Sa imbestigasyong isinagawa ng Kongreso, umabot daw sa halos 2,000 tao na nakapirma sa acknowledgment receipt at tumanggap umano ng pondo sa confidential funds ng Office of the Vice President at Department of Education o DepEd sa pamumuno ni VP Sara Duterte, ang walang record ng birth certificate sa Philippine Statistics Authority o PSA.
Ayon kay Cong. Joel Chua na Chairman ng House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, maaaring gawa-gawa lang daw at hindi talaga nag-eexist ang mga taong nakapirma sa mga acknowledgment receipt na ibinigay ng opisina ni VP Sara.
Sa press conference naman ni VP Sara noong December 11, sinabi niyang hindi raw siya magpapaliwanag sa Kongreso kaugnay rito dahil maaari raw ma-compromise ang kanilang isinasagawang intelligence operations. Ang findings ng imbestigasyon ng Kongreso kaugnay sa confidential funds ni Vice Presidente Sara Duterte, alamin kay Cong. Joel Chua, Chairman ng House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability sa #TheMangahasInterviews.
Ayon kay Cong. Joel Chua na Chairman ng House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, maaaring gawa-gawa lang daw at hindi talaga nag-eexist ang mga taong nakapirma sa mga acknowledgment receipt na ibinigay ng opisina ni VP Sara.
Sa press conference naman ni VP Sara noong December 11, sinabi niyang hindi raw siya magpapaliwanag sa Kongreso kaugnay rito dahil maaari raw ma-compromise ang kanilang isinasagawang intelligence operations. Ang findings ng imbestigasyon ng Kongreso kaugnay sa confidential funds ni Vice Presidente Sara Duterte, alamin kay Cong. Joel Chua, Chairman ng House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability sa #TheMangahasInterviews.
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00:00Malversation of public funds, bribery, and plunder are the possible cases that Vice President Sara Duterte may face
00:14due to her involvement with her confidential funds.
00:18What are the facts here?
00:21Let's talk to Representative Joel Chua, the Chairperson of the Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability of the House of Representatives.
00:29Good day, sir.
00:31Good day to you, Ma'am Malo, and to all of your viewers.
00:35Ma'am, I'm not a batikan, I'm just a newbie.
00:38A newbie, but you were promoted as a Chairperson, first term.
00:42You didn't ask about the original young man, Cong Joel.
00:48He completed three majors in the University of Santo Tomas, accountancy, San Sebastian College, law, and University of the Philippines, public ad.
01:00So he's a lawyer, accountant, and public administrator, three in one.
01:07Public ad is just units. I didn't finish it because at that time, I was very busy in the city council.
01:15I was always late for classes.
01:18But at least you started and continued your studies.
01:24I finished two semesters in UP, public ad.
01:27That's just a few units, Cong.
01:30Let's start. You were the one who led the investigation on confidential and intelligence funds of Vice President Sara.
01:39What are the major findings? It looks like your summary or conclusion is strong.
01:46Well basically, this is not final but this is the basis of what we discussed, the recommendations of our colleagues, congressmen and members.
02:01These are our findings. We always think that our number one target here is in aid of legislation.
02:11Laws that we believe should be passed because that will be the product of this investigation.
02:20We have two that were passed in one day.
02:25One of them is the regulation of SDOs.
02:29We saw that if you are just a handpick of the head of the government agency, you can become an SDO.
02:38Correct.
02:39Yes. Meanwhile, the SDO has a very heavy obligation.
02:49It is the one who holds the money of the people.
02:56Okay. You said that there are three important summary or conclusions.
03:04Bribery, plunder and malversation of public funds.
03:09Can you please tell us where your findings come from?
03:13Well, we can see the recommendations of our colleagues.
03:19For example, the employees of DepEd receive monthly payola or allowance, as they call it.
03:39If this comes from a confidential fund, you know that is technical malversation.
