Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero and key senators have responded to accusations that the Senate 'killed' the wage hike bill by highlighting the House of Representatives' delay in acting on it. Escudero emphasized that the Senate passed its version of the bill in February 2024, giving the House ample time to review it. He criticized the House for sending their version at the last minute, causing delays.

Senator Joel Villanueva, chair of the Senate Committee on Labor, revealed that the House had expressed willingness to adopt the Senate version but failed to formalize it. The House only transmitted their PHP200 version on the last day of the session, despite the Senate passing their bill over a year ago.

Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri expressed frustration over the House's insistence on a PHP200 daily increase without proper data to support it. He warned that such a drastic increase could lead to a presidential veto, undermining the efforts of both chambers.

Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada echoed these sentiments, criticizing the House for waiting until the last minute to act on the bill. He emphasized that the Senate had passed its version well in advance, urging the House to adopt it to avoid delays.

Senators highlighted that the House had over 16 months to act on the bill but chose to do so only two days before adjournment. They emphasized that adopting the Senate version without a bicameral conference is not unprecedented and could have expedited the process.

The Senate bill, seeking a PHP100 wage hike, was based on thorough committee hearings and economic studies. Escudero emphasized the need for both chambers to refile their versions in the next Congress to address the issue.