Tag Archives: Democracy

Bam Aquino deserves credit for the Free College Tuition Law

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Bam Aquino hasn’t even been proclaimed as a Senator after garnering the 2nd most number of votes in the recent 2025 elections, the Duterte online propaganda machine has already made him a target.

In a scripted post that quickly spread on Facebook, Duterte partisans argue that credit for the free college tuition law or Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act (RA 10931) should go to the incarcerated former President, as he was the one who signed it into law during his term.

While that little piece of history cannot be denied, it’s important to bear in mind the following:

First, if Senators and members of the House of Representatives would stop doing their job, which is to legislate or craft new laws, then the President would have nothing to sign into law. It was Bam Aquino in the Senate and Sarah Elago when she was Kabataan partylist’s representative in the Lower House who led the legislative work that went into RA 10931.

Second, it would be helpful to recall Sec. 27, Art. VI of the 1987 Constitution.

It’s the President’s duty to sign into law bills passed by Congress. If he doesn’t agree with an enrolled bill, he can veto it and return it to the chamber from which it originated, along with his explanation for the veto.

The President can even refuse to actually sign an enrolled bill and just let it sit on his desk, pretending it’s not even there,e and it would automatically lapse into law after thirty days.

The Constitution gives Congress the power and duty to legislate with little participation from the President. This implies that in our democratic setup, collaboration between the Legislature and the Executive is required.

To say that credit should only be given to the incarcerated Duterte for the Free College Tuition law shows that one does not understand our legislative process or if they are deliberately ignoring it, means they have malicious intent in doing so.

For genuine change: My 12 Senate Election Picks

Opinion, , , , ,

For genuine change, progressive policies, concrete solutions to the problems we are all facing, and a rejection of traditional politics, political dynasties, and personality cults. If the survey polls continue to trend the way they are, the majority, if not all, of them would lose, an outcome that I have already anticipated.

Nonetheless, there would be no regrets as I didn’t settle for the ‘lesser evil’ nor did I choose a side from the Marcos-Duterte camp that are just the current dominant factions from the same class of rotten, corrupt, murderous, and plundering politicians. This list is a rejection and defiance of the status quo; it might not be the popular choice, it may show that I’m part of the minority, but it is a reminder to everyone that there are alternatives and that there can be real change, only if we want it.

#13 Arlene Brosas

  • Educator and child rights activist
  • Represented GABRIELA Women’s Party-list in the 17th and 18th Congress. She co-authored the anti-ENDO bill, which would end the practice of labor contractualization.
  • She filed amendments to the Solo Parents Welfare Act, the Anti-Rape Law, and Electronic Violence Against Women and Children

#6 Ronnel Arambulo

  • Fisherman, environmentalist, and activist
  • He has been part of grassroots campaigns to help Filipino fisherfolk amplify their issues, especially land reclamation that damages the livelihood of fisherfolk.
  • It’s time for fishermen to have genuine representation in the Senate to address issues such as the reclamation of Manila Bay, destruction of marine habitats, oil spills, mitigating natural disasters, and asserting Filipino fishermen’s right to livelihood in the West Philippine Sea.

#16 Teddy Casiño

  • Writer, journalist, and veteran activist. His main advocacy is the lowering of prices of electricity, oil, and water, as well as the regulation of the cost of education, healthcare, mobile communications, toll fees, and other basic utilities and services.
  • He served as representative of Bayan Muna Party-list during the 15th Congress and is one of the principal authors of the laws that benefited the poor and marginalized:
    • The Public Attorneys Act of 2007 (R.A. 9406), which strengthened the Public Attorneys Office and expanded its free legal services to poor litigants
    • The Tax Relief Act of 2009 (R.A. 9504), which exempts minimum wage earners from withholding taxes
    • The Rent Control Act of 2009 (R.A. 9653), which put a cap on rent for low-income earners
    • The Anti-Torture Act of 2009 (R.A. 9745), which penalizes torture

#25 Luke Espiritu

Labor leader and lawyer, he is genuinely a new voice and perspective that is sorely needed in the Senate. His economic views call for a more active government in supporting MSMEs and wage increases for workers. He has a progressive social legislative agenda: legalization of divorce, same-sex marriage, and reproductive rights, including access to abortion.

#54 Danilo Ramos

A peasant activist from Central Luzon, he is a survivor of the 1987 Mendiola Massacre. He has been one of the leaders of the farmers’ movements, struggling for genuine agrarian reform, food self-sufficiency, and strengthening local food production. It’s time for a genuine farmer to become part of the Senate.

#17 France Castro

  • Educator and trade union activist
  • Together with other representatives from MAKABAYAN, they authored the New Agrarian Emancipation Act (RA No. 11953) that writes off P57 billion of debt of agrarian reform beneficiaries from the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.
  • She is pushing to raise a national family living wage of P1,200 and P50,000 basic salary for teachers in both public and private schools.

