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PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 995
PRESIDENTIAL DECREE NO. 995 -
CREATING THE BATASAN BAYAN, DEFINING ITS FUNCTIONS AND POWERS, AND
APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR
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WHEREAS,
under Article XVII of the Constitution, there is provided an interim
National Assembly to exist and act as the temporary legislative body
until the establishment of the regular National Assembly;chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
WHEREAS, while the President is empowered, under the Constitution, to
initially convene the interim National Assembly, the people in the
referenda of July 27, 1973 and February 17, 1975, have mandated against
the convening of the same; chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
WHEREAS, the people through their respective Barangays and Sanggunians
have expressed their desire for the creation of a legislative advisory
body to assist the President in the exercise of his legislative
functions pending the establishment of a Legislative Assembly;chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
WHEREAS, it is now most opportune to accomplish the people's mandate by
the organization of this body and at the same time initially give
meaning to the establishment of a parliamentary system of government as
adopted under the Constitution.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, FERDINAND E. MARCOS, President of the Philippines,
by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby
decree:cralaw:red
Section 1. Creation. — There is hereby created a
Legislative Advisory Council which shall hereinafter be known as the
Batasan Bayan. chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
Section 2. Composition of Membership. — The Batasan
Bayan shall be composed of the President of the Republic of the
Philippines, the members of the Cabinet, including officials with the
rank of Cabinet Members, the members of the Lupong Tagapagpaganap, as
determined under P.D. No. 925 (Organizing the Pampook na Katipunan ng
mga Sanggunian) and such other members as may, from time to time, be
appointed by the President.
Section 3. Term of Office. — The members of the
Batasan Bayan shall hold office while they are the members of the
Lupong Tagapagpaganap or the Cabinet or at the pleasure of the
President, if from the private sector.
Section 4. Functions. — The Batasan Bayan shall
function as an advisory body to the President on legislative matters.
As such powers and functions shall consist of but not limited to:cralaw:red
(a) Assisting and advising the President of his
lawmaking functions;chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
(b) Providing a forum for the citizenry, through the
herein designated representatives, to ventilate their views on national
issues, as well as their opinions on the manner of administering the
affairs of the government;chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
(c) Providing a forum for the rationalization,
unification, and clarification on the policies and programs of the
Executive Branch of Government;chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
(d) Providing a mechanism for actually conducting a
review of the structures, policies and efficiencies of the different
Barangays and Sanggunians and submit its finding and recommendations to
the President.
Section 5. Sessions. — The Batasan Bayan shall
initially convene on the 21st day of September, 1976 and thereafter,
shall convene upon call of the President at least once a year and shall
meet for such duration as may be determined by the Rules Committee. It
shall hold its sessions in Metro Manila, at a place to be determined by
the President.
Section 6. Officers. —
(a) The President shall be the Presiding Officer of
the Batasan Bayan. He shall designate an Assistant Presiding Officer;chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
(b) As Presiding Officer, the President shall
constitute a Rules Committee to be composed of the cabinet
members and officials with the rank of Cabinet Members; chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
(c) The Batasan Bayan shall create standing
committees, the Chairman of which shall be chosen from among the
cabinet members and officials with the rank of Cabinet Members. Members
of the Cabinet and officials with the rank of Cabinet Members may also
be designated as Floorleaders. In accordance with the Rules, the
Batasan Bayan shall elect such other officers as it may deem necessary
to carry out its functions.
Section 7. Quorums and Rules and Procedure: —
(a) A majority of the membership of the Batasan
Bayan shall constitute a quorum to do business. Its sessions and
deliberations shall be open to the public except when the matters being
discussed are, in its opinion, pertaining to or affecting national
security or otherwise require secrecy;chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
(b) The Batasan Bayan shall keep a journal of its
proceedings;chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
(c) The Batasan Bayan or any of its Committees may
conduct inquiries and public hearings ind of its functions as an
advisory body;chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
(d) In accordance with its Rules, the Batasan Bayan
shall initially consider and deliberate on legislative proposals that
may be certified to it by the President. These proposals include
proposed guidelines of national policy and programs of government;chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
(e) All actions and recommendations of the Batasan
Bayan shall be in the form of resolutions. After final passage by said
body in accordance with its Rules, the resolution/s shall be submitted
to the President.
Section 8. Privileges and Compensation of Members. —
(a) A member of the Batasan Bayan shall be
authorized to prepare and submit legislative proposals affecting his
Department in the case of Cabinet Members and officials with the rank
of Cabinet Members, or on matters of particular interest or application
to their respective locality, in case of members of the Lupon
Tagapagpaganap;chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
(b) When acting as such, the members of the Batasan
Bayan shall not receive any additional emolument except those members
of the Lupon Tagapagpaganap (of the different Pampook na Katipunan ng
mga Sanggunian Bayan) who may be given reasonable per diem and travel
allowance as may be determined by the Rules Committee. chanroblesvirtualawlibrary
Section 9. Appropriations. — To meet the
organizational as well as other expenses of the Batasan Bayan, the
amount of Two Million Pesos is hereby appropriated out of any
unexpended balance of the National Treasury. Thereafter, the President
shall authorize the release from the same source of such amounts as may
be periodically needed by the Batasan Bayan.
Section 10. Effectivity. — This Decree shall take
effect immediately.
Done in the City of Manila,
this 10th day of September, in the year of Our Lord, nineteen hundred
and seventy-six.
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