03:45First of all, the purpose of a confidential fund is to be used for intelligence gathering,
03:54not to be used for allowance or payola or wherever.
04:00No matter how noble the purpose is,
04:04even if we say that the purpose is good so that we can add allowance to our government employees,
04:14but if that is not the purpose of the fund, then it cannot be used.
04:22So it's a technical malversation.
04:26Yes, it's a technical malversation.
04:29What about the bribery?
04:31The bribery is based on the evidence.
04:36The money that was given, if you remember Usec Mercado,
04:43his impression is that he was given money because of his hope,
04:48or what we call head of procuring agency.
04:53The three that were given, as we can see, their roles are heavy.
04:59Usec Mercado is the head of procuring entity.
05:05The other one is Osyas.
05:08Atty. Osyas is the head of bids and award, or what we call BAC.
05:15Yes.
05:16The other one is Ma'am Catalan, she is the chief accountant.
05:21All right.
05:22Okay.
05:23So Batay Tasalaysay, regarding the plunder, what we're talking about is two confidential and intelligence funds of the DepEd and the Office of the Vice President.
05:35What is the total amount of funds that you are looking for and why is there a standard of plunder that you think can be included in this case?
05:45The total amount of confidential funds here is P500 million in the Office of the Vice President and P112.5 million in DepEd.
06:00So the totality is P612.5 million.
06:04All right. Okay.
06:05As we can see, the subject of notice of disallowance in the OVP is P73 million if I'm not mistaken.
06:13Okay.
06:15As we can see here, although I don't have the total of the names, the names that were used, the names of Mary Grace Piatos came out,
06:25the names of Kokoy Williamin and so forth and so on.
06:29It's doubtful and it's coming out in the PSA.
06:35Out of 677 names of acknowledgement receipts or people who received money, 405 picked tissues or no birth certificate.
06:47And now, we have received... I will reveal this to you.
06:54In the OVP, we submitted 1,992 names.
06:58It came out that there is no birth certificate is 1,322.
07:06All right. Okay. So it means that 1,322 are without birth certificate.
07:14Without birth certificate.
07:16In the total of 1,992.
07:20The problem is that there are double, triple or 50 matches of names.
07:28That's why you cannot determine if it's a real person.
07:34This is what we determine if it's a real person.
07:38Of course, if you don't have a birth certificate, the presumption is that you don't really exist.
07:43So here in the OVP, 1,322.
07:50Okay.
07:51In the DepEd, 405.
07:54405. Okay. It means that 1,700 plus are the people who received supposedly confidential and intelligence funds but no birth certificate.
08:07What does this mean?
08:09Maybe they don't exist.
08:11Maybe the names are just made up.
08:14For example, the one who started it, we remember Mary Grace Piatos.
08:19Right?
08:20Then the others, that's why we have doubts.
08:23Like for example, Kokoy Villamin.
08:26Kokoy Villamin received money from the OVP.
08:29He also received money from DepEd.
08:32Yes, same name but the signature is different.
08:37We have seen here that the names are different, but if you can see the signature, it's the same.
08:44Maybe there are three or four names with the same signature.
08:48It means that your summary here is like a scam.
08:59That's how it comes out.
09:04If you look at it, if you say it's a plunder, it's P50 million.
09:08Correct.
09:09What we're talking about here is P612.5 million.
09:13All right. Okay.
09:15Did you get additional testimonies from the three people you mentioned, the procurement office, the bank, and the finance officer?
09:25Who are these people?
09:27The acknowledgment receipt that you showed in the media.
09:30Are there no other papers to support the release of funds?
09:34That's what's saddening because their evidence is just acknowledgment receipts.
09:43That's their liquidation.
09:47These are the people who received it.
09:49Now, they are saying their arguments or we can say their alibi.
09:55That's why it's confidential.
09:58The name should not be fake tissues to protect the identity.
10:05But if we read the joint circular of COA,
10:12in the joint circular, these documents, like acknowledgment receipts, should be placed in a sealed envelope.
