(0:00:02) Praise God for this opportunity na magkakwentuhan tayo this afternoon. So far po, kamusta ang inyong weekend, Facebook family? So it’s been an action-packed week. Nagsimula po nung Sunday, prayers, meeting with many senators. We went to sleep.
(0:00:29) Just expecting an ordinary day ng Monday. Then to God’s grace and mercy, I got a call Sunday morning. Monday afternoon, nakompleto yung labing tatlo. Dumating si Senator Bato. And only to God’s grace and mercy, nagpalit ng liderato sa Senado. Then of course, tumuloy-tuloy na.
(0:00:58) I was hoping na ang ating topic ng Thursday at Friday ay ang aking privilege speech nung Wednesday na ang tawag po ay ang pangalan po ay Bigger Picture. Let me give you the two-minute version. So sinabi ko dun sa Bigger Picture na medyo nakatutok tayo sa politika lalo po sa news at saka sa social media pero ang ordinaryong Pilipino.
(0:01:27) Hindi lang siyempre political yung lens. Meron economic lens. Ibig sabihin, kumbaga sa salamin, yung economic lens, yung pananaw ba na kamusta ang taas ng presyo or PTK po yung ginamit natin, Presyo, Trabaho, Kita. Kamusta ang presyo? Abot kaya ba? Or pataas nang pataas? Kahit okay yung presyo or mataas ang presyo, may trabaho ka ba? Kasi kung wala kang trabaho, or wala kang negosyo, wala rin kita. At syempre, dinagdag din po natin yung issue ng corruption. Pinag-usapan din po natin doon na yung spiritual lens o yung sinasabi po nating morality and values. Importante po sa isang community, maging yan po ay pamilya, maging church, maging samahan ng magkakapitbahay, tricycle operator and driver’s association or TODA, yan po ay maging barkada.
(0:02:26) Yan po ay maging barangay, city, isang nation. Yung values at yung kultura ng isang community. At pinag-usapan po natin doon na pag pinag-usapan natin ay kultura, meron tinatawag na seven spheres or mountains. Yun pong family, yun pong church, yun pong government, business, education, health at media. Ang media, kasama na po diyan ng entertainment at journalism. At pinag-usapan natin sa pitong yan, na spheres or mountains of culture, lumalabas po ang values, ang sistema, ang pang-araw-araw na buhay ng isang tao, isang pamilya, isang bansa.
(0:03:11) So let’s say when we’re addressing corruption, hindi lang yung imbestigasyon at pag kaso nun, pero yung values, may integrity ba ang sistema, may integrity ba…
(0:03:24) May value ba ang tao na huwag magnakaw? In talking of all of that kasi, tayo’y naniniwala na yung pang-araw-araw na buhay ni Juan de la Cruz, ni Juana de la Cruz, ay hindi na pag-uusapan kasi syempre, maging sa marites, maging sa official na news, maging sa chat groups, maging sa socmed, yung mga nagva-viral usually ay yung mga events at saka yung mga intriga. So sabi ko nga, from the search for the truth, ay naging mga propaganda. For example, paulit-ulit na sinabi na kaya nagkaroon ng leadership change para pigilan [ay] yung impeachment.
(0:04:16) Pero nakita nyo naman po, Wednesday night, nung nakuha natin yung Articles of Impeachment, kahit na may kaguluhan sa Senate, tinapos po natin. Nung tinanong po ako ng Secretariat, tatapusin po ba natin ang pag-check niyan tonight para bukas masulatan na natin yung House? Nakiusap po ako sa kanila at sabi, sir, duty namin ito. Despite po ang anxiety at trauma na nangyari sa barilan sa Senate.
(0:04:44) The next day, within 24 hours, pinadala na po natin sa House of Representatives kasama sa sulat na yan, yung order na nasa order of business sa Monday, ang Articles of Impeachment at magko-convene na tayo bilang impeachment court. So ulitin ko lang po ha, clarification number one. Walang delay, in fact, sa Monday, magko-convene na yung impeachment court.
(0:05:12) So I hope those who made a judgment, may you be a religious leader, may you be deans of law schools, may you be a private citizen, sabi ko naman po, we accept your criticism, dapat maging aktibista, dapat kalampagin niyo kami, pero if you made a judgment or an accusation, let’s also have the humility of saying, ‘Ay mali pala kami.’ Kasi kita niyo naman pala ho, hindi totoo at propaganda lang, at paninira sa bagong majority, na yung impeachment ang main reason na pagpapalit.
(0:05:47) Marami tayong pag-uusapan kung bakit pinalitan ang majority. Kasama diyan yung direction. Tingin ko po hindi natututukan ng husto yung present crisis ng ating bansa: fuel crisis, crisis po sa energy, crisis po sa trust sa gobyerno. And I’m not talking about the administration alone.Trust in the legislature, in the House, the Senate, Trust sa ating traditional media, trust sa social media, trust sa ating administrasyon, trust sa impeachment process.
(0:06:21) Yung tiwala ba na may mga leader tayo na ginagawa nila ang lahat ng kaya nila para mapababa ang presyo or makontrol ang inflation? Or that every student ay meron pong gamit at maganda po ang direksyon ng ating educational system para may trabaho kaagad? O yung tiwala po sa PhilHealth?
(0:06:42) Sa nangyaring mga budget scandal or tiwala po sa DOH na parating may problema sa bidding at sa supply ng bakuna at ng gamot. Tiwala ng ating OFWs ay nasa magandang kalagayan or that we’re doing everything for their safety and welfare. Maraming issues po yan, safety and welfare.
(0:07:08) So, let me clarify a second thing before I go to the main topic. I’d like to clarify na agad-agad sinecure yung CCTV sa Senate. Marami pong theories, marami pong haka-haka, maraming nagpupush ng narrative. Isa sa unang sinabi sa akin ni Secretary Jonvic Remulla ay pagdating sa Senate, we will secure the Senate, we will make sure that everyone’s safe. Sabi niya, Senate President, or kilala naman niya ako, so sabi niya, Alan, please make sure may access kami at na-secure yung CCTV. So as soon as I saw the Sergeant-at-Arms, sinabi ko na parating dito si Secretary Remulla, make sure that in front of them, makita nila yung CCTV, tapos may dalawang kopya.
(0:08:10) May kopya tayo, may kopya sila. Pangalawa ko sinabi po sa Sergeant at Arms, of course, mabilis po ito. So as far as I can recall, joint investigation ito. Kailangan full transparency. Hindi pwede natin sabihin jurisdiction natin ito, so tayo lang mag-iimbestiga. Klarong-klaro po yun na sinabi natin na to be transparent. At naibigay ka agad ‘to sa PNP at DILG.
(0:08:36) So sa lahat ng humihingi ng kopya, maging sa Office of the Ombudsman, maging sa NBI, I’ll sort out the technicalities at legal later on. Kasi even yung sinabi ko kahapon na kung sinususpende niyo ang aming Sergeant of Arms, I have to wait for the memo ng aming legal and to ask the other senators kasi may legal issue diyan. But ang sabi ko, to be fair, tandaan niyo na sa imbestigasyon, napaka-importante yung impartial. Kung walang credibility yung investigation, bali-wala ang imbestigasyon.
(0:09:09) So, paano mag-iimbestiga ang NBI kung sila mismo ang iniimbestigahan? ‘Di ba? Tandaan niyo po, paulit-ulit sinabi sa amin na wala sila sa aming premises at wala sila sa GSIS. Nangako din ang NBI na bibigyan kami ng kopya ng warant at hindi naman kami binigyan ng kopya. So, hindi pa namin nakikita yung warrant. So, paano nila sasabihin sa amin na dapat ay dinetain namin si Sen. Bato. Even assuming that we had the power to detain him. Number three, they promised us an investigation dun sa mga nakipaghabulan na agents nila nung Monday. Hanggang ngayon, wala yun.
(0:09:57) But, idadagdag ko lang yesterday, sinabi po ng DOJ secretary na alam nila ang pagkilos ng NBI nung Monday at Wednesday. So of course, that’s the first time I heard na alam ng DOJ yung pagkilos. Then they announced mag-iimbestiga sila. Baliktad ata, you should be part of those being investigated. Kasi iniimbestigahan nga yung ginawa ng NBI. So kung alam nyo, ba’t hindi kayo nagsalita.
