Sen. Risa Hontiveros | The Source - video Dailymotion

CNN Philippines

The 17 Filipino seafarers taken hostage by Yemen's Houthi rebels in the Red Sea are safe. Senators now want swift action for their release.  The Justice department says it will consult the government's executive branch on resounding calls in the House to cooperate with the ICC's drug war probe. But Vice President Sara Duterte calls for respect.  China accuses the Philippines of stirring up trouble following its joint patrols with the United States in the West Philippine Sea.  Pinky Webb speaks with Senator Risa Hontiveros.  Visit our website for more #NewsYouCanTrust: https://www.cnnphilippines.com/  Follow our social media pages:  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CNNPhilippines • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cnnphilippines/ • Twitter: https://twitter.com/cnnphilippines

Transcript

00:00 Welcome to The Source where we combine the headlines with in-depth conversations with

00:06 the newsmakers themselves.

00:07 I'm Pinky Webb.

00:08 Today on the program, the 17 Filipino seafarers taken hostage by Yemen's Houthi rebels in

00:14 the Red Sea are safe.

00:16 Senators now want swift action for their release.

00:19 The Justice Department says it will consult the government's executive branch on resounding

00:23 calls in the House to cooperate with the ICC's drug war probe, but Vice President Sara Duterte

00:31 calls for respect.

00:33 And China accuses the Philippines of stirring up trouble following its joint patrols with

00:38 the United States in the West Philippine Sea.

00:41 Senator Risa Ontiveros joins us in the program.

00:49 Senators seek swift action for the release of 17 Filipino seafarers held hostage by Yemen's

01:00 Houthi rebels in the Red Sea.

01:02 A lawmaker urges government agencies to use their diplomatic ties and coordinate with

01:06 other nations to immediately bring home the crewmen of the hijacked cargo ship.

01:12 Meanwhile, the House of Representatives tackles a new resolution urging cooperation with the

01:16 International Criminal Courts Investigation into the Duterte drug war.

01:21 The resolution filed by two congressmen gets some negative reaction from their counterparts

01:26 in the upper chamber.

01:28 Let's go straight to the source of the story.

01:31 We have Senator Risa Ontiveros.

01:33 Senator, it's so good to see you again.

01:35 Welcome back to the source.

01:36 Likewise, thank you.

01:38 Alright, lots of topics to discuss.

01:41 Let's start with 17 Filipino seafarers.

01:44 It's already been known, according to the DFA, through the spokesperson Ambassador Daza,

01:49 that they are making all diplomatic representations.

01:53 The Department of Migrant Workers, or DMW, also saying they are constantly in touch with

01:59 the families of the hostages.

02:03 Are you satisfied with the government's move, or do you have any suggestions on what else

02:10 needs to be done?

02:11 Well, first of all, Pinky, thank God.

02:15 Salamat sa Dios na ligtas sila.

02:18 That was my first call to both the DFA and the DMW when this crisis was first brought

02:26 to all our attention.

02:29 And I hope that all throughout this hostage taking, that both departments stayed in close

02:35 touch with the families of our 17 kababayan to keep them updated, especially on the efforts

02:42 that have now borne fruit in their safe rescue or release.

02:49 I hope that they will eventually be brought home safely to their families and to our country.

02:55 At kapag nangyari na yon, Pinky, I hope especially DMW will step up to rehabilitate, including

03:04 through psychosocial counseling and reintegration after this traumatic incident.

03:11 At sana para maiwasa, moving forward, further incidents like this.

03:16 It just brings to our attention how urgent passing legislation is, like the Magna Carta

03:24 of seafarers.

03:25 At sana dun sa batas na yon, which we will be working on in BICAM, pushing it towards

03:32 passage, sana manatiling centro talaga ng batas na ito yung ating mga seafarers.

03:38 So I continue to pray with all our kababayan that if our 17 Pinoy seafarers so far are

03:48 safe that they can be rescued and brought home to their families and to our country.

03:53 Senator, you're a co-author of the Magna Carta for seafarers, if I'm not mistaken.

03:58 Very proud co-author, yes.

04:00 Tell us how will this protect our seafarers?

04:05 It would be the first Philippine law giving flesh to our international commitments to

04:13 uphold and promote and protect the rights and welfare of Filipino seafarers as working

04:19 people, sea-based overseas Filipino workers.

