Drilon rallies Senate for swift action on pending bills

MANILA-Senate President Franklin M. Drilon urged his colleagues in the Upper Chamber to fast-track and bring at the soonest to the Senate floor the various proposed legislation which both houses of Congress agreed to pass before their sine die adjournment in June.

Drilon said that urgent attention given by Congress to the 16 bills is a reflection of the government's understanding of the real and most crucial needs of every Filipino family which are accessible education for the youth and a reliable health coverage system for our elderly.

"We must work extra hard in getting these bills enacted on time, so that our citizenry could immediately enjoy the expected legislated benefits such as scholarship program, job opportunities through ladderized education, and enhanced health care coverage especially for all senior citizens,” said Drilon.

“Remember that if we are to regain the confidence and trust of our people in the Senate which was eroded due to the pork barrel controversy, the best way is to show them that we are a performing institution that gives justice to every peso of taxpayers’ hard-earned money. We can do so by putting in a legislative performance that shows genuine service to the nation,” he added.

Topping the priority list are six legislative measures that would ensure a more accessible and quality educational system throughout the country. These include the “Iskolar ng Bayan Act” authored by Senate Majority Leader Allan Peter Cayetano which mandates all state universities and colleges to provide automatic admission and scholarship to top 10 graduating high school students across the country, and the National Student Loan Program which would tap banks and lending institutions to grant loans to financially-challenged college students.

The Congress will also institutionalize the open distance education in the country through the Open Learning through Distance Education in Post-Secondary Education and Tertiary Levels and Open High School System for Out of School Youth bills.

The Congress also agreed to pass a bill instituting a ladderized education for students taking up technical and vocational (tech-voc) courses aimed at integrating tech-voc education and higher education and creating more job opportunities for skilled graduates.  

It likewise plans to institutionalize the establishment of special education centers throughout the country “to address the special needs of differently-abled students.”

"The Congress recognizes the need for laws that will make education more attainable for all and we can make it happen when we address the biggest barriers that hinder the delivery of education throughout the country such as poverty, distance and age,” explained Drilon.

The Senate leader rallied his fellow senators to pass the health-related bills on Congress' priority list. He cited the picture-based health warning act, amendments to the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act and the expansion of Philhealth coverage for senior citizens as among the measures that “will advance the health of millions of Filipinos.”

"I share the belief that the country's elderly population must be provided with the accessible and sufficient health care that will help them in their twilight years, and we can attain it by enrolling every senior citizen in Philhealth,” said Drilon.

Under the proposed expanded Philhealth law, the government, through the National Health Insurance Fund, will shoulder the enrolment of all senior citizens in the country.

The Congress will also impose stiffer penalty for poaching and other illegal fishing activities to protect the country’s fishing industry and other marine resources by amending the Fisheries Code.

Also on the list are the amendments to the Sandiganbayan law and the extension of the Philippine National Railway’s charter, and the creation of the Quezon City Development Authority.

Lastly, the Congress is set to postpone by another year the Sangguniang Kabataan elections. 

2 cops indicted for ‘rub-out’ of neighbor

CABANATUAN CITY, Nueva Ecija–The Philippine National Police have filed murder charges against two of its own men tagged for the fatal shooting of their neighbor here Friday evening, allegedly peppering him with 15 gunshots even when he was already lying on the pavement in a possible case of rub-out.

           Senior Superintendent Crizaldo Nieves, PNP provincial director, said the information for murder was filed before the city prosecutor’s office here against SPO1 Edgar Cruz, 42, and PO1 Mark Levi Panlilio, both of Barangay Bangad here.

           The two were tagged for the killing of Ricarte Evangelista, 44, driver, also of the same place. The victim sustained 15 bullet wounds and died while being operated on.

           Police Superintendent Pedro Soliba, police station commander, said Cruz is assigned at the San Jose Del Monte police while Panlilio with the provincial public safety office.

          They were also rushed to the Nueva Ecija Doctor’s Hospital with hack wounds and are facing arrest once discharged.

           Police said Evangelista was shot by the two at 10:30 pm Friday.

           Prior to the incident, Evangelista’s children were being chased by the two lawmen for allegedly being drunk. The kids’ mother tried to pacify the lawmen when           Evangelista intervened, triggering a confrontation.

           Police said the duo went home and brought their guns and shot Evangelista.     

           Recovered from the encounter scene were 15 shells for caliber 45 and caliber 9mm and deformed slugs.

