Latest news with #Senado
GMA Network
2 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Chiz to push for reconvening of impeachment court on August 4
Senate President Francis 'Chiz' Escudero on Monday said that he will propose to his fellow senators that the impeachment court for the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte begin on August 4, 2025. Escudero, who sits as presiding officer of the impeachment court, explained that notices have to be given both to the House prosecution and the camp of Duterte regarding the trial. He also said that the House of Representatives still has to comply with the court's order when it voted to return the articles of impeachment on June 10. ''Yun 'yung imumungkahi ko. Bakit 'yung petsang 'yun? Dahil kailangang bigyan ng notice 'yung mga partido. Hindi naman pwedeng naisipan lang ng majority ng Senado pag-open ng Senado eh bukas na bukas din. Kailangang may sapat na panahon para mabigyan ng notice 'yung mga partido,' Escudero said in an ambush interview. (That's what I'm going to propose. Why that date? Because the parties have to be given notice. The Senate majority can't simply decide that the trial begins the next day. There needs to be enough time to give notice to the parties involved.) 'Pangalawa, wala pa namang order 'yung Senado dun na hindi pa kino-comply ng Kamara. Hopefully, that one week period, 'yung Kamara will be given time to comply with the orders of the Senate impeachment court dahil 'yung pangalawang order hindi ba, dapat ang gumawa nun 20th House of Representatives, hindi 'yung nagdaang House of Representatives. Kung hindi man nila ma-comply yun pagdating ng August 4, edi dun na lang namin pag-uusapan,' he added. (Second, the House has not yet complied with the order issued by the Senate. Hopefully with that one-week period, they will be able to do so because the second order states that it is the 20th House of Representatives that should comply. If they won't be able to comply by August 4, then we have yet to talk about that.) The Senate impeachment court first convened on June 10, with the senator-judges under the 19th Congress voting to return the articles of impeachment without dismissing or terminating the case until such time that: The House of Representatives certify to the non violation of Article XI, Section 3, paragraph 5 of the Constitution, which provides that 'No impeachment proceedings shall be initiated against the same official more than once within one year; include the circumstances on the filing of the first three impeachment complaints"; and The House of Representatives of the 20th Congress communicates to the Senate that it is willing and ready to pursue the impeachment complaint against the Vice President. It was Senator Joel Villanueva who first revealed that the day one of Duterte's impeachment trial may be on August 4—a week after the Senate and the House of Representatives open their first regular session for the 20th Congress. Escudero, meanwhile, shrugged off claims that the Senate is delaying the trial, stressing that it is not their job to rush it. 'Hindi porket nagmamadali sila ay kailangan na rin namin magmadali. Gagawin namin ito sang ayon sa proseso. Ulitin ko, madaliin, delay na naman—edi bukas na bukas rin mag-hearing tayo kahit na walang notice sa mga partido—paano naman 'yun?' He asked. (Just because they're in a hurry, we have to hurry as well. We'll do it according to the process. We can't conduct the hearing without giving notice to the parties involved.) Escudero said that the final date regarding the impeachment proceedings will be announced in the plenary. Inhibit? On Monday, youth group Samahan ng Progresibong Kabataan (SPARK) trooped to the Senate, urging Escudero to inhibit as senator-judge and presiding officer in Duterte's impeachment trial. In their open letter, the student leaders asserted that there is an 'immediate need not only to get on with the impeachment proceedings forthwith, but to demonstrate to the public that the proceedings will be insulated as much as possible from political maneuvering and will be focused only on weighing the merits of evidence.' 'As Senate President, recusing from the proceedings of the impeachment court assures the public that the leading figure of the Senate will stand above the partisan politics that define the legislative process,' the youth group said. 'We believe that the delays in the start of the impeachment proceedings—whatever their reason—have damaged the legitimacy of the Senate enough to merit drastic measures on your part as Senate President to reassure the public that the impeachment court can carry out its constitutional duty without fear or favor,' it added. Escudero, in response, said that he does not consider the call of the students a necessity nor fair. 