SP ALAN PETER CAYETANO:
(0:00:00) Allow me to repeat yung nasabi ko nung Monday, yung sa Jeremiah 29:11. Especially because Jeremiah is respected as a prophet by the Muslims, Jews, and Christians. So while I respect everyone’s religion, I just like to highlight certain principles, ‘di ba? So nung sinabi ni Jeremiah na, 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. Yung immediate reflections ko dun sa yun ay wala pong kahit sinong may plano na walang vision. ‘Di ba? So nung mali tayo, whether we are raised in a family nandun si lolo’t lola or whether single parent or whether may foster parent tayo, pag sinabing maganda ka, gwapo ka, matalino ka.
(0:00:54) One day you’ll be the best doctor, you’ll be the best scientist, magiging piloto, o meron na rin kaming teacher sa pamilya. What does that mean? That means wala pa, nakikita na niya. May vision, ‘di ba? So based on vision, magpaplano ka. So pag sinabi mong magiging doctor anak mo, hindi mo plaplanuhin kung paano siya magiging engineer.
(0:01:19) Although you don’t have a conflict na engineering yung undergrad mo, and then mag law ka no. My point is that pakisabi nga sa katabi mo, may plano ang Diyos sayo. Sa kabila naman, sabihin mo may plano ang Diyos sa Senado.
(0:01:47) And although we are all smiling and I think it’s partly a breath of fresh air, ‘di ba? And relief sa nangyari kagabi. Hindi nyo na notice na both Senator Sotto and I are claiming God’s plan. ‘Di ba? So when I got there…
(0:02:06) I give all the honor, praise, glory, thanksgiving. If make-kwento ko lang sa inyo minsan yung whole journey on how to get here, you know after I lost the speakership, sinabihan kasi ako ni President Duterte noon na wag kang bababa tapos nag usap kami tapos yung mga kasama kaya nga joke namin yung bata mo ako. And then ganyan, but then, you know, there was one cabinet member…
(0:02:37) Ininvite niya ako for lunch. Tapos sinabi niya, Alan, during this president, matagal na matagal na to. Ang gaganda nung ginawa niya. Pero naintriga, tinanggal siya. But then he was one of the highest ranking sa Duterte. So sabi niya, we’re having this lunch with you because we believe in you. And just like me, ganun talaga. But, you know, after everyone won, wala sa panaginip ko, syempre parating na sa pangarap mo, pero wala sa panaginip mo that I’ll be standing here before you today, leading the Senate.
(0:03:07) Of course, walang wala sa panaginip ko rin or sa aking imagination na magkakaroon ng habulan sa loob ng Senate and magkaroon ng attack katulad kagabi. But my point is, the devil also has plans for you. Pakisabi sa katabi mo, may plano ang demonyo sa’yo. Mag-ingat ka lang, mag-ingat ka lang kung katabi mo yung demonyo. Kung hindi naman, wala namang problema. ‘Di ba?
(0:04:01) Oh, sabi nung isa, wala sa tabi ko yung demonyo nasa likod. Okay. No, but seriously, there is the seen and there is the unseen. So when we pray, regardless of your religion, I ask you to rebuke the spiritual attacks. ‘Di ba? So you hear of politicians having bailiwicks or balwarte, and you hear of politicians or cities or countries having territories. ‘Di ba? Sovereignty. ‘Di ba? So, kaya nga pinag-uusapan yung West Philippine Sea. Ganun din sa spiritual world. ‘Di ba? Meron nakadedicate sa Panginoon. Meron nakadedicate sa demonyo.
(0:04:48) So do you think the worst slum houses where putato ng drug lords at panay shabu yung nandoon or the worst prostitution joints etc. is will ng Panginoon? Hindi po. Naging teritoryo at altar sa demonyo yun precisely because maganda plano ng Diyos pero ang nasunod yung plano ng demonyo.
