President Arroyo is open to calling a special session of Congress to ensure the passage of her priority bills ahead of the May national and local elections, Malacañang said Sunday.

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde raised the specter of a special session of the two houses of Congress in case they fail to pass the administration's proposed legislation before it adjourns next month.

“If there is a need for special session, Malacañang will welcome that,” Remonde said over government radio.

For now, Remonde remained optimistic that lawmakers could still rush the approval of most of the pending legislations, including economic measures meant to generate more revenues, when they return to work this month.

Members of Congress are set to resume session on January 18 from a long holiday break and would close the third regular session of the 14th Congress on February 5.

“We are confident that these remaining days, there will be additional priority bills that will be passed by Congress. If not all, most of them will be passed,” Remonde said. He said the executive branch would work closely with Congress to ensure the speedy approval of the priority bills.

On the proposed 2010 national budget, Remonde said the President would sign the measure as soon as it lands on her desk. But he said the P1.54-trillion national budget proposal, one of the priority measures of the government, has not been transmitted to the President since it is still being printed.

The government is also seeking the passage of other priority bills such as the restructuring of the taxes on alcohol and tobacco products, the Simplified Net Income Taxation Scheme (SNITS), the rationalization of fiscal incentives, the proposed land use policy and the converting of the Commission on Information and Communication Technology (CICT) into a Department of ICT.

Institutionalizing of the cash subsidy program for poor families, proposed code for pre-need companies, the concurrence on the amnesty proclamation for returning rebels form the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA), are also being pushed by the executive branch.

Also up for amendments are the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas charter and the Public Service Law, and the Philippine Transport Security Authority Law.