           Soliba said the case would have qualified as simple homicide but there were signs superior power was used in the killing of the victim.

           “There was even a report that Evangelista was already sprawled on the floor when the suspects kept on shooting him,” he said.

          He said while the two lawmen claimed they were hacked, there was no one to corroborate the hacking incidents. (Manny Galvez)

Drilon: Upcoming laws to focus on better education, improved health, disaster alert systems

MANILA-Both leaders of Congress agreed to pass 16 pending legislative measures before it adjourns Sine Die on June 13, 2014, according to Senate President Franklin M. Drion.

In a meeting earlier today at Crown Plaza hotel, Drilon and House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. agreed to give utmost priority on legislation that will provide support to the country’s education system. The meeting was also attended by Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto, Deputy Minority Leader Senator Vicente Sotto III, House Deputy Speaker Neptali Gonzales II, House Minority leader Ronnie Zamora, and House Ways and Means Committee Romero Quimbo.

“The bills that Congress will pass reflect the government's commitment to address the most basic and pressing concerns of our countrymen which include education, health and our ability to prepare for the dangers of upcoming emergencies," stressed Drilon.

“Both chambers are aware of several pending measures that need urgent legislative action, and it really helps that we hold this regular meeting to ensure the immediate passage of bills of national importance,” said Drilon.

Most of the upcoming laws, Drilon said, will extend assistance to financially-challenged students nationwide. Among these, he cited, are the National Student Loan Program and the Iskolar ng Bayan bills “to provide financial support to underprivileged students to pay for their tuition and subsistence allowance.”

The Congress also plans to institutionalize the open distance education in the country with the impending approval of the Open Learning through Distance Education in Post-Secondary Education and Tertiary Levels and Open High School System for Out of School Youth.

It will also promote further the ladderized education in the country, as well as the establishment of special education centers throughout the country “to address the special needs of differently-abled students.”

“We acknowledge the need to improve the country’s education system and by passing these proposed measures, we would gradually widen the reach of delivery of educational services across major deterrents such as poverty and logistical difficulties,” Drilon said.

The Congress will also work on the immediate passage of a bill that will extend Philhealth coverage to senior citizens.

Also on the list are the amendments to the Sandiganbayan law to address the backlog in the country’s anti-graft courts, the picture-based health warning act to help bring down smoking incidence in the country, amendments to the Fisheries Code, and amendments to the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act, said Drilon.

Likewise, the Congress vowed to tackle the bills extending the corporate life of the Philippine National Railways which is expiring by June 2014, and to grant franchise to the Cotabato Light and Power Company.

Another bill which is expected to be enacted is the bill mandating telecommunication companies to send out alerts during the time of disasters. The said bill was approved today/Monday in the Senate.

Finally, the Congress also included in its list of to-be-approved bills the postponement by another year of the Sangguniang Kabataan elections and the creation of the Quezon City Development Authority. 

Senate passes mobile alert bill, telcos tapped to send warnings during disasters

MANILA-The Senate passed today on third and final reading a bill that would require the country’s telecommunication companies (Telcos) to send out early warning alerts or other relevant information during times of disasters, as part of the government’s efforts to further improve its national disaster prevention strategy. 

House Bill No. 353, or the “Free Mobile Disaster Alerts Act,” was approved with  20 affirmative votes zero negative vote and zero abstention.

Once the bill is enacted into law, Senate President Franklin Drilon said it would “help create an effective early warning system that will help achieve the main objectives of our national disaster preparedness strategy, which is to lessen the impact of incoming disasters, and ultimately save precious lives and valued property."

The Free Mobile Disaster Alerts Act, which was endorsed by the Senate Committee on Public Services chaired by Senator Ramon Revilla Jr., mandates telecommunication companies to send free mobile alerts in the event of natural and man-made disasters and calamities. Mobile subscribers will receive the warnings at no cost to the government and the public.

Drilon said the government must employ the most efficient and fastest methods of informing the public on impending calamities, such as tropical storms, tsunamis or earthquakes, hence the use of mobile phone technology.

"As the texting capital of the world, we can greatly use the instantaneous, flexible and reliable short message service (SMS) technology as a potent tool during disaster situations - one that is intimately understood and easily accessed by millions of Filipinos who have cellphones," said Drilon, who pointed out a Business Monitor International (BMI) study, where the Philippines is expected to reach 117 million mobile subscribers by 2016.

