Senate to continue exposing corruption in public service —Sotto

The Senate will continue to dig and reveal corruption in the government in the last session of the 18th Congress, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said Monday.

"We will continuously seek to expose corruption in public service and direct the searchlight of one of our committees towards the dark corners of our bureaucracy where corruption and injustice thrive unnoticed," Sotto said in his speech during the opening session of the Senate.

The Senate chief said they will also “unceasingly address” the common concerns of the people such as food, shelter, education, and medical help.

For the COVID-19 response, Sotto said the Senate will continue to allot funds to address the pandemic and it will assert its oversight authority to monitor how these funds are being used.

The chamber will seek financial assistance or “ayuda” for Filipino families, especially those who have lost their jobs amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Post-Covid scenarios will affect industries from health to education; from manufacturing to retail; entertainment and lifestyle, to name a few,” he said.

“Your Senate needs to anticipate the evolving economic landscape in order to ready our countrymen to adapt to the needs of a new world,” he added.

The Senate also vowed that it “will not abandon the overseas Filipino workers.”

Asked whether the Upper House will prioritize the passage of the Department of Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos (DMWOF), Sotto said in a virtual press conference that their target is “ASAP.”

Last May, the bill creating the DMWOF, a priority bill of the Duterte administration, was sponsored in the Senate plenary.

“Naghahanap tayo ng paraan upang magbukas ng mas maraming trabaho sa bayan para hindi na nila kailangang iwanan ang kanilang mga pamilya para maghanap-buhay,” Sotto said.

(We are looking for ways to open more jobs in our country so that they no longer need to leave their families to make ends meet.)

Disaster preparedness and environmental protection were also among the Senate priorities, the Senate leader further said.

“The Senate is ready and willing to be a partner of the other branches of government in correcting any wrong or discontinue a measure that is counter-productive,” he said.

The Senate has opened the third and last regular session of the 18th Congress Monday morning.—AOL, GMA News