Talk First, Think Later

People Empowerment Bill

It's another session day in the Senate today, and Leni's working double time to polish her sponsorship speech for the People Empowerment Bill. After a couple weeks of tireless persuasion, she managed to get the required amount of signatures to sponsor the bill in plenary.

Leni has a laundry list of bills in her agenda, but the People Empowerment Bill is, for all intents and purposes, her favorite child. The thought of People's Councils mushrooming all over the country and government money funding them fills her with excitement.

Now it has come to this - her maiden sponsorship speech.

"Tita Vice!", JV called out using the nickname the Seatmates bloc coined for her. "Ready ka na?"

Leni replied, looking up from the paper containing her speech. "Uy, Sen. JV. Last few changes na lang."

JV is the current chair of the Senate Committee on Local Government and Good Governance, with Leni serving as his Vice-Chair. They go way back when she was still the Vice President and have worked together closely when she still had the housing panel.

Now that she's in the Senate, he proved to be one of her closest allies in the majority bloc, to the point of entrusting her the vice-chair position.

"Salamat pala for signing the committee report.", Leni said. "Blood, sweat, and tears ung papirma rito."

JV smiled and patted her shoulder. "No worries, Tita V. This is why we do the work we do."

Not long after the roll was called and housekeeping done, Win made a motion to move the People Empowerment Bill for consideration on the floor. "I would like to make a motion to move Senate Bill 563 under Committee Report 17 from the Calendar of Ordinary Business to the Calendar of Special Orders."

Migz approved the motion and asked the Senate secretary to read its full title. "AN ACT CREATING A SYSTEM OF PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A PEOPLE'S COUNCIL IN EVERY LOCAL GOVERNMENT UNIT, PRESCRIBING ITS POWERS AND FUNCTIONS"

Leni's heart dropped upon hearing the bill's name announced in plenary, although her appearance doesn't show it. To her, it still doesn't feel real.

Win then proceeded with the signal for Leni to begin her sponsorship speech. "May we recognize the sponsor, the Vice-Chairperson of the Committee on Local Government and Good Governance, Senator Maria Leonor Robredo."

"The Former Vice President of the Republic and Gentlelady from Naga City, Senator Leni Robredo is recognized.", Migz replied with a bang of the gavel.

Leni approached the podium at the center and began her speech. "Thank you, Mr. President. Long before I started out in electoral politics, I worked as an alternative lawyer representing the most marginalized, ika nga ang mga nasa laylayan ng lipunan."

"These people from the most far-flung of areas are the ones who need us the most, yet get the smallest slice of the pie. It's in immersing myself in these communities that I learned two things:

First, it's not enough to be good, but there also needs to be a system in place that forces people to be good. Second, nasa taumbayan ang susi para umunlad ang ating lipunan.

Setting up People's Councils in every local government unit down to the barangays is a solution to both problems at once."

She continued her sponsorship speech with her experiences with forming People's Councils in both the communities she immersed herself in and in her 2022 presidential campaign. Just like what always happened when she speaks, every senator, and everyone else in the gallery, pay their full attention.

Leni then concluded with this statement. "The People Empowerment Bill aims to bring a system that brings government to the grassroots and enables citizens, non-government organizations, and civil society groups to play a bigger role in nation-building. Thank you, Mr. President."

She was then punctuated with a round of applause from the audience in the session hall.

As soon as she ended her speech, Migz and Win suspended the session to allow people to settle down. Right after the announcement, Pia and Kiko approached Leni and gave her a hug.

"Seatmate, congrats sa first sponsorship speech!", Pia said. "Grabe ka, puno na naman ung gallery."

Kiko rubbed Leni's shoulders. "Ulan nga, napapatigil niyan, eh."

Pia's eyes "Really? Dapat pala palagi kita isama sa bike rides."

"Tanungin mo si Chel o si Risa", Kiko said.

The three of them shared a laugh and walked back to their respective seats.

Meanwhile, across the aisle, Loren, Win, and Migz congregated with their own mini-caucus. "Migz, Sherwin, you know what to do, right?"

"Yes, Tita G.", Win answered.

Migz smiled. "Sounds like a plan. Alright, let's resume."

They then went their separate ways and resumed the rest of the session.

The week after the sponsorship speech, Leni checked the legislative calendar every day to know who was scheduled to interpellate the People Empowerment Bill for the day and prepared for it, only for the senator assigned to either drop out last minute or call in sick.

At first, Leni thought nothing of it, until Leni remembered Risa's stories of her ordeal with the SOGIE Equality Bill. "Teka lang, I hope this is not what I think it is..."

Leni then whipped up her phone and sent a message to the group chat she shares with Risa, Kiko, and Pia. "Hi guys, can we meet up in Risa's office tomorrow? I think someone in the leadership trying to block all my bills."

Send.