By Liza Soriano

MANILA — Senator Alan Peter Cayetano has urged the government to have conditional cash support for orphans, saying that the state has constitutional duty to act as a second parent of abandoned children.

“If we’re allotting P100 billion for 4Ps (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program), why can’t we allot a certain amount for orphans?” he asked the Department of Social Welfare and Development during the plenary debate.

“Blessed pa nga ‘yung mga anak ng mahihirap dahil may magulang sila, [samantalang] itong mga orphan walang magulang,” he added.

Cayetano suggested that the agency identify stunted children in orphanages and offer financial assistance to each of them through the care facilities.

“It’s like a 4Ps din, pero instead of dealing with individual parents, you’re dealing with those running the institution,” he said.

Meanwhile, in 2022, upon his return to the Senate, Cayetano filed Senate Bill No. 301 or the Trust Fund for the Abandoned, Neglected, or Voluntarily Committed Child, which seeks to put up a trust fund account for every abandoned, neglected, or voluntarily committed child, to be managed by DSWD in partnership with a trust entity.

ia/mnm

By Liza Soriano

SENATOR Alan Peter Cayetano has renewed his call to review the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), citing concerns over the persistent issue of child stunting in the Philippines.

Following the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) hearing on the proposed 2025 budget, Cayetano pointed out that despite the program’s goals, one-third of Filipino children still suffer from stunted growth due to malnutrition.

“If the 4Ps is meant to ensure that children have enough to eat to prevent malnutrition, and if the 4Ps is designed to support the poorest of the poor, why is one-third of Filipino children still stunted?” he said.

The government is seeking P114 billion for the 4Ps next year, an increase of P8 billion from this year’s budget, but Cayetano questioned whether the program is effectively addressing hunger and malnutrition.

“There’s a disconnect between the policy, the funding, and the actual results. Are we falling short with 4Ps?” he asked.

Moreover, Cayetano emphasized that the DSWD should not only monitor compliance but also assess whether the program is genuinely improving children’s nutrition.

“The first priority should be ensuring these kids aren’t going to school hungry,” he stated.

By Liza Soriano

MANILA — Senator Francis Tolentino stated on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, that the ethics complaint filed by Sen. Nancy Binay against Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano will undergo the proper procedure.

Binay filed an ethics complaint following a heated argument with Cayetano during Monday’s Senate Committee on Accounts hearing.

“Ang gagawin po diyan, susundin po ‘yung rules, kung ano po ‘yung procedure. Ayon po sa rules, pag nag-file ng complaint, magkakaroon ng preliminary determination ‘yung ethics committee,” said Tolentino, chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges, in a radio interview.

The lawmaker explained that there would be hearings when an ethics complaint is filed, and if proven, there would be penalties.

Tolentino mentioned that he had not yet read the complaint filed by Binay as he was not in his office on Monday.

He also noted that filing ethics complaints against co-senators has occurred in the past.

“Meron ho. Siguro 20 years ago… the first one is Senator Heherson Alvarez, si JPE (Juan Ponce Enrile). Matagal-tagal na ‘yan pero kung huhukayin ninyo ‘yung kasaysayan ay marami na po noon,” the senator shared.

(el Amigo/mnm)

By Liza Soriano

MANILA — Senator Nancy Binay has filed an ethics complaint against Senator Alan Peter Cayetano following a heated argument with the latter during last week’s Senate Committee on Accounts hearing regarding the New Senate Building (NSB) under construction inside the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City.

Binay personally submitted the complaint to the office of Senator Francis Tolentino, who chairs the Committee on Ethics and Privileges.

The altercation between Binay and Cayetano culminated with Cayetano calling Binay a “marites,” a colloquial term implying gossip or rumor monger.

The inquiry was initiated by Cayetano under the directive of Senate President Chiz Escudero to review the costs associated with the NSB.

Following the contentious hearing, Senator Robin Padilla introduced a resolution calling for an investigation into the rising costs of the NSB construction, emphasizing the importance of maintaining public trust in the Senate.

“Informing the public of the processes undertaken in the construction of the NSB, including the increased costs, is necessary to ensure that the public does not lose its trust in the Senate as an institution,” Padilla stated.

(el Amigo/mnm)

MANILA — The National Press Club (NPC) of the Philippines expressed alarm over a recent claims made by Senator Alan Peter Cayetano that 10 radio stations are conducting scripted interviews. 

NPC president Leonel Abasola is seeking clarification from the lawmaker, pointing out that the latter’s statement would harshly impact the credibility of the mainstream media. 

“I urge the veteran Senator to identify and prove his allegation. Shotgun statements might destroy reputations of respectable media practitioners who are not even privy of their argument, Abasola, who has long covered the Senate beat said in a statement.

 The issue stemmed from a heated exchange between Cayetano and Senator Nancy Binay on July 3 during a hearing of the Senate Committee on Accounts, chaired by Cayetano, on issues surrounding the new Senate building at Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City.

Binay used to be the chairperson of the said committee but resigned after a change of Senate leadership. 

During the hearing, Cayetano asserted that the camp of Binay may have sent advance questions since a number of the radio stations have the same questions. 

This resulted to Binay to walking out of the hearing and later denying Cayetano’s allegations. 

Abasola likewise noted that it was the first time that he heard an honorable lawmaker calling a female colleague as “buang” (crazy) and “Marites” (gossip monger) during a public hearing, which he tagged as ungentlemanly. What transpired in the said committee hearing, he further noted, was a behavior uncalled for a statesman like Cayetano. 

“He could’ve called for a temporary suspension of the hearing to diffuse the tension,” Abasola, who also hosts a weekly radio program on state-ran Radyo Pilipinas, said.

 “Patungkol naman po sa media, dapat po i-identify niya kasi marami rin sa mga Senate media ay may kanya-kanyang programa sa radyo,” he added.

 Abasola further noted that it is only natural that there are instances where reporters would ask the same questions on “hot issues” involving public funds. 

Although Cayetano had already issued an apology to journalists covering the Senate beat, Abasola insists the lawmaker must prove his accusations and drop the names of the “radio anchors” who were supposedly paid off to field scripted questions on air.

 It was not the first time that Cayetano accused journalists of being paid off to report unfavorable news. 

In 2019, then House Speaker Cayetano alleged that members of the media had been bribed to spread disinformation about the Philippines’ hosting of the 30th Southeast Asian Games. He later retracted this claim and said only anonymous websites spread false content to “sabotage” the games. 

(el Amigo/mnm)

by Dang Samson Garcia)

SENATOR Alan Peter Cayetano on Wednesday urged the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority to come out with a presentation on how much budget the government should allocate for each student and the quality of education they could get.

During the budget hearing of the Finance Subcommittee G on TESDA’s P15.2 billion proposed budget for 2024, Cayetano said he wanted a specific presentation for junior and senior high school students and out-of-school youth.

“If you really spend more budget per capita on that student, the quality of education that he will get, it all makes a big difference,” Cayetano said.

“I want to see at the end of the budget hearing how many are out-of-school youths, how many are the targets and how much per capita will we put on them, so that at the end of the Marcos administration, we can look back and say, did we meet our target,” he added.

Meanwhile, Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda urged TESDA to continue extending assistance to Filipino retirees by developing programs and courses that will help them upskill and remain productive.

She said she plans to file a measure creating lifelong institutes in state universities and colleges for Filipino retirees.

“TESDA has led the way in equipping individuals, advancing local communities, and driving economic growth through quality technical education and vocational training. Having seen the transformative power of proper skills training firsthand, I have consistently supported efforts providing greater opportunities and empowering Filipinos through skill-based education and sustainable livelihood programs,” Legarda said.