'Kung ang depinisyon nila ng pagiging patas as kakampi sa kanila sa gusto nila, pwes hindi patas 'yun. Klaro ang gusto nilang mangyari, at porke hindi sumasangayon o sumusunod sa kanila, eh hindi na patas. Being fair means applying the rule evenly to everyone regardless who it is,' the Senate President said. (If their definition of fairness is to side with them in everything they want, then it's not fair. What they want to happen is clear, and it doesn't mean that just because we don't agree or follow them, it's not fair already. Being fair means applying the rule equally to everyone regardless of who it is.) Escudero also reiterated that the impeachment court will not listen to anyone who is in favor of or against the impeachment trial and will only do what is right in accordance with the law. The House of Representatives impeached Duterte on February 5, with over 200 lawmakers endorsing the complaint. The Vice President was accused of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the constitution, graft and corruption, and other high crimes. Duterte had entered a 'not guilty' plea in the verified impeachment complaint filed against her, which she called merely a 'scrap of paper.' —VAL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
2 days ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
LOOK: Senate unveils 20th Congress ‘Legacy Wall'
The Senate on Monday unveiled the new 'Legacy Wall' featuring senators of the 20th Congress. Senate President Francis 'Chiz' Escudero led the unveiling ceremony, noting that the portraits of the senators were arranged in alphabetical order. 'Ito ang kumakatawan sa ika-20 Kongreso, kasama 'yung mga bagong papasok na kongresista sa parte ng Senado,' Escudero said. (This represents the 20th Congress, including the new, incoming senators.) 'Kagaya ng sinabi ko, alphabetical naming in-arrange, so walang partikular na ayos 'to pagdating sa seniority or posisyon sa Senado. Alphabetical ang sinunod namin, hindi katulad ng nagdaan na sinunod ang mga opisyal ng Senado,' he added. (We arranged this alphabetically, so there is no particular order when it comes to seniority or position in the Senate. We put it in alphabetical order, unlike in the past, where the order was based on the senators' positions.) LOOK: The Senate unveils the new 'Legacy Wall' featuring senators of the 20th Congress. @gmanews — Giselle Ombay (@giselleombay_) July 21, 2025 The mural is currently installed at the second floor of the Senate Building in Pasay City. Escudero said that the Senate allocated a budget of around P800,000 for the legacy wall, which includes the photography of each senator. 'Almost the same as the one last year,' he said when asked if the amount was reasonable. The 20th Congress is set to begin its first regular session on July 28, before President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. delivers his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA). —VAL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
14-07-2025
- Business
- GMA Network
Hontiveros wants e-wallets, super apps to also ‘self-regulate' vs. online gambling
Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday expressed hope that e-wallet and super app companies will take steps to self-regulate amid the prevalence of online gambling in the country. Hontiveros, who earlier filed a bill seeking to ban online gambling access in e-wallets and super apps, made the remark as three of the country's largest integrated resort-casino operators said that their online gaming operations comply with laws and regulations. 'Kung sinasabi ng malalaking mga casino na sumusunod na sila sa mga kasalukuyang regulasyon, okay yun. Ibig sabihin, hindi rin magiging problema kung magdagdag man ng paghihigpit pagdating sa online gambling,' the lady senator said. (If big casinos say they are following regulations, that's well and good. That means there should be no issue if we tighten access to online gambling.) Despite this, she questioned why e-wallet and super app companies are seemingly silent regarding claims that have made online gambling easier to access. 'Sa dami ng reklamo na napadali ng e-wallets at super apps ang online gambling, bakit tila tahimik ang mga kumpanyang ito? Umaasa akong magkakaroon rin sila ng sarili nilang regulasyon dahil hindi biro ang mga buhay na nasira at pwedeng masira dahil sa online gambling,' Hontiveros said. (With so many complaints pointing to how phones have made online gambling too easy to access, why are e-wallet and super app companies silent? I hope that they would also take steps to self-regulate. Too many lives have been ruined and could be ruined by online gambling. Too many families have already been hurt.) 'Napakaraming nagme-message sa opisina namin sa Senado, dahil sa dami na ng nalululong, nalulubog sa utang, at namamatay dahil sa bisyo na ito. Sa ganitong sitwasyon, hindi na sapat ang pagsunod lamang sa batas. Kailangan din nating makiisa,' she added. (My office in the Senate has received numerous messages from people desperate for help. These are reports of loved ones who have become addicted, buried in debt, and who've taken their own lives due to this vice. In this situation, it's not enough that we follow the law. We also need to care. We need to act together.) 'Enablers of debt' Meanwhile, Senator JV Ejercito, who also filed a resolution seeking for the regulation of online gambling and lending in the country, said that e-wallet companies have become a way for Filipinos to go into debt. 