"No high concrete walls, barbed wires, or caged environment can silence me. I remain free in spirit and unbroken. I’m not giving up on my causes for truth, justice and human rights."

"Their perpetual innocence and purity in spirit insulate them from the cruelty and irrationality of humankind."

"I’m no longer in a hurry. I don’t rush anymore."

"It lies in the pen I hold in my hands."

"You have hurdled your law studies under challenging circumstances—as a family man, as a father to two very young children, the elder of whom has autism, as a very patient and loving younger brother to a special brother… the silently suffering son to a controversial mother, who is now a victim of persecution."

"Democracy is the power of choice; and that power belongs to the Filipino people. The true value of that power of choice is its ability to address and solve the real conditions, problems and challenges that are facing our people."

"Every lie, every piece of fake news, every form of propaganda that is manufactured and shared by people is like a disease or a poison that will kill everything that is good and just about our beautiful nation."

"Blood money is what that is. Some people might not think that there is anything wrong about making money by making up stories, but they cannot be more wrong."

"Nations are weakened by false information."

"Remember, fake news is like a drug: it makes you feel good by making you see or hear things that you badly want to believe are real; but, in reality, it is a form of poison that will destroy from within."

"It doesn’t end with one campaign. But this win—this hard-earned, against-the-odds win—proves that even in a system built to discourage idealism, idealism can still break through,"

"We made space where there was none. We proved that truth, even when battered, can still make its way forward"

"But it had something more powerful—people like you"

"I lost my freedom, but I held on to my voice,"

"Irresponsibility must not become a culture."

"Hold accountable those who must be held accountable no matter how high the power so that corruption, violence and poverty no longer become a cycle in our country."

"I am a symbol of past injustice, hoping for a future where accountability reigns."

"There have also been many opportunities for cooperation in the field of cultural and heritage preservation; but nothing can be more pronounced than our joint initiative on climate action,”"

"Seize the moment? No. Create it."

"Culture is not mere adornment; it is a vital engine of livelihood and economic growth."

"Culture is what binds us as a nation."

"What we choose to preserve today—our knowledge, our traditions, our stories—will ripple through time, shaping lives long after we are gone."

"These terraces endure because of the quiet brilliance of a people who, long before the world had the language for it, understood sustainability, engineering, and balance."

"We need to invest in blue carbon initiatives that will help protect our coral reefs, seagrass beds, lush mangrove forests, and other coastal and marine sources. Let us implement Philippine environmental laws in our efforts to bring back the bounty and restore the ecological integrity of our bodies of water."

"The risks are rapidly growing not only for those in coastal communities, as climate change drives rising sea levels, warmer oceans and increasingly ferocious cyclones. We need to recalibrate our strategies on climate change adaptation, invest in blue carbon initiatives, and embrace the available solutions that nature presents to us."

"This has always been one of the challenges of the department. It's already the 2023 budget and it's still a challenge. My question is, will there be a time when we will no longer have backlog?"

"Let it be a lesson to those doing the budget — whether you’re a big department or a small bureau or commission — you present it to the DBM. You think about it for one year."

"The Supreme Court has now spoken with clarity on the matter of the ₱60 billion withdrawn from PhilHealth pursuant to Special Provision 1(d), Chapter XLIII of the 2024 General Appropriations Act, and Department of Finance Circular No. 003-2024. The Court declared the provision unconstitutional and directed, and I quote: As a consequence of the unconstitutional transfer of the subject PhilHealth fund to the National Treasury pursuant to Special Provision 1(d) of the 2024 GAA and DOF Circular 003-2024, the remitted funds amounting to ₱60 billion to PhilHealth must be returned to the coffers of PhilHealth."

"The bicameral conference must confront the question of whether this satisfies the Court’s directive to ‘return’ the full amount to PhilHealth."

"These practices—though indirect—operate in effect as fund diversions similar to what transpired in 2024. I will file a bill to ensure that sin tax earmarks and the statutory shares from PAGCOR and PCSO are automatically appropriated and released to PhilHealth, strengthening the integrity of its funding streams,"

"I’m not lecturing. No, it’s true because I was there for five years and sometimes hanggang last minute, they submit in the bicam. Why should they submit in the bicam? Pag-isipan nila ang kanilang NEP. National Expenditure Program, the President’s budget. That’s why ayaw na ayaw namin may insertions sa bicam."

"This is a gift of safety for our families and a gift of care for nature. Let’s search and clean drainages, let this be our collective offering as we close 2025."

"Every flood reminds us of what we failed to do. Let us not wait for another disaster to act. This should be our responsibility, starting at the barangay level."

"Barangay leaders and residents must work together to map canals and waterways, conduct regular clean-ups, strictly enforce the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, and mobilize monitoring teams to check drainage before and after heavy rains"

"I also call for community education campaigns to remind households that throwing trash into canals is both illegal and dangerous."

"This confirms the urgency of my appeal. Barangays are our frontlines of disaster prevention. No national plan will succeed if canals at the community level remain clogged with plastic, household waste, and construction debris."

"As principal author of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act and the Climate Change Act, I have always said that laws are only effective when implemented at the grassroots level. Every barangay that cleans and protects its drainage system is enforcing these laws in the most direct, life-saving way."

"This role is about securing lives, livelihoods, and our future. We must build a force that protects and empowers,”"

"With the PDUS, we can build a new generation of national security leaders who are ready not only for today’s problems, but also for the challenges of the future."

"Security goes beyond arms; it is about trust, preparedness, and shared responsibility."

"We will continue to foster a transparent and responsible work environment, grounded in the public trust that we are privileged to serve."

"Let us work continuously, conscientiously, and collectively - moving and transforming our nation and society from a state of fragility to one of agility."

"I would be doing Filipinos injustice if I did not work hard to be able to address their concerns, respond to their needs and protect their rights and welfare."

"To unsettle the comfortable who can look upon suffering and remain unmoved. And to reach those who hold fast to their humanity, that they may know they do not stand alone in defending what gives life its worth: dignity and justice."

"We are a nation that tells its children: Ang edukasyon ang pinakadakilang daan tungo sa pagkakapantay-pantay (Education is the greatest path toward equality)."

"Kung patas ang talino, dapat patas din ang pagkakataon (If talent is equal, opportunity should be equal as well)."

"Ang tunay na tagumpay ay ang makita ang ating mga kabataan na nakapagtapos, at nakahanap ng landas tungo sa isang marangal na buhay (The true measure of success is seeing our youth complete their education and build a path toward a dignified future)."

"Kung walang pondo, walang pagbabago. At ang katumbas na halaga ng tamang pagpopondo nito ay higit na mas mababa sa kabayarang dulot ng kakulangan—hindi lamang sa mga pangarap na naudlot, kundi sa kinabukasan ng ating inang bayan (No reform is possible without funding. And the cost of adequate financing is far less than the burden imposed by neglect—not only in the loss of dreams, but in the erosion of our nation’s future)."

"The State must strengthen the educational and developmental foundations of children from birth through Grade 3, as this is considered a critical period in learning and development of cognitive skills."