TRANSCRIPT OF MEDIA INTERVIEW
Senator Risa Hontiveros at the UN Women: Discussion of PH Democracy and the Role of Women
Ortigas, Pasig City

Q: (On Macho bloc)

Senator Risa Hontiveros (SRH): I think that some of the so-called macho bloc will actually be welcomed by the electorate, especially some of the returning former senators to continue to add to that statesman-like personality of the Senate. But lalo na kasi pinag-uusapan natin ang women leadership and democracy, syempre ang pinapangarap ko mas maraming kababaihan pa ang makapasok sa Senado. Especially that historically, at most pito lang kaming mga babaeng senador sa 24. So that's only what, 30%, less than 30%. Eh dapat at least kalahati ng bawat institusyon natin, pati Senado ay kababaihan para katawanin din yung populasyon natin na kalahati din ay mga babae. So that's something also that I'll be working on to elect more women opposition senators in 2025.

Q: (Gender quota)

SRH: Maganda kung magkaroon ng gender quota hindi lang ang oposisyon kundi lahat ng mga koalisyon na magpapatakbo sa 2025 at sa 2028. But for one, we will do our best from the opposition better to represent women.

Q: (50-50 women representation)

SRH: It's important to have 50-50 or more of women representation in all our government institutions para salaminin yung empowerment at autonomy at decision-making ng kababaihan sa lahat pa ng espasyo ng ating lipunan in our homes, in our workplaces, in all our social institutions. Hindi dapat taliwas o parang bulag yung gobyerno o estado natin sa ganoong realidad. It's also important to have women participation, representation and leadership in order to enhance the quality of our democracy. Because democracy is about all of those things: Representation, participation and leadership. Eh kung kalahati ng ating demokrasya ang kababaihan plus people of diverse SOGIE ay absent, underrepresented eh di degraded ang demokrasya natin sa ganoong usapin.

Q: You mentioned na we had two presidents na female and vice-presidents. Why is it we're not yet moving further?

SRH: Well, totoo, we've come a long way, but it's also true we still have a long way to go. At ang kasaysayan naman, pati natin, hindi linear 'di ba? We've made advances before, there have also been terrible reversals like under the previous Duterte administration. Reversals not only on gender sensitivity and equality, pero in terms of human rights, sovereignty, democracy itself. Sa panahon ngayon na rumaragasa ang authoritarianism at populism sa buong mundo, and there's like a new season of forgetting here in the Philippines, eh kailangan talaga bumawi ang mga kababaihan and keep taking steps forward.

Q: On barangay and SK elections, this is the start, barangay level and sk level should you say na parang we should consider women barangay captains or SK chairperson?

SRH: I hope there are a lot of young women and girls na tumatakbo para sa mga SK I hope sana at least kalahati ng mga tumatakbo sa ating mga barangay ay mga kabarong babae then because yes, these are the basic units of our government, and ang usually ang pinaka importante at lasting na mga pagbabago ay yung galing sa baba, grassroots, bottom up change, so harinawa kayo po sa mga SK at sa mga barangay, ipaglaban nyo po iyan at ipanalo.

Q: Nabanggit nyo woman SP...

SRH: Ah... yes yes

Q: What are your thoughts about it, is that possible?

SRH: Oh a woman SP is always possible. Na Break na nina former Senator Letty Ramos-Shahani ang glass ceiling para sa Senate President Pro Tempore, ni Senator Loren Legarda yung glass ceiling para sa babaeng majority leader, Senator Loren Legarda was a woman majority leader at ngayon siya ay senate president pro tempore din so what 's to stop women becoming senate president

Q: Senator Villar before and that was during the time there were rumors...

SRH: Well nagdecision naman ang majority kung sino ang ihahalal nila o ilululok nilang senate president basta kami ni Senator Koko yung aking minority leader, eh we keep the minority voice alive

Q: Sa Socorro, you mentioned na there were cases of child marriage recently we commemorated international day of the girl child having these does this mean wala pa pong naprosecute?

SRH: It is relatively new law yung law prohibiting child marriage pero masaya ako na dito sa iniimbestigahan naming kaso ng child marriage among other violations of children's rights and people's rights doon sa Socorro, Surigao Del Norte particularly sa Kapihan, apparently unang pagkakataon na gagamitin itong batas na ito laban sa mga lider doon

Q: What are the penalties?

SRH: I have to get back to you on that again pero may accountabilities and penalties both sa mag-officiate, mag-facilitate, maggroom ng mga bata para sa child marriage

Q: How about yung cultural aspect, religious freedom?

SRH: Well doon sa usapin ng child marriages are also practices of certain communities ethno linguistic or religious communities in the Philippines kaya nga po nung nagprovide kami for penalties doon sa batas sinuspend po namin ang application noon for one year para sa loob nitong taon mayroon munang education campaign among the affected communities para ituro at ikumbinsi sa kanila kung bakit kailangan ito pati sa kanilang mga bata

Q: Sa ocular visit, Senator Bato mentioned there was a mass grave. What has your team relate to you about the results, ano ung laman ng mass grave possible violation

SRH: Well yung staffers ko nga pumunta roon ay nag-ulat nga na bukod sa mga na-unearth na namin noong unang hearing ay matroon pang ibang mga iregularidad kasi itinanong ko nung unang hearing kung authorized ba o legitimate o hindi ang public cemetery nila doon at napaamin sila na hindi and then there we find there are bodies of babies buried there pwede sigurong ma-establish kung ito ay mga anak ng mga sapilitang pina child marriage so yun, bares further investigation

Q: Nabanggit nyo ung sanitation , dahil ba walang coffin? Ano ang violation?

SRH: Oo yun yung aming itatanong sa susunod na pagdinig dahil mayroong mga standards na naka-embody sa sanitation code na kailangang i-observe ng mga local government units sa pagprovide ng iba't ibang social services pati yung pagpapalibing sa mga constituents nila.

Q: Kasi di ba yung babies kasi may ospital din supposedly

SRH: Hospital quote and quote

Q: So is that related to that parang namatay ba yung mga baby because of the that was performed

SRH: Well yun yung kailangan naming ifollow up sa second hearing dahil sa unang pagdinig nagreklamo nga yung isang witness na yung kanyang tatay noong nagkasakit hindi pinayagang bumababa para makapunta sa ospital ng DOH halimbawa sapilitang binigyan ng kung anong gamot na hindi malinaw kung totoong gamot gawa ba sa dumi ng hayop at hindi rin sigurado kung pinaopsital dahil tuluyan na ngang namatay at inilibing doon.

Q: Rehearsed daw po yung answers ng mga residents...

SRH: I can ask my staffers kung rehearsed ang answer ang malinaw ay bago pa man ang coccular doon pa lang sa unang pagdinig ang dami-dami nang lumabas na mga testimonya tungkol sa mga iregularidad mula mismo sa mga batang victim-survivor at yung ibang mga adult witnesses na yung iba doon lang lumapit noong panahon na ng hearing pero sila ay nagbigay ng testimonya.