10:23Correct.
10:24There should be a confidential document placed on the back and it should be hidden in a vault.
10:30So now, my question is, if the name is fake, let's say to conceal,
10:38like they can put fictitious names or alias, why would there be such a requirement?
10:45Correct. All right.
10:47Let's be clear.
10:49This acknowledgment receipt, on the back, you did not see any mark of confidential funds.
10:57Their acknowledgment receipt is pro forma.
11:01In fact, one of our issues here is their rent of safe houses as high as P1 million.
11:13So we cannot say, what is this P1 million safe house?
11:21Is this what is stated in the BGC? How big is this safe house?
11:27Why is it so expensive? Why P1 million in 11 days?
11:33Now, Rep. Joel, they say that our problem here is that there are a lot of audit and accounting rules.
11:43What we are concerned about is that even if it is confidential funds,
11:48it should be deposited, not cash disbursement.
11:52If it is to be deposited, it should be in government-approved banks, land banks or DBP.
11:59Because that's where the transactions happen.
12:02Are these cash disbursements? Just to be clear.
12:06And the acknowledgment receipt is just a proof?
12:10This is deposited. In fact, this is deposited in a land bank.
12:14All right.
12:15But it was withdrawn by the SDO.
12:18Okay. Okay.
12:20So they withdrew, so far as OBP is concerned, they withdrew P125 million.
12:28In DepEd, the withdrawal is P37.5 million.
12:33Where did the withdrawal go?
12:37According to them, they gave the money to the security officer hired by BP-SARA.
12:48But our question is, why would you give that while you are the accountable officer as SDO?
12:57Now, I think your story didn't go well.
13:01That security officer, are they soldiers?
13:05It seems like you submitted them to the Armed Forces of the Philippines to investigate.
13:11Are they police or soldiers, the security officers?
13:14Armed Forces. Armed Forces of the Philippines.
13:17Yes, the AFP issued a statement that they have an internal investigation.
13:25As for us, the following events happened.
13:32Someone filed an impeachment.
13:35That's why when the members talked, the members said that it's up to the AFP.
13:43Our number one task is to come up with the law in aid of legislation.
13:50This is just a recommendation.
13:53Let's let the AFP investigate first.
13:57The impeachment is already there.
14:00This will fall under the Committee on Justice.
14:04The Committee on Justice will focus on this and will give them an opportunity to answer.
14:11All right. But Rep. Joel, according to them, those two security officers,
14:16they are the ones who possibly have a smoking gun.
14:19Where did they bring the money and why did they steal the money from the special disbursing officer?
14:25What is your view on that?
14:28Isn't it wrong that you surrendered to the AFP because you are a civilian authority over the armed forces?
14:38Some of our members believe that this is just an excuse.
14:43It was not really given to the AFP.
14:46Our colleagues believe that this is just a fall guy.
14:53But one thing is certain here.
14:59Why was the SDO given to a security officer who has no mandate to disburse?
15:07All right. Did you talk to the two soldiers?
15:11Did you have a statement or did you have a query as to where did they bring the money?
15:17We did not talk to them because there were subsequent events and the AFP made a statement.
15:27But we are not totally closing this investigation.
15:32Last hearing, Congresswoman Transcastro made a comment and that's what she raised.
15:40So in the next, maybe after the holiday season, when we convene, we will discuss the concern of one of our members.
15:52Then we decide on what to update on what happened in these investigations.
15:58So if we decide that it is necessary, then we will not stop.
16:03If you remember, we only made a suspension and not a termination.
16:08Who called or wrote or informed you that the armed forces will be in charge of the internal investigation of the two soldiers?
16:19How did that happen?
16:21It was announced publicly.
16:23Publicly by the...
16:25In the news articles.
16:27Correct.
16:28There are news articles that were verified by our colleagues.
16:33They called if that's true and they admitted that their announcement is true.
16:40Who in the armed forces in particular has custody of the investigation?
