Senator Joel Villanueva: Gusto kong pasalamatan at saluduhang muli yung ating mga Philippine Coast Guard. It only shows the peril our troops face in asserting our rightful jurisdiction on our own waters. Again, we’re grateful despite of the harassment ng Coast Guard personnel natin are all safe and able to continue their duty of patrolling our territorial waters.
Again, we reiterate our call to the Chinese Coast Guards and fishing militia that your continued presence and operations in the West Philippine Sea is illegal and unauthorized. The West Philippine Sea is ours. Please, get out of Philippine waters.
On the Investigation of the flood control programs by the President
SJV: Sa isang gusto at bigyan nating tukuyin ngayong araw na ito ay yung ginawang pagbulgar ng ating Pangulo tungkol sa mga nais niyang maimbestigahan.To say the least, the top 15 contractors with the most flood control projects. Siguro vindication at clarification ito ng mga pangyayari the past few weeks, I would say in the light of the election of Senate Presidency dahil kami ni SP Chiz na drag dun sa kung anuanong chismis at fake news about flood control. I am hoping and praying doon sa bumatikos, hindi ko naman kailangan ng apology pero sana ifollow up natin and siguruhin natin na itong mga contractors na mismong Pangulo ang nagbanggit ay mismong managot sa batas at mapatunayan kung talagang may ginawa o hindi. Tatlong taon ko na po ito binibring up if you would recall in the hearing of Senator Bong Revilla – 2023, 2024 at hanggang ngayon binibring up po natin. Tapos ngayon nababaliktad pa po tayo na ito ay napunta sa Bulacan at pag napunta na sa Bulacan, may kalokohan na at pag may kalokohan na, si Joel Villanueva na. Parang napakalayo po. Pero ngayon po, mas maganda na ang Pangulo na po mismo na merong malawak at maraming intelligence reports at information ang nagbanggit nito. You know, I cannot speak for the other House, but as far as I’m concerned dito sa Senado, wala akong kilalang senador na linked sa any of the 15 contractors na binabanggit. Just do the math, 1 plus 1 lang po ito.
Q: Sir, sa information niyo po, dun sa 15 na binanggit ng Presidente kanina, may mga House members po na linked sa kumpanya na yan sa information na dumarating sa inyo?
SJV: Maliit lang ang construction and I think it’s very easy to check. Para hindi rin po kayo mahirapan, I have asked the SEC and the concerned government authorities na bigyan po kayo ng kopya. I hope I’ll get it before the end of the day noon pong GIS pati po yung Articles of Incorporation. Makikita rin po natin dyan yung individuals concerned. Madali na pong i-link kung sinu-sino po ang mga kasama dyan. Ang maganda po marinig rin po natin sila kung ano po talaga ang nangyari dahil ilang taon na po natin itong tinututukan itong P 1 billion a day – P 1.4 billion a day budget ng DPWH alone sa flood control- alone.
Q: Sir, dapat bang Congress yung mag investigate o dapat magcreate ng independent body to conduct an inquiry kasi kung involved daw ay lawmakers and then taga DPWH?
SJV: Well para po sa akin mismong ang Pangulo sa kanyang SONA ay binanggit ito at we expect a lot more from the executive to look into this. Tayo naman dito sa Senado, that’s our call as well, yung ibang mga senators na nakausap namin sa lounge sa sidelines they are more than willing to push for the investigation. Yung mga kasama natin talagang mainit din sila gusto nilang malaman talaga kung saan napunta itong flood control at sino ang mga involved dito.
Q: Since itong review specific sa admin ni President Bongbong at simula noong 2022, iisa pa lang naman ang DPWH na nakaupo, do you think they should also, Sec Bonoan to step aside habang ginagawa ang audit?
