“Political skirmishes” in the Senate, as Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III put it, affected legislative work in the chamber in the early months of the Duterte administration. But a reorganization seemed to have resulted in things simmering down, with Pimentel saying the Senate now had clearly defined political lines. According to Senate records, the chamber approved 14 bills on third reading and two bills on second reading. Pimentel said the Senate had entered into a “modus vivendi” with the House to speed up legislation work. Asked why the President had not reached out to the minority, Pimentel said that was his job and not the President’s.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer July 22, 2017 23:15 UTC