#PINGterview: Dapat May Makulong na sa Katiwalian sa PhilHealth!

In an interview on DWIZ, Sen. Lacson answered questions on:
* Expectations at President Duterte’s SONA [00:11]
* Latest corruption and mismanagement at PhilHealth [07:20]
* Claims that IATF is a failure in dealing with COVID-19 [37:04]

QUOTES and NOTES:
Continue reading “#PINGterview: Dapat May Makulong na sa Katiwalian sa PhilHealth!”

On Constitutional Concerns Regarding the Senate Hearing on ABS-CBN’s Franchise

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Speaker Cayetano may have a point since the Constitution provides that bills of local application like franchise measures must originate from the House of Representatives.

He is wrong in equating it to the Charter change issue, though, since as practiced and for expediency, we conduct committee hearings on tax and budget measures even before the House transmits its approved version of the bill to the Senate.

What can be considered blatantly violative of the Constitution is if the Senate committee chairperson reports out on the floor for plenary debates the committee report. This is something we have not done and will never do.

Having said that, what I understand to be tackled by the Public Services Committee are not the bills in connection with the ABS-CBN franchise but a filed resolution to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation on the alleged violations of ABS-CBN that is being questioned by the Office of the Solicitor General before the Supreme Court via a quo warranto petition in which I have earlier expressed reservation out of courtesy to a co-equal branch that has already given due course to the said petition.

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On Move in the House of Representatives to Amend the Constitution

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It is at best, half of the story.

Being bicameral, without the Senate agreeing to amending the Charter via a constituent assembly, no amount of determined efforts by the House members will bring to reality new provisions of the 1987 Constitution, whether economic or political.

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#PingSays: ‘Shared’ House Speakership; Death Penalty Bill; Sen. Bato | July 9, 2019

In an interview, Sen. Lacson answered questions on:
possible effects of a ‘shared’ House Speakership
– possible ‘pork’ in the budget, amending the 1987 Constitution
– Senate’s continued independence even with ‘the President’s men’
– passage of death penalty bill
– Sen dela Rosa’s ‘S*** happens’ statement

Quotes from the interview…
Continue reading “#PingSays: ‘Shared’ House Speakership; Death Penalty Bill; Sen. Bato | July 9, 2019”

Interview on DWIZ | Dec. 15, 2018

In an interview on DWIZ, Sen. Lacson answered questions on:
– new scheme involving parking of ‘pork’
– bill seeking the abolition of the Road Board
– moves to amend the 1987 Constitution

Quotes from the interview… Continue reading “Interview on DWIZ | Dec. 15, 2018”