duterte

Bam: President and VP have no hand in impeachment cases

Sen. Bam Aquino believes President Duterte has no hand in the moves to impeach Vice President Leni Robredo.

“Iyong pagkasabi ni President Duterte na hindi siya involved, naniniwala naman ako doon. The same way na si VP Leni ay hindi involved sa pagpapaimpeach kay President Duterte,” Sen. Bam said in an interview.

“They both said na wala silang kinalaman, can’t we just leave it at that? Because in the end, mas gumugulo iyong bayan natin kapag pinag-aaway sila,” he added.

The senator criticized groups creating a division between Duterte and Robredo, saying the country will be at the losing end if the rift between the top two leaders continues.

Sen. Bam also urged allies of President Duterte to follow the Chief Executive’s order to stop moves to impeach Vice President Robredo.

“That’s already a sign, a signal and a message for his allies. Iyong mga grupo, iyong mga kaalyado ni President Duterte, sana makinig naman sa kanya,” Sen. Bam said,

Sen. Bam was referring to Duterte’s message to allies to stop any attempt to oust Robredo from her post, saying the vice president is only exercising her right to free expression.

Despite the President’s pronouncement, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and a group of lawyers both insisted that they will pursue Robredo’s impeachment.

“Kapag itutuloy pa iyan, sinabi naman ni Vice President Leni na handa naman siyang harapin ang kailangan niyang harapin. So tingnan na lang natin,” said Sen. Bam.

The senator also insisted that being critical does not equate to plotting for the removal of the president or the destabilization of his administration, adding that the vice president and the minority in the Senate will continue to point out lapses in governance.

Bam to gov’t: Listen to people’s voice on martial law

Sen. Bam Aquino called on the government to seriously take notice of the recent Pulse Asia survey where 74 percent of Filipinos opposed the imposition of martial law.

 “Ang mga Pinoy, they are saying ayaw na namin ng martial law, which tells me that people are looking for new solutions,” Sen. Bam said during a television interview.

 “Hindi ito ang sagot sa lahat ng problema natin, na kapag nagkakagulo, magma-martial law tayo. People are looking for new solutions and better ways of doing things at kaming nasa gobyerno, we owe it to the people to provide these better solutions,” he added.

 Sen. Bam made the pronouncement after President Duterte declared over the weekend that no one can stop him from declaring Martial Law if the country’s drug problems worsen.

 The senator believes that President Duterte’s vacillating statements on martial law create uncertainty and fear among Filipinos.

 Just last month, Duterte declared that placing the country under martial law was far from his mind, adding that Filipino lives did not improve under military rule during the Marcos regime.

At one point, the President said he wanted to take out the provision in the Constitution about Congress and the Supreme Court weighing in on martial law.

“Sometimes when the President talks about these things differently, siyempre nakakakaba ito,” said Sen. Bam.

 “The image of this administration, with a strong and iron hand, very fierce, very harsh, it leads to thoughts of Martial Law and authoritarianism,” he added.

 The senator pointed out that the 1987 Constitution is clear when it comes to declaring martial rule, saying it can only be done during invasion or rebellion.

 When it comes to eradicating illegal drugs, Sen. Bam said the government can learn from Gawad Kalinga’s anti-drug program, which the group has been implementing in its communities for almost a decade now.

“Thanks to this anti-drug program, 90 percent or 1,800 out of its 2,000 communities are drug-free through community empowerment and accountability,” said Sen. Bam.

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.

Bam on testimony of Edgar Matobato

Nakababahala ang mga rebelasyon ni Matobato.

 Nararapat na malaman natin kung totoo o hindi ang mga sinasabi niya at payagan ang Senado na gawin ang kanyang tungkulin.

 Madaling guluhin ang mga bagay-bagay kapag binabahiran ito ng pulitika.

 Bilang Senado na hindi nagpapaimpluwensya kanino man, tungkulin namin sa taumbayan na alamin ang katototahan nang walang kulay pulitika.

Bam on President Duterte-Sen. Leila de Lima spat

Matagal ko nang sinabi na sana hindi humantong sa mga personal na bagay-bagay. Hindi siya maganda para sa ating bayan.

 Ako naman, ang mahalaga, I think, we all focus on the work. Balik tayo sa trabaho.

 Ang paglaban sa droga, iyan trabaho iyan. Ang pag-imbestiga sa mga summary killings, trabaho rin iyan.

