Lawyers From The Philippines

"One of the most influential figures in Philippine cinema, Da King touched the lives of many people even before running for the presidency in 2004. A prolific and outstanding actor who won the most best actor awards from FAMAS, he would not need his acting skills in 2004--as his genuine concern for Filipinos of all walks of life was apparent as he went around the country to campaign against a government that was as crooked and menacing as the villains he faced in his movies."

"My problem here is quite simple. Those who have plundered the national coffers in billions get to stay in Sta. Rosa or any hospital much to their comfort. Those whose crimes pale so much in comparison with Napoles – the cell phone snatchers and the street snatchers – languish in cramped and dingy jails. It’s like teaching our children that if they must steal, steal big so at least you get to be jailed in the comfort of those special cells."

"I have never allocated public funds using the PDAF or budgetary incentives to any fictitious NGOs created by Janet Napoles or anyone to steal people’s money."

"Friendships and relationships go beyond politics/elections. Heart's mom is very close to Senator Miriam (Defensor) and, while I respect her position now, it will not stop nor deter Heart and I from campaigning and try to convince her, until election day to go for Senator Grace (Poe)."

"If we are shocked by reports about policemen owning prime properties then all the more should we be angered by the fact many police officers rent rooms no bigger than a pig pen."

"We cannot just sit idly by and watch while our laws are being subverted. If we cannot defend, protect nor assist our fellow Filipino right here in our own soil, what chilling message do we get out there to our people and especially to those who are outside Philippine soils?"

"The COMELEC decision is both unfortunate and wrong. It ignored jurisprudence and interpreted the law to render injustice rather than justice. We will, nevertheless, follow the process and keep our faith in the justice system. I firmly believe that Senator Grace (Poe) will prevail in the end."

"Fascinated in the sense that it’s advanced human rights; it’s advanced in the sense that everything in your license, everything in your birth certificate can now be determined by the person himself. Nothing to be determined by the accident of birth. That is advanced citizenship, and I am all for it."

"I totally agree that there is an implementation cost needed to actuate a program. And yes, we need to monitor the implementation of our programs and projects to ensure accountability and judicious use of public funds, but it should not be that expensive. Our government already has an existing machinery and mechanism to precisely do that. We have the Commission on Audit, why do we need this redundancy of functions?"

"The continuing role of the government is to remove barriers and provide wider access to healthcare assistance which is a universal basic service."

"Black propaganda and negative politics don't and won't work here/elsewhere simply because of one thing - it is based on a lie."

"Some of our fellow Filipinos were oppressed abroad, why would we put a foreigner on a pedestal and give him special treatment more than the Filipinos in their own land?"

"I nonetheless reiterate my commitment, as a member of the majority bloc in the Senate, to exert efforts to ensure the timely passage of the GAB. I likewise pledge to play an active role in initiatives to put in place strong and categorical safeguards in the GAB to guarantee that it complies with the decision of the Supreme Court (i.e. Belgica v. Ochoa and Araullo v. Aquino) and that it will not be used as a tool for partisan political interests."

"The current situation in the country is, sad to say, unacceptable. The state of internet speed is pathetic, and unless we remedy this situation, our IT sector is likely to suffer in the long term."

"Typhoon-prone areas in our eastern seaboard should have rescue units, pre-positioned relief and safe/dry evacuation centers (not just schools)."

"If Fernando Poe, Jr. were with us today, he would have celebrated his seventieth birthday, as always, with family, friends, and his legion of fans."

"It is said that life imitates art, and in FPJ's case that was true. He played tough, honest heroes who fought for the common tao; and as someone aspiring for the most powerful office in the land, he exhibited those same qualities, and was supported by millions of his countrymen."

"In this highly competitive world, there is a crying need for the government to assure that schools in the country, for one, are able to produce graduates who have the capability to find quality work that mostly requires a sufficient level of technology skills."

"The elections are not about what rallies I should or not join but rather about issues and platforms, pure intentions and commitment to principles. It is sad that they have focused on rallies as an issue for this campaign."

"It is, Mr. President, what propriety requires; it is, I believe, what our people expect from us all: delicadeza."

"While it took all of 27 years for the state to finally recognize the atrocities it inflicted on Filipinos whose democratic rights were suppressed under Marcos, the compensation law seeks to give justice to victims of the dark days of oppression and hopefully give an assurance that it will not happen again."

"Like billions of Catholics around the world, I greet Pope Francis’ election with a great measure of hope and optimism because it signals a fresh start. For many Catholics, this beacon of hope and optimism could very well rekindle a faith scarred by scandals and controversies."

"I am happy and humbled by the continued confidence by the people, but what is important is that public servants seeking the people’s vote like me continue to work to prove that we are worthy of the positions entrusted to us."

