List of Presidentiables

7/25/2019 List of Presidentiables

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Complete list of the candidates who will determined to be placed in the ballots will be released by COMELEC on

December 23, 2015 !t was ori"inally sched#led on December 15 b#t it was mo$ed d#e to the En %anc will plan to

loo& into the dis'#alification petitions of (race )oe and *odri"o D#terte+2-

For president[edit]

Jejomar Binay[edit]

Main article: Jejomar Binay presidential campaign, 2016

.e/omar %inay

hen '#estioned by the media at theCocon#t )alacein eptember 2011, ice )resident .e/omar %inay)D)4

Laban confirmed his plans of r#nnin" as president+3-

%y May 201, %inay be"an his search for a r#nnin" mate 6s his potential r#nnin" mate enator .in""oy Estradain

/ail d#e to his implication in the)D67 scam,+-%inay8s offers were declined by . E/ercito,+5-Manny illar$ia

wifeCynthia illar,+9-ilma antos$ia h#sband*alph *ecto,+:-Mar *o;as,+rillanes,and that she prefers (race )oe,howe$er

en%on"bon" Marcoswas the most preferred by ?@6 officials to be his r#nnin" mate +52-On .#ne 12, !ndependence

Day, speech in !loilo, )resident 6'#ino said that he co#ld only offer %inay the cond#ct of a clean and honest election,

b#t not an o#tri"ht endorsement+53-

On .#ne 22, %inay resi"ned from the 6'#ino cabinet, both as presidential ad$iser on O$erseas 7ilipino or&ers8

concerns and as chairman of the Ao#sin" and ?rban De$elopment Coordinatin" Co#ncil, b#t did not say why +5->wo

days later, %inay addressed the p#blic from his Cocon#t )alace offices, brandin" the c#rrent administration as

Bmanhid at palpa&B insensiti$e and b#mblin", b#t did not mention 6'#ino by name+55-

Miriam Defensor Santiago[edit]

Main article: Miriam Defensor Santiago presidential campaign, 2016

Miriam Defensor4antia"o

!n a press conference on .#ly 2, 201, enator Miriam Defensor antia"o)eople8s *eform )arty re$ealed she was

s#fferin" from ta"e l#n" cancerand she mi"ht r#n as president for the third time if it "oes into remission +59-

%y @o$ember 201, antia"o, in a tweet, anno#nced that B!n the 2019 presidential elections, when ! am rid of my l#n"

cancer, ! intend to claim the presidency ! won in 1==2B !n a letter to the enate, antia"o said that more than =0 of

the cancer cells ha$e re"ressed+5:-

antia"o anno#nced her candidacy for president in the la#nch of her boo& Stupid is Foreeron October 13, 2015

he will r#n #nder the )eople8s *eform )arty,the same party in which she ran #nder d#rin" her 1==2 and 1==he decision, howe$er, wo#ld ha$e to be made by the )D)4

Laban+=2-

On October 29, 2015, D#terte said on an inter$iew that the deadline for his last decision if he will see& the presidency

is on December 10 Ae also warned the people to abide the law if he wins +=3-On October 2:, )D)4Laban has made it

official that D#terte will s#bstit#te as the party8s presidential bet if aspirant Martin Dio withdraws or is dis'#alified by

the Commission of Elections Comelec from the 2019 race+=->wo days later, )D)4Laban standard bearer Martin

Dio officially withdrawn his presidential bid and named D#terte as his s#bstit#te beca#se theres a possibility that

Dio mi"ht be declared as n#isance candidate by the COMELEC +=5-On October 30, an alle"ed campai"n $ideo of

D#terte and Cayetano circ#lated on social media that p#t hopes on D#terte8s candidacy as Cayetano8s r#nnin" mate

Aowe$er, D#terte8s aide %on" (o said on an inter$iew that D#terte8s mind hasn8t chan"ed yet b#t will contin#e on

so#l4searchin" with his family to &now if he8s "oin" to r#n in the #pcomin" elections+=9-On @o$ember 1, D#terte said

that nothin" still hasn8t chan"ed and he isn8t fit for national office Ae also said that he is still waitin" for an official

comm#nication from his party abo#t his possible candidacy D#terte will also wait if his da#"hter will a"ree to

s#bstit#te for him at the mayoral race of Da$ao and he will retire from p#blic ser$ice if ara a"reed to do so +=:-On

@o$ember 2, )arish )astoral Co#ncil for *esponsible otin" ))C*e;ec#ti$e Dr 6rwin errano said that Martin

Dio is deemed to face an election sabota"e complaint beca#se of proposin" D#terte as his s#bstit#te for him,

howe$er, Dio denied the alle"ations that his filin" of candidacy is /#st a front to pa$e way for D#terte8s possible

s#bstit#tion+=rib#nal E> re"ardin"(race )oe8s citienship as well as the

c#rrent administration8s handlin" of the Nla"la"4bala iss#e+102-D#terte f#rther stated that he will file his candidacy

immediately after he reached o#t to his party+103-Aowe$er, the le"ality of D#terte8s s#bstit#tion for Dio was

'#estioned by some electoral lawyers beca#se of an error made in Dio8s certificate of candidacy that made him

a)asaymayoral bet despite bein" a resident of G#eon City %eca#se of the iss#e, r#mors circ#lated that

presidential aspirant Miriam Defensor4antia"ois willin" to "i$e way for D#terte by lettin" him s#bstit#te for her

Aowe$er, Defensor4antia"o said that she will not bac& down from the race e$en she has a hi"h re"ard for D#terte

+10-*oy eeres also opened the possibility he will allow *odri"o D#terte as his s#bstit#te candidate if he will abide in

three conditions, partic#larly bein" a pro4life ad$ocate+105-Aowe$er, eeres later ref#sed to s#bstit#te for him and

slammed D#terte8s decision to p#rs#e the presidency and remar&ed D#terte sho#ld s#pport and endorse him instead

+109-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDP-Labanhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-90https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasay_Cityhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasay_Cityhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasay_Cityhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-91https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-91https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CNN_Philippineshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CNN_Philippineshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CNN_Philippineshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-92https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-92https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-93https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-94https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-95https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-96https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-96https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-97https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-97https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parish_Pastoral_Council_for_Responsible_Votinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parish_Pastoral_Council_for_Responsible_Votinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-98https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-98https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andres_D._Bautistahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andres_D._Bautistahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-99https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-100https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Beda_Collegehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Beda_Collegehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Peter_Cayetanohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Peter_Cayetanohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Peter_Cayetanohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-101https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-101https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-101https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Poehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Poehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Poehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-102https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-103https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-103https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-103https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasayhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasayhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasayhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quezon_Cityhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miriam_Defensor-Santiagohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miriam_Defensor-Santiagohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-104https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-Archangel-105https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-Archangel-105https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-Seneres_not_giving_way_to_Duterte-106https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDP-Labanhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-90https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasay_Cityhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-91https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CNN_Philippineshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-92https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-93https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-94https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-95https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-96https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-97https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parish_Pastoral_Council_for_Responsible_Votinghttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-98https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andres_D._Bautistahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-99https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-100https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Beda_Collegehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Peter_Cayetanohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-101https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Poehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-102https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-103https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasayhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quezon_Cityhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miriam_Defensor-Santiagohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-104https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-Archangel-105https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-Seneres_not_giving_way_to_Duterte-106


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D#terte topped all other presidentiables incl#din" former front4r#nner (race )oeon a s#r$ey p#blished at @o$ember

25 and held by )#lse 6sia +10:-)oe said that the s#r$ey is 8inconcl#si$e8 and 8not reflecti$e8 and claimed it was made by

D#terte8s camp+10#no" n"

)a"baba"oB at>a"#i" City+110-!t incl#ded free4head sha$in", free >4shirt printin" ser$ices, and the main concert

e$eral m#sicians performed incl#din".immy %ondoc,>hor,andL#&e Me/aresD#terte arri$ed in the e$ent to"ether

with his r#nnin" mate Cayetano +110-

Grace Poe[edit]