SJV: Una it’s not for me to call whether he step aside, mag-resign, mag-etc because it’s the call of the President. If the President feels na he still enjoys his trust and confidence, there’s nothing we can do about it. Sa akin lang talagang importante na maging impartial ang investigation at maging mataas ang kredibilidad ng pag-imbestiga dito na talagang walang sasantuhin at talagang isa lang ang bottomline panaguitin ang dapat managot. At the same time sana after mapanagot ang mas matagal at mas lasting na call natin yung integrated flood control program dahil remember three years ago we have been saying na hindi ito integrated, there’s no concrete plan, nabanggit ko nga yung word na patse-patse, itong mga nakaraang bagyo, nakita natin yun talagang totoo na hindi siya integrated and these projects are somehow patse patse.
Q: Confident kayo pagdating sa Senate walang involve sa anumang irregularity?
SJV: I can only speak for this House not the other House. And as far as I’m concerned, as the majority leader of the Senate, I don’t see any senator involved in any of these 15 construction firms.
Q: Sa House?
SJV: Bibigyan ko na lang kayo ng mga papeles, mas magandang yun ang magsalita kesa ako.
Q: Speaking of flood, si Mr. Ramon Ang, ang sabi nya isosolve nya problema sa baha sa Metro Manila at no cost to the government?
SJV: Definitely a welcome development. You can just imagine if there are 10 more RSAs in the country who would do that, ang laking bagay po nun. Let me also point out that any efforts na gagawin dapat ng private sector na connected sa plan ng pamahalaan siguro ibang styles na gustong gawin, siguro yun ang mas importante ma-coordinate. Knowing Boss RSA talaga ano yan, laging may basis ang kanyang binabanggit na solution because the last time we talked to each other he talking about experts on flood control program, experts in dredging, experts in cleaning yung mga waterways. So yun importante po yun, yung lang ang caution ko sa ating pamahalaan kasi baka mamaya may isang private entity gustong gawin ang gusto niya pero hindi part ng masterplan natin. So yun lang ang para sa akin but again we salute the statement made by San Miguel through Ramon Ang and hoping na mas marami pang kagaya niya ang mag-volunteer to help out and I’m sure malaking tulong yun. And if it happens, you could just imagine during budget deliberation, we can already slash portions of the budget of some of these departments and we can place it to other items na mas mapapakinabangan.
Q: So makakatipid ang government?
SJV: Malaking matipid ang gobyerno
Q: Hindi ba ito sampal sa government agency?
SJV: Lagi ko namang sinasabi in the past three years na palpak talaga ang flood control program natin the past three years. I think all of you were here when I said it three years ago. I hope and pray that this time around meron na talagang mangyayari and I salute the President talagang opening this up and seriously looking forward to addressing the problem head on.
Q: Sa committee chairmanship si Senator Padilla po ba? Is he going to be head of ethics or what is the latest there?
SJV: Latest, we’ve been talking about it, especially in the light of the statements made by the minority leader, if I’m not mistaken, that he’s entertaining the idea of supporting charter change. So, in fairness to Senator Robin, he is open to that idea, even Senator Kiko. So, we’re talking, and nothing is final until we decide on it as an institution. Ang natutuwa lang po ako is that they’re all open to these ideas, and kung yung kumakalat na news, whether or not I will head the Ethics Committee, hindi naman din po yung final. And yung iba nga pong nabasa sa floor, remember, yung kay Senator Alan na Science and Technology, nakuha ulit, naibalik, I mean, nakuha ulit from him at napunta kay Senator Bam. So, ganun din po ito, no? That’s part of reorganization here in the Senate.
Q: So if ever Senator Padilla will return ethics and make way for Senator… Sorry, return the Consti amendments and make way for Senator Kiko?
SJV: That is possible. Everything is possible. Alam ng bawat member yung kanilang strengths and weaknesses and I’m very humbled to hear it from my colleagues and I’m happy to report na we will do everything
we can to ensure na yung best person to head these would lead these committees would lead these committees na dun sa tatama dun sa expectation
Q: Sir, is this movement, if ever matuloy ito, is it meant to signal na open na ang Senate to charter change? Has there been any reversal from the past position of the Senate in the 19th Congress?