(0:10:29) So, hindi yan ang topic ko ngayon na hapon but ito lang iwanan ko sa inyo. If you wanna be the good guys or you wanna be the bida, hindi pwedeng ikaw ay kontrabida. Okay? So, klaro yun. Hindi pwedeng sasabihin mo mag-iimbestiga para malaman ang katotohanan tapos ikaw pala yung dapat imbestigahan. That’s precisely why I allowed the DILG and PNP kasi hindi naman pwedeng Senate lang ang mag-iimbestiga.
(0:10:58) Dapat malaman din nila. But one point lang, may napanood ako. I hope that wasn’t AI. I know that reporter or news anchor sa isang radio station. Tinanong niya si General Aberin, isang kilalang heneral with integrity, na sa labas, tinanong na, Sir, kung ito ay isang residence at may warrant of arrest ka, sigurado pinasok niyo na yung residence na yun. Hindi nga department ng gobyerno ang senado. Ito ay isang branch of government. There are three branches of government. Executive, Legislative, and Judicial.
(0:11:50) Sige nga, subukan nyo na armado kayo, pumunta kayo sa DOJ. Tapos paalisin kayo ng lunes. Sabihin niyo, wala kayong agent doon. Balikan niyo ng Wednesday na meron tayo naka tactical gear kayo at may dala kayong mahapang baril. Tignan po natin kung mase-serve niyo basta dun sa loob o kung yung marshals nila ay kikilos. Or pumunta kayo ng Malacanang. Huwag niyo na sabihin presidente. Sabihin nyo may isang official sa Malacanang na magse-serve kayo ng warrant. Sa Malacanang gawin, hindi kayo mag-coordinate sa Office of the Executive Secretary o sa PSG. Tignan natin kung hindi magkaputukan dun o hindi magkaroon ng warning shot, ‘di ba?
(0:12:30) So let’s not confuse the public. So kung halimbawa yung isang senador who should act like an ordinary citizen, let’s say umorder ng pansit, yung uunahan niya sa restaurant o sa karinderya isang ordinary citizen, yun valid sabihin yun na porque senador ka, uunahin ka. Hindi ba dapat just like an ordinary citizen nakapila ka? Pero yung sasabihin mo mag-i-issue, mag-serve ka ng warrant of arrest sa loob ng senado, sasabihin mo this is like a…
(0:13:06) a private residence, ko-konting aral-aral naman, napaka bigat ng implications sa publiko kung tuturuan natin sila ng mali. It seems like an ordinary question, pero mabigat ‘tong question na ‘to. Same thing kung sasabihin mo na, ba’t ka magpapaputok dyan? Warning shot ba ganyan? This is not an ordinary police situation in the street. We were on high alert.
(0:13:33) The whole day, Wednesday, nakipaghabulan sa senador. We are a branch of government. And I’m not protecting any senator here. We’re protecting the integrity of the Senate, the integrity of our Philippine Constitution. This is not about men or women or politics. This is about laws. It is about our democracy. It is about our Constitution. Okay? So, my main complaint yesterday was that from the search for the truth, parang naging PR campaign. PR meaning public relations. Parang may narrative, counter-narrative, parang bang rumble sa college na wala nang pakialam kung sino tama’t mali.
(0:14:19) Basta’t kung brad mo yun, doon ka na kakampi. So para bang may two sides of the narrative and then bahala na si Batman. Basta’t ang importante yung narrative namin. Hindi po. That’s why nung humingi kami ng tulong, unang-una hiningi namin every single person in the Senate ay ma-secure at masiguradong ligtas at hindi masaktan, including of course the Senate media na tinutukan talaga yung mga nangyayari doon. Ang problema, parating pa lang si Secretary Jonvic at saka ang NCRPO na sa labas, but ang Chief PNP may nagsasabi na na stage ‘to. So meron ng narrative.
(0:15:02) And then may counter-narrative na. I did not give in to a counter-narrative. So tignan niyo po ang aming joint statement at pagharap sa press ni Secretary Remulla. Sinabi ko, hintayin yung imbestigasyon. Hindi ko binanggit yung word na NBI, although meron na kaming initial findings na NBI because I didn’t want to influence anyone. And I didn’t want this to be a government versus government unless there is a hard evidence.
(0:15:32) So if the past few days we’ve seen PR campaigns, public relations campaigns, let me talk to you this afternoon or this evening about a different PR campaign. Sana po the rest of the day today and tomorrow, especially tomorrow, which is a holy day for many religious people regardless of your faith. Ang PR campaign na aking pong prino-propose ay prayer and reflection campaign. Prayer and reflection campaign. So let me start with prayer. May mawawala ba ako if as a nation we pray? So unang-unang prayer, ‘di ba? To submit to God. God, we’re imperfect.
(0:16:16) God, this is your country. God, this is your people. This is your government. This is your Senate. So, kung anong gusto natin idaing. Lord, this is your people. Maraming gutom. Lord, in a quick two months, third month, nung gera sa Middle East between Iran, Israel, and the US, ang laking nagbago sa mga negosyo, sa kabuhayan, sa presyo ng pagkain.
(0:16:48) Lord, optimistic ang aming future nung una pero ba’t biglang nag-away-away ang gobyerno at ngayon, who’s in charge? I mean, I’m talking from the local level and I’m talking about religious leaders, business leaders, student leaders, leaders in media, leaders in government. Parang ang gulo-gulo. So, one point lang about prayer.
(0:17:13) Some people believe, and I’m equally guilty of that, that when you pray, you’re talking to God. Part of prayer is meditating on His Word and receiving His answer. His answer can come but through calmness and quiet. His answer can call through circumstance. His answer is in His Word. His answer can come from visions. Ang point ko lang po, hindi ito parang, Mommy, Daddy, gusto ko ng kotse eh.
(0:17:41) Mommy, Daddy, gutom na ako. Kain tayo sa labas. Hindi po ganun eh. Papa, mama, Mother’s Day, kain tayo sa labas. Yes or no? Hindi po. You have to be still and quiet and also listen. Why reflect? So, I’ve gotten very good compliments. I’ve also read very unreasonable demands, including sa resignation ko. But let me ask you, may mawawala bang I’ll reflect on it?
(0:18:10) May mawawala ba I’ll lookback last Sunday? Monday, Tuesday, lalo na Wednesday, what happened? Could I have done better? Did I do my best? Was I there for other people? Am I fully protecting the institution or was I also a little bit political? Did I open up enough the Senate to an investigation? Tandaan niyo po, balanse yun ha.
(0:18:35) If I have to protect the Senate, so hindi ka pwedeng totally mag-surrender na bahala na kayong lahat mag-imbestiga, it is a branch of government. We have to protect the integrity of the Senate. On the other hand, we have to make sure it’s independent, transparent, believable, credible. So, I also criticized yung iba kong mga kasama kasi una, hindi kami nakarinig na buhay pa ba kayo? Kamusta kayo? Then pangalawa, ang kri-criticize at yung ginamit na po na narrative is political.
(0:19:08) Having said that, may mawawala ba for me to check tama ba yung mga sinabi ko about them? If I were in their position, ano bang iisipin ko? So, when we reflect, we have to start with ourselves. Ang daling mag-reflect sa iba.
(0:19:27) Madaling mag-reflect sa kalaban mo, sa kabilang grupo, sa maling ginawa ng executive, maling ginawa ng… But what about yourself? So I’ll be doing that. Yes, I’ll be meeting some senators. I’ll be preparing for Monday. We’ll be doing a lot of things. I’ll have a little bit of family time. I’ll try to get some rest. Medyo, alam niyo na, pagod, konting asid. I’ve been having medyo dry din yung mouth.
(0:19:59) I think, because nga. Pagka may anti-histamine, aside from anti-asthma, pag natutulog, nakakadry din ang mouth. So, there’s many, many things. We’re all human, di ba? But we’re all created in God’s image and nature. And I want to read this verse, John 3, John 1:4. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in truth. Napakagandang verse, di ba? Sabi niya, I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in truth.
(0:20:30) So hindi sinabi dito, I have no greater joy than to hear the Sotto group being the majority in the Senate. Hindi sinabi dito, I have no greater joy than Cayetano replacing Sotto. Hindi nakalagay dito that I have joy na tama ang DILG or tama ang DOJ or Ombudsman. Ang nakalagay dito, I have no greater joy than my children. And I do believe all of us have the right to be his children. Of course, we have to believe.
(0:20:59) And sabi na that, are walking in truth. So, hindi lang believing in truth, hindi lang seeking truth, but walking in truth. So, babalik ako sa prayer. Let’s all pray for truth. ‘Di ba? Kasi pag may natuto…, for example, ang isang addict, naniniwala siyang hindi siya addict, hindi siya gagaling. So, let’s say, addict sa alak. So, ang inisip usually ng addict sa alak, ah, kung dalawang bote lang, dalawang shot, kaya ko yan.
(0:21:29) Di ba? Or, addict sa sugal. Ah, kung magto- tong-its lang naman ako ng tanghali, magka-casino lang ako mamayang gabi, mag-online gaming lang ako in between, hindi naman ako addict. So, if you do not start with the truth, you cannot address the problem. So, ganun din po. If the Senate will think that the problem is the majority, if ibebenta nila, impeachment lang ‘to, yan lang ang ano, without saying na, sandali lang, how have we dealt with corruption issues? Have we done enough to really address it? How have we dealt with prices, with inflation, prices of food, productivity ng ating farmers? With flood control. Hindi lang yung flood control investigation. Tag-ulan na. Kita niyo konting ulan may bumabaha na. So we have to reflect on so many things. Dati leader tayo sa education.
(0:22:26) Totoo ba na last year naunahan pa tayo ng Cambodia sa tourism, paano kabuhayan ng ating mga kababayan? Let me give you one point. I’m reflecting on, alam ko na kasi kasunod eh, pag ganito na may kahirapan, kasunod na nito new taxes. Whether the day na medyo controversial yung IMF, 1970s, 80s, hanggang nung naging congressman ako late 1998, parati yan.
(0:22:55) Na ayusin niyo yung fiscal position nyo, yung pananalapi, mag-tax na naman. So, paulit-ulit ko po sinasabi, sana ngayon may makinig na as Senate President and Head of the New Majority. Nung panahon ni President Ramos at nagka-crisis, nag-impose siya ng 10% across the board sa lahat ng departamento. Maliit lang ang budget nun.
(0:23:18) E ngayon, mahigit 6 trillion yung budget. So pag nag-impose ka ng 10%, forced savings, 600 billion na kagad yun. Kahit imperfect, sabihin natin, some departments, 5%, some 7%, some 10%, some 12%. Sa 5%, 300 billion yun. Baka naman hindi natin kailangan ng taxes. Or baka kailangan, pero as the new Senate President, at least while I’m there, ipakita nyo muna na lahat ng luho at lahat ng hindi kailangan sa gobyerno na isantabi at magagamit natin sa tama. Okay?
(0:23:53) I will recognize whatever the administration has done or is doing, di ba? But there’s so much we can do. And we’re only talking about the 2026 budget. Tandaan niyo, may pera pa from the 2025 budget. Or yung ibang ni-realign for the crisis, ma-report kung nasaan yan. So, just an example, as I reflect, di ba? So, I also have to reflect kasi kung what we’re going to do today, what we’re going to do tomorrow, what will next week, next month, next year look to each and every Filipino.
(0:24:24) So guys, thank you for spending time with me today. Ulitin ko ulit yung verse. Sabi ng Panginoon, I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in truth. So sana po, magkalaban man tayo sa politika, magkaiba man ang opinion natin, we can start looking at each other as lahat anak ng Diyos. Just because we have different ideas, we don’t have to call each other evil, or call each other names. There is evil. There is evil in our society, di ba?
(0:24:58) Pero kaya nga sinabing hate the sin but not the sinner. So sa lahat po na sumasama mismo sa live sa viewers natin ngayon, thank you po. This time around, nakiusap po ako kay Jorge na hawakan yung cellphone kasi nga usually ako but just so that maka-concentrate ng konti at saka ngayon uminom ako ng gaviscon ata yun kasi nga medyo may acid ng konti and I still have a…
(0:25:25) So I know may nakikinig na mga ka-dinner ko. Thank you for joining us tonight. I will be there in 10 minutes. God bless you guys. Good night po.