Main article: #race %oe presidential campaign, 2016

(race )oe

(race )oe8s s#rprisin" first4place finish in the 2013 enate electionas an independent made her a li&ely contender

for the presidency b#t she dismissed any plans of r#nnin" in 6pril 201, sayin" she was not considerin" Banythin"

hi"her at this pointB+111-

On )resident 6'#ino8s state $isit to Canada in May 2015,the president disclosed that he had met with )oe prior to the

trip, altho#"h he didn8t say on what the meetin" was for+112-6 co#ple of days later, )oe confirmed that she did meet

with 6'#ino )oe said that Be disc#ssed his intention to choose a candidate who, first and foremost, has the tr#st of

the nation, and, secondly, has the potential to win in the election, in order to s#stain the reforms especially a"ainst

corr#ption and the pro4poor pro"rams of the "o$ernmentB )oe e;pects more meetin"s with 6'#ino in .#ne +113-

On .#ne 2, ?@6 interim president >oby >ian"co, respondin" to calls for .e/omar %inay to Bcome cleanB on his

corr#ption alle"ations, said in a press conference that )oe is not '#alified to r#n either for president or $ice president

after citin" her certificate of candidacy in the 2013 enate election which stated that she is a resident for si; years and

si; months addin" three years for the 2019 election, nine years and si; months or si; months short mandated by the

constit#tion+11->wo days later, before a enate session, )oe said that she wrote Bsi; years and si; monthsB beca#se

it was on 6pril 2009 that her home in the ?nited tates was sold )oe, who had been a resident of the ?nited tates

for 13 years, ret#rned to the )hilippines after her father7ernando )oe, .r, a presidential candidate in the 200

elections,died in December 200 he said that she a proof that she had been li$in" in the )hilippines since 7ebr#ary

2005 he said, that despite bein" a con"ressman for @a$otas, >ian"co li$es elsewhere, and that her decision onwhether to r#n in 2019 is B50B s#re )oe also obser$ed that the attac&s from ?@6 only be"an after she si"ned the

enate %l#e *ibbon s#bcommittee report recommendin" pl#nder and "raft cases a"ainst %inay +115-

On eptember 19, at a "atherin" at the ?ni$ersity of the )hilippines DilimaninG#eon City,)oe anno#nced her

intention to see& the presidency, sayin" that B@o one person or "ro#p has a monopoly on a strai"ht path ad$ocacyB of

)resident 6'#ino, a shot a"ainst 6'#ino8s party8s nominee *o;as, who is ad$ocatin" for contin#ation of the BDaan"

Mat#widB strai"ht path ad$ocacy of 6'#ino while also hittin" the 6dministration pro"rams >his res#lted in the

)alace to '#estion their Daan" Mat#wid ad$ocacy are contrary to their speeches +119-

On December 1, the COMELEC8s second di$ision had formally dis'#alified )oe from r#nnin" as )resident in the 2019

elections and cancelled her filed Certificate of Candidacy for not failin" to meet with citienship and residency
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Poehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-107https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-108https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commission_on_Elections_(Philippines)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commission_on_Elections_(Philippines)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manilahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manilahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayor_of_Davao_Cityhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayor_of_Davao_Cityhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sara_Dutertehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-109https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-109https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taguig_Cityhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taguig_Cityhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-takbo-110https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-takbo-110https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Bondochttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Bondochttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Bondochttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thor_(singer)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thor_(singer)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luke_Mejareshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luke_Mejareshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luke_Mejareshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-takbo-110https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Philippine_presidential_election,_2016&action=edit&section=8https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Poe_presidential_campaign,_2016https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Poehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Poehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Poehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_Senate_election,_2013https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-111https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_presidential_trips_made_by_Benigno_Aquino_III#.C2.A0United_States_and_.C2.A0Canada_.28May_6_to_9.2C_2015.29https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_presidential_trips_made_by_Benigno_Aquino_III#.C2.A0United_States_and_.C2.A0Canada_.28May_6_to_9.2C_2015.29https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-112https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-112https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-113https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toby_Tiangcohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-114https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-114https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_Poe,_Jr.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_Poe,_Jr.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_Poe,_Jr._presidential_campaign,_2004https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_Poe,_Jr._presidential_campaign,_2004https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_Poe,_Jr._presidential_campaign,_2004https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-115https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_the_Philippines_Dilimanhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quezon_Cityhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quezon_Cityhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quezon_Cityhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-116https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Poehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-107https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-108https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commission_on_Elections_(Philippines)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manilahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayor_of_Davao_Cityhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sara_Dutertehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-109https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taguig_Cityhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-takbo-110https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Bondochttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thor_(singer)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luke_Mejareshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-takbo-110https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Philippine_presidential_election,_2016&action=edit&section=8https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Poe_presidential_campaign,_2016https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Poehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Poehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_Senate_election,_2013https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-111https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_presidential_trips_made_by_Benigno_Aquino_III#.C2.A0United_States_and_.C2.A0Canada_.28May_6_to_9.2C_2015.29https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-112https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-113https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toby_Tiangcohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-114https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_Poe,_Jr.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_Poe,_Jr._presidential_campaign,_2004https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fernando_Poe,_Jr._presidential_campaign,_2004https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-115https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_the_Philippines_Dilimanhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quezon_Cityhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-116


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re'#irements >he di$ision, was $oted 340, in fa$or of the petition filed by 6tty Estrella Elamparo to dis'#alify )oe

>he decision stated that )oe had failed to comply with the 104year residency re'#irement, mandatory for a

presidential candidate+11:-

Mar Roxas[edit]

Main article: Mar !o*as presidential campaign, 2016

Mar *o;as

enate )resident7ran&lin Drilon, when describin" the Liberal )arty8s plans for !nterior ecretary Mar *o;as8 in 2019,

told the media on .an#ary 2013 that Bso far as the L) is concerned, +and- in so far as ! am concerned, we belie$e that

he is best '#alified for 2019B+11wo years later, Drilon toldDH!G6M radio that *o;as had e;pressed his interest

internally within the party+11=-e$eral Liberal )arty stalwarts had by then e;pressed that *o;as sho#ld declare his

intentions at that time,+120-with some s#ch as %#d"et ecretary7lorencio 6bads#""estin" that *o;as may slide down

to r#n for the $ice presidency a"ain+121-

6'#ino had a series of meetin"s between *o;as, (race )oe and 7rancis Esc#derofrom prior to 6'#ino8s state $isit to

Canada in May, #ntil days before his final tate of the @ation 6ddressin .#ly, incl#din" a .#ly dinner with all three of

them at the %ahay )an"arap, 6'#ino8s official residence at the Malacaan" )alacecomple; hile *o;as was seen

as 6'#ino8s choice to s#cceed him, another '#estion was who wo#ld be *o;as8 r#nnin" mate, as )oe had earlier said

that she8d rather r#n with Esc#dero as her r#nnin" mate+122-

On .#ly 31, 2015, at an e$ent d#bbed as B6 (atherin" of 7riendsB, *o;as formally accepted the Liberal )arty8s

nomination after he was officially endorsed by )resident %eni"no 6'#ino !!!in the presence of their political allies at

the Cl#b 7ilipino,an .#an, where *o;as had anno#nced his decision to withdraw from the 2010 presidential election

and "i$e way to 6'#ino8s presidential bid 6'#ino also anno#nced his candidacy there on eptember =, 200=+31-

Onthe same day, *o;as formally la#nched his campai"n website

Camio Sa!io[edit]

Camilo abiois the former chairman of the )residential Commission for (ood (o$ernment )C(( who ser$ed

d#rin" the time of former )hilippine president (loria Macapa"al46rroyo, anno#nced his bid to r#n for president in

7ebr#ary 2015 Ae said that fi"htin" po$erty is one of his main priorities if he wins Ae filed his certificate of candidacy

on October 12, 2015+123-

Roy Se"eres[edit]

Main article: !oy Se+eres presidential campaign, 2016

eeres first bared his plan to r#n for the )residency on October 20, 201, d#rin" the la#nch of his *espect o#r

ec#rity of Employment *OE mo$ement in %#t#an+12-Ae reiterated his plan to r#n for )resident in the 2019

presidential election a year later d#rin" a briefin" at the Ao#se of *epresentati$es +125-Ae will r#n #nder the )artido n"

