SENATOR KOKO PIMENTEL (KP): What could have been the serious concern? Mr. President, may we inform the Chairman on what has been the serious concern which costs all of these strange and unusual paths that this measure has followed, Mr. President?
SENATE PRESIDENT FRANCIS ‘CHIZ’ G. ESCUDERO (CHIZ): Mr. President—
SENATOR JINGGOY ESTRADA (JE): Senate President.
CHIZ: Thank you, Mr. President. With the permission of our distinguished Minority Floor Leader, when this representation became, this Chamber’s Senate President, I represented the Chamber—among others, among other members, in the LEDAC—I precisely brought this matter up because this is not the first time, insofar this has been a concern. That the bill has been ratified in bicam, by both Chambers, not only by the Senate. And then reconsidered and then reconstituted. In fact, we noticed that we saw that only a couple of days ago, the veto message of the President, with respect to the PNP Reform Bill.
What I said at LEDAC, Mr. President, your Honor, unfortunately, the Minority Leader was indisposed at that time, was this: I told the President and everybody there that any bill that is vetoed is the best evidence that either the PLLO is not doing its job or there is no clear coordination between the Senate, the House, and the Executive.
Because I’ve been in Congress, Mr. President, for nine years and in the Senate for fourteen years, quite frankly I rarely see a bill being vetoed by any sitting president. Rarely, if at all. Because a bill will not be even voted upon, supposedly, and reach third reading even, not even bicam, unless concerns, and inputs, suggestions from the Executive are put in place. So, if Congress does not want these suggestions, then we will not approve it. If we do, then Congress will approve it and send it to the President. If the President intimates that he does not want a particular bill, Congress can still go ahead and pass it and let it be vetoed, fine, but that rarely occurs.
But Mr. President, it’s a waste of energy, quite frankly, for us to keep on passing on bills that the President will veto anyway. Hence, I brought up at LEDAC and I asked for an increased coordination between the Executive and Congress, on the other hand, mainly the House and the Senate to avoid these occurrences.
Since we resumed, Mr. President, and it’s only been a one week. Wala pa naman tayong ginagawang gaanong bicam pa uli and LEDAC was done during the recess. And, hopefully, we will be able to avoid those circumstances because mechanisms have been put in place for an increased role of the PLLO, insofar as making known the positions, not only of the Executive department but of the Palace itself, on certain outputs of both the House and the Senate to precisely avoid this situation happening again in the future. Or worse, of measures being vetoed by the President and putting for naught the efforts poured into, poured in at the time, poured in by members of both the Senate and the House. I hope that satisfies our good Minority Floor Leader.
JE: There are Senators who propose a representative from the PLLO must be present during our session and I don’t see any representative from the Office of the PLLO.
CHIZ: Mr. President, if I may, it’s not only the presence of the PLLO but actually that command and baton of the PLLO. Because as you very well know, Mr. Presiding Officer, Mr. President, the MUP Bill: the positions of the virus department differ and oppose each other. These have to be reconciled and consolidated by the PLLO because that puts us in an awkward and difficult position. So, we have set up a mechanism with the PLLO and hopefully, we can avoid these occurrences in the future. And I hope even in what happened in the bill of Senator Dela Rosa on the PNP Reform Bill, will be avoided as well. But we also tried to remedy the same. Thank you, Mr. President! Thank you, Senator.
JE: Senator Bato Dela Rosa is recognized.
SENATOR BATO DELA ROSA (BDR): I just want to put in record, the deliberation of the PNP Organizational Reform Bill, from day one hanggang natapos ‘yon, nandiyan ang PLLO, sige follow-up sa akin. ‘Yung DILG, NAPOLCOM, at PNP, sila lahat nagtutulong-tulong para matapos ‘yon. Hanggang bicam. Kahit sa bicam, Mr. President, nandoon sila. Supposed to be, wala na sila sa bicam, that is a matter between two Houses lang, pero nandoon sila. They were monitoring everything. And I wonder why bakit nila vineto, well, hindi na natin sila ma-question diyan. Pero sana huwag i-put ang blame dito sa atin sa Congress kung ganoon ang mangyayari. Dahil we have accommodated everything, everything they want to be included in the provisions of the said measure—nandoon lahat, kasama lahat. Ang PLLO, sige follow-up sa akin. Nandito ba PLLO?
