Strw#wgrro
Bu$iness
'Thursday; August 22, 2ALg
LEDAC rneet set in s.prember
to hasten passage of pfiority bills
BY JOGELYII MOilTEMAYOR
THE Duterte administration is
set to convene a full Legiblative-
Executive Development Advi-
sory Council (I-EDAC) meeting
in September to finalize and
hasten the passage of the prior-
ity measures of the Executive,
among them the amendments
to the Human Security Act and
the bills on the establishment
of the maritime zones and the
archipelagic sea lanes.
Cabinet Secretary Karlo
Nograles yesterday said in a Executive and Legislative branch
media forum in Manila that the
passage of the amendments to
the Human Security Act could
lead to the lifting of manial law
in Mindanao while bills on the
establishm'ent of the maritime
Insbht
zones and the archipelagic sea
lanes are timely in the wake of
the controversial and uncoordi-
nated passage of Chinese war-
ships in the country,
The three bills are included in
neady mote than 30 measures
prioritized by the Duterte ad-
ministration that would be sub-
mitted during the full LEDAC.
The Executive and members
of Congress had initially agreed
to hold regular "mini-LEDAC,'
meeungs to ensufe a smother
working relationship between the
and avoid a repeat of the many
measures being vetoed by the
President, including prioritv bills.
A mirri-Ledac, which did not
include the President, was held
earh this month in Malacanang
u t?Av€ -gg.,r
and attended by several Cabinet
members,led by Executive Sec-
retary Srilvador Medialdea and
Congress leaders led by Senate
President Vicente SottoIII and
Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano.
Nograles said among the
priority measures of the ad-
minisgation are the Militarl,
and uniformed personnel pen-
sion reform bill that seeki to
reform the pension system for
military and uniformed person-
nel and raise the pensionable
age from 56 to 60; the budget
modernization bill that aims
to institutionahze annual cash-
based budgeting; and the Salary
Standardizztion 5 that raises
salaries of government workers.
The others are the Freedom
of information trOI) bill; the
Tax Rbform for Atrracting Better
and High-Quality Oppornurities
firabaho) bill; the Amendments
to Foreign Investnnents Acg the
Amendments to Public Service
Act; the Amendments to Reail
Trade Uberalization Acq Ar4end-
ments to Bank Secrecy Act the
Open access in daa transmission
bill; the Excise ax on alcohot tlre
Pondo sa Pagbabago at Pag-asen-
so (P3) bill; and the Creation of
Departrnent of Water Resources
ot STater Regulatory Commis sion.
Nograles said the priorities
also include the amendments to
the Human Security A'ct, wlich
not only strengthens the anti-
terrorism campaign of govern-
ment but also serves a3'a long
.
terr,n solution to terrorism and
violent extremism in the country.