Press Release
June 14, 2007

Kapihan sa Senada excerpts (Guest: Sen. Panfilo Lacson)

ON THE CAUCUSES BEING CONDUCTED BY WINNING CANDIDATES OF GENUINE OPPOSITION (GO) IN RELATION TO THE ELECTION OF THE SENATE PRESIDENT:

SEN. LACSON: WEVE HAD FOUR MEETINGS ACTUALLY. BUT WHAT IS IMPORTANT IS WE HAVE AGREED ON CERTAIN PRINCIPLES AND PROCEDURE. YUN NAMANG DALAWANG YUN ANG PINAKAIMPORTANTE, SO SA NEXT MEETING, WE WILL BE DISCUSSING THE OPERATIONALIZATION NUNG MGA NAPAG-USAPAN NAMIN. PRINCIPLES NA WE SHOULD STICK TOGETHER, WE SHOULD BOND TOGETHER AS OPPOSITION SENATORS. NAGBIBILANG KAMI, OF COURSE EIGHT, ASSUMING NA SI SONNY TRILLANES AND KOKO PIMENTEL WILL FINALLY BE PROCLAIMED. SO 8 GO WINNING CANDIDATES, AND THERES THREE ORIGINAL OPPOSITION HERE: JINGGOY ESTRADA, JAMBY MADRIGAL, AND NENE PIMENTEL. SO THAT MAKES US ELEVEN. NOW TWO MORE, MAR ROXAS AND PONG BIAZON MAY BE COUNTED. SO, LABINTATLO, CLEAR MAJORITY. AND WE MAY FURTHER EXPAND TO INCLUDE KIKO PANGILINAN ANG GRINGO HONASAN. SO THAT MAKES IT FIFTEEN. SO THERE IS A CLEAR MAJORITY AND WE SHOULD NOT LOSE THE OPPORTUNITY NA MAGKA-SPLINTER PA KAMI INTO SEVERAL GROUPS, ONLY TO FIND OURSELVES BEING IN THE MINORITY, PAG NAGKAHIWA-HIWALAY. SO YUN ANG NAPAG-AGREEHAN NAMIN NA WE WILL STICK TOGETHER AS OPPOSITION SENATORS. YUNG PROCEDURE, WE HAVE AGREED TO RESORT TO SECRET BALLOT IN CHOOSING. ANYWAY, THERE ARE ONLY TWO PROTAGONISTS: NENE PIMENTEL AND MANUEL VILLAR. OF COURSE, ME MGA KANYA-KANYANG PREFERENCES, BUT WE WOULD RATHER PUT IT INTO SECRET BALLOTING WHEN WE MEET SOMETIME NEXT WEEK. AND WE HAVE AGREE TO ABIDE BY THE DECISION OF THE MAJORITY FROM AMONG US. SO KUNG MAKAPAG-MEET KAMING 13, O 15, OR 11, NEXT WEEK AT MAGKAROON NA KAMI NG PAGPIPILI KUNG SINO, THEN THE REST OF US NA MAY PREFERRED SENATE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE NA HINDI MAPIPILI, IRERESPETO NILA ANG DECISION NG MAJORITY. THATS DEMOCRATIC ENOUGH AND THATS FAIR ENOUGH. AND WE HAVE ALREADY AGREED ON THAT.

ON THE CHOICE OF COMMITTEES:

SEN. LACSON: SA CHOICE OF COMMITTEES, THERE ARE NO CONFLICTS IN THE CHOICE OF COMMITTEES, NUNG NAGSUBMIT KAMI NG PREFERRED OR PREFERENCE NAMIN SA PAGCHE-CHAIR NG KUNG ANUMANG COMMITTEES, WALANG CONFLICT SA PAGPIPILI. HINDI NAGKAKABANGGAAN YUNG MGA KURSUNADANG MGA COMMITTEES, EXCEPT FOR SOME VERY MINOR NA PAGKAKAPAREHO NG COMMITTEE NA NAGUGUSTUHAN.

