CAYETANO ON LA MESA HOUSING, REENACTED BUDGET
AND NPA REVOLUTIONARY TAX

SPSC's statement on the La Mesa watershed housing controversy

I'm happy to see that we have a potential solution to this problem, dahil nagsabi naman ang MWSS union na payag naman silang mailipat ang housing project. Pero ang kundisyon nila mula't mula pa ay mailipat sila sa loob din ng Quezon City. And so the burden is on the MWSS (management) to try to look for an alternative location. Sa desisyon ng Supreme Court, sinabihan nito ang MWSS na dapat nitong bigyan ng lupa ang mga empleyado. Pero hindi naman nila sinabi na doon nila kunin ang lupa sa La Mesa watershed. In fact, kinwestyon ni Sec. Reyes kung may karapatan nga ba ang MWSS na magbenta ng lupa para sa housing project. Kasi ang dahilan kaya nakakuha sila ng mga titulo sa La Mesa ay para protektahan itoto ensure continuing water supply to Metro Manila. The titles were given to them not to be sold just to meet an obligation.

I would like to draw attention to PD 705, kung saan nakalagay na kung may forestlands and natural parks na kailangan protektahan, maaaring makansela o maamenyadahan ang isang titulo kung kinakailangan. And so to begin with, I think the title of MWSS should be annotated accordingly so that no land should be disposed of henceforth. And if it's necessary to rescind these titles, then that may have to happen in order to protect our watershed.

In today's hearing, kasama natin si DENR Sec. Angelo Reyes at klaro naman po na may determinasyon and DENR na siguruhin ang kaligtasan ng water supply natin. Tatapusin nila ang kanilang pag-aaral sa loob ng isang buwan. Ang importante ay hindi natin dapat payagan ang anumang aktibidad o pangyayari na makasisira sa ating supply ng tubig. Wala tayong iba pang maaasahan kundi itong tubig na dumadaan sa La Mesa Dam. Whether dumadaan ito sa Angat River o kung saan pa man, 97% nito ay dumadaan pa rin sa La Mesa Dam. It is the committee's mandate na masigurong protected ang tubig na ito from human activities.

Q: Should Bantay Kalikasan's Ecopark in La Mesa continue?

PSC: If you look at the models in other countries, they use ecotourism to promote public awareness and interest in protecting the environment. Karamihan sa ating mga taga-syudad ay hindi pa nakararanas kung ano talaga ang pakiramdam sa loob ng gubat. Hindi natin malalaman kung ano ang kahalagahan ng ating kagubatan unless ma-experience natin ito.

I had the pleasure of climbing Mt. Kitanglad just five days ago, at iba talagang klase pag nandun ka. Doon mo talaga maaapreciate kung bakit kailangan nating bigyan ng pansin ang ating protected areas. I believe that these initiatives (like the Ecopark) are beneficial. What is important though is that it should also be regulated. Sa ibang bansa pinag-aaralan nila kung ilan dapat ang turistang papasok sa isang taon para di nasisira yung flora and fauna. The mere fact na may mga tao d'yan will also affect the environment, so 'di maiiwasan na lagyan 'yan ng mga toilet at mga restaurant. Walang masama rito, pero ang importante is that it is confined to certain areas and strict guidelines are followed. I highly recommend such initiatives not only because I have a personal interest in climbing mountains, but also because this is an activity that average people do not get to do regularly, if at all.

Q: How will the Supreme Court affect the outcome of the committee report?

PSC: Sinabi ng Supreme Court na dapat panindigan ng MWSS ang kanyang obligasyon na bigyan ng lupa ang mga retiradong empleyado. Walang sinumang tumututol dito. We all respect that. But the Supreme Court did not identify any specific piece of land sa loob mismo ng watershed.

And even if yun ang desisyon ng Supreme Court, may batas pa rin tayong nagsasabi na pwedeng ma-rescind o maamendyahan ang isang titulo para mapangalagaan ang isang forestland o watershed.

So we'll let them to try to compromise and find a solution and, if necessary, annotate the title of MWSS to reflect this condition, and for that matter, any other watershed facing a similar situation. Kung ako ang tatanungin, isa sa magiging rekomendasyon ng committee ay dapat maging klaro sa titulo ng MWSS that the lands are only being held as part of their mandate to protect the watershed.

Q: What does annotating a contract mean?

PSC: Halimbawa, dun po sa titulo ay maaaring ilagay: "Restricted use. This land may only be used for the protection of the watershed and to ensure water supply." So kung sakaling may bibili, makikita nilang mayroon palang restriction, kaya hindi sila basta-basta bibili. Binabawasan nito ang full rights ng land holder, based on whatever restrictions are in place. Like sometimes, when you buy a house and lot, sometimes may restriction 'yun on your easementsat annotated 'yun sa titulo mo.

