Senator Bam Aquino welcomed President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s directive to expedite the passage of four priority bills under his legislative order, including the Citizens Access Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability (CADENA) Act.
Aquino noted that the timing coincides with “Anti-Corruption Day.”
“We welcome the President’s move to prioritize the passage of our proposed Citizens Access Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability (CADENA) Act,” Aquino said.
He added, “Tamang-tama rin na inanunsiyo ito ng Malacañang sa Anti-Corruption Day, dahil ang CADENA-Blockchain the Budget Bill ay naglalayong wakasan ang korapsyon, palakasin ang transparency, at tiyakin ang tunay na pananagutan sa paggamit ng pondo ng bayan.”
Aquino assured that lawmakers will work to enact the CADENA Act to end corruption and ensure transparency in government.
“Magtatrabaho tayo upang maisabatas ang CADENA Act para matuldukan ang katiwalian sa gobyerno at matiyak na nagagamit sa tama ang buwis ng taumbayan,” he said.
He also thanked the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) for including the Classroom-Building Acceleration Program (CAP) Act, Party-list Reform Act, and Anti-Political Dynasty Act among the priority measures.
In contrast, his ally, Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Partylist Representative Leila de Lima, expressed disappointment that some bills, including the IPC/ICAIC Bill and Anti-Political Dynasty Bill, were not certified as urgent.
“While we welcome the pronouncement from President Marcos Jr. about certain measures that he thinks Congress should prioritize, we remain disappointed that the proposed IPC/ICAIC Bill and Anti-Political Dynasty Bill were NOT certified as urgent,” she said.
Executive Secretary Ralph Recto emphasized the importance of broad consultation for the priority measures.
“The presidential request for congressional action on the four bills goes beyond their immediate passage, but for wide consultation with all sectors, so the best ideas can be incorporated in this reform legislation. Given the importance and urgency of these bills, the invitation to participate in their crafting should be extended to groups of all political persuasions,” Recto said.