THE PHILIPPINE STAR

THE PHILIPPINE STAR

news MONDAY I OCTOBER 28,2OI9

Duterte signs
153 laws
in 5 months
By JESS DIAZ

President Duterte simed a total of 153

laws over a five-montF period this year,
or an averaqe of 30 a moirth or one a day'
Cooies 5f laws that Executive Sec-
retarv'salvador Medialdea sent to the
rtor-ri" of ReDresentatives showed that
Ge pr"sident'affi"ed his signature on the
Congress-approved bills Eetween April
and Ausust.
The Fresident allowed an additional
17 bills to lapse into law bringing to 170
the total of l'eeislative measures enacted
within the fivt-month Period
Most of the bills sifned by the Chief
Executive are what lawmakers call local
laws. as thev are of local application.
Nlanv of ihem authorize the creation of
baransivs. conversion of local schools or
roadsYnio national schools or highways,
creation of additional courts, changing
the names of roads, conversion of local
hospitals into national health facilities
or e'stablishins district offices of national
agencies like"the Land Transportation
Office (LTO).
The nrrrooses of the larrvs entail the
aooropiati'on of hundreds of millions -
piih"itr, ulttiotrt -.of taxpayers' money,
but since there aJ€ no funds tor them rn the
national budeet, thev are iust an addition
to an already"long liit of irnfunded laws.
No one kirows"when a provincial road
converted into a nation;l highwaY, a
new regional trial court, a local hospital
transfeiied to the national govemrnerit for
fundins and better manaqement or a new
LTO oflce in a congressi6nal districi will
ever be funded.
A number of the new laws are of na.
tiondl application. including Republic
Act 113i6. which increased excise taxes
on lobacco and vapor Products
Amonq the 153 lai^is signed bY the
President- were several franchise bills,
mostlv involving radio and lelevision
broadtasting, and- telecommunications.
The Chiei Executive, howevel chose
not lo sign 1o broadcasting and telecom
franchisel and just allowed these to lapse
into law.
Amons the 1o are renewals for fV-5
and the 6roadcasting network run by
Catholic tlishoos.
onlv one loial bill became a law when
Dutert'e did not sign or veto iL within 30
davs from its submission lo his office: one
ab6ut the search for lhe presidency of the
t'r"A
Palompon lnstitute of Teihnology in Leyte
and its conversion into a state universify Q-.t'