Zubiri denies tampering with Maharlika

by maRc Jayson cayaByaB Philstar.com

mANILA — senate President Juan miguel Zubiri on thursday, June 29 denied the bill creating the maharlika investment fund was tampered with in the senate, and that conflicting provisions in the proposed measure were a result of an “honest mistake.” reflect the period discussed in the plenary, which is a 10-year prescription period, Zubiri said. amendment. the development of msme s through comprehensive, curated offerings in resources and assistive interventions. the center is an online, onestop-system that provides access to micro loans, micro insurance bundles, savings account, micro investment and sales systems, expertise support through a mentorship program and assistance and guidance on government processing requirements.

“It is not tantamount to falsification. t his is the usual legislative process that we go through, where we are only reflecting the true essence of what was discussed in plenary,” Zubiri said.

“What they did with maharlika is not usual. It is sneaky tampering. t hey changed the wording, amounting to changing the substance, behind closed doors,” said Pimentel, who expressed interest in helping critics question the maharlika fund before the supreme Court once it is signed into law.

In a statement, Jean h enri Lhuillier, president and chief executive officer of Cebuana Lhuililer, said Kanegosyo Center was conceived and finely tuned to address issues that continue to challenge the country’s msme’s; from access to financing, market reach, ease of doing business, and coaching to provide the education and capacity building needed in growing their business. n

During the Kapihan sa s enado forum, Zubiri denied the accusations of his colleague, senate minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel III, that the s enate leadership tampered with the measure long after it was approved on final reading and adopted by the house of representatives. he denied that the senate’s way of making corrections to the bill was unconstitutional, citing precedents of making “polishing amendments” to proposed measures after approval in the plenary and during the process a bill becomes an “enrolled” copy for transmittal to malacañang.

“ t here is no such thing as tampering, and there was no malice or ill intent to tamper,” Zubiri said. he was reacting to Pimentel’s allegations that the move to merge sections 50 and 51 – which had conflicting provisions on prescription of crimes and offenses – may be tantamount to falsification of legislative documents that is punishable under the r evised Penal Code. the senate leadership opted to correct the “honest oversight” committed by the secretariat and the bill, seeking to create the country’s first ever wealth fund – managed by an investment corporation with seed fund from the Land Bank of the Philippines, Development Bank of the Philippines Bangko sentral ng Pilipinas and Philippine Gaming Corp. – may be forwarded for the speaker’s signature at the house of representatives as early as monday next week, and then the President’s signature after that, Zubiri said. reached for comment, Pimentel maintained that the leadership tampered with the bill by changing the wording of the merged provisions beyond the period of h e also scored the way the proposed measure was merely adopted by the h ouse of representatives without going through a bicameral conference committee, which is the venue for both chambers of Congress to thresh out and “harmonize” differing provisions. t he s enate squandered its chance of correcting the approved bill by not convening a bicameral conference committee, and instead opting to have a “pre-bicameral conference committee” with the house panel at manila Golf Club in makati on may 31, Pimentel added. how do you harmonize? You change some parts of the measure with participation and agreement of the two panels. the bicameral conference submits a signed report and gets this ratified by the plenary of each house. With maharlika, there was no bicam,” Pimentel said. t here was therefore no opportunity, no chance, no avenue to make any change in the senate version approved on third and final reading. that’s why we need to focus on the senate version and respect it ... there should be no tampering,” he added. n

It was merely a “human error” by the senate secretariat, Zubiri said, having included two prescription periods because of the lateness of the hour when the bill, certified urgent by President marcos, underwent amendments and then passed on final reading in the wee hours of may 31. there will always be human error, an honest oversight. What is important is there should be no intent or willful malice to change the provisions or change the true intent of what was discussed on the floor,” Zubiri said.