Hontiveros: Senate Medal of Excellence for Ressa is mandatory

Senator Risa Hontiveros, Chair of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality, has filed Proposed Senate Resolution No. 927 urging the Senate to recognize Maria Ressa's Nobel Peace Prize as mandated by Senate Adopted Resolution No. 110.

According to Hontiveros, Senate Resolution No. 110 states that recipients of a Nobel Prize are to automatically receive a Senate Medal of Excellence. Senator Minority Leader Frank Drilon, and Senators Kiko Pangilinan and Leila De Lima also signed Hontiveros' resolution.

"Conferring the Senate Medal of Excellence on Maria Ressa is mandatory and procedural. It's not up for vote or debate." she stressed.

"Whatever side you look at it from, Maria Ressa's feat is important for our country and all freedom-loving nations. We have a duty at the Senate to uplift and acknowledge our fellow Filipinos when we make our mark in the world," she added.

Hontiveros said that ignoring Ressa's accomplishment would also be 'damaging to women's important role in Philippine history'.

"Maria Ressa is the first ever Filipino Nobel Peace Prize winner. To purposely ignore this achievement would be to wash away an amazing victory of a Filipina from our history books. This is a chance for the Senate as an institution to show that it remains true to its values of free speech and genuine democracy," she said.

"I urge the Senate to give Maria Ressa the recognition she is due so that we may inspire Filipinos to continue to be brave. Filipinos are many things, and now we also have a Nobel Peace Prize awardee. This is a Pinoy Pride moment. May there continue to be many others," Hontiveros concluded.