The Makabayan bloc on Wednesday called on Senate President Juan Miguel ‘Migz’ Zubiri to retract his approval of the Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) bill as they said that certain procedures in correcting the bill's provision did not follow the legislative process.
Zubiri earlier said that the Senate's majority bloc discussed the corrections in the MIF bill including the letter of correction sent by Senator Mark Villar through the messaging platform Viber.
"We call on Senate President Zubiri to immediately retract his approval of this 'corrected' bill and to ensure that proper procedures are followed in the legislative process," the Makabayan bloc said in a statement.
They pointed out that the country's Constitution "does not allow legislation by Viber"
“This makes a mockery of the constitutional requirement of transparency when the “legislature deliberates on and approves laws,” the group added.
The Makabayan bloc said this move is considered a “blatant disregard for the democratic process”.
Among the corrections raised earlier are the conflicting provisions in Senate Bill 2020. In Section 50, the prescription for anyone who will violate the Act is set at 10 years while in Section 51, the prescription is set at 20 years.
Zubiri signed SB 2020 or the Maharlika Investment Fund Act at the Philippine Embassy in Washington, United States (US) where he is currently conducting an official state visit.
The enrolled bill will be sent to the House of Representatives for the signing of House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Once Romualdez approved it, the MIF measure will be forwarded to the office of President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr.
