SENATOR RONALD "BATO" DELA ROSA
MANIFESTATION
Privilege Speech of Senator JV Ejercito
TUPAD Scam
February 27, 2024

Sen. Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa: Before I ask my question, Mr. President, may pasakalye lang ako konti. Please allow me to express my admiration for the passion of the good gentleman from San Juan, Senator JV Ejercito. His passion to set things straight, particularly these social protection programs of the government.

And the gentleman is correct, Mr. President. When your Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs conducted the hearing on these alleged ayuda scams, we did bring to light inconsistencies, discrepancies, in their distribution. And yes, we do not turn a blind eye to the angle that possibly, or probably, these social protection programs have been politicized. If I may be allowed to be briefly poetic, Mr. President, it appears that they have been transformed into schemes, to fund someone else's political dreams.

But I also hope, Mr. President, that we do not miss the forest for the trees. When the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps was implemented by the government in 2015, it was conceived of, not as some simple dole-out system for the poverty-stricken, but as a conditional cash grant that comes in two types: health and education. Ibig sabihin, may criteria na kailangang matupad, upang mapabilang sa listahan ng mga benepisyaryo ng 4Ps.

Gayundin ang TUPAD, Mr. President. Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged o Displaced Workers. Hindi rin po dole-out ang TUPAD, kundi bayad para sa trabahong kanilang ginawa, sa loob ng sampu hanggang tatlumpung araw. These jobs could be social community projects, like the repair of public facilities, or economic projects such as rehabilitation of farm-to-market roads, or agroforestry projects, such as reforestation.

Hindi kailanman naging kasalanan ang kahirapan, Mr. President. Kung taun-taon may mga kapwa Pilipino tayong pumipila para tumanggap o mag-claim ng ayuda, ibig sabihin taun-taon ay may programa ang gobyerno para sa kanila. Taun-taon, ginagawa ng ating mga ahensya ang kanilang trabaho, tinutupad ang kani-kanilang mandato. Dahil hindi nila kasalanan na mahirap sila, hindi rin kailanman naging masama ang gumawa ng sistema upang tulungan sila.

Along with the good gentleman from San Juan, I condemn the corruption that taints the distribution of these social protection programs. However, I cannot, for the life of me, condemn the fact that we have set these programs in place, precisely because poverty is not to be condemned, but to be remedied. And if these programs form part and parcel of the remedy, then what must be done immediately is to ensure their efficient and proper distribution, instead of considering their eradication.

Iyong nakita natin sa hearing natin, Mr. President, I thought it was only happening in far-away Mindanao. But ngayon, ito pala ay happening din right at the heart of Metro Manila, specifically San Juan. So mukhang... Kung sa sakit pa, Mr. President, ay parang cancer na ito na kumalat na kung saan-saan. So kailangan talaga nitong maagapan kaagad para hindi masayang iyong pera ng gobyerno na kung saan mga anak, mga apo pa natin ang magbabayad sa utang ng ating gobyerno kahit ito ay sinasayang lang dahil napupunta sa bulsa ng mga masasamang tao.

So with the permission of our good Senator from San Juan, may I profoundly ask just one question.

Nabanggit niyo po, "As a great man once said: "The most damaging crimes against society are those perpetrated by hoodlums in suits and hoodlums in barong tagalog." Ang tanong ko po Mr. President, sino po itong sinasabi ninyo na great man? Thank you, Mr. President. Kung maalala mo pa.

Sen. JV Ejercito: Naalala ko, pangalan yata niya Joseph Estrada, Your Honor. Siya po iyong Presidential Anti-Crime Commission dahil ang sabi niya, iyong mga mahihirap kaya napupwersang gumawa ng krimen dahil sa gutom. Nakakalungkot dahil sila ay 'pag nahuli, kinukulong kaagad pero iyong hoodlums in robes, in barong tagalog in suits, kahit gumawa ng krimen, hindi po sila nahuhuli kaya iyon ang rationale bakit niya nasabi 'yan noon.

Sen. Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa: Indeed, I agree, Mr. President. At, indeed, the source of this quotation is a great man. I second the motion. Thank you, Mr. President.