(0:00:03) Praise God for this opportunity. Makasama kayo ngayong hapon na to. Magandang magandang magandang hapon po sa lahat ng ating kababayan sa Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, ating mga kababayan abroad, of course mga kapatid natin sa media.
(0:00:21) Our nation is divided, but that is because we have different opinions. The facts are distorted. So today, allow me to try to unify our thoughts as a nation using three tools. One is identity. Sino ba tayo? Sino ba tayo bilang mga Pilipino? First and foremost, for example, sa akin, I’m a Christian Filipino. Brother Robin is a Muslim Filipino. So we’ll go so forth and so on, but we’ll talk about identity.
(0:01:00) Number two, we can debate on many things, but we shouldn’t debate on principles. So let’s talk about principles and the values attached on those principles. And third, let’s talk about context. Napaka-importante po ng konteksto para naiintindihan natin ang ating nakaraan, kung saan tayo ngayon, at kung saan tayo papunta.
(0:01:21) Napaka-importante na yung nakaraan na makita natin kasi napakadaling sabihing never again and then nangyari again and again. Let’s start po with common vision. Ano ba gusto natin sa Pilipinas? Yung iba po, pinasimple: a safe and comfortable life. But ito po, medyo mas mahaba. Pero ito po, preamble ng ating konstitusyon. Even sa law school po, gustong gusto ko po itong kasi ang sinasabi ng mga professors namin noon na bagamat hindi ito yung source of the legal principles in the sense that kung one section of the constitution conflicts with the other or application or law, but it is something that embodies the spirit of of the aspirations of the Filipino people.
(0:02:24) So kumbaga yung why nandito sa preamble. Ano pong sabi ng preamble? “We, the sovereign Filipino people, imploring the aid of Almighty God in order to build a just and humane society and establish a government that shall embody our ideals and aspirations, promote the common good, conserve and develop our patrimony, and secure to ourselves and our posterity the blessing of independence and democracy under the rule of law and a regime of truth, justice, freedom, love, equality, and peace. Do ordain and promulgate this constitution. So, i-breakdown po natin ito, ha?
(0:03:13) Para tanungin natin sa ating sarili, lalo po yung mga kabataan ngayon, na maaaring yung history ng Constitution na ito ay mas buhay sa aming mga martial law babies in the sense that yung context. Pero I do know that the ideals, masasabi kong mas buhay sa inyo kasi kayo ang mga aktibista ngayon.
(0:03:36) So, let me first connect it with Jeremiah 29:11. Sabi sa Jeremiah 29:11, during the time na hirap na hirap po ang mga Hudyo sa kanilang pinagdadaanan, sa sunod-sunod na pag-uusig, struggles, sa pag-iisip na may Diyos pa ba tayo, inabando na ba tayo, may pag-asa pa ba tayo. Many of the things they felt.
(0:04:03) Many of our people are feeling. And I like Jeremiah because he’s a prophet na kinikilala ng Hudyo, ng Kristiyano at ng Muslim. Sabi ni Propetang Jeremiah, For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.
(0:04:25) So yung aking kaibigan parating sinasabi, yung hope and a future, magkasama po yun. So tingnan natin, we the sovereign people, sovereign Filipino people. Ano po ibig sabihin ng we the sovereign Filipino people? Ibig po sabihin, ang problema ng Pilipino, kailangan harapin ng mga Pilipino.
(0:04:46) Ang gobyerno ng Pilipino kailangan ang nasusunod mga Pilipino. Hindi pwede dito na yung ibang bansa, no matter how powerful, so dun sa nagsasabing pro-US sila, pwedeng maka-impluwensya pero hindi pwedeng ang Estados Unidos ang nag-dedesisyon para sa atin. Sabi naman nung iba, may mga pro-China.
(0:05:07) Hindi pwedeng ang China ang nagde-decide para sa mga Pilipino. Having said that, when you are a sovereign people, you decide not because you’re anti whatever other nation. Ako po, hindi ako anti any other nation. I am pro-Philippines. So I will decide based on three books. Yung rules ng Senate, yung Philippine Constitution, at ang Bibliya.
(0:05:36) Yan po yung tatlong libro na susundin ko. At walang conflict yan sa sovereignty. Ano po yung pangalawang nakalagay? Imploring the aid of Almighty God. Tayo po ay makadiyos na bansa. So regardless of faith, bawal po na magkaroon ng official religion ang Pilipinas.
(0:05:56) Pero hindi po bawal ng ating mga religious leaders ay magbigay ng kanilang mga opinion, guidance, principles, values. Ang hinihingi ko lang po that it should all have a common denominator which is the love for God and love for country and not hate.
(0:06:15) Ang sabi po dito, in order to build a just and humane society, so we’re here po to build. Dapat po nation building ang ating ginagawa. Ang nakalagay po dito, establish a government that shall embody our ideals and aspirations.
(0:06:31) Ang ibig po sabihin nun, meron po tayong values, meron po tayong ideals. For example, nasa ilalim po, the regime of truth. Isa pong ideal yun. So, wala po dapat sa buto natin ang cover-up, ang pagtakpan ang totoo, ang kasinungalingan. So, kung may corruption, dapat ma-expose. Kung may pandaraya sa eleksyon, dapat ma-expose.
(0:06:57) Kung may mga pinatay, dapat managot yung mga pumatay. So, I just want to emphasize one more thing, the blessings of independence and democracy. Ano po kaya kabaliktaran ng blessing? Curse po. So, meron pong curse ang dependence.
