BAGO mag-umpisa ang hearing ng Blue Ribbon Committee tungkol sa flood control project, nagbigay ng kanyang pahayag at nagpaliwanag si Senador Pia Cayetano, ngayon, Hunyo 4, 2024.
Narito ang kanyang pahayag.
”The Blue Ribbon Committee hearing is now called to order. Magandang umaga po sa inyong lahat. Let me start by thanking every single person here. I’d like to thank the staff and our media friends for allowing this event to take place. The reason why I have to thank all of you is because dun sa first floor, may mga nagsasabing hindi pa papasukin ang resource persons natin. So kailangan ko po silang sunduin. nung sinundo ko naman ang ating staff doon napakaayos naman humihingi naman ng mga pangalan mag-register daw sila as guests, sabi ko they’re our guests so walang problema, pinapasok ko sila maraming salamat sa inyo.
Our media friends, you’re always welcome to cover pasensya na parang nagkaroon ng konting gulo but definitely we do not in any way intend for any of you not to be able to cover our events here in the Senate anytime. On that note, nagulat lang ako kasi maayos naman. Sabi ko doon sa ating mga resource persong halika na, sinusundo kita ko kayo. Let’s go in. Nagulat na lnag ako na nakita ko roon si Secretary Jonvic Remulla hinaharang ako.
“I never thought the day would come that somebody would prevent me from entering the Senate. This is my office. Again, thank you. Di ko akalain na yung Senate staff, yung media, dahil nasama na kayo doon, kayo pang nakatulong na makarating ako dito sa hearing na ito. This is the Senate. This is the halls of democracy. We will hold our hearing and we will continue.
“So hindi na ako magpapaligoy-ligoy. Good morning again po sa inyong lahat. Before I begin, I’d like to address a very important thing. Yesterday, a session was purportedly held by 12 senators, 12 po, in which committee assignments were declared vacant and chairmanship of this very committee, this committee on the blue ribbon, was allegedly replaced. I stand before you today to state clearly and unequivocally that session was invalid.
”Wala po silang 13. Kahit grade 1, marunong magbilang. Kailangan ng 13. So wala ho silang authority gawin yung mga ginawa nila. The 1987 Philippine Constitution states, Article 6, Section 2, the Senate shall be composed of 24 senators. May narinig ho kayong 22? Wala. 24. Article 6, Section 16.2: A majority of each house shall constitute a quorum to do business. Rule 2, Section 2 of the Senate rules states, the officers of the Senate shall be elected by the majority vote of all its members. Majority vote is 13. When 12 senators convene and purportedly held session, how can that be valid?
“Noong tumayo po si Senator Gatchalian at sinabi niyang, ang dami hong posisyon, di ko na maalala lahat. Acting presiding officer, Senate president pro tempore, Acting Senate president. Paano ho nangyari yun? Buhay pa po si Senator Legarda. Kailangan po 13. Sabi nga eh, the officer of the Senate shall be elected by the majority vote of all its members. Buhay pa po si Senator Legarda, hindi pa po siya pinapalitan. Kaya hindi po pwedeng magkaroon ng another Senate president pro tempore. I also say this for the sake of our staff, na litong-lito na sa ginagawa ng mga kasamahan natin. Yan po ang reason kung bakit tuloy ho tayo.
“Because I would happily give up this position. Alam niyo po yun, hindi ko pinapangarap na maging chairman dito. I’m just doing my job. So I just needed to lay that on the basis para hindi na-issue yun kung bakit ako nag-hearing, kung bakit tayo may hearing today.
“I have a longer speech, but because of the events that have transpired, I want to give the floor to the Senate President. And then I will turn this over to the subcommittee chairman, Senator Marcoleta. I have already issued a letter to him, later on babasahin ko, nasa karapatan ko din po yun as chairman of the committee. Kinukuwestiyon din yun nung sinabi ni Senate President na magkakaroon ng subcommittee. Napakaliwanag din sa rules namin. The chairman can create any subcommittee anytime. It can be verbal. It can be written. It can be text. Lahat na ng versions na yun, ginawa ko.
“So valid po itong pag-create din natin ng subcommittee. In any case, nandito din po ako. Pero may hearing din po akong isa tungkol sa taxation. Baka mamaya kailangan ko din sunduin sa baba yung mga mag-hearing ng mga kasama kong resource person for taxation. Anyway, I will give the floor to the Senate President. Thank you.”