REELECTED Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre on Wednesday rejected claims that the House of Representatives dragged its feet on the legislated wage hike bill, saying it took time to ensure a stronger version that could also serve as groundwork for faster passage in the 20th Congress.
“It would be very unfair to say na tinagalan ng House. Kung makikita niyo ang version po natin sa legislative wage hike, kung saan isa tayo sa mga pangunahing may-akda, nagpapakita ito ng stronger commitment ng mga miyembro ng House na posible ang P200 legislative wage increase,” Acidre said in a press conference.
The House version approved during the recently concluded 19th Congress proposed a P200 across-the-board wage hike for workers nationwide, while the Senate passed a more modest P100 increase.
Some senators claimed the House acted only in the final stretch of the last Congress, but Acidre disputed this, saying the measure resulted from thorough research and deliberation.
“In the end, tayo pa nga ang nag-justify ng mas mataas na legislative wage hike, which only justifies the perceived delay and the longer time required for us to arrive at a decision that was carefully studied,” Acidre pointed out.
Acidre said the House acted with diligence, not delay, and emphasized the need to build consensus on critical economic reforms.
“So in the 20th Congress, I expect the same amount of diligence. May mga bagay na pwedeng madaliin. Pero may mga panukala na kailangang pag-isipang mabuti at kailangang buuin ang consensus,” he explained.
He also addressed calls to prioritize the repeal of the Oil Deregulation Law, saying both this and the wage hike remain high on the House’s agenda.
“Sa usapin ng legislated wage hike, sa usapin ng oil deregulation, nandoon pa rin ang pangangailangan nating magkaroon ng consensus,” he said. “But it does not mean na sa kagustuhan natin ng consensus, we will not give our best to ensure its passage.”
With much of the research and public consultation already completed in the previous Congress, Acidre said the new legislative cycle is well-positioned to move more decisively.
“At least ngayon, a significant part of the work, the research, the debates, have already been made in the 19th Congress. So we expect also that this time around, we will be able to push for these bills more efficiently,” he said.