Man""a"awa at Ma"sasa&aand will field a $ice4presidential candidate and a 124man senatorial slate +125-Ae formally

la#nched his presidential bid on October 11, 2015 at theLiwasan" %onifacioin Manila+129-

eeres8 bid was a center of /o&es in both the social media and his fellow con"ressmen who said that eeres isn8t

ready and he has no chance of winnin" the election+12:-
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-117https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Philippine_presidential_election,_2016&action=edit&section=9https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mar_Roxas_presidential_campaign,_2016https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mar_Roxashttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_Drilonhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_Drilonhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal_Party_(Philippines)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal_Party_(Philippines)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mar_Roxashttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-118https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DZIQhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DZIQhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DZIQhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-119https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-119https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-120https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florencio_Abadhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florencio_Abadhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florencio_Abadhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-121https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Escuderohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_the_Nation_Address_(Philippines)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaca%C3%B1ang_Palacehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-122https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benigno_Aquino_IIIhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Club_Filipinohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Juan,_Metro_Manilahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Juan,_Metro_Manilahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-:4-31https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-:4-31https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Philippine_presidential_election,_2016&action=edit&section=10https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camilo_Sabiohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camilo_Sabiohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-123https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Philippine_presidential_election,_2016&action=edit&section=11https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Se%C3%B1eres_presidential_campaign,_2016https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butuanhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-124https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-seneres-2015bid-125https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partido_ng_Manggagawa_at_Magsasakahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partido_ng_Manggagawa_at_Magsasakahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-seneres-2015bid-125https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liwasang_Bonifaciohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liwasang_Bonifaciohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-seneres-2015bid2-126https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-127https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-127https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-117https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Philippine_presidential_election,_2016&action=edit&section=9https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mar_Roxas_presidential_campaign,_2016https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mar_Roxashttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_Drilonhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal_Party_(Philippines)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mar_Roxashttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-118https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DZIQhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-119https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-120https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florencio_Abadhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-121https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_Escuderohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_the_Nation_Address_(Philippines)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaca%C3%B1ang_Palacehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-122https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benigno_Aquino_IIIhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Club_Filipinohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Juan,_Metro_Manilahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-:4-31https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Philippine_presidential_election,_2016&action=edit&section=10https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camilo_Sabiohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-123https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Philippine_presidential_election,_2016&action=edit&section=11https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Se%C3%B1eres_presidential_campaign,_2016https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butuanhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-124https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-seneres-2015bid-125https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partido_ng_Manggagawa_at_Magsasakahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partido_ng_Manggagawa_at_Magsasakahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-seneres-2015bid-125https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liwasang_Bonifaciohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-seneres-2015bid2-126https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-127


7/39

On @o$ember 22, 2015, he la#nched the @ational Aead'#arters of the )artido n" Man""a"awa at Ma"sasa&afor his

presidential campai"n in Las )ias+12


8/39

enator (rin"o Aonasan?nited @ationalist 6lliance denied that he was "oin" to be.e/omar %inay8s r#nnin" mate in

eptember 2015+13heir bid

was la#nched on October 11, 2015 +129-

Bong!ong Marcos[edit]

%on"bon" Marcos

6s&ed on a @o$ember 2012 inter$iew at DH%%on his plans to r#n in 2019, enator %on"bon" Marcos@acionalista

)arty said B@e$er say ne$erB +10-%y March 2015, in another inter$iew, this time at DHMM, he said that he Bwill

thoro#"hly st#dy e$erythin"B

+11-

!n 6#"#st 2015, after reports s#rfaced of him bein".e/omar %inay8s r#nnin" mate,Marcos clarified on an inter$iew at the6%4C%@ @ews Channelthat he is still #ndecided on what position to r#n for,

b#t he wo#ld certainly not be defendin" his enate seat+12-

On October 5, 2015, enator %on"bon" Marcosanno#nced his candidacy for ice )resident of the )hilippinesin

the 2019 election, and wo#ld s#pport the candidacy of *odri"o D#terteif he e$er does r#n+3:-Days later, D#terte

declined Cayetano8s and Marcos8 offers to be their presidential r#nnin" mate

Diego Paomares[edit]

)alomares, a retired /#d"e by profession, anno#nced his candidacy for $ice president as an independent candidate as

o"#ilon8s r#nnin" mate in a "atherin" held inG#eon Cityin October 2015+12=-

Ae filed his certificate of candidacy for$ice president on October 15, 2015 +130-

(osimo Paredes[edit]

7ormer !f#"ao8s Lone District representati$e Hosimo )aredesla#nched his bid for $ice president after he filed his

certificate of candidacy on October 1, 2015+13-

)eni Ro!redo[edit]

Leni *obredo

!n 6#"#st 2015, *epresentati$e from Camarines #r8s third districtLeni *obredoLiberal )arty said that tal& of plans

of her r#nnin" in 2019 is Btoo soonB, and that she8d only r#n if she8s BindispensableB +1-

6fter the initial ob/ections of her da#"hters, *obredo decided to r#n for ice )resident, acceptin" the offers of

)resident 6'#ino and Mar *o;as+15-he officially anno#nced her candidacy for the office on October 5, 2015, at the

Cl#b 7ilipino+39-

#ntonio 'rianes[edit]

6ntonio >rillanes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gringo_Honasanhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nationalist_Alliancehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jejomar_Binayhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jejomar_Binayhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jejomar_Binayhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-138https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-139https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-:8-38https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Philippine_presidential_election,_2016&action=edit&section=17https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partido_ng_Manggagawa_at_Magsasakahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partido_ng_Manggagawa_at_Magsasakahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Se%C3%B1ereshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-seneres-2015bid2-126https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Philippine_presidential_election,_2016&action=edit&section=18https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bongbong_Marcoshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DZBB-AMhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bongbong_Marcoshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bongbong_Marcoshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nacionalista_Partyhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nacionalista_Partyhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-140https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DZMMhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-141https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-141https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jejomar_Binayhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jejomar_Binayhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jejomar_Binayhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ABS-CBN_News_Channelhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ABS-CBN_News_Channelhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-142https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bongbong_Marcoshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bongbong_Marcoshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vice_President_of_the_Philippineshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vice_President_of_the_Philippineshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_general_election,_2016https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodrigo_Dutertehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodrigo_Dutertehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-:7-37https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-:7-37https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Philippine_presidential_election,_2016&action=edit&section=19https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quezon_Cityhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quezon_Cityhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quezon_Cityhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-PGRP-129https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-TG_Guingona_files_COC_for_senator-130https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Philippine_presidential_election,_2016&action=edit&section=20https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Philippine_presidential_election,_2016&action=edit&section=20https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zosimo_Paredeshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-143https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Philippine_presidential_election,_2016&action=edit&section=21https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leni_Robredohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camarines_Surhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camarines_Surhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leni_Robredohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leni_Robredohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leni_Robredohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal_Party_(Philippines)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-144https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mar_Roxashttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mar_Roxashttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-145https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-:6-36https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Philippine_presidential_election,_2016&action=edit&section=22https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Trillaneshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gringo_Honasanhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nationalist_Alliancehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jejomar_Binayhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-138https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-139https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-:8-38https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Philippine_presidential_election,_2016&action=edit&section=17https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partido_ng_Manggagawa_at_Magsasakahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Se%C3%B1ereshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-seneres-2015bid2-126https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Philippine_presidential_election,_2016&action=edit&section=18https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bongbong_Marcoshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DZBB-AMhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bongbong_Marcoshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nacionalista_Partyhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nacionalista_Partyhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-140https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DZMMhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-141https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jejomar_Binayhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ABS-CBN_News_Channelhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-142https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bongbong_Marcoshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vice_President_of_the_Philippineshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_general_election,_2016https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodrigo_Dutertehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-:7-37https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Philippine_presidential_election,_2016&action=edit&section=19https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quezon_Cityhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-PGRP-129https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-TG_Guingona_files_COC_for_senator-130https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Philippine_presidential_election,_2016&action=edit&section=20https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zosimo_Paredeshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-143https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Philippine_presidential_election,_2016&action=edit&section=21https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leni_Robredohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camarines_Surhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leni_Robredohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal_Party_(Philippines)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-144https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mar_Roxashttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-145https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election,_2016#cite_note-:6-36https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Philippine_presidential_election,_2016&action=edit&section=22https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antonio_Trillanes


