Tag: government

Guarding Against ‘Pork’ in the 2019 Budget

With the policy statement issued by Speaker Arroyo concerning all the congressmen’s earmarks for their respective districts, expect a massive mangling of the National Expenditure Program (NEP).

If not checked, we will be back to the happy ‘pork barrel’ days of legislators in spite of the Supreme Court ruling outlawing the same.

Worse, all the planning involved in the preparation of the national budget will be rendered inutile to the detriment of the medium development plan of the national government, as well as the local development plans submitted by the local government units (LGUs).

I hope some like-minded colleagues in the Senate will also work overtime, as I am determined to do, in scrutinizing the House version of the appropriations bill to expose and slice whatever “pork” there is in whatever form and no matter how deeply hidden, with the end in view of preventing the return of this malevolent practice now declared unconstitutional with finality by the Supreme Court.

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National ID ni Ping, Pirmado Na!

Matapos na tila ‘matulog sa pansitan’ sa nakalipas na ilang administrasyon, ganap nang naging batas at mapapakinabangan na ng mamamayan ang panukalang National ID ni Senador Panfilo Lacson.

Ang naturang panukala na inumpisahang isulong ni Lacson taong 2001 nang maging senador siya sa unang pagkakataon ay ganap nang nilagdaan ng Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte bilang Republic Act 11055 sa isang seremonyas sa Malacanang.

Ipinaabot ni Lacson ang personal niyang pasasalamat sa Pangulong Duterte dahil bagama’t halos nasa kalagitnaan pa lamang ang termino nito ay napabilang na ang panukala sa mga nalagdaan bilang batas.

Related: Lacson Expects National ID System to Speed Up Transactions, Deter Crime
Continue reading “National ID ni Ping, Pirmado Na!”

Batas Na! Lacson Expects National ID System to Speed Up Transactions, Deter Crime

Filipinos will now have an easier time transacting with the government and with private entities, after the National ID bill advocated by Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson was finally signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte.

Lacson said Republic Act 11055, which harmonizes and integrates the redundant government ID cards into a single system, would also help deter criminality.

“At long last, we now have a law that breaks the formidable barriers between government and the downtrodden and the poor due to the lack of identification,” Lacson said.

Lacson is the principal sponsor of the measure, aside from being a perennial author since his first term as senator in 2001.

On the other hand, Lacson expressed thanks to President Duterte, as it was under his term that the national ID system – whose legislative journey spanned four presidencies – saw the light of day.

Related: National ID ni Ping, Pirmado Na!
Continue reading “Batas Na! Lacson Expects National ID System to Speed Up Transactions, Deter Crime”

#PingBills Update: Bill further cutting down red tape has been consolidated in the report of the Senate Committee on Trade

Senate Bill 982 seeks to shorten transactions with government to 7 days or less.

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