'Ang e-wallet ay ginawa para padaliin ang buhay ng mga Pilipino, hindi para maging enablers ng sugal at utang—dalawang bagay na sumisira sa mga pamilya at kinabukasan. Hindi dapat pinapayagan na gatasan pa ang kahinaan ng ilan nating kababayan,' Ejercito said. (E-wallets were created to make the lives of Filipinos easier, not to be enablers of gambling and debt—two things that destroy families and the future. It should not be allowed to take advantage of the weakness of some of our countrymen.) 'Once a financial tool begins enabling addiction, it is the government's duty to intervene. To strictly regulate and stop them from further fueling this gambling culture,' he continued. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), for its part, is now looking to have payment service providers (PSPs) create a facility that would allow users to create a separate online gambling transaction account (OGTA), which will then be placed under stricter rules in a bid to protect clients from risks associated with the industry. Under a draft circular released to stakeholders for exposure, the central bank is looking to have players create an OGTA in order to participate in online gambling. With the creation of an OGTA, all lending options in the digital platform will be disabled. Monumental step Senator Sherwin Gatchalian welcomed this move by the BSP, emphasizing that it is a monumental step toward the responsible use of digital services. 'Daily caps, time limits, and biometric verification can help curb the alarming rise of gambling addiction, especially among the youth,' he said. Like the other senators, Gatchalian has also proposed a measure that would impose strict regulations for online gambling in the country as part of efforts to address the growing gambling addiction especially among the youth. — BM, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
10-07-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Kiko Pangilinan on possibly joining Senate majority: ‘Hunger has no color'
Senator Francis 'Kiko' Pangilinan on Thursday maintained that he is willing to work with all political parties in a bid to address high food prices and hunger in the country. This, amid speculations that he and Senator Bam Aquino—-both of whom were endorsed and supported by Senator Risa Hontiveros during the 2025 midterm elections—-will be joining the Senate majority bloc. 'I've read reports, read posts on social media for and against, and I've been told of rumblings regarding political alignments. Critics say I will be 'selling out to the enemy' should I pursue a certain path. They are free to say what they wish,' Pangilinan said in a Facebook post. 'I did publicly express a willingness to work with all parties along principled boundaries to bring down high food prices and hunger. I know who I am, I know what I stand for. My political track record is an open book,' he added. The returning senator also recalled his previous statement that he is open to setting aside partisan politics so both the legislative and executive branches of the government 'can work together effectively to deliver solutions.' 'In this regard, I believe what I ought to do, amidst all the chatter, the brickbats, is to focus on what I said I would do and simply walk the walk,' Pangilinan said. He also explained that he, Aquino, and Hontiveros are still talking to discuss their plans once the 20th Congress begins its first regular session later this month. 'Kung anuman ang magiging opisyal at pinal na pasya sa Senado sa July 28, maninindigan pa rin tayo nang puspusan para pawiin ang gutom para sa magsasaka at mangingisda at para sa mababang presyo ng bigas at pagkain,' he said. (Regardless of what our official and final decision in the Senate on July 28 will be, we will still stand firm to address hunger for farmers and fishermen, and to lower the prices of rice and food.) Not hurt Senator Risa Hontiveros, meanwhile, said she was not hurt by the possibility of Pangilinan and Aquino joining the majority bloc. 'Hindi ako nahu-hurt dahil, 'yun na nga eh, sabi ko nga, basta patuloy akong maninindigan,' Hontiveros said in an ambush interview at the Department of Justice on Wednesday. (I am not hurt because, as I said, I will continue to fight.) 'Kung ang bawat isa sa amin ay may sariling diskarte, ako rin naman po, basta nakatutok pa rin ako do'n sa layunin na palakasin 'yung oposisyon, hindi lang sa loob, pati sa labas ng Senado,' she added. (If each one of us has our own strategies, I am like that as well, I will focus on the goal to strengthen the opposition, not only within but also outside the Senate.) Hontiveros, who was part of the two-man minority bloc in the 19th Congress along with former Senate minority leader Aquilino 'Koko' Pimentel III, said she is still monitoring the developments in the Senate. The lady senator, however, maintained that she will become an independent senator. 'Basta para sa akin, mananatili akong independent senator para katuwang ako nung palalakasin na oposisyon sa labas, sa buong bansa,' she said. (As for me, I will be an independent senator to help strengthen the opposition nationwide.) Hontiveros had floated the possibility of joining or forming an independent bloc in the 20th Congress, saying that it is 'more realistic' to do so considering the numbers.—AOL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
