Issues

Bam calls for social media literacy and decency

Let’s have a sense of decency online! 

Sen. Bam Aquino made this call even as he criticized several netizens for vulgar and explicit social media posts following the Marcos burial issue.

 “Magkakaiba man tayo ng pananaw sa mga isyu, hindi pa rin dapat mawala ang respeto sa isa’t isa at pagiging disente sa social media,” said Sen. Bam.

 “Kung paano tayo sa labas, kasama ng ating mga kaibigan at pamilya, dapat ganoon din ang ating pagkilos at ugali sa social media,” he added.

 Sen. Bam stressed that as a public space that may be accessed anytime by young people, social media must be free from discrimination, hate speech and verbal abuse.

 “Walang lugar sa social media ang anumang masasakit na salita at pambabastos na maaaring mabasa ng mga kabataan,” he said.

 Earlier, Sen. Bam filed Senate Resolution No. 173 to determine how schools are educating and developing students regarding the responsible social media use.

 During a hearing on the resolution, Sen. Bam called on different stakeholders, led by the Department of Education (DepEd), to join forces in combating rampant trolling and spread of misinformation on social media.

Sen. Bam also supports the “Tres Marias Bills” to combat gender-based violence.

 

Statement of Sen. Bam Aquino on the sudden burial of Marcos in LNMB

This is such a sinister move, to bury former President Marcos as secretly and quickly as possible.

The manner by which he was buried speaks for itself.

What more can be said?

They remain deaf to the calls of the many Filipinos demanding justice for the abuses during the Marcos regime and remain numb to the pain of too many innocent victims of Martial Law.

This is now part of our history – from Marcos and his cronies’ grave abuses to the People Power Revolution, from his covert burial to today’s protests and cries against a heroes burial for a Filipino dictator.

Now more than ever, we must remain vigilant that our democracy remains and that we don’t repeat the bloody mistakes of the past.

Bam: Consumer Act amendments to give DTI more teeth, cover ICT

In a move to give the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) more teeth against erring businesses and enhance consumer protection, Sen. Bam Aquino has filed a measure amending the 24-year-old Consumer Act of the Philippines.
 
“In order to build stronger commercial systems and maintain thriving markets, there is a need to bolster the rights of consumers and we need to do this at the soonest possible time,” Sen. Bam said in Senate Bill No. 1241 or the Revised Consumer Act of the Philippines.
 
“The measure aims to amend the 1992 Act in order to address the current issues facing our consumers and markets,” added Sen. Bam, chairman of the Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship in the 16th Congress.
 
If enacted into law, the measure gives the DTI authority to close down any establishment caught in the act of selling, distributing, manufacturing, producing, displaying or importing hazardous and defective products.
 
It also increases administrative fines against erring businesses from P50,000 up to P10 million. The current law imposes a fine of P500 to P300,000.
 
“The fines should amount to five percent of the gross value of sales of the consumer product or service subject to the consumer complaint,” he stressed.
 
The amendments include provision for new information and communications technologies (ICT), such as mobile phones and internet, which is crucial with the advent of the e-commerce industry.
 
In addition, the bill provides greater protection to consumers, particularly from false and deceptive advertising using mobile phones and the Internet.
 
“Proposed provisions in this measure also aim to better protect consumers from dangerous and unsafe products and abusive sales practice,” said Sen. Bam.
 
The proposal also reiterates the eight consumer rights (rights to basic needs, safety, basic information, choose, representation, redress, consumer education and healthy environment) and five consumer responsibilities (critical awareness, action, social concern, environmental awareness and solidarity).
 
Furthermore, the measure mandates manufacturers to maintain a consumer hotline or service center that consumers can easily reach for complaints and inquiries by phone, email or other effective means.
 
In addition, foreign products with labels written in foreign characters or language will be allowed entry into the country only if they have a corresponding English or Filipino translation.
 
The measure will place the National Consumer Affairs Council (NCAC) under the Office of the DTI Secretary to give it more independence and power.
 