(0:05:13) But we are told that there’s always hope. So I won’t talk politics, but my main message to you today is PTL. Yun yung sinusulat ko parati, which Praise the Lord. Pero PTL today, iba yung bibigay ko sa inyong meaning. P is priorities. T is a title. And L is leadership. Okay. So I’ll start with the P. Priority, priorities matter.
(0:05:41) We live in a world that you have to super multitask because probably anak ng smartphone yun. Dahil nung araw, nung landline pa, the reality is tsaka lalo na I don’t know ilan sa inyo but ako inabot ko pa yung typewriter talaga noong elementary at highschool. Inabot ko naman yung computer noong highschool.
(0:06:04) Cassette tape pa nung fourth year high school ako. And during that time, siguro kung may thesis ka, you’re given what? Two months? Sa UP nga, ano eh? Dalawang six months yun eh. So one year, parang six months. Parang yung pre-thesis, tapos another six months. So it’s two courses. So one year. Six months to one year. Pero sa ngayon, let’s not even talk about AI. AI, ten minutes, may thesis ka eh. ‘Di ba? Let’s talk about…
(0:06:33) In general, if you’re really going to do the research, so, halimbawa, si Mavic, pag sinabi ko, Mavic, gawan mo ako ng thesis on the sovereignty or on the powers of the Senate to protect itself. Sabihin niya sa akin, Sir, do you want a legal point of view or from the moral point of view? Nung araw, she’d probably tell me na, Sir, may sampung pending sa akin ha. So, I’ll probably need two weeks, ‘di ba? But ngayon, hindi nagtatanong yung boss eh.
(0:07:03) Sasabihin sayo, halimbawa, sir when do you need this, pag natapos mo edi ibig sabihin, asap or forthwith.
(0:07:14) So, nowadays everything is instant. So we’re easily confused. So if the times were normal, I’ll still talk to you about vision. But it’s not normal. It’s crisis after crisis. We’re still in the corruption crisis.
(0:07:35) Ngayon na SP na ako, baka pwedeng mag baso. Dati kasi okay lang, pero nakakahiya naman baka sabihin may in-endorse tayong tubig. Tsaka magagalit si Senator Pia, but walang pet bottle. Bawal sumakay sa kotse. Hindi bawal sumakay sa kotse niya, pero bawal hindi sundin yung kanyang eco-friendly… inaudible. So, I was saying, madaling ma-distract, ako na rin yun.
(0:08:06) The crisis is going to get worse. And for those of you who have relatives, especially in rural areas, or relatives in the transport, or anything that needs logistics, especially transportation. Ramdam nyo na, ‘di ba? Hindi ko makalimutan dalawang scenes nung COVID. Yung isa tricycle driver sa Caloocan na nakatira na lang sa Bubong, as in talagang parang apat na ipil-ipil sto, tapos yung ano ng sako, doon na yung buong pamilya niya because nabenta na daw lahat eh.
(0:08:42) And to top that off, na-stroke yung asawa niya at puno lahat ng ospital at paano yung gamot niya. So talagang, you know, one thing that moves my heart is paglalaki yung umiyak eh. I mean, although may mababaw luha, but you know what I mean? To see someone who was really there, that’s why, you know, we really have to get justice dun sa OSAA natin. So the second is a little bit more, how do I put it?
(0:09:10) Hindi ganong ka-sad in the sense that he’s okay, but it’s also devastating. He already had three jeepneys to himself, and he already had his own house. But because of the pandemic, he couldn’t pay his house, so niremita ng bangko. Of course, we passed Bayanihan, kaya nagkaroon ng relief. But the problem is, hindi naman pumapasada yung jeep, kaya siya kumita yung first jeep niya, ginamit yung pera to buy the second jeep, to buy the third jeep, and then sa bahay.