Under the bill, the alerts shall consist of updated information from relevant agencies working on disaster management and shall be transmitted directly to the mobile phone subscribers located near and within the affected areas.

Meanwhile, the Senate also passed HBN 3187, a bill granting franchise to the Cotabato Light and Power Company to operate and maintain the distribution system for electric power to Cotabato City and other municipalities of Sultan Kudarat and Datu Odin Sinsuat in Maguindanao. The bill was also sponsored by Revilla.

Drilon explained that the Senate’s approval of the franchise is “part of the government’s continuing efforts to secure stable and sustainable source of power for citizens in parts of Mindanao, long troubled by power outages and other similar issues.”

“We are hoping that the Cotabato Light and Power Company can adequately serve the needs of those living in the area. We will be monitoring their progress, so that the electrical requirements of the people of Mindanao can be adequately and sufficiently met,” Drilon said. 

Senate to discuss pro-consumer, pro health bills

MANILA-Upon resumption of sessions on Monday, May 5, the Senate will take up various legislative measures aimed at providing economic relief to state and private workers, advancing public health, and strengthening the country's anti-graft court, among others.  

The Upper Chamber is also expected to pass on third and final reading a bill that will legally compel telephone companies to disseminate early warnings of disasters, at no added cost to the consumer or the government; as well as a legislation granting a franchise to Cotabato Light and Power Company to continue bringing electricity to some areas in Maguindanao.

Senate President Franklin M. Drilon outlined some of these pro-consumer legislation which include the bills increasing the tax exemption limit on 13^th month pay and other benefits, raising the allowances of members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and of all personnel of the Philippine National Police.

Those measures concerning military service members and the police are already in the advanced stages of legislation. The bill on the 13^th month pay is still being heard in the appropriate Senate committees, but Drilon assured that it is a priority legislation in the 16^th Congress “due to its direct effect to millions of Filipino workers around the country.”

“It is about time that we provide relief to our very dedicated workforce, both from the government and private sectors, whose purchasing power has already shrunk due to inflation,” said Drilon.

“When we augment their buying power, the economy will also benefit because it will invigorate economic activity. But when their purchasing power continues to suffer, the economy is also hurt,” he added.  

Also on the list of proposed measures to be addressed is Senate Bill No. 27, which seeks to discourage Filipinos from smoking by requiring all tobacco products to bear pictures illustrating the ill-effects of smoking. Drilon and Senator Pia Cayetano are authors of the bill.

Likewise, the Senate also seeks to tackle Senate Bill No. 2138, which seeks to amend the Sandiganbayan by improving its systemic frailties and to hasten the disposition of cases in the anti-graft court.  

Drilon said the Sandiganbayan Bill is of the “utmost importance,” given  public sentiment against corruption in the highest levels of government. He said the enactment of the proposed legislation into law is vital in enabling faster and efficient prosecution of graft and plunder cases against erring public servants.

“SBN 2138 will be crucial in enforcing a speedier promulgation of cases involving corruption, thus helping create a system of deterrence where those who attempt to misuse public resources can expect to be immediately dealt with justice,” he said.

Other bills to be addressed on the floor include SBN 2042, which seeks to prohibit the development, production or stockpiling of chemical weapons in the country; SBN 914, which would regulate and modernize the Philippine’s practice of chemistry; SBN 2055, which seeks to regulate the practice of forestry; and SBN 2103, which seeks to regulate practice of metallurgical engineering in the country. Senator Cynthia Villar is also expected to sponsor a bill that will extend the Philippine National Railway's charter. 

Drilon said that the senators are expected to submit throughout the next few weeks a large number of committee reports to the plenary for deliberation, thus putting these on the path to becoming a law.

Legarda: No Time, Water To Waste as PHL Expects El Niño

MANILA-Senator Loren Legarda today said that there is no time to waste in getting ready for the El Niño phenomenon that is expected to hit the country in June, adding that this means Filipinos should start conserving water.

According to the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the El Niño may trigger drought and stronger storms.

“As the DOST has warned of an impending El Niño, we expect that government agencies have already set out programs to address the effects of this phenomenon. Foremost of our concerns is food security because prolonged drought would drastically cut down the production of local crops like rice, corn, sugar cane, vegetables and other agricultural products. It can also cause a decrease in fisheries yield,” said Legarda.