SJV: Well, I think yung word na open has been there for quite a long time. And the important thing is we discuss it and that the majority would have a free hand on expressing themselves and their positions. As far as I am concerned, I am the only one voice in the Senate, one of the 24. And para sa atin, yung usapin ng charter change, laging tamang oras, tamang panahon at tamang paraan. At yun lang yung dapat, kung pag-isipan lagi yung tatlo na yun, whether or not we’ll entertain that idea. Ang hirap lang, because at this point in time, 2028 is around the corner. So anything you do right now with the charter change, hindi mo na maaalis yung pag-iisip ng taumbayan na ito’y konektado sa 2028 elections.
Q: Sir, this afternoon sa session, mamemention na yung ilang sa committee chairmanship?
SJV: Hindi ko kayang pangunahan ang plenaryo so we’ll keep on talking about it and if we get the consensus of the majority, because it’s the majority talking about it, we will read it on the floor.
Q: Sino yung inisyal na nag-usap tungkol dun, sir?
SJV: Mga members of the majority.
Q: So, ethics, wala na talaga sa’yo?
SJV: Pinag-uusapan po. For me naman, ever since I made mention na secondary yung magkaroon ako ng committee because yung rules committee is way bigger than everyone would think about.
Q: Bakit si Robin?
SJV: Well, maraming kinukonsider at isa lang po si Sen. Padilla and it was mentioned a while ago that yung Committee on Constitutional Amendments, we are all aware na sa kanya ito noon pa and incumbent siya and with the majority siya. So that’s one of the reasons why siguro nabanggit.
Q: Sen, kanina nabanggit niyo na since si minority leader ay iniisip niya ng supportan yung cha-cha, then that’s one of the reasons na kinonsider nyo bakit nag-uusap ngayon na posibleng pumalit si Sen Kiko kay Sen. Robin. What do you mean by that?
SJV: You know, even before that, it’s part of our consideration. Siguro nadagdag lang yun, no? And yung binanggit ko nga kanina sa mga pag-uusap, si Robin, Senator Robin, Senator Kiko, Senator Alan, you know, the members of the Senate, they’re all more than willing to pitch in and admit to the fact of their weaknesses and strengths. So with that in mind, mas napag-uusapan sa mas matalinong paraan kung papaano namin pupwedeng i-address yung mga issues, yung mga bagay na maaaring mangyari in the light of 2028 elections and in the light of assigning these committees. Ngayong hapon din ito, mababasa na natin yung 11 more committees, makukumpleto na rin natin yung mga miyembro para makapag-function na yung ating mga committee.
Q: So nakita nyo yung necessity na dapat abogado yung chairman ng committee ang constitutional amendment.
SJV: It’s not just that, but it was part of the discussion, and again, I salute Senator Padilla for even bringing it up. Actually, it was actually him who brought it up, so it was a good conversation, and marami po eh, marami po, and just part of the many committees that we are talking about.
Q: Senator, yung siya yung nagbanggit, si Senator Robin brought it up, in what way, sir, na hindi siya tulad, sir?
SJV: Sa mga pag-uusap po, yung binanggit po ng kasamahan natin, yung intricacies especially, yung having a lawyer, etc. That was part of the talks. And I salute Sen. Padilla to even mentioning that particular issue.
Q: And then, sir, di ba meron kayong caucus day after the SONA, pinag-usapan yung mga priority bills. Nabanggit ba doon yung chacha na possible na iline up ninyo?
SJV: We have our own. I asked for top three priority measures ng bawat senador and napag-usapan dun sa caucus na kung walang controversy and nasa floor na for third reading na or napasa na on third reading. May request, may pakiusap na ma-expedite sana sa committee so we can bring it up on the floor. So may mga ganun po. Doon muna ako na doon sa sinabi kong top three, no? So, nag-submit yung mga senators. May isa, I think there’s one senator who submitted doon sa top three niya na charter change. Okay, so that’s all I can divulge right now. And again, it doesn’t necessarily mean na kung kasama doon sa top three mo, yung chairperson ng isang committee, siya na ay mapepressure na ito ang unahin or hindi makakapag-report ng ibang panukalang batas na tinapos ng committee sa plenaryo dahil may so-called priority. Hindi po ganun, no? So, it’s still, we give the chairperson his or her priority measures na i-report out at i-deliberate sa kanyang committee.
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