04:25 Their rights and welfare vis-a-vis their employers, the shipping companies, their rights and

04:30 welfare in relation to the manning agencies that are really lording it over the sector,

04:37 their rights and welfare in terms of our government and the host governments of their shipping

04:44 companies.

04:45 So, importanteng, binabantayan po namin yan ngayon, pinky, moving forward, because there

04:51 were important concerns raised by the seafarers and their organizations during interpellation.

04:58 And I'm really hoping that both the amendments and also the undesirable amendments we're

05:04 guarding against will be reflected in the final BICAM version.

05:10 Let's talk about what's happening in the House right now.

05:14 There are three resolutions calling on government to cooperate with the ICC.

05:19 One was by the Makabayan bloc that was filed last month in October.

05:23 One by Congressman Lagman, and the other, according to Congressman Benny Abante, this

05:29 is him and Congressman Ramon Gutierrez, he filed this, I was able to interview him yesterday,

05:36 Tuesday, so just a couple of days ago before it was actually taken up because he's chairman

05:40 of the Committee on Human Rights.

05:42 But this is the first time a member of the majority actually filed this.

05:46 What's your take on this development?

05:49 Well, whether it's majority members like Chair Abante or members of the minority, especially

05:59 the recognized genuine minority representative Edsel, whether it's majority or minority who

06:08 filed these, I always welcome moves, especially on our part in the legislature, to protect

06:14 the rights and to bring justice to human rights violations victims, such as victims of the

06:21 extrajudicial killings, yung mga biktima mismo, yung mga balo nila, yung mga ulila nila.

06:28 And I hope the executive will also pay heed to these senses of legislators about important

06:37 issues like human rights, important institutions and processes like the International Criminal

06:44 Court.

06:45 The president, no less, has spoken about human rights, including in his foreign visits to

06:54 different countries, but he's a United Nations, so I hope, and the least that he can do, is

07:00 to put his money where his mouth is.

07:06 Sabi niya, bagong Pilipinas, diba?

07:08 So dapat Pilipinas yan, na no one is left behind.

07:13 So I hope he will really command the executive to make way for that process, lalo na dumadami

07:24 ang ganyang mga panawagan mula mismo sa House of Representatives.

07:28 When I asked you about what your take is on this development, again, on this premise that

07:34 a member of the majority actually filed this, again because a similar resolution was filed

07:40 by the Makabayan block a month ago, hindi po ito napansin.

07:43 Syempre pupunta po yan sa rules, pupunta po sa komite.

07:47 But this time, by a member of the majority, almost instantaneously discussed at the committee

07:55 level, do you see, nagkakaroon ho ba siguro sa Tagalog, nag-iiba ho ba ang ihip ng hangin?

08:03 I really hope so, Pinky.

08:06 Ang hangin na yun, we've been stirring it up since seven years ago, panahon pa ni Duterte,

08:11 when the EJ case were raging, sa gitna ng madugo nilang war on drugs.

08:18 And mabuti, nakita natin sa House, ayun na nga, sinamahan na ng majority ang mga panawagan

08:25 ng minority doon.

08:27 So I hope it will also create a more conducive environment para kalaunan bumalit na tayo

08:34 sa Rome statute at bilang miembro ng ICC.

08:38 Okay, just a couple of reactions.

08:41 We have one from Senator Amy Marcos with regards to this resolution calling for government

08:48 to cooperate with the ICC.

08:50 I'm wondering if we have that statement from Senator Amy.

08:55 Mahiya naman tayo biling Pilipino, ipapasa pa daw yung ICC resolution na pakialaman

09:01 tayo ng dayuhan samantalang mga korte natin na papatunayan naman na umaandar, malaya at

09:08 matibay.

09:09 Nakakahiya daw po yun, Senator Risa.

09:16 In fact, I think there was also a part of that interview that Senator Amy was saying, matibay

09:21 ang ating korte.

09:23 In fact, she even said that, look at the former Senator Laila de Lima, she's now out on bail.

09:28 Well I'm really glad na napalaya na sa wakas, nakapag-post ng bail si Sen Laila.

09:35 That's the least that the administration could do.

09:39 Ito pa rin ang kanilang sinabi noong simula ng administration that they would cease delaying,

09:46 they would cease obstructing the legal process for Sen Laila.