“Meanwhile, communities should also start water conservation programs. Households should avoid excessive water use and practice reusing water,” she added.

The Senator also urged local government units (LGUs) to put up rainwater harvesting facilities in all barangays as part of water conservation program. Such system would help address the country’s water shortage problem, particularly during the dry season, while making use of the excess water from rainfall.

“We are already experiencing hot temperatures, but rain showers occur every now and then. Manila was flooded yesterday due to heavy rain. A rainwater catchment system could have avoided or decreased the volume of flood,” she explained.

Legarda said that the creation of rainwater catchment basins is mandated by Republic Act 6716, a law enacted in 1989 that requires the construction of water wells, rainwater collectors, development of springs and rehabilitation of existing water wells in all barangays in the country.

“These catchment systems can be built using low-cost local materials. But while the system is not yet in place, the people can use drums to store rainwater especially in areas being frequented by rains. We just have to make sure that water is stored properly so it would not become a breeding place for mosquitoes,” she said.

Legarda also cited the proposal of environmental lawyer Antonio Oposa Jr. to create rainwater catchment ponds. Vacant land in low-lying areas can be excavated and turned into a pond or lake so that excess water from heavy rains or storms have a place to go. The proposal also includes growing fish to prevent the pond from becoming a breeding ground of mosquitoes and planting vegetables like kangkong and fruit-bearing trees like banana in the area surrounding the pond.

“We have to implement programs such as these water catchment basins that bring multiple benefits of water conservation, flood prevention and food production. Moreover, as we expect stronger storms due to El Niño, we have to strengthen disaster prevention programs and ensure that our early warning systems are in place and effective,” Legarda concluded.

JINGGOY URGES BLUE RIBBON TO OPEN PROBE ON MALAMPAYA SCAM

MANILA-Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada urged the Senate Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations (Blue Ribbon) to begin the inquiry on the alleged misuse of the Malampaya Fund.

 

Jinggoy, a member of the committee, said that the body might also be interested in uncovering the truth behind what is described as “worse than the fertilizer scam” which involves “amounts bigger than the pork barrel.”

 

Sen. Estrada cited that the committee already released last April 1 its report following the nine hearings on the so-called Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam. Committee Chairman Sen. Teofisto Guingona III also earlier pronounced that it is ready to shift focus to the investigation of the Malampaya Fund scam as “all of its goals were already achieved.”

 

The lawmaker further noted the problematic state of our energy sector from persistent power supply deficit and rotating brownouts to high costs of electricity as possibly the strongest evidence in the misuse of Malampaya funds which is used for the financing of energy-related programs.

 

Sen. Estrada questioned why up to now the Blue Ribbon has not started its investigation on the so-called Malampaya scam. "Sen. Guingona has repeatedly said that he was about to start investigating the Malampaya scam but has not done so yet,” Jinggoy said.

 

In a television interview yesterday after the press conference of the Office of the Ombudsman announcing the grant of immunity to Mrs. Ruby Tuason, Sen. Estrada questioned how the authorities computed the amount of 40 million pesos which was turned over by Tuason in favor of the government.

 

Tuason is believed to have played a major role in the Malampaya scam. In his privilege speech last March, Sen. Estrada disclosed that Tuason owns a property called “Malampaya Mansion,” referring to a posh house and lot located in Dasmariñas Village, Makati City.

  

“Tinawag po itong ‘Malampaya mansion’ ng mga malalapit kay Mrs. Tuason sapagkat ito ay isa sa mga katas diumano ng kanyang Malampaya kickbacks na sinasabing umabot sa halagang 242 million pesos,” Jinggoy said then in his speech.

 

Apart from this, Jinggoy revealed that Mrs. Tuason also set up Rubysons Corp., an eighty-million peso capitalized corporation which is supposed to be engaged in micro-business activities, and put up a high-end jewelry store in a plush hotel. In the same speech, Estrada also exposed Tuason’s other real estate properties – one at Las Vegas Country Club (worth 6.3 million pesos), one in Oakland, California (worth 150,000 dollars), one in Henderson, Nevada, another in Kawayan Cove in Cavite, townhouses in Alabang and Valle Verde.

 

Tuason was charged along with 21 others with plunder by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) before the Office of the Ombudsman in relation to the Malampaya fund scam.

Ecija vice gov denies mayoral bid, says he may even quit politics

GAPAN CITY, Nueva Ecija – Vice Gov. Jose Gay Padiernos on Thursday denied eyeing the mayorship of this city and said he may even consider quitting politics altogether in 2016.

