gina lopez

Sen. Bam on CA secret voting, lobby money, secret cell, Napoles acquittal

Transcript of Sen. Bam’s media interview

 

On Secret Voting Process

 

Ngayong araw pong ito, magffile po kami ng isang resolution sa Commission on Appointments kung saan pinapa-review po natin yung secret voting process. Mukhang isa po itong proseso na nung una, tingin po ng mga members ay makabubuti pero pagkatapos nung confirmation ni Secretary Lopez parang may mga question dun sa kinalabasan ng boto. So maganda ho sigurong ireview ito at sa madaliang panahon, tignan kung kailangan po itong imodify o baguhin. 

Well, unang una may mga question pagdating dun sa final count at dun sa mga public pronouncements ng ibang mga kasama natin. Dun sa mga hindi pagtutugmang ganoon, kailangan ho sigurong ireview ulit yung secret voting process. Marami rin ho sa publiko na nagsabi na parang hindi ho ata maganda na hindi alam kung ano ang talagang boto namin.

 After all, bilang mga representante ng taong bayan, yung mga boto po namin yung isang rason kung bakit po kami nandito so maganda ngang ireview po ito ulit, tignan ulit ng Commission kung nararapat pa yung ganitong proseso. Not only for the next couple of secretaries na ihahain pero, for the years to come. Kung dapat ba talagang magkaroon ng secret voting process o dapat mas transparent po yung proseso. 

 May gentleman’s agreement o may agreement among the members na kung ano yung kakalabasan ng secret voting, yun rin yung ica-carry during the plenary. At sumunod naman tayo dun sa usapang ‘yon. Pero pagkatapos ng mga news reports, parang lumalabas na merong hindi sumangayon dun sa agreement dahil iba iba rin yung mga lumalabas  dun sa publiko o sa media ng aming mga boto. So palagay ko panahon na nga para ireview yung secret voting process and we’ll push for a more transparent process sa CA.

Mukhang may lumalabas na may nagsinungaling talaga kase hindi po tumutugma yung mga boto at sa palagay ko, yung mas mahalaga, di na kung alamin o imbestigahan kung sino po yung di nagsasabi ng totoo. Ngunit, baguhin natin yung proseso para talagang di na maulit yung ganitong pangyayari.

I think right now, it’s important to review. Some of my colleagues have their concerns pagdating sa physical safety, pagdating sa public pressure or yung lobby, sabi nga po nila. But we have to weigh that with the process which has to be transparent and where were accountable for our votes. 

 Again, hindsight is 20-20 at kinailangan ngang mangyari itong nangyari kay Secretary Lopez para maisip nga na may problema itong prosesong ito. At the time, the reasons of physical safety, and taking us away from the pressures of the different lobby groups seemed to be a good idea but after the vote of Secretary Lopez, parang lumalabas nga na kailangan tong ireview ulit. 

That’s a discussion I wish to have with my fellow members of the CA. Ireview natin, pagusapan kung ano talagang nangyari, obviously there was a huge fallout from it. Iweigh natin yung mga rason kung bakit ito nilagay to begin with at ‘yung mga drawbacks which is the lack of transparency.

 Again, di lang to para sa mga susunod na cabinet secretaries pero sa mga taon na dadating pa. At the end of the day, yung mga boto po namin, ‘yan yung isang rason bakit kame nilagay dito, because of our votes. Yung mga decision namin sa mga bagay-bagay at palagay ko kailangan accountable nga kami sa aming mga boto. Now kung pagmo-modify ay babaguhin ang isa or dalawang provision or tatanggalin ito talaga, yun siguro kailangan pagusapan ng mga miyembro ng CA. 

The minority is fully supportive of this. I have talked to some members of the majority and they agree na panahon na nga na ireview ito. Pagusapan, even before the next vote for the remaining secretaries. 

 Sa totoo lang, di ko alam kung pwedeng i-divulge yung prosesong yan. Basta ang mahalaga siguro is may botohang nangyari, di mo alam kung ano yung boto ng isa’t-isa. Even among each member. The only thing we’re allowed to do is to talk about our own vote. Yun lang talaga yung pwede mong sabihin. Of course, kung may iba namang nagsabi na rin publicly, pwede mo na rin sigurong pagusapan ‘yun. But at the end of the day, ang bawat isa sa amin, in general, di rin talaga namin alam ‘yung boto ng isa’t-isa. So I don’t want to cast doubt or aspersions on my fellow members pero pag sinuma mo na, yung mga nagsalita at yung kinalabasan ng boto, meron talagang hindi pagkakatugma. So kailangan talaga ‘tong ireview at tignan ulit. Maybe we can push for a more transparent process. Palagay ko ‘yun yung hinahanap ng taong bayan. 

