Senate adjourns without passing Bayanihan 2

The Senate adjourned its first regular session on Thursday without passing the proposed Bayanihan to Recover as One Act, or Bayanihan Law 2.

Senate Bill No. 1564, which allocates P140 billion for economic recovery interventions, successfully passed its second reading the previous day.

However, the bill required certification of urgency from Malacañang to be approved on third reading before the session's adjournment.

Senator Sonny Angara, the bill's sponsor, confirmed that the executive branch did not provide the urgent certification.

Senator Panfilo Lacson explained that without the urgent certification, the Senate would have to adhere to the three-day rule between the second and third readings, which could not be met due to the impending adjournment.

Lacson noted that since no certification was received, it could be assumed that Malacañang was no longer interested in the bill's passage under these circumstances.