REPUBLIC of the PHILIPPINES Senate Pasay City
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REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES Senate Pasay City Journa SESSION NO. 45 Monday to Thursday November 27 to 30,2006 THIRTEENTH CONGRESS THIRD REGULAR SESSION SESSION NO. 45 Monday to Thursday November 27 to 30,2006 CALL TO ORDER and approval of the Journal of Session No. 44 (November 21, 22, 23, 24, and 27). At 3:19 p.m,, Monday, November 27, 2006, the Senate President, Hon. Manny Villar, called SUSPENSION OF SESSION the session to order. Upon motion of Senator Pangilinan, the session PRAYER was suspended. The Body observed a minute of silent prayer. It was 3:24 p.m. NATIONAL ANTHEM RESUMPTION OF SESSION The Senate Choir led the singing of the national At 3:24 p.m., the session was resumed with anthem. Senate President Pro Tempore Flavier presiding. ROLL CALL REFERENCE OF BUSINESS The Secretary of the Senate read the following Upon direction of the Chair, the Secretary of the matters and the Chair made the corresponding Senate, Oscar G. Yabes, called the roll, to which the referrals: following senators responded RESOLUTIONS Angara, E. J. Flavier, J. M. Arroyo, J. P. Lacson, P. M. Proposed Senate Resolution No. 595, entitled Defensor Santiago, M. Lim, A. S. Drilon, F. M. Madrigal, M. A. RESOLUTION EXPRESSING THE PRO- Ejercito Estrada, J. Pangilinan, F. N. FOUND SYMPATHY AND SINCERE! Ejercito Estrada, L. L. P. Revilla Jr., R. B CONDOLENCE OF THE SENATE Enrile, J. P. Villar, M. ON THE DEATH OF PHILIPPINE STAR PUBLISHER MAXIM0 “MAX” With 14 senators present, the Chair declared the V. SOLIVEN AND HONORING presence of a quorum. HIS CONTRIBUTION TO PRESS FREEDOM IN THE PHILIPPINES Senators Biazon, Cayetano, Gordon, Magsaysay, Osmefia, Pimentel, Recto and Roxas arrived after Introduced by Senator Ramon “Bong” the roll call. Revilla Jr. Senator Lapid was on official mission abroad. To the Committee on Rules DEFERMENT OF THE APPROVAL Proposed Senate Resolution No. 596, entitled OF THE JOURNAL RESOLUTION EXPRESSING THE PRO- Upon motion of Senator Pangilinan, there being FOUND SYMPATHIES AND CON- no objection, the Body deferred the consideration DOLENCES OF THE PHILIPPINE K P 830 MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21,2006 SENATE OVER THE DEATH OF crusader’s sword. It was incisive in uncovering MAXIMO “MAX” V. SOLIVEN, the meaning of stream of events. It was relentless PHILIPPINE STAR PUBLISHER, in search of the truth behind the statements and CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD AND insinuations. It probed into motives and hidden COLUMNIST, AND ONE OF THE agendas. It wrote of past conflicts and distant places through the prism of fust-hand observa- MOST DECORATED FILIPINO tion to give them a texture of contemporaty rele- JOURNALISTS OF ALL TIME vance. His historical perspective was illuminat- ing. A man of real courage, Max was never Introduced by Senator Compafiera Pia S. intimidated by the arrogance of power. He would Cayetano much prefer the silence of imprisonment to the comfort of compromise. To the Committee on Rules In fact, he made that preference. He became COMMUNICATIONS a prisoner of conscience that established his moral kinship with Rizal, Ninoy Aquino, Letter from Director General Rodolfo V. Vicerra Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela. No other Filipino journalist of our generation had wielded of the Congressional Planning and Budget as much influence on molding public opinion as Department, House of Representatives, dated Max did. He wrote with authority, with candor 23 November 2006, providing the Senate with a and conviction. He wote from the heart. copy of the Analysis of the President’s Budget for Fiscal Year 2007. It was, therefore, a privilege to know Max and in the process got enriched by his thoughts, educated by his observations, and challenged To the Committee on Finance by his questions. Letter from Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Time shared by Max was too precious. Affairs, Manuel B. Gaite of the Office of the We shall surely miss you, dear fellow! May God President of the Philippines, transmitting to the finally grant you the peace that we can never Senate two (2) original copies of Republic Act truly find on Earth. No. 9361, entitled Goodbye. AN ACT AMENDING SECTION llO(B) PROPOSED SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 594 OF THE NATIONAL INTERNAL REVENUE CODE OF 1997, AS Upon motion of Senator Pangilinan, there being AMENDED, AND FOR OTHER no objection, the Body considered Proposed Senate PURPOSES, Resolution No. 594, entitled which was approved and signed into law by Her RESOLUTION EXPRESSING THE Excellency, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, PROFOUND SYMPATHY AND on 21 November 2006. SINCERE CONDOLENCE OF THE SENATE OF THE PHILIPPINES ON To the Archives THE DEATH OF PUBLISHER AND COLUMNIST MAXIMO V. SOLIVEN, PRIVILEGE SPEECH OF SENATOR VILLAR taking into consideration Proposed Senate Resolution Availing himself of the privilege hour, Senate Nos. 595 and 596. President Villar delivered the following