(0:07:16) So, even po, as we are today, hindi katulad ng panahon ng Kastila, panahon ng Hapon, panahon ng Amerikano, na sasabihin hindi tayo independent. But pwedeng ang mga leaders natin ay maging hindi dependent. Pwedeng ang ating Pangulo ay makinig sa isang bansa lang. Pwedeng ang Senado ay maging kasangkapan ng Malacanang imbis na maging independent. So pagka-independent, may blessing.
(0:07:45) Pag ito po ay naging puppet at may puppet master, curse na po ito. Ganon din po ang democracy. And later, I will talk about the dangers to our democracy. Ang democracy po, ang ibig po sabihin niyan.
(0:08:03) Tayo [ay] Representative Democracy. So, we exercise our democratic rights individually by voting. There are other manners of exercising our democracy. For example, free speech, demonstrations, rallies, pagpo-post sa Facebook, paggamit ng social media. Naalala niyo po, parang pinagbabawalan o hinihigpitan ng mga OFW sa balikbayan box pag dala dito. Grabe ang mga protesta noon, mga videos na pinadala ng ating mga kababayan. That’s an example of democracy in our own hands. Having said that, we usually exercise democracy to our representatives, our mga bukal natin, mga kagawad sa barangay, ang ating mga kongresista, ang ating mga senador.
(0:09:00) So, sa pag-oordain ng Constitution na ito, yan po yung ating mga ideals. So, napaka-importante po na bagamat ito po yung mga libro at ito yung mga papel, may symbolism po, buhay po yung mga salita na yan. So, katulad sa atin, let me address to my fellow Christians. Actually, kahit sino naman po na spiritual. May libro kayong sinusunod eh.
(0:09:25) Na sinasabi niyong holy, hindi niyo pwedeng sabihin papel lang yan or salita lang yan. Yung bawat word diyan, kahit saan mo buksan, halimbawa nakalagay love, halimbawa bawat anuman ang word diyan, hindi lang po yan buhay, hindi lang yan symbolic. It molds us into our identity.
(0:09:49) And yung identity po, for example, hindi mo pwedeng sabihin na si Juan Dela Cruz ay isang Christian Filipino na mahal ang Diyos at mahal ang kapwa niya. Tapos ang ginagawa niya ay lahat ay labag sa loob ng Panginoon at ang ginagawa niya ay walang iba kung hindi pang-aapi sa kapwa. So hindi tugma sa kanyang identity ang kanyang values at principles. So pag tinanong mo, ano ba talaga yang Juan Dela Cruz? Ay, wala yan. Hindi maka-Diyos, hindi makatao. So hindi yun yung talagang akala ni Juan Dela Cruz na siya.
(0:10:27) Our identity tells us a lot of things, including where we will be, who we are, what our family will look like, what our community will look like, and eventually it will form the national identity and will declare where we’re going. So pag sinabi natin, we’re a Christian nation, pero number two tayo sa pinaka-corrupt, hindi talaga tayo Christian nation. Pag sinabing ang ating bansa, mahal ang mahihirap, tapos hindi natin pinapagamot yung mga may sakit.
(0:10:59) Hindi po natin binibigyan ng living wage. Matapobre ang ating society. So, pag sinabi natin we are a democratic nation, pero diktaturya ang umiiral, o kung sino lang makapangyarihan ang nasusunod, then we’re not a democratic nation. So, let me give you a context from my point of view. So, siyempre, noong 2022, I ran for the Senate ulit.
(0:11:29) Nago-observe lang ako. I was soul-searching, if I can call it that, no? And of course, I had my own questions, di ba? Dahil, yun nga, martial law baby ako, I was very supportive of Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. Panahon po namin yung, I was 13 years old, 12, 13 years old nung namatay si Senator Benigno Aquino. I did not really know who he was until he attempted to return and he was killed, no.
(0:11:57) 1984, na-elect ang aking ama bilang assemblyman ng Taguig, Pateros at Muntinlupa. That’s my first pagkamulat or understanding of government. And then 1986, of course, is the EDSA Revolution.
(0:12:13) And even a day before it started, kausap na namin ang tatay ko kasi gusto nga kaming paalisin at siya ay first time na nakita ko ang aking ama na umiiyak o lumuluha dahil he was ready to give his life kasi sabi niya, ito na yung panahon na kailangan lumabas lahat ng totoo. And as a 15-year-old teenager, I couldn’t understand why someone has to give their life for truth.
(0:12:42) Kasi di ba mula sa pagkabata, basta ito tama, ito mali. Ito kasi yung kasinungalingan, ito yung totoo. So we were taught from the start that you’re always rewarded if you do what is right. Pag tama, may reward. Pag mali, may… paparusahan ka or mayroon pong consequence
(0:13:03). Kaya nga sabi nila, if you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime. But siguro yung sa murang edad, 15 years old, parang bakit nagpapaalam ang aking ama at bakit siya makukulong o bakit siya mapapatay kung ilalaban niya yung totoo. Then the four days of EDSA unfolded.
(0:13:22) So here I am in 2022, 51 years old, naging Konsehal, Vice Mayor, Speaker of the House of Representatives, nahalal pangatlong beses sa Senado, naging Secretary of Foreign Affairs at iniisip ko, never again pero nandito ulit.
(0:13:42) Pero I do believe na yung kasalanan ng ama ay hindi naman kasalanan ng anak. And I do believe in democracy. Meaning, if ang nanalo ay isang taong hindi ko namang ka-close, I have to follow what people want or who they voted for. Kasi hindi pwedeng democracy tapos yung gusto mo lang. Dictatorship yun. You have to respect the will of the people. So in 2020…
(0:14:13) So, let me go back. 2016, nung nanalo si President Duterte, I was asked informally by someone very close to the President, oh, tutal, hindi mo nakuha yung number two, kunin mo na yung number three. So, sabi ko, anong number three? Ikaw na mag Senate President. So, nung binubuo ko ‘to, again, I believe in principles, I don’t want to live my life very arbitrarily. So, kung this is what President Duterte stood for.
(0:14:43) Then, dapat sundin ko yun. So, Senator Lacson and Senator Tito Sotto came to me. Alan, 8 o siyam. 8 o siyam sila. 8 o siyam. Magbuo ka lang ng apat, I think siyam sila. Magbuo ka ng apat, trese na tayo. Pero sa siyam, ito yung kami. And nung tinitignan ko, for example, he wanted to be Chairman ng Public Order, which is forte naman niya. Basta’t isa-isa tinitignan ko at sabi ko, mukhang pag tinanggap ko ito, mabuti for me.
(0:15:17) Pero baka under the gun ka agad ang ating Pangulo sa lahat ng gusto niyang gawin. And I’m not talking about Senator Lacson lang, but many. Kasi nga, ang dami ng, for example, nasabi ni Pangulong Duterte, unahin ang sweldo ng pulis at military, doblehin. But there are many senators, including Senator Lacson, who said na kailangan lahat, hindi pwedeng sila lang. So there are things like that.
(0:15:40) Then I found out they were talking to Senator Drilon, who was the Senate President then, and kung sasama din, ibibigay yung Committee on Justice kay Sen. De Lima. Na alam kong gagamitin lang niya para siraan ang ating Pangulo dahil ilang taon siyang Chairperson ng Human Rights Commission at ilang taon din siyang Secretary of Justice.
(0:16:07) Pero hindi naman niya kinasuhan ang dating Pangulo. So sabi ko, i-offer niyo sa akin yan pero isusubo niyo ito. Hindi ko po tinanggap. It was painful po because nga ako po ang kasama ng Pangulo, pinaglalaban ko at pinorma ko yung Senate majority ko to be supportive.
(0:16:28) But Senator Koko and Senator Tito said independent Senate kailangan na walang impluwensya ang Malacanang, etc. So the rest is history, but that’s my first point. Tinanggihan ko yun on the matter of principle, hindi ko nakuha. Fast forward 2025.
(0:16:49) Nung nanalo na po sila Sen. Lacson, Sen. Tito, Sen. Bam, Sen. Kiko, etc. I was talked by, I was, kinontact ako ng isang malapit sa Pangulo, etc. At sinabi, kung hindi matatanggal si Chiz, ako na lang. Walang basbas ng Malacanang ‘to, pero ang kausap sila Sen. Tito, etc.
(0:17:14) And it happened a second time nung pinag-uusapan namin yung tungkol sa Commission on Appointments, sinabi sa akin ni Senator Loren yun, alam mo naman kung anong offer. Sabi ko, guys, para kong kapatid na si Chiz, marami na rin kaming beses na magkalaban, but we promise each other to pray together, consult each other, move forward each other. So, naintindihan ko karamdaman nyo, pero hindi ko pwedeng kunin sa kanya. I can’t do that. So, tinanggihan ko ulit.
(0:17:46) Okay. February 2026, yung ibang mga kasamahan ko, sinabi na, oh, ginamit na yung blue ribbon, may mga pinagtakpan sa minority… majority nila, no. May mga pinakita sa akin whether ito yung, basta saka ko na ilalabas yung mga ebidensya, but basically, ang sinasabi, nakipagsabwatan si Sen. Lacson sa administrasyon para iporma laban kay Jinggoy, kay Chiz, kay Joel, etc. Regardless kung may zero truth, partial truth, or whatever. And then may mga pinagtakpan, no. From masterminds, lower. And then, iba-ibang grupo yun, ha? Wala pa yung… Wala pa atang 18 nun, eh. Yung Marines…
(0:18:36) So, ang inudyukan namin noon ay si Senator Loren. So, again, wala naman nagsabing dapat ako, binigay ko sa kanya. Tapos nag-usap kami, sabi niya, Alan, sana tayong dalawa. But, kaming dalawa, meaning mag-sharing din kami. So…
(0:18:54) When we were going to execute, dahil may labing apat na kami, biglang may mga tumawag at doon po nag-umpisa. Doon ko nalaman na, negotiable pala yung mga kaso nila. Kasi, tinawagan na yung mga may kaso, huwag nyo lang iboto si Loren, bawiin nyo, hindi na kayo kakasuhan. At yung isa doon, na-witness ko mismo dahil sa harap ko, tinawagan yung isang high official at narinig ko yung pinag-usapan. So…
(0:19:21) We stopped there kasi nga may isa naman, wala naman siyang kaso yung kinukwento ko sa inyo, pero nagulat ako, takot na takot. And isang dahilan takot, minsan medyo napitik din siya na baka banggitin ang pangalan niya, although he swears wala naman siya. At doon ko nga nakita na grabe ang leeway ni Senator Lacson na kasi may sinabi ni Senator Lacson doon na parang, hindi, kausapin natin yung mga namamahala kasi yung witness na yan ay hindi credible.
(0:19:51) Pero pagdating kay Joel Villanueva, pagdating kay Jinggoy, pagdating kay Chiz, eh credible naman yung, well, wala si Chiz ata sa witness na yun.
(0:20:00) Pero dun sa dalawa, or at least kay Sen. Joel yung witness na yun, yung particular witness na yun. So what happened is sometime March, I went to see two people. One is someone not in government, very close to the President and the other one is very, very high official. Basically, ang sinabi ko…
(0:20:24) O, sumunod yung mga kasama ko. Hindi naman ine-elect si Senator Loren. Kami, tatlo lang ang gusto namin. One, tutukan yung ekonomiya ng ating bansa kasi kahit na hindi inaamin ng Malacanang. Not exactly in these words, but basically, it took some time for Malacanang to admit that there’s a crisis. And they didn’t create a crisis. The crisis came from the U.S., Iran, and Israel conflict.
(0:20:53) But it took in denial for the first two weeks ang Malacanang. Samantalang every other government in ASEAN, around the world, in Asia, were already pinoporma na nila yung mga contingency plans. That’s why nga, nag-file ako. Pero sinabi nila Senator Tito, SP, huwag lagyan ng ilang days yung contingency plan ng Malacanang and then afterwards yung PROTECT Committee.
(0:21:18) Ako at mga staff ko nag-draft nun para nga may pressure sa Malacanang na to deal with the economic. Pangalawa, sinasabi na importante yung impeachment and sabi nila hindi namin papangako boto namin.
(0:21:30) Kasi nga, we have to do it sa ebidensya. So, panay ang tanong sa amin, so you will allow na lumabas yung ebidensya? Sabi, of course, that’s part of our job. Hindi namin job ay i-convict o kaya i-acquit na mag-a-act kami as prosecutors or as defense lawyers ang trabaho namin, mag-judge.
(0:21:54) And then, syempre, may mag tatanong sa Blue Ribbon. Sabi namin, wala kaming specific target except yung katotohanan. Meaning, there has to be a way that the Blue Ribbon will not be used as a tool laban lang sa kalaban ng mga administrasyon.
(0:22:10) Then, mapagtakpan yung totoo. Of course, at that time, hindi ko pa alam yung main allegations regarding certain Malacanang personalities and going all the way to the top. Of course, marami nang… yung Cabral files, yung… may March ba? I think nandun na yung Marines. And then also yung…
(0:22:36) Bersamin files. Basta marami yan. Marami yan, no. So, basically, ang message ko was, malabo namang makabuo kami, pero it’s always possible. So, ang pinapaabot lang namin sa Malacanang ay hindi na po feasible yung Tito Sotto, Risa Hontiveros, Kiko Pangilinan, Lacson, group of four, gang of four, na pagpapatakbo ng Senado because it wasn’t productive anymore. Panay-2028 lang ang issue tapos maraming pinagtatakpan tapos hindi nakatutok sa pangangailangan ng tao. They didn’t listen to me. So on May 11, we got the majority.
(0:23:20) Hindi namin alam na si Sen. Sotto mismo, si SP, nagpapasok ng mga NBI at mahigit na 20 ahente nakakalat na sa buong Senate. That’s never happened before. They’ve always coordinated, stayed in one place, and then talked kung paano. Parang kay Sen. Jinggoy, napakaayos. Actually, it would have been better kung pinayagan nila ako i-escort sa labas. But nakita niyo, maayos.
(0:23:46) So yung May 11, in hindsight, makikita niyo na po mga kababayan na May 11, set up nila yun. May 13, sila naglagay ng full battle gear ng mga NBI at mapapatunayan namin, Senate premises po yun. So ang point ko po, sila yung nanggulo na nanggulo na nanggulo, yung labing isa, kakampi ang Malacanang, kakampi po ang NBI, tapos pinapalabas, ako at kami ang magulo.
(0:24:14) Clear na yun. Hindsight ha. Even yung walkout. Nung sila nag-walkout, dose, wala daw quorum. Nung nagka-dose sila, meron na biglang quorum. Nung sinabi nila, gusto lang nila magtrabaho. Nakita nyo naman po, hindi man lang nagbigay ng mga pangalan sila doon sa mga committee.
(0:24:37) So, paano na sasabihin gusto nilang magtrabaho? Tapos nakita nyo, nung sinabi nila si Senator Win ay acting Senate President, unang issuance, work from home. Nung pumasok pa rin ang mga taga-senado, ang sinabi, alas dyis, umuwi na kayo. Hindi ba katawa-tawa yun, di ba yung sasabihin sa iyo, work, let’s get back to work.
(0:24:57) Tapos yung unang i-issue is to work from home. Then the next day, umuwi na kayo. 10 o’clock pa lang pinapauwi na. Kaya nga sabi ko, mag-ingat si Senator Win. Kasi maganda naman future niya. Huwag ka magpagamit sa Malacanang at dun sa mga kasamahan mo. Kahit binibigyan ka ng high position. I’ll give you the advice that someone I really respect gave me, which is, receive, don’t grab.
(0:25:21) I didn’t grab the Senate presidency in 2016. I didn’t grab it in 2025. I didn’t grab it in February 2022. But to God’s grace, napunta sa akin.
(0:25:35) By the way, kung nakuha ko yun earlier, kasi diba nagsama-sama, Senator Koko, Senator Tito, Senator Frank Drilon, Senator Migz Zubiri, alam niyo kasi sinasabi na masarap maging Senate President. Yun yung reading between the lines. Kasi usually, tens of billions ang pwede mo ipasok sa budget. Usually yan, malaking mga discretionary funds ang pwede mo i-withdraw. Then of course, number three ka. So, sa lahat ng mga ahensya ng gobyerno…
(0:26:05) Basically, you’re a VIP there. Ang daming perks po ang pagiging Senate President. So when the four of them says na, Alan, bumitiw ka na lang, huwag kang kumapit sa posisyon. First and foremost, nagulat ako na, these personalities, especially Senator Drilon and Senator Koko, who are staunch anti-Marcos personalities, is suddenly Marcos na rin. I’ll go to that later, but what’s my point? Sila na-enjoy nila lahat yan.
(0:26:39) Ako, the day na tinanggap ko at sinabi ko sa mga kasamahan ko, I’m up to the challenge. Kasi nung sinabi sa akin ni Senator Loren, ikaw na Alan, kumilos na tayo. Nagtanong muna ako, I went to Senator Chiz and said na ako ba dapat talaga pa. But the day na tinanggap ko, I knew.
(0:26:57) I will not be an ordinary SP. This isn’t the usual, di ba, na first among equals ka, na malaki pondo mo. I knew, laban ito ng katotohanan. And I was told already na linggo-linggo susubukan kang alisin, naging araw-araw. And I knew na grabe ang gagawin nila, pero hindi ko na imagine talaga na…
(0:27:20) I knew they were gonna throw at me the kitchen sink. But I didn’t know that pati yung kitchen itatapon nila. We knew na bubuhayin yung kaso laban sa iba sa amin, pero hindi namin alam na ganun talaga yung pressure na gagamitin. But the reason I bring that up, I wanted to emphasize, hindi kami nagkulang sa trying to build bridges. So finally, nung naka-first base kami, kausap namin ilang high officials and then hanggang umabot sa Malacanang.
(0:27:49) We communicated that you can trust us, in me, in particular and the group kasi nakausap ko na yung grupo. Gagawin namin maayos ang impeachment. Hindi namin papangako boto namin, but we will commit na we will listen to the evidence, we will view, we will hold it together with the legislative. Nag-commit din kami dun sa economic. Sabi namin pagdating sa Blue Ribbon, aayusin natin yung mga hearings na hindi maapektuhan yung ating mga negosyante. But ako, sabi ko, kailangan lumabas yung totoo. Okay? So, hindi po kami nagkulang. So, yung labing isa, sa pagco-convince din sa Malacanang, na kalaban yan, kalaban yan, kalaban yan. So, the problem is, they kept on inching towards doing illegal and immoral things until we got to the situation we are in here today.
(0:28:43) So yun po yung basic context of how we got here today. But more important than the state of the Senate is the state of the nation. So let me go to that. Sabi nila po yung hindi marunong lumingon sa kanyang pinanggalingan ay hindi makakarating sa kanyang paroroonan.
(0:29:05) Sabi nila, history repeats itself. So nung sinabing never again, nagulat tayo bakit again. But I think all of us, not only those who voted for the Marcos-Duterte team, but even those who didn’t, we’re praying and hoping maging successful dahil ang success ng administrasyon na ito ay success natin lahat. Ano naging problema?
(0:29:27) Slowly and clearly, a pattern of corruption was shown. And then, nung sinabi ng Pangulo, mahiya naman kayo, lumabas po dito yung pinakamalaking corruption scam sa Pilipinas involving trillions of pesos, including stolen money of at least hundreds of billions of pesos. By the way, si Senator Joel was one of those who first warned about it. So, kung ang sasabihin nila, paano naging Pangulo yun dahil he warned about it.
(0:30:00) Well, winarn ng Pangulo, that was I think Sona ng 2025, but si Joel has been warning since 2023 to be fair. Panahon pa ni Duterte, sinasabi niya na bantayan yung flood control sa Bulacan. So, what is the state of the nation?
(0:30:17) Remember when President Marcos, Sr., was elected, he was very, very popular. I think he still is one of the greatest orators of the Philippines. And he knew our culture. He knew… Alam niya yung damdamin ng Pilipino eh. At alam niya nung mga panahon na yon, when communism was sweeping the world, when there was the Cold War, and then it was sweeping Southeast Asia. And, you know, if you look at Southeast Asia, it looked like a region na sigurado ang giyera, with a conflict with Malaysia over hindi pa yung South China Sea noon, yung Sabah pa. And then, iba-iba ang religion at iba-iba ang form of government ng Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia had a problem. Thailand had a problem with its neighbors. Kaya kung hindi nga nagkaroon ng ASEAN, maaaring naging war-torn ang ASEAN countries.
(0:31:10) But my point is, na gamit yung fear of communism, and then because from number 2 in the world, sa ekonomiya, we were number 2, number 1 ang Japan, sa region natin, sa Asia, number 2 ang Pilipinas, then suddenly, number 2, number 3 tayo sa bottom, by the time na mag-EDSA revolution na. But the point is, ginamit yung economic crisis, ginamit yung class war, yung oligarchs, yung control ng oligarchy sa kongreso at sa ating ekonomiya at yung komunista. So it was such a big fear that many accepted martial law. And that’s how we lost our democracy.
(0:31:56) So by the time we regained it in 1986, an Aquino had to give his life and then there was a need of the people to march on EDSA in the EDSA revolution. So fast forward, EDSA 1, EDSA 2, EDSA 3, iba-ibang stories, but we continued to fight corruption and there were different kinds of abuses. But what’s happening now? Basically, what’s happening now is for the fear that magkaroon ulit ng Duterte administration, kampi na lang tayo lahat sa Malacanang. That’s why sabi ko, meron tayong Marcos pa rin. These are the loyalists from the start. And of course, the Dutertes and Marcos run together in 2022. But you’ve always had those who continued the legacy of President Cory Aquino and one of our country’s heroes, Senator Benigno Aquino. Whether you call them Dilaw, whether you call them…yung halo-halo, yung laban, PDP laban, all these political parties, dilaw tapos naging pink because nga nagkaroon ng mga issues during the Duterte time.
(0:33:12) Pero nagulat nga ako na gumising tayo isang araw, dalawa yung kampo. Kampo ng Duterte at yung Marcos pa rin na nagsama na yung Marcos na rin, and nagulat ako because even the extreme left, even some of the extreme right, yung mga fascista atsaka yung ibang mga katulad ni Senator Lacson na more rightist ang ideology and then yung leftist ang ideology. Yung dalawang paksyon nga, nagkasundo eh. Mas mabuti yung mas extreme or yung affirmist sa…, kasi kahit papaano, nag-cricriticize din, but yung grupo nila Risa Hontiveros, nila Ronald Llamas, talagang puring-puring na sa Marcos administration, so naging Marcos na rin. So, nagulat din ako at people like Senator Drilon, people like Senator Koko, because Senator Koko may tampo sa mga Duterte. So, never mind na lumalabas Marcos na rin, ang importante to prevent another Duterte administration, and I don’t blame those who think that extrajudicial killing is a essential part of any Duterte administration. I don’t take that against you. Yan yung paniniwala nyo. Iba paniniwala namin. Iba tingin namin sa drug war, ibatingin niyo.
(0:34:26) But my point is this, in the same way that oligarchs, communism, and the economic crisis was used to lose our democracy, malayo na malapit na yung panahon na we’re losing our democracy because of an economic crisis which is here, because of fear of another Duterte administration, and then because of the flood control na sobrang daming tatamaan sa ating lipunan. So, the moment of truth is coming, and I use it literally, the moment of truth, ang isyu ngayon katotohanan. Democracy is also an issue, but the issue is truth.
(0:35:07) Do you want a Senate that will cover up the truth? So, pinipilit ni Senator Erwin Tulfo na mag-hearing sa Monday, even if we know that yung na bogus, peke, hindi totoo yung kanilang session, so hindi rin totoo na acting Senate President si Win Gatchalian at hindi rin siya totoong chairman ng Blue Ribbon Committee.
(0:35:34) Sabi sa akin nung media nung Thursday, “Sir, anong ebidensya mo na ang Malacanang ay involved?” Well, aside from sino pa ba pwede magpadala ng NBI ng dalawang araw kung hindi Malacanang, saan ba nag-meeting yung labing isa? Hindi ba sa Malacanang din. But pangatlo, anong sabi nilang ebidensya? Diba ang isda sa bibig talaga na huhuli? Anong sabi ni former Senate President Tito Sotto?
(0:36:02) Ang naniniwala na na kami ang majority at si Sen. Win ang acting Senate President ay Malacanang, House of Representatives. Ikaw na nagsabi, Malacanang, kasama sa plano o yun din ang sinabi ni Sen. Win. Para walang gulo sa bangko, sa mga empleyado, tanong natin sa civil service.
(0:36:22) So, yun po ang sinasabi kong, guys, kung mahal nyo si Senator Win, huwag niyo sirain yung kanyang future. Saan ka nakakita ng Senate President, unang gagawin, imbitahin yung SILG, yung Secretary of Interior and Local Government, para ayusin yung peace and order sa Senate. May sarili tayong OSAA, may contingent tayo ng Marines PNP, may PNP sa labas.
(0:36:45) Pag kulang iyon, you can request the PNP. Hindi mo pinapapunta yung SILG mismo. Ngayon naman, ang magde-decide kung sinong Senate President, hindi rules natin, hindi constitution natin, civil service? Sino ba nag-appoint ng Civil Service Commission? Malacanang din, hindi ba? So, napakahirap po.
(0:37:06) But I’ll offer you a solution, Senator Win. Mag-meeting tayo. May naiisip akong solusyon. Mahirap humanap tayo ng solusyon kung sino ang tunay na Senate President kasi yung tatlong libro na hawak ko ay nagsasabing yung legitimate Senate President, yung nahalal nung labing tatlo. By the way guys, let me go to that muna na mabilis. Ito oh.
(0:37:34) Sabi po sa Philippine Constitution, hindi lang ito sa rules, sa Philippine Constitution, nakalagay po dito, “The Senate shall elect its president and the House of Representatives its speaker by a majority vote of all its members.” Of all its members, iba po yun sa sinasabi dito, “A majority of each house shall constitute a quorum to do business, but a smaller number may adjourn from day to day.” So yung a majority of each house and a majority of all its members, magkaiba yun. At sinasabi din dito po na meron po kasi dito yung about each house being able to pass its own rules.