(0:09:38) So to try to pay for his bahay, binenta yung third jeep, hindi pa rin mabayaran bahay, he sold his second jeep. So I don’t know now kung natira yung last o hindi, but he also lost his house. So ‘di ba, can you imagine working your whole life for something? Then in a period of one, two years… Minsan mabuti pa raw yung instant na kinuha sayo eh kasi what can you do. Pero before his eyes, isa-isa kinukuha. So none of us wants that to happen again, and there are things beyond our control like ang pagputok ng Mayon, Yolanda-type, ‘di ba. But the preparation is there. So if we have too many priorities, there’s no priority.
(0:10:26) I had to learn that the hard way in the DFA. I had to learn that the hard way when I was speaker. Kapag natapos ka sa isang assignment, then you look back, and doon mo lang naisip, uy pwede ko itong gawin, pwede itong gawin ganyan. And I’ll tell you one of my secrets, if you have people you fully trust around you, na halos lahat pwede mong itaya, you can do more.
(0:10:50) So like in the house, matagal ko na kasing katrabaho si Joel Montales, so nung nag pandemic, he took care of the admin staff. And he used to do much more than that. He took care of all the admin staff. I took care of the political, I took care of meeting with the president, yung Bayanihan, etc.
(0:11:12) So, dumoble yung ginawa ko, then I trusted certain congressmen who were in my office every day, mga walo sila. But honestly, iba yung kay Joel na parang 99.9% or 100%. Or siya na nagsasabi saakin if I need to know. But sa mga congressman just by the nature of it, may last say pa rin ako kung okay yun or hindi. Simple reason din. Si Joel, understood, may red lines and may principles.
(0:11:41) Anong okay, anong hindi, anong basis, yung why. So I don’t know if matatanggal ako sa Monday, in one month, in three months, in six months, in one year. But let’s just do it day by day. So today, then I’ll talk about titles. Priorities, then titles. T, titles doesn’t mean anything.
(0:12:03) I could be… si Cong. Abu was in my office. I knew then nakalimutan ko na birthday niya nung Tuesday, May 12. He started in the Senate, one of the lowest… And he raised up to be Deputy Speaker sa House of Representatives. Paki sabi mo sa katabi mo, baka maging Deputy Speaker ka sa House of Representatives. Dong, baka maging speaker ka pa, hindi lang House… huwag mo akong kalimutan kapag speaker ka na ah. Bata mo ako ah.
(0:12:30) So, the titles… I do believe in respect. I do believe in honor. I do believe in may meaning, yung tatay, nanay, tita, ninong, sir, ma’am, ‘di ba? But it is…
(0:12:59) In a sense, when you’re elected, na-prove mo, eh na-elect ako eh, kaya honorable. ‘Di ba? But that’s the presumption. Na-elect ako, so immediately, pag na-elect ako, honorable. But I have to prove that to you every day. ‘Di ba? So the day I prove to you I’m not honorable, you’re not required to call me honorable. I lost it eh. ‘Di ba? But wala namang perfect sa atin. But ang point ko, not being perfect is not an excuse to be not honorable. So if we lose our honor, we gain our honor back. So my point is, we have to have time together, me with all of you here, you with your staff. So nung nasa DFA ako, every Monday, 12 to 3 yun, masarap pagkain. Di ko kayang gawin ito every Monday. May crisis, ano tayo, tipid tayo ng konti about sa pagkain sa aircon.
(0:13:54) But during that Monday, the bilin ko sa kanilang lahat is walang Secretary, walang Usec, walang Asec dito. We’re all equals. So when we discuss, let’s discuss as equals. Until, if you remember yung crisis sa Kuwait, doon lang sila nagsalita as may equals. Every other time, you know, part of the respect, very hierarchical din ang DFA ambassadors, your excellency.
(0:14:24) But nung doon, naapektuah sila, and then kinausap ako na kapag na Persona Non Grata isang ambassador sa Kuwait, malaking bagay yun, OFWs etc. etc. And iba background ko, hindi diplomacy, I had to tell them, guys, don’t you know this is a fight that we want? Meron kasing fight that we don’t want. And in general, we don’t want fighting.
