Senator Risa Hontiveros during a press conference on Thursday, October 10, 2024 at the Senate media room. (PHOTO FROM NOY MORCOSO / şÚÁĎÉç)
MANILA, Philippines — “Withdrawal of signatures doesn’t have the effect of reverting it to the committee level.”
These were the words used by Deputy Minority Leader Sen. Risa Hontiveros on Thursday when she addressed fears that the substitute bill to controversial Senate Bill No. 1979 would be brought back to the committee level and not be tackled in the chamber’s plenary.
She is referring to the measure legislating the crafting of a national policy in preventing adolescent pregnancies.
Speaking to reporters at a Kapihan sa Senado forum, Hontiveros said she expects that the bill, even with her filing of a substitute measure, would soon be discussed in the plenary.
“Ang understanding ko ay itong substitute bill ay ii-interpellate na po namin sa plenaryo,” said Hontiveros.
“Dagdag po dyan, to my knowledge, gaya ng nabanggit ko ngayon lamang — this matter is already in plenary and the withdrawal of signatures doesn’t have the effect of reverting it back to the committee level,” said Hontiveros.
(I understand that this substitute bill will soon undergo our interpellations in the plenary. To my knowledge, this matter is already in the plenary and the withdrawal of signatures doesn’t have the effect of reverting it back to the committee level.)
“Any objections by other senators should be expressed in plenary through questions and other proposed amendments. Kaya’t gaya ng nabanggit ko, ang susunod na mangyayari ay naka depende sa gagawin ng body sa plenary, taking into consideration the substitute bill filed,” she added.
(That’s why, similar to what I said, the next development depends on what the body will do in the plenary, taking into consideration the substitute bill filed.)
Seven senators have withdrawn their signatures on SBN 1979’s committee report. These lawmakers include the following:
Sen. JV Ejercito
Sen. Cynthia Villar
Sen. Bong Go
Sen.Nancy Binay
Sen. Jinggoy Estrada
Sen. Bong Revilla
Sen. Loren Legarda
Hontiveros was then asked if any of the lawmakers have signified their intent for their signatures to be brought back now that a substitute bill had been filed, but she answered in the negative.
“Wala pa naman pero bukas ang pinto ko para makarinig ng ganyang magandang balita,” she said.
(There’s none so far but my door is open to listen to that kind of good news.)
“Ngayon, ito ay pagkakataon — a fresh start — para sa aming lahat dito sa legislative history ng SBN 1979 na nasimulan nang ma-interpellate sa nakaraang dalawang taon ng minority leader at majority leader pareho,” she noted.
(Now is a chance — a fresh start — for all of us in the legislative history of SBN 1979 which already underwent interpellations in the past two years both by the minority and majority leaders.)
“Ngayon ay fresh start para mag iwan ang Senado ng 19th Congress ng isang maganda, epektibo, makapamilyang legacy para sa mga Pilipinong adolescents,” the lawmaker added.
(This is a fresh start for us in the Senate 19th Congress to leave a beautiful, effective and family-inclined legacy for all adolescent Filipinos.)