13th Congress of the Philippines

The 13th Congress of the Philippines, composed of the Philippine Senate and House of Representatives, met from July 26, 2004, until June 8, 2007, during the fourth, fifth, and sixth years of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's presidency. The convening of the 13th Congress followed the 2004 national elections, which replaced half of the Senate membership and the entire membership of the House of Representatives.

Events

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, in her several State of the Nation Addresses has repeatedly called on Congress to pave the way for the amending of the 1987 Constitution to provide for a unicameral–parliamentary–federal form of government. On December 8, 2006, the administration-dominated House of Representatives, bypassing the Senate, passed in haste House Resolution 1450, which called on Congress to convene into a Constituent Assembly to propose amendments to the Constitution.
The House move however, was faced with stiff opposition from the outmaneuvered members of the opposition and all but 1 member of the Senate, which was later bolstered by support from several sectors of the civil society and the influential Roman Catholic Church, which threatened to hold nationwide protest rallies to denounce the House move. Succumbing to the mounting opposition and the apparent withdrawal of support of the President, House Speaker Jose De Venecia later on scrapped the entire resolution and called instead for a constitutional convention, challenging the Senate to concur it in 72 hours. But this too was rejected by the Senate, which preferred to hold a constitutional convention after the 2007 elections. Efforts to amend the constitution during the 13th Congress were eventually shelved.

Laws passed by the 13th Congress: 149, as of September 7, 2007

— Increase of Excise Tax on Alcohol and Tobacco Products
— Attrition Act of 2005
— Expanded Value-Added Tax Law
— Rent Control Act of 2005
— Special Purpose Vehicle Act of 2002 Amendments
— Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006
— Death Penalty Abolition
— Rationalizing the Composition and Functions of the National Labor Relations Commission
— Appropriation of a Standby Fund for the Guimaras Oil Spill Clean Up, Mayon Volcano Relief Operations, OFW Repatriation
— Biofuels Act of 2006
— Amending the Election Modernization Act
— Human Security Act of 2007
— Handline Fishing Law
— Redefining the term "Veteran"
— One-Time Amnesty for Businesses in the Special Economic Zones and Freeports
— Amending the Bases Conversion and Development Act of 1992
— Reorganization and Strengthening of the Public Attorney's Office
— Unlawful Cheating in the Civil Service Commission Examinations
— Strengthening the Office of the Solicitor General
— Institutionalizing Strategy for Rural Development
— Amending the Migration Workers and Overseas Act of 1995
— ''Magna Carta for Public Social Workers''

The following are the terms of the senators of this Congress, according to the date of election: