Clariza A. Reyes Atty.

Crisostomo Uribe
Civil Law Review II Sunday; 1:00-5:00pm April 7, 2019

My Top 6 Best Senatoriables

Senatorial Candidate’s Name Reasons

1. Neri Colmenares For me, he is competent and deserving to be a senator. He is

the lawyer of the oppressed and of the needy. He was the one
who filed the case to trash the TRAIN Law in 2018. He is an
author of several Republic Acts such as the free text alerts for
calamities (R.A 10639), special election precincts for persons
with disabilities and senior citizens (R.A 10633), the
acknowledgment and compensation for the victims of
Martial Law (R.A 10368), etc. Also, he actively took part to
lessen the water and electricity bill collections in 2015 and in
2013 respectively and asserted before the Supreme Court for
the text refund from Globe, Smart and PLDT for a better
internet service. Most importantly, while he was in the
position as the Congressman of Bayan Muna Partylist, he
never stole people’s money. He genuinely aims to serve the
people and I believe he can do more.

2. Pia Cayetano Because I am pro-women, I like Cayetano’s advocacy which

is also pro-women. She pushed for the enactment of the
‘Magna Carta of Women’ which seeks to end all forms of
gender discrimination, and the ‘Expanded Breastfeeding
Act,’ which establishes lactation stations in the workplace to
encourage nursing mothers to continue breastfeeding even at
work. To name a few, she was likewise credited for the
passage of the ‘Expanded Senior Citizens Act’ which allowed
the elderly to fully enjoy the 20-percent senior citizens
discount by exempting their purchases of medicines and
other vital services from the 12-percent Value Added Tax.

3. Chel Diokno I find Diokno as devoted in his human rights advocacies

considering the fact that there are several human rights
violations in the country, especially during the regime of
President Rodrigo Duterte. Diokno served on the
Commission on Human Rights under Presidents Cory
Aquino and Fidel V. Ramos. He was also a member of the
Committee on Human Rights and Due Process at the
Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP). Until 2019, Diokno
serves the Presidential Adviser on Human Rights of the
 Integrated Bar of the Philippines, and until 2021, he is a
member of the Panel of Arbitrators of the International
Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes. Diokno's
whole career, from his law practice with the Free Legal
Assistance Group to his role as counsel to the Senate Blue
Ribbon Committee, has revolved around the central theme of
Human Rights advocacy. I think we need someone like him
today.

4. Grace Poe I find Grace Poe active in the Senate. Poe was among the
senators who voted in favor of a resolution calling on the
Supreme Court to review its decision granting the quo
warranto petition and ousting Chief Justice Maria Lourdes
Sereno. In June 2018, she voted in favor of a national ID
system. Most of all, there were no issues of her being
involved in corruption issues. Despite her being new in
politics, I believe she can do more.

5. Samira Gutoc She is also an epitome of a strong and brave woman. She is
best known for her civil and women's rights advocacy in
response to the 2017 Marawi siege and its aftermath. Like
me, she is also against martial law, the lowering of the
minimum age of criminal responsibility, and Duterte's deadly
drug war. I think it’s good to have someone like her, a
woman from Mindanao, to have a voice and stand in the
Senate.

6. Pilo Hilbay I see him as active and brave in fighting for his advocacies.
He has expressed his staunch dissent over the deadly
Philippine Drug War, the extension of martial law in
Mindanao, the under-budgeting of the Commission on
Human Rights, the House attempts to re-impose the death
penalty, the misogyny of the President, the lowering of
minimum age of criminal responsibility (MACR) to 9 years
of age, the spread of fake news, and the position of the
Duterte administration on issues concerning China.
Considering several human rights violation cases,
irregularities of the administration, and issues in an out of the
country, I think we need someone like him.

Clariza A. Reyes Atty. Crisostomo Uribe

Civil Law Review II Sunday; 1:00-5:00pm April 7, 2019

My Top 6 Best Senatoriables

Senatorial Candidate’s Name Reasons

1. Imee Marcos We should no longer allow the Marcoses to have another place in
the Philippine government. As they say, “Blood is thicker than
water.” We cannot eradicate the fact that whatever happens, she
will definitely be on her family’s side. We shall not forget all the
freedom repressions, rampant extrajudicial killings and other
human rights violations, stolen Philippine wealth, and several
injustices that all happened during the regime of former President
Ferdinand Marcos, which until now, have brought remnants to the
country and which the people are still suffering from. Despite all
these, Imee Marcos has received significant criticism for instances
of historical revisionism, and the denial or trivializing of the
human rights violations and economic plunder that took place
during the Marcos administration, and of the role she played in the
administration. On the other hand, even Imee Marcos herself got
involved in corruption cases. For me, putting her in the senate will
never help in the moving on process of the Filipino people.
Indeed, what her family had done to the country and the people
was unforgettable and unforgivable.

2. Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Jr. For me, he is a self-serving politician. He has not proven anything
yet in the senate. Indeed, he has been involved in corruption cases
which I believe is true. After 2013 elections, he was allegedly
involved in the Priority Development Assistance Fund scam,
along with then Senate Pres. Juan Ponce Enrile, and Senator
Jinggoy Estrada, contributing to entrepreneur Janet Lim-Napoles'
alleged bogus foundations. Yes, he is a good actor, but I think he
shall have no place in the senate.

3. Bato Dela Rosa He has not proven anything yet in the country to be put in the
Senate. I see him nothing but a coward puppet of President
Rodrigo Duterte and a power-tripping and self-service person.
Indeed, when he was appointed by President Duterte as the PNP
Chief in 2016, several cases of extrajudicial cases elevated due to
Duterte’s war on drugs. Dela Rosa has done nothing, but to cry in
front of the media, perhaps to get sympathy from the people
amidst his inability to control his policemen.

4. Jinggoy Estrada This one is another self-serving and corrupt politician. He,
together with other senators, has been involved in plunder charges
 at the Ombudsman relating to Janet Lim Napoles' pork barrel
scam involving PHP10 billion of the people's money. Estrada is
accused of pocketing PHP183 million in kickbacks from fake
projects. I think if he will be put back again in the senate, the
people’s money will again be put at risk.

5. Juan Ponce Enrile Yes, we all know that he has been in the world of politics for
decades but one’s years of service and seniority shall not be the
measurement of being qualified for any position in the
government. I included him in my top 6 worst senatoriables
because of his involvement in several plunder and corruption
cases. Along with his fellow senators, Enrile was one of those who
were indicted for plunder and for the violation of the Anti-Graft
and Corrupt Practices Act before the Sandiganbayan on June 6,
2014 in connection to the Priority Development Assistance Fund
scam. He also allegedly received ₱172 million in kickbacks from
public funds. The people should not allow someone like him to
steal again people’s money.

6. Bong Go I find Bong Go as an active puppet of President Rodrigo Duterte

and cannot make a stand on his own. He just suddenly appeared to
the public trying to impress the people of his community works
and premature campaigning when the elections were about to
come. For me, he has not proven anything yet to the people for
him to be put in the senate as it is very apparent that his cause has
a hidden political agenda. Further, we do not need a senator who
serves the President; we need one who will truly serve the people.