(0:14:52) Blessed is the peacemaker. In general, who wants a fight? But there are things worth fighting for. So sabi ko, hindi nyo ba nakita, unang-una, who picked the fight? Yes, may kosa and we can do it more diplomatically. I simply reported to the President, Mr. President, ganito nangyari sa Kuwait, ganito yung mga kalagayan, eto yung namatay, eto yung nahanap, ganito. He picked the fight.
(0:15:17) And he knew it was a Don Quixote fight. Bakit? How do you bring home 50,000, 100,000, 200,000 OFWs? O eh kung may allies pa yun sa Middle East na ganun din, ‘di ba? But sometimes you have to say tama na, sobra na eh, ‘di ba? Tapos sabi ko, ano ba tingin nyo nung na Persona Non Grata yung ambassador natin? Susundin niyo yung regular thinking ng DFA that that’s a demotion or that’s a demerit? Hindi, that’s a badge of honor. How many times in politics, yung natanggal, na sa kaniya yung badge of honor. It goes back to title. What’s important, the title or you do the right thing? Of course, the position matters, which goes to the L, leadership. Leadership matters. But just to cap that off.
(0:16:08) To God’s grace, diplomacy came in. But the fight was the fight. And we got what we wanted. Not totally. Pero, you know, saka ko na anohin sa inyo pero talagang there were some who looked at people as property. Dahil sa laki din ng gastos to get a kasambahay. But for me, the biggest win there was not even the MOA and the change in conditions. But yung dignity.
(0:16:38) Yung fighting back na kahit anong yaman mo… Noong bata kami kasi, yung movies ng Haciendero. Wala naman tayong slavery sa Pilipinas eh ‘di naman parang sa US na may Civil Rights movement. Saatin it’s more of a panginoong may lupa, or yung mga landlord, the owners of the Hacienda.
(0:16:58) But you know, the dignity is very important. That’s why what we’re fighting here is the dignity ng Senado. So just before I entered, I signed the letter saying na Monday, barring anything else, I’m paraphrasing, we will convene the impeachment court. The impeachment is beyond…
(0:17:23) acquitting someone just because kakampi mo sa politika. But it’s also not for convicting someone without evidence dahil gusto o ayaw mo a certain candidate. And there was different circumstances for different impeachments. I won’t talk about that. But what I’m saying is that in this room are the leaders of the Senate. Kaming 24 were temporary. Sometimes we’re here, sometimes we’re not. Sometimes we get a second term, sometimes we don’t.
(0:17:53) Sometimes we get a third term. Again, I’m telling you, I hope, I pray, I’ll have enough time to lead, to be able to do what my purpose is, what God’s purpose is in my life. But while I’m with you, I have to lead. And leadership matters. So the same with you. So ComSec group.
(0:18:14) Meron akong pinakiusap, and I have to tell you, it was one of the most touching gifts saakin ng ComSecs ng House. We had a meeting like this. It was a better meeting in the sense that may agenda setting, etc. And more or less, I knew I had at least a year. So may palitan. So
there was a conversation. Anyone can speak later, but there was an agenda. So there was a conversation. It was really a dialogue more than a speech by the leader. And I encouraged all the ComSecs…
(0:18:44) To think like a senator. ‘Di ba? Hindi pwedeng kung ano lang sabihin sa’yo ng chairman mo. Yun ang masusunod. ‘Di ba? If you look at biblical history, again, hindi religion, look at biblical history. The kings and the pharaohs that Joseph and Daniel served were happy with them kasi precisely everything na hinawakan nila was blessed.
(0:19:09) Kaya pataas nang pataas yung kanilang position, ‘di ba. So my point is, for example, if hina-handle ko ngayon yung basic ed, and you see a certain problem, and when I say basic ed kasi may EDCOM eh but you might know something that no one in the room of brilliant people, you have brilliant people in EDCOM, you have people who love education and lifetime spent there, but you might have an idea na sayo binigay ng Diyos eh.