"Mr. President, distinguish colleagues, ladies and gentlemen."

"The person I have the honor of nominating today as our Senate President Pro Tempore may be a young at 49 years of age. But don’t let his supposedly youthful looks deceive you."

"He was already in Congress twenty-one years ago, in 1992. In that pre-cellphone age, Mr. President, distinguish colleagues, myself, Sonny Angara, Sonny Trillanes, JV (Ejercito), Grace (Poe), Alan (Cayetano), and Nancy (Binay), all of us were still college. Bam (Aquino) was in high school."

"Through three terms in the Lower House and two terms here, Mr. President, he has earned the reputation as a lawmaker with a head for numbers, and an eye for figures – whether tax , budgetary, and perhaps in a previous lifetime, of the female kind."

"It has been said Mr. President, that while we can only read the prose in the laws we pass, he sees numbers in them, and imagine them in digits."

"While we simply see the provisions, he would see the costs hidden in each section, and then proceed to remind us of their burden to taxpayers."

"So whenever the tug of populism tempts us to pass measures without regard of their fiscal cost, he is there to ask us if those who will ultimately foot the bill can actually afford it."

"Mr. President, this ability – this ability to give us a reality check before we write a check charged to the people – to me is his value to this institution and the service he renders to the citizenry who sent him here."

"And because he believes numbers don’t lie, he minces no words in explaining them, and will not consult the political weather bulletin on when to expose them. So much so, that he sometimes sails against the wind, driven only by the motto set by his grandfather, who also once sat here, that one must do what is right over what is popular."

"Mr. President, distinguished colleagues, having logged eighteen years of service in the legislature, two years of hard labor in the Cabinet, and helping out in the local government unit of Batangas for nearly nine years on a pro bono capacity, the one I am nominating, Mr. President, today has certainly paid his dues and has earned his right to be promoted for a podium position."

"I think it is time for us to ensconce him in the rocking chair up there that we reserve for senior members of the chamber."

"Besides, Mr. President, distinguish colleagues, he has twenty years experience of being number two already, as he reportedly plays number two in matriarchal household with his wife."

"True or not, this man who is married to the Star for All Seasons will remain an all-weather friend to me, and to most of us."

"On this note, Mr. President, distinguish colleagues, it is my distinct honor and privilege to nominate Senator Ralph Recto as our President Pro Tempore."

"As a father, I will work hard to ensure that I teach them the right values in life and with the RH Bill, to arm them with knowledge so they can ably decide for themselves."

"It is not for any institutions or any foreign entities for that matter to dictate upon us what to and what not to tax. IMF and its chief has no business in even suggesting that we impose tax on text. The power to tax is inherent in Congress and any external intervention is already meddling with our sovereignty."

"I will be running for senator as an independent and I have no plans of joining any political party."

"Alliances are political certainties and there is rhyme and reason to that. The polls may be already next year but personally I think it’s not yet the right time to be busy about political shopping."

"The mismatch problem occurs as the workers required by companies for their vacancies are difficult to fill up due to shortage of talents in the labor pool. An Asian Development Bank study said labor mismatch is one of the culprits behind the country’s slow economic growth and that the mismatch may be caused by too many highly educated people chasing too few jobs in the country."

"The least that government can do for our athletes in general is to show that they have our support. We ask them to carry our flag and compete with the highest possible degree of sportsmanship and excellence while representing our country. Government should be able to ensure their safety."

"I believe that both sides of the RH debate genuinely want what is best for our people, we just differ in our experience, approach abd belief. Those who voted or will vote for or against the RH bill are not necessarily good and not necessarily evil."

"In victory and more especially in defeat, we should stand behind and be proud of Pacquiao. He has nothing to be ashamed of. Pacquiao gave it his all. It just so happened that Marquez was the better boxer, at least for today. My congratulations to him."

"IMF's Lagarde has no business in even suggesting that we impose a tax on text. I am against it and will oppose it! Our house is in order. If at all, she should make suggestions to her fellow Europeans who can perhaps learn a thing or two from us. Proud to be Filipino!"

"I love putting my kids to sleep. Cherishing every moment of it knowing that it won't be the same once they are all grown up."

"My father, Representative Salvador “Sonny” H. Escudero joined our Creator at 3:30 a.m today. He died in his sleep at home in Sanville, Quezon City after battling colorectal cancer for almost two years."

"Tatay has always been the center of our family. He was a father first and foremost and a man who deeply loved his country and his people second. He devoted his entire life to public service."

"However, given my public pronouncements regarding a possible candidacy for higher office in 2016, I believe that it behooves me to step down at this juncture to ensure that deliberations on the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) - considered the single most important piece of legislation passed by Congress each year - are untainted by suspicions or perceptions of partisan politics."