Press Release
April 7, 2021
Joint Statement of Senate Minority Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon, Sen. Risa Hontiveros, Sen. Leila de Lima and Sen. Francis Pangilinan
We strongly condemn the red-tagging of the union of Senate employees and we vehemently denounce government officials who continue to label, brand, vilify, and harass individuals and organizations such as SENADO as state enemies and subversives.
We have been in the Senate long enough and we can attest that the SENADO union never acted as the eyes and ears of the CPP-NPA-NDF in the Senate to hijack plans and programs of the government. These are dangerous allegations to make.
Published April 6, 2021, 1:37 PM
The Philippine government is broke and any future financial requirements on more lockdowns may the Duterte administration in a tight bind.
Senator Panfilo Lacson raised this Tuesday April 6, as he cited a Department of Budget and Management (DBM) statement that government coffers have dried up.
Sen. Panfilo Lacson
(Albert Calvelo / Senate PRIB / FILE PHOTO)
Since funds are no longer available, “the bigger question remains – can we still afford more borrowings intended for dole-outs instead of for other productive purposes to boost our economy?‘’ Lacson asked.
‘’The last thing we need is ending up in a ‘Sisyphean’ (laborious or futile) situation,’’ he stressed.
March 17, 2021 | 9:04 pm Font Size
DITO TELECOMMUNITY FACEBOOK PAGE
The Senate on Wednesday approved on second reading the franchise renewal of third telco player DITO Telecommunity Corp.
The company’s existing franchise under Mindanao Islamic Telephone Co., Inc., now known as DITO, is set to expire on April 24, 2023.
The senators approved House Bill No. 7332, which grants a 25-year franchise to DITO.
Lawmakers approved the provision inserted by Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon requiring DITO to report to the President and the Congress any disclosure of data, information, assistance, support or cooperation to foreign government and its instrumentalities.
Failure to do so will be a ground for revocation of the franchise, according to Mr. Drilon.
Senator Franklin Drilon
(Senate of the Philippines / MANILA BULLETIN)
Luzon, which is the most populated among the country’s three main islands, has none while Visayas has one- Ma. Rowena Amelia V. Guanzon. The seventh post as commissioner is not still filled up.
There is an ‘’uneven representation,’’ Drilon lamented. Three of the five are residents of Davao, the home province of President Duterte while the two others are in other parts of Mindanao.
One of them is Comelec Chairman Sheriff M. Abas. Aside from Guanzon, the other Comelec commissioners are Socorro B. Inting, Marlon S. Casquejo, Antonio T. Kho Jr. and Aimee P. Ferolino-Ampoloquio.
Senator Franklin Drilon (Senate of the Philippines / MANILA BULLETIN)
Drilon, a former Justice Secretary, gave the advise a week before the Senate approved today on second reading two bills naturalizing Kakou Ange Franck Williams Kouame, a 6’11’’ basketball player, of Ivory Coast, and Bienverido Morejon Maranon, a football star, of Cadiz, Spain. ‘’We must guard against Blatches,’’ Drilon said referring to Andray Blatche, an African-American who joined the country’s national basketball team after his naturalization via congressional action in June, 2014.
There should be a national direction on the naturalization issue, he added. In last week’s plenary session, Senator Richard J. Gordon, chairman of the Senate justice and human rights committee, told Drilon that Blatche ‘’nawala’’ (no longer around) after a citation of some foreigners so far naturalized by Congress.