09:52 Now that's one of how many cases of illegal detention.

09:59 Kaya sa ganap na paglaya ni Sen Laila, we're all inspired that all persons deprived of liberty

10:07 unjustly should also be set free.

10:10 At walang nakakahiya kung kasabay ng ganitong mga few and far between pero celebrated na

10:17 mga legal victories ng mga biktima ng injustisya, walang nakakahiya kung kasabay niyan aandar

10:26 ang isang international process sa pamamagitan ng isang international institution tulad ng

10:32 ICC para sabayan at suportahan din yung mga domestic legal and judicial procedures natin.

10:43 Mas nakakahiya kung in the face of the tens of thousands of EJK victims and survivors,

10:53 yung mga widows and orphans nila, mas nakakahiya kung hindi natin bibigyang daan ang tulong

11:00 at suporta, solidarity ng international community which the President's own statements to the

11:07 UN and to other countries in spirit should welcome.

11:13 But let me add this also, Senator Risa, even the Vice President basically was saying this

11:19 is unconstitutional to quote "to allow ICC prosecutors to investigate alleged crimes

11:23 that are now under the exclusive jurisdiction of our prosecutors and our courts is not only

11:28 patently unconstitutional but effectively belittles and degrades our legal institutions."

11:35 I'd like to ask for a reaction from you on that.

11:40 There's no belittling or degrading at all.

11:44 Gaya ng binanggit ko kanina mayroon tayong mangilang-ngilan na mga legal victories dito

11:50 sa ating bansa at yan talaga tagumpay ng mga victim survivors, ng mga legal teams nila

11:59 at pati ng mga korte, ng mga judges at justices na nagbigay daan sa ganyang few and precious

12:06 legal victories dito sa ating domestic judiciary.

12:11 And there's nothing unconstitutional about being a member of the community of nations

12:16 maging sa ating konstitusyon may ganyang mga prinsipyo.

12:21 And the vice president should be minded na yung tinatawag niyang alleged crimes na ina-assail

12:29 dyan sa ICC case date from 2011, eight long years bago nag-withdraw ang ating bansa sa

12:41 pamamagitan ni Duterte, kanyang ama, sa Rome Statute at sa International Criminal Court.

12:48 I need to go on a break but I didn't want to lose his train of thought.

12:52 There was a similar resolution filed at the House of Representatives, sorry it's not a

12:56 similar sorry, there was a resolution filed at the House of Representatives defending

13:01 the former president, former president Rodrigo Duterte.

13:04 This was filed in February.

13:06 And a similar resolution was also filed by Senator Robin Hood Padilla at the Senate defending

13:13 the president, the former president Rodrigo Duterte and the war on drugs.

13:18 How does one, can we, are able to actually reconcile this when in February there was

13:26 a resolution in the House, in the Senate defending the former president, and now in the House

13:31 saying please, Philippine government, please, President Marcos, cooperate with the ICC?

13:39 I suppose irreconcilable yung dalawang magkakontrang resolution na yon.

13:44 At least sa House of Representatives, alam na natin yung sense of the House kung bibigyan

13:50 daan nila yung pinakabagong mga resolution.

13:53 So gusto ang reading ko bilang counterpart nila, ang sense ng House, or at least yung

13:59 mga resolution yon ay bigyan daan na yung ICC at humarap na si Duterte.

14:04 Will a similar resolution be filed in the Senate?

14:08 It could be.

14:11 It well could be, Pinky.

14:13 Will you file it?

14:15 I could.

14:16 And you plan to do it?

14:19 I'm seriously considering it.

14:21 All right.

14:22 Up ahead, we'll continue our conversation with Senator Risa Ontiveros.

14:26 We'll be right back.

14:33 You're watching The Source on CNN Philippines.

14:35 I'm Pinky Webb.

14:36 Our source today is Senator Risa Ontiveros.

14:38 A quick reaction, Senator, on the joint air and sea patrols by the Philippines and the

14:45 United States.

14:47 Well, I've been calling for continuous and more joint air and sea patrols between the

14:55 Philippines and not just the US, our traditional ally, but more and newer allies in the growing

15:02 coalition that supports the Philippines, supports our arbitral award, joins with us in upholding

15:09 the rule of law at sea, rules-based resolution of the tensions in the West Philippine Sea,

15:16 our exclusive economic zone, and the whole South China Sea.

