Sen. Binay to Congress: Stop word war, get back to work

Senator Nancy Binay on Saturday said her wish for the Chinese New Year was for the members of the House of Representatives to stop the parliamentary bullying and "get back to work."

“I guess last week, di ba, naging masyado mainit yung mga banat at paninira sa Senado. Kaya ang naging Chinese New Year wish natin, sana tigilan na ng mababang kapulungan yung pag-atake sa Senado,” Binay said in a radio interview.

(I guess last week, right, things got heated. So my Chinese New Year's wish is for the lower house to stop attacking the Senate.)

“I’m sure, di ba, tao lang din naman kami na nasasaktan. But more than that, ang sa amin, this is, hindi ito productive. Yung nauubos yung oras sa mga ganyang walang kakwentang-kwentang banat. I guess, balik, balik trabaho. Mas pagtutunan namin yung problema ng ating mga kababayan ngayon,” she added.

(We're just human and we get hurt too. But more than that, for us, this is not productive. Time is wasted on such pointless attacks. I guess, we should go back to work. We will focus more on the problems of our countrymen today.)

Binay also stressed that she hopes these conflicts will be over by July when the third State of the Nation Address by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. will be held.

Apart from this, she also urged the President to speak up and be the one to mediate the two sides.

"I guess, merong authority or bilang ama ng ating bayan, siguro maganda nga kung may ganong intervention na magagaling sa ating Presidente," she said.

(I guess he has the authority, and as the head of our country, it would be nice if the intervention would come from him.)

On Thursday, Marcos emphasized that amendments to the 1987 Constitution would be limited to economic provisions.

The next day, House Assistant Minority Leader Arlene Brosas of the Gabriela party-list and Kabataan party-list lawmaker Raoul Manuel warned that economic Cha-cha was only a cover.

Eventually, "political amendments and opening of the doors to cronies" would be included.

Still, Binay said that based on the first hearing, more resource persons said changing the constitution was timely.

"Kasi dito sa gagawin namin ang proseso, baka din yung false hope sa ating mga kababayan na kumbaga pag binoto nila ito sa plebesito after one month, okay na. Bababa na yung presyo ng bigas. Or bababa na yung presyo ng krudo o maaayos na yung problema natin sa kuryente. Pero hindi ganun yung mangyayari," she added.

(Because in the process we will go through, there might be false hope among our countrymen. That, if they vote for it in the plebiscite after one month, they expect things to be immediately better. Like the price of rice will drop, or the price of crude oil will drop, or it will fix our electricity. But that won't happen.)

Binay emphasized that Cha-cha was not a magic solution that would erase all the country's problems.

"Hindi ito magic solution na pag napasa, tapos na lang, mawawala na lahat ng problema natin or okay na yung ekonomiya ng ating bansa. And I think baka kailangan namin din, ano yan eh, isa yan dun sa dapat din siguro ibahagi sa ating mga kababayan na kumbaga hindi lang ito yung solution," she noted.

(This is not a magic solution that, once passed, will cause all our problems to disappear or the economy will improve. And maybe we also need to impart that to our countrymen as this is not the only solution.)

One of the bills they want to focus on is the P100 increase in the daily minimum wage.

“Sa akin nga, baka magandang ano eh, pa-Valentine's gift sa ating mga kababayan itong P100 minimum wage increase. Tignan natin baka this week, kaya na siyang aprubahan,” Binay said

(To me, this P100 minimum wage increase could be a Valentine's gift to our countrymen. Let's see, perhaps this week, we can approve it.)

She noted that immediately implementing the wage increase was one of their priorities as lawmakers.

“Sa tingin ko naman, kakayanin na mga negosyante. In fact, yun din yung isa doon sa exemptions na gagawin natin dito sa minimum wage increase. E, yung mga small and medium na mga negosyante, eh hindi kabilang dito sa minimum wage increase,” she added.

(I think businessmen can handle it. That is also one of the exemptions we will make here in the minimum wage increase. Small and medium entrepreneurs are not included in the minimum wage increase.)

On Wednesday, Senator Jinggoy Estrada, chairperson of the Senate Labor, employment, and Human Resources Development Committee sponsored Senate Bill (SB) No. 2534 or "An Act Providing for a 100 Pesos Daily Minimum Wage Increase for Employees and Workers in the Private Sector."

The proposed wage hike under the bill was adjusted from P150 to P100 following the regional wage boards' hiking of minimum daily wage rates from P30 to P89.

The current daily minimum wage in the National Capital Region is P610.

Last year, the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board issued wage orders for increases in the minimum wage of employees in Northern Mindanao, Zamboanga Peninsula, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, SOCCSKSARGEN, and Central Visayas. — DVM, GMA Integrated News