 Kung may mga issues na ilegal na gawa, e di magkasuhan tayo. Pero kung ganyan na personal iyong mga batuhan, palagay ko hindi siya maganda para sa bayan.

 Stick to the work. Stick to the issues. Stick to the policies.

On Duterte’s matrix vs De Lima

Unang-una, sa pagkakakilala ko sa kanya (De Lima), hindi naman siya involved diyan. But if there’s evidence, kailangang imbestigahan.

 Kung talagang may kinalaman sa droga, kasuhan. Kung talagang may summary killings, imbestigahan.

 Pero pagdating sa personal na bagay, labas na tayo diyan. Dapat manatili tayo sa trabaho.

Sen. Bam to Sen. De Lima: Huwag matakot, huwag matinag!

Huwag matakot, huwag matinag!

This was Sen. Bam Aquino’s advice to fellow lawmaker Sen. Leila de Lima amid the deluge of personal attacks being thrown at her by the administration.

“Nakakalungkot na naging personal na ang mga atake kay Sen. Leila de Lima ngunit sana’y huwag siyang magpatinag at walang takot na hanapin ang katotohanan at hustisya sa pagdinig ng Senado sa Lunes,” said Sen. Bam

Despite the accusations, Sen. Bam is confident that de Lima can weather the storm, being a tough and brave government official.

“Kilala natin si Sen. De Lima bilang matapang at matibay na lingkod-bayan kaya tiwala akong malalampasan niya ang mga pagsubok na kaakibat ng pagganap sa tungkulin bilang mambabatas,” Sen. Bam added.

De Lima, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, will investigate the spate of extra-judicial killings in the country on Monday (August 22).

BIDA KA!: Unang SONA

Mga bida, noong Lunes napakinggan natin ang kauna-unahang State of the Nation Address (SONA) ni Pangulong Rody Duterte, 26 na araw matapos maupo bilang ika-16 na pinuno ng bansa.

Isa’t kalahating oras ang haba ng talumpati ni Pangulong Duterte, na sumentro sa iba’t ibang isyung mahalaga sa bansa at inaantaba­yanan ng taumbayan.

Mula sa iligal na droga, pagnenegosyo, kalikasan, katiwalian, mabilis na serbisyo sa pamahalaan, isyu sa China, problema sa Internet, kapayapaan at kagutuman, natalakay ni Pangulong Duterte sa kanyang SONA.

Malinaw ring nailatag ng Pangulo ang mga direktiba sa mga ahensiya ng pamahalaan at ang direksiyon ng mga plano na nangangailangan ng tulong ng mga mambabatas.

Kasama rito ang pagbuo ng isang pederal na sistema ng pamahalaan at pagbababa ng buwis ng mamamayan.

***

Sinabayan ng Pangulong Duterte ang talumpati ng kanyang trademark na mga biro at punchline na nagbigay-tuwa sa mga mambabatas at iba pang mga panauhin na nagtipon sa plenaryo ng Kamara.

Sa kabila ng mga birong ito, ramdam natin na seryoso si Pangulong Duterte sa kanyang mga binitiwang kataga, lalo na nang ikuwento niya ang mga taong natutulog sa kalsada habang naghihintay na magbukas ang ahensiya ng gobyerno na nasa isang mall.

Maaalala ang speech ng Pangulo sa pagbabahagi niya ng personal na karanasan at ‘di pagsunod sa script na nasa teleprompter.

***

Nagpapasalamat din tayo kay Pangulong Duterte sa pagbanggit niya sa ilang mga adbokasiya na isinusulong natin sa Senado.

Kabilang na rito ang pagpapabilis ng proseso sa pagkuha ng mga papeles sa pamahalaan, pagpapaganda sa serbisyo ng Internet, pagpapababa ng buwis, pagtulong sa entrepreneurs at pagpapaganda ng sistema ng edukasyon sa bansa.

Mga bida, hindi naman lingid sa inyo na isinusulong na natin ang mabilis at abot-kayang Internet sa bansa noon pang 16th Congress.

Sa direktiba ni Duterte sa bagong tatag na Department of Information and Communication Technology na bumuo ng isang National Broadband Plan, inaasahan nating gaganda ang serbisyo ng Internet sa bansa.