 At that time na pinagusapan, that seemed like a good reason. In fact may mga ibang miyembro rin na nagsalita tungkol sa physical threats na itong secret voting will save us from any physical threats na kakalabasan nung aming boto. Those are valid concerns pero meron ding concerns in terms of transparency and accountability at palagay ko kailangang i-weigh ‘yun sa isa’t isa that’s why we’re calling a review of this process. 

That has been raised by some members in the past to the public. But again, ako kasi ang tingin ko, yung transparency and accountability mahalaga. At ‘yung boto namin, sa kahit anumang batas, kahit anumang decision, yan yung rason kung bakit kame nandito, diba? So I think it’s important that we push for transparency but we do need to weigh those concerns by some of the members of the CA. 

 

On Lobby Money

 

It’s not my issue, to be frank. Wala naman nagoffer sa’kin ng pera sa totoo lang at bumoto kame para kay Sec. Lopez this might be raised by other members of the CA who felt bad that that was raised in the public.

May lobby na nangyari, noh. Personally wala namang perang inoffer sa’kin sa totoo lang. But of course lobbying on both sides. Yung mga pro-environment groups or pro-Gina groups, nagpadala ng position papers. Yung mga laban sa kanya nagpadala rin ng mga position paper so definitely, there was a lot of lobbying. ‘Di naman po masama ‘yun. Kahit ho sa internet maraming lobbying kung paguusapan natin whether someone is for or against at gusto nilang ipaalam sa mga representante nila nangyayari talaga yan. Now kung may perang involved, yun po yung illegal at hindi maganda. Pero on my part, I can say that no money was offered to us. 

 In fairness to the other members of the CA, wala po tayong naririnig na may perang umikot. In fairness to them. Again, kanya-kanyang boto kame dito eh. We all have our votes, we all have our decisions, but at the end of the day, kailangan panindigan namin yung mga desisyon na ‘yun. Kung no, no. Kung yes, yes. 

 I’m not sure. We have a very short window left. I think tatlong linggo na lang ‘yung session natin. So they’ll be tackled soon enough but hopefully matapos namin at the soonest possible time. 

You have to ask member of the CA who voted no. Sila yung apektado dun sa statement ni President Duterte na ‘yun. Kame naman na pumabor kay Sec. Lopez, di kami apektado sa statement na ‘yan.

 

On Secret Cell

 

So we filed a resolution looking into the secret cell. Gusto ho nating malaman unang una na naitigil na ang ganitong gawain. Wala po ibang secret cell sa ating mga ciudad and that it’s clear na yung paggawa ng isang secret cell ay mali.

In fairness kay Gen. Albayalde, he explained to us that they have already done a thorough investigation but pinaka-pakay ko sa kanya is dapat maging malinaw yung PNP sa kanilang response sa pagkakaroon ng pagaabusong ganyan. Dapat clear ang mga ganyan klaseng bagay, mali. Hindi dapat tinutularan, hindi dapat inuulit. Dapat maitigil. That was really our discussion earlier in my office in preparation for the hearing. Na maging malinaw sila sa kung ano yung tama at mali, wag nilang pagtakpan yung mga mali at magkaroon ng aksyon. Hindi lang yung parang papalampasin lang tapos parang wala na lang.

Hinahanap natin sa PNP yung tamang response. Pag may mga grave abuses na nakikita tayo sa harap natin. He also mentioned about yung holistic approach towards the drug war. Na hindi lang pwedeng enforcement, dapat meron ding on the prevention side, meron din dun sa panghuli ng mga drug addicts at drug pushers. At sinabi naman natin sa kanya, we’re very willing to support that. Pero kailangan maging malinaw sila sa kanilang mga gustong gawin dito sa laban ng ating bansa sa droga. 

Yung isa ring napagusapan namin is whether tumutugma ba yung kanilang investigation at yung investigation ng CHR and it seems hindi pa sila naguusap at hindi pa sila nagkakaroon ng palitan ng kuro-kuro tungkol sa mga inbestigasyon na ginagawa nila so the hearing might be a chance for them to actually face each other at mag-exchange ng kanilang mga datos na kanilang naimbestiga. 

So it was a very productive meeting and probably, during the hearing, mapaguusapan pa natin yung ibang mga naimbestigahan nila tungkol sa Secret Cell. 

 

 

Q. Bakit kailangan maging malinaw ang patakaran, is it because of the statements made by Dela Rosa?

Yes. Because kung ang mga statement mo ok lang basta hindi na-torture o basta walang kotong, ok lang magka-secret cell. Mas nakakagulo iyan sa taumbayan. We have to be definite kung ano ang mali o kung ano iyong tama dito.

