Look Ma, no coup! Zubiri opens Senate Second Regular Session

By Butch Fernandez @butchfBM

SENATE President Juan Miguel

Zubiri opened the Second Regular Session of the 19th Senate early on Monday, with colleagues affirming full support in his leadership despite speculation a few weeks ago that a coup was brewing in the chamber.

Majority Leader Joel Villanueva explained there was no reason to replace Zubiri because “he works very hard, has displayed leadership in shepherding vital legislation, and deals fairly” with his peers.

The senators will then proceed to the Batasang Pambansa later on Monday for the joint session with the House of Representatives to receive President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., who will deliver his second State of the Nation Address.

In his speech at the Senate’s opening, Zubiri paid tribute to senators’ efforts—besides legislating—in conducting investigations into a wide range of issues impacting Filipinos.

A mong others, Zubiri cited the inquiries conducted by Senator Grace Poe into the glitches, flight delays and other woes at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport

(Naia), by Blue Ribbon chairman Sen. Francis Tolentino into the scandalous shortage of drivers’ licenses at the Land Transportation Office, by agriculture committee chairperson Sen. Cynthia Villar into farm smuggling, and by Sen. Raffy Tulfo into energy sector problems.

Twenty-three senators attended the opening of the Second Regular Session. Sen. Pia Cayetano is abroad on an official mission.

Former Senate President Franklin Drilon and former Senator Francisco “Kit” Tatad also attended the event.

A ctress-model Heart Evangelista, wife of Senator Chiz Escudero, was wearing a white gown and drew the most attention at the gallery for senators’ guests.

In his opening address, Zubiri said that while the chamber’s investigations “make for great TV, we launch them not for show, but for solutions.”

He continued: “When we exercise our oversight powers, we do so to primarily correct laws. If, however, in the process it sends culprits to the correctional, then it is a welcome bonus.”

The bulk of committee work done here, however, may not be sensational, but nonetheless substantive.

T he fact is, most important pieces of legislation do not trend, nor scream headlines, but at the end of the day these proposals are what the country needs.

L ike what the EDCOM 2 of Sen. Win Gatchalian is doing, which is diagnosing what ails our schools, so that when it comes to teaching our young, they will not be the last, the least, and the lost.

H is counterpart for higher education, Sen. Chiz Escudero, has also brought to the plenary a raft of bills that will raise the competency of our graduates in a highly competitive world.

Sen. Bong Revilla has been championing teachers’ causes. The House should act on his Teaching Supplies Allowance bill.

Sen. Sonny Angara has the energy of a start-up tech in finding ways to ignite the full potential of our nation’s creative industries.

Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda’s tapestry of art and cultural initiatives, which, together with her quilt of environmental initiatives, should comfort us in this climate of constant change.

Oo nga’t tapos na ang Covid public health emergency,” Angara said. “ Pero patuloy ang trabaho nila

Senator Bong Go at Senator Pia Cayetano na pagandahin ang public health system. And Senator Pia, in her work as chair of Sustainable Development and Futures Thinking, fits the description of a statesperson, of one who thinks of the next generation, and not of the next election.”

For his part, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada is busy on two defense fronts: Military and labor. The first to protect our sovereignty against threats, and the second to guard our workingman’s rights from being eroded.

A nother “good one” of a lawmaker, Senator JV Ejercito, is likewise juggling three major concerns adeptly: empowerment of local governments, housing for the people, and on the economic front, the Public-Private Partnership bill. “Patuloy naman ang pagsisikap ni Senator Robin Padilla upang ang karapatan ng mamamayan sa malayang impormasyon, at ng mga kapatid nating Muslim at indigenous peoples sa kaunlaran ay matugunan natin,” he added. “Ang ganung sipag ay naipakita din ni Senador Lito Lapid sa maraming usapin pero lalu na sa masalimuot na mga isyu na sakop ng kanyang Committee on Games and Amusement.”

