Drilon to Congress: Be active on Bangsamoro basic law debate

Press Release
27 March 2014
Refer to :Jeeno Arellano

(09272286617)

“Take an active role in the crafting of the Bangsamoro Basic Law, and passionately debate on the most pertinent issues about the peace accord.”

Senate President Franklin M. Drilon issued this call to his colleagues in Congress and urged them to devote time and effort in scrutinizing the draft of the Bangsamoro Basic Law when it reaches Congress.

“Soon, the ball will be in Congress’ hands. It is the Congress that will ultimately shape and mold the piece of legislation which will breathe life to the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro,” emphasized Drilon, a former executive and justice secretary.

 “We cannot afford to err on this most-sought piece of legislation, if we truly want to secure this peace in Mindanao which we have now realized after decades of hostilities. It is therefore incumbent upon us to make sure that the efforts exerted by both panels will not be put in vain, by ensuring that the Bangsamoro Law falls within the four corners of the Constitution, and  that it can withstand judicial scrutiny,” Drilon stressed.

The Senate leader underscored that the law, which should be passed as early as possible, needs “to be responsive to the real and distinct problems and needs of the Bangsamoro people.”

“This measure should resolve social tensions, poor infrastructure, and lack of economic development in the region. It will demand from our lawmakers their utmost prudence, practicality and political acumen,” he added.

The Senate and the House of Representatives had earlier agreed to include the Bangsamoro Basic Law in their priority agenda, and both chambers committed to pass it by the end of 2014. “That is our target because we want to see 2015 as the year when we can submit this for ratification by the areas covered by the Bangsamoro Basic Law.”

The Senate leader is optimistic that the historic accord can effectively realize the promise of long-lasting peace and development for Mindanao.

Drilon congratulated the government, the OPAPP, and the MILF panels for having been able to complete “the almost-Herculean challenge of establishing peace in Mindanao,” saying that the whole affair has been made possible by a genuine desire for peace, justice and development by both sides.”

The senator noted that the agreement was defined by effective negotiations where both parties fully articulated their concerns, even against challenging and tensely divisive issues: “Both sides fully refused to walk away, and held on to peace when hate and division seemed the easier option.”    

“We achieve peace when we achieve understanding. And with the Bangsamoro agreement, we show the world that though shaped by our diversity, we are much more defined by our common dreams of peace, equality and prosperity as a nation,” Drilon said. 

-end-

Drilon: Iloilo’s progress possible for whole country

Press Release
12 March 2014
Refer to: Jeeno Arellano

Progress amid problems can be done with political will and effective partnerships, Senate President Franklin M. Drilon said, stressing that the significant developments made by Iloilo within a short period of time is proof that economic recovery and the achievement of developmental goals is indeed possible for the country.

The Senate leader, an Ilonggo native and a staunch supporter of the province, lauded the many signs of Iloilo’s growth as he spoke before various business leaders who attended the Iloilo Business Forum held at the Hotel Intercontinental, Makati on Wednesday, March 12, 2014.

The event showcases massive infrastructure developments and projects which represent a highly-energized and proactive economic policy that Iloilo City, along with the entire province, has undertaken in the past seven years.

In his speech, Drilon noted Iloilo’s rise from being a one of the provinces of the Visayan region with a gloomy economy to its current status as an economic dynamo poised to retake its spot as the premiere province on the entire southern part of the country.

“lloilo’s decline came to a point where its seaport was once described as the “armpit” of the Visayas, where it severely lost its economic luster. It was plagued by pitiful public services, haphazard economic ploys and poor infrastructure. In fact, the title, ‘Queen City of the South’, which once belonged to Iloilo, was transferred to Cebu more than a hundred years ago because of this,” he said.  

However, the senator said that the combination of a “united and result-oriented political leadership, and a highly cooperative and effective partnership with members of the private sector in Iloilo has led to monumental reforms and policy improvements, thereby transforming its economic fortune.

“We knew our strengths: our strategic location; our vast pool of talent; our abundant natural resources; and, a growing consumer market. Thus to reduce poverty and make our economy grow, Iloilo’s leaders turned to strategic infrastructure development as a means to more investments, which means more jobs,” he explained.

According to Drilon, the immense political resolve and thorough cooperation with the business partners like the Iloilo Economic Development Foundation has paid off, in the form of greatly perceivable leaps in infrastructure and economic developments in the province.

“Once-decrepit structures like the Iloilo International Airport and major roads like the Senator Benigno Aquino Avenue have been vastly revamped, while fishing wharfs and shipping ports are being updated to globally-competitive standards. The Iloilo River Esplanade and the Iloilo Convention Center are set to bring in unprecedented levels of local and international tourism revenues for the province,” he said.  

