Poe to Alvarez's Mabagal na Kapulungan: We Need 2 Chambers’ Courtesy

Q & A: Political columnist Mortz Ortigoza interviewed recently Senator Grace Poe on the mocks of House of Representatives Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez that the House of Senate was Mabagal na Kapuluan (Slow Upper Chamber) in terms of passing, debating, and concluding the bills there. Ortigoza posed also to Poe, a presidential candidate in 2016 poll, about the procrastination of Congress in the amendment of the Public Service Act (PSA) otherwise known as Commonwealth Act No. 146 that should have avoided the tragic incidents that befell Philippines’ Overseas Contract Workers (OFW) abroad because they could not find gainful jobs in the Philippines. EXCERPTS:

MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA (MCO): Domestic workers like Joana Demafiles and other female OFWs have been abused, raped, or murdered by their masters in the Middle East Countries. Experts blamed the lack of gainful jobs in the country thus the migration abroad of these people. Can we blame Congress because its members did not act to open up the business equities for foreign investors in the PSA so jobs come to the Philippines? Kung ginawa ng Congress iyon 20 years ago we have probably avoided these Dimafiles liked cases.

SENATOR GRACE POE: Kasi noon siyempre the government has to take care of its own business assets, di ba? So ngayon we are opening it kasi mas established na tayo. Kaya iyong Telco companies na sinasabi ng ating pangulo na magkakaroon ng third telco player, puweding fourth, fifth, mas may competition. Noon kasi kailangan nationalized, bago pa lang tayo. The government had to invest and we saved the Filipinos would own it but now I think there are more opportunities to everyone.

(Before, the government has to take care of its business, am I right? Now, we are opening it because we are now established. That’s why the telecommunication companies that the president wanted to have a third telco player. We can even have fourth, fifth players so there would be more competition. In the past we need to nationalize because our industries were in infancy).

The government had to invest and we saved the Filipinos would own it but now I think there are more opportunities to everyone.

MCO: Speaker Alvarez ridiculed incessantly in the past  the Senate as the Mabagal na Kapulungan. He said they have passed in the House of Representatives countless of bills like the PSA in the third and final readings while the Senate only tackles now the PSA?

POE: Alam mo iyon ang palagi niyang sinasabi na ganoon, e. Ang importante sa amin sa Senado hinde namin basta basta pinapasa ang isang bagay na hindi kami nag iingat. Hindi naman namin sinasabi na hindi sila nagiingat basta kami malinis ang aming kunsensiya na nirerepaso natin mabuti kasi lahat naman ng kailangan inuuna.

(You know that what he (Speaker) usually said. The important thing for us in the Senate we don’t pass in haste the bill because we were careful. We don’t say the members of the House of Representatives were not careful. Our conscience is clear that we screen carefully what would be the priority bills to be passed)

MCO: Was there a case where the House of Senate passed a bill compared to its version at the House of Representative where the congressmen there did not act on it?

POE: Tulad niyan noon inuna namin iyong Freedom of Information na hindi naman napasa din sa Kongreso, pero ngayon mas advance stage na kami ng Freedom of Information at ng ibang batas hindi naman ito, ayaw ko ng magsalita, basta kortesiya na lang siguro sa isa’t isa.

(Just like before we prioritized the Freedom of Information (bill) that the House of Representatives did not pass. Now, we are in the advance stage of the Freedom of Information and other law unlike what he said, I don’t want to discuss it, what we need is courtesy between the two chambers).