Press Release
March 27, 2007

Transcript of Senator Franklin M. Drilon's press conference

Q: Kaya daw maraming nagugutom, tinanggal n'yo daw ang rice program

SFMD: Hindi namin tinatanggal ang rice program. Sa katunayan, nandoon iyong School Feeding Program. Nakakalungkot naman na naghahanap lagi ng sisisihin ang administrasyong ito. Iyong gutom po, dahil sa kawalan ng trabaho at kawalan ng income. Hindi po dahilan sa dole-out. Ang purpose ng School Feeding Program ay para sa kalusugan ng kabataan at iyan po ay aming inilagay, P1 bilyong mahigit ang nakalagay sa School Feeding Program para sa kabataan. Hindi po kasama ang ibang programa doon. Kaya ating inilagay doon sa School Feeding Program dahil sa iyong mga kabataan ay malnourished dahil walang mga pagkain sa kanilang mga bahay. Kaya ating tinutugunan ang malnutrition n gating kabataan. We address through the School Feeding Program of the Department of Education the malnutrition needs of our children. We have over P1 billion allocated there. It is unfortunate that this administration keeps on harping on what is obviously campaign gimmick of giving rice to schoolchildren even when there are no classes. To whom do they distribute that? We do not know. But obviously, under the ruse of a poverty program, they are using this as an election gimmick. That is why in 2006, they distributed about P1.8 billion of rice through the school system to pupils even when these pupils are not in school. And also, during summer and used this school feeding program of the Deped. We are not against poverty alleviation. Certainly, we are not. But what we saying is that they should not use the teachers for the rice distribution program because that is not the function of the teachers. They are asking the teachers to segregate 51-kilo rice packages from the 50-kilo sacks. This is additional burden on the teachers. What we are is, you can have your election gimmickry by distributing rice but don't use our school children and politicize the school feeding program.

Q: Last Saturday, may inannounce si GMA na magre-release ng P1 billion to fight hunger. Iba pa ba ito?

SFMD: That's differently sourced. They can source that somewhere else. That's not sourced from the School Feeding Program. In the first place, they are yet to publish in the official gazette the budget. Therefore, it has not yet become effective. So they must be using other sources, probably the Contingent Fund of the President.

Q: May EO para sa additional allowance para mapunta sa kanila ang credit?

SFMD: What else is new? Political season ngayon.

Q: Can you explain the increase in PDAF?

SFMD: The House of Representatives had always asserted its primacy and its primary authority over the budget since under our Constitution, the General Appropriations Act should originate from the House of Representatives. And as you have seen, the Senate would not act on the budget until it is passed by the House. Having said that, I would suggest to Secretary Andaya that he discuss how this happened with Rep. Joey Salceda, who was the chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations and Chairman of the bicameral conference committee. Joey Salceda is fully knowledgeable of how the budget was crafted. Many of those additions were originated by the House. So I would suggest strongly na mag-usap si Andaya at si Joey Salceda, pareho lang silang taga-Malacañang .

Q: Hindi ninyo napag-usapan during the bicam?

SFMD: As we said, the House has always asserted and we have recognized their primacy over the budget. Secretary Andaya should ask questions from Rep. Joey Salceda.

Q: The IPU Fact-Finding Mission, you expect that next month?

SFMD: The Mission is arriving on Wednesday, April 18 and would like to see the Speaker of the House, the Secretary of Justice, the Secretary of National Defense, the Secretary of Interior and Local Government, the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Director-General of the Philippine National Police, the Chairman of the Commission on Human Rights, the chairman of the Commission on Elections.

Q: Pati Comelec?

SFMD: Because of the petition to delist Bayan Muna

Q: What should be the final result of the IPU mission?

SFMD: Mr. Ocampo and Mr. Beltran have filed complaints against the Philippine Government for persecution. The matter is under investigation by the IPU Committee on Human Rights of Parliamentarians, which I head. Under our rules, I inhibited myself. So I have inhibited myself. The mission will be headed by the Vice President of the Committee, Sen. Sharon Costairs, a member of the legislature of Canada and Secretary General Anders Johnsson may also join the mission.

Q: Kanino isa-submit ang report?

SFMD: It will be submitted before the General Assembly. Initially it will be submitted to the Committee and after the committee has approved the same, it will be submitted to the Assembly in Bali, Indonesia, when the IPU would meet in the last week of April. In other words, before the conference in April, there would be a result.

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