Moreover, it was also noted by peers that Sen. Mark Villar has brought to this chamber the nobility of his work ethic—cool, calm, collected—“which we saw when he was defending the Maharlika Investment Fund.”

A Senate without fiscalizers loses its potency and forfeits its credentials as a democratic body.

I n Minority Leader Koko Pimentel and Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros, fellow senators agree. “We find a vigilant opposition who do not obstruct but critique constructively, their inputs resulting in better laws.”

And the person, the floor umpire and consensus builder, who traffics these bills and resolutions in one seamless assembly line, shepherding them from committee to plenary, is our Majority Leader Joel Villanueva,” they added.

Moreover, they added, there are certain issues where senators, may be upbeat as the majority leader will be subdued.

B ut they admit there are times they do agree on the most important point: “That the Senate has a major role to play in conquering the challenges before us.”

PRIVATE tourism stakeholders are looking forward to more MICE (meetings, incentives conventions exhibitions) events to help boost inbound arrivals, and enable the country to reach government’s target of 4.8 million international tourists this year.

S peaking in reaction to the latest inbound tourists report from the Department of Tourism (DOT), Tourism Congress of the Philippines president Robert Zozobrado told the BusinessMirror, “We’re grinning from ear to ear. We’re confident we can surpass our target of 4.8-million arrivals target because the Convention Season is still coming.”

Country brands in Sona

THIS developed as President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. pointed out during his second State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday, the reported 3-million arrival of international tourists from January to July 19 “is already 62 percent of our 4.8-million target for the entire year.” He used the occasion to insert two of the new country brands developed by the DOT and Presidential Adviser on Creative Communications, “Love the Philippines” and “Bagong Pilipinas,” respectively.

C iting the competent and dedicated government workers, he said, “It is up to us to provide good leadership and guidance. They love the Philippines, and have responded to our call.” He added that Filipinos have risen to the challenge to be part of the country’s future, an indication that “the state of the nation is sound, and is improving. Dumating na po ang Bagong Pilipinas [The new Philippines has arrived].”

Marcos Jr. gave the keynote address at the DOT’s 50th anniversary celebration, where it unveiled the “Love the Philippines” slogan and tourism video, which used foreign scenes. The controversy continues to hound the government agency, which has yet to respond to specific questions on who at the DOT gave final say over the video’s showing and how much exactly will be paid to DDB Philippines Inc., the advertising agency which was responsible for the video. (See, “Stakeholders, TPB shut of new tourism drive decision,” in the BusinessMirror, July 3, 2023.)

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The OGCC affirmed in its contract review dated August 15, 2014 that the proposed lease agreement may be given due course.

Thus, the NPF and RWBCI signed the lease agreement on August 20, 2014.

H owever, the NPF sought the DOJ’s legal opinion anew on the issue in light of the findings that one of the contracts entered into by the NPF with a different private entity was illegal for non-compliance with, among others, the public bidding require - ment of R.A. 6957, as amended by R.A. 7718 or the Build Operate Transfer (BOT Law).

B atocabe noted that the Office of the President, in a memorandum dated September 25, 2018, directed the Department of Tourism (DOT) to initiate the review of any other similar lease contracts that the agency has entered into with other parties in order to determine whether there has been any violation of laws, executive orders or regulations, particularly with respect to the requirement of a public bidding.

Batocabe told the DOJ that it believes that its lease agreement with RWBCI is outside the definition of procurement under R.A. 9184.

H e added that the NPF, acting on its corporate power to engage in legally permissible engagement while exercising its sound business judgment, may negotiate and execute a lease with any party like RWBCI, under conditions deemed most advantageous to the government.

A cting on the NPF’s request, the DOJ noted that in its Opinion No. 172 issued in 1993 which dealt with the validity of the Board Resolution of Mactan-Cebu Interna -

GOVT INVESTMENTS IN MIF FREE FROM ‘POLITICAL INFLUENCES’

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The gains from the fund shall be reinvested into the country’s economic well-being,” he said.

