Sen. Risa Hontiveros on Senate shooting, 'Pambabastos na 'yan' — GMA News

[0:01] Thank you, Mr. President. [0:08] Mr. President, I rise on a matter of personal and collective privilege. [0:13] Mr. President, it's about a week after the battle and battle here in the Senate. [0:20] I don't know if I can tell you that on Monday, [0:27] what we're going to show is that it doesn't happen. [0:31] It doesn't happen to our institution, our employees, and our Filipino. [0:40] It's not a thing that happened here. [0:43] And it's not a thing that happened here in the Facebook Live, press conferences, and media interviews [0:51] is how it happened to us. [0:54] How is it really happening in our politics in the Philippines? [1:02] Ito na ba tayo, Mr. President? [1:06] Tuluyan na bang nilihis ng politika ang ating mga pamantayan sa pakikipagkapwa? [1:13] The situation stooped so low that here, in and around these same August Halls, [1:23] may pwedeng magkasanang barel sa harap ng mga sibilyan. [1:27] Dear colleagues, kahit kailan, hindi yan nangyari sa Pilipinas, kahit panahon ng kudeta, [1:36] not even during the darkest days of martial law, did gunfire erupt within our halls. [1:44] So, whether we stand in the minority or in the majority, the Senate as an institution [1:52] has sustained a profound injury to its dignity, credibility, and moral authority before the Filipino people. [2:03] And this frustrates me every day since Wednesday, including in the context of initial findings from the investigation [2:16] conducted by the Department of Justice, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, [2:22] and the Philippine National Police, beginning to reveal various points. [2:27] Patuloy pa rin ang investigasyon, Mr. President, at dapat lang, but still, this needs to be said. [2:38] Kapag may nagpaputok ng barel right here in the People's House, kapag naghasik ka ng takot sa mga empleyado, [2:48] sa media, sa security personnel, at sa mga sibilyan, kapag may natroma dahil sa karahasan, [2:58] at umuwing nanginginig at hindi mapakali sa sariling bahay lampas na ito sa iso ng pamumulitika. [3:08] Pambabastos na yan at pangaabuso sa lahat-lahat ng ipinagkatiwala sa Senado bilang mga lingkod bayan. [3:19] As we all know, democracy has always made room for disagreement. [3:24] But, dear colleagues, hindi na ito political disagreement. [3:29] Hindi na ito iso ng kampihan. [3:33] What should trouble us is the manner by which disagreement is being settled, [3:39] which reflects a broader national discourse that has become more coarse and unforgiving [3:46] when aggression is normalized and humiliation is treated as political currency. [3:53] We cannot have a culture that proudly treats fellow Filipinos as enemies to be defeated, [4:01] all in the name of clout. [4:03] Yung mga pagbabanta, pambibintang, pananakit ng damdamin, [4:10] hindi yan ang dapat ginagawang sukatan ng tapang. [4:14] Kahit magkakatunggali sa politika, hindi tayo dapat ganyan sa isa't isa, [4:22] lalo na dito sa Senado. [4:24] Hindi ito tahanan ng ganyang kababang uri ng politika. [4:28] Ngayon, higit sa kailanman, dapat manaig ang ating pagkapilipino. [4:36] I refuse to believe na tayo mga Pilipino ay mga bulag na sumusunod sa sino mang politiko. [4:45] I refuse to believe na wala nang natitirang malasakit, hiya o pagmamahal sa bayan. [4:53] Kasi ang mga krisis, ang mga sakuna, hindi yan nagtatanong kung sinong kakampi mo sa politika. [5:02] Lahat tayo tinatamaan at lahat tayo may responsibilidad. [5:08] At tayo mismo, dito sa Senado, kaya nating magkasundo. [5:14] In fact, all of the laws I myself have championed could not have passed [5:21] without the support of those from across the political aisle. [5:26] And I refuse to believe that this institution that has crafted laws [5:32] for the most marginalized, that has conducted crucial investigations [5:38] that have moved the needle at various political junctures [5:42] is beyond repair or redemption. [5:45] Let us remember, Mr. President, that we have a bicameral legislature [5:50] with a Senate elected at large precisely to have a body that can rise above parochial concerns [5:59] and craft a vision for the entire nation. [6:03] At kaya kong sabihin ng buong puso that this Senate has at its best shown [6:11] that this agreement does not destroy our common duty. [6:17] We have passed laws across party lines. [6:23] That is why we cannot act as though nothing happened last week. [6:28] Alam natin ang tama at mali. [6:31] Alam natin kapag sumosobra na. [6:34] And this is what our country needs from us now for the Senate in this difficult hour [6:42] to reflect the best of our people. [6:47] May we prove worthy of the trust that our people have placed in us. [6:52] Marami pong salamat sa inyo at sa lahat, Mr. President. [6:56] Before I recognize Senator Piad and Senator Marcoleta, [6:59] you know, the curious thing is the prayer of Senator Kiko [7:06] and the prayer of former Senate President Tito Soto yesterday. [7:12] We all agree with it. [7:13] We're just looking at it from different sides of the political lens. [7:18] And many of your statements today, Senator Risa, many of us if not all agree. [7:24] But we all won't agree that parang walang nangyari. [7:27] I don't know where that came from because I don't think anyone is treating it trivially. [7:34] It's just a matter of how we can focus on it given that there is a real economic crisis, [7:43] a crisis of prices, oil crisis. [7:46] Our stock is running out. [7:48] We're convening into an impeachment court. [7:51] You know, our staff are overwhelmed by the number of investigations, [7:55] by the number of subpoenas that are here. [7:58] They're asking us to produce so many things while we're also doing our own. [8:03] So while we will agree with you and let's discuss later on which committee, [8:08] I do not think anyone is acting as if parang walang nangyari. [8:13] Senator Pia or Senator Marcoleta? [8:16] Thank you, Mr. President. [8:18] Mr. President, may I ask if Senator Risa would yield to a few questions? [8:30] Can we take a minute suspension?