Representantes sa pagtalakay sa mga mahahalagang panukala gaya ng amyenda sa Rice Tariffication Law na naglalayong gawing abot-kaya ang presyo ng bigas.

Ito ang inihayag ng ilan sa mga lider ng Kamara sa isang pulong balitaan ngayong Miyerkules.

Ayon kay Davao Oriental Rep. Cheeno Miguel Almario dahil bicameral ang lehislatura ng bansa, hindi maaaring makagawa ng batas kung hindi magkakasundo ang dalawang kapulungan.

“Pero I think one thing that we should also look into is at least how the two bodies should work together. For example…there are many LEDAC priorities that have gone through marathon hearings…There were issues that were echoed by the Senate that were already discussed also in (the House). So, which means na maybe for the sake of efficiency, maybe the Senate can also consider at least also looking into what really boiled down in the House,” sabi niya.

“I’m very sure that whatever the request the Senator may have regarding a particular bill, be it a priority bill or not, the House is willing also to provide. So that at least that both bodies can be on the same page and therefore fulfilling the initial purpose which is to pass a bill that is for the benefit of the Filipino people,” ani Almario.

Sinabi ni Almario na ang Kamara, sa ilalim ng pamumuno ni Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, ay bukas sa pakikipag-usap sa Senado lalo na pagdating sa mga priority legislation na tinatalakay ng Kongreso.

“We have very many minds working also in specific bills and therefore we would also have many different kinds of opinions or points of view, paradigms that we can consider, and that the Senate can also consider taking into consideration for their referral and perusal as well,” dagdag pa niya.

Binigyang diin din ni Deputy Speaker at Quezon Rep. David “Jay-jay” Suarez ang kahalagahan ng kolaborasyon sa pagitan ng Senado at Kamara sa mga panukalang prayoridad ng administrasyon.

“Ninanais natin na maging matagumpay ang kanyang administrasyon at sa ilalim ng kanyang administrasyon may mga kinakailangan na mga panukalang batas na maipasa upang masiguro na iyong mga ninanais ng kanyang administrasyon ay makamit at nakasalalay po dito ang kooperasyon ng Kongreso at Senado,” saad ni Suarez.

“Kaya siguro ang mahalaga po para sa atin ay to be united in this position because we’re all fighting for the same common cause and that’s the Filipino people. So, I hope we can put the leadership issue aside. I hope we can put politics aside and move forward with regards to the best interest of the Filipino,” wika niya.

Sabi naman ni Lanao del Norte 1st District Rep. Mohamad Khalid Dimaporo, tagapamuno ng House committee on Muslim affairs, may mga pagkakataon na may impluwensya ang political timing sa pag-aksyon ng mga senador.

“I don’t think it’s a leadership issue. My personal observation is it’s more of political. What I saw when I drafted and pushed and shepherd the Marawi Compensation Bill in the previous Congress, our target was to get it out on third reading before December of that year,” saad ni Dimaporo.

“Why that year? Because the following year was an election year and we knew that the senators would move, because if they go to Marawi City and wala pang approval ng Marawi Compensation Bill, the ball is in their court, maraming magagalit sa kanila. So, they were somewhat pressured to pass the MCB and it became actually a law,” pahayag pa niya.

Pero may political pressure man aniya o wala, sinabi ni Dimaporo na dapat ay aksyunan pa rin ng Senado ang mga panukala para sa kapakanan ng mga Pilipino.

Para naman kay 1-RIDER Party-list Rep. Rodge Gutierrez, ang kabagalan ng pag-usad sa Senado ay isang isyu ng ‘prioritization’.

“I don’t know if it’s a leadership issue, but there seems to be a prioritization issue siguro po sa Senado. I’m not aware of the rules doon pero dito po kasi sa House kapag meron po kaming mga panukalang batas or inquiry na gustong mailapit, maitalakay sa committee, dumadaan po yan sa Rules Committee and they set the tone kung ano po dapat ang priority na kailangan ng taong bayan at ano yung makakapaghintay,” sabi ni Gutierrez.

“I don’t know if it is the same in the Senate, but it appears to be the (committee) chairman has free will po kung anong gusto niyang italakay. Moto proprio nga po yung PDEA leak sa committee hearing. But on the other side, narinig ko rin po na I think it was a comment by Sen. Escudero that moto proprio is usually reserved for recess,” saad pa niya.

Maliban sa LEDAC bills, marami ring iba pang mahahalagang panukala ang hindi umuusad sa Senado, ani Gutierrez.

“Yung Motorcycle for Hire Bill, hindi yun LEDAC priority but still we’re almost done with that. We’re waiting rin for the Senate. I don’t know kung may galaw doon,” saad pa nito.