speech A guiding light in Philippine journalism has With the permission of the Body, only the title of passed away. As journalists would put it in their the resolution was read without prejudice to the own jargon, Max Soliven has just written 30. But insertion of its full text into the Record of the Senate. Max, to his many friends, readers and admirers, was too much of a presence simply to walk away. ADOPTION OF PROPOSED He was so full of life, wit, humor and knowledge, SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 594 that not having him around anymore is almost unthinkable. Without Max, the Philippine press Upon motion of Senator Pangilinan, there being will never be the same again. His pen was a no objection, Proposed Senate Resolution No. 594 6 MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27,2006 83 1 was adopted by the Body, taking into consideration MENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE Proposed Senate Resolution Nos. 595 and 596. PHILIPPINES FROM JANUARY ONE TO DECEMBER THIRTY-ONE, TWO MOTION TO CONVENE THE SENATE THOUSAND SEVEN, AND FOR INTO A COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE OTHER PURPOSES. Senator Defensor Santiago moved that the Senator Pangilinan stated that the Body would hearings on Proposed Senate Resolution No. 582 consider the budgets of the Commission on Human (inquiry into certain provisions of the Japan-Philippines Rights, Department of Foreign Affairs, Department Economic Partnership Agreement [JPEPA]), which of Justice, Department of Tourism, and Department was primarily referred to the Committee on Foreign of Transportation and Communications. Relations, be conducted by a Committee of the Whole, the creation of which is allowed under Thereupon, the Chair recognized Senator Drilon, Section 14, Rule X of the Rules of the Senate. In Sponsor of the measure, and Senator Enrile for his view of the many issues and concerns on the JPEPA interpellation. from various sectors, she stated that the Committee of the Whole could be an avenue to expedite inquiries DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS of vital issues, and address comprehensive and interlocking subjects. She recalled that when the Senator Drilon presented the proposed budget of GATT-WTO was discussed during the Ninth Congress, the Department of Foreign Affairs in the amount of the Senate constituted itself as a Committee of the P7,420,572,000, reflecting a P43.793 million increase Whole with the chair of the Committees on Foreign over the NEP’s proposal, which shall be utilized for Relations, and Trade and Commerce as co-chair. the following items under the GAB: She said that when the Senate convenes as a Committee of the Whole, all departments in the PS for the upgrading of salaries of Senate could be mobilized to render assistance. officers and staff by two grades; Capital outlay for the purchase of a Senator Pangilinan moved that Senator Defensor vehicle for the embassy in Thailand; Santiago’s motion be referred to the Committee on PS for the payment of P5 million Rules which shall come up with the recommendation for the salary of two contractual at the soonest possible time. employees; and Senator Defensor Santiago said that she would MOOE for training, travel, supplies have no objection as long as the public is made and materials of the UNESCO aware that the Committee on Foreign Relations has National Commission of the Philippines. acted within its resources upon receipt of the resolution. INTERPELLATION OF SENATOR ENRILE There being no objection, the Chair referred Asked by Senator Enrile on the reason for the Senator Defensor Santiago’s motion to the Committee substantial increase of 53% or P116 million in the on Rules. allocation for salaries and wages of permanent personnel under Personal Services in the DFA’s COMMITTEE REPORT NO. 160 2007 budget, Senator Drilon stated that the additional ON HOUSE BILL NO. 5794 allocation shall cover basically the increases in the (Continuation) salaries and allowances of nonpermanent personnel, including the upgrading of positions and mandatory Upon motion of Senator Pangilinan, there being requirements for personnel abroad and in the Foreign no objection, the Body resumed consideration, on Service Institute. Second Reading, of House Bill No. 5794 (Committee Report No. 160), entitled Asked on the justification for the 345% increase in the DFA’s allocation for supplies and materials AN ACT APPROPRIATING FUNDS FOR and the 151% increase for training scholarships, THE OPERATION OF THE GOVERN- Senator Drilon said that the P1.5 billion is accounted# P 832 MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27,2006 principally by the supplies and materials needed as Senator Drilon stated that for the initial imple- partial requirement for the implementation of the mentation of the project, the lead time in the issuance Electronic Passport Project. He confirmed that the of a new passport is about two to three weeks but present booklet-type passport would be replaced with as soon as the project progresses, that time shall be a machine-readable E-passport.