SENATOR Francis N. Tolentino, chair of the Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations, on Wednesday vowed there will be no sacred cows in the panel’s inquiries, which he assured will be conducted efficiently and fairly.      

“Bearing in mind again that we have a constitutional duty to fulfill and that is to prevent abuses, to pass the proper remedial legislation but with a known standard of proof,” he said during a hearing of the committee also referred to as the Blue Ribbon.   

“We will be here in the succeeding hearings to gather and uncover the truth,” he said.   

The panel is set to conduct a hearing on Tuesday on the alleged illegal resolution for the importation of 300,000 metric tons of sugar, and on Thursday on the laptop contracts flagged by state auditors.  

Mr. Tolentino said the Blue Ribbon will seek to satisfy its “inner conviction” that a certain individual has committed a wrongdoing, which would justify the filing of appropriate charges before the Ombudsman and eventually the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan.   

“We will do whatever is right, but I appeal to the members of this committee to be forthright in joining me to have a Blue Ribbon roadmap,” he said. “The Blue Ribbon roadmap would entail that we will have for purposes of hearings a known duration and a defined direction.” — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan 

A BILL condoning unsettled amortization payments for lands awarded to agrarian reform beneficiaries was filed at the Senate to support farmers in their recovery from the compounded impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, economic crisis, and global conflict.  

Under Senate Bill 1179, all unpaid interest, penalties, surcharges on loans and amortizations due from farmer-beneficiaries will be fully condoned by the government, which would pave the way for full ownership of lands awarded to them.  

“If our farmers can get rid of their loans and the interest associated with it, we can give them adequate help to develop their farms, increase their productivity and promote agriculture in our country,” Senator Manuel “Lito” M. Lapid said in Filipino in a statement on Wednesday.  

“Additionally, if this measure is enacted, it will improve the lives of farmers, reduce poverty, and encourage rural development and promote food security in the Philippines,” he added. 

The senator cited former agrarian reform secretary Virgilio R. de los Reyes who reported that 906,997 beneficiaries had a total amortization payment due of P59 billion as of 2017. 

This amount represents 84% of the total landowner compensation requirement of P69 billion.   

The P10-billion difference had been covered by regular subsidies and adjustments in valuation as a result of just compensation cases decided by the legal courts. These are charged to the account of the government.   

Another P5 billion had been collected since 2017. 

The same report said in terms of payment performance, a total of 715,783 hectares of land had been awarded to 464,842 beneficiaries, amounting to P16 billion or 27% of total expected amortization of P59 billion.   

The other 73% or P43 billion was considered as lands purchased and expropriated due to the absence of land distribution information sheets or land amortization schedule.  

“​​Clearly, there are challenges in collecting land amortization, one reason is the absence of an efficient administrative system due to prohibitive administrative costs,” Mr. Lapid said.   

“The other one is the high cost of expenses and effects of climate change on agriculture such as lower crop yields due to drought, heat waves and flooding as well as increases in pests and plant diseases leaving our agrarian reform beneficiaries struggling in amortizing the land they incurred from the agrarian reform (program),” he added. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan 

A SENATOR has filed a bill penalizing discrimination due to race, religion or history behind bars. 

Senator Robinhood Ferdinand “Robin” C. Padilla said he filed Senate Bill 233 to protect the rights of all Filipinos by imposing severe penalties against discrimination, including imprisonment for up to eight years and a maximum fine of P1 million.  

“Regrettably, it is a reality that differing and adverse treatment on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion or even involvement with the justice system still exists in a democratic country like ours,” Mr. Padilla, a Muslim convert and was previously imprisoned for illegal possession of firearms, said in a statement on Wednesday.  

Under the bill, discrimination refers to “any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference made on the basis of race, color, descent, national or ethnic origin, religion, religious affiliation or beliefs, or being a formerly incarcerated person which has the effect or purpose of impairing or nullifying the recognition, enjoyment, or exercise on an equal footing, of the human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural, civil, or any other field of public life of a person.”  

The bill also covers punishment for incitement to discrimination and harassment.  

The proposed measure disallows discrimination in political participation; employment; education and training; sale and delivery of goods and services; acquisition, possession, utilization, lease or disposal of lands, including housing and other accommodations; and access to public places, facilities and public meetings.  

Any person, government agency or private entity who assists, authorizes and promotes such discriminatory acts will be held liable. Authorities duty-bound to act on complaints under the act but fail or refuse to do so will also be sanctioned.  

If passed, all private and public agencies, corporations, companies, organizations, educational institutions, and training centers must create a non-discrimination and equal opportunity committee, which will conduct an initial investigation of cases. — Alyssa Nicole O. Tan