He added: “Meanwhile, Iloilo’s woes regarding its power supply has been resolved, and is now one of the information and communications technology (ICT) hotspots in the country, while its rapid urbanization is attracting the full line-up of the country’s biggest real estate firms and consumer brands – such as the Ayala Group and the SM group of companies.”

The Senate Chief also pointed to several big-ticket projects in Iloilo including the P11.2-billion Jalaur River Project, an infrastructure project expected to benefit 783,000 farmers in 25 of Iloilo's 42 municipalities, provide 17,000 jobs, and will eventually lead to the doubling of Iloilo’s rice production, from 142,000 to 300,000 tons annually.

The construction of a state-of-the-art convention center is part of a major campaign to improve the province’s capacity to host and accommodate international occasions such as 2015 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation ministerial meetings, and important domestic events.

There are also various ongoing road infrastructure projects which include the 14-kilometer, 4-lane Iloilo circumferential road, the 150-km Iloilo-Capiz-Aklan highway, and the widening of a 3-lined, 10-lane avenue. The projects are meant not only to relieve Iloilo of its traffic problems, but more importantly, to open hundreds of new areas for development.

“We will not stop pursuing our development goals because we want to show to the whole country that if it can be done in Iloilo, it can be done anywhere,” stressed Drilon.

“In Iloilo, we have proven that we can create change when we put our collective interests before our individual wants. In Iloilo, we are nurturing big dreams and are working hard to realize these dreams,” he emphasized.

Drilon said the developments in Iloilo can be applied in other parts of the country: “The story of Iloilo is not just the story of the Ilonggos. It is the story of Filipinos. This is the story of people who are determined to scale new heights of economic and social success.”

Lastly, Drilon expressed elation at the developments, which have “made Iloilo the 2nd most competitive city in the whole Philippines, and the number one in governance, as stated by the National Governance Council.”

In the 2013 SWS Survey of Enterprises on Corruption, Iloilo managers posted a satisfaction rating of 83 percent, the second highest, in terms of the city government’s efforts to promote a good business climate. Likewise, of the seven (7) areas outside of NCR that were surveyed, Iloilo businessmen are the most positive at 86 percent  calling their business prospects either good or excellent, ahead of Angeles City, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Cebu and Davao. ###

DZRH Radio Interview of Senate President Franklin M. Drilon

with Joe Taruc and Milky Rigonan

March 11, 2014

Q: Ano po ba ang mga napagtibay na mga panukala bago kayo magbreak sa Marso 15?

SPFMD: Yung pinaka-importanteng panukalang batas na ating ipinasa, yung Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill. Alam mo, ilang Kongreso na yan. Sabi nga ni Senator Grace Poe, apatnapu’t apat na senador at kongresista na ang nag-file ng kanya-kanyang versions, makalipas ng ilang taon na yan, ngunit kahapon po naipasa natin sa Senado. Ipinangako namin, ang Freedom of Information Bill, at ang Bill na ito ay ating makikitang magiging deterrent sa katiwalian sa gobyerno, dahil ibubukas natin sa publiko ang impormasyon hinggil sa kung paano tumatakbo ang pamahalaan. Malaking bagay po ito.

Alam mo Joe, Milky, may tinatawag na sunshine principle, kung saan sinasabi nila, yung mga mikrobyo ay namamatay pag nasisinagan ng araw. Dito, sa pamamagitan ng FOI Bill, masisinagan ng araw at liwanag ang pagpapatakbo natin sa pamahalaan. Ang mga dokumento of public interest ay pwedeng hilingin ng sino mang mamamayan, kaya isang malaking laban po ito sa demokrasya at sa katiwalian.

Q: Ang FOI napagtibay natin sa Senado Mr. Senate President, pero hindi siya kaakibat ng right to reply pa?

SPFMD: Hindi po kasama yan kasi yan naman ay tungkol sa press freedom, hindi po dito sa FOI. Ito pong Freedom of Information Bill ay nagbibigay ng implementasyon doon sa karapatan ng taong bayan na alamin kung ano ang nangyayari sa pamahalaan na nakalagay sa ating Saligang batas.

Q: Hindi naman kaila sa ating kaalaman din napagtibay ito ng Senado, datapwa’t yung Kamara de Representante ay hindi napagtitibay, kahit last minute hindi pa rin napagtitibay. Ngayon, napakabagal at nakikita natin, ni wala pa sa first base itong panukala sa Kamara. Ano po ang mangyayari ngayon?