It will also be expanded to include the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Department of Energy, Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of Information and Communication Technology. 
  
Businesses offering price-discounted rates for single or bulk purchase of products or services will be exempted from the requirement to secure a sales promotion permit , alleviating them of the added burden. This move will help to facilitate e-commerce in the country.

 

Bam: Martial Law not about 2 names but thousands of families and the entire nation

The Martial Law issue is not about two political names but it involves thousands of families that are suffering until now, Sen. Bam Aquino insisted.

“Nahihiya ako kapag sinasabi na ito’y issue lang ng Aquino at Marcos. Nahihiya ako sa libu-libong namatay, sa libu-libong nawala, sa libu-libong na-torture,” said Sen. Bam.

 “Ang isyu po ng libing ni dating pangulong Marcos sa Libingan ng mga Bayani ay hindi lang isyu ng ilang pamilya. Hindi lang po ito isyu ng mga biktima ng Martial Law, kundi isyu ng ating bayan at ng ating kasaysayan,” he added.

 Sen. Bam made the manifestation during the Senate vote on the resolution expressing that the crimes of former President Ferdinand Marcos to the Republic render him unfit to be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

Eight senators, including Sen. Bam, voted in favor of the resolution but it was not adopted after it failed to garner 11 votes needed to reach a majority.

 The outcome did not deter Sen. Bam to reiterate his earlier call that the Senate speak out on the matter of national significance, like the Supreme Court decision on the Marcos burial in the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

 “Tama lang po na may sabihin tayo tungkol sa isyu na ito,” Sen. Bam emphasized.

Earlier, Sen. Bam expressed disappointment over the SC decision, saying it focused only on technicalities and did not give weight on historical facts about what happened during the Martial Law era.

“Technically correct, pero historically wrong ang nangyaring desisyon,” the senator said.

Joint statement of Liberal Party Senators on the President’s warning to suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus

As public servants and duly elected officials, we are sworn to serve and protect the rights of every Filipino and to uphold and defend the Philippine Constitution.
 
That very Constitution, the basic law of the land, commands that the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus — a safeguard against state abuse, particularly of warrantless arrests – may only be suspended in cases of invasion and rebellion.
 
Section 15 of the Bill of Rights provides: “The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended except in cases of invasion or rebellion when the public safety requires it.”
 
The drug menace is not a ground to suspend the privilege of the writ. On the matter of rebellion, the administration is already talking peace with all armed groups, and we are in full support.
 
We see no basis for the suspension of the Filipino’s privilege of the writ of habeas corpus and we shall remain committed to upholding the sacred constitutional safeguards to the rights of the Filipino people.

Sen. Bam on the Senate hearing on Espinosa killing

The evidence presented at the hearing by the Internal Affairs Service paints a different picture than originally presented by the CIDG, Region VIII.

 At the minimum, there were serious irregularities and at the maximum, it was a rubout of an alleged drug lord who knew too much.

 At risk here is the trust and confidence of our people in the PNP and the rule of law.

 Criminal elements may be taking advantage of these unsolved killings to perpetuate their activities and even silence those that can bring their organization down.

We call on the PNP and related authorities to clean their ranks and hold culprits liable.

 Thoroughly investigate and solve these murders and extrajudicial killings at the soonest possible time.

 

Bam: Truth about Martial Law must still be taught in schools

Sen. Bam Aquino’s push for truthful and objective Martial Law education in schools is one of the ways to move forward after the Supreme Court’s decision to allow the burial of former president Ferdinand Marcos in the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

“It’s really disappointing but we will continue to work with DepEd on truthful and accurate Martial Law education. That’s how we can move forward,” said Sen. Bam, chairman of the Committee on Education.

The senator pointed out that the young people have to be informed about the human rights abuses committed during the Marcos’ reign.

 Sen. Bam stressed that only way the country can move on from this is if the Marcos family apologizes for their wrongdoings and return the money they have stolen from the country’s coffers during the late dictator’s rule.

