QUESTION (Q): (inaudible)
SENATOR FRANCIS ‘CHIZ’ G. ESCUDERO (CHIZ): We have seven reelectionists, even if they are busy, we will still have the remaining number of senators, numbering 16, if all. But I believe that they will still attend the session because it’s only 3 days a week until September 28, a month recess, and resumes again before the break. Next year, we only have, I think, 5 weeks’ worth of sessions to pave the way for the respective campaigns of our colleagues. In total, we will have 70 session days, and if we are able to muster Thursday session days, then that will add another 23.
Q: So hindi ba kabawasan Sir, ‘yung 7 reelectionists s—
CHIZ: —Well, gaya ng sinabi ko, hindi naman sila palaging wala at mawawala dahil alam at nalalaman naman nila ang trabahong kailangan patuloy nilang gampanan dito sa Senado.
Q: Sir, related to that, ibig sabihin ‘yung Thursday session gagawin niyo, Sir?
CHIZ: We will propose it, but we have discussed it initially with the members. But we will be proposing it formally within this week.
Q: Are the members amenable to it?
CHIZ: Yes, so far.
Q: (inaudible) Hindi ba dapat nasa session dapat pareho ‘yung—
CHIZ: —Hindi totoo ‘yon. Hindi kailangang meron din sila sa araw na ‘yon dahil sususpindehin lamang ng Senado ang sesyon nila para sa Huwebes at magre-resume lamang muli kami ng Huwebes with the quorum that existed the day before. The House also usually does that when I was still a member of the House a decade ago.
Q: Sabi niyo, iiwasan muna ‘yung mga panukalang magdi-divide sa taumbayan. What happened to controversial bills like the Divorce Bill and Death Penalty Bill?
CHIZ: It will proceed, I don’t consider them controversial. I do not consider them controversial. It will just have to go through the test of the legislative process and mill. I think one is with the committee and one is pending in plenary already.
Q: Sir, ano ‘yung ibig sabihin nang sinabi niyo kanina na “quality over quantity”?
CHIZ: That is always been the tradition in Senate. Palagi naman sa mahabang panahon, maski bahagi ako ng House pa noong 1998 up to 2007, palagi naman talagang mas maraming bill na naipapasa ang Kamara kumpara sa Senado. Pero madalas sa madalas ay ‘yung batas o ‘yung bersyon na ipinapasa ng Senado ang karamihan ay siyang nasusunod at kinakatigan ng Kamara dahil mas mahabang oras ang nagugugugol ng Senado para patalasin, pahusayin, linisin at tiyakin na makakatulong talaga ‘yon sa taumbayan.
Q: (inaudible) considering na may mga individual priorities ‘yong mga senador?
CHIZ: Again, as I said, it will not only be the LEDAC measures but also the measures of the House and of the individual members of the Senate. Hindi lang naman kami taga-stamp ng approve gaya ng sinabi ko kanina nagpo-propose din naman kami at marami din batas na nanggagaling sa Senado at hindi ipinanukala lamang ng Executive branch.
Q: Sir, ‘yung Charter Change (inaudible) meaning normal process na lang.
CHIZ: Ire-refer naming sa komite ni Senator Robin Padilla where it belongs, the Committee on Constitutional Amendments. Sa katunayan nag-hearing na si Senator Padilla kaugnay nito kung maaalala niyo bago nagbuo ng special committee sa ilalim ni then senator now Secretary Angara.
Q: It means, Sir, it’s not a priority bill?
CHIZ: It’s not a priority for me, and since it was not mentioned in the LEDAC, I don’t think it’s a priority of the LEDAC or the Executive either.
Q: Sir, why did you feel or bakit inuna niyo po talaga siya doon sa speech ninyo?
CHIZ: Actually, hindi siya inuna, bandang—sa hinaba-haba ng sinabi ko, ikaw naman.
Q: Or why did you feel—
CHIZ: Hindi ko inuna, kinailangan lang banggitin, dahil imbes na kulitin niyo ako ngayon pagkatapos ‘di maganda ng banggitin doon bago. Dahil tiyak ko, bahagi din naman ‘yon ng tatanungin niyo sa akin ngayon o makalawa.
Q: Sir, what do you consider (inaudible)
CHIZ: Well, you’ve seen it, the Cha-Cha. That’s why in relation to the speech I mentioned it right after that.
Q: Sir, wasted lang ‘yung time spent and resources spent during the hearings—
CHIZ: For me, debate is never wasted. Debate, whatever debates, whatever words spoken, and whatever information given during the hearings form part of the records and analysis of the Senate and can be called again whenever it is needed or necessary. Because often, resource persons invited by the Senate in times past are no longer available or may not be available when it is heard again by the Senate in the future Congress.
Q: Sir, hindi controversial ‘yung Death Penalty and Divorce Bill sabi niyo, but will be prioritized?
CHIZ: No. No, it will not but it’s not necessarily mean that it will not be tackled. I’ll give you an example, when I was the chairman of Committee on Higher Education, I disagreed with the ROTC, but I assigned it to a subcommittee so that it will go through the ordinary process of legislation kaya nga umabot sa plenaryo. Kaya lang nag-interpelate ako, siyempre, at kung dumating sa punto ng botohan boboto ako laban doon pero personal na pananaw ko ‘yon, hindi porke’t pananaw ko ‘yan, ‘yan na rin ang pananaw ng 22 pang iba pang mga senador. Again, I said it before and I will say it again, I do not consider myself primus inter pares or the first among equals. I see myself merely as one of 23 trying to guide them to perform their, our respective duties and mandates.
Q: (inaudible)
CHIZ: Again, it will pass through the committee process. Let it be taken up in the committee regularly. Nagkakaroon lamang ng mga special committee, ‘di ba, kung may minamadali o may conflict of interest ang chairman. Bilang halimbawa nga, ‘yung ROTC Bill na nag-assign ako ng subcommittee bilang halimbawa itong RBH bills at bilang halimbawa din ‘yong mining bill na in-assign sa ibang senador din upang sa gayon ay hindi magkaroon ng conflict of interest ‘yong chairman na si Senator Gatchalian.
Q: (inaudible)
CHIZ: Mali ‘yung premise ng katanungan ng grupo. Ulitin ko, maliban na lang kung may sinasabi sila, may pinanggalingan ka ang Senado ay binubuo lamang tulad ng sinabi ko sa aking talumpati na iisang grupo mayorya man o minority kontra man sila o pabor sa mga indibidwal na panukalang batas na tatalakayin naming.
Q: (inaudible)
CHIZ: Wala akong nakikitang ganoon sa mga susunod na araw at linggo at umaasa ako na walang ganoon at kaya bawasan niyo na rin ‘yung pag-intriga sa bagay na ‘yon. Dahil sa inyo lang naman nagmumula ‘yan sa ngayon at hindi sa kanila.
Q: Talaga?
CHIZ: Sa ngayon.
Q: (inaudible)
CHIZ: Then it is not for me to answer that question.
Q: (inaudible)
CHIZ: I don’t think that is the case, but again it’s not for me to say.
Q: (inaudible)
CHIZ: Not for me to say again. I don’t think I’m the person, the right person to ask these questions.
Q: (inaudible)
CHIZ: Mga darling, kinukumplika niyo ang buhay, whether they are in the Majority or the Minority, they can vote whichever way they want and you’ve seen it. You’ve seen members of the Minority support an administration and vote for an administration bill. You’ve seen members of the Majority vote against an administration bill. So, to my mind,that is irrelevant because, as I said, each and every member of the Senate—all 23 of us now—have their own respective principles and beliefs and will vote according to what they believe is right, regardless of the branding media or anyone else would like to make. As Majority, Minority, administration or opposition, each bill will voted upon by each member individually and always separately as you have seen as well. And they will not be dictated by these titles usually given according to them.
Q: (inaudible)
CHIZ: What’s the definition of majority?
Q: (inaudible)
CHIZ: No. What’s the definition of “majority” in Congress?
Q: (inaudible)
CHIZ: The definition of “majority” in Congress, means you voted for the winning Speaker or Senate President. The definition of “Minority” is that you voted for another candidate for Senate President or Speaker. That is the parliamentary definition. Now if you look at what happened in the last session, when we voted, only two took exception to the election of the new Senate President, after the vote via acclamation.
Q: (?) still part of the Majority as of now.
CHIZ: Again, it’s not for me—kayo naman, obvious na galing na nga sa inyo ‘yan—okay na? O, sige na tuloy mo na darling.
Q: (?) the commonsense is not common. Ano ‘yong pinaghuhugutan natin doon, Sir?
CHIZ: Hindi ba? Hindi ba natin nakikita madalas sa pamahalaan ‘yon? Hindi ba natin nakikita sa mga desisyon ng pamahalaan ‘yon? Hindi ng Executive lamang minsan ng Kongreso din, minsan ng ibang ahensiya din ng pamahalaan, kabilang na kami minsan sa nawawalan nun. May mga pagkakataon naman talaga, rason para balik-tanawan natin ‘yong pangangailangang palaging isaisip at magkaron n’on.
