Senate bloc to oppose administration measures

THE SENATE minority bloc plans to oppose four key initiatives of the administration — the restoration of the death penalty, the postponement of the barangay elections, lowering the age of criminal liability, and federalism.

“Based on our latest discussion, we are all going to oppose that,” Minority Senator Antonio F. Trillanes IV said in Filipino during a press conference on Tuesday, referring to the four key bills.

Mr. Trillanes is the only Minority Senator who stayed in his bloc after the Senate reorganized in February. The Senate minority is currently composed of Mr. Trillanes, Liberal Party Senators Paolo Benigno A. Aquino IV, Leila M. de Lima, Franklin M. Drilon, and Francis N. Pangilinan, and Akbayan party-list Senator Ana Theresia Hontiveros-Baraquel.

The senator added that it is unlikely that the federalism would pass in the Senate.

After the Senate reorganization, the chairmanship of the committee on constitutional amendments was given to Mr. Pangilinan after the previous head, Mr. Drilon, assumed the position of Senate Minority Leader. Bills and resolution on charter change are still pending at the committee level.

The measure for federalism will unlikely be passed in the Senate, Mr. Trillanes said, even though Senate President Aquilino dL. Pimentel III said he would push for it.

In a statement on Thursday, Mr. Pimentel said that federalism could be achieved through charter change, as a solution to “solve inequalities and long- standing problems in the Philippines.”

Mr. Pimentel is President of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), which is chaired by President Rodrigo R. Duterte.

RAISING CRIMINAL LIABILITY

Similarly, Mr. Trillanes also opposed the administration’s support for moves to lower the age of criminal liability to 9 years old. While in prison, Mr. Trillanes said he was able to talk to an alleged Abu Sayaf member who was first given a weapon at around 9 years old.

“If you put a child of that age in prison, they’re going to be a hardened criminal, that’s going to be their world,” Mr. Trillanes said.