We’re expecting from the PNP, the leadership and the institution, to be very clear na pag may abuses, kailangang itigil yan, at ang mga perpetrators niyan whether kasama sa kapulisan o hindi, dapat managot. That’s the minimum na hinahanap natin sa kanila. Of course, ang hinahanap natin totoong reporma and it goes beyond just dismantling secret cells. Ang hinahanap natin plano talaga na iyong incarcerated, nasa tamang facilities. I agreed with Gen. Albayalde na kawawa talaga ang facilities natin, umaapaw ng tao. In fact sabi nga niya, talagang deplorable ang conditions.

I also shared with him na if there is a proper request to the Senate and Congress at this point that the drug war is practically the main program of the government, kung may hingin silang pondo para diyan, I’m sure bibigay yan. If all the request for drug rehab, for facilities and mga kagamitan na kailangan nila, parang ibinigay naman sa 2017 budget.  

Maybe they have another chance sa 2018 budget na magrequest sila na ayusin ang facilities. Again, ang haba ng range ng reforms na kailangang gawin and again, at the minimum, ang pinaka-basic diyan is masabi man lang na mali ito, hindi na ito uulitin and everybody at fault will be penalized. At the maximum, I think, is to move for genuine change and reforms by looking at how to tackle this problem more holistically tsaka mas nasasakupan ang iba’t ibang aspeto ng problemang ito. 

 

Q: Schedule niya wala pa?

Sen. Bam: Wala pa but Sen. Lacson has said that maybe in the following weeks we’ll have the hearing.

Q: Si Bato po ba kasama sa hearing o si Albayalde lang?

Sen. Bam: Dapat kasama rin si Gen. Dela Rosa. In fact I was hoping pati inmates kasama. Kasi may conflicting reports na may nagsabi that they mentioned that there was extortion. Ngayon naman daw nag-recant na sila. Gusto kong marinig sa kanila kung ano ang kuwento.

We’ll make that request to the committee on public order. Usually, you provide the request when there’s a date already.

 

On Napoles Acquittal

Itong pag-acquit kay Janet Napoles, it’s clearly a sign of our times. Nakakabahala, nakakakaba ang mga pangyayaring iyan na ang isang taong convicted na, masabi nating one of the biggest masterminds of one of the biggest scams that we’ve ever seen, napawalang sala sa una niyang kaso. Nakababahala talaga siya.

May ibang abogado na nagsasabi na dahil napawalang sala siya, baka humina ang testimonya ni Benhur Luy. Iyon naman talaga I think ang main, one of the big evidences sa plunder case. I hope hindi manghina ang kanyang plunder case dahil sa nangyaring acquittal kay Napoles.

I think again, it leaves many of us scratching our heads. Nagkakamot na lang tayo ng ulo sa pangyayaring ito. Hindi mo maintindihan ang mga pangyayaring ito. I hope it will not weaken the plunder case against her kasi sa totoo lang, the fact na nakakulong ang isa sa biggest masterminds o isa sa mga nagkasala sa taumbayan, isang mabuting bagay iyan sa ating bansa.

Ngayong napawalang sala siya, it’s terribly unfortunate na nangyari iyon.

Ako naman I’ve always held the stance na kapag ginawa mo ang pagkakasalang iyan, kailangan ka talagang managot. Whoever you are, whatever your party is, kung ginawa mo iyan, kailangang managot ka. That has to be way that we tackle this issue kasi kung selective ang mga pangyayari, whether before or ngayon, talagang humihina ang ating justice system.

Siguro naman, we can tackle that issue while the mastermind or one of the biggest players here is in jail o habang naka-convict siya sa unang kaso. I don’t think na kailangan siyang ipawalang sala para makasuhan ang iba.

Malacanang mentioned that there was no deal struck with her or walang mga usapang ganyan. Tingnan natin kung ano iyong mga mangyayari sa mga susunod na statement niya.

 

Q: Do you believe what the Palace said?

Sen. Bam: You have to take the statement at face value. Again, siyempre at this point, napawalang sala na siya, talagang you know, she can be used in that way. You take their statement at face value. You’d like to believe na walang secret deal na nagawa.

 On Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano’s UN presentation

I didn’t see Sen. Cayetano’s presentation so I won’t comment on that. Let me just say na 45 out of 47 countries making a formal request for us to truly investigate this, siguro wake up call na iyan sa atin. Naghahanap ang buong mundo ng accountability on our part. If the request is to have a formal investigation happen, we should grant that request. Kung walang tinatago ang ating bayan, dapat nating payagan na magkaroon ng imbestigasyon dito.

On oversight committee for intelligence fund

Palagay ko, while unang-una we’re one of the minority representatives of the committee, we support the chairman, Sen. Honasan, in the investigation of the intelligence funds.