JE: Nandiyan na, dumating na.
BDR: Sige follow-up sa akin every day. “Sir, kailangan natin kasi worried na ‘yung NAPOLCOM, ang DILG na problema nila, hindi ma-address dahil wala ‘yang bill mo.” So pina-follow-up po natin. So sana—I don’t know, I don’t know how to do this. Basta, as far as we are concerned, we did our best, Mr. President.
JE: Thank you, Senator Dela Rosa.
KP: Mr. President, if I may continue, medyo na-off topic po tayo, Mr. President.
JE: Yes, Minority Leader.
KP: Anyway, ‘yung veto power, don’t be so concerned about that kasi recognized constitutional power naman ‘yan ng presidente. That’s part of the entire process and we also have a remedy, actually, nasa Constitution din. There’s a remedy. We can override the veto. But balik lang po tayo sa particular measure na ito. From the chairman, can we get, sa lawak ng experience niya sa bicam may we get what is that serious subject matter, which has caused this measure this very strange legislative course. ‘Pag nagba-bicam report ka dito, harmonized na. “Harmonized.” Naka-quotation marks. “Harmonized” then binabaawi. “Harmonized” then binawi. What is the serious concern?
SENATOR RAFFY TULFO (RT): When it was sent to Malacanang, and it was due for signing by the President, there was a complaint from some sectors or groups stating that the domestic shipping companies must not be included in the international shipping because, simply because, it’s more expensive—mas mahal. So, siguro hindi lang naintindihan ni Presidente ‘yung wording doon, dahil ‘yung domestic shipping companies ay hindi under sa DMW kundi sa DOLE. So, when we did clarify that and put it in writing, binago namin ‘yung pagsulat sa provision at ibinalik namin sa Malacanang. And then there was this request that the bond should be included again. Because in the first place, the bond provision wasn’t included.
KP: Ang lumalabas, Mr. President kung meron palang sektor or, let’s say, the branch or the Executive branch, meron pala silang observations or objections sa bill natin, piecemeal nilang sinasabi sa atin? Hindi pa, one-time sinasabi na lahat? Isa-isa lang sinasabi, ‘pag ma-address mo na ang isa, pagbalik, “Ay, meron pa pala, isa pa.” Ganoon po ang nangyayari rito kaya nakakatatlong bicam tayo.
RT: I would like to recognize the Senate President, Mr. President.
JE: Senate President is recognized.
CHIZ: The first bicam, and the good chairman can refresh my memory if I’m mistaken, the first bicam report included the provisional bond.
RT: Yes.
CHIZ: A different concern was raised, nothing to do with the bond, and then it was reconsidered, in the bicam, reconstituted. The second report submitted although it should not have touched on it anymore, touched on the bond and removed the bond. So, the third time it was returned, that was when the concern was brought up again, because in the first one, it was not brought up because it was there. On the second, when it was returned, it all of a sudden disappeared, that’s the reason for the third.
RT: That is correct, Mr. President.
CHIZ: So, it’s not that they’re giving this piecemeal. But again, Mr. President, I reiterate, we have a new procedure in place and, hopefully, the good gentleman will be at my back if this happens again. And I hopefully will not answer him on these points anymore in the future, hopefully. Mr. President, your Honor.
KP: So lumalabas nga, Mr. President, that the bond is a big deal to some sectors of society. Big enough a deal so that our second bicam report was requested no longer to be enrolled, tama, not enrolled. But the motion for reconsideration was made at the level of the Houses of Congress. Ganoon ang nangyari. So at least I think that has been clarified, Mr. President. So that will guide us in our vote on this bicameral conference committee report. Mr. President. Maraming salamat po.