#37 Amirah Lidasan

  • Moro activist from the Iranon tribe of Matanog and Parang, Maguindanao. Conflict in Maguindanao has made her and her family bakwit (evacuees), forcing them to relocate to Manila.
  • She is a voice for peace in Mindanao, bringing attention to US presence in Palestine and the Philippines, contributing to or worsening issues of displacement, land-grabbing and bombings. It’s time we have a Moro in the Senate.

#14 Roy Cabonegro

Environmental advocate. He calls for a more active government role in managing, financing investments, and regulating the energy sector to lower electricity rates, provide a sustainable and efficient energy supply. Our country is listed among those most vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change, making it crucial to have a genuine environmentalist and pro-Filipino advocate in the Senate.

#44 Liza Maza

Activist and women’s rights advocate. She is a veteran lawmaker who represented GABRIELA Women’s Party-list in the 13th and 14th Congress. She authored the following laws: the Rent Control Act of 2009 (RA 9653), The Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006 (RA 9344), Magna Carta of Women (RA 9710), Philippine Nursing Act (RA 9173), Anti-Torture Law (RA 9745) and the Anti-Violence in Women and Children Act (RA 9262), which she co-authored.

#51 Francis Pangilinan

A lawyer and organic farmer, he is a veteran politician with a decent accomplishment during his two terms as Senator. He is the principal author of the Sagip Saka Act of 2019, which mandates government agencies to buy produce directly from farmers. He co-authored the Alternative Learning System Act, which institutionalizes the alternative learning system in basic education for out-of-school children.

#5 Bam Aquino

Social entrepreneur and politician. In his single term as Senator, he authored the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, which institutionalizes free tuition and exemption from other fees in state universities and colleges (SUCs), and local universities and colleges (LUCs) in the Philippines.

#45 Heidi Mendoza

An auditor, Certified Public Accountant, and former civil servant. Had it not been for her apology and declaration to be more open to the cause of the LGBTQ+ community, I would not have included her in this list. It’s time we put a stop to the government’s penchant for “creative accounting” and realigning funds to increase the share of unprogrammed appropriations in the yearly government budget, which is nothing more than another version of pork barrel that feeds corruption and government waste at the expense of the people. Having her in the Senate would be a good step towards this end.

#NeverAgain Bundle by Adarna House

Daily dose, , , , , ,

Back in May, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency Director General Alex Paul Monteagudo red-tagged Filipino book publisher Adarna House when it offered to sell book bundles about the late Ferdinand Marcos Sr’s dictatorship, describing it in a Facebook post as part of a plan to “subtly radicalize” Filipino children to rise up against the government.

The outrageous and dangerous insinuation that Adarna House, a respected book publisher founded by no less than National Artist Virgilio Almario, has ties to the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing the New People’s Army.

Even acclaimed English author Neil Gaiman weighed in:

It cannot be stressed enough that red-tagging is dangerous and there have been activists that were murdered after being red-tagged.

More to the point, publishing books about important historical events especially in a format aimed at younger readers is not only noble work, it is essentially public service.

So to support Adarna House, I bought their #NeverAgain Bundle which consists of the following books:

  • “Ito ang Diktadura” (2017) by Equipo Plantel
  • “Edsa” (2013) by Russell Molina
  • “Isang Harding Papel” (2014) and “Si Jhun-Jhun, Noong Bago Ideklara ang Batas Militar” (2001) by Augie Rivera
  • “The Magic Arrow” (2021) by Bolet Banal

After a little over a month, the books finally arrived yesterday and the wait was worth it. My daughter finished reading all the books in one sitting and said she really enjoyed each one.

#NeverAgain
#NeverAgain Bundle by Adarna House

The #NeverAgain bundle and many other good titles are available over at Adarna House’s website so grab a copy if you can. I promise you will not regret it.

Disclaimer: This is not a paid post nor am I connected to Adarna House, Inc in any way.

We need a new and better Senate

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The May 9 elections are clearly the most important election in a generation or even perhaps my lifetime. Next to the choice for President, my line up for the Senate is a big and strong rejection of traditional politicians and celebrities that have dominated the chamber for so long.

It is a call for new perspectives, ideas, and brands of public service that we desperately need.

These men and women of diverse backgrounds, experience, expertise, and advocacies will breathe new life into an institution that plays a vital role in our democracy.

Netizens reject Harry Roque’s nomination to ILC

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Together with other bloggers and social media influencers – Concerned Online Citizens collectively, we sent a letter to the members of the UN General Assembly urging them to reject the nomination of Harry Roque to the International Law Commission.

Below is the full text of the letter:

We’ve also put up an online petition so that other concerned citizens can join and express their opposition to this mockery of international law, human rights and an embarrassment to the Philippines.

We hope that you will join and sign up as well. It may be a simple gesture but it sends a powerful message across, that we Filipinos will stand not stand for this abhorrent idea of having a disgraced lawyer and enabler of Duterte.

Instead of being elevated to such an honorable position, Roque and Duterte should be made accountable.