9/39

!n the news pro"ram Bandila/s May 30, 201 se"ment where a "#est is as&ed to answer only ByesB or Bno,B

enator6ntonio >rillanes !@acionalista )arty was as&ed if he wo#ld r#n for $ice president in 2019 and responded

by sayin" BLets /#st say yes, ! will r#n 6s for what position, ! will abide by the @acionalista )artyB +19-

%y 6#"#st 2015, >rillanes bared his plans of r#nnin" as an independent $ice presidential candidate, sayin" that the

@acionalistas wo#ld not endorse a candidate if more than one of them ran for the $ice presidency >rillanes8 own

"ro#p, Ma"dalo,his bac&in" his $ice presidential bid +1:-

*ecently, in a "eneral assembly of M6(D6LO coalition members, >rillanes, anno#nced he will r#n for $ice president

as an !ndependent, b#t it will s#pport the presidential bid of enator (race )oe+1


10/39

Second, there is an election ban before and after the presidential elections. That would surely slow down spending for

public infrastructure.

Third, a new administration will come to power on 1 July 2016. Historically, public spending would tend to be lower

during the first four quarters of a new administration.

Notorious Underspending

The Aquino administration for the last five years has been known for missing its spending targets.

In 2011, it asked Congress for a budget of P1.711 trillion. It managed to spend only P1.557 billion, or an

underspending of P154 billion.

In 2012, it asked Congress for a budget of P1.854 trillion. It managed to spend only P1.778 trillion or an


In 2013, it asked Congress for a budget of P2.021 trillion. It managed to spend only P1.880 trillion, or an


In 2014, it asked Congress for a budget of P2.281 trillion. It managed to spend only P1.982 billion, or an


That is a total underspending of P670 billion in just four years. This year is not any better. Planned spending from

January to July 2015 was P1.470 trillion. But actual spending was P1.28 trillion, for a colossal underspending of P190

billion in just seven months.

It is not as if the Aquino III administration is meeting its promised outputs and outcomes at less cost. It is simply failing

in meeting its promises to the Filipino people.

The Philippines suffers in comparison with its ASEAN-5 neighbors in terms of public infrastructure. It has the worst

roads, airports, sea ports, most expensive and unreliable power supply and the slowest and most expensive internet

connections among its neighbors.

It has the worst unemployment rates. And it is the poorest in terms of per capita GDP and proportion of poor people

below the poverty line.

So why does it continue to underspend? (A) sheer incompetence; (B) deliberatively bloating the budget request so it

can play around with the artificial savings; (C) poor budget planning by including in the budget projects that are not

implementation-ready; or (D) All of the above.

Budget-Related Challenges

Last year, at around this time, I delivered a privilege speech warning about excesses in pork barrel spending, and

abuses in the utilization of lump- sum appropriations and unprogrammed expenditures.

I rise again to repeat the same warning on the 2016 budget; only the portents are more grave and the threats to ourfinancial stability more serious.


11/39

Aside from underspending, what are the budget-related challenges which confront us in 2016? The most serious

challenge of all is the problem of poverty which continues to rise in spite of our vaunted economic growth.

NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan has reported that among ASEAN countries Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia,

Vietnam, and the Philippines, only our countrys poverty levels continue to rise, while those of other countries have

gone down.

Unemployment and underemployment remain inordinately high. Social Weather Stations reports that 27.6% of those

without jobs are women. Furthermore, 50.2% of the jobless are within the ages of 18-24 years. We are not taking care

of our young jobseekers.

We also face the threats and consequences of accelerated climate change. There will be more storms, typhoons,

earthquakes and floods. We cannot reverse the onslaught of natural disasters. We can only prepare for them.

Still another challenge is the 2016 election. There is no doubt at all that the 2015 and 2016 budgets are prone toelectoral politics. Decisions about fund transfers in the guise of savings are not necessarily for public purposes but

for election-related objectives.

However, the most dangerous threat is the continued presence of PDAF-like allocations and the provisions for lump

sum appropriations in the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) for 2016. This is in open defiance of the Constitution and

the three recent decisions of the Supreme Court on PDAF and DAP.

The entire 2016 Presidents budget is littered with lump-sum appropriations, some nationwide, some region-wide.

Especially lethal are those that would be released upon submission by the agency concerned to the DBM of special

budget(s) detailing the actual project, activity, or program (PAP) and actual amount to be expended, the rationale andpurposes approved by the President.

Every time a lump-sum appropriation exists it potentially means that the original budget approved by Congress, the

general appropriations act, is illegally superseded and replaced by a mechanism created by one department or

agency. This budget within the budget is a pseudo appropriations made without Congressional imprimatur. It

extends to the heads of departments and agencies a power they do not have. By usurping the congressional power of

the purse, it violates the principle of separation of powers.

Call for Congress to Do its Job

During the last five budgets, Congress has dutifully approved the Presidents Budget. What the President wants, hegets. We have forgotten that the Filipino people has vested unto us the power of the purse the power to determine

how their taxes should be allocated. It took the Supreme Court in its unanimous decision on the Disbursement

Acceleration Program (DAP) to remind us that we have a covenant with the Filipino people.

Mr. President, we must use the 2016 budget to deal with these threats and challenges. We do not have to be

subservient to the Executive Department. We have our own mandate and our own responsibility.

I propose the following:

1 Realign !ontestable budget ite"s and lu"p su"s totaling P166# billion to alternati$ee%penditures for so!ial de$elop"ent


12/39

A. A review of the budgets of government agencies identified P58.2 billion in budget items which are contestable.

B. Examination of lump sum appropriations yielded P108.1 billion in contestable allocations.

C. These contestable allocations which exhibit the characteristics of PDAF can be realigned to various socialdevelopment expenditures as proposed by civil society organizations and peoples organizations in the amount of

P155.4 billion.

Mr. President, by taking this bold step, we realign items of expenditures which are PDAF-like. Thus, we protect the

Constitution and respect the Supreme Court decisions. At the same time, we respond to actual needs articulated by

our own people which they have presented in their alternative proposals.

2 Disappro$e so"e ob&e!tionable spe!ial pro$isions that authori'e heads of agen!ies in the(%e!uti$e Bran!h the authorit) to "odif) and realign the progra"s* a!ti$ities* and pro&e!tsas authori'ed b) Congress* through the general appropriations a!t

The General Appropriations Bill contains some special provisions that unconstitutionally and unlawfully authorize the

respective heads of agencies in the Executive Branch not even the President as Head of the Executive Branch to

modify and realign the program, projects or activities after the same has been authorized by Congress through its

enactment of the General Appropriations Act. But realignment, reprioritization, and reallocation are species of transfer

or augmentation prohibited under the Constitution, Article 6, Section 25 (5). Under Section 25 (5), only the specific

officers mentioned are authorized by law to augment any item in the budget for their respective offices from savings in

other items of their respective appropriations.

# Totall) re&e!t the rede+nition of sa$ings ,hi!h e%a!erbates the un!onstitutionalpro$isions of the 201 .// and ,illfull) ignores the three de!isions of the upre"e Court

on PD/ and D/PMr. President, we all know that in 2014, the Supreme Court declared PDAF and DAP as unconstitutional. However,

PDAF-like items are still embedded in the 2016 General Appropriations Bill. This is made justifiable by the redefinition

of savings in the provisions of the bill.

The definition of savings (Sections 65 and 66 of the General Provisions) skirts the Supreme Court ruling (Araullo v.

Aquino, G.R. No. 209287, 1 July 2014) against the DAP. The High Court ruled that savings can be declared only when

there are still funds available after the final discontinuance or abandonment of the project, activity, or program (PAP).

I therefore propose that the definition of savings as reflected in the 2014 GAA and as expounded by the Supreme

Court be incorporated in the 2016 GAA, in lieu of the present definition in the 2016 GAB.

