In their sponsorship speeches, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and Senate President Loren Legarda sought Senate ratification of the controversial Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) agreement. “Let me emphasize as a premise that in a globalized economy, the Philippines cannot...
'I think you're really lying." Lilia Cruz ( HREP website) Nueva Ecija 3rd district Rep. Ria Vergara had this to say to alleged "Sibuyas Queen" Lilia Cruz during the continuation of the House Committee on Agriculture and Food's public inquiry on agricultural hoarding. Cruz, a self-described...
OF TREES AND FORESTS Former Senate President Manny Villar I am deeply saddened by the devastation caused by the strong earthquake that hit Türkiye and Syria. As I write this column, the death toll has already passed 28,000 per the report of the BBC. The death toll regrettably includes two...
Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri welcomed on Tuesday, February 14, the statement of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. that proposals to amend the “restrictive” economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution is not a priority. Zubiri thinks that the proposal of Senator...
Congress leaders hope to pass 12 priority bills before the second State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Marcos by June, 2023. Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva the 12 measures were agreed upon during a meeting of the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) which...
A New York-based commercial bank has expressed willingness to cooperate with a Senate panel investigating the Philippine Amusement Gaming Corp.’s (PAGCOR) alleged anomalous contract with a third party auditor for Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs). In a letter to Janice Godornes,...
House Speaker Martin Romualdez is forecasting the Senate’s passage of its very own Maharlika Investment Fund (MIF) Bill soon, perhaps "after Easter". (MANILA BULLETIN) "I understand I have a funny feeling in the Senate it will pass soon. Maybe after Easter, baka tapos na yan (maybe it'll be done...
Senator Nancy Binay on Friday, February 10 said most senators are lukewarm to the latest attempt to amend the 1987 Constitution. Binay explained more senators are concerned over pressing issues such as the rising inflation and the global recession. “So far during our informal talks, it seems the...
Senator Risa Hontiveros on Wednesday, February 8, called on the Senate leadership to remand Committee Report No. 15 back to the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality so it can reopen hearings on the SOGIE bill. Hontiveros lamented that she was all ready to...
The Senate Committee on Social Justice, Welfare and Rural Development is fine-tuning a bill giving an advance cash gift of P10,000 to 80- to 90-year-old senior citizens on top of the P100,000 given to Filipino centenarians. The fine-tuning of Senate Bill No. 21 filed by Senator Ramon “Bong”...
Senate President Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri and Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda have vowed to pursue the ratification of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (RCEP) even as they committed to ensure that the concerns of farmers on the world’s biggest free trade...
OF TREES AND FORESTS Former Senate President Manny Villar Being president is a complex and difficult job. The President has a multitude of responsibilities. He is the Chief Executive in that he overseas the entire bureaucracy of the Philippine government. He is the foremost architect of our foreign...