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Ni Ernie Reyes
KAPAG binago ng Senate secretariat ang alinmang salita ang anumang panukalang batas tulad ng Maharlika Investment Bill na inaprubahan sa “third and final reading” ay isang malaking krimen, ayon kay Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III.
Ibinalaba ito ni Pimentel matapos ihayag ni Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva na kasalukuyang nililinis ng Senate secretariat ang panukalang Maharlika Investment Fund bago ipasa bilang enrolled bill sa Palasyo.
“Naku ‘wag nilang gawin yan.It is ‘not ok’ and may even amount to a crime if words are changed to ‘perfect’ a bill as the perfecting exercise should have been done on the floor only by the elected members of the Senate,” ayon kay Pimentel.
Niratipikahan ng Mababang Kapulungan at Senado ang final versison ng MIF Bill matapos ang bicameral conference committee meeting sa Manila Golf club sa Makati city bago magrecess ang Kongreso nitong Hunyo 2.
“Hindi pa enrolled bill, it is still with us, fina-finalize po, still in the process of cleaning up the bill, typo error and clerical errors,” ayon kay Villanueva sa Senate reporters sa ginanap na press briefing.
Ipinadadala sa Office of the President ang enrolled bill para i-veto o aprubahan.
“That is why it is a great privilege to be a member of the Philippine Senate, only 24 individuals at one given time are given this great opportunity and privilege,” ani Villanueva.
Sinabi ni Pimentel na walang sinuman unelected staff ang maaaring baguhin ang ginawa ng elected members ng Senado.
“However, to change section numbers from the sequence of 48, 50, 49, 50 into section numbers 48, 49, 50, 51 may be allowed,” giit niya.
“But to change the words, the content of the version approved on third and final reading will amount to falsification. Mawalan ng meaning ang word na ‘final’ if puede pa palang galawin ng iba,” giit pa ng oposisyon.
Aniya, hindi maaaring palitan ng Senate staff ang anumang nakapasok na salita o magdagdag ng panibago.
“They cannot change meanings or nullify some expressed idea. They are not allowed to replace their ideas for the words of the senators,” giit niya.
“No one else can perfectly express the sentiment and intent of the Senate other than the elected members of the Senate,” dagdag niya.
“Pag sabi nila na approved na an final version then that’s it, that is the final version,” paliwanag niya.