          Speaking to reporters during this city’s fiesta and his birthday celebration in Barangay Mangino here, Padiernos, more commonly known as GP, said he has not disclosed his political plans even as reports continue to circulate that he has been eyeing the position of governor, congressman or even mayor of his hometown.

          His supposed mayoral bid has spread like wildfire in the social media, and he was abandoning a third and last term to give way to the vice gubernatorial bid of outgoing second district Rep. Joseph Gilbert Violago, a close personal friend.

          Violago, earlier rumored running for governor, is reportedly contemplating on seeking the vice governorship to give way to former three-term fourth district congressman Rodolfo Antonino, father of incumbent Rep. Magnolia Antonino.

          Padiernos’ non-politician wife was also designated hermana mayor during this city’s fiesta, further fanning speculations about his mayoral bid. 

          Padiernos, a close ally of outgoing three-term Gov. Aurelio Umali, dismissed such reports as speculations, saying he has never mentioned anything about his purported plan to seek the governorship, the House or the mayorship.    

          “The elections are still too far away so let us work first,” he said. He said his supposed political ambitions have long been the subject of much speculations, dating back to 2010 when he was first elected vice governor as Umali’s running mate.

          The governor has declared that his wife, outgoing third district Rep. Czarina, will run for governor and is eyeing Padiernos as running mate.

          Padiernos said the governor’s camp has asked him to make known his political plans by next month.

          Padiernos said that he has several political options. “Of course, if I chose to, I may run for governor, vice governor, congressman or mayor. But I may also opt to quit politics. I can do that if only not to disappoint people who have been egging me to run for any of these posts,” he said.

          He said he has been talking with the governor and assured the latter he has not arrived at any political decision at this point. “I told the governor that if I will run for governor, I will come up to him, shake his hand and tell him I am running. It will come directly from me, not from anybody else,” he said.

          Padiernos said he has also talked with Gapan Mayor Maricel Natividad and assured her he was not eyeing her post. He said he thanked her for supporting his wife as hermana mayor.

          “I just told Mayor Natividad that I won’t eye her post for as long as she won’t seek my post also,” he said.

          He said he has been friends with political personalities in the province, from Umali, Antonino, who defeated him in the 2007 congressional polls and Violago .

          He admitted, however, that he is not close to Cabanatuan Mayor Julius Cesar Vergara, a former ally of Umali.

          Earlier, Vergara said his wife may also run for governor if this is the clamor of leaders from the political opposition in the province. (Manny Galvez)

Legarda: Culture and Heritage Must Be Part of Development Policies

MANILA-Senator Loren Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Cultural Communities, today renewed her call to preserve Filipino culture and heritage and make it part of the country’s development policy.

“The Philippines is a nation endowed with rich and diverse culture. Among our cultural heritage are the various age-old structures, ethnic traditions, indigenous songs and dances, weaving traditions and other forms of folk arts. While the preservation of our heritage is a continuing challenge especially in this era of rapid technological advancements, it is a fact that our heritage is a fundamental source of socio-economic empowerment,” Legarda said as the country celebrates National Heritage Month this May.

The Senator cited the Historic City of Vigan as one of the best examples in making heritage preservation part of development.

“The Historic City of Vigan in Ilocos Sur brings people back in time and gives a bittersweet feeling as it reminds us of the challenges our ancestors had to overcome during the colonial rule, but the magnificent structures carefully preserved bring awe to visitors. The preservation of the Vigan heritage has not only contributed to the development of the city through gains in tourism but also brought honor to our country when the UNESCO awarded it the Best Practice for World Heritage Site Management in 2012,” she said.

Meanwhile, Legarda also said that more jobs can be generated in sectors related to preserving the country’s heritage.

“The restoration and conservation of the age-old structures in various parts of the country—baroque churches, heritage houses, colonial buildings and bridges—is an area where we can generate jobs for Filipinos skilled in building methods,” she said, noting that in 2013, several heritage churches were damaged and destroyed by the 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Bohol.

“When we have restored our colonial structures, we can further boost cultural tourism in our areas of heritage to produce more jobs and generate bigger income for our citizens and local governments,” said Legarda.

She added that a vocational school in Intramuros has been teaching skills related to building construction to disadvantaged but talented Filipino youth.

