SONA 2019: No Cha-cha Order From Duterte, But A Number Of Priority Bills

When President Duterte campaigned for the presidency in 2016, one of his landmark platforms was to push for constitutional changes that would shift the country’s form of government from a unitary to a federal system.

But in his fourth State of the Nation Address yesterday, Charter change and federalism were conspicuously missing from the list of priority measures that he urged Congress to pass within the remaining years of his administration.

Instead, he urged Congress to pass bills that would help his administration address the needs of different key sectors of society.

Reimposition of the death penalty

Duterte recalled the 2017 Marawi siege in reiterating his call for Congress to restore the capital punishment or the death penalty. He reminded members of Congress how drug money funded the Maute terrorists’ siege of the city for five months that killed 175 soldiers and policemen. His proposal involves the imposition of the death penalty for plunder and heinous crimes related to illegal drugs.

Further reading: Bato seeks death by firing squad vs. drug traffickers

TRABAHO bill

The TRABAHO (Tax Reform for Attracting Better and Higher-quality Opportunities) bill aims to reduce the current 30 percent corporate income tax rate by two percentage points every two years until it becomes 20 percent by 2029.

Aside from reducing corporate income tax, the bill also plans to rationalize and improve fiscal incentives on certain business. Previously introduced in the 17th Congress, the measure failed to pass into law after the Philippine Economic Zone Authority warned of losing PEZA locators due to the loss of fiscal incentives.

Increased excise taxes on tobacco and alcohol

A former smoker who now suffers from Buerger’s disease, Duterte wants higher excise taxes on tobacco and alcoholic products to fund his administration’s Universal Health Care (UHC) program. Under the Sin Tax Law of 2012, 85 percent of revenues from sin taxes goes to health services, while 15 percent goes to tobacco-producing regions.

Department of Overseas  Filipinos

Speaking of working class, the President wants Congress to fast-track the creation of a Department of Overseas Filipinos that will focus in providing government services, provide protection and ensure the welfare of Filipinos working abroad.

The move was prompted by the murder of a Filipina domestic worker whose body was found inside a freezer in Kuwait, which led Duterte to order a ban on sending overseas Filipino workers to the country. The two countries eventually signed a bilateral labor agreement that ensures protection for Filipino migrant workers in the Arab nation.

Image shows the 396 overseas Filipino workers repatriated from Kuwait along with their luggages upon arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 on Feb. 21, 2018. Photo by Rudy Santos, The Philippine STAR

Creation of a Coconut Farmers Trust Fund

Recalling the misuse of the Coconut Levy Fund during the Marcos regime, Duterte implored Congress to pass the law creating the Coconut Farmers Trust Fund, which would use the proceeds from the Coconut Levy Fund of up to P150 million to develop and improve the coconut industry.

 During the 17th Congress, Duterte vetoed a similar bill that seeks to create a similar trust fund body for lacking sunset provisions and government representatives in the body.

Magna Carta for Barangays

Barangays have been at the forefront of Duterte’s war on drugs, he said in his speech. They have been responsible for a number of successful measures — from the creation of barangay anti-drug councils to collecting cocaine bricks that have washed up on their shores brought about by smuggling activities.

 In recognition of their crucial role in local governance, the President called on Congress to pass the Magna Carta for Barangays, which seeks to declare barangay officials as regular government officials and enable barangays to automatically get their share in national and local taxes.

New Salary Standardization Law

In his speech, Duterte also recognized the efforts of teachers “who toil tirelessly to educate our young” by calling on Congress the pass a new version of the Salary Standardization Law. The proposed bill failed to pass during the previous administration, but former president Benigno Aquino III signed Executive Order No. 201 in 2016 to implement the first tranche of the law. The second and third tranches of the law have since been implemented under the current administration. The proposed law also includes government workers, nurses and uniformed personnel.

Department of Water

Citing the ongoing water crisis in Metro Manila and the El Niño phenomenon affecting local farmers, the President pushed for the creation of a Department of Water that will consolidate all national government efforts to develop new water resources and tackle problems related to water shortage, pricing and use.

After continuous rainfall brought by Tropical Depression Egay, the water level in La Mesa dam increased to 71. 76 meters on July 1, 2019. The water level of the La Mesa reservoir, which should be 79 to 80 meters, has been dipping due to the dry season that also resulted in a water crisis in parts of Metro Manila. Photo by Boy Santos, The Philippine STAR

Department of Disaster Resilience

Duterte also mentioned in his speech how the country was rocked by several natural disasters during the first half of his term.

“The Philippine experience has shown that natural disasters are poverty creators. That is why we need to hasten the creation of the Department of Disaster Resilience so that this department focuses on the natural hazards and climate change,” Duterte said.

The proposed department seeks to combine all government agencies related to disaster risk reduction and management under one agency. Aside from the above measures, other legislative priorities that the President mentioned in his speech are:

• Creation of a National Academy for Sports for high school students
• Government Rightsizing Bill
• Fire Protection Modernization Program Act
• National Land Use Act
• National Defense Act
• Uniformed Services Personnel Separation, Retirement and Pension Bill
• Revival of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) for Grades 11 and 12
• Amendment of the Human Security Act
• Postpone of the May 2020 barangay/SK polls to October 2020
• National Valuation of Property Act

He also urged Congress to consider the following:

• Requiring all bars and nightclubs nationwide to close at midnight
• Additional benefits for solo parents
• Assignment of health workers in all barangays
• Expansion of government-funded Malasakit Centers Improvement of the Citizens’ Complaint Hotline (8888)

Protesters sing the Philippine national anthem as they converge on Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City in time for President Duterte’s fourth State of the Nation Address yesterday. Photo by Michael Varcas, The Philippine STAR