Issues

Bam: Education for youth is the best investment

Education for the youth is the best investment our government can make.

Sen. Bam Aquino issued the pronouncement after several government agencies opposed the measure that seeks to provide free tuition fee in all SUCs. 

The senator affirmed the government’s commitment to provide free tuition in state colleges and universities, saying “If we have the money, why not invest in the future of our youth?”

 “The Senate has chosen this as one of its main priority measures in the 17th Congress,” said Sen. Bam, chairman of the Committee on Education.

 “Too many students fail to graduate college because of financial problems. Suportahan natin ang mga estudyante na makapagtapos. Let’s give them a chance at a better life through education,” added Sen. Bam.

 “If we’re willing to spend over P15 billion to host the ASEAN anniversary this year, why shouldn’t we spend roughly the same amount to make tuition free for our students in SUCs?” the senator pointed out.

 Sen. Bam is the principal sponsor of Senate Bill No. 1304 or the “Free Higher Education for All Act”, which is currently being tackled in the plenary.

 Sen. Bam’s Senate Bill No. 177 was consolidated in Senate Bill No. 1304 together with other similar measures, which seek to provide free tuition fee to all students in SUCs.

 Aside from the Pagkaing Pinoy Bill, the Free Higher Education for All has received the most support in the 17th Congress.

 Along with Sen. Bam Aquino, other authors of the measure are Sens. Ralph Recto, Joel Villanueva, Sherwin Gatchalian, Francis Pangilinan, Sonny Angara, Loren Legarda, Leila de Lima, Cynthia Villar, Juan Miguel Zubiri and Richard Gordon.

 Sens. Recto, Ejercito, Angara, Legarda, Villanueva, Gatchalian and Zubiri co-sponsored the measure.

 Providing free tuition fee in SUCs is only one of many reforms Sen. Bam is pushing in the field of education.

Bam finds inconsistency in Al Argosino’s statements

Sen. Bam Aquino found a major inconsistency in former Bureau of Immigration (BI) deputy commissioner Al Argosino’s statement during the Senate Blue Ribbon committee hearing on the P50-million bribery scandal involving two dismissed BI deputy commissioners.

Initially, Argosino testified that he only informed Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre about the P50-million bribe money on Dec. 13.

Upon questioning by Sen. Bam, it was discovered that Argosino already discussed the bribery incident with Aguirre on Dec. 9 but he didn’t mention the amount and that the money was in his possession.

“On December 9, you had discussed with Sec. Aguirre what had happened. Nabanggit na may pera pero hindi mo sinabi kung magkano? Sen. Bam asked Argosino, to which the latter replied “along that line, your honor”.

 Argosino admitted that it was only on December 13 when he informed Aguirre about the P50 million he received from Lam.

 Aguirre confirmed Argosino’s statement, saying that on the night of December 9, they were not talking about money but only about the supposed bribery.

 Earlier, Argosino admitted to Sen. Bam that he waited 17 days before informing Immigration commissioner Jaime Morente that he accepted P50 million from Lam.

 Argosino told Sen. Bam that he only informed Morente of the bribe money when they filed charges against Lam, Wally Sombero and former BI intelligence chief Charles Calima on December 13.

 “At what point niyo po sinabi sa inyong direct superior si Commissioner Morente na may perang lumipat sa yo? Hindi mo siya sinabihan?” Sen. Bam asked Argosino.

 “December 13, your Honor,” replied Argosino.

“Ilang araw iyon? More than two weeks. 17 days. Hindi mo sinabihan yung boss mo na may ganung kalaki na pera na na sa iyo. Why not? Bakit di mo siya sinabihan?” Sen. Bam said.

Bam to consult students on planned ROTC revival

Nakonsulta ba ang mga estudyante tungkol dito?

Sen. Bam Aquino wants students and their parents to speak up on the government’s plan to revive the Reserved Officers Training Course (ROTC) for Grades 11 and 12.