Prior to 2014, past administrations have lived under such definition of savings. The 2015 and 2016 formulations of

savings were meant to circumvent the Supreme Court decision on the DAP. Congress should not be a party to this

attempt to defy the High Court.

Balances of appropriations arising from unused compensation and related costs cannot, and should not be considered

savings, because it might create perverse fiscal behavior. The agency head may choose not to hire personnel

(teachers, policemen, judges, etc.) when public interest require that they should, presumably so they can create

savings within his/her agency. It may also create incentives for the Budget secretary to overestimate the personnel

requirements so he can generate savings that later can be used to augment other items in the budget. It should benoted that the proposed 2016 budget request a huge P92.258 billion for the lump-sum Miscellaneous Personnel


13/39

Benefits Fund. It would be good budget practice not to treat balances of appropriations from lump-sum funds

(Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund, the National Disaster and Risk Reduction and Management Fund (P38.896

billion), the Pension and Gratuity Fund (P113.977 billion) as savings.

Mr. President, we are facing difficult challenges. If we allow the trend of PDAF and DAP abuse to continue we will be

neglecting our duty to respond to the articulated needs of our people. We will be abandoning our oath to defend the

Constitution.

Delete e!tion 63 of the ./B or 4ouse Bill No 61#2 /ug"entation fro" sa$ings*appropriatel) de+ned* is allo,ed in the Constitution under $er) restri!ti$e

!onditionsRealignment is not contemplated in the Constitution. It violates the Supreme Court decision on the

DAP.

Limit, rather than expand, the scope of the power to augment. If there are new projects that need to be funded, there

is always the budget for the next fiscal year. If it is extremely necessary (like in the Mt. Pinatubo eruption or other

serious calamities), the President has the option to submit a supplemental budget.

Let us all join hands in making the 2016 budget an inclusive instrument for serving our people and for upholding the

Constitution!

Voting 15-1-3, senators on Tuesday adopted Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiagos resolution expressing the strong sense

of the Senate that, absent their concurrence, the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) is a treaty

prohibited under the Constitution.

Besides Santiago, those who voted in favor of the resolution were Senators Sonny Angara, Nancy Binay, JV Ejercito,

Chiz Escudero, TG Guingona, Lito Lapid, Loren Legarda, Bongbong Marcos, Serge Osmea, Koko Pimentel, Grace

Poe, Ralph Recto, and Cynthia Villar.

The 15th vote came from Sen. Pia Cayetano, who was not at the session hall during the vote, but later manifested that

she is voting in the affirmative.

Plenary approval formalizes Senate Resolution No. 1414 as the Senates position on the question of the validity and

effectivity of the EDCA, on which the Supreme Court is allegedly set to decide before U.S. President Barack Obama

visits Manila.

Only Sen. Sonny Trillanes voted against the resolution, deferring to the Supreme Court. Under the same premise,

Senate President Frank Drilon and Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile abstained. Sen. Bam Aquino, who was not in session

during the vote, later manifested his abstention.

In her sponsorship speech, Santiago, chair of the Senate committee on foreign relations, argued that the EDCA

belongs to the category of prohibited treaty, namely, it is a treaty of foreign military bases, troops, or facilities without

the concurrence of the Senate.

The Resolution that we will approve is Constitutional Law. The strong sense of the Senate that it embodies is a

confirmation of its supremacy over any self-serving speculation that is forced subjectively on the Constitution, the

senator said.


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Santiago, the foremost constitutional expert in the Senate, insisted that other than concurrence of the Senate, no

authority expressly transforms a treaty into law. She cited the Treaty Clause of the Constitution, Article 7, Section 21,

which states that:

No treaty or international agreement shall be valid and effective unless concurred in by at least two-thirds of all the

Members of the Senate.

The senator added that the need for Senate concurrence was made an integral part of the nature of a special kind of

treatythat which involves foreign military bases, troops, or facilitiesby the Constitution, Article 18, Section 25:

. foreign military bases, troops, or facilities shall not be allowed in the Philippines except under a treaty duly

concurred in by the Senate. and recognized as a treaty by the other contracting State. (Emphasis added)

Santiago said the EDCA falls under this prohibition, as it had substantive provisions on the establishment, location,

stationing of the U.S. military forces and storage of military facilities in Philippine territory.

That such a prohibited treaty has been concluded by the Executive Department as an executive agreement testifies

to its inherently prohibitory nature under the Constitution, the senator said.

She further claimed that the prohibitory character of Article 18, Section 25 trumps Article 8, Section 4(2), which

Macalaang uses to defend the EDCA as an executive agreement. The Constitution, Article 8, Section 4(2), states

that:

All cases involving the constitutionality of a treaty, international or executive agreement, or law, which shall be heard

by the Supreme Court en banc. shall be decided with the concurrence of a majority of the Members who actually

took part in the deliberations on the issues in the case and voted thereon.

On the remote assumption that this provision may be applicable to a case involving the constitutionality of a treaty or

executive agreement, it must exclude from its applicability the prohibited treaty as described in the Constitution, Article

18, Section 25, Santiago said.

The Senate statement on EDCA comes a week before U.S. President Barack Obamas expected arrival in the

Philippines for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meet on November 18 and 19, along with heads of

state of other APEC members.

We begin with the confidence that Senate Resolution No. 1414 is an expression of Constitution Law on the matter of

critical importance to the integrity of the Senate and the honor of this Republic, Santiago said.

The senator added that she hopes the Supreme Court, to which she sent a copy of the proposed resolution in June,

will consider the strong statement from the Senate with decisive concern.

MIRIAM WANTS LAGLAG-BALA SCAM PROBED

OCTOBER 30, 2015LEAVE A COMMENT
http://miriam.com.ph/newsblog/2015/10/30/miriam-wants-laglag-bala-scam-probed/http://miriam.com.ph/newsblog/2015/10/30/miriam-wants-laglag-bala-scam-probed/#respondhttp://miriam.com.ph/newsblog/2015/10/30/miriam-wants-laglag-bala-scam-probed/http://miriam.com.ph/newsblog/2015/10/30/miriam-wants-laglag-bala-scam-probed/#respond


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Responding to anonline petition signed by some 12,000 netizens,Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago on Friday urged

her colleagues to investigate the laglag-bala scandal at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, which victimizes

overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

Santiago has filed Senate Resolution No. 1635 amid reports that airport security personnel are involved in an

extortion scam wherein bullets are planted in the luggage of passengers, who are later asked huge amounts of cash

under threat of lawsuit.

The reports highlight how corruption defeats the purpose of law enforcement. Second, they raise a legitimate

question on the implementation of the law on the illegal possession of ammunition. Finally, they underline inaction on

the part of government, the senator said.

The media has so far reported six cases using the modus operandi. The latest victims are Gloria Orrinez, an OFW

bound for Hong Kong, and Japanese national Kazunobu Sakamoto, who were both arrested on October 25. Only

Sakamoto was able to post bail for P80,000.

The perpetrators of the alleged scam are brazen, perhaps because they know they will not be punished. We must

prove them wrong, Santiago said inresponse to the signature campaign on online petition platform Change.org.

The petition was launched by Ednalyn Purugganan, an OFW in Hong Kong. Lahat kami ang pinakaasam-asam ang

makauwi sa Pilipinas kahit panandalian lang.Makakauwi pa ba kami nang walang takot na baka sa kulungan ang

bagsak namin? Purugganan said in her open letter.

Santiago condemned how the extortion scam targets OFWs who see airports as their connection to home. Wrongly

accusing OFWs of a crime and forcing them to pay huge amounts of cash is not the way to repay those whom we call

our modern-day heroes, the senator said.

She added that the scandal might impact Philippine tourism, a major job-generating industry, by sowing fear among

foreigners using Philippine airports and eroding public trust in law enforcers.

In her resolution, Santiago said the Senate should consider creating a task force that will investigate alleged illicit

activity of state agents, recommend sanctions against those involved, and put in place mechanisms that will deter

similar schemes.

We in Congress must also ensure that Republic Act No. 10591, otherwise known as the Comprehensive Firearms

and Ammunition Act, is, on the one hand, properly implemented and, on the other, not abused by enforcers of the

law, the senator added.