(0:19:36) Hindi ba nagsisisi ngayon lahat ng nagpo-promote ng EV. Di ba na tama pala sila, ‘di ba. After all that’s been said and done, paninira sa Electric Vehicles etc. I don’t know how many of you believe or not sa nuclear, but mag na-appreciate Congressman Cojuangco for pushing that as an option because no one saw the Iran-Israel-US war coming. So mga ComSec, three things I want to ask of you. Be there as a partner for your chairman. Number two, look at the bills. Look how we can speed it up. But quality parati. Tignan niyo yung mga requests for subcommittees, etc. But may number three.
(0:20:26) So sa house, I asked all of the ComSec na sana kayo ang archive AI. Wala pang AI nun, so di pa uso. But sabi ko, I called it a fact book, F-A-C-T book. So sabi ko, halimbawa education. Dito, nahati na rin sa house. But let’s say magkasama pa ang technical Higher [Education] at saka Basic Ed. So sabi ko, just start out.
(0:20:51) Sabi ko 30 million or 35 million of school age. Sa 30 million na yun, ganito karami ang college, ganito karami ang high school, ganito karami ang elementary. Sa elementary school, ganito karami ang sa private school, ganito karami ang sa public school. Ang per capita na gastos per student sa ganitong school ay ganito. Sa Philippine Science, they spend triple.
(0:21:20) Let’s say if we’re spending 20,000 per student sa DepEd, tignan nyo yung Philippine High School. So, facts lang nang facts, ‘di ba? Facts lang nang facts. Bakit? Kasi minsan nagde-debate na tayo sa opinion. Hindi pa sure yung facts. So, at least if we can level off all 24 senators and yung mga sectors kung ano yung facts…
(0:21:41) So, nung pandemic kasi sabi na, follow the scientists, follow the doctors. That was when nung pa-panic tayo nung akala natin walang pag-asa, walang bakuna, puno na yung mga hospital, follow the doctors. As soon as medyo nag-normalize na, alam mo, Doc, may mga political considerations yan. Alam mo, Doc, may financial consideration yan. And we’ll have that debate. But my point is, dapat may facts pa rin.
(0:22:08) So that’s why, for example, sa Taguig, nung nag-decide na magbigay na ng flu shot, hindi mura yun kasi mahigit isang daan libo yung aming senior citizens, they had to explain not only how effective but how safe it is.
(0:22:22) Kasi we have to give the senior citizens the facts and then sila mag-decide kung gusto nila magpabakuna o hindi. So what I was saying, one of the most touching gifts is nung natanggal na ako, pinuntahan nila ako, tapos alam mo yung flash drive na naka-design tapos may kahoy na House of Representatives, binigay nila sa akin as a gift na tinuloy nila lahat ng ComSecs yung project bago nila ibigay sa akin. So it was very touching because it meant that the seed that we planted meant something to them.
(0:22:51) So I hope maibigay niyo sa akin yun bago ako matanggal this time around. But it is not for my use. It will be open source for everyone. Most of you have that in your mind. But let’s put it that. Tapos, bahala na kayo sa updates kasi some committees like Economic Affairs have more updates weekly, monthly, yearly on some statistics, but some of you will have less. That would give us the chance, going back to priorities. If we’re basing everything by fact, by principle, mas madali tayong lahat. But ito yung biggest ask ko sa inyong lahat. I believe in any crisis, there’s a number of things we can do that will have an impact.
(0:23:41) Don’t get me wrong, naniniwala ako sa piso-piso, naniniwala ako sa one step at a time, naniniwala ako one day at a time. Meaning, if I had a 10-year-old now and he says, Papi ang tawag sa akin ng mga pamangkin na ko eh. Kasi para hindi ma-offend papa nila, pero para din akong tatay nila kasi kini-kidnap ko sila pag weekend at doon nakatira sa bahay. Papi, alam mo ang sinabi sa akin, Papi, how can I save a million pesos?
