00:00 "First, the decision made by the Senate yesterday on their leadership change is a collective decision by the majority. In any House, whether it is the House of Representatives or of the Senate, it is a numbers game. And that numbers game is based on trust and confidence.
00:20 And what was shown yesterday in the Senate, a majority of the members of the Senate gave their trust and confidence to their new Senate President, Chase Escudero."
00:31 "So if I analyze what happened there, in my understanding, many Senators have a desire to pass laws or amendments that they think will happen under a new leadership, which in this case they chose."
00:55 "A colleague of them, which they put their trust and confidence with the Senate President, Chase Escudero. So that is my take on that."
01:08 "So I am very optimistic that with this new leadership in the Senate, Senate President Chase will be unifying. I am optimistic that he will also push for the economic reforms needed in the Constitution."
01:28 "So with that, we look forward with the relationship of the House and the Senate under the leadership of Senate President Chase Escudero and House Speaker Martin Romades."
01:44 "I think it will be harmonious, we can work closely together. And I think the Senators also are very eager to finish what the other priority measures has been agreed upon in the lead up."
02:04 "In fact, I already sent a message to the new Majority Leader in the Senate, Senate Majority Leader, Senator Francis Tolentino. I told him, 'Senator, I look forward in working with you.' "
02:23 "And I hope with you there, Senate Majority Leader, and with me in the House, we can align our legislative priorities."
02:37 "Because we need the cooperation and we need the two Houses to move as one in trying to finish what we agreed upon in the lead up and also what we agreed upon to pass as priority measures."
02:56 "Right now, we still have about 736 measures which we are waiting for Senate action. Of the lead up priority measures, we already passed 20."
03:12 "Of course, the House already passed 56 out of 59. But as you said, this is from them. Maybe there are statements initiated by former Senate President Miguel Subirin that he was a bit lacking."
03:37 "Maybe we didn't have a decision to replace him. The decision is with every Senator."
03:46 "Each and every Senator with his own independent mind has come up with a decision on how to move things in the Senate."
03:55 "And that's my take on why they did such action yesterday because probably they would also want things moving in the Senate."
04:04 "Of course, the Senate has maintained their independence on certain national issues."
04:09 "And because of this, each and every member of the Senate will have their own frame of mind or opinion on the issues they are discussing now."
04:20 "The priority is to have an alignment between what the lower house is doing and what the Senate or upper house is doing."
04:31 "Because the objective of the Congress is to align the legislative program with the legislative agenda of our administration."
04:41 "So if there are things that happened along the way, in the other house, maybe they have their own reasons. That we don't know."
04:53 "But we've seen how the Senate has worked. We've seen how under the leadership of Senator Mig Subiri, they have produced bills that were passed on third reading as well."
05:11 "In the same way that the house did in alliance or in accordance with President Marcos's legislative agenda."
05:21 "So in fairness, although maybe there was a little bit of a grudge against them."
05:31 "If there was a change in leadership, it was also against them."
05:35 "And we would like to give them that independence on that particular issue."
05:40 "Now on the charter change or the economic chacha, I think they are still in public consultation."
05:52 "And all these public consultations they did all over the country probably have helped the Senators frame their opinion or come up with their opinion on that issue."
06:05 "What we are talking about is economic chacha. We are not talking about abolishing the Senate or changing the political provisions of our Constitution."
06:16 "So it is very important for our countrymen to be able to explain our intention to expand the invitations of investors here in our country."
06:33 "So that they can give jobs to our countrymen."
06:36 "That is the only objective and purpose of this economic chacha."
06:40 "And I am sure the Senators have already probably have their own decision on this when it comes to a point that they will decide whether to vote for this or vote against this."
06:54 Thank you sir.
06:55 Thank you sir.
06:56 Thank you.
06:57 Thank you.
06:59 Thank you.
07:01 Thank you.
07:02 (bell chimes)
07:04 [BLANK_AUDIO]