MIRIAM FACES BUSINESSMEN, BARES PLANS

OCTOBER 27, 2015LEAVE A COMMENT(Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago#s statements d$ring t%e &%i'iine %amber of ommerce and*nd$stries &residentia' +or$m 2, -ctober 2!" Marriott /rand Ba''room &asay ity)

My administration will bequeath to the next President a better and stronger nation than what I will inherit from this

administration. In 2022, I will turnover to my successor a nation that is more prosperous, a people more united and

prouder of their leaders, and political institutions that are more stable.

I commit to invest in people, in public infrastructure and in political institutions.
https://www.change.org/p/sengracepoe-senmiriam-hanapin-ang-katotohan-imbestigahan-pigilan-ang-laglag-bala-modus-sa-naiahttps://www.change.org/p/sengracepoe-senmiriam-hanapin-ang-katotohan-imbestigahan-pigilan-ang-laglag-bala-modus-sa-naiahttps://www.change.org/p/sengracepoe-senmiriam-hanapin-ang-katotohan-imbestigahan-pigilan-ang-laglag-bala-modus-sa-naia/responses/31090http://miriam.com.ph/newsblog/2015/10/27/miriam-faces-businessmen-bares-plans/http://miriam.com.ph/newsblog/2015/10/27/miriam-faces-businessmen-bares-plans/#respondhttps://www.change.org/p/sengracepoe-senmiriam-hanapin-ang-katotohan-imbestigahan-pigilan-ang-laglag-bala-modus-sa-naiahttps://www.change.org/p/sengracepoe-senmiriam-hanapin-ang-katotohan-imbestigahan-pigilan-ang-laglag-bala-modus-sa-naia/responses/31090http://miriam.com.ph/newsblog/2015/10/27/miriam-faces-businessmen-bares-plans/http://miriam.com.ph/newsblog/2015/10/27/miriam-faces-businessmen-bares-plans/#respond


16/39

I commit that the Philippine economy will grow faster than ever before, that it will be truly inclusive by making sure that

real incomes of workers will increase over time.

We will achieve the goal of higher and sustained economic growth by investing heavily in public infrastructure. Our

roads, bridges, urban transit systems, airports and seaports are crumbling. We need to build them up at par with, if

not better than, our ASEAN neighbors.

We need to prepare our people for a more modern, more competitive global economy. We need to educate them, take

care of their health, and feed them so they will become productive members of a growing work force. Only by investing

in people can we truly make growth inclusive. Only if the young are educated and healthy can they benefit from

growing economic prosperity.

We will continue to support the Conditional Cash Transfer Program but we will plug the programs leakages. We will

also reduce the cost of running the program by involving local authorities in implementing it.

We need a vibrant and more productive agriculture hand in hand with a strong manufacturing. So we have to invest in

agriculture productivity enhancing projects irrigation, farm-to-market roads, water impounding facilities, post-harvest

facilities, new seed varieties and research and development.

We will invest in political institutions. Its been thirty years since we restored democracy in the Philippines. Yet, political

institutions remain shaky. There exist no stable political parties in the real sense of the word. The Filipino people

cannot hold accountable a political party for the mistakes of its candidates because it disappears as soon as the

offending elected official leave office. This has to be corrected by passing a law authorizing the use of public funds to

support dominant political parties.

I will support the recent Supreme Court decisions on PDAF and the DAP. They espouse the appropriate roles of the

President and Congress in the use of public funds. The decisions ought to be supported not resisted.

When elected, my first act is to have the Freedom of Information Act (FOI) enacted into law. This is an important tool

to promote public accountability.

I will restore meritocracy in government. Political parasites, incompetents, and unproductive workers will have no place

in my administration.

I will recruit the best, the most competent, the most experienced, the most honest men and women to assist me run

my administration.

The Filipino people will feel secure under my administration. They will feel secure at home, on the streets and their

place of work. My administration will aggressively fight the war against illegal drugs that proliferate in most cities and

towns in the country.

We will run the governments finances responsively. First, we will reform the 19-year old tax system, making it fairer,

more responsive to changes in the economy, simpler to administer, and in sync with our ASEAN-5 competitors.


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Second, we will right-size government. We will start by conducting a swift review of ALL programs and projects of

government. A Task Force will be created for each major department as soon as we get elected. We will hit the ground

running on Day One (July 1st 2016). But there will be no slowdown in government operations.

Third, we will keep government deficits manageable by keeping it below three percent of gross domestic product

(GDP), even as we aggressively build public infrastructure.

5n her health

I had just filed my certificate of candidacy at the Commission on Elections and someone wrote an open letter that

says, If youre really healthy, if youre really free from cancer, why dont you show all your medical records to the entire

public? I ask you: Have you seen a provision in the Constitution requiring a candidate to show medical records?

Theres no such thing.

But, assuming, for the sake of argument that these records exist and I am willing to turn them over, although with all

the concomitant burdensfirst, the financial burden; pangalawa, kakalat nang kakalat iyan hanggang sa hindi na

natin alam kung alin diyan ang totoo; at pangatlo, para maintindihan ninyo, hindi papayag ang ospital na maglabas ng

medical records kung hindi papayag ang pasyenteano naman ang karapatan ng isang tao na naglalakad diyan sa

kalye, at bigla na lang siyang tatanungin, May medical records ka ba? Kasi mukha kang taong may medical records

eh. Papayag ba kayo?

Isa pa, bakit ang aking medical records magiging paksa ng usapan natin tungkol sa pulitika? Ang pulitika ay tungkol

sa peace and order. Ngayon, pilit ako na dinadala sa pulitika. Kapag inilabas ko ang lahat ng medical records ko, hindi

na ang well-being ng ating bansa ang pag-uusapan kundi ang well-being ng aking mga kalaban sa pulitika. Kaya,

umpisa na lang, ayaw ko dahil, una wala ito sa batas, at, pangalawa, wala itong maidudulot na kagandahan sa ating

gobyerno.

Ako ang nagka-cancer, ako mismo ang nagsabing nagka-cancer ako, at ako mismo ang nagsabi na doon ako sa St.

Lukes Global City nagpagamot. Ako rin mismo ang nagsabi na ang doktor ko, ang dating Health Sec. Esperanza

Cabral, oncologist si Dr. Gary Lorenzo, pulmonologist si Dr. Ruth Divinagracia.

Sabi wag ako iboto dahil maari akong mamatay. Kung ganoon pala ang ikinakampanya nila, eh ngayon pa lang maari

akong mamatay! Puwede ako masagasaan ng bus o jeep diyan sa labas. Gusto lang nila ako siraan! Besides, cant

you see me? Cant you see that I can stand straight and I can look you in the eye? What else do you want? Why are

you so nasty? What government do you want to grow into if this is your attitude? Magtulungan tayo. Lets have a

sense of shared destiny, not shared destruction. Yan ang problema sa Pilipinas eh.

5n running alongside en ar!os

Its not my function to defend [Sen. Marcos]. He should defend himself. I think he is capable of defending himself. He

is perfectly capable of intellectualizing the situation he is in.

He was my student at the U.P. College of Law. I saw Mr. Marcos in class as more than an average student. As his

former professor, I just think he does not devote enough time to his homework. He dropped out of class.

I have not seen prima facie evidence that he killed someone, raped someone, or burned a house, that he violated the

Penal Code. Wala namang alegasyon na siya mismo gumawa. Noong Martial Law, maliit pa lang siyang bata.


18/39

There is no allegation that he himself sinned against his neighbor. We are going against what the Bible said: The sins

of the father should not be visited upon the son. I am a church-going Catholic. I weighed these matters very carefully,

I assure you. I wrote an entire book on theology and religion, and thats my humble conclusion.

Bigyan natin siya ng pagkakataon dahil nanalo naman na siyang senador. Nanalo siyaibig sabihin the greater

majority do not have opposition to his being a public servant.

5n en ar!os !o$ering up for ar!os !ri"es

Thats possible. In fact, the voting might show that it is likely. But unless I see prima facie evidence, I cannot be guided

by thoughts that are negative against a fellow man. We cannot punish someone on the basis of suspicion. I cant

support that as a lawyer.