(0:38:26) “Each house may determine the rules of its proceedings.” So kung titignan mo ang rules natin, yung officers po, yung secretary, yung Sergeant at Arms, Senate President Pro Tempore, at Senate President, trese ang kailangan kasi all members. So ang constitution ay nagbibigay ng power sa rules at sinasabi po dito sa dalawa na kailangan trese. So kung walang trese, hindi kayo tunay.
(0:38:53) Going back to yung hearing ni Senator Erwin, the 12 might want to reign him in, even during martial law, even during the abuse of arrest, kaliwa at kanan at yung mga torture, wala pong high official na nagsabing, kwekwelyuhan ko yan, ako mismo, aarestuhin ko yan, etc. So, you know, It’s incredible that you’ll have a human being speaking like that. Kaya sa sulat ni former Congressman Michael Defensor, dapat ang sagot namin ay simpleng umattend kayo sa legitimate na Blue Ribbon Committee dahil yun ang may legal protection.
(0:39:36) Pero siguro, idadagdag ko dun sa sulat na yung ganun mental state ng isang senator tapos siya ang magiging chairman, walang makakapag-guarantee ng inyong safety doon. At tandaan nyo po, tapos na po tayo doon sa 18 Marines kung gusto sila ipatawag ulit under Senator Marcoleta, pwede mag-attend sila, Senator Win. Pero nandun pa tayo sa dalawa o tatlong witnesses na ang bibigat at may mga dokumento at talagang mayayanig yung ating bansa. Kaya po nagkakaroon ng ganito. Ang problema po, kaya sinabi kong malapit malayo.
(0:40:11) Every time that the truth is about to come out, wini-weaken yung institutions. Wineaken po ang House of Representatives, wineaken po ang Senate. Sabi ni Senator Lacson, sirang-sira ng Senado, ikaw naman sumira sa Senado eh, through false testimony witness using the blue ribbon laban sa ating mga kasama.
(0:40:36) Itong mga kaganapan ng May 11-13, Malacanang ang may control dyan sa NBI, hindi sa amin. Tapos iwa-whitewash nyo pa para sabihin wala ang mga NBI sa loob ng Senado. So, tama yung sinabi ni Senator Gringo. Pag armado ka at dapat nandung ka, wala ka doon at nandung ka, bakit papagalitan mo yung reaction? So, he was talking about mga panahon ng kudeta. So, kung may mga sundalo sa labas ng Malacanang, natural na magwa-warning siya ang mga taga-Malacanang, paalisin ka. So, ginulpi na nila ang isang taga-OSAA, hinabol nila ang isang senador sa loob ng Senado.
(0:41:16) So, natural, nung pinaligiran nila ang Senado at they crossed over from GSIS into the Senate, na naka-full battle gear, natural na magkakaroon ng warning shot. And then, ang sisisihin kami, hindi yung nanggugulo. So, the point is, these hearings, you know, you had your chance to have hearings. Ilang buwan naman kayo na hindi nag-hearing. So, siguro, ang haba na nang sinabi ko.
(0:41:43) My point is, mga kababayan, who are we as Filipinos? So I had to think about my role. Komportable ako sa pagsou-soul search ko, sa role ko po in transforming the nation, sa role ko po bilang isang Kristiyanong may pinaglalaban. Komportable po ako, quiet life with family, building our city.
(0:42:05) Pero nung tinawag ako, step up, be with the senators, be our leader, I have to say “Yes”. Kasi yun yung role na binibigay sa akin. I knew I wouldn’t enjoy the perks. I knew na baka ikulong kasuhan muna, kulong, intimidate, offer. But kailangan ko lakas ang loob ko eh. I have to put my whole faith in God. Today, day by day lang ako nabubuhay. Day by day, Lord, anong pinapagawa mo sa akin? So, dun sa mga nagpra-pray for us, pati mga nag-open letter, I don’t get offended. Tama yung sinabi nyo.
(0:42:35) Ang prayer ko should be, Lord, san mo ako gusto at anong dapat kong gawin. So, I’ll stop there, but you also have to ask yourself that question. Whether you’re a doctor, you’re a lawyer, you’re a soldier, wala kang trabaho, barangay tanod, anong role mo? Definitely to pray. Pero, ano sa pagkikilos? Pagpo-post? Pag pro-protesta, pagpapanood kung ano nangyayari.
(0:42:59) Let your voice be heard. Yung IBP, ngayon nagsasalita pa isa-isa yung mga abogado. I mean, ang daming issues sa quorum, etc. But in electing the officers, kahit, basta’t marunong magbasa, majority of all the members. Kaya nga sabi ng Malacanang, nire-review pa nila constitution. Ang problema, they’re bending the law and they’re bending the constitution, which is weakening institutions. At kaya nga tayo napunta sa diktatorya during that time. So in one sense, malapit na tayo because we keep trying to hide the truth. Okay, ulitin ko ha. In one sense, malapit na po tayo kasi ilang institution na ang binaboy natin eh. Nandun na tayo sa Senado eh.
(0:43:39) And then, lahat ginagawa, hindi lumabas yung totoo. In the other sense, malayo pa. Kasi wala pa namang official declaration, etc. Pero nagsisimula na eh, basta ikaw ay kalaban, actually matagal nagsimula yun, basta ikaw kalaban ay kulong ka, pero bailable yun eh. Ngayon yung non-bailable na ginagawa, at ang masama, dati, lumalaban yung institusyon. So, nung pinadlock ang Senado, nagkaisa lahat ng Senador at least more or less na huwag nyo ipadlock yung Senado. Ngayon kasi, kapwa Senador pa ang kumakampi sa Malacanang.
