Page 6 - Michael Defensor News Today

House lawmakers struggle to find fault in Lopez loan with DBP Ramon Royandoyan © STAR/File House lawmakers struggle to find fault in Lopez loan with DBP MANILA, Philippines — House lawmakers struggled their way back to finding fault after hitting a stonewall in the second hearing meant to probe loans of the Lopez family sold by state-run Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) at a discount. The hearing picks up from last month’s proceedings with House blue ribbon chai...

House of the Representatives (ALVIN KASIBAN / MANILA BULLETIN / FILE PHOTO) Anakalusugan Partylist Rep. Michael Defensor cautioned the House leadership against rushing plenary action on Resolution of Both Houses No. 2 that proposes amendments to certain economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution.   “I believe that in rushing Cha-cha, the House is putting the cart before the horse. The House should first resolve with the Senate at least two contentious issues,” said Defensor in a statemen...

Former House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano (PCOO / MANILA BULLETIN / FILE PHOTO) In a press statement, Cayetano said House Bill 8628 or the proposed Bayanihan to Arise as One Act (Bayanihan 3) authored by Velasco “might not be approved in time to help those who need it the most.” Cayetano also took a jab at Velasco’s bid to prioritize  Charter change moves which the Lower House Committee on Constitutional Amendments did when it adopted last week Resolution of Both Houses 02. “This is pr...

(UNSPLASH / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) “Through the years, we’ve had non-Muslim women share with us their own experience with the hijab.  Their stories ranged from those of finding quiet empowerment under the veil, to stories of being discriminated against because of a piece of cloth they they’ve decided to wear,” Sangcopan said in a privilege speech. Sangcopan, vice chairperson of the House Committee on Muslim Affairs, stressedt aht wearing the hijab is neither “an obligation nor...

Published January 29, 2021, 8:08 PM Former speaker and Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano on Friday challenged the leadership of the House of Representatives to spearhead efforts to stop the continuous rise in prices of basic goods that has affected millions of Filipinos facing the COVID-19 public health threat. Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano Together with his wife, Taguig Rep. Lani Cayetano and loyal allies, the former House leader filed House Resolution 1515 calling on the Lower House to swift...

Published January 28, 2021, 4:59 PM The chairman of the House Committee on Legislative Franchise declared Thursday that ABS-CBN network’s bid to return to the airwaves is no longer feasible and should instead be taken up in the next Congress and under a new president. This view shows the ABS-CBN network headquarters in Quezon City in the Metro Manila area. (Photo by Maria TAN / AFP / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) Palawan Rep. Franz Alvarez made this declaration as moves to revive the legislat...

An end to rising prices of prime commodities and ensuring the availability of COVID-19 vaccines for Filipinos, not Charter change, should be the main concerns and priorities of the House of Representatives, former Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano said Saturday, Jan. 23. Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano Int

(MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO) Reps. Edcel Lagman (Independent, Albay); Michael Defensor (Anakalusugan Partylist) and Ruffy Biazon (PDP-Laban, Muntinlupa City) joined various sectors in defending the pact that made it mandatory for military and other state security forces to notify the University of the Philippines administration before conducting operations within its campuses. “The repressive policies of the Duterte administration have gone berserk as it is now open season for the military in...

Published January 19, 2021, 5:58 PM The chief solon-investigator in the reported questionable deal between the Development Bank of the Philippines and the owners of the ABS-CBN that allegedly resulted in government losing P1.6 billion has asked accusers to produce the evidence that will support the allegations. This view shows the ABS-CBN network headquarters in Quezon City in the Metro Manila area. (Photo by Maria TAN / AFP / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) DIWA Partylist Rep. Michael Aglipay, c...

endIndex: Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 18) — The Development Bank of the Philippines did not give the Lopez Group of Companies a free pass from its soured ₱1.6 billion loans in the early 2000s. Dumper PTDA Party-list Rep. Claudine Diana Bautista, who asked for the House inquiry, said the write-off cost the Filipino peoples money. However, the state-owned bank denied writing off the unpaid loans of the Lopez family for its current and former subsidiaries Benpres Holdings, Bayan Te...