The Senate adjourned the session on Wednesday, February 6 with Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile holding on to his post uncontested, allowing senators, their staff, and the Senate Secretariat personnel to heave a sigh of relief and to breathe for four months until Congress resumes session on June 5.
In the event that a change in the Senate leadership would happen before the Third Congress adjourns sine die on June 7, everybody—well, except for some—is glad that the transition was not by way of a coup.
In spite of the nasty and drawn-out fight as portrayed in media, the embattled Senate continued to function not as a shattered institution but as one where senators acted with statesmanship, overcoming partisanship and passing le-gislation for the good of the nation.
Among the measures that were approved on third reading are the amendments to the PhilHealth Law, the highlight of which is the national government’s taking over the responsibility of paying the health insurance premiums of the indigent sector, while the LGUs, legislative sponsors, and the national government will jointly shoulder premiums for the lowest income level of the informal sector; the bill sponsored by Senator Osmeña strengthening the National Electrification Administration to enable it to bring electricity to the countryside with the electric cooperatives as its implementing arm; the bill sponsored by Senator Trillanes proposing amendments to the Magna Carta for Persons with Disability which aims to give PWDs equal opportunities in employment and mandates that at least one percent of the personnel complement of all government agencies and private corporations with more than 100 employees be reserved for PWDs.
On June 7, the Senate will bid adieu to Senators Angara, Arroyo, Lacson, Pangilinan and Villar.
Meanwhile, Senators Alan Cayetano, Escudero, Honasan, Legarda, Pimentel and Trillanes are now in provincial sorties campaigning for reelection.
