The legal process COMMENT By Ronald Roy 12/09/2010

The legal process

COMMENT

By Ronald Roy

12/09/2010

Senate President Pro-Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, concurrent chairman of the committee on labor, employment and resource development, cannot be blamed for chiding the House for its inaction on the long overdue Batas Kasambahay bill. But then, he’ll just have to be patient in dealing with a bicameral process that can be at times counter-productive.

Around two million house helps stand to benefit from the proposed bill, and the longer the House delays its proffer of a counterpart bill, “the longer we’ll be depriving them of decent working conditions, benefits and labor rights,“ Estrada said.

The Senate’s original Kasambahay covers membership and benefits in Philhealth, Pag-IBIG and Employees Compensation Commission. The intended statute promises to be the groundbreaking magna carta for household helpers.

I was told recently by a former congressman that this early politics is rearing its ugly head. He intimated that certain insecure quarters do not find appealing the idea of Jinggoy Estrada being given a legislative trail blazer that might just catapult him to the presidency in 2016. They know only too well that apart from his famous surname and the support of a major political party, Jinggoy Estrada has an enviable performance record in lawmaking output and perfect attendance.... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20101209com7.html