 “We want to know the students’ position on this matter,” said Sen. Bam, chairman of the Committee on Education.

 Sen. Bam called on students, student councils and parents’ associations to express their views on this plan by submitting position papers to his committee.

 “We will also be conducting online poll through our social media sites to give students and parents an avenue to voice out their opinion before we conduct hearings on this issue,” Sen. Bam stressed.

 At present, three bills calling for the revival of the ROTC are pending with the Committee on Education – Senate Bills 1131, 200 and 189, authored by Sens. JV Ejercito, Sherwin Gatchalian and Manny Pacquiao, respectively.

 The ROTC became optional in 2002 through Republic Act 9163 or the National Service Training Program (NSTP) Act of 2001

Bam on death penalty: Sobra na ang patayan, huwag nang dagdagan pa!

Sobra na ang patayan, huwag nang dagdagan pa!

 Sen. Bam Aquino made this pronouncement as he objected to the restoration of the death penalty amid the unabated and unsolved extrajudicial killings in the country.

During the hearing of the Committee on Justice, Sen. Bam requested concerned government agencies to submit statistics and pertinent data to determine if the justice system and proposed death penalty is biased against the poor.

 “Mga Pilipino ba na naghihirap at desperado sa buhay ang nabibilanggo? Let’s look at the numbers and determine whether our justice system is anti-poor,” said Sen. Bam.

Sen. Bam urged the committee to invite a representative from the Supreme Court to clarify unconfirmed reports that 71 percent of death penalty cases reviewed by the High Court were determined to be wrong.

 The senator also wants economic managers and officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to speak about the impact of death penalty on jobs and trade agreements entered into by the government in the past.

 “This move will also affect some of the treaties, conventions, and agreements we’ve already signed up to,” he added.

 Instead of restoring the death penalty, Sen. Bam stressed the need to strengthen the country’s justice system.

“In the same way the PNP is now conducting an internal cleansing as they undertake the war on drugs, our justice system must also undergo reforms to ensure that no innocent Filipino is convicted and that there is true justice for the poor,” said Sen. Bam.

Bam lauds PNP’s move to shift focus from anti-drug ops to ‘internal cleansing’

Sen. Bam Aquino lauded Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Ronald Dela Rosa’s order to cease all anti-illegal drug operations nationwide to focus on “internal cleansing”, saying it will help restore the public’s trust in the organization.

 “This is a step in the right direction for the PNP as it works on regaining the public trust after several controversial incidents involving bad elements within the organization,” said Sen. Bam.

“Sa hakbang na ito, umaasa tayo na mawawala na sa hanay ng PNP ang mga tiwaling pulis na sumisira sa imahe ng mga nagpapatupad ng batas sa bansa,” he added.

On Monday, the PNP chief ordered all police units to stop anti-illegal drug operations nationwide as the organization focuses on getting rid of bad eggs among its ranks.

Dela Rosa’s announcement came after President Duterte ordered the dismantling of all PNP anti-illegal drug units after several policemen were involved in the kidnapping and murder of a South Korean businessman inside Camp Crame in October 2016.

 Jee Ick Joo was abducted from his home in Angeles City in October 18, 2016 and murdered right inside Camp Crame on the same day.

 Earlier, Sen. Bam pointed out that rogue elements are capitalizing on the government’s war against illegal drugs for their personal gains.

 “Humihina ang giyera ng pamahalaan kontra droga dahil sa ilang masasamang element sa PNP na nagsasamantala sa sitwasyon para sa pansariling kapakanan,” the senator said.

 During the Senate committee on public order and illegal drugs hearing on the South Korean kidnap-slay last Thursday, Sen. Bam urged Dela Rosa to also focus on removing bad elements within the organization.

 “Self defeating kung hindi natin maaksyunan, malilinis at matatanggal ang mga ganitong klaseng gawain, parang humihina po iyong kalakasan natin dito sa war on drugs,” Sen. Bam told Dela Rosa.