Q: What is the Committee's initial recommendation for executive housing project?

SPSC: From what I see from a layman's point of view, madaling ma-determine na mas may risk yung sa housing for union employees, kasi nasa mataas na lugar 'yun. So naturally, 'yung flow ng wastewater na magmumula doon ay bababa dun sa watershed. Ngayon, itong tinatawag na 'executive housing' ay nasa ibaba ng watershed. So mukhang safe, but I really wouldn't know because I don't have sufficient technical knowledge to say kung mayroon pang ibang danger.

DENR ang makakapagsabi kung ilang kilometro mula sa watershed ang dapat nating protektahan. But definitiely, whether executive o union housing yanor even the projects of Bantay Kalikasanany activity that would endanger our water supply would have to be restricted o prohibited.

Q: What is your concern regarding the reenactment of the national budget which will allow the President to realign some P48 billion?

SPSC: People should understand the effects of a reenacted budget. From a legal standpoint, hindi nagagawa ng Kongreso ang katungkulan nito to review the budget and provide its own inputs. The Constitution provides that the power of the purse should reside with Congress. So kung hindi natin ito binibigyang halaga, tulad ng pagsu-submit sa Kongreso ng budget nang huling huli na, then this Constitutional safeguard is eroded. Hindi naibibigay ng Kongreso ang kanyang input for all the different departments. The sole discretion has been left with the Executive and that is not what the Constitution envisioned.

Q: Are you still hoping na mapapasa pa rin yung 2006 budget?

SPSC: We're still hoping na may magagawa pa rin tungkol dito. As you know, at the time the budget was given to us, it was already four months into 2006. We are already living day-to-day on a reenacted budget. So the hope really is to approve the 2006 budget during the second half of the year. Masipag naman ang ating Chair of the Committee on Finance and incoming Senate President. I'm sure he would exhaust all measures, otherwise wala na tayong checks-and-balances. Di ba nga sinabi ni Sec. Andaya that the determination of how the P21 billion or P48 billion will be spent is with the President? Pero dapat natitignan ng Kongreso yun.

Precisely Congress reviews the budget to be able to determine what programs should be given priority. In my discussions with some of my colleagues, we agreed that more budget should be given to the environment and social services, and that a big chunk should be placed for classrooms and if we are not able to do this, then it will all be totally discretionary on the President.

My apprehension is simply that the institutional system of checks and balances is eroded. In the same way that the system is eroded during those times when rallyists were picked up without warrants, and in the same way that freedom of speech and assembly were curtailed. Once you start cracking down on these basic freedoms, once you start setting aside Constitutionally-mandated principles, then I have an issue with that. For all intents and purposes, we have very able cabinet members, the President has good intentions, but it is the job of Congress to scrutinize the budget.

Q: Do you recommend that the Senate conduct a probe on how these funds will be used?

SPSC: Exactly yun na nga ang iniiwasan natin. A lot of my colleagues, myself included, under the new leadership, would like to be cooperative and productive. But if we have to take a lot of time just to check how this P48 billion is being spent then: number one, it takes away our time from legislation, because we'd have to investigate these things, and number two, it's also something that Malacanang does not appreciate. So sana pinabayaan na lang din kami to do our job. I know that Sen. Manny Villar is a very patient and diplomatic person, and I know the he had exerted a lot of effort to find a compromise on the budget. I still hope na makahanap pa tayo ng solusyon, because I don't think having a reenacted budget is healthy.

Q: What are the prospects that the same thing doesn't happen to the 2007 budget?

SPSC: Sana makuha naming nang maaga, because you know it's going to be an election year. So kung hindi rin namin ito makukuha nang maaga, then how long will it take na naman for us to finalize. As you very well know there are 23 senators and a lot of them really scrutinize the budget. They have to give us ample time to do our job. I was told that in the earlier Congresses, naibibigay naman ang budget on time. But what can you do if it's given to you in April? We did our partwe started having Committee of the Whole hearings as early as two months before we actually received the House version.

Q: Do you agree with the allotment of P1 billion to the anti-corruption campaign?

SPSC: Kung tatanungin mo ko I'd put a chunk of that into educating our children instead, so that we lift up our standards of morality, of what's right and wrong. It's already hard to live in a country where people have come to accept graft and corruption as a way of life. So let's start with children. Yung ibang matatanda mahirap nang baguhin ang isip, unless ipakulong mo. Pero ang question, may political will ba tayo para sila ipakulong? It won't be a waste of money if it goes to educating children.

Q: What is your position on government's statement that it would go after businessmen paying revolutionary taxes?

SPSC: The solution is not as simple as telling people na "wag na kayong magbayad ng revolutionary tax." Mahirap magdikta. At then end of the day, the insurgency is a complicated problem, and we all have to work together to address it. The solution won't be simple, and everyone has to contribute.