(0:24:08) I’ll ask him, how many pesos in 1,000? 1,000. How many pesos in 10,000? 10,000. So how many pesos in 1 million? 1 million. How many 1,000 pesos in 1 million? Mag-iisip yun. Kung magaling mag math, 1,000. How many? 100 pesos in 1 million. So sasabihin niya kung ano ba nga ba? 10,000, ‘di ba?
(0:24:35) So, tatanungin ko siya, o, magkano baon mo? ‘Di ba? So, di ba, sabihin niya, 10 pesos. O, how many 10 pesos in 1 million? O, you want 1 million? O, there are three ways. First, sa 10 pesos mo, you save 5 pesos a day, compute mo kung ilan. O, two, mahilig kami ng mga pamangkin ko sa basketball cards, Pokemon cards, at saka one-piece cards. O, sabihin ko, oh…
(0:24:56) ‘Di ba, I give you a pack when you sleep. Magkano yung pack na yan? Sabi niya, 600. Yung binigay ko sa iyo, 600 last year. Magkano na ngayon? 1,2 (1,200). So dumobol. So you have to decide where you put your money. ‘Di ba? Siyempre, the third one is konting ano, how many ninongs do you have? ‘Di ba?
(0:25:17) Nagbibigay ba ng regalo yan pag birthday niyo? Magparamdam kayo sa mga ninong niyo. Actually, may hanging question ako sa kanila ngayon sa tatlo. What is the best investment? Hindi ko sasabihin yung sagot dito kasi kung naka-live or kung may kumukuha ng tape, malalaman nila yung sagot. But my point is guys, kung tayo yung UPLIFT, if you were in the cabinet now, what would you suggest?
(0:25:4) If you were PBBM now, what would you do? If you were mayor in Batanes or governor in Batanes, if you were the new governor of Catanduanes, halimbawa ngayon, grabe yung mga pagsubok din, ‘di ba? When he became mayor, sobrang taas na, when he became governor, sobrang taas ng gasolina. Because ilan lang may-ari, et cetera. He told me that story, assuming it’s all true, napababa niya by just saying, papapasukin ko yung ibang gasolinahan dito.
(0:26:12) Ngayon, tumaas ulit. Because of economic forces. So it’s so difficult. But if you were them, what would you do? From yung hindi legal, yung katulad ng Korea, everyone donated. So I don’t know if we should have our pay our debt movement na everyone, I don’t know if we should create a national account and everyone who can give. I mean, kung may ganon movement at cinompute nila, magkano ba ngayon? 16 trillion?
(0:26:42) Sino magaling sa math? What? 16 trillion divided by 110 million Filipinos. Around 116,000. If we had a national repayment or pay the debt movement, halimbawa, bayaran natin, bayan ko, mahal ko, bayaran natin, utang natin, I would pay my 116,000. I would ask my wife, Lani, na…
(0:27:08) Hindi naman tayo magugutom kung magbigay tayo ng 160,000. O baka yung kasambahay naming isa doesn’t have that money, baka I’ll pay pa for a third person. I don’t know what those programs are. But some of you do.
(0:27:25) So for example, we’ve had a agricultural modernization act. Pero hindi nagiging productive ang mga magsasaka natin. So which goes to my last point. I believe doon sinasabing one thing, the one thing. Sometimes there’s one thing that changes everything. So for example, kung alcoholic ka and sira araw mo araw-araw, pag tinanong, what’s the one thing that will change your life?
(0:27:54) Tumigil na ako uminom. Tumigil siya uminom, for one month nagbago yung buhay niya. So nakita niya ako, Sir, tama ka. So paanong gagawin natin? Celebrate tayo, tumagay, uminom tayo. That one thing that can change your life, can bring it back. So corruption, bakit every administration, I’ll be very honest with you, now, people are starting to look at the new Senate building as diversion in steroids of the Golden Arenola. ‘Di ba? So, i-google nyo na lang mamaya ano yung skandalo ng Golden Arenola. ‘Diba? So, but if Senate President JPE was here today, he’d probably tell me two things.
