Speech of Senate President Franklin M. Drilon
Opening of the 2nd Regular Session
16th Congress
July 28, 2014

 RENEWING OUR COMMITMENT TO OUR PEOPLE

My esteemed colleagues, your excellencies of the diplomatic corps, fellow workers in government, ladies and gentlemen, good morning.

The eyes of the people are upon us again as we open the second regular session of the 16th Congress. I view this day – and the days, weeks and months ahead – as our opportunity to recover the people’s faith in their Senate, regain their trust and revive their confidence. Though not within easy reach, I believe that with hard work and perseverance we would in time walk past the difficult path ahead.

It pains and saddens me to witness and bear that the events in the past 12 months, the intense public beatings, the avalanche of intrigues and the arrows of insults shot into our gates, may have succeeded in reducing the worth and the weight of the Senate in the minds and lives of our people.

I recognize that as public servants we must remain receptive to and tolerant of criticism. But should we as individuals and as a collegial body allow the Senate to continue to be casually scorned? The Senate as an institution remains a constitutional body entitled to respect, even if some of its members may have been found to have erred through their individual acts.

I believe that it is the incumbent duty of each one of us to defend this institution from groundless and reckless assaults against its very dignity and integrity. We owe it to this chamber to combat falsehoods concocted by cowardly minds who spread their lies through proxy voices and pens; to speak up for the Senate even when it may seem to be more politically convenient and safer for us to be silent, to just wait for the tempest to pass.

And I would like to thank each one of you for standing by this institution of democracy.

This painful chapter in the life of the Senate, however, presents us the opportunity to deconstruct our system, identify the flaws in our approach and remedy them with new practices that will inculcate a culture of public accountability.

My esteemed colleagues, even amid this political turbulence, let us continue to weave dreams for our country.

“We must become the change we wish to see in the world.”

I find inspiration in these immortal words of Mahatma Gandhi as we embark on this odyssey towards a Senate that would be a model of good governance and public accountability. A Senate that will listen and respond to the clamor of the people. A Senate that would guard and perform its constitutional mandate and powers with renewed zeal.

My dear colleagues, let us set aside 2016 and work hand in hand for the rebirth of the Senate.

Last year, soon after we convened the 16th Congress, we were confronted with a formidable challenge that threatened to throw this traditionally tenacious institution off-balance. While the cynics were quick to see the political turmoil as the death knell of this august chamber’s long-standing preeminence, we seized and turned it into an opportunity for introspection and reform that would lead us to a higher level of public service.

I am proud that we did not bend or break despite the enormous crisis that shook every fiber of our institution. Collectively, we faced the daunting challenges. We stayed in touch with the pulse of our people. We listened intently and responded to their clamor for meaningful change. We abolished the PDAF even before it was declared unconstitutional.

Sadly, the Senate’s abolition of the PDAF remains uncredited. Nonetheless, what matters is that we took serious account of what the people said and clamored for. And we will continue to do so.

As we move forward in our second regular session, we would prioritize legislation that would stimulate the economy and generate more jobs, promote fair competition in business, increase the take home pay of our workers, strengthen our campaign against graft and corruption and criminality, expand access to health and education, and protect our country’s territorial sovereignty.

As we begin the process of enacting the 2015 national budget, let me emphasize that we will not shirk from our constitutional mandate. We shall wield our power of the purse. We shall craft a budget focused on spending on the right priorities and with measurable results, keeping in mind our goal for inclusive growth.

We shall also work on the Bangsamoro Basic Law that will put an end to the decades-old conflict in Mindanao. It is our hope that Malacanang can transmit to us the proposed basic law as soon as possible.

All these we plan to accomplish by God’s grace and by our collective vision and determination, with heads unbowed and in continued fidelity to the Constitution and to the people to whom we owe our mandate.

To the Filipino people, be assured that your Senate will stand in solidarity with you. Admittedly, instituting reforms to create a better society is an enormous task. We need your help and cooperation. We need your trust.

Let us keep our faith in God, in our government and in ourselves. Thank you very much.

God bless our Republic.

God bless the Filipino people.

God bless the Senate.