BICAM EXTENDS BUREAU OF IMMIGRATION CHIEF'S TERM
MANILA, FEBRUARY 3, 2010 (STAR) The bicameral conference committee has approved amendments to the Commonwealth-era immigration law that will allow, among others, the incumbent immigration chief to stay on for a year.Sen. Francis Escudero, chairman of the bicameral panel, said they expect to ratify the reconciled version of the Philippine Immigration Bill of 2009 today before Congress adjourns for the campaign.
One of the salient provisions of the proposed bill is granting permanent employees of the Bureau of Immigration (BI) security of tenure. There will also be complete staffing pattern for the employees.
“To begin with there are only nine permanent employees at the Bureau of Immigration. There is now a complete staffing pattern and there are now clearer responsibilities for each official of the Commission on Immigration that we have created. The old law creating the Bureau of Immigration was a Commonwealth Act. It’s now time to have it changed and updated,” he said.
Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan welcomed the development.
The term of office of the commissioner had been one of the conflicting provisions of the House and Senate versions. Some lawmakers wanted the commissioner to have a fixed term, to the objection of their colleagues.
Escudero explained that there would be no fixed term for the commissioner, and the incumbent commissioner will have a “carryover” term of a year.
On extending Libanan’s term, Escudero said this could only happen if Libanan remains as the immigration chief once the law is enacted.
“Well, if he is doing a good job, it’s in the hands of the next president whether to retain him or not,” Escudero explained.
But Libanan said the extension of term is “immaterial” to him. He said what is important is that the outdated immigration law has been amended, attuned to the needs of the times.
Under the proposed law, the collection of visas will remain a mandate of the Department of Foreign Affairs.
GMA’s signing binge
Meanwhile, President Arroyo has signed 20 more laws, only one of which is of national application.
The 19 new statutes of local application are seen to give their congressmen-authors bragging rights in their districts and help them win reelection.
Most of the authors are administration allies.
The only law that is of national application is Republic Act 9946, which grants additional retirement survivorship and other benefits to members of the judiciary.
Of the 19 laws of local application, 12 are on the establishment of national high schools in Barangay Malagandis, Titay, Zamboanga Sibugay; Barangay Guintoloan, Naga, also in Zamboanga Sibugay; Barangay Lizares, Talisay City, Negros Occidental; Barangay Tablon, Cagayan de Oro City; Ilog town in Negros Occidental; Barangay Quezon, Tandag, Surigao del Sur;
Barangay Poblacion, Quezon, Bukidnon; Tibiao town in Antique; Barangay Macasing, Pagadian City; Barangay Lintugop, Aurora, Zamboanga del Sur; Barangay Matalang, Midsalip, also in Zamboanga del Sur; and Barangay Tubudan, San Remigio, Antique.
Six other laws separate existing high school annexes in Barangay Pinikian, Carrasacal, Surigao del Sur; Barangay Sisay, Tungawan, Zamboanga Sibugay; Sibalom town in Antique; and Barangay Tagugpo in Pantukan town, Barangay Malale in Laak and Barangay Pindasan in Mabini, all in Compostela Valley; and converting them into independent national high schools.
The last law renames Bacaca Road, which connects J. P. Laurel Street and Carlos P. Garcia Highways leading to Davao City International Airport, as Francisco S. Dizon Road.
The local laws require the appropriation of tens of millions of pesos in taxpayers’ money.
While signing statutes of local application one after another, she let one law of national application lapse into law last month. This is the Congress-approved bill that gives real estate investors some incentives.
There are reports that she also plans to let the bill that restores the full 20-percent tax exemption of senior citizens lapse into law. A bill lapses into law if the President does not sign it within 30 days from the time she receives it.
Mrs. Arroyo has been signing laws of local application apparently to accommodate congressmen-allies.
Last Aug. 4, returning to Manila from her latest visit to the United States, she signed 16 bills into law.
Of the 16, one law, Republic Act 9683, declares Sept. 18 of every year a special non-working holiday in Bislig, Surigao del Sur.
Another, Republic Act 9684, renames Tumana Bridge in Marikina City as Gil Fernando Bridge.
The third, Republic Act 9685, renames New Washington Road in Aklan as Jaime Cardinal Sin Avenue.
The fourth names a portion of a road in Camarines Sur Gov. Felix Alfelor Sr. National Highway.
Eleven of the 16 laws establish new or split existing engineering districts in Ifugao, Sorsogon, Cagayan de Oro City, Sultan Kudarat, Misamis Occidental, Albay, Cebu, Zamboanga Sibugay, Nueva Vizcaya, and Tarlac.
The laws also call for the appropriation of funds for these engineering offices.
In a recent interview with The STAR, Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr. said there are no funds in the proposed P1.541-trillion 2010 national budget for the new engineering districts and national high schools.
He said the new statutes requiring appropriations would most likely be added to the long list of “unfunded laws.”
“It will require hundreds of billions of pesos to fund these laws, which we cannot afford to do at this time,” he said. – Christina Mendez, Jess Diaz
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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