Marcos called on the lawmakers to support the passage of a “new” government procurement law as well as a “new” government auditing code.

The chief executive argued that the two existing laws must be changed to become “more attuned” to the “changing times.” He noted that amendments to the aforementioned legislations would allow the government to be “more effective” and “more transformative.”

T he Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is pushing for the amendment of the 20-year-old Government Procurement Reform Act (GPRA) as it would “help government agencies utilize their budget efficiently.”

Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman earlier said the current procurement law is “too stringent.”

Pangandaman noted that certain amendments to the procurement law could be the inclusion of a provision on the use of digitalization as well as “green” procurement.

Meanwhile, the government auditing code is now about 45 years old. The current government auditing code was created by no less than the father of Marcos Jr., former President Ferdinand E. Marcos in 1978 by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 1445.

‘Marathon, not a sprint’

FINANCE Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno lauded Marcos Jr.’s SONA, describing it as a “fitting report” of the accomplishments made by the current administration over the past year. tional Airport Authority (MCIAA) granting exemption from bidding in the award of concession spaces in the airport, it held that there is no law which requires public bidding for the lease of government property.

The economic team is proud of what we’ve achieved so far and we’re determined to work even faster and harder in the next 5 years so that our economic gains are felt by all Filipinos,” Diokno said in a series of tweets using his verified Twitter account on Monday after the SONA. Diokno vowed that the economic managers would “continue to attract strategic investments” from domestic and foreign enterprises.

He also emphasized that “more” economic reforms are in the pipeline, particularly on the tax measures front.

This is a marathon, not a sprint. And while we’re miles away from our destination, the work towards a more resilient and prosperous economy continues,” Diokno said.

T he DOJ added that the same legal position was reiterated in its Legal Opinion No. 97 issued in 2022, where the lease agreement subject of the opinion affirmed the legal authority of the head of agency “to determine the reasonableness of the terms of the lease and the rental rates thereof and to enter into such lease contracts without

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Sound policies

AMONG the factors which led to the recovery were the relaxation of pandemic restrictions as well as a sound Medium-Term Fiscal Framework crafted by the economic team, according to Marcos.

The policies, he said, have kept inflation in check, easing to 5.4 percent in June from 8.7 percent in January.

To foster continued economic growth, he said the government will also continue to invest in public infrastructure, food, education, health, jobs and social protection. Our infrastructure spending will be at 5 to 6 percent of our GDP (gross domestic product),” Marcos said.

The projects are expected to help in the government target of generating jobs for the remaining 4.3 percent of our workforce, as well as for the need of prior approval by higher authorities subject to guidelines issued by the Commission on Audit and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

60K visitors for FIBA World Cup MEANWHILE, TCP’s Zozobrado noted that the expected participation of 800 local and international delegates from the finance sector, who will be attending the Alliance of Financial Inclusion’s Global Policy Forum on September 12 to 15 hosted by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. He also said, “36 terms participating in the FIBA Basketaball World Cup is expected to draw in 60,000 visitors during its two-week run,” from August 25 to September 10. He likewise cited the recent arrival of some 300 Filipino-Americans on the VIP (Very Important Pinoy) tour, a project annually undertaken between Rajah Tours Philippines with the Department of Foreign Affairs. Formerly called the Ambassadors and Consuls General Tour, the VIP Tour involves the Philippine Embassy in Washington D.C and consular offices in the US and is now in its 14th year. (See, “Envoys wooing ‘VIPs’ to come home, tour islands,” in the BusinessMirror, January 23, 2023.)

In view of the foregoing, and since the lease by NPF of its property to RWBCI is a straightforward lease, it is the considered view of this Department that the same is not covered by the BOT Law,” the DOJ said.

“ Hence, the need for public bidding is not required...subject to the requirements of the DPWH Uniform Guidelines and COA issuance on the matter,” it added.