Marami rin tayong naipasang batas na sumusuporta sa micro, small and medium enterprises at nagtataguyod ng ease of doing business sa 16th Congress, tulad ng Philippine Competition Act, Go Negosyo Act ar Youth Entrepreneurship Act.

Ang mga batas na ito ay makatutulong sa hangarin ni Pangulong Duterte na pabilisin ang proseso ng pagnenegosyo at paigtingin pa ang serbisyo sa ating micro, small at medium enterprises, na siyang haligi ng ating ekonomiya.

Ngayong 17th Congress, naghain tayo ng 100 panukalang batas at resolusyon ukol sa iba’t ibang isyu, kabilang ang pagpapaganda ng sistema ng edukasyon at reporma sa pagbubuwis sa pamamagitan ng Personal Tax Reform at Corporate Tax Reform bills.

Ngayong malinaw na ang direksiyon na nais tahakin ng Duterte administration, tiwala tayo na maisasabatas ang mga panukalang ito, para na rin sa kapakanan ng publiko.

Nagpalit man ng liderato ang Senado, tuluy-tuloy pa rin tayo sa pagtatrabaho para sa ating mga bida.

Palagi kong sinasabi na magkakaiba man ang aming mga partido, pagbubuklurin pa rin kami ng aming pagnanais na pagsilbihan ang taumbayan.

Article first published on Abante Online

Bam: President Duterte’s SONA very refreshing, sincere

Bam welcomes President Duterte’s EO on FOI

Senator Bam Aquino lauds President Duterte’s Executive Order (EO) implementing the Freedom of Information (FOI), saying it is a “welcome development in the fight for transparency and good governance”. 

“We believe wholeheartedly that this Executive Order will aid in the fight against corruption,” said Sen. Bam.

In the 16th Congress, Sen. Bam was among the senators who pushed for the enactment of the FOI into law, passing it on third and final reading. 

However, it did not come to fruition as the House failed to come up with its own version of the measure. 

In the 17th Congress, Sen. Bam has filed a measure entitled the People’s Freedom of Information Act seeking to institutionalize the FOI into law. 

“This is a bold step in the right direction, and hopefully, the legislature can follow the President’s lead and institutionalize this into a law as well,” the senator added.

Bam hopes Duterte’s SONA includes plans for employment, poverty reduction

Apart from his intensified campaign against illegal drugs, President Duterte can lay down a clear plan on how he will address the country’s other pressing problems, such as employment, education and poverty reduction, in his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 25.

“President Duterte can discuss important topics that matter to the lives of Filipinos like education, employment and poverty reduction,” replied Sen. Bam when asked in a television interview about his wish list of issues that should be discussed by Duterte in his SONA.

“He can talk about the West Philippine Sea issue as well. These are things, I think that people will be very interested in,” added Sen. Bam, chairman of the Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship.

“We need to ensure that prices are stable and more importantly, that Filipino families have the wherewithal to address their most basic needs.”

In the recent Pulse Asia’s Ulat ng Bayan survey conducted from July 2 to 8, Filipinos want the new Duterte administration to prioritize three economic issues.

These are increase in prices of goods (68 percent), creation of jobs (56 percent) and implementation of pro-poor initiatives (55 percent). Around 48 percent of Filipinos mentioned fighting criminality as the fourth most pressing concern.

In the 17th Congress, Sen. Bam has filed several measures that will help end contractualization in the labor sector, provide free college education, and boost the government’s poverty reduction program. 

Sen. Bam Aquino filed Senate Bill No. 174 or the End Endo Act that seeks to eliminate the unjust “Endo” (end contract) practice in the country.

The measure will put a stop to fixed term employment or hiring of workers based on a limited and fixed period without regularization so more Filipinos are assured of job security and steady compensation.

The senator also filed Senate Bill No. 177 that pushes for free tertiary education in all State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) for all students.

He also filed the Trabaho Center in Schools Bill (Senate Bill No. 170) and the Abot Alam Bill (Senate Bill No. 171).

In his Trabaho Center in Schools Bill, Sen. Bam wants to create a job placement office or Trabaho Center to assist Senior High School graduates who opt to find employment and help them find those opportunities.

The Abot Alam Bill will create a comprehensive national framework designed to achieve the government’s aim to provide education for each and every Filipino, particularly out-of-school youth (OSY).

The bill seeks to institutionalize the highly successful Abot Alam convergence program led by the Department of Education and National Youth Commission.

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