A party-list lawmaker stepped down from Congress on Tuesday after citing health concerns and the need to spend more time with his family following nearly a year of filing measures against corruption, abusive lending, political dynasties, smuggling, and exploitation of ordinary Filipinos.
“I entered public service to fight for ordinary Filipinos, and although I am leaving Congress earlier than expected, I leave knowing that we filed 115 bills that carried the voices of workers, commuters, consumers, and families who are too often ignored,” said Rep. Nathan Oducado of the 1Tahanan Partylist, who cited after health concerns and the need to spend more time with his family as reasons for his departure.
Among Oducado’s Bills filed was House Bill No. 6980 or the “Credit Cards and Loans Penalties and Surcharges Regulation Act,” which seeks to protect Filipinos from predatory lending by capping abusive charges, requiring clear disclosure rules, and giving borrowers legal remedies against unfair penalties.
“As 1Tahanan’s representative, we treated everyday, household issues with the same effort as national issues,” Oducado said. “We refused to stay silent while loan sharks and abusive lenders trapped Filipino families in endless debt through impossible interest rates and hidden charges.”
House Bill No. 6980 or the “Credit Cards and Loans Penalties and Surcharges Regulation Act” seeks to protect Filipinos from predatory lending by capping abusive charges, requiring clear disclosure rules, and giving borrowers legal remedies against unfair penalties.
House Bill No. 6968 or the “Strengthening Access to Credit for Micro and Small Businesses Act of 2025,” which seeks to provide safer and fairer financing options for entrepreneurs to reduce dependence on exploitative lenders and informal debt schemes.
“We also fought smugglers, dirty money in politics, political dynasties, and industries that continue to profit at the expense of public health and honest livelihoods,” Oducado said.
The lawmaker also filed House Bill No. 6965 or the “Anti-Illicit Cigarette Import Trade and Smuggling Act of 2025,” measures strengthening campaign finance and party-list reforms, House Bill No. 8306 or the “Anti-Political Dynasty Act,” and proposals tightening regulation of the tobacco and smoking industry.
“I pushed these reforms because government should protect the public instead of protecting powerful interests that abuse the system,” Oducado said.
House Bill No. 6960 seeks to grant Civil Service Eligibility to qualified casual and contractual government workers with at least five years of continuous service to give them better job security, benefits, and career opportunities.
“Our government workers deserve dignity, our commuters deserve safe and humane transportation, and our energy consumers deserve protection from unfair costs and abusive practices,” Oducado said.
The congressman also filed measures protecting surrogate mothers through his proposed surrogacy bill (HB8647), strengthening commuter welfare and transport standards (HB8748), safeguarding freelance workers through House Bill No. 8785 or the “Freelance Workers Protection Act,” and advancing stronger protections for energy consumers through House Bill No. 6984, which seeks to reduce the value-added tax on electricity from 12 percent to 6 percent.
“I may be resigning from Congress today, but I will never stop fighting for reforms that defend Filipino families, honest workers, and future generations,” Oducado said.
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