(0:28:41) Iho, don’t panic. I’ve been through much worse. Totoo naman eh. Tayo isang pandemic lang. Siya, dalawang pandemic pinagdaanan eh. ‘Di ba? Siya, ilang beses kinulong. Panahon nung Hapon, panahon ni President Cory, panahon ni President… Tayo, medyo uncomfortable sa AI. Some of us didn’t adapt right away sa smartphone. Eh si Senate President JPE, nung pinanganak, radio pa lang eh. Wala pang TV eh. Tapos nag-TV eh.
(0:29:13) Tapos nag-internet. By the time he passed away, it was the birth of AI, ‘di ba? So, you know, if he was here today, he’d probably tell me that because I was really close to him nung bata ako. That’s why I call him Uncle Johnny.
(0:29:25) I call my tito’s tito, but I call my blood uncle’s uncle. But the only one I call uncle na hindi ko kadugo is dalawang tao lang. And one of them is si JPE because I grew up with him. But my point is, he’ll probably tell us two things. One, don’t panic. And then number two, what do every one of us look pagka last minute na?
(0:29:53) Naranasan ko yun, not by myself, but my dad. You know, best friend niya si Noli De Castro eh. So he called Noli, tayo, mag-weekend tayo saan? Hindi tayo mag go-golf, uwi na ka agad. Mag gaganito tayo, trabaho na ka agad. Ganyan ‘to, ganyan ‘to. Noli, spend time with God. Noli, spend time with your ano. Siyempre, a sick man speaking. The problem is, pag magaling ka na, balik ka sa rat race. ‘Di ba? So, guys, isa-sum up ko yun.
(0:30:26) So know that you are also a spiritual being aside from a physical being. So your job in the world is temporary. So if last night was my last day, ano mga pagsisisihan ko? Since last night was not my last day, then I have to sisi now because I still have time to do something to do about it. So ComSecs, send to me yung ayaw nung chairman niyo.
(0:30:53) I’m not saying kaya ko, I will respect your chairman, pero baka namang SP plus ComSec, baka naman may mangyari? Ganon din sa OSAA. Sabi ko kanina kay General, General, I know you’ve always asked for more. And I’m talking about all the sergeant at arms. Pero may opportunity ngayon eh. Suddenly nakita natin na it’s not enough. And if we do move into the new building…
(0:31:19) Eh kung dito lang, five floors lang, binabarena tayo eh. Eh dun, napaka-open and everything, ‘di ba? But yun pala yung ano ha, if we move there, then Alan will move to the fort with you all. So yun yung forthwith . We will move to the fort with all of you. Unfortunately, hindi forthwith na agad-agad kasi na-delay na naman yung building, no? So, um…
(0:31:44) I don’t know if we should go per table, per department, and everything. You can say nothing. You can say everything. You can just express your feelings, ‘di ba? But can I leave that assignment sa inyo? What’s the one thing? What’s the three things? What’s the seven bills? So, ang problema sa priorities natin, simple lang, may impeachment. So, yung sinabi ko kanina na mahirap mag-multitask, wala tayong choice.
(0:32:12) Kailangan natin mag-multitask. Okay, so sabihin niyo ba, but sir, napakanipis ng inyong majority. Yes, but we work with what we have. Let me ask all of you guys, if you had half the sweldo you had, would you give half of what you’re giving now? No, ‘di ba? You would still give it your all, ‘di ba? Kung one day na doble sweldo nyo, hindi rin niyo dodoblehin eh. Baka dodoblehin niyo yung sarap ng pagkain, baka doblehin niyo yung regalo sa mga anak niyo, sa familia. Pero the work that you’re gonna give, we all try to give our best despite the circumstances. So, try to get us together as 24 in certain issues. Yung PROTECT at saka yung bill before that, yung asking the president for a, the executive department for a…
(0:33:04) what you call this, a contingency plan. 24 senators signed that. So don’t overthink the policies. Day by day tayo. Then work on things that kahit sinong nakaupo sa Senate presidency or sa chairmanship would also appreciate it. So sa Committee on Energy, if you think that Senator X is pro-nuclear, the other one is not.