16:47I was not able to verify that.
16:50The one who called, if I'm not mistaken, and verified, was Deputy Speaker J.J. Suarez.
16:57He verified if it's true that they have an internal investigation.
17:03They admitted that and that's what Deputy Speaker Suarez brought to us.
17:09I think this is where there will be a possible scandal.
17:13Your investigation will resume.
17:15What if there's no result given by the AFP about their investigation and suddenly,
17:22the two soldiers, let's hope they won't be disgraced?
17:30Well, that's not the first thing.
17:33The Committee on Justice, when it conducts a committee hearing,
17:37when it comes to impeachment, it will come out and it will come out.
17:41If you remember, the basis or the ones who were the basis of the impeachment,
17:52are the roots of our investigation.
17:55All right.
17:56Now, Rep. Joel, the Secretary General of the House said that
18:01there might be a third impeachment complaint that will be filed by some congressmen.
18:06Is that you, the Committee on Good Governance?
18:09Or is there someone else you are listening to?
18:11Because there are already two who were slapped.
18:14The AKBAYAN, the Makabayan Group, and there's a third one.
18:19That's why they're waiting for the consolidation of the impeachment complaints.
18:24As far as I know, it's like the religious sector, if my understanding is correct,
18:28it's like the religious sector will be slapped.
18:32Okay.
18:33As the chairman of the Committee on Good Government,
18:39our number one priority here is to pass laws.
18:48Because we have seen the loopholes.
18:51One law that we passed the other day,
18:57is to limit the giving of confidential funds to agencies and departments
19:03that have nothing to do with national security, intelligence gathering, peace and order.
19:11Because we have seen that this fund can be used for more complicated projects,
19:19more complicated programs of our government.
19:22Rep. Joel, to be fair, Vice President Sara said,
19:26why is the Office of the President not looking at confidential and intelligence funds?
19:31Aside from that, other agencies,
19:34it looks like there are many agencies and civilian agencies that have nothing to do with national security, peace and order,
19:41but they have confidential funds.
19:43What is your answer to that?
19:45Why is the Office of the President exempted?
19:48The Office of the President is not exempted.
19:51It just so happens that when there was a hearing in the Committee on Appropriation,
19:56there was a notice of disallowance issued by the Office of the Vice President using confidential funds.
20:03The notice of disallowance issued by the Office of the President is huge.
20:09The congressmen were alarmed and they cannot answer or explain it.
20:16Meanwhile, in the Office of the President, there is no notice of disallowance issued.
20:21Secondly, we cannot compare the Office of the Vice President to the Office of the President
20:28because the Office of the President is a commander-in-chief.
20:31It has its obligations when it comes to national security, peace and order.
20:39Meanwhile, the Office of the Vice President, we know that it is not a job.
20:45Just like the DepEd, it is not a job as a DepEd secretary.
20:50We can understand if it is asking for an increase in the salaries of teachers.
20:56They really need that or additional funds for the construction of schools in the provinces.
21:05But what is the purpose of confidential funds?
21:10How many months did you investigate and how many invitations or summons to attend the hearing of Vice President Sara?
21:21She really snubbed you. What is your opinion on that?
21:25Is there any disrespect? Is there a jump in her conduct?
21:30How is that? Did Vice President Sara just snub you?
21:35In fairness to the Vice President, she attended the first hearing and the second to the last hearing.
21:42She's just questioning the jurisdiction of our committee.
21:49She's saying that we don't have a jurisdiction and she's also questioning it.
21:55It's like she's saying that there are cases that have been filed.
22:00First of all, there are no cases that have been filed.
22:05Maybe she's mentioning it because it's already in the COA,
22:08that this issue is already in the COA when it comes to confidential funds.
22:15But according to our rules, even if this issue is filed, whether judicial, quasi-judicial or administrative,
22:26our committee has a jurisdiction because our purpose is in aid of legislation.
22:34We also remember that our Congress has an oversight function.