(0:44:13) That’s why hindi ko na sinasagot isa-isa. Kasi nga, team cover-up between team ilabas yung totoo, team independent versus yung team na ang Senado dapat kontrolado ng Malacanang o sasabihin na, “hindi, kasi kay Tito Sotto or kay Win Gatchalian, maayos yung Senate.” Maayos nga yung Senate kasi hindi niyo nilalabas yung totoo tapos nandun kayo sa ilalim ng Malacanang.
(0:44:38) So, I continue to offer Malacanang a partnership but check and balance tayo. So, weekend, Sunday, time to think. So, wala naman problema, file-an ako ng kaso. But for example, yung tindig Pilipinas Kiko Dee, legacy ni President Cory Aquino is democracy. Legacy ni Senator Benigno Aquino is giving his life to fight for freedom and democracy. And then magpapagamit kayo sa Malacanang, obstruction of justice. Sinabi na nung NBI, walang warrant na binigay sa amin.
(0:45:20) Sinabi na ng PNP at SILG, pumunta sila doon hindi para arestuhin yun dahil wala pa namang warrant. So paano naging obstruction of justice at paano pina-takas si Bato kung wala namang warrant?
(0:45:33) So let me address myself to Kiko Dee, and the other Aquinos, even to Senator Bam. Ang legacy nyo, democracy, then Marcos na rin. So, no problem. Legacy din nila is against extrajudicial killings. Ipaglaban niyo yun. Legacy din ng mga Aquino is to sacrifice for the nation. So, if your sacrifice is fighting the Duterte, okay yun. Pero okay sa inyo, babuyin yung Senado. Okay sa inyo, huwag ilabas yung totoo sa flood control. Eh, di ba, kaya nga, laban. Laban yung laban.
(0:46:11) Hiramin ko muna. Kasi hindi niyo ginagamit eh. Diba? So alam nyo naman, diba, sa aktibista, sa Duterte, ganyan, eh kailangan neutral ako eh dahil senator-judge din ako, ako pa mag-prepreside nung impeachment, pero pahiram muna nung laban. Kasi paano pag wala nang lumaban para sa Pilipinas? Paano kung Marcos na rin? So mga kababayan, let me end this way. Kung comfort lang po, sumangayon na po ako sa administrasyon.
(0:46:40) My life will be totally much easier. But I couldn’t live with myself. Why? Life without a purpose is not living. Diba? You all have to consult your maker. Is this the kind of world that the Philippine Constitution wants? Is this the kind of world that the Bible tells us, the kind of Philippines we want? Diba?
(0:47:04) You might not like me. You might not agree with my politics. I’m not perfect. Some of you might not even trust me. And if I’m wrong, the tama feelings niyo. But what if I’m right? How many of us didn’t listen to the science in 1970’s and what happened for 20 years? So what if I’m wrong now?
(0:47:28) You don’t have to like me. My stay as Senate President is limited. But every day that I’m here, laban po tayo. So, hindi natin kalaban ang Malacanang. Pero kalaban natin kasinungalingan, kalaban natin yung nagpupunit ng pahina ng konstitusyon.
(0:47:45) So mga kababayan, tonight, tomorrow, let’s say a prayer, but let’s ask ourselves, who are we? Anong identity natin? Paano natin maitutuloy yung laban? Hindi pwedeng everyday may bagong issue na lang. Issue, May 11, habulin si Bato. Issue, May 13, NBI attack the Senate or hindi? Issue ng walkout, 12 kayo, okay. Nung kami hindi dumating, 12 kayo, okay.
(0:48:13) Tapos, para hindi mapag-usapan yung testimony ng 18 Marines, magme-meltdown, mag baballistic si Erwin Tulfo. Tapos, para yun ang news, tapos, bukas, tapos, tatakutin lahat ng mga empleyado ng Senado na bibitbitin, kakasuhan. Uulitin ko yung sinabi ko sa media, lahat ng kapangyarihan nasa kanila, ang nasa aming katotohanan. But despite that, I’m willing to, tonight and tomorrow, we’ll be thinking of a way, paano po hindi maipit ang mga empleyado, paano po na yung mga bangko masunod ng tama, anong tamang legal remedies natin.
(0:48:57) On that aspect, we can talk and find a way. Pero when it comes to truth, ibabalik ko ngayon sa majority yun. You really believe what you’re preaching about the flood control? You really believe na after putting to jail some to get the quorum, they won’t put more in jail to get… gagawin kasi ano eh, labing walo na lang ang senador para labindalawa convicted na at pagkatapos nun, ma-manipulate na naman yung numero at saka yung konstitusyon para palitan yung konstitusyon. Again, if I’m wrong, then balewalain niyo lahat ng sinabi ko. I’m just one other politician telling you garbage.
(0:49:38) But if I’m correct and I hope that I am not correct, then we have to put faith into our actions. Kailangan natin lumaban at kailangan natin humanap ng paraan para ipakita na hindi tayo papayag na muli pong i-kulong ang ating demokrasya. Na muling nakawin ang freedom ng bawat Pilipino. God bless you, God bless the Philippines.
