Philippine Senate Approves on Third Reading DepEd's K to 12

"Voting 14-0 the senate passed Senate Bill 3286, or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2012, sponsored by Sen. Edgardo Angara, chairman of the Committee on Education, Arts and Culture. With the passage of the bill, the fate of the measure now lies on the bicameral conference committee tasked to ratify it before President Benigno Aquino 3rd, sign it into law."

There are currently 23 senators in the Philippines. On the same day, the president of the Senate, Juan Ponce Enrile, moved to remove himself from the position of Senate President. 

Eleven senators—Senate President Pro Tempore Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III, Assistant Majority Leader Gregorio Honasan, Franklin Drilon, Francis Escudero, Teofisto Guingona III, Panfilo Lacson, Manuel “Lito” Lapid, Loren Legarda, Ralph Recto and Ramon Revilla Jr.—rejected Enrile’s motion to declare his post vacant.

The number was enough to overturn the yes votes of Senators Aquilino Pimentel III, Trillanes and Enrile, himself as movant.
Senators Joker Arroyo and Ferdinand Marcos Jr. abstained.

Angara is not on the above list so senators apparently walk in and out during the session so it is not obvious who among the Senate failed to participate in the DepEd's K to 12 vote. It is amazing that on a day that critical issues are on the table, a Senate president proposing to quit, and a major education reform, the Senate's attendance leaves so much to be desired.





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