ON COMMITEES FOR THE MINORITY:

SEN. LACSON: THE PRACTICE IS , USUALLY BINIGIBYAN NG FIRST CRACK YUNG MAJORITY MEMBERS. AND YUNG HINDI NAGUGUSTUHAN O YUNG PWEDENG IBAHAGI DUN SA MINORITY, BINIBIGAY NA LANG AS A BULK YUNG LAHAT NG COMMITTEES AVAILABLE UP FOR GRABS, BIBIGAY NA LANG SA MINORITY LEADER, BAHALA NA SILANG MAGDISCUSS.BUT WHATS IMPORTANT IS OUR AGREEMENT NA KUNG SINO YUNG SENATE PRESIDENT NA NAPUPUSUAN, SHOULD ALSO RESPECT THAT THIS IS AN OPPOSITION-DOMINATED SENATE, AND AS SUCH, DAPAT, YUNG PAGBIBIGAY DIN, O PAG-AALOK O PAGDIDISTRIBUTE NG CHAIRMANSHIP NG COMMITTEES DAPAT ILIMIT NA MUNA DUN SA OPPOSITION MEMBERS. AND WE HAVE AGREED AMONG OURSELVES, KUNG MERON MAGBA-VIOLATE, BETWEEN THE TWO CANDIDATES OF COURSE NA MAKIKIPAGDEAL WITH NON-OPPOSITION AND WORSE, ADMINISTRATION SENATORS BY GIVING HIM OR THEM MAJOR COMMITTEE, THEN THATS A NO-NO. THATS A GROUND FOR HIM TO BE JUNKED.

ON SOME OPPOSITION MAKING A DEAL WITH THE ADMINISTRATION:

SEN. LACSON: ME NAMOMONITOR KAMI, BUT WE HAVE ALREADY GIVEN THE INFORMATION OR WARNING NOT TO DEAL WITH THE ADMINISTRATION SENATORS. AFTER ALL, WE WANT TO REMAIN INTACT AS OPPOSITION SENATORS. NAGKAKAISA KAMI DUN NA ANG BOTTOM LINE DITO, KAILANGAN, MAGKAKASAMA KAMI UNTIL WHATEVER TIME OR PERIOD AND MAGLAPSE. BUT ANG IMPORTANTE, ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE OPENING OF CONGRESS MAGKAKASAMA KAMI AS OPPOSITION SENATORS. YUN, PAGDATING NG OKTUBRE, NOBYEMBRE AT DISYEMBRE , NAG KAROON NG IBANG USAPAN, IBANG USAPAN NA YUN. ANYWAY, WE CAN STAND AS ONE INDEPENDENT INSTITUTION, SO OK LANG YUN. BUT, ITONG UNANG SIGWADA, DAPAT IPAKITA NAMIN NA HINDI LANG GO, KUNDI OPPOSITION TALAGA. ANO BA MGA CRITERIA FOR BEING A TRUE BLUE OPPOSITION, FULL-BLOODED OPPOSITION SENATOR, WELL WE SHOULD STICK TO FACTS. THE FACT THAT WE RAN UNDER THE GENUINE OPPOSITION.

ON THE ACTION THAT WILL BE DONE TO WHOEVER WILL VIOLATE THE AGREEMENT:

SEN. LACSON: ME USAPAN DIN KAMI NA DI NAMIN KAKAUSAPIN FOR 6 YEARS. ..BASTAT KAMI YUNG OPPOSITION NA NAG-USAP, MAG-I-STICK KAMI DUN SA PINAG-USAPAN NAMIN. ANG NAPAG-AGREEHAN NAMIN, PWEDE NG HINDI KAUSAPIN FOR 6 YEARS OR 3 YEARS, YUNG HINDI SUSUNOD, KASI PARA KA NAMANG NAPAKAWALANG KWENTANG KAUSAP, HUWAG KA NA LANG SUMAMA DUN SA MEETING KUNG AYAW MONG MAGING BINDING SA YO YUNG PINAG-UUSAPAN. SO, WE ALSO CONSIDER THAT, KASI LATER, BAKA NAGKASUNDO TAYO NEXT WEEK, TAPOS BEFORE JULY 23 , NAGPASUNGKIT KA SA IBA O BINAGO MO YUNG SALITA MO.

