Press Release
July 31, 2012

Transcript of interview of Senator Pia Cayetano (Excerpts)

On Senate leadership and RH Bill Senate Plenary

Q: Hindi po ba sumasama yung loob niyo sa mga senators [who are] supposed to be helping you push [for the RH Bill] kasi hiningi na ni P-Noy sa SONA na administration measure ito?

PSC: I was the President of the Women Parliamentarians [of the International Parliamentary Union] and I've heard worse stories in other countries, so I just feel bad that the Philippines is always in the forefront when it comes to policies, legislation, and when it comes to women's issues, normally, nangunguna naman tayo.

Pero napakalungkot na ang Senate, kaya naming manindigan when it comes to cases like impeachment, pwedeng magkaroon ng political will. Pero just because na ang dalawang pinakamataas na posisyon ng Senado are against it, should they use their position to prevent [passage of] a measure? Hindi po ba, they should detach themselves from their personal views and their function? In other words, allow [the bill] to take its course.

So pag nakakarinig ako ng "hindi yan susulong under my watch!" parang mali ho yon. Give me a break. I've stood there [in plenary, for the RH debates] for so long. I'm a marathoner, I'm a triathlete, I'm an endurance athlete and I've endured the questions na paulit-ulit. Kung meron pa ho kayong hindi natatanong, by all means, tanungin. Pero kung natanong na, is it correct to use the Senate's time, the time of its employees, the time of the reporters, the airconditioning, the lights here, the resources of the Senate [just] to ask questions na paulit-ulit? Tama ba yon? Pwede naman magbasa sa Journal di ba?

Q: Si Senate President Enrile, sabi niya, hindi pa raw hinog sa panahon yung approval?

PSC: Kasi nung panahon niya walang RH eh. So siguro mahirap tanggapin na sa panahon na ito, kailangan na. That's why the Senate is a dynamic body 'di ba? We are made up of young and old, women and men, with different backgrounds, so that we can move forward with ideas.

Can you imagine if we all came from one sector only? Kawawa rin ang bayan kasi ang magiging resulta siguro ng aming mga debate would be very one-sided. So again, like I said, we all have that right. I respect the views of all my colleagues but 'wag naman sana nila gamitin ang posisyon nila to prevent the bill from taking its due course which includes taking [the RH bill] to a vote.

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