00:00 Three proposed budgets of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency,
00:03 the Anti-Money Laundering Council and the Judiciary all went under the scrutiny and
00:08 questioning in the Senate deliberations held earlier today. One salient discussion in today's
00:14 hearing covered the Senate's power to hold witnesses under probe in accordance with the
00:18 rule of law, which the Supreme Court made clear in its latest ruling on the Farmily case.
00:24 Our Daniel Manalastas has more.
00:29 During the plenary deliberations on the proposed 2024 budget of the Judiciary,
00:34 the issue of citing in contempt certain resource persons of Farmily during the
00:39 Senate investigation on irregularities in the procurement of PPEs at the height of the pandemic
00:46 was raised. The budget sponsor Senator Sani Angara made an announcement regarding the issue.
00:52 Sometimes we are quick to fire the trigger, to pull the trigger in this particular case,
00:59 cases. So we'd like to be guided accordingly. They will say no, we did not do that,
01:04 even if there were five other witnesses pointing them that they did it.
01:09 In simple words, they did not question, the court did not question our power here in the Senate,
01:20 our contempt power because it is in the rule of law. But the way of exercising it,
01:27 when we declare a witness in contempt, there needs to be a due process. Give him
01:35 a chance to hear and explain his testimony.
01:45 The senators later on finished the budget deliberations on the Judiciary's budget.
01:50 Meanwhile, Senator Rafi Tulfo made a strong statement, pushing of the hazard pay for judges
01:57 and the modernization program of a number of courthouses.
02:01 If we are going to some courts, the condition is very bad.
02:06 I would like to also give my full support for the modernization plan
02:12 or the innovation plan of the Supreme Court for our lower courts. During the pandemic,
02:20 we saw how processes could be digitalized to expedite matters.
02:25 Meanwhile, during the budget deliberations on the proposed budget of the National
02:30 Intelligence Coordinating Agency, Senate Minority Leader Coco Pimentel asked the agency's position
02:37 on the POGO issue. The budget sponsor meanwhile responded, saying the position of the agency is
02:42 clear wherein a substantial reduction of cases of human trafficking was highlighted in the event
02:49 POGOs are ultimately banned to operate in the country.
02:53 The Philippines will no longer be a hub of an industry that is prohibited in other countries.
02:57 Additionally, it will resolve the issue of not being aware of the number of Chinese
03:00 nationals in the country as their entry is facilitated by corrupt personnel.
03:03 Daniel Maranastas, For The Nation.
