The House also passed on second reading another measure that aims to allocate at least P10 billion of the Marcos illgotten wealth recovered by the government to victims of human rights abuses during Martial Law.
Speaker Jose de Venecia said the chamber approved the Political Party Act of 2002, or the Campaign Finance Bill, aimed at reducing political corruption in the country and promoting party discipline and accountability.
A principal author of the measure, De Venecia appealed to the Senate to expedite the approval of a similar measure so the two chambers could immediately go into bicameral conference and agree on its final draft before the 12th Congress adjourns.
The Speaker also appealed, in behalf of the House committee on basic education, to senators to act on a total of 363 bills for the construction of schools, classrooms and the purchase of books which are now pending at the Senate.
"This Political Party Act of 2002 will dramatically reduce political corruption in the country and promote the development of party platforms," De Venecia said of HB 6418.
According to De Venecia, the bill is expected to "destroy the alliance between politicians and special interest groups, and also keep away money of drug cartels from influencing political parties and candidates.
The measure is a consolidation of nine bills that were endorsed by the House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms headed by Tarlac Rep. Jesli Lapus.
According to De Venecia, "the bill democratizes campaign finance and will reduce corruption and tax evasion and strengthen party discipline and accountability."
The human rights compensation measure, HB 6581, received the full backing of the congressmen who vowed to pass it before Congress goes on recess on Feb. 10.
Rep. Loretta Ann Rosales, chairwoman of the House committee on human, political and civil rights, said HB 6581 is expected to be passed on third and final reading this week. She added that approval of a Senate version of the measure is also being rushed by Senator Joker Arroyo.
According to Rosales, the bill provides for the creation of a compensation board that will determine and evaluate the appeal for compensation of some 10,000 human rights victims who suffered under the Marcos dictatorship.
Also included are at least 1,700 Muslims whose houses and properties were destroyed and who were also subjected to military atrocities during Martial Law.
Rep. Didagen Dilagalen, lawyer of the Muslim human rights victims, said many of the victims from Central Mindanao were either tortured or have disappeared.
He said that they should not be left out of the compensation scheme to be provided by the measure.
Meanwhile, De Venecia urged the Senate to act of the education bills that have already been approved by the House.
Marinduque Rep. Edmund Reyes, chairman of the House committee on basic education and culture, warned that the quality of education in the provinces are sure to deteriorate unless the deficiencies in the education program are immediately solved.
"We have done our part in the House since as early as 2002, when many of these 363 bills were approved. Every school year, our people complain that we lack classrooms, teachers, books and that the quality of education is deteriorating," he said.
