With Marcos certification, House hastily approves Maharlika Investment Fund

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr delivers his first State of the Nation address at the House of Representatives in Quezon City on July 25, 2022.

Aaron Favila via AFP / pool

MANILA, Philippines — Voting 279-6, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly and hastily approved on Thursday the bill that seeks to create the controversial Maharlika Investment Fund after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. certified it as urgent.

Only Reps. Gabriel Bordado (Camarines Sur, 3rd District), Arlene Brosas (Gabriela party-list), France Castro (ACT Teachers party-list), Mujiv Hataman (Basilan), Edcel Lagman (Albay, 1st District) and Raoul Manuel (Kabataan party-list) voted against the measure.

Moments after the House approved the Maharlika fund bill on second reading in a voice vote, the chamber’s secretary general read out a message from Marcos certifying the measure as urgent which allowed lawmakers to bypass the constitutional rule requiring bills to be passed on three readings on separate days.

Full Story: https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2022/12/15/2231027/marcos-certification-house-hastily-approves-maharlika-investment-fund