Senator Trillanes Annual Report to the People

MESSAGE TO THE PEOPLE Inside a jail cell, you are not witness to the state of the country with your own eyes: the rising cost of living in unequal proportion with a failing economic order. You are unable to hear the sentiments of our people first-hand: pervasive cries for justice and accountability against perpetrators of political violence and corruption. You appear insulated from what others endure outside these walls: the disillusionment of a people in the Administration that blatantly betrays its own obligation to serve them. But out of duty and desire, I refuse not to see, listen and feel. Transcending the challenge of circumstance, I answered your collective call to action as duly elected Senator of this country. Today, I am pleased to report to my constituents my humble accomplishments the past 12 months in office. It is my view that a Senator in a system of checks and balances such as ours has three primary duties: (1) to craft legislation; (2) to oversee the proper functions of government; and (3) to advocate issues of national concern. To date, I have crafted 138 bills covering various areas of governance such as poverty alleviation, anti-corruption, defense and security, education, health care, labor and environment. These bills were meticulously done with the end in view of uplifting the lives of our people and making our country a better place to live in. I have also authored resolutions calling for the investigation of anomalous government transactions. However, these efforts to check the excesses of the Executive Department had become futile exercises as we have witnessed the shameless use of dirty tactics that virtually destroyed the very institutions they have sworn to protect. With a paralyzed Senate, impunity became the order of the day. Finally, as an advocate, I believe I have done everything I can to deliver to the people the cold truth that GMA, for the past 8 years in office, has failed miserably to govern; has caused (and will continue to cause) so much poverty, death and destruction; and has prostituted every government institution just to stay in power. But while some people chose to talk and other people chose to whine; I chose to act. Still, I believe in a just and merciful God thus, I am confident that the Filipino people will survive this ordeal. Regardless of the circumstances, be assured that this Senator will continue to serve you.   Antonio “Sonny” F. Trillanes IV

 

