Closing Statement of Senator Risa Hontiveros during the 5th hearing of Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality

Like I said in the last hearing, our original objective was simple: to protect women and children from the scourge of human trafficking and the illegal entry of aliens into our borders.

But these hearings have evolved and taken on a life of their own: nabuksan ang tila pandora's box ng corruption sa bureau of immigration. Nasiwalat ang modern day na mga traydor na kapalit ng pera ay magpapasok sa ating mga border ng tatlong letter P: illegal POGO, Prostitution and oo, Pandemya. As a senator of the republic, I cannot shirk from my responsibility to investigate this to the very end.

I would like to close this hearing by specifically addressing employees and former employees of the Bureau of Immigration that are or were involved in the pastillas scam.

The walls are closing in on you.

Akala niyo kaya niyo bayaran ang mga maliliit na immigration officers at walang mangangahas na kontrahin kayo. Di niyo akalain na may isang Alex Chiong na walang takot na magsasabi ng totoo laban sa inyo.

Akala niyo kaya niyo bayaran ang NBI para ang mga maliliit na foot soldier lang ang kakasuhan. Di niyo inaasahan May papalag at isisiwalat na nagbayad ng pera ang mga bosing ng BI para di sila kasuhan ng NBI.

Akala niyo ang kapangyarihan at pera ay permanente. Na habambuhay kayo nasa pwesto. But as Martin Luther King reminds all of us, the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice.

At sa mga maliliit na empleyado ng BI, asahan niyo na ilalaglag kayo ng mga boss kaya ito na ang pagkakataon ninyo na magsalita at tulungan ang proseso ng katarungan.

Tayo po ay mga Pilipino lahat. It is our obligation to protect our borders. It is our obligation to protect our women and children. Unahin naman natin ang Pilipinas.