“Moving on is fine pero kung titingnan mo, wala naman silang perang binalik. Wala namang pagpapapatawad na hiningi,” said Sen. Bam.

 Earlier, Sen. Bam denounced the SC decision, saying it focused only on technicalities and did not give weight on historical facts about what happened during the Martial Law era.

 “Technically correct, pero historically wrong ang nangyaring desisyon,” the senator said.

Bam: Senate should weigh in on Marcos burial

Believing that the Senate should speak on matters of national importance, Sen. Bam Aquino urged colleagues to collectively weigh in on the Supreme Court’s decision allowing the burial of former president Ferdinand Marcos in the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

 “Mahalaga na mayroon tayong sasabihin sa isyu na ito na napakahalaga sa ating bansa. Dahil kapag tahimik tayo, Mr. President, nakakasanay iyong pagiging tahimik, said Sen. Bam.

 “More than the Supreme Court, I think this resolution allows us to voice out the sense of the Senators on the matter,” he added, referring to the SC decision.

Sen. Bam made the pronouncement before the Senate voted on the resolution regarding the SC decision on the Marcos burial. The resolution was temporarily shelved after the Senate vote ended in a deadlock.

 “I’m totally in favor of coming up with a decision. It is up to the body to decide whether it’s today, tomorrow, or a week from now. It’s important that we weigh in with our own national mandates and as a collegial body,” Sen. Bam stressed.

Earlier, Sen. Bam expressed “grave disappointment” over the SC decision allowing the burial of “a corrupt and ruthless dictator in the LNMB”.

“Though we must respect the outcome, my heart goes out to the thousands of victims during the darkest years in Philippine history,” said Sen. Bam.

Sen. Bam pointed out that the SC decision was focused only on technicality and did not give weight on historical facts.

 

Bam on SC decision allowing Marcos’ burial in LNMB

We are gravely disappointed by the Supreme Court’s decision to bury a corrupt and ruthless dictator in the LNMB.

Though we must respect the outcome, my heart goes out to the thousands of victims during the darkest years in Philippine history.

We will carry on our work with the Department of Education to ensure that the truth about martial law is effectively taught in our schools.

With this decision, we need to be even more vigilant that the mistakes of the past are not repeated. Never again.

Bam to gov’t, stakeholders: Join forces to take education to next level

Come together to take our education systems to the next level!
 
This was the challenge issued by Sen. Bam Aquino to concerned government agencies and private stakeholders during the 2016 Philippine Education Summit held Thursday at the SMX Convention Center.
 
“I am hopeful that all stakeholders are willing to work together and focus on producing quality education,” said Sen. Bam, chairman of the Committee on Education, Arts and Culture in the 17th Congress.
 
In the 2017 budget, P650 billion has been earmarked for education, or equivalent to 19 percent of the total budget.
 
Out of this, P567 billion will go to the Department of Education, P75 billion to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and P6.87 billion to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
 
“Now that we have the resources to make a quantum leap in our education sector, let’s come together to take our educational systems to the next level,” Sen. Bam pointed out.
 
However, Sen. Bam said the challenge is to make sure that the budget for education is felt by the public, especially the students in public schools and state colleges and universities (SUCs).
 
During the summit, Sen. Bam also reiterated the Senate’s commitment to support the government’s pursuit to further improve quality of education in the country. 
 
As chairman of the Committee on Education, Sen. Bam is pushing for the passage of a measure that will give free tertiary education in all SUCs.
 
Sen. Bam has filed Senate Bill No. 177 or the Free Higher Education for All Act giving free tuition fee to all students in SUCs.
 
Sen. Bam has also submitted Senate Bill No. 170 or the Trabaho Center in Schools Act that creates an employment office in every senior high school, giving SHS graduates access to available job opportunities.
 
The senator also wants to give out of school youth (OSY) in the country access to education through his Senate Bill No. 171 or the Abot Alam Bill, which seeks to institutionalize alternative learning system (ALS).
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