5n !usto"s ad"inistration

I understand the present system is chaotic. The many legislation and issuances affecting customs and tariffs have to

be codified in one document and it has to be updated in the light of recent trade agreements. Hence, we need this Act.

Let us not have the illusion that the approval of this Act is a magic bullet that will solve the corruption at the Bureau of

Customs. The solution there is to appoint a few good men to run BOC and for Malacanang to stop meddling with

BOC. Corruption at the BOC will cease only if not tolerated by Palace officials.

5n ta% refor"s

The Philippine tax system is 20 years old. It needs to be overhauled. But major tax reforms are best done at the start

of each administration when the President has the clear mandate from the voters. I promise to reform it within six (6)

months of my administration.

The objectives of the reform are: (a) to make the tax system in sync with its ASEAN-5 competitors; (b) to make it

administratively simple (c) to make it fairer; and (d) make it responsive and higher yielding in order to finance the

increasing needs of a growing economy.

There will be a lot of benchmarking with other ASEAN-5 peers. For the first three years, my administration will aim to

shoot for the average number of steps. On years four to six we should try to be better than our ASEAN-5 neighbors.

Cutting red tape at the local government level will be my top priority. Well performing local government units (LGUs)

will be rewarded with additional intergovernmental grants.

Regulations at the Bureau of Customs and the regulatory bodies (ERC, SEC, BSP, DENR, and others) will be reduceddrastically.

5n infrastru!ture in$est"ent

The Philippine government should set aside at least 5% of its resources for public infrastructure for it to catch up with

its ASEAN-5 neighbors and to sustain strong growth. Its poor public infrastructure is a major constraint to growth.

Among the major projects are the following:

A modern, international airport

An entirely new railway system from Manila to Sorsogon


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A modern, integrated urban transit system in Metro Manila with lines reaching urban communities in

Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite and Laguna

One mixed-use government center (with adjacent residential, commercial, and entertainment

facilities) in the National Capital Region

One mixed-use government center (with adjacent residential, commercial and entertainment

facilities) in each of the 17 regions.

One major project per region for the 17 regions

One major project per province (81 provinces)

For maximum impact and in response to the greater sense of urgency, these projects will be done simultaneously.

Some will be done on pure PPP, some hybrid type (government will finance the construction and then will bid out the

management and maintenance of the project after construction), and some by government through the usual public

procurement procedure. In order to make the facilities affordable to citizens, the government will not require a

premium from winning contractors.

In fact, in some cases, because of external benefits such as reduced traffic, lower pollution, etc., government subsidy

maybe allowed in some of these public infrastructure projects.

On the financing side, we estimate that we have to allocate an enormous amount ranging from P819 billion in 2017 to

P1.3 trillion in 2022. But we cannot build modern infrastructure on the basis of promises alone. It will have to be

financed through better tax administration, tax policy reform, and government borrowings.

5n e!ono"i! liberali'ation

The first best solution is to amend the restrictive provisions in the Philippine Constitution which have discouraged the

entry of foreign investors into the country. Compared to its ASEAN-6 counterparts, the Philippines has attracted the

least Foreign Direct Investments. That is proof enough that we are lagging behind.

[Speaker Feliciano Belmontes] proposal is to amend [the provision on foreign ownership] not by amending the

Constitution, but by adding certain provisions there: the phrase as the law might provide. So he is calling for an

amendment to the Constitution, but in another way. I dont know if the young people in this country would agree to that

proposal, because it places the Constitution at the mercy of politicians. I dont know if the young people today wish for

our Constitution to be dictated to by foreigners. All of these have to be studied, possibly by means of a referendum.

First of all, we have to look at the figures for Foreign Direct Investments. If the figure is rising, then we are doing

something right. If not, then there is something we are not doing that some countries have already done. I would say

that these will become a subject matter between lawyers who specialize in comparative lawin that way, we will

realize, or I hope manage, to make a conclusion on how they were able to increase Foreign Direct Investments in the

country.

inal state"ent

The Freedom of Information bill deserves to be passed first if only to enhance transparency and public accountability.

The posting of information on the official websites is not a substitute for the FOI bill. What is posted on the website is

discretionary. The administrator chooses what information to disclose and what to suppress. With the FOI, concerned

parties can ask specific information from department secretaries or agency heads, and the latter are duty bound to

comply. That is what the public wants. That is what enhances transparency and accountabilitynot the selectiveposting of public information.


20/39

Ladies and gentlemen, come, join hands together, and let us face the future without flinching and with full faith and

confidence that God will be our guide in our country.

(0ranscrit of Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago#s seec% at %er 1.&. Ba%ay ng '$mni meet and greet 26-ctober 2!")

Allow me to introduce myself. I am the person who is seeking to run for public office next year, but because of this, atleast one person on the Internet has voiced her urgent wish that I should die before six years. It is up to you whether

to accommodate the macabre wishes of that person.

But as for me, I tell you today: I have passed through the hardest of all physical trepidations and hardships known to

man. Cancer is not an easy disease to have. Still, thereafter, I decided, after consultation with my panel of doctors

from St. Lukes [Medical Center], that it should be up to me to decide whether or not I should campaign for president

again.

My answer is this: Do you want a clean government? Do you want a courageous government? Do you want a

government of, by, and for academic excellence? If that is the case, do you want me?

Alam mo, napansin ko sa Senado, hindi naman pala mahirap na ipunin ang pera ng gobyerno. Ang problema sa

bansa nating ito, ang magsasalita, iyun din ang magnanakaw. Pangalawa, pag nagsasalita sila na kunwari laban sila

sa graft and corruption, mali-mali pa ang English nila. At pangatlo, ninanakaw nila ang pera ng gobyerno para pag

nakuha nila lahat ng pera, ibibili ulit nila ng boto ng taong bayan, nang sa gayon, wala nang katapusan ang

pagnanakaw ng pera ng taumbayan. This must stop.

Kaya susubukan at susubukan ko pa rin ang lahat ng magagawa ko, [kahit na] tumatanda na ako.

(ro3d4 5asama mo ami7)

Kasama mo ako? Hindi mo lang alam ang ugali ko.

Basta ako, isisige ko at isisige itong ating laban sa ating bansa. Nag-eskwela ako sa America, nag-eskwela ako sa

England. Kung saan-saan ako nag-eskwela. Hindi ako tatanggap na matatalo ako ng anumang bansa. Tayo ang

magaling. Filipinos, believe in yourself. Have faith in the Filipino.

For, as poetry says, It matters not how straight the gate, how charged with punishment the scroll. I am the master of

my fate, I am the captain of my soul. Come and join me, and thank you very much for becoming the captain of your

soul. Thank you.

11 SENATORS BACK MIRIAMS BBL REPORT

MAY 27, 2015LEAVE A COMMENT

Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago on Wednesday announced that at least 11 other senators are supporting the view that

the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) should substantially be revised if it is to withstand legal scrutiny before the

Supreme Court.

An overwhelming majority of the 14-member Senate committee on constitutional amendments and revision of codes

signed the report Santiago, as chair, transmitted to the committee on local government, the primary committee

contemplating the BBL.
http://miriam.com.ph/newsblog/2015/05/27/11-senators-back-miriams-bbl-report/http://miriam.com.ph/newsblog/2015/05/27/11-senators-back-miriams-bbl-report/#respondhttp://miriam.com.ph/newsblog/2015/05/27/11-senators-back-miriams-bbl-report/http://miriam.com.ph/newsblog/2015/05/27/11-senators-back-miriams-bbl-report/#respond


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Aside from Santiago, senators who signed the report were committee vice chair Koko Pimentel, acting minority leader

Tito Sotto, and committee members Sonny Angara, Jinggoy Estrada, TG Guingona, Gringo Honasan, Lito Lapid,

Bongbong Marcos, and Cynthia Villar.

Senate president pro tempore Ralph Recto and Senate majority leader Alan Peter Cayetano, ex-officio members, also

expressed their support for the report. This brings the total number of senators who signed the committee report to 12.

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, another vice chair of the committee, is out of the country and had no chance to review the

report. Senate minority leader Juan Ponce Enrile, an ex-officio member, did not sign because he has not studied the

matter fully, his staff said.

