JOVE FRANCISCO (JF): Good afternoon, Senator Chiz.
SENATOR CHIZ ESCUDERO (CHIZ): Hi Jove, Patrick, sa lahat ng ating tagasubaybay magandang hapon sa inyong lahat. Good afternoon.
JF: Suot mo ba? May suot ka ba?
PATRICK PAEZ (PP): Senator, meron ba?
CHIZ: Hindi naman daw tatanggalin kahit walang suot. With regards though, it was initiated by the employees of the senate. Hindi naman sa amin so inimbitahan din ‘yung ibang senador na magsuot. Pero maroon siya, nasa harapan ni Senador Jinggoy ngayon. Maroon siya, baka kasi UP Maroons kaya.
JF: Ayon!
PP: Oo, Fighting Maroons. Parang ganoon, Senator ‘no? Fighting Maroons. Senator, medyo palaban ang Senado ngayon. I mean, I guess, it’s should. We say, existentially, the challenge facing the Senate right now?
CHIZ: Well, because at the heart of the subject matter of the people’s initiative is a change in our bicameral system. Basically, binabago nila ‘yung check and balance na nakasaad sa ating Saligang-Batas. Kung saan, wala ng papel tulad ng dati ang Senado kapag papalitan ng probisyon ng Konstitusyon pero ‘yung papel niya sa pagpapalit ng pangalan ng kalye sa isang barangay ay nandopn pa rin. Hindi naman maaari ‘yon, kaya hindi na naming sinasabi ito’y hindi amendment, ito’y revision na hindi saklaw ng people’s initiative sa ilalim mismo ng ating Saligang-Batas.
PP: OK, very clear. So, there should be a distinction, ‘no? That’s what you’re saying Senator na ‘pag people’s initiative, dapat hindi kasama doon ‘yung substantive talaga doon sa Constitution?
CHIZ: Well, I’ll try to make it clearer, Patrick. Sa ilalim ng ating Saligang-Batas, may provision doon na sinasabi puwedeng palitan ang Constitution revised or amend through Con-Con and Con-Ass.
PP: OK.
CHIZ: Puwede rin ‘yan amyendahan through people’s initiative. So maliwanag, sa probisyon mismo na hindi available ang revision sa people’s initiative. Ngayon sa kaso ng Lambinos ng Korte Suprema sinabi at niliwanag din niya noon. Kapagka ang pagbabago sa Saligang-Batas ay makakaapekto sa system of government or system of checks and balances, hindi ‘yan pupwede sa isang people’s initiative. Sa katunayan ‘yung 2020 rules ng COMELEC na sinaad nila, in-adopt ‘yung ruling ng Supreme Court sa Lambino. Nakalagay specifically sa section 8 paragraph 8 ng COMELEC rules, bawal ang revisions sa people’s initiative.
JF: OK.
PP: OK.
JF: Senator Chiz, reaction lang no, dahil may dalawang development even before itong presscon ng Senate leadership tsaka ng mga naging pahayag ng ilang senador. First, ‘yung nangyari sa COMELEC kanina sa pagsabi nila na hindi na muna sila tatanggap ng mga pirma at pangalawa ay ‘yung assurance sa binigay ni PBBM kay Senate President Migz Zubiri na magre-reach out siya sa Lower House to say na itigil na ‘yung people’s initiative. So, magandang sign ba ito para sa inyo? I think so, dahil ano at least merong development do’n sa inyong push.
CHIZ: Well, not really for us only, Jove, but for the country as well. Tumataas na siya masyado ‘yung level ng political na ingay na hindi maganda para sa ating pamahalaan, hindi maganda para sa ating bansa, hindi maganda para sa ating ekonomiya. ‘Yung mga nangyayari ngayong umaga, ‘yung pag-uusap ni Pangulong Marcos at Senate President Zubiri gayundin ‘yung pasya ng COMELEC ay positibong mga development para ma-diffuse itong namumuong bangayan. Ano itong usong term ngayon “bardagulan” na hindi natin gusto at hindi natin kailangan kung ninanais nating dugtungan ang ating kailangan ng ating bansa.
PP: OK. Senator, we’re seeing an unprecedented show of unity among senators. Among ano, the so-called “24 independent republics” in the Senate. May minsan lang ata mangyari ito.
JF: Kayo na daw ang “Uniteam.”
PP: You know Senator, help our viewers understand the gravity of the political situation right now in this country.
CHIZ: Well, to begin with, although 24 independent republics nga ‘yan sa pagdating naman sa isyu maraming kaming pinagkakaisa at kabilang na ito. Pangalawa, hindi puwedeng tawaran siyempre ang liderato ni Senate President Zubiri na nagyaya dito sa medyo magulo at masungit na mga tubig at panahon ang Senado para tumayo bilang isang institusyon.
JF: I guess we have to let go unless you have another question, Patrick.
PP: One more question Senator, you were there at that meeting in the Palace. The meeting was supposed to be LEDAC, and nothing happened. How was that meeting? How did that meeting go with the president? Was that a concerning point?
CHIZ: No, I was not but I was briefed by my fellow senators that instead of having a joint LEDAC they had a separate LEDAC. Hiwalay na pinulong ni Pangulong Marcos ang Senado at ang Kamara at hindi naman talaga nagkaroon ng LEDAC. ‘Yun palang siguro parang ominous na ‘yon sa parte ng Pangulo na sa layunin ng Kamara na maging joint ang voting sa pag-amyenda ng Saligang-Batas ‘yung mga dapat dun i-joint ay hindi nagiging joint tulad na lamang ng LEDAC.
PP: OK. I guess Senator ang tanong ko, it seems for those of us looking from the outside it seems that things kinda of deteriorated from that meeting on.
CHIZ: Yes, because up to that time the Senate was still hopeful that there will be meaningful dialogue and that the House will understand where the Senate is coming from on this matter but the response, we got was nothing short of a denial, na wala daw silang kinalaman do’n. Hindi ko nilalahat, Patrick and Jove, marahil may ilang mambabatas naman talagang left out in the dark pero maliwanag na ang liderato ng Kamara ang nanguna rito base na rin sa mga nilabas naming mga resibo. Base na rin sa mga pag-uusap na ginawa ni Senate President Zubiri kay Speaker Martin Romualdez.
PP: Were there assurances from the president na hindi matutuloy ‘tong people’s initiative na ito or were the assurances not enough or were there other revelations during that meeting with the President?
CHIZ: I’m not really [aware] anymore, Patrick. It will be better to ask it straight from the horse’s mouth that will be Senate President Zubiri. But what’s clear is that nothing came out of it really at that time. And that we welcome the statements made by the president when he met with Senate President Zubiri this morning.
JF: OK. With that we have to thank our guest na si Senator Chiz Escudero. Alam namin na kailangan mo nang pumunta sa session hall baka ma-absent ka pa, ‘no. Thank you very much Senator!
PP: Maraming salamat, Senator.
CHIZ: Thank you, Patrick. Thank you, Jove. Magandang hapon sa ating mga televiewers.