Lacson says override of veto on SIM card registration bill ‘unlikely to happen’

 

Lacson says override of veto on SIM card registration bill ‘unlikely to happen’

PILAR, Capiz —Presidential candidate and Senator Panfilo Lacson on Tuesday said he supports vice presidential candidate and Senate President Vicente Sotto III's suggestion to override President Rodrigo Duterte's veto on the SIM card registration bill, but he believes it is "unlikely to happen."

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"Yes. I will support the suggestion pero it's very unlikely to happen. Wala pa akong natatandaan na na-override na veto ng presidente," Lacson said in a press conference here.

(Yes. I will support the suggestion but it's very unlikely to happen. I cannot recall a case where the president's veto was overridden.)

While the suggestion would save Congress some time to enact the measure, Lacson said overriding a veto would still require two-third votes of each chamber of Congress.

"In the first place, it is two-thirds of the vote of both Congress. Separately ha. So mahirap (So it will be difficult). While it is a good suggestion para maka-save ng time at hindi na i-refile ang bill," he explained.

"Kung may mag-question at ma-strikeout ng Supreme Court 'yong sa social media registration, at least pasado ang SIM card registration," he added.

(If the law will be questioned before the Supreme Court and the social media registration will be stricken out, at least the Sim Card Registration Bill will be enacted.)

On Monday, Sotto said he will communicate with Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea to discuss the possible overturn of the veto on the SIM card registration bill.

In a press conference in Dumaguete, Sotto said he already introduced his proposal to Medialdea on Monday night along with Senator Bong Go.

"He (Medialdea) was silent for about 30 seconds then he said 'Pagaaralan namin SP' sabi. This is as of last night. If I'm not mistaken 10:45 last night," Sotto said.

"Sabi niya 'Pag-aaralan namin, sir. I will tell the president,'" he added.

Further, Sotto said he will also talk with Speaker Lord Allan Velasco and some Nationalist People's Coalition stalwarts in the House of Representatives to discuss the possible overturn of the veto.

Last Friday, Malacañang announced that Duterte vetoed the bill as he believes that the measure needs further study.

Acting presidential spokesperson Martin Andanar said Duterte was constrained to disagree with the inclusion of social media in the measure without providing proper guidelines and definitions thereto.

Andanar said Duterte believes this may give rise to a situation of dangerous state intrusion and surveillance, threatening many constitutionally protected rights.

Sotto earlier expressed his disagreement with Duterte's rejection of the bill, saying bombings and other crimes will persist because of the non-enactment of the bill.

"Ayos! Tuloy ang mga bombings and blackmail and scams using prepaid sims [Bombings, blackmail, and scams will continue using prepaid SIMS]," Sotto tweeted in reaction to the news item on Duterte's veto.—LDF, GMA News