 Dela Rosa, for his part, informed the committee that the PNP has 893 pending administrative cases against erring policemen while 228 were already resolved.

 Furthermore, Sen. Bam stressed that punishing those involved in the kidnapping and murder of the South Korean will help restore the public trust on the PNP.

 “Sa kasong ito, malinaw na ang mga personalities involved. Ang kailangan na lang alamin ay ang accountabilities at actions. Baka kahit papano, with a speedy resolution, mabalik nang kaunti ang tiwala,” Sen. Bam emphasized.

Bam: ‘Pagkaing Pinoy para sa Batang Pinoy’ to help combat hunger

Once passed into law, the Pagkaing Pinoy para sa Batang Pinoy measure will help address the problem of hunger in the country, according to Sen. Bam Aquino.

 Latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey indicated that an estimated 3.1 million Filipino families or 13.9 percent experienced involuntary hunger at least once during the 4th quarter of 2016.

 The result was slightly higher than the 11.7 percent or 2.6 million in December 2015.

 “Malaki ang maitutulong ng panukalang ito upang mabawasan ang insidente ng kagutuman sa hanay ng ating mga kabataan sa bansa kapag ito’y naisabatas,” said Sen. Bam, principal sponsor and co-author of Senate Bill No. 1279, which is currently being tackled by the plenary.

 Sen. Bam’s Senate Bill No. 694 was consolidated in Senate Bill No. 1279 together with Senate Bill Nos. 23, 123, 160 and 548.

 “Sa lakas ng suportang nakuha ng panukalang ito, inaasahan natin na ito’y maisasabatas sa lalong madaling panahon upang agad na makatulong sa pagtugon sa problema ng kagutuman,” said Sen. Bam, chairman of the Committee on Education.

The measure will mandate the Department of Education to ensure that students from Kindergarten to Grade 6 are provided with proper and nutritious meals.

“Through this policy, school children in the kindergarten and elementary levels will enjoy free regular access to nutritious food with the DepEd ensuring that students from kindergarten to grade 6 are provided with proper meals,” Sen. Bam said.

Under the proposed measure, the feeding program will source produce from local farmers and fishermen to provide them with regular income and livelihood.

“Sa Pagkaing Pinoy para sa Batang Pinoy Act, lalaki nang malakas, matalino at malusog ang kabataang Pilipino habang umaasenso ang buhay ng ating mga magsasaka at mangingisda,” said Sen. Bam.

Based on 2012 data from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 16 million Filipino children are considered undernourished.

 Studies also show that the average age of the 11 million Filipino farmers and fishermen is 57 years old while the average annual income of a farmer is only about P20,000.

The bill also pushes for the “Gulayan sa Paaralan” program to promote gardening in schools and households to help augment the food needs of the program and instill a sense of appreciation for food production within the community.

Bam to PNP, DOJ: Join forces in fight against rogue cops

Sen. Bam Aquino urged the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to work together to get rid of rogue policemen who put the law enforcement agency in bad light.

Sen. Bam said the PNP should not just relieve erring policemen from their posts but dismiss them from service while the DOJ must actively pursue criminal cases filed against them.

 The senator believes this two-pronged approach will help instill fear among scalawags to stop their illegal activities and restore the public’s confidence in the organization.

“Iyong paghahain ng criminal case ang kailangang bantayan. May kayang gawin ang PNP pero dapat umaksiyon din ang Justice Department at iba pang kasamang agency para makasuhan sa korte criminally ang isang pulis,” Sen. Bam said in a radio interview.

 “Palagay ko iyon ang hinahanap ng tao,  na hindi lang administrative o na-shuffle kundi masampahan sila ng kasong kriminal,” he added.

Sen. Bam also renewed his call to the PNP to weed out from their ranks bad elements who capitalize on the government’s intensified war against illegal drugs for their personal gains.

