JINGGOY: SENATORS ARE NOT SUPERHUMANS

MANILA, January 25, 2013-Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada sees no problem with senators delegating certain tasks to their respective chief of staff, as he himself admittedly does the same.

 

“Considering the voluminous number of documents that need to be seen, read, studied, signed and released by every office, each senator will necessarily delegate some of these tasks to his or her right hand man or woman and trusted employees. I see no problem with that. Senators are not superhumans,” Sen. Estrada explains.

 

Sen. Estrada says this is understandable given that apart from being legislators and national representatives of the people, senators being the titular heads of their office also oversee and carry out administrative and finance work.

 

Jinggoy further asserts that the work process does not diminish the stature of senators as nationally-elected public servants nor a strategy to escape accountability and responsibility, but actually an effective way to accomplish more work and ensure everything gets done.

 

On a related note, Sen. Estrada defended Atty. Gigi Reyes, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile’s Chief of Staff, saying that she is a “hardworking, trustworthy and exceptionally brilliant” lawyer.

 

“I have known Atty. Gigi for a long time. I have seen her work during late hours. Every senator would wish to have a staff and chief like her,” Jinggoy continues.

 

“I personally hope that she reconsiders her resignation. The Senate needs her,” Estrada concludes.

Legarda Celebrates Ratification of PTV4 Bill

MANILA, January 25, 2013-Senator Loren Legarda celebrated the ratification of the PTV4 Bill as a timely resuscitation of the national television network.

“PTV4 has great potential, not for propaganda, but for information dissemination of the advocacies of our various departments of government. As it was ratified by the Senate last Tuesday, January 22, we can now bid goodbye to the ten-year-old charter which would not allow them to sell commercial spots for revenues,” said Legarda, a former broadcast journalist.

Senate Bill No. 3316, co-sponsored by the Senator, amends the PTV Charter to allow the network to generate funds from advertising and airtime sales, and the same shall be utilized by PTV solely for its operations and capital expenditure. 

“The network shall also be allowed to adopt other measures that will help restore the viability of the network operations. The passage of this measure is very important as it addresses the urgent need to regenerate and improve the national television channel,” she added.

“I am elated that our efforts for this bill have paid off, because it is inexcusable if we do not find ways to address the urgent need to improve the information mechanisms of government,” Legarda concluded.