AT LEAST 14 proposed measures, including a bill granting 25-year extension for the congressional franchise of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), have lapsed into law.
Even sans the President's signature, a bill automatically becomes a law if left unsigned 30 days after being received by the Office of the President.
Republic Act (RA) 11319, which extends CBCP's broadcast franchise for another 25 years, lapsed into law on April 22.
The last franchise of CBCP, a religious body that remains at odds with President Rodrigo Duterte, was granted in August 2017.
RA 11319 allows CBCP to continue operating and maintaining its radio and television broadcasting facilities "for religious, education, cultural, and commercial purposes."
Other bills that lapsed into law are RAs 11252, 11253, 11316, 11317, 11318, 11320, 11339, 11340, 11341, and 11342.
The said laws respectively extend the franchises of RMC Broadcasting Corporation, Advanced Media Broadcasting System Inc., PBN Broadcasting Network Inc., Andres Bonifacio College Broadcasting System Inc., Insular Broadcasting System Inc., TV5 Network Inc., Cebu Broadcasting Company, Radio Marine Network Inc., First Love Broadcasting Network Inc., and Tirad Pass Radio TV Broadcasting Network Inc. for another 25 years.
RAs 11252 and 11253 lapsed into law on March 30, while RAs 11316, 11317, 11318, and 11320 lapsed into law on April 22.
Meantime, RAs 11339, 11340, 11341, and 11342 lapsed into law on April 27.
It is no secret that Duterte has been attacking the media for their supposed "biased" and "false" reporting.
RA 11329, which establishes a campus of the Bulacan State University in San Rafael, Bulacan, lapsed into law on April 22.
Bulacan State University-San Rafael Campus is mandated to offer graduate, undergraduate, and short-term technical-vocational courses to students, according to RA 11329.
A bill that also lapsed into law is RA 11309, which rectified the period to constitute the search committee for the presidency of the Palompon Institute of Technology and extends the deadline for its compliance with the requirements of the Commission on Higher education for conversion into a state university.
RA 11309 lapsed into law on April 20.
RA 11338, which seeks to create the position of assistant city administrator, emphasize the prohibition on illegal gambling, and establishes the city registry of deeds, is the other proposed measure that lapsed into law on April 27.
The copies of all the 14 laws were made public just on Thursday, July 18.
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the President is not opposed to bills that lapsed into law.
"Ibig sabihin, kung pina-lapse niya, ibig sabihin, okay sa kanya (It means that he is okay with the measures, if all of those lapsed into law)," the Palace official said, when sought for reaction on the President's failure to sign the proposed measures.
"That means, effectively, parang pinirmahan niya rin 'yun. Ganoon naman 'yun. Kasi when a President, who is supposed to sign, will let a law pass, ibig sabihin, okay lang sa kanya 'yun (That means, effectively, he also signed that. That's how it works. Because when a President, who is supposed to sign, will let a law pass, it means he has no problem with that)," he added. (SunStar Philippines)