MANILA, Philippines — Leaders of the House of Representatives vowed yesterday to speed up the approval of legislative measures President Duterte enumerated in his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA). “We will work double-time to act on the President’s priority bills, especially those aimed at improving the lives of our people. He said legislators should respond to the presidential appeal “by giving concerned Filipinos ample protection against all possible backlash in their effort to contribute to the anti-corruption drive.”“Passage of legislative measures that would fast-track resolution of pending graft cases without sacrificing fairness and due process is imperative. There are other Duterte priority bills congressmen passed in the 17th Congress but which the Senate blocked. Senate President Vicente Sotto III and other administration allies in the Senate opposed the death penalty bill.

Source: Philippine Star July 23, 2019 16:00 UTC