 “The controls need to be stronger. Inamin naman ng PNP na ang paglilinis is now a bigger priority dahil nakikita nila na may magsasamantala sa nangyayaring giyera kontra droga,” Sen. Bam said.

“Kailangan nating ibalik ang tiwala ng tao sa PNP. Siguraduhin natin na wala nang mangyayari pang ganito at tiyakin na ang mga taong gumawa ng masama ay makulong at managot,” the lawmaker added.

 As a means to eradicate bad elements in the PNP, Sen. Bam said he has filed a measure that will strengthen the Internal Affairs Service (IAS) of the PNP.

 Sen. Bam said Senate Bill No. 1285 or the PNP Internal Affairs Service Modernization Act will help instill better discipline and performance among policemen as they spearhead the fight against widespread proliferation of illegal drugs and other crimes.

 “It is of utmost importance to ensure that all members of the PNP Police clamp down on crime and corruption while fully abiding by the law,” Sen. Bam said.

 The bill was endorsed by the IAS and was subsequently filed by Sen. Aquino to help the PNP’s efforts to get rid of bad eggs in the organization.

 The measure strengthens the Internal Affairs Service (IAS) of the Philippine National Police (PNP), with provisions for autonomy and independence in its administration and operations.

 It mandates an IAS organization to instill discipline and enhance the performance of personnel and units of the Philippine National Police at all levels of its command.

Bam: Nasaan ang pera at sino ang nakinabang?

Where’s the money and who benefited from it?

 Sen. Bam Aquino wants these questions answered when the Senate resumes its hearing on the “tokhang for ransom” incident involving the kidnap-slay of a South Korean businessman on Thursday (Feb. 2).

“Hindi namin na-tackle iyan pero tatalakayin natin iyan sa next hearing. The committee should get to the bottom of this,” said Sen. Bam.

 Choi Kyung-jin, wife of South Korean businessman Ick-joo Jee, claimed she gave P5 million ransom to the kidnappers last October 31, 2016.

“There was a statement from the PNP na nagkabayaran sa mall pero hindi nila na-monitor kasi ginawa ng pamilya na hindi nagsabi sa kapulisan,” said Sen. Bam.

 Sen. Bam also urged Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa to also focus on weeding out the bad elements in the organization, saying they undermine the government’s war against illegal drugs.

 During the hearing, Dela Rosa mentioned that the PNP has 893 pending administrative cases against erring policemen while 228 were already resolved.

 “The PNP must focus on cleaning up their ranks even more than the drug war. If they don’t clean up, their efforts will be futile because more of these bad elements in the PNP will take advantage of the current landscape,” Sen. Bam said.

 Aside from being worrisome, Sen. Bam stressed that reports of abuses shakes the foundation of the administration’s war against illegal drugs.

 The lawmaker said punishing those involved in the kidnapping and murder of the South Korean will help restore the public trust on the PNP.

 “Sa kasong ito, malinaw na ang mga personalities involved. Ang kailangan na lang alamin ay ang accountabilities at actions. Baka kahit papano, with a speedy resolution, mabalik nang kaunti ang tiwala,” Sen. Bam pointed out.

 Meanwhile, Sen. Bam revealed that the wife of the slain South Korean will not leave the leaving the country until justice is served over the abduction and murder of her husband.

 During a talk with the widow, Sen. Bam said Choi Kyung-jin expressed intent in staying in the country until her husband’s murder is resolved.

“She said she will stay in the Philippines and wait until justice is served for her husband. Palagay ko po (I believe) we owe it to her… to come to the conclusion of this case as soon as possible,” Aquino said.

 

Bam sponsors free tuition in SUCs bill, eyes more college graduates

To unlock the door to a brighter future for more Filipinos, Sen. Bam Aquino urged colleagues to provide free tuition fees in state college and universities (SUCs).