15:20 I've always said a bigger coalition is a better coalition, and that coalition upholds freedom

15:29 of navigation as well.

15:30 So the more joint sea and air patrols with more countries, the better.

15:38 In fact, Ambassador Baber-Mullis was saying we are looking into obviously something that's

15:44 been talked about in the past, possibly South Korea, of course, Japan, Australia, and other

15:51 countries.

15:52 But here's the thing.

15:53 Obviously China unhappy with this.

15:55 Their Ministry of Defense said that it's actually accusing.

16:00 The Philippines of enlisting foreign forces to patrol the South China Sea and stirring

16:06 up trouble.

16:07 Wow.

16:08 Talk about super gaslighting.

16:09 Who is the one who is laser pointing at our troops?

16:15 Who is the one who is harassing our fishermen who are dredging our Philippine seabed to

16:23 create artificial islands within our exclusive economic zone, militarize them, and then use

16:28 them to claim that our territory is theirs?

16:32 Who's stirring up trouble?

16:34 Who's harassing our vessels and preventing them from resupplying our people on the BRPC

16:40 Aramadre?

16:41 It's not us.

16:42 So to now accuse us of what they are doing, that's like a double gaslighting right there.

16:49 All right.

16:50 I want to talk about Pogo right now, Senator, because you inspected that Pogo hub, rather,

16:56 in Pasay City sometime November, second week, around second week of November, where authorities

17:05 previously discovered the so-called torture chamber, spa, KTV rooms, and there's an aquarium

17:12 that you yourself saw.

17:15 Tell us what happened because I know that there was a hearing after as you chair the

17:20 Women and Children's Committee.

17:21 Sorry, let me just add this.

17:24 Maybe I'll just ask, Senator, how can this happen?

17:28 The police station is right next to it.

17:33 A stone's throw away in the Senate, a stone's throw away in the DFA.

17:38 Why so brazen?

17:39 Why are they so brave and able to do this?

17:44 They are that brazen, Pinky.

17:47 They are that brave until now because it was practically a state policy since the time

17:54 of Duterte that Pogos should have such free access into and inside our country.

18:01 We should remember that in the past three-year investigation of the Senate Committee on Women

18:06 about Pogo-related prostitution, illegal recruitment, and detention, we spent many months on that

18:13 pastilla scam.

18:15 That was a scam to corrupt Bureau of Immigration officials and personnel to allow in more and

18:22 more Chinese employees of these Pogo who victimized Filipino women and children.

18:30 So these Pogo hub centers actually became what IACAT is now calling human trafficking

18:39 hubs and centers.

18:41 They want to actually introduce that term in the expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons

18:47 Act.

18:48 We've been investigating also human trafficking outbound and inbound.

18:52 At Dito sa Pilipinas, you have these human trafficking hubs or centers na naging hub

19:00 na talaga ng iba't-ibang mga krimen laban sa mga kababaihan at kabataan dito.

19:08 It's not only a Philippine, it's a regional problem, it's even a global problem.

19:13 So, yung crypto scamming na ginagawa through these human trafficking hubs or centers, they're

19:19 known in the West where they are called pig butchering.

19:23 So global problem ito, which unfortunately our government and country, simula nung panahon

19:31 ni Duterte, have become a terrible part of.

19:34 And we are left with those issues now, those violations of the rights of our women and

19:40 children.

19:42 And nagpapasalamat lang ako na pati yung iba't-ibang government agencies which took cognizance

19:47 of our investigation since three years ago, lalo na sa pamamagitan ng IACAT, now are coordinating

19:54 more and more with each other and with us in the Senate to expose these and to crack

19:59 down on them.

20:00 Again, a short break.

20:02 We'll be right back.

20:10 You're watching The Source on CNN Philippines.

20:12 I'm Pinky Webb.

20:13 Our source today is Senator Riza Ontivero.

20:14 Senator, so budget, let's talk about it quickly.

20:17 Nasa ano na ho ba kayo amendments?

20:20 The Committee on Finance is...

20:23 Yes.

20:24 Committee on Finance is working on the amendments.

20:27 Tapos iaharap ulit sa plenary namin for approval.