SPFMD: In fairness to the House, itong nakaraang Kongreso, naipasa din namin ito sa Senado towards the end of the session na, kaya hindi na nagkaroon ng panahon. Malaala ko, si Senator Gringo Honasan ang nagpasa nito, although in the last few months of the last Congress, kaya hindi po umabot.

Ngayon, siguro, kung may panahon, hindi naman po agad-agad – na halimbawa, kailangan bukas maipasa ito. Ito po ay pag-uusapan pa ng husto sa House, at sa aming regular meeting ni Speaker Belmonte, kasama ang kanyang Majority Leader at Minority Leader, sa House. Buwan-buwan kami nagmimeeting, tuwing ito po ay nasa aming agenda. Ito ay ating imomonitor sa lalong madaling panahon.

Q: Kahit na hindi ito isa sa mga sinertipikahan bilang urgent, o certified po ba ito?

SPFMD: Hindi po cinertify ito sa amin, ngunit ito po ay naipasa on second reading nuong Miyerkules nuong nakaraang Linggo, kaya we have had enough time.

Q: Kaya lang dito sa Kamara, hindi yata priority ang FOI sapagkat ang number one priority ay Cha-Cha.

SPFMD: Well, pinangako naman ni Speaker Belmonte na ito ay tatalakayin sa House. Tama po yan, inuuna nila yung Cha-Cha dahil sa tingin nila ito ay makakatulong din sa ating bansa, lalo na sa ating paglalago ng ating mga investment.

Q: Mabuti nagmenor ng kaunti yung Kamara de Representantes at Mayo pa raw magkakaroon ng deliberation tungkol dito, pero dito sa Senado, napapansin namin, tahimik po ang mga kagawad ng Senado tungkol dito sa Cha-Cha.

SPFMD: Ang usapan namin dito Joe, uunahin namin ang FOI Bill. Sa Kamara, uunahin nila ang Cha-Cha. Pagkatapos nila ng Cha-Cha, kung maipasa nila yung Cha-Cha, aming tatalakayin sa Senado. Yan po ang usapan namin ni Speaker Belmonte. Yan po ang binigyan muna namin ng prayoridad dito, ang FOI Bill, kaya nauna naming ipinasa itong FOI Bill, ngunit dahil po sa aming pagpupulong buwan-buwan, marami po kaming nako-coordinate, halimbawa, yung MARINA Bill. Yan po ay magiging batas na, at naipasa namin dahilan sa closer coordination ng dalawang kapulungan. Nasa Pangulo na po yung MARINA Bill, na makakatulong upang hindi na mailagay sa alanganin ang kabuhayan ng higit sa walumpung-libong tripulante sa Europa.

Ganoon din po, at tayong ipinasa yung Go Negosyo Bill, na inisponsor ni Senator Bam Aquino, para po matulungan at maproteksiyunan ang ating micro, small and medium enterprises o MSMEs. Yan po ay kung saan animnapu’t-anim na porsiyento ng ating mga manggagawa ay nasa sector po ng mga micro, small and medium enterprises.

Ganun din po, yung extradition treaty ng Pilipinas sa mga gobyerno ng United Kingdom, Spain at India, atin pong naratify na. Ilang taon na rin po itong naka-binbin, at matagal na pong naratify ng England ang kanilang version, at ng Spain ang kanilang version, tayo po ay nahuli kaya atin pong pinaspasan. Ito po ay isang batas na makakatulong para maipasulong natin ang ating justice system. Pag may mga kriminal dito sa ating bansa na tumakbo sa United Kingdom, sa Spain, o India, pwede po nating hilingin ang pagbalik nila dito sa ating bansa upang harapin ang kanilang mga kasalanan.

Q: Sa madaling salita, Mr. Senate President, sa kabila po ng mga privilege speeches, sa kabila ng mga investigations, kahit paano yung trabaho ng Senado, nakikita natin kung paano gumagana?

SPFMD: Tama po yan, at akin namang sinasabi sa aking mga kasamahan, kasama sa tungkulin natin yung pag-iimbestiga in aid of legislation, ngunit ang ating pangunahing tungkulin sa taongbayan ay maipasa yung mga batas na kailangan ng ating mga kababayan, kaya yan po ang ating ginagawa. Notwithstanding all these noise about investigations, at batikos na puro imbestigasyon ang ginagawa, atin pong pinapakita sa taong bayan na yung ating pangunahing tungkulin na maipasa yung mga batas na kakailanganin natin sa ekonomiya, sa ating anti-corruption, sa ating justice system, sa hanapbuhay ng ating mga manggagawa, atin pong binibigyan ng kaukulang pansin.