Q: (inaudible) i-expedite niyo po ba ‘yong mga hearings—
CHIZ: —We will follow the schedule that is agreed upon by the Senate, balancing the interest of every member to interpellate and debate the provisions and following the timeline, as well, to make sure it will be approved before the end of the year and that the President will be able to sign it before the end of the year.
Q: Sir, sa ibang issue naman I just want to get your reaction China and Philippines have reached an arrangement sa pagsasagawa ng resupply mission ang sinasabi po ng Chinese Foreign Ministry kailangan i-inform muna ng Philippines ‘yung China before conducting the (inaudible)
CHIZ: Bersyon nila ‘yon. Ang importante, nagkaroon ng kasunduan. Unawain ninyo, unawain natin may kanya-kanyang domestic audience ang China at ang Pilipinas. May kanya-kanya sila syempreng bersyon at pananaw din kaugnay sa anumang pag-uusap o kasunduan na meron sila. Sa panig at parte ko, ang palagi kong pakikinggan syempre ay ‘yong panig ng Pilipinas at hindi ng anumang panig pa. So anuman ang bersyon, pananaw at paninindigan ng DFA kaugnay sa bagay na ‘yan ‘yan ang magiging bersyon, paninindigan at pananaw din ng inyong Senado.
Q: Sir, however, hindi ho kasi in-specify ng DFA kung ano ‘yung arrangement—
CHIZ: I was not there it’s up for the DFA to clarify it, if at all. We were not there, but as best as we can we will serve as a bridge as I said earlier over—hindi ako marunong kumanta ng “Bridge over Troubled Waters”—that we currently have about the West Philippine Sea.
Q: (inaudible)
CHIZ: Ayaw mo nun, nagkasundo na kahit papaano. Kaysa naman nag-aaway.
Q: Napag-usapan niyo na, Sir, kung ano ang acceptable for you na price—
CHIZ: Not yet. I think the recommendation of Senator Cayetano is forthcoming this August or before the month of August ends. So, hopefully, we will have that and we will make sure to make it made known and made public not only to the members but to our people as well.
Q: (inaudible) price cap for the building?
CHIZ: No. Kasi unfair naman na mag-price cap kami tapos hindi tapos para lang namin niloko ang sarili naming at hindi rin naaayon sa commonsense ‘yon. ‘Yung kailangang gastusin upang matapos ng, ayon nga kay Senator Nancy, maski na papaano ay maganda at hindi naman pangit pero kung kaya namin pababain, papababain namin ‘yon. Pero ayoko lang pangunahan kung hangang magkano. ‘Yan ang sinisikap gawin ngayon ng kumite ni Senator Cayetano. Bakit hindi pa ba kayo masaya sa ganito gusto niyo pa talaga lumipat? Medyo okay-okay naman na.
Q: ‘Yung somewhat new look or renovated portions ng—
CHIZ: It’s not. We spent very little on these, actually. Most of these were only maintenance work and maintenance jobs and basically rearranging. So hindi ganoon kalaki ang ginastos o gagastusin ng Senado para panatilihin din ito. ‘Yung mga paintings na nakikita niyo, ‘yung mga picture hiniram lamang ‘yan mula sa National Museum at sa CCP. These are merely on loan. Practice na rin ‘to para sa atin para kapag lumipat tayo sa bago nating gusali na ‘wag na rin tayong gumastos sa painting muna na rin sa kanila on loan. Sa dami naman kasi talaga ng taong dumaraan at nagpupunta rito, hindi ba magamit na rin nilang gallery ito para ma-display ang mga painting lang naman nilang nakatago lang sa bodega? Dagdag pa dito, nag-usap na rin kami ng National Museum at CCP na pangungunahan nila ang kompetisyon pareho sa mga dalubhasa at magagaling na pintor at sa mga amateur na pintor para ‘yon na rin ang idi-display natin matapos ang kompetisyon sa bagong building natin. It will be thematic, so it will reflect the dreams and aspirations of the people with their Senate. Halimbawa, “the Senate, Now and Beyond”, “What to you is the Senate?”, “What should be done in the Senate,” and the other topics. We will make it topical and the sizes will conform to the walls where you will place the paintings.
Q: Do you expect the Chamber to be more productive?
CHIZ: We are always hopeful whenever we resume sessions that we will be. But we can only do our best and I will not make any promises.