Can Marcos get same support from Senate under a new president?

SENATE President Francis Escudero said the chamber is committed to steer the passage of the priority measures of any administration, no matter who is in charge.Escudero offered this assurance to ease worries that the passage of President Marcos' priority bills and Congress itself would be affected by the May 20 ouster of former Senate president Juan Miguel Zubiri.Zubiri's team, namely then Senate president pro tempore Loren Legarda, Senate majority leader Joel Villanueva, Senate deputy majority leader JV Ejercito and Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara and Sen. Nancy Binay resigned from their posts and committee chairmanships, prompting a major Senate reorganization.Sen. Jinggoy Estrada was elected to succeed Legarda while Tolentino replaced Villanueva as majority leader.Escudero said there was "no big difference" between the Senate under his leadership and Zubiri's.The Senate will continue to be free from any vested interests, influence or coercion, Escudero said in Filipino in a recent radio interview.He said he will try to come up with a framework on what would be the role of the Senate regarding the passage of priority measures.The Senate would not only focus on the passage of the Palace's priority measures but would also give equal treatment to the bills of each senator and their counterpart measures from the House of Representatives, he said.Escudero emerged from his first Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (Ledac) meeting last June 25 upbeat about the collaborative efforts among the Senate, the House and the Executive branch.Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III believes there would be "no surprises" when the Senate resumes session on July 22, which coincides with the President's State of the Nation Address (SONA)."Let's give the Senate president a peaceful time to have a chance to achieve his goals. Let's make his tenure as smooth as possible," Pimentel said. He said he expects Escudero to mention at the opening of the third regular session of the 19th Senate next week the priorities that he committed at the last Ledac meeting."But I think if he will repeat the 28 priority measures that were written there, it's too ambitious," Pimentel said."I agree with his earlier pronouncement that we set a target [of the priority bills to pass]. Let us leave the ones with contentious issues to the next set of legislators," he said.The next batch of the Senate and House members would be elected in 2025."It was a good experience," Escudero said on his first Ledac meeting in Malacañang."The Senate is committed to working diligently toward the passage of these essential measures. We aim to address critical areas that will enhance our economic framework, environmental sustainability and governance," Escudero said.He said the six Ledac priorities are the proposed Blue Economy Act, Enterprise-Based Education and Training Framework Act, amendments to the Universal Health Care Act, establishment of the Department of Water Resources, Open Access in Data Transmission Act, and Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises to Maximize Opportunities for Reinvigorating the Economy Act.He also pushed for the inclusion of three Senate priority measures in the Ledac's Common Legislative Agenda (CLA). These are the proposed amendments to the Right-of-Way Act or Republic Act (RA) 10752, the Investors' Lease Act (RA 7652) and the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (RA 6657).The proposed amendments to RA 10752 aim to make it easier to grant right-of-way for public projects while changes to RA 7652 would allow leasing private lands for up to 99 years to attract foreign investments.The amendments to RA 6657 aim to lift restrictions on the ownership and transfer of lands awarded under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program."The amendments to these laws will provide the necessary legal framework to expedite infrastructure projects and attract more foreign investments; thereby, creating more jobs and boosting our economy," Escudero said."Lifting restrictions on agrarian reform lands will also help increase agricultural productivity and improve the lives of our farmers," he added.Escudero said further clarification is needed for the Waste-to-Energy or Senate Bill (SB) 2267, the Mandatory Reserve Officers' Training Corps (SB 2034), Unified System of Separation, Retirement, and Pension of Military and Uniformed Personnel (SB 2501) and the E-Government Act /E-Governance Act.Of the 20 CLA bills due for passage by end of June 2024, three have already been enacted into law: the Philippine Ecosystem and Natural Capital Accounting System (PENCAS) Act (RA 11995), the Negros Island Region Act (RA 12000), and the Real Property Valuation and Assessment Reform Act (RA 12001).Escudero said the Senate's legislative agenda is geared toward inclusive and sustainable development."We are optimistic that with collaboration and dedication, we can achieve these legislative goals and make a meaningful impact on the lives of our citizens," he said.