By affixing their signatures in the committee report, senators are agreeing with the conclusion that the present BBL

draft is essentially unconstitutional. I expect that more of my colleagues will adopt the same view on the Senate floor,

Santiago said.

The senator in her committee report claimed that if approved in its present form, the draft BBL will be challenged in

the Supreme Court for doubts on its constitutionality, particularly on issues of sovereignty, autonomy, the creation of a

sub-state, and territorial integrity.

The Bangsamoro Basic Law has much merit, but its promulgation requires constitutional amendment or revision;

mere legislation will not suffice, and will spark Supreme Court litigation, said the report, which was released to the

media last week.

To produce the report, Santiagos committee conducted two public hearings on the BBL. Resource persons included

presidential adviser on the peace process Teresita Quintos Deles, government chief negotiator Miriam Coronel Ferrer,and Moro Islamic Liberation Front leaders.

Santiago, considered the foremost constitutional expert in the Senate, also sought the opinion of former Supreme

Court Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban; former Justices Florentino Feliciano and Vicente Mendoza; former UP Law

Dean Merlin Magallona; and other experts.

The Santiago committee findings will either be consolidated with the reports of the committee on local government

and the committee on peace, unification, and reconciliation, or adopted as an individual report. Either way, it is

expected to form the basis of plenary debates.

The Palace hopes to pass the controversial measure before Congress adjourns sine die on June 10. At the House of

Representatives, a BBL draft perceived to be the Malacaang version has hurdled the ad hoc committee and

committee on ways and means.

The Senate is not as keen to rush approval, with the Marcos-led committee on local government slating a final hearing

on June 3. After committee deliberations, the bill will enter a potentially grueling period of amendments, before being

subjected to a plenary vote.


22/39


23/39

Despite bein" raised Catholic, he was tho#"ht to ha$e c#rsed)ope 7rancisfor thepontiff8s $isitto the )hilippinesin

.an#ary 2015 beca#se it ca#sed a traffic /amAe immediately then apolo"ied thro#"h the media sayin" he wasn8t

8c#rsin"8 the )ope b#t the "o$ernment8s way of preparin" the )ope8s $isit +:=-D#terte later re$ealed that he was one of

the many st#dents who was se;#ally ab#sed by a priest from his pre$io#s school, 6teneo de Da$ao ?ni$ersity

6dD? d#rin" circa late 1=50s+he "ro#p, which called itself Mindanao Co#ncil of Leaders, made their position p#blic after an

informal ca#c#s )resent d#rin" the said meetin" were %#&idnon(o$ernor .ose Maria H#biri, former Ca"ayan de

Oromayors *e#ben Canoy and icente Emano, former Hamboan"a del @ortecon"ressman *omeo .alos/os, and

former Da$ao del @orterepresentati$e )antaleon 6l$are
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Churchhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pejorativehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Francishttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Francishttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Francishttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Francis'_visit_to_the_Philippineshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Francis'_visit_to_the_Philippineshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Francis'_visit_to_the_Philippineshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippineshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippineshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_jamhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_jamhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodrigo_Duterte#cite_note-79https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodrigo_Duterte#cite_note-79https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodrigo_Duterte#cite_note-80https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodrigo_Duterte#cite_note-80https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Bishops'_Conference_of_the_Philippineshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Bishops'_Conference_of_the_Philippineshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Bishops'_Conference_of_the_Philippineshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodrigo_Duterte#cite_note-81https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_of_Jesushttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_of_Jesushttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeleshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Sacramentohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodrigo_Duterte#cite_note-82https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodrigo_Duterte#cite_note-82https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodrigo_Duterte#cite_note-82https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodrigo_Duterte#cite_note-83https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodrigo_Duterte#cite_note-83https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholic_Archdiocese_of_Davaohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholic_Archdiocese_of_Davaohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vatican_Cityhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vatican_Cityhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodrigo_Duterte#cite_note-84https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodrigo_Duterte#cite_note-84https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thromboangiitis_obliteranshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodrigo_Duterte#cite_note-85https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rodrigo_Duterte&action=edit&section=6&editintro=Template:BLP_editintrohttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rodrigo_Duterte&action=edit&section=6&editintro=Template:BLP_editintrohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federalism_in_the_Philippineshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fidel_V._Ramoshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fidel_V._Ramoshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ateneo_de_Davao_Universityhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ateneo_de_Davao_Universityhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federalism_in_the_Philippineshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federalism_in_the_Philippineshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federalism_in_the_Philippineshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bukidnonhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cagayan_de_Orohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cagayan_de_Orohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zamboanga_del_Nortehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davao_del_Nortehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Churchhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pejorativehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Francishttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Francis'_visit_to_the_Philippineshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippineshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_jamhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodrigo_Duterte#cite_note-79https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodrigo_Duterte#cite_note-80https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Bishops'_Conference_of_the_Philippineshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Bishops'_Conference_of_the_Philippineshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodrigo_Duterte#cite_note-81https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_of_Jesushttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeleshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholic_Diocese_of_Sacramentohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodrigo_Duterte#cite_note-82https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodrigo_Duterte#cite_note-83https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholic_Archdiocese_of_Davaohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholic_Archdiocese_of_Davaohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vatican_Cityhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodrigo_Duterte#cite_note-84https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thromboangiitis_obliteranshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodrigo_Duterte#cite_note-85https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rodrigo_Duterte&action=edit&section=6&editintro=Template:BLP_editintrohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federalism_in_the_Philippineshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fidel_V._Ramoshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ateneo_de_Davao_Universityhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ateneo_de_Davao_Universityhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federalism_in_the_Philippineshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federalism_in_the_Philippineshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bukidnonhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cagayan_de_Orohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cagayan_de_Orohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zamboanga_del_Nortehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davao_del_Norte


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6 month later, D#terte was inCeb# Cityand met with Ceb# officials >he e$ent was sponsored by the 7ederal

Mo$ement for a %etter )hilippines and coincided with the ind#ction of its new set of officers held at the acred Aeart

Center in Ceb# City+

)a*s[edit]

>hro#"h the s#pport of D#terte, the City Co#ncil amended the ordinance no 192:, eries of 1==,

which imposed a prohibition on sellin", ser$in", drin&in" and cons#mption of li'#ors and alcoholic be$era"es from

1K00 am #ntil


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It is likewise unthinkable that in a country surrounded by water, fish is unaffordable to the poorest of our poor. And

vegetables are priced so high that the diet of the poor is simply rice and more rice, Duterte explained why having food

security must be a major priority.

The mayor said the government should spend on agricultural research to help farmers produce more at a lesser cost.

Given the geographic advantages of Mindanao, its fertile plains and abundant water sources if adequately

developed can feed Luzon and Visayas, according to Duterte.

Duterte lamented the current status of farmers who benefited from agrarian reform.

Kasi ngayon, pagkatapos na binigyan mo ng 2 hectares ang landless, bahala na siya sa buhay niya, Duterte said.

(With the way things are now, the government does not care about the landless after giving them 2 hectares of land.)

He explained that there should be a more proactive approach to provide with incentives the private sectors corporate

social responsibility. This will help farmers manage their lands.

The next administration should also tap the idle manpower in the countryside to build roads and dig irrigation canals to

boost the income of the poorest.

On the business side

Davao City prides itself with the 72-hour-limit for acquiring business permits, such that failure on the part of the local

government to do so would merit having to directly explain to the mayor himself reasons for such.

Duterte said the government should let businesses flourish by making it easy to do business, with government

providing utmost transparency and accountability.

In terms of laws, he said he plans to prioritize the Freedom of Information bill if he runs and wins in 2016.

In addition, he would also prioritize effective public transportation such as trains, railways and the renovation of

airports.

Duterte recounted an agreement he made with businessmen when he first won as Davao Citys mayor in 1988: he will

take care of the peace and order, as well as provide for the basic services, while the business group will take care of

the business sector and invite more investors into the city.

He added that these improvements should have all been done decades ago but refrained from blaming others.

You are business executives. You cannot go to your board of dire

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