Senate adjourns sine die after passing landmark BBL

May 31, 2018

The Senate passed its version of the landmark Bangsamoro Basic Law on Thursday morning

Senate President Vicente Sotto III formally announced the sine die adjournment of the session around 2 am, due to the nearly ten-hour long deliberation on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law, which was approved on third and final reading with 21-0 votes.

Before adjournment, the senators also ratified the bicameral conference committee reports for the proposed Retirement Law of the Office of the Ombudsman which sought to increase the retirement benefits of the officials and employees of the Office of the Ombudsman, and the proposed Personal Property Security Act, which sought to provide entrepreneurs with expanded access to loans.

Earlier this week, the Senate had passed six bills converting Land Transportation Office extension offices into regular centers, along with 11 local bills establishing, converting or renaming high schools and colleges nationwide.

It also ratified the bicameral conference report for  the proposed Philippine Identification System Act of 2018, and adopted two resolutions - one which lauded the heroism of soldiers and police officers who served in the Marawi crisis, and another which confirmed AECOM as the winning architectural firm to design the new Senate building in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

The bills and resolutions were the latest legislative achievements made by the Senate in the 2nd Regular Session, which started on July 24, 2017.

This year alone, the Senate has enacted pro-consumer legislation such as the proposed Lifetime Cellphone Number Act, Recoverable Systems Loss Act, the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act of 2017;  pro-Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) legislation such as the Handbook for OFWs Act of 2016 ; pro-health legislation such as the Pagkaing Pinoy para sa batang Pinoy Act; and pro-worker legislation such as the proposed Magna Carta for Scientists and the Reservist Employment Rights Act, among others.

Earlier, Sotto said the Senate would tackle pending legislation when they return to work in July including the continuing proposals for Charter Change, the proposed Universal Health Package bill and the proposed amendments to the Public Service Act. DMS