20:31 What are your concerns regarding the budget pag hinarap na po sa plenaryo?

20:36 Well, top of mind since last year, confidential and intelligence funds.

20:41 Kasi kailangan nakatapak sa lupa yung ating budget.

20:44 So definitely, confidential intelligence funds, for example, as augmented by the contingent

20:50 funds of the Office of the President should be prohibited.

20:55 And yun yung isang amendment ko na this allowance for OP contingent funds, for example, to augment

21:04 confidential and intelligence funds of the OVP.

21:08 And then where should these funds instead properly be lodged?

21:12 Dun sa CONFI and INTEL funds ng mga ahensya natin like the Philippine Coast Guard na meron

21:17 talagang mandate at expertise sa national defense and public safety.

21:23 Pero ito pong confidential funds coming from the OP and nanilipat mo sa Office of the Vice

21:28 President very quickly.

21:29 This is already being questioned before the Supreme Court.

21:32 It is being questioned by the Supreme Court.

21:35 So maganda, meron tayong laban tungkol dyan in at least two branches of government so

21:39 far, the legislature and the judiciary.

21:42 And I remember there was an Inquire.net editorial that I wanted to ask you and other lawmakers

21:47 also.

21:48 Now that, basically it was saying now that the lawmakers have had the courage or have

21:54 moved into taking away confidential funds, should there be legislation?

21:59 Basically that was the editorial saying, you should come up with some sort of legislation

22:05 to be able to determine who can have confidential funds.

22:11 We certainly should, Pinky.

22:12 Lalo na mukhang dumami masyadong civilian agencies na nasanay humingin ng CIF from 22

22:18 before to 28, according to one observer.

22:21 And also importante yung pinoint out ni dating minority leader, Sen. Frank Drilon, na bakit

22:28 yung intelligence funds may konting accountability to the president, Senate president, House

22:34 Speaker and Commission on Audit Chair, pero mukhang mas maluwag pa yung accounting processes

22:42 para sa confidential funds.

22:44 That's an irony and I think a very important area of future soon legislation.

22:52 Just also quickly, because when you talk about confidential funds, tinanggala na po yung confidential

22:58 funds ng Office of the Vice President and the DepEd, hindi po ito kinatuan ni dating

23:02 Pangulo nga Rodrigo Duterte, and then there's talk about impeachment now.

23:06 I mean, it's loose talk.

23:08 Of course the House is saying there's no truth to this, but personally, do you think that

23:13 is fair to even, I know this is a political, this is a numbers game at the end of the day,

23:19 but when you look at it, is it right that or could there be basis, for example, to impeach

23:26 the Vice President considering, ma'am, that yung nakuha naman po niyang confidential funds

23:32 ay nanggaling naman po at na-approba ng Executive ng Office of the President through the DBM?

23:38 Your thoughts on that?

23:39 Well, that's why tinatanong namin yung propriety sa OP at sa DBM din.

23:45 I suppose yun yung punto ng kaso sa Supreme Court.

23:49 Though it is also a numbers game, pero sa ngayon, nakatutok talaga kami sa usapin ng accountability.

23:58 Sabihin nyo nga, Pinky, wala namang sinasabi ang House na impeachment process or complaint,

24:04 and if ever they will come up with one any time in the future, titignan naman muna nila

24:09 kung ano yung grounds, kung may basis talaga.

24:12 Kesta nakatutok kami in this budget process sa usapin ng accountability for past receipts

24:20 and expenditures na hindi maayos na nasagot ng OVP sa interpellation.

24:26 At nakatutok kami sa moving forward how to make the use of the taxpayers' money, government's

24:33 money in this very, very tight fiscal space na mataas ang deficit natin, mataas ang debt

24:38 natin, how to properly appropriate it for optimal impact on poverty alleviation, social

24:46 protection, and definitely upholding the national interest in the whole of the territory of

24:53 our archipelago.

24:54 So, dapat tamang pag-gastos at tamang pag-kuwenta at account nitong kaperahang ito.

25:01 Senator Risa Ontiveros, ma'am, thank you for your time.

25:05 Thank you, Pinky.

25:06 Thank you for joining us here on The Source.

25:08 I'm Pinky Webb.

25:09 You're watching CNN Philippines.

25:10 [Music]

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Sen. Risa Hontiveros | The Source

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