TWO major reform measures authored by Senator Paolo Benigno ‘Bam’ Aquino IV have secured a top spot on the administration’s legislative agenda following a direct order from Malacañang to prioritize their passage.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has directed Congress to swiftly pass four priority bills, including Aquino’s Senate Bill 1559, or the Party-list System Reform Bill, and Senate Bill 1509, the Citizens Access and the Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability (CADENA) Act.
The directive, issued following a recent Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting, signals the administration’s support for institutional transparency and the empowerment of marginalized sectors. It also underscores a commitment to cleaning up political systems and enhancing public finance accountability amid growing public demand for reform.
Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro confirmed the urgency of the move.
“The President directed Congress to prioritize the following proposed legislative measures: the Anti-Dynasty Bill, the Independent People’s Commission Act, the Party-System Reform Act, and the Citizens Access and Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability or CADENA Act, which aims to institutionalize transparency and accountability in public finance,” Castro said.
She added: “the President also instructed both Houses to take a closer look at the four bills and prioritize their passage as soon as possible.”
Reforming representation
Senator Aquino expressed strong optimism following the Palace’s announcement. He emphasized that the proposed Party-list Reform Act is designed to dismantle systems that allow powerful entities to circumvent the law and monopolize resources meant for the public.
The goal is to ensure the system genuinely represents marginalized and underrepresented sectors, rather than being exploited by political dynasties and business interests.
“That the party-list system was created to give voice to the voiceless. But co-opted today by the powerful. The Party-list reform is about restoring dignity to the system and guaranteeing that the party-list seats truly serves the marginalized and not just the few with political leverage,” Aquino said.
Opening the ledger
The second measure, the CADENA Act, seeks to institutionalize transparency in government spending. It mandates the full, real-time disclosure of all government transactions through a public digital ledger.
Aquino views this mechanism as a critical defense against graft.
“Ang pagbulatlat ng mga pinagagastusan hanggang sa presyo ng materyales, iyan po ang level of transparency na hinahanap po natin at iyan rin po ang pinakamalakas nating sandata laban po sa korapsyon at sa pagnanakaw sa ating bansa,” Aquino said.
With the administration’s certification of urgency, the bills are expected to move quickly through the legislative mill. The focus now shifts to the Senate and House of Representatives to heed the President’s call and deliver these landmark reforms.
