Pia: What is the purpose and importance of holding executive sessions?
Manifestation of Senator Pia S. Cayetano in plenary

Mr. President, let me align myself with the observation and recommendation of the Senate President Pro Tempore [Senator Loren Legarda]. I did not stand, I did not raise my hand with the intention of clearing any statement I made. I didn't even read that [article raised earlier by Senator Jinggoy Estrada]. I do not bother reading those kinds of articles. I don't. So nung nabanggit pa yung pangalan ko, eh nagugulat lang ako kasi I don't bother reading those articles and I won't comment on it.

What I will say is this. I will say it not because I am repeating what I said in caucus, because I agree with the Senate President Pro Tempore that let's discuss it there... Our rules do not even make an exception. It does not even allow a senator to say, I will just repeat what I said. Walang ganung exception, Majority Floor Leader, correct? So I cannot stand up here and say, I will just be responsible for my statement, ito po ang sinabi ko. Hindi po tayo allowed, walang exception sa rules natin na tumayo ang isang senador at sabihin, yung akin pong sinabi ito. Kasi hindi naman magkaroon ng opportunity yung 23 senators to explain what they said or what they thought. Because precisely, the rule is lahat tayo, tahimik. Kaya ang parusa doon, yung pinaka mabigat na parusa na expulsion from the Senate.

So ang puntos ko ay simple. Chairman ako ng isang mahalagang committee na naghi-hearing ng budget na yan. DepEd, CHED, DOH, and attached agencies. So on the issue of confidential funds, intelligent funds, o kung ano pa man, ako gusto ko, tanungin ng mga senador sa floor ang mga tanong nila tungkol doon para makapag-desisyon ang bawat senador kung ano ang tingin niyang nararapat na gawin sa mga pondong yan, confidential, non-confidential, anything. So yun ang gusto kong klase ng diskusyon. So kung nagkaroon tayo ng executive session na napag-usapan man ang ganun, hindi nga dapat lumalabas yun kasi nga ang mga subcommittee chairman na katulad ko ay magre-recommend sa Chairman na si Sen. Angara kung ano ang mga dapat gawin sa mga pondo na yun. Hindi ko naman dedisyunan mag-isa yun. Dedisyunan ko yun based on the debates. I would like to be educated properly based on the rules of the Senate. Gusto ko marinig ang posisyon ng Minority Floor Leader, Deputy Minority Floor Leader, ng Senate President, ng Senate President Pro Tempore, ng mga baguhan na senador. Gusto ko marinig lahat yun. Ano ang paniwala niyo tungkol dito sa iba't ibang punto. And what will we do about it? Tapos, ihaharap natin sa taumbayan kung ano ang desisyon natin. So kaya nga, and I am explaining this because the students, the young people, the old people, who will now care to comment, bakit ba may executive session, bakit ba kayo nagsisikreto? Wala naman kaming balak isikreto. Ilalabas nga yun. Pero minsan, may mga diskusyon na gusto natin marinig ang opinyon ng bawat isa na walang pipigil. Kunwari gusto ko magtanong ng, it's a stupid question, pero tatanungin ko na, hindi ako mahihiya, di ba? Aminin na natin, minsan nahihiya tayong magtanong dahil kasi bago lang ako, kaya may executive session para lahat pwedeng maitanong, lahat pwedeng mailabas. Kaya dapat sikreto yun. And then at the right time, mapapag-usapan. I wanted to explain that lang, Mr President, for the benefit of those watching us kasi ang puntos is, bakit kayo may executive session? Bakit kayo may tinatago? Wala hong tinatago. Nagdidiskusyon nang maayos. Para bang mga magulang. Let's say for example, wala hong nangyaring ganito ha? Se-sermon-an ni Senate President o kaya ni Senate President Pro Tempore ako, they will do that in private in the executive session. Ay Pia, hindi mo naintindihan. So gagawin namin yun in private. Para pagdating sa public, ah ganun ba? Oh sige tatanungin ko na lang in public o kaya hindi ko na tatanungin dahil naipaliwanag niyo na. That's the reason, among many other reasons, kung bakit may executive session. I just wanted to explain that dahil ang pountos nito is bakit may executive session at bakit may mabigat na kaparusahan. Wala tayong tinatago. But the reason for the rules is it is meant to be followed. It is not meant to be violated. So kung may nag-violate, magkaroon ng tamang due process, magkaroon ng hearing, magkaroon ng opportunity to explain, and then the proper penalty must be meted out. Thank you, Mr President.