Q: Mr. Senate President, nabanggit nyo nga yung accomplishment ng Senado, pero magbabakasyon na ulit ang session, ano po ba yung mahahalagang dapat balikan na Bills ng Senado once na magresume ang session. Kayo po yung tumutulak para sa review ng EPIRA law.

SPFMD: Yan po ay nasa Committee on Energy, wala pa po sa amin, Yung isa po sa ating itutulak, yung bill ukol sa Graphic Based Warning on Cigarette Packs. Yun po, kung inyong maalaala, ito po yung batas na isinusulong namin ni Senator Pia Cayetano na siyang maglalagay ng picture based warning, yung baga na nasisira dahilan po sa paninigarilyo. Yan po ang ating bigyan ng pansin pagbalik namin. Ipapasa po namin itong Graphic Based Warning on Cigarette Packs.

Amin ding tatalakayin yung hindi na po bubuwisan ang 13^th month pay ng ating mga manggagawa hanggang P75,000. Ngayon, hanggang P30,000 lang, ating itataas ito. Gayun din, pagbalik namin, yung Sandiganbayan Bill ay isang batas po o panukala na ating sinusulong para po mapabilis ang kaso sa Sandiganbayan. Ngayon po, Milky, mga pitong taon bago matapos ang isang kaso kaya ang ating ginagawa, ay ating binabago ang batas para mapabilis ang paglilitis ng mga kaso sa Sandiganbayan. 

Q: Yung isang texter natin, Mr. Senate President, sabi ay masyado daw kayong aligaga sa trabaho sa Senado, baka makaligtaan ninyo, malapit na ang 2016. Mayroon po ba kayong balak para sa 2016?

SPFMD: Alam mo, pag usaping pulitika, nagagalit ang taongbayan. Ngayon pa lang ay marami nang nagpoposisyon sa 2016, kaya po ako ay nagsusumikap na maipaliwanag sa taongbayan na kami po sa Senado ay nagtatrabaho muna. Sa ngayon po, ating sinisikap na maipasa yung mga panukalang batas na makakatulong sa ating bansa.

Q: Pero marami rin kayong kasama na aligaga rin sa pulitika.

SPFMD: Ok lang sa akin yun basta gawin nila nga trabaho nila.

Q: Marami nang nagpahayag ng interest diyan sa Senado, pero malabo ba yung kumbinasyon na Mar-Drilon daw po?

SPFMD: Susmaryosep! Anong kumbinasyon? Saan po gagawin? Hindi po siguro sa karera sa kabayo? ###                                        

Drilon: Extradition treaties with three countries to help gov’t war against transnational crimes

Press Release

04 March 2014

Refer to: Jeeno Arellano

Senate President Franklin M. Drilon underscored that the passage of an extradition treaty between the Philippine and three countries particularly with the United Kingdom is essential to government’s effort to fight criminality, especially those related to child trafficking and prostitution.

Drilon said it is high time that the long-delayed extradition treaties with the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland (UK), Spain and India be upheld.  

Drilon said he agreed with Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, Senate foreign relations committee chair, who earlier said that there is no longer need for the senators to prolong talks on the treaties. Instead, Drilon added, the Senate should now proceed on affirming its concurrence in the ratification of these international agreements.

The treaties with these three countries were not approved during the 15^th Congress due to the unfortunate lack of quorum when they were under consideration, Drilon noted.

The Senate leader said that the country must be better-equipped in legally dealing with foreign individuals allegedly involved in child prostitution cases.

He pointed to grave criminal cases involving foreigners operating in the country, saying that “these should compel local authorities and their foreign counterparts to swift, decisive action.”

He referred to a BBC investigation on child pornography in the Philippines which revealed that several British nationals organized the systematic sexual abuse of Filipino children. The report followed a British-led international police operation across 14 countries busted a pedophile ring which preys on Filipino children, with 139 British nationals among the 733 suspects.    

Drilon said that the involvement of the Philippine police, who worked with UK National Crime Agency, along with members of the Australia, United States police force in the operation could have been improved had an extradition treaty with Britain been in effect. 

“With the extradition treaties with Britain, Spain and India in place, we would be able to fully coordinate with their administrative and security agencies, resulting in the much more efficient rule of law against criminals,” said Drilon, who had served as justice secretary.

The Senate chief then urged his fellow legislators to work towards the immediate passage of the three treaties “to finally put into effect our agreements with other countries, which the government has entered into principally to uphold our national integrity and interests.”

“As lawmakers of the land, we need to ensure that the Philippine legal system protects our citizenry against evil deeds perpetrated by foreign individuals, and that no injustice to any Filipino goes unmet, even those made by people wearing different flags,” Drilon said.  ###