Privilege Speech
August 6, 2019
Mister Speaker, fellow Members of the House, magandang hapon po sa ating lahat.
I rise on a matter of personal and collective privilege, as a Member of this House and as a Member of our duly constituted House Minority.
Mister Speaker, this privilege speech reflects the robust composition of House Minority Bloc: the Minority Leader ran under Asenso Manileño while there are members who come from the LP, NP, and PDP-Laban; and there are members from the Party List Coalition and from the Makabayan Bloc. We can reasonably expect that our members have differing priorities because of this healthy mix of interests.
However, regardless of our differing priorities, malinaw ang aming papel sa Kamarang ito, and it is one that we have in common with every member of Congress: To find ways to make our people’s lives better.
Ididiin ko rin, Mr. Speaker, when we fiscalize, when we object, even when we vote no, hindi po kami nagno-“no” para manggulo. Too often, our people see us fight amongst ourselves according to the dictates of politics and expediency. Pero sa totoo lang, mas maraming nagbibigkis sa atin bilang Pilipino, kaysa nagwawatak. Our commonalities, not only as congresspersons, but more importantly, as Filipinos, bind us much more powerfully than our affiliations can ever divide us.
It is time we focus on these commonalities. Naniniwala pa rin ako, na sa kabila ng mga kulay ng ating chaleco tuwing kampanya, pag-upo natin dito, pagsampa natin sa rostrum na ito, pangunahin nating tungkulin na tugunan ang pangangailangan ng ating mga nasasakupan.
Our goal is not to follow this or that marching order, because there are no marching orders higher than that of the Filipino people’s.
Our goal is not to fight amongst each other so that one may get a better piece of the pie from the powers that be.
Our goal is not to be the best sycophant to those who hold our purse strings.
Ang tungkulin natin ay sa tao. Our goal, Mr. Speaker, is to work together so we can craft the best laws possible so our people can take the longest, most meaningful strides towards empowerment. And the Congresses before us, despite their affiliations and differences, were able to band together in pursuit of this goal.
Alalahanin natin, Mr. Speaker: Sa mga bulwagan din ng Kongreso ng Pilipinas pinanday ang Responsible Parenthood Act. Sa mga bulwagan din natin ipinasa ang Sin Tax Reform, ang Cheaper Medicines Act, ang Clean Air Act. Sa mga bulwagan din natin pinagdebatahan at isinulong ang dignidad at kalayaan ng Pilipinas nang patalsikin ang US bases noong dekada nobenta.
We carry that legacy, and it is our duty to rise above the petty squabbling, to rise higher than the usual politics that dominate our days, and craft laws that define the very spirit of what it means to be a Filipino during the time of this 18th Congress.
At its best, this Congress can craft laws that are made from the stuff of dreams. And it is our duty, right now, to forge laws that allow our people to dream again.
Bitbit tayo ng mga pangarap na iyon, Mr. Speaker. I am sure that there are already ideas in our heads, and there are perhaps drafts already written somewhere, languishing in some drawer, that speak to these dreams. Nandiyan ang mga batas ukol sa mas maayos na mga classroom at pasahod sa mga teacher. Nandiyan ang mga batas na sisigurong kayang makipagsabayan ng graduate na Pinoy sa kahit na sino sa buong mundo, nandiyan ang mga batas na magbubukas ng mga bago at malikhaing trabaho at industriya sa Pilipinas.
Nandiyan ang mga batas tungkol sa sahod ng barangay healthcare worker, mga clinic sa komunidad, mga ospital na sisigurong walang Pilipinong mamamatay sa sakit na puwedeng maiwasan.
Nandiyan ang mga batas na nagbibigay ng katiyakan sa paninirahan. At Nandiyan ang mga batas na talagang mag-aangat at magbibigay-lakas sa mamamayan.
These should be our real marching orders. And while we can all speak as loudly as we can to try and drown out each other’s voices when speaking of the State of the Nation today, I am certain: There should be no debate about what we want to be the State of the Nation tomorrow. May we be up to this task.
Mr. Speaker, colleagues, ang mga paniniwala sa pag-angat ng ating kalagayan sa buhay ay bahagi ng aming mga batayang prinsipyo sa Liberal Party. Ayaw man nating aminin, batayang prinsipiyo rin ito ng marami sa ating mga Pilipino. We believe in freedom; in individual agency; in the dignity of the individual; in his or her rights. We would like to believe that, by and large, as Filipinos, these values hold true for all of us. And let me point out now, Mr. Speaker, that when someone who dissents is attacked for dissenting, hindi lang sila ang inaatake—ang inaatake, ang mga values natin. Sa madali’t sabi, lahat tayo inaatake; lahat tayo, apektado.
Ilang araw bago nagbukas ang unang session ng ating Kongreso, nasaksihan natin ang pambubully sa mga naglalakas-loob na pumuna sa kasalukuyang sitwasyon ng ating bansa. Binantaan ng impeachment ang ating Bise Presidente. At kasama ang ilang pari at bishop ng Simbahan, mga senador, mga kandidato ng oposisyon, at mga abogado ay sinampahan ng sedition and other charges batay sa mga gawa-gawang kwento na inimbento ng isang estapador. Ang kasalanan nila? Magsalita.
Mga kasama, last I checked, hindi bawal magsalita. Last I checked, kasama sa tungkulin ng bawat mamamayan—lalo na tayong mga naglilingkod Kinatawan dito sa kongreso—na igiit ang tingin nilang tama; na makipagdebate sa isa’t isa o sa gobyerno, para maging mas makabuluhan ang mga desisyon ng ating pamahalaan. Last I checked, ang katotohanan ay katotohanan pa rin, at hindi inciting to sedition.
Sedition ba when we call out false narratives that build fear and anxiety and provide a pretext for impunity? Sedition ba when we call out false hopes that pay lip service to lower prices or better roads and buildings and bridges, and a better economy even when more than 20% of our people still live below the poverty line, and half our nation still consider themselves poor? Sedition ba when we call out false priorities that put death sentences over life-giving aid? Sedition ba when we call out false logic that presents us with false choices that tell us that there is either war or subservience, and nothing in between?
Sedition ba when we say no to murder as a state policy? If indeed a “drug war” is necessary, then let us wage war with better healthcare policies because drug use is a healthcare issue. Mr Speaker, let us wage war with the law, with better intelligence and strategies against druglords. Let us put druglords in jail, and not use it as a pretext to strike fear, to kill, or to put the political opposition behind bars.
Sedition ba when we object to the death penalty? No. We are fools to believe that capital punishment is only yet to come; and we are twice the fool to believe that death will balance the scales of justice.
Sedition ba when we object to criminalizing children? No. Policies concerning the age of discernment should not be hardened by an age of tyrants.
And sedition ba when we say no to being sold to China? We say no to a situation where our fisherfolk, left to die in our own waters, are called liars by their own leaders. No to our laborers being displaced by foreigners, our soldiers demoralized, our people treated as second-class citizens within our own shores and waters. Naibenta na tayo. Ang sabi nga po ng isang security expert, hindi na ito enemy at the gates—nandiyan na sila sa kusina, kinakain na ang hapunan natin. Sedition ba when we say no to this?
Yan ang mga alam kong sinasabi ni VP Leni at ng mga kapwa niyang akusado. Hindi po sedition yan. Bikoy’s allegations against VP Leni are fictitious. This was initiated by a few misguided sycophants who would rather destabilize the Republic and push their own personal agendas, rather than work to uplift the lives of the Filipino people. I am sure that after due and impartial process, the investigation will bear this out.
Maraming salamat po.
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