Contact Details

Rm. N-411, House of Representatives, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines
+63 2 931 5497, +63 2 931 5001 local 7370

Press Statements

The families of the disappeared together with other human rights defenders (HRDs) capped the International Week of the Disappeared flying kites at the Quezon Memorial Circle on Sunday.

In a statement, Albay Rep. Edcel C. Lagman, Honorary Chairperson of the Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearance (FIND), said that, “The soaring kites signify sustaining the struggle for the causes fought for by the disappeared.”

“Vilification, intimidation, reprisal, and false labeling of HRDs will not cow them to submission,” he added.

Press Statements

The principal aspirants for Speaker are all pledging unequivocal support for the President’s legislative agenda, irrespective of its merit or people’s acceptability.

Since they all belong to the same Duterte mold, not one of them in the event of not being anointed by the President or after losing in the Speakership derby can qualify as Minority Leader who should not be beholden to President Duterte or the supermajority.

Press Statements

The example of the ruling PDP-Laban of choosing a single candidate for Speaker among its aspiring members should be followed by the other parties in the supermajority coalition.

The parties belonging to the administration must then ultimately field a common candidate for Speaker since all of the administration aspirants have vowed to pursue the legislative agenda of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Press Statements

Opposition to Con-Ass and Federalism must relentlessly continue. This resistance must carry over to the incoming 18th Congress.

A strong argument, if not the strongest, against constituting the House of Representatives and the Senate into a constituent assembly is that the supermajority solons will convert the constituent assembly into a virtual rubberstamp of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Press Statements

The Senate must also reject the amendments to the Public Service Act, which allows aliens and foreign corporations to own and operate public utilities previously reserved for Filipino citizens or corporations.

A prior constitutional amendment is necessary and indispensable.

HB 5828 ostensibly provides for a statutory definition of a public utility but is actually a subterfuge to allow foreigners to own public utility enterprises without complying with the citizenship requirement imposed by the Constitution.