The Escuela Taller de Filipinas Foundation, Inc., an initiative of the Spanish Embassy in Manila, in partnership with its development agency AECID, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), TESDA and the Intramuros Administration, is a vocational school that specializes in masonry, carpentry, metal works, painting, plumbing woodcarving and stone carving, among others.

 

Students have been involved in revival projects for the historic quarter of Intramuros, establishment of Vigan Conservation Complex, rehabilitation of the Rice Terraces in Ifugao, restoration of colonial churches and bridges, and other related heritage restoration projects.

“The Escuela Taller can also contribute to a cultural revolution that we wish to advance through the establishment of folk art museums in provinces in the country. These folk art museums will be houses of heritage that will feature unique products of the provinces and their cultural music and performing arts,” Legarda said.

“I am certain that many citizens and groups in our country are also working towards cultural preservation. These may not be as big as the Historic City of Vigan, the Ifugao Rice Terraces or the Escuela Taller, but all our efforts when put together can usher a cultural renaissance and revitalize Filipinos’ love for our culture and heritage,” Legarda concluded.

Legarda: Use Technology in Building Resilience

MANILA-Senator Loren Legarda urged the use of technology in building the country’s resilience, stressing that making critical information on disaster risks and vulnerabilities available in the Internet could significantly boost the campaign to educate and inform citizens about natural hazards and how best they can prepare and prevent disasters.

Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Climate Change, made the call during her keynote speech at the Google Crisis Response Summit held at the SMX Convention Center on April 30, 2014.

The Senator highlighted the importance of Google’s Crisis Response tools that were presented at the forum and suggested that a “risk finder” tool would help strengthen efforts towards disaster resilience.

“Google’s crisis response tools—Person Finder, Crisis Map and Public Alerts—offer improved efficiency in early warning and disaster information dissemination by early forecasting with the aid of the Internet. While we appreciate the importance of these tools, I hope that demand for their use is taken over instead by a growing demand for—if I may suggest an application—a ‘Google Risk Finder’ that informs and encourages proactive interventions by all sectors and early action by everyone,” Legarda said.

She also stressed the need for convergence, vital not only among government agencies but also among stakeholders across all sectors, citing that the Department of Science and Technology’s Project NOAH, or Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards, of which Google Crisis Response is part, has been greatly helpful in disaster risk reduction and management efforts.

Legarda said that there should also be stronger partnership in information dissemination to ensure that these tools are used effectively.


“We have to make use of geohazard maps in urban and rural planning, including the relocation of vulnerable communities to safer places. We recall the tragedy that happened in Barangay Andap, New Bataan, Compostela Valley. Residents could have escaped the danger had they been aware that their community was located in a purple area in the geohazard map, which means it is highly susceptible to flooding, and had community and local officials addressed such risks way ahead,” she said.


Barangay Andap suffered the most number of casualties when Typhoon Pablo made landfall in Mindanao in 2012.


“Building resilience requires a risk-informed population. We could help our government sustain our country’s socio-economic gains, make a difference in poverty reduction and eventually ensure the achievement of sustainable development goals when perennial disaster losses are substantially reduced,” she said.


“There will be more typhoons, earthquakes and other natural hazards that will come our way. But, let us not be content in just having these systems for disaster response and relief. The challenge at hand is to do more and to do better in prevention and risk reduction,” Legarda concluded.

Drilon to aspiring lawyers: Lawyers must be problem solvers, not gladiators

MANILA-Senate President Franklin M. Drilon proposed a paradigm shift among the country’s lawyers to help address issues confronting the legal profession and advised the aspiring lawyers to refrain from misusing legal procedures to advance their own interest, as they only hamper the swift administration of justice in the country.

The Senate leader made the statement as he received the degree of Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa) from the University of the Philippines (UP) during the 2014 commencement exercises of the UP College of Law, where he was the guest of honor and keynote speaker.

Speaking before the graduating law students, Drilon encouraged the aspiring lawyers “to be problem solvers, rather than gladiators,” as there is a need to change the perspective of lawyers and judges as to the handling of legal disputes.

Drilon suggested that the time is ripe for lawyers to move away from being combatants: “Lawyers should be more result-oriented, rather than procedure-based.”

“Judges and lawyers should be more interested in attaining just results, rather than an overly strict compliance with rules. Legal disputes should be settled, not on the basis of who is more capable of using legal procedures to his advantage, but rather on the basis of who has a clear right in law,” he said.