(0:33:30) Then make two papers. One, why nuclear? The other one, why not? But then put your honest opinion sa huli. That’s the way I’m going to work sa impeachment. I want to have a group of lawyers. I don’t care what their political affiliation is. And for every important motion or anything we’re sure about, I’ll tell them, make two papers. One pro, one con. But then give me your opinion. But dun sa inyong opinion, huwag niyong ibase sa political inclinations niyo.
(0:34:04) So last Monday, I have to tell you, people I trust, people I know, or kung hindi through them, kung hindi silang lahat but through the person who told me na, sir, not everyone agrees with contempt, I had to make a decision on the spot based on the available information and what I think was good for the Senate. And I can’t allow law enforcers running around chasing a senator here. So, ilalaban ko hanggang Supreme Court na may powers of contempt yung plenary. I may be right, I may be wrong, I think I’m right. ‘Di ba? But…
(0:34:43) I’ll take that step as your leader. ‘Di ba? So, you guys who are in this room are leaders. Take that step then. ‘Di ba? And, you know, just don’t take that step if you know it’s morally wrong or you know it’s completely illegal. ‘Di ba? So, I have to deal with the Senator Bato situation. You know, but when I talked to our Sergeant at Arms at binigay niya nga yung report, we didn’t arrest him.
(0:35:09) From the start that he came here, sinabi namin, we will give you legal protection. But it’s up to you kung aalis ka o hindi. So since this morning, ang daming tumatawag, well, ano yung lunchtime, maraming tumatawag sa akin na it’s a PR disaster. I don’t care about PR. I will be a little bit honest. I care a little bit. Sino bang nagugustuhan na nababash ka or napagbibintangan kayo? I care about the truth and I care doing what’s right. When it aligns with the proper PR, good for me.
(0:35:39) But when it doesn’t, then that’s a challenge as a leader. Diba? Kung gagawin ko lang sa inyo lahat ng mabango, then I’m a populist, I’m not a leader. Kung gagawin ko lang yung lahat ng mabango, kahit mali, then I’m a manipulator, not a leader. ‘Di ba? And since my childhood, I’ve wanted to lead. But siguro, the last thing I’ll say is that we have to serve each other. That… minsan masyadong inaano yung servant leadership. All kinds of leadership has to have a sense of service. So in the next few days…
(0:36:15) Please find a way. Parang triangle, pyramid. Kung nandun ako sa taas at there are 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 people under me, etc. Find a way malaman yung mga urgencies. To be fair to Atty. Sara Lou, who used to be in my office, Blue Ribbon, etc. She brought up to me yung problema nung, what do you call that? Co-Terminus. Um…
(0:36:43) Pag makabalik naman yung kabila next week, wala silang problema. But I will look at it. I will make time mamaya tomorrow isa-isahin natin. ‘Di ba?
(0:36:55) Ang hingin ko lang sa inyo, let’s put the best people in the best position. ‘Di ba? Then, you heard my whole speech, hindi ko lang ulitin lahat ngayon. Basta basically, let’s be the best version of ourselves in the next few days. ‘Di ba? In the next few weeks with the impeachment and the Senate. That’s all I ask of you. ‘Di ba? From there, let’s evolve together. So, what time is it? 3 o’clock. So, can we spend…
(0:37:25) Not more than 30 minutes. 15 to 30 minutes. If anyone wants to say something, ask something. I’ll sit down wherever. Then whoever wants to reply. Can someone moderate din? Thank you, everyone. Thank you. Praise God for this opportunity. Thank you.