BILLS PASSED INTO LAW: RA 9502: Quality Affordable Medicines Act of 2007 (Co-Author) RA 9500: University of the Philippines Charter of 2007 (Co-Author) TOTAL BILLS FILED : 138 (RANKS 5TH AMONG 23 SENATORS) TOTAL RESOLUTIONS FILED: 9 JOINT RESOLUTION FILED: 1 INTRODUCTION In 2007, more than 11 million Filipinos elected Antonio F. Trillanes IV—while incarcerated at the Marine Brig inside Fort Bonifacio and without reliance on traditional political machinery—to the Philippine Senate. More than one man’s vindication from the Arroyo administration’s prolonged censure of change, it embodied the entire nation’s enduring defiance against corruption and ill governance. Senator Trillanes has reciprocated the people’s trust with steadfast service in legislation on key areas in social, economic, and governance reforms. The following are some of the significant bills filed by Senator Trillanes: ANTI-POVERTY SBN 1402 - An Act providing immunity to donors of medicines, food and other supplies from any form of liability SBN 1448 - An Act repealing the EVAT Law SBN 1425 - An Act providing funds annually to school and community-based supplemental feeding programs and related poverty alleviation efforts using the minimum basic needs (MBN) approach among the poorest of the poor communities in the country SBN 2058 - An Act providing post-harvest facilities to rice farmers SBN 2183 - An Act to stabilize the sugar industry by establishing the Sugar Industry Research and Stabilization Fund and for other purposes GOVERNANCE AND CIVIL SERVICE REFORMS SBN 1593 - An Act amending the Secrecy of Bank Deposits Law by including government officials and employees in the exceptions from the prohibition against disclosure of or inquiry into deposits with any banking institution SBN 1591 - An Act amending the Automatic Appropriations Law [PD 1177] to augment IRA of LGUs SBN 1792 - An Act reinventing government’s bureaucratic structure and increasing the salary of all government employees SBN 1888 - An Act to prevent corruption in BIR and BoC by consolidating the laws granting rewards to informers of violations of Internal Revenue and Customs Laws SBN 2237 - An Act providing for a grant of reward to informers of violations of Republic Act No. 7080 and/or Republic Act No. 1379 and for other purposes SBN 2254 - An Act providing for a ceiling on all public debts of the Republic of the Philippines and for other purposes SBN 2273 - An Act that seeks to trim down the areas of investments of GSIS to only those that assure predictability in order to protect the mass of members from the vagaries of trade and commerce, and from enterprises with false pretensions of track record of profitability SBN 2302 - An Act setting limits on the power of the President to reappoint by-passed nominees DEFENSE AND SECURITY SBN 751 - An Act Increasing the Combat Pay of AFP Officers and Personnel by twenty-five per centum (25%) of their Base Pay SBN 758 - An Act prescribing fixed terms of three (3) years for the AFP chief-of-staff and major service commanders SBN 1419 - An Act transferring the Philippine Coast Guard to the Department of Transportation and Communications as a separate and distinct armed uniform commissioned service, further amending Republic Act No. 7153, as amended, and for other purposes SBN 1467 - An Act defining the Archipelagic Baselines of the Philippine Archipelago, amending for the purpose Republic Act No. 3046, as amended by Republic Act No. 5446 SBN 1490 - An Act providing for additional insurance coverage and benefits of all members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines who are killed, injured or wounded in line of duty SBN 2279 - An Act creating the Mindanao Development Authority, defining its powers and functions, and for other purposes SBN 2086 - An Act establishing the Emergency Management Agency (EMA) and providing funds therefor SBN 2286 - An Act seeking for an increase in the quarters allowance of officers and enlisted personnel of the AFP PS Reso No. 91 - Inquiry on the status of peace agreements between the GRP, MILF and MNLF in view of the escalating armed conflict in Mindanao S JT Reso No. 2 - Joint resolution increasing the subsistence allowance of all officers and enlisted personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) from ninety pesos (P90.00) to one hundred and fifty pesos (P150.00) per day EDUCATION AND YOUTH SBN 756 - An Act increasing the salary grade of public school teachers from salary grade 10 to 20 SBN 759 - An Act requiring mandatory computer education in all public and private high schools SBN 1889 - An Act to facilitate access to higher education to all deserving Filipinos SBN 1998 - An Act providing for the democratization of public school education SBN 2037 - An Act institutionalizing the young farmers program, providing funds therefor and for other purposes SBN 2039 - An Act seeking to promote the involvement of the youth in character-building and development activities for civic efficiency, self-improvement and economic well-being SBN 2228 - An Act establishing and providing for a free public pre-school education and for other purposes SBN 2304 - An Act requiring all provinces and highly-urbanized cities to establish a Science High School SBN 2351 - An Act establishing a performance-based accountability system for public education and for other purposes SBN 2363 - An Act strengthening the open learning system of higher education in the Philippines, appropriating funds therefor and for other purposes ENVIRONMENT SBN 1995 - An Act increasing the penalty imposed against polluters of navigable waters by amending Section 7 of Presidential Decree No. 979 providing for the revision of Presidential Decree No. 600 governing marine pollution SBN 2088 - An Act to strengthen the recycling program for all rechargeable batteries manufactured, sold and distributed in the Philippines, and for other purposes SBN 2229 - An Act creating the National Environmental Protection Agency, defining its powers, functions and responsibilities, appropriating funds therefor and for other purposes LABOR SBN 753 - An Act providing for a P125.00 daily across-the-board increase in the salary rates of employees and workers in the private sector and for other related purposes SBN 2186 - An Act rationalizing the security of tenure of employees in the private sector by reducing the probationary period from 6 months to 3 months and prohibiting contracting out of work HEALTH SBN 1708 - An Act institutionalizing the Philippine National Health Research System, establishing the Philippine National Health Research Fund providing for its administration and for other purposes SBN 1991 - An Act giving more meaning to the autonomy of government hospitals through granting them the authority to utilize their income for their maintenance and other operating expenses SBN 1992 - An Act giving highest priority in extending the maximum coverage to the population with the basic minimum package of health insurance benefits SBN 2337 - An Act providing for an increase in the salary of government physicians and additional incentives, and appropriating funds therefor SBN 2373 - An Act providing for the Magna Carta for senior citizens and for other purposes SBN 2383 - An Act increasing maternity leave benefits from sixty (60) days to one hundred twenty (120) days or four months, amending for the purpose, P.D. 442, as amended by R.A. 7322