He said that there is a need to recalibrate the process by which solutions to legal disputes are attained. 

“It is about time that we consider changing the way that our lawyers are trained. There may be merit to the proposition that law graduates should be required, or at the very least encouraged, to train in government positions that require the exercise of skills pertaining to alternative dispute resolution, such as conciliation and mediation,” he said.

“When lawyers face each other as gladiators, the result is always a winner-take-all situation. However, as officers of the court, the duty of lawyers is not merely to arrive at a determination of who wins and who loses. Rather, the duty of lawyers is to see to it that justice is done,” Drilon stressed.

The honorary title hailed Drilon for championing “good governance, the speedy administration of justice, and the protection of human rights,” throughout his years as a lawmaker in the Philippine Congress.

The honorary degree conferred by UP noted that the senator “complemented his legislative agenda with programs that enhanced the capacity of various sectors, as well as much-needed projects such as the construction of school buildings, repair and upgrading of public hospital facilities and the clean-up of the Iloilo River.”

The title lauded Drilon the most for “consistently upholding his principles and ideals, amidst hostile and forceful resistance, exemplifying integrity and competence in every facet of his professional and personal life.”

The conferment was led by UP President Alfredo Pascual and Chair Patricia Licuanan of the Commission on Higher Education.

The Senate chief expressed his “great sense of humility” as he accepted the honor bestowed upon him by the university: “To be honored in this grand manner -- conferment of Doctor of Laws Honoris Causa -- by my beloved alma mater was beyond my imagination when I graduated from this institution of learning four decades ago.”

“With immense pride and joy, I share this honor with my family and the people who have been with me in my journey. I dedicate this to my late father, Cesar Sr., who would have been 94 today,” he concluded.  

Drilon was a member of the class ‘69 of the UP College of Law, and was among the topnotchers of the 1969 Bar examinations. During his time a student, he was member of the editorial board of the Philippine Law Journal, associate editor of the Philippine Collegian, and councilor of the University Student Council.  

Drilon vows to steer passage of pro-labor laws

MANILA-Senate President Franklin M. Drilon vowed today that the Senate would work double time in enacting pro-worker legislation that will provide relief to the Philippine workforce and help improve their economic condition.

“As a gift to the millions of dedicated workers both from the public and private sectors, we commit to work on the immediate passage of various pending measures that will have a direct and significant impact to their lives,” said Drilon, a former labor secretary.

Drilon said that among the pending measures which will receive “urgent legislative attention” is the bill (Senate Bill No. 256) which seeks to raise the tax exemption limit on the 13th month pay and other work benefits of all workers in the public and private sector.

He added that the Senate is eyeing to pass the pro-labor bill within the year: “We will work double time in making sure that this piece of legislation will be enacted into law at the soonest in order to assist our workers in dealing with the effect of inflation, and to boost their morale and give them a renewed inspiration to excel in their works.” 

He thus urged the appropriate Senate committee to fast-track the hearing on Senate Bill No. 256, authored by Senate Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto, so that it can immediately be discussed on the floor.

The Senate intends to raise the exclusion limit on an individual’s 13th month pay and other work benefits from income taxation from the current imposed limit of P30,000 to P75,000, according to Drilon.

“It has been 20 years ago since the enactment of Republic Act No. 7833 that imposed the P30,000 cap on bonuses such as the 13th month pay, and things have greatly change since then, making the figures no longer reflective of current economic realities,” Drilon stressed.

Drilon also pointed to two measures currently pending in the Senate which seek to raise the allowances of members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police.

The Senate chief also said the Senate is open to proposals to increase the government workers’ salary to help them deal with the rising costs of living.

“Considering that the last tranche of salary increase under the Salary Standardization Law III took place two years ago, we recognize the government employees’ clamor to augment their wages, taking into account the increases in prices of basic commodities,” said Drilon.

In 2013, there were 1,205,375 government employees, he noted.

“We should study the proposal carefully and we should strike a reasonable balance between addressing the needs of our government employees and ensuring that we recover from budgetary deficit. If this would not be possible in the near term, we must explore other means and mechanisms which could bring our workers’ pay to equitable rates,” stressed Drilon.

“Our policy makers must ceaselessly look at parts of the National Budget which could permit and put into action sustainable salary augmentation, in a manner that would help our workers, yet would not result in budgetary deficit or decreases in other important sectors such as social and health services,” he emphasized.