By: Elena Grace Flores
YouTube video by INQUIRER.net
Sen. Pia Cayetano, pinuna ang hearing ni Sen. Imee Marcos
An Overlapping Situation
Senators Pia Cayetano and Imee Marcos continue the rift between their families. In 2016, Senator Ian Peter Cayetano and Bongbong Marcos also had some bouts. A recent hearing that tackles the the “economic effects” of the government’s investment promotions program has led to Citira. Cayetano is the sponsor of the Senate version of Citira, which is under her ways and means committee. She fumes over Marcos’ inclusion of this topic on her economic hearing.
Cayetano’s Dissatisfaction
Malacanang certifies the CITIRA bill as urgent, according to Cayetano. The bill is now up for plenary debates as Committee Report No. 50. Are we allowed to have another committee conduct a hearing on exactly the same subject matter in another hearing without even informing the chair, even on a personal level?” Cayetano said in the plenary session. “I don’t mind, dear colleagues, you can speak to any resource person. You can invite them to your office, but to have them in a hearing on a matter that was pending on the floor is a slightly different thing,” she continued.
Apology to the Irrate Senator
This prompts Marcos to clarify that the Senate economic affairs’ hearing did not touch on the tax aspect of the CITIRA measure. It merely tackles the impact of COVID-19 on exports and the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies. Marcos added that the discussion also includes the impact of the cancellation of the Philippines-U.S. Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and the over-all effects of COVID-19 on the economy. Marcos eventually apologizes to Cayetano and Cayetano accepts Marcos’ apology but has difficulty understanding her explanation that the committee covers a wide range of topics.
Fr. Jose Bosch Innovative Skills Training Advocacy Cooperative (ISTAC)