ON THE IMPLICATION OF SEN. ARROYO OF TEAM UNITY, AS A KNOWN SUPPORTER AND FRIEND OF SEN. VILLAR:

SEN. LACSON: IF HE GETS JOKERS VOTE, THATS FINE. BUT IF HE PROMISES OR COMMITS ONE MAJOR COMMITTEE, TO NOT NECESSARILY JOKER, BUT AN ADMINISTRATION SENATOR, WITHOUT CONSIDERING FIRST WHAT AN OPPOSITION SENATOR WANTS , THEN THAT WOULD BE A VIOLATION OF OUR AGREEMENT. BY THE WAY, MANNY VILLAR AND NENE PIMENTEL ARE NOT BOUND BY THE AGREEMENT OF THIS GROUP. AND NAG-UUSAP NGA LANG, BECAUSE WE PURPOSELY DID NOT INCLUDE THEM IN OUR CAUCUSES, IN OUR MEETING. HINDI BINDING SA KANILA YUN. BUT SA AMIN, BINDING YUN. SO, THEY SHOULD BE PROPERLY ADVISED, NA GANUN YUNG AMING POSITION

ON THE ANNOUNCEMENT MADE BY MALACAANG REGARDING CABINET REVAMP:

SEN. LACSON: ANG GUSTO NATING MAKITA, GAGAWIN BA? WALA PA NAMAN. (MY) UNSOLICITED ADVICE IS INSTEAD OF REORGANIZING THE BUREAUCRACY , EVEN IF IT IS ELECTION-RELATED, THOSE WHO FAILED TO DELIVER THE VOTES IN THEIR RESPECTIVE AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY, CAUSE I HEARD THEY WERE ASSIGNED TO DIFFERENT AREAS TO WORK ON TO MAKE TU CANDIDATES WIN. INSTEAD OF DEALING WITH BUREAUCRACY, I WOULD SUGGEST STRONGLY THAT THE PRESIDENT SHOULD CALL FOR A COMELEC REVAMP. OF COURSE, COMELEC IS A CONSTITUTIONAL BODY , BUT SHE CAN ALWAYS EXERCISE HER INFLUENCE OVER COMELEC, DI BA MAS MAGANDA UNAHIN YUNG ELECTORAL REFORMS, KASI DITO TAYO NA-I-STOCK PARATI. EVERYTIME MERON TAYONG ELECTION, NAGUGULO YUNG BAYAN NATIN. SO, I THINK IT WILL SERVE HER WELL, KUNG ANG PANAWAGAN NYA MAGRESIGN NA MUNA YUNG MGA COMELEC COMMISSIONERS PARA BIGYAN SYA NG FREE HAND . AND WHEN SHE APPOINTS NEW COMMISSIONERS, DAPAT YUNG TALAGANG, WALANG POLITICAL COLOR. YUNG TALAGANG MAGPAPALINIS NG ATING HALALAN. DI BA DOON DAPAT MAGSIMULA. BECAUSE DOON LAHAT NAG-UUGAT YUNG PROBLEMA NI PRES. ARROYO. KAYA ANG LAKI-LAKI NG PROBLEMA NYA BECAUSE OF THE HELLO GARCI CONTROVERSY

ON TERM-SHARING IN THE SENATE PRESIDENCY:

SEN. LACSON: NO-NO YUNG TERM SHARING. YUNG TERM-SHARING PARANG SIGN NG WEAKNESS YUN, SAKA COMPROMISE YUN. KAYA LANG NAGKAKAROON NG TERM-SHARING KUNG GALING SA MALACANANANG. KASI ANG GUSTO NG MALACANANG MAPAGBIGYAN ANG LAHAT NG PARTIDO. SA MIN, IT SHOULD BE A CONTINUING VOTE OF CONFIDENCE DUN SA SENATE PRESIDENT.

ON THE AMBITION OF SENATORS FOR PRESIDENCY (IN 2010) AS AN ISSUE IN THE SELECTION OF SENATE PRESIDENCY:

SEN. LACSON: I WAS THE ONE WHO SUGGESTED, IF WE DONT SET ASIDE 2010 IN OUR CAUCUSES, WE WILL BOG DOWN. WELL GET STUCK TO WHERE WE STARTED. SO IT IS BETTER TO SET ASIDE, KALIMUTAN MUNA YUNG 2010, PAG-USAPAN MUNA NATIN YUNG JULY 23. I WAS THE ONE WHO SUGGESTED THAT, AND THEY AGREED. KASI PAG INISIP NG MGA NAG-IISIP YUNG 2010, SYEMPRE, YUNG PAGPILI PA LANG NG SENATE PRESIDENT, TAINTED NA AGADCONSIDER EVERYTHING EQUAL. WAG NATING ISIPIN ETO MAGING SENATE PRESIDENT, PERO ME AMBISYON ITO, SO LALABANAN KO ITO. DAPAT WALANG GANUNAN. ANG PAG-USAPAN LANG NAMIN SENADO.

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