Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon insisted on Wednesday that there is no need to convene a bicameral conference committee on the abolition of the Road Board.
“With all due respect to Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, the Senate has already taken the position that the bill to abolish the Road Board is already approved by virtue of its adoption of House Bill 7436 on September 12,” Drilon said.
He said this position was reflected in Resolution 134, which he proposed and which the Senate adopted shortly before it went on a Christmas break on Dec. 13.
The resolution urged the Office of the President not to release funds from the motor vehicle user’s charge following Congress’ passage of the bill that would abolish the Road Board.
“Convening a bicam has no basis when there are no inconsistent or disagreeing provisions,” Drilon said.
“When we adopted the House bill on September 12, there were no more disagreeing provisions. The Senate’s action made the bicam unnecessary, which means the bill to abolish the corruption-plagued agency is already considered passed by both chambers, and should have long been sent to the President’s desk for his signature.”
The House leadership, however, refused to enroll the bill, saying it rescinded its own version of the measure on the same day the Senate adopted its version.
“The Senate, in several instances, has made clear its position that the Road Board abolition measure is already approved. The Senate President issued statements to assert the position of the Senate. We better stick to it,” Drilon said.
Last week, the Senate’s stand to abolish the Road Board received support from President Rodrigo Duterte, who called for the immediate abolition of the agency which, he said, was being used as a “milking cow” of corrupt officials.
Drilon had earlier said the Road Board was dead, and that the Senate, consistent with its position that it should be abolished, could move that it be given no budget.