 “I believe it’s high time we invest boldly on education, especially now that we have the means and resources to make this happen,” said Sen. Bam, chairman of the Committee on Education, in his sponsorship speech for Senate Bill No. 1304 or the “Free Higher Education for All Act”.

Sen. Bam’s Senate Bill No. 177 was consolidated in Senate Bill No. 1304 together with other similar measures, which seek to provide free tuition fee to all students in SUCs.

 In his speech, Sen. Bam expressed hope that institutionalization of free tuition in SUCs will lead to more college graduates.

 Based on data, only one of four students in SUCs will earn a degree while the rest will drop out. The number one reason for drop outs is financial issues or poverty.

 “Our proposed measure seeks to improve access to higher education and empower more Filipinos with the promise of a college diploma,” Sen. Bam stressed.

At present, the senator said about 1,645,566 students are enrolled in different SUCs, where the average weighted annual tuition is P9,407.

If passed, Sen. Bam said the government will shell out around P16 billion every year to subsidize tuition fees in SUCs.

 On top of the free tuition in SUCs, Sen. Bam also assured private stakeholders that the government will also strengthen its Student Financial Assistance Program or StuFAP.

 At present, 19 StuFAPs are lodged in different government agencies such as the Commission on Higher Education, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), and the Department of National Defense (DND).

 These programs include scholarships, grants-in-aid, student loans, subsidies and incentives that cover other educational expenses and the living allowance incurred by students pursuing higher education.

 With the proposed measure and other policies and laws, such as the Iskolar ng Bayan Act, StuFAP through UNIFAST, and scholarships lodged in CHED, DOST and DND, Sen. Bam is confident that more Filipinos will be empowered by a college degree.

In addition to the free tuition in SUCs, Sen. Bam also filed several education-related measures — Senate Bill No. 1278 or Trabaho Centers in Schools Act and Senate Bill No 171 or the Abot Alam Bill. Senate Bill No. 1279 is now being tackled in the plenary.

 “Isa lang po ito sa inaalay naming reporma sa hanay ng edukasyon. Marami pa po tayong ibang kailangang i-trabaho at gawin upang tunay na umasenso ang buhay ng bawat Pilipino,” Sen. Bam pointed out.

Bam: Let’s not burden Filipino families with higher tax and prices

Any tax measure that burdens Filipino families with higher prices would go through the proverbial eye of the needle in the Senate, assured Sen. Bam Aquino.
 
“Any measure that will increase prices, babantayan namin iyan. For me, it’s something that every Filipino family doesn’t want to see, an increase in prices,” said Sen. Bam in a television interview.
 
“Walang pagtaas ng tax na hindi maaapektuhan ang mga Pilipino,” he added.
 
The senator made the pronouncement in connection with the government’s plan to impose P6 to P10 excise tax on diesel under its tax reform agenda.
 
Sen. Bam said the government’s plan “is little bit of a hard sell” but senators are expected to tackle the measure during plenary debates where they will listen to positions of different stakeholders.
 
“I think during the plenary debates, a lot of figures will be presented to us. We will listen to reason and different parties. Titingnan natin kung ano ang epekto nito sa presyo ng bilihin at sa national budget,” said Sen. Bam.
 
In particular, Sen. Bam wants to determine the exact effect of the planned imposition of excise tax on diesel fuel to prices of goods and agricultural products transported by diesel-powered vehicles to markets in different parts of the country.
 
In the 17th Congress, Sen. Bam has filed Senate Bill No. 697 that seeks to revise the current income tax bracket set by the National Internal Revenue Code, which was passed in 1997.
 
The measure seeks to amend Section 24 of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended, by adjusting the levels of net taxable income and simplifying the nominal tax rates for the purposes of computing the individual income tax. 
 
If enacted into law, Sen. Bam said the measure effectively lowers the taxes on the 22-million Filipino working class, allowing them to enjoy a higher net income and increase their purchasing power.
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