09-07-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Solons to Senate: Heed public sentiment, begin impeachment trial now
Several members of the House of Representatives today called on the Senate impeachment court to start the trial against Vice President Sara Duterte, as they agreed with the result of a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showing that 44% of respondents believe the upper chamber is delaying the proceedings. The survey also showed that 22% were undecided, 25% do not believe, and 9% do not know enough. "Malinaw na malinaw 'yung utos ng Saligang Batas na pag naihain na yung verified complaint sa Senado na may pirma ng one-third or at least one-third ng members ng House. Walang ibang puwedeng gawin ang Senado, kundi ituloy na yung paglilitis ng kaso o to conduct the trial forthwith. And that is one thing we've been waiting for, for a long time. Sana mangyari na siya," Akbayan Rep. Chel Diokno, who is expected to join the House prosecution panel, told reporters in an ambush interview. "Matagal na namin sinasabi na kahit anong gawin ng Senado na hindi sumusunod sa utos ng saligang batas ay lumalabag sa ating Konstitusyon. And that is, to me, a very clear conclusion that we have to draw from what's happening because it has been so many months since the verified complaint which is now the Articles of Impeachment have been filed and up to now, there is yet no trial," Diokno added. Another House member shared the same sentiment. "Malinaw na malinaw po na talaga nagkakaroon ng delay, nagkakaroon ng dribbling. Kung ano-anong mga invented technicalities at invented issues ang ginagawa nila. Nakikita yan ng taong bayan kasi ang taong bayan ay gising. Talagang interesado sila sa mga ganyang mga usapin," said ML Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima, who is also being eyed as a prosecutor in the trial. The same SWS survey also showed that 32% agreed with the impeachment complaint, 18% were undecided, and 42% disagreed. "Ang masasabi ko naman doon ay hindi po labanan ng surveys o ng ratings, ng popularity. Ang importante kung ano ang inuutos ng Konstitusyon. Matagal na ho tayong naghihintay ng tamang aksiyon ng Senado," de Lima said. A member of the prosecution panel agreed with the results of the survey and said the sentiment of the 44% may have been borne out of frustration from several months of waiting for the trial. "I think with our interpretation of the word forthwith, medyo na-frustrate ang ating mga kababayan that we did not proceed right away to trial. And then when we resumed, I believe that most of the Filipinos were expecting already that there would be a trial and yet hindi rin po natuloy," Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro said. Luistro, however, does not want to impute malice on what is happening in the impeachment court. She stressed that the House panel is ready anytime. "I wish to give them the benefit of the doubt with respect to their intention on all the delays in the impeachment trial. But as to the delay, meron tayong kasabihan: justice delayed is justice denied. But then, as far as the prosecution team is concerned, we remain ready in proceeding to the trial of this impeachment case," she said. Luistro is confident that once the impeachment trial starts, the public, especially those against the impeachment complaint, will change their stand on the issue. "It has been our position and humble submission, we have ample and strong evidence supporting the seven Articles of Impeachment. And we honestly believe that once we are allowed to proceed to the presentation of evidence, a lot of Filipinos will be watching and will be basing their respective position on the evidence that they will be seeing during the trial. That is why it is very important that we proceed to trial," she said. Akbayan Rep. Perci Cendaña also said the people are waiting to see the evidence against Duterte, thus, the trial should begin. "This delay is not just about people waiting to see the evidence. This is about people expecting the Senate to do its job," he said. Zambales Rep. Jefferson Khonghun said the undecided in the survey want to see the evidence. "Marami pa ring undecided, talagang inaantay pa rin yung gusto nilang mapanood - yung magkaroon ng impeachment trial so hindi tayo pupuwedeng, hindi natin puwedeng panghawakan ang survey na yan kasi napakarami pa rin talagang undecided na talagang gustong mapanood at gustong makita kung ano talaga nilalaman na ebidensya na ipepresenta ng prosecutor," he said. Duterte, commenting on the SWS survey, said those who disagreed with the impeachment complaint are seeing that it is just political persecution, which members of the House debunked. "If they are so confident about the survey, then why are they still pushing for the dismissal of the impeachment case?" Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said. "Kung walang ebidensya, that is political prosecution. Pero kung may ebidensya, that is a legitimate prosecution. As far as we are concerned, we have ample and strong evidence supporting the Seven Articles of Impeachment," Luistro added.—LDF, GMA Integrated News
