THE ROUND ONE VICTORY OVER SB 1869 IS REAL!

Yesterday, CCH announced that Freedom Fighters won a major Round One victory over SB 1869. See here.

The vast majority of you celebrated with us. Thank you so much for doing so. You are careful observers of the details of the struggle on SB 1869 that CCH has been reporting. 

However there are a few who have downplayed the victory. There are also others who have released fake news that SB 1869 has been passed. 

Conerns about Senate Res. 243

Those who downplayed the victory point to Resolution 243, claiming that the Senate plenary can still make the move of approving SB 1869n in a session while the Senate is in recess. Let us examine if this concern is fully valid. It may just be a case of not listening carefully to the words we have been saying in videos and words that we have been writing in articles. 

Here is the language of Senate Resolution 21, which is the final adopted version of Res. 243. Res. 21 was signed by the Senate President, not Sen. Villanueva who filed Res. 243. See here for full text.)

“Resolved by the Senate of the Philippines, To authorize and encourage all Regular Standing Committees, Oversight Committees and Special Committees of the Senate to conduct hearings, meetings and consultations during every recess of Senate to have continuity in the process of passing pending proposed legislations and to conduct investigations on issues of national interests to aid in crafting relevant legislations;

…. “Resolved, furthermore, to encourage the Committees to immediately file committee reports based on the outcome of their- studies, hearings or investigations to the Senate in its regular and special sessions, and to regard all pending measures with utmost urgency for the consideration of their immediate passage by the Senate;” (Emphases added.)

It is clear that the approved Senate Resolution, Res. 21, is specifying rules of procedure in connection with COMMITTEE hearings, meetings, consultations, and investigations in aid of legislation. Thus Res. 21 is concerned not with Senate PLENARY deliberations but with Senate COMMITTEE hearings. 

Thus, It is also specifies that COMMITTEE REPORTS be immediately filed “to the Senate in its regular and special sessions” 

The First Regular Session of the 19th Congress is over. The Senate has not declared a Special Session. The Committee on Health, which is the mother committee of SB 1869, can convene hearings. But such hearings are not plenary sessions of the entire Senate. 

Of course, there is always a chance that the Senate as a whole may suddenly convene a special session out of nowhere.  However a special session is very unlikely given the final announcements of Sen. Zubiri as broadcasted by CCH during the May 31, 2023 protests. See video here.

Nonetheless, if this worst case scenario unfolds, on-the-ground Freedom Warriors, who won the victory on May 31, 2023, have made preparations for such contingencies. We are ready and we made announcements to this effect. See here.

Fake News: Senate Passes SB 1869.

The more serious reaction coming from the ranks of those who supposedly are fighting against SB 1869 is the distribution of fake news. We received this news from a friend who wanted to verify if this claim displayed below is true. 

Contrast this fake news with the official news from the Philippine News Agency (PNA). See here.

“MANILA – Eight priority bills of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. have been approved in the Senate during its first regular session under the 19th Congress.

“A highlight among our accomplishments is our approval of eight of the priority measures of the administration,” Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said in a statement on Thursday.

“Three of these measures are the SIM Registration Act, the Act Postponing the Barangay Elections, and the AFP Fixed Term Law, which have already been passed into law.

“Meanwhile, the measures on the Condonation of Unpaid Amortization and Interests on Loans of Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries, the Regional Specialty Centers Act, the Extension of the Estate Tax Amnesty Act, and the Maharlika Investment Fund Act are currently awaiting the signature of the President.

“The Senate approved the Maharlika Investment Fund bill early Wednesday this week after an 11-hour marathon session taken up by extensive line-by-line amendments.

Just recently, the Trabaho Para sa Bayan Act was approved by the Senate on third reading and is awaiting its counterpart measure in the House of Representatives.”

Dear readers. Decide for yourself. Has SB 1869 been approved or not? What does it say about the source for fear that SB 1869 has been passed?

Besides the last paragraph in the screenshot above makes it clear that the PNA reports that the news of approval of Philippine CDC comes from the House side not the Senate.

Friendly Advise to Those Who Want “Unity”, Kuno 

The core principle in our struggle against Covid, SB 1869, and related issues, is to always advance the Truth. As Christ said approximately: “You shall know the Truth and the Truth will set you Free.”

We have no moral authority to oppose the lies of Covid, DOH, WHO, WEF if we spin and spread our own lies. We have to walk our talk. 

We call for unity? Then that call will be stronger if those making this call show up in the field of battle in the Senate, where that expression of unity is most visible and strategic. Face-to-face conversations will also make it easier to forge unity. 

Yes, there are other forms of struggle that are valuable. But these are invisible and do not significantly advance the call for unity. How can it when others do not even know about it? Worst, how can it when others try to hide what they are doing from other Filipinos resisting SB 1869? They also avoid coordinating efforts when it is clear that, during such times, coordination would have been essential.

Also how can we have unity when those who enter into agreements do not stick to their words of honor? Unfortunately, there have been too many examples of these kinds of dividing behaviors. Nonetheless, CCH and other Freedom Warriors have not allowed this to affect their dedication to stop SB 1869.

Strict adherence to Truth is also essential to unity. We have to do background work before we broadcast our truth. Otherwise, what we think to be the truth could be disinformation which will only weaken one’s reputation and effectiveness. 

The last thing we all need in this struggle against impending global medical and total martial law is to confuse others striving for a better world. For in the end, actions speak louder than words. Words are easily said but real deeds of truth and honesty are difficult to execute. These recent attempts to cast doubt on the achievements of Freedom Warriors is but a more recent example of efforts of unproductive actions. 

But there is one Truth that stands amidst all these. As Freedom Warriors, we continue to navigate turbulent and conflicting external (Senate et al.) and internal (others fighting SB 1869) waters with undiminished determination and courage. 

The vision before us is clear. We need a God-centered society that is truthful,  honest and ethical, free and democratic, among other aspirations. SB 1869 is a test case to ground this vision. We will pursue the defeat of SB 1869 to the end. 

Detractors who think otherwise can create their own fantasy about us and our motives. Let us see which truth prevails in the end.