Speeches

When the Senate first convened in a rented house near Malacañang 100 years ago, its 24 members were summoned by telegram or by post which took days to arrive. Communication was so bad that a Navy boat had to be dispatched from Zamboanga to inform and fetch Senator Buto from Jolo.

We are pleased to note that the General Appropriations Bill for 2017, which the Bicameral Conference Committee has approved for ratification by both chambers, carry the amendments initiated by the Senate minority leader. Foremost is the P8 billion Free College Tuition Fund that

Mr. President, my dear colleagues: The nominee is the perfect specimen which proves how true the saying “the present generation is always better than the previous one” is. He is more handsome than his father, brighter than his mom, and more generous than the two combined. He

“WHAT USE IS THE BUDGET IF NOT SPENT ON TIME, IN FULL, AND FOR THE RIGHT PROJECTS?” Explanation of Vote on the 2017 National Budget Senate Minority Leader Ralph Recto Mr. President, friends, dear colleagues: In the opening remarks of my interpellation of this budget,

Thank you, Mr. President, thank you, Madame Chairperson. Magandang umaga po sa inyong lahat. The Chairperson is a well-known advocate of local weaves and indigenous textiles; and if I may liken this budget to the elegant ethnic dresses she likes to wear, then I can say that,

On the Confirmation of the Appointment of Executive Secretary Salvador “Bingbong” Medialdea Senate Minority Leader Ralph G. Recto Mr. President, fellow members of the Commission. I have always maintained the view that the President’s choice of Executive Secretary is a “privilege

Mr. President: Like anything written on the blackboard, we can erase and change the amount of “chalk allowance” our public schools teachers get. Which is what this bill precisely sets out to do – erasing “P1,500” and replacing it with “P3,500.” “Chalk allowance” is the popular

The burden of being a senator is that we are not only answerable to the present and to the future, but also to the past. And we are reminded of our being trustees of a proud heritage when we walk past the names of our predecessors etched on the plaques that hang on the corridor

On the confirmation of Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III   Mr. President:   The nominee is our real peace czar. He is waging peace in two fronts: labor and rural insurgency. This has forced him to be our first Labor secretary in history to moonlight in another job, or work two