Mahalagang malaman natin na maayos nga ang paggamit ng ating intelligence funds. Of course, pera iyan ng taumbayan and secondly, hindi iyan under COA so hindi niya na-audit kaya mahalagang malaman natin na tama nga ang paggamit nito.

On UN rapporteur investigation

At the minimum siguro, kung 45 out of 47 nagsasabi na importante ang isyung ito at kailangang imbestigahan, I think it is incumbent upon us to allow this investigation to happen. The administration has always said na wala silang tinatago so payagan na nating mangyari ang imbestigasyong ito na unencumbered, na malaya silang mag-imbestiga.

If I’m not mistaken, the request is to allow the rapporteur to conduct an investigation. Kung iyon ang request, bakit natin hihindian.

The ball is in the court of the administration. There is a formal request provided to us. Ano ang sagot natin doon?

May conditions tayong sinama to the invitation to the rapporteur, which was magdedebate sila in public ni President Duterte at mayroon siyang under oath na sa totoo lang, hindi naman yata pangkaraniwan. That’s a unique invitation, may imbitasyon pero may kondisyon.

I think the request is to allow her to do the investigation na malaya siya, walang mga ibang mga kondisyon. During these investigations, kasama naman ang gobyerno diyan kapag nag-i-investigate ng ganyan.

If 45 out of 47 countries, if this is the request. Why shouldn’t we grant this request at payagan na malayang imbestigahan ang pangyayari sa ating bayan.

On appointment of retired Gen. Roy Cimatu as DENR Secretary

I hope that Gen. Cimatu will be as passionate as Sec. Lopez. Sana ipaglaban niya ang kalikasan na sing-sigla at sing-lakas ni Sec. Gina.

Sen. Bam urges CA to revisit secret voting process

Sen. Bam Aquino described the Commission on Appointment’s secret voting system as “problematic” in the confirmation of Gina Lopez, who was rejected as secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

“Aside from the issue of accountability, there were also issues of honesty with regard to some of the members’ public pronouncements on their vote,” said Sen. Bam, a CA member for the minority together with Sens. Franklin Drilon and Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan.

The senator said he will raise the issue of secret voting to the CA minority bloc to determine if they will push to modify it.

Earlier, Liberal Party senators — including Aquino, Drilon, Pangilinan and Sen. Ralph Recto — manifested that they voted to approve Lopez’s appointment.

“Iyong LP senators nag-decide kami na suportahan si Sec. Lopez, kasama po sina Sens. Drilon, Recto at Pangilinan.  Unfortunately, natalo po kami sa boto at marami pong nag-decide na i-reject po siya,” Sen. Bam said in an earlier interview.

Sen. Bam expressed surprise over the result of the voting, saying it was unusual that members of the opposition supported the appointment of a presidential appointee.

The senator emphasized that the opposition is willing to support any presidential appointee as long as he or she can help the people and the country.

Sen. Bam on CA vote on DENR Secretary Gina Lopez

Iyong LP senators nag-decide kami na suportahan si Sec. Lopez, kasama po sina Sens. Drilon, Recto at Pangilinan.  Unfortunately, natalo po kami sa boto at marami pong nag-decide na i-reject po siya.

 Kakaiba po ang nangyari dahil ang oposisyon pa ang sumuporta kay Sec. Lopez, parang baliktad.

Ayaw ko pong pag-usapan iyong mga hindi bumoto sa kanya dahil may sarili silang isyu. Pero para naman sa amin, even if we’re in the opposition, kung tingin naman namin ay makatutulong iyong tao at makabubuti sa ating bayan, bakit hindi natin susuportahan.

Bam: Gina will fight for our environment

A lawmaker welcomed the appointment of Regina “Gina” Lopez as secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), saying she will do a good job owing to her background as a staunch environment advocate.

“She will do a good job because she has been fighting for the environment for decades,” said Sen. Bam Aquino, a member of the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources.

Aquino believes that Lopez’s decades-long advocacy will be an important asset to the Duterte’s administration drive to protect the environment.

“Akma si Gina sa posisyon dahil alam niya ang ugat ng mga problema at marami siyang solusyon na maaaring ipanukala at ipatupad para sa proteksiyon ng ating kalikasan,” the senator said.

 A strong advocate of children and education and protection of the environment, Lopez is the chairperson of the ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation Inc., the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission, and vice chairperson of the ABS-CBN Bayan Foundation.

Lopez also launched Bantay Kalikasan, which seeks to promote environmental protection and education and eco-tourism.

Sen. Bam is pushing for the development of the bamboo industry as means to protect the environment, saying it will help rehabilitate degraded watersheds, sequester carbon dioxide, assist in mitigation of climate change and provide livelihood to communities at the same time.

 

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