Press Release - Pia: What is the purpose and importance of holding executive sessions?

Mr. President, let me align myself with the observation and recommendation of the Senate President Pro Tempore [Senator Loren Legarda]. I did not stand, I did not raise my hand with the intention of clearing any statement I made. I didn't even read that [article raised earlier by Senator Jinggoy Estrada]. I do not bother reading those kinds of articles. I don't. So nung nabanggit pa yung pangalan ko, eh nagugulat lang ako kasi I don't bother reading those articles and I won't comment on it.

What I will say is this. I will say it not because I am repeating what I said in caucus, because I agree with the Senate President Pro Tempore that let's discuss it there... Our rules do not even make an exception. It does not even allow a senator to say, I will just repeat what I said. Walang ganung exception, Majority Floor Leader, correct? So I cannot stand up here and say, I will just be responsible for my statement, ito po ang sinabi ko. Hindi po tayo allowed, walang exception sa rules natin na tumayo ang isang senador at sabihin, yung akin pong sinabi ito. Kasi hindi naman magkaroon ng opportunity yung 23 senators to explain what they said or what they thought. Because precisely, the rule is lahat tayo, tahimik. Kaya ang parusa doon, yung pinaka mabigat na parusa na expulsion from the Senate.

So ang puntos ko ay simple. Chairman ako ng isang mahalagang committee na naghi-hearing ng budget na yan. DepEd, CHED, DOH, and attached agencies. So on the issue of confidential funds, intelligent funds, o kung ano pa man, ako gusto ko, tanungin ng mga senador sa floor ang mga tanong nila tungkol doon para makapag-desisyon ang bawat senador kung ano ang tingin niyang nararapat na gawin sa mga pondong yan, confidential, non-confidential, anything. So yun ang gusto kong klase ng diskusyon. So kung nagkaroon tayo ng executive session na napag-usapan man ang ganun, hindi nga dapat lumalabas yun kasi nga ang mga subcommittee chairman na katulad ko ay magre-recommend sa Chairman na si Sen. Angara kung ano ang mga dapat gawin sa mga pondo na yun. Hindi ko naman dedisyunan mag-isa yun. Dedisyunan ko yun based on the debates. I would like to be educated properly based on the rules of the