Press Release
January 21, 2009

Transcript of Press Briefing of Senator Juan Miguel F. Zubiri

Rent control law

We would have wanted for the HUDCC sana who will take charge of the said law. However, the HUDCC does not have enforcement powers. So we crafted the measure in such a way na pwede po nilang dalhin ito sa court of law, sa RTC or municipal trial court. At pwede na pong desisyunan sa lower courts ngayun. And I think that would be easier and quicker than bringing it to HUDCC all the way to Metro Manila or the regional offices.

I'm looking at probably increasing the penalties dahil ang penalties ay napakababa. Ito'y 5000 pesos to not more than 15 thousand pesos and imprisonment of not less than one month but not more than six months. I think dapat siguro taas-taasan natin ang penalty . Probably, from 50 thousand pesos but not more than 100 thousand pesos. Para sa ganun ay matakot ang mga mang- aabuso sa batas na ito.

Yung imprisonment would still be the same.

Kung ang kontrata mu ay natapos ng dec. 31 pwede na po yun. Pero ang kontrata nila ay up to may, april, march, then they are still protected up to that period. Kaya gusto po namin itong tapusin kaagad para sa ganun pasok pa rin sila sa rent control law.

Sa tulong po ni Chairman Biazon baka matapos po ito next week magkaroon tayo committee report by first week of February. By the month of feb. siguro matatapos na po namin ito depende pa rin sa House of Representatives. Dapat may counterpart measure sa House. I heard tatapusin din nila agad ang House version. Pero sa Senate, especially if the Honorable Chairman will allow me to sponsor it on the floor, ipaprioritize ko po ito.

Bakit napabayaan?

Naifile ko siya on November, but because of the leadership change, nawala po ako sa chairmanship ng housing tapos nagkaroon ng lapse nang matagal kasi pinag-uusapan pa ang chairmanship ng committees. It was only before the break na nagkaroon uli ng chairman ang housing committee.

Pwede naman nating gawin retroactive, because if we pass the law that says jan. 1 , 2009 to jan. 1, 2011 that basically becomes retroactive. Meaning all those contracts increased during this period then the lessee can again go back to the owners , and say may batas. The law will have a retroactive effect because the amendment to the bill is jan. 1, 2009.

Im in favor of leaving it to the HUDCC para wala na pong ganitong klaseng apprehension and anxiety. This is my third measure that I passed in filing for the rent control. We approved it year 2000. 5 years ago. Pagdating nung 2005, we approved it for 3 years. Dati sabi nila wala na yan, market forces na (dahil) maganda na ekonomiya.

We can never tell. I personally feel na dapat siguro ibigay na iyan sa HUDCC in terms of a law. Mayrun na tayong permanent na batas pero sila na lang magdedesisyun kung sino ang kasama dito at kung gaano katagal. Maybe 2020 everybody has the same income pay as the people of Singapore or First World countries hindi na po natin kailangan gawin ito, pwede na po natin mahinto na at that time.

Hindi lang naman ito para lamang sa low-cost, low-income and marginalized income earners. Ito ay dapat din para sa middle income at govt employees. Malaking tulong ang rent control.

Other matters.

Tatapusin po ang budget ngayung araw na ito. So ibibigay for ratification ang budget by 3pm so yun ang priority sa agenda.

I would not know the figures.

We just elected kahapon si Senator Chiz as chairman on banks and financial institutions.

Senator loren as chairman of standing committee on climate change.

Special oversight committee on climate change , sya din ang chairperson.

Senator Allan Cayetano is the chairman on Tourism committee.

Senator Kiko Pangilinan is the chairman on Agrarian reform committee.

Si Sen. Villar hindi ata tumanggap ng committee.

Committee on Appointments would go to the Senate Pres.

Hindi ko po alam ang chairmanships ng diff. sub- committees.

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