Senate Secretary: Legarda to file first legislative measure in 19th Congress

Senator Loren Legarda will be the first to file a legislative measure in the 19th Congress in accordance with the principle of seniority or length of service in the Senate, according to the Office of the Senate Secretary.

In an advisory, Senate Secretary Atty. Myra Marie Villarica, citing Section 61 of the rules of the Senate, said all bills and resolutions shall be filed with the Office of the Secretary whether the Senate is in session or not.

The reception of the proposed legislative measures would be through manual or physical filing at the Legislative Bills and Index Service as the 19th Congress commenced at noon of June 30.

Villarica said each senator may file 10 proposed legislative measures, while the sequence of filing shall be in accordance with the principle of seniority in the Senate.

The Senate Secretary said the first to file a legislative measure would be Legarda, who served 18 years in the Senate.

Senators Pia Cayetano, Lito Lapid, and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., who have each served 15 years in the Senate, shall draw lots to determine the order by which they may file their bills or resolutions.

Senators Alan Peter Cayetano, Francis “Chiz” Escudero, and Jinggoy Estrada, who have served in the Senate for 12 years, shall also draw lots to determine the order among themselves.

They will be followed by Senators Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri.

Senators Sonny Angara, Nancy Binay, Grace Poe, and Cynthia Villar, who have served nine years in the Senate, will follow.

The following senators who served six years shall draw lots among themselves are senators JV Ejercito, Sherwin Gatchalian, Risa Hontiveros, and Joel Villanueva.

Those who served three years in the Senate will be the next to file measures. These are Senators Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, Christopher “Bong” Go, Imee Marcos, and Francis Tolentino.

The newly-elected Senators Robin Padilla, Raffy Tulfo, and Mark Villar will be the last.

“These guidelines, formulated in consultation with the Office of the Senate President and concerned officers of the Legislation Department, are prescribed to prevent early and long queuing, conserve human resources and manpower, and maintain order within the Senate premises,” Villarica said. — DVM, GMA News