Sen. Jinggoy Estrada (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)
MANILA, Philippines—Senator Jinggoy Estrada bared Tuesday being prodded by an official of the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO) to pass a measure that would limit the coverage of the fixed three-year term for top military officials.
One week before Congress went on a Christmas break last year, Estrada said PLLO Undersecretary Bernardino Sayo came to his office asking him to pass the measure.
“He (Sayo) wanted me to pass it already,” the chairman of the Senate committee on national defense and security said in a phone interview with reporters.
Estrada said he protested, telling the official that he couldn’t tell him what to do.
“Ibibigay mo sa akin itong trabahong ito, one week ipapasa ko sa Senado? Bakit wala ba akong hearing, wala akong interpellation dyan?” he recalled telling his visitor.
(You are going to give me this job and in a week I’ll pass this in the Senate? I don’t have a hearing or interpellation for that?)
“Sabi ko don’t dictate upon me. Kung gusto kong mag hearing mag he-hearing ako. Kung ayaw ko, ayaw ko kasi hindi naman kakayanin e. Bakit sya pupunta sa akin one week before. Problema nila yun, hindi ko problema yun.”
(I said don’t dictate upon me. If I want to have a hearing, I’ll conduct a hearing. If I don’t want to, I won’t do it because it cannot be done. Why would he come to me a week before? That’s their problem, not mine.)
The senator nevertheless filed his counterpart of House Bill 6517, which was approved last month by the House of Representatives.
The bill seeks to amend Republic Act No. 11709, prescribing fixed three-year terms for key officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, including the chief of staff. The said law took effect last July 1.
The law, however, has alleged caused unrest within the armed forces as it would hamper the promotion of some military officials.
If the proposed amendment is passed, the fixed three-year term would just be limited to four officers: the AFP chief of staff, commanding general of the Philippine Army, commanding general of the Philippine Air Force, and flag officer in command of the Philippine Navy.
“Nag-file ako ng counterpart, that’s the most that I can do. Pero para ipasa ko, malabo yun [I filed a counterpart measure, that’s the most that I can do. But for me to pass it, that would be impossible],” Estrada said.