Senate conducts CHR, DOT budget deliberations
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00:00 Both the Commission on Human Rights and the Department of Tourism received the ire of
00:04 some members of the Senate for separate issues concerning their respective offices.
00:08 Thus, the budget deliberations for both agencies, to say the least, were filled with fiery words
00:14 and a lot of grilling.
00:15 Daniel Manalastas has more.
00:20 Senate Majority Leader Joel Villareva got furious by the Commission on Human Rights
00:25 as he revealed a video showing the Commission's appeal regarding the highly contentious SOGI
00:31 Bill.
00:32 "We have a love letter to Senator Joel Villanueva and we call on him, dear Senator Joel Villanueva,
00:41 dear senators and our senators, all of you, please listen to the voices of our LGBTQ community
00:50 and our cry, what do we want to pass?
00:55 SOGI Equality Bill."
00:57 Villanueva was even mentioned in the video.
01:00 He grilled the Commission asking if they were authorized to give such remarks.
01:05 "She was authorized by the chairman, did you authorize?
01:10 With the focal, by the focal commission."
01:15 "The whole thing I think of the Commission on Human Rights is that every individual Filipino,
01:24 every right of every Filipino is represented, not just one sector."
01:32 The official involved was present during the budget deliberations and the senator is wondering
01:37 why the Commission seemed to be allegedly manipulated by one of their officials.
01:43 "On matters of advocating for the passage of the SOGI Law, the Commission has a stand
01:52 that is to advocate for the passage of that law."
01:56 Villanueva also stressed that he has been pushing for the Anti-Discrimination Bill,
02:02 but the CHR chairperson admitted he was not able to read the proposed measure.
02:07 "You haven't read it yet, you're going to petition this representation, aren't you violating
02:13 the right of this representation?
02:15 Before you make a decision, you're going to petition me?
02:19 Before you make a decision, you're standing in the middle of the road?
02:22 Are you sure of my humanity?"
02:25 Paul Palatok said they agreed to participate in the event, but regarding the petition,
02:30 they only knew it after the event.
02:33 Some senators came to Villanueva's defense.
02:36 "After the human rights of a member of the Senate, you won't give him the petition, you
02:45 will just hide it, then harm has been done."
02:49 "We regret how the Senate felt about what happened about the petition, especially Senator
02:57 Villanueva.
02:58 We are fully committed to work with the entire Senate in refining the SOGI Equality Bill."
03:05 Meanwhile, during the deliberations on the proposed budget of the Tourism Department,
03:10 senators were also furious after learning that an official from the Philippine Retirement
03:15 Authority allegedly texted them telling them to stop asking questions.
03:20 "Who are you?
03:21 Who are you to tell us to stop asking questions?
03:26 Remember, if one of us tells the sponsor to defer the budget of DOT, what will happen
03:33 to you?
03:34 You cannot do anything."
03:35 "My colleagues don't deserve that.
03:37 My colleagues, never mind me.
03:39 You can insult me, you can get mad at me, but my colleagues do not deserve that treatment."
03:44 Because of the incident, Secretary Frasco ordered an immediate investigation.
03:49 "Notwithstanding that, imagine my shock and complete and utter disappointment when I learned
03:56 that she, in defiance of what I had been very clear to her about, proceeded to send these
04:05 inappropriate text messages.
04:08 Upon my learning of these actions, as brought to my attention by Senator Nancy Binay, to
04:15 whom I am very grateful for letting me know, I demanded that she issue an immediate and
04:22 personal apology to all of the Senators."