22:42Joel, they say that this issue is wrapped up in politics.
22:49It seems that the two sides fighting are Marcos Romualdez and Duterte.
22:56Does Speaker Martin Romualdez have an advisory?
23:02Does he have a signal?
23:04Does he have an order for you to pursue the investigation of Vice President Sara?
23:09What is his role?
23:10First of all, if you remember, I'm just a new member of LACAS CMD.
23:18For the past two years, I'm a member of Aksyon Demokratiko.
23:24I didn't support President Sara, President BBM and Vice President Sara.
23:35I was never part of the UNITEAM.
23:37It just so happened that I participated here when I was appointed as chairman.
23:43As chairman, I need to act on what is referred to me by my committee.
23:49That's my role here.
23:53In fact, to be honest, it's hard to get a hearing here because he's the second highest official of our government and his name is very prominent.
24:11As for me, I'm just a first-termer here.
24:15I'm not familiar with their political squabble and their relationship.
24:22What I'm doing here is just doing my job.
24:29In fact, most of the decisions that we make here, I consult all the members.
24:36Okay.
24:37Weren't you afraid or worried that you will be put in a blockade with powerful people behind you?
24:49As you know, if you're afraid or worried, of course, we're just humans.
24:56It's part of our feelings that sometimes we will worry.
25:01But our problem here is that we have a job that needs to be done.
25:06The people here are watching.
25:11So this is the task assigned to me.
25:17This is my job. I was given the mandate of my district as a congressman.
25:24Of course, we need to be vigilant.
25:26Otherwise, I will be embarrassed by the people who voted and trusted me.
25:31Okay.
25:32Cong Jowel, did you receive any threats or warnings that you should stop this?
25:45Cong Jowel, if anything happens to you, did you receive anything like that?
25:48Not many.
25:50In fact, my Facebook is full of threats.
25:55Not just to me personally, but also to the people around me.
26:01What can we do?
26:03In fact, if you look at my Facebook, there are many.
26:06There are even bashings, threats to my life, threats to my family.
26:12There are many of those.
26:13That's why we can't do anything if this job is not assigned to us and trusted.
26:21Do you respond to those threats? Do you ask for forgiveness?
26:25No, I don't like to ask for forgiveness.
26:28Actually, the best way is that I don't read anymore.
26:31To be honest, I removed social media from my reading.
26:37Sometimes, I don't know what's happening.
26:40To be honest, if we internalize all of that, I don't want to lose my focus.
26:47I also don't want to hurt my feelings.
26:51Of course, we are only humans.
26:53We are just simple congressmen, first termers.
27:00I don't expect to have a family that has influence.
27:05Okay.
27:06But Joel, can you please sum up what you learned, how many hours, how many people,
27:13how many documents you launched for this investigation?
27:18To be appreciated by everyone.
27:20Was it very difficult or was it really very difficult?
27:27To be honest, it was very difficult because of course, you have to read everything,
27:31the rules, statements, documents that are submitted.
27:38But it's not just me, even my colleagues.
27:42Some of them are very impossible because what we were turned over is a truckload of evidence.
27:48We are not the only ones who looked at other statements and documents,
27:58even our colleagues.
28:00In fact, the one who raised the case is Congressman Romy Acop, if I'm not mistaken.
28:07Even our colleagues, all of them are giving their opinions.
28:12We as presiding officers, as chairmen, our job is to preside and rule on the issues that we are facing.
28:24First termers, you said that a very important committee went to you.
28:30Who was the one who saw that it's possible that it's Joel that we will put there?
28:35I don't know. What I know is that one day, when I was having lunch,
28:42I was approached by Madjo, Madjo Delipe.
28:48She said that if we will read your name, we will give you a committee.
28:53If I'm not mistaken, the former chairman of our committee,
28:58what she requested is the committee on housing.
29:03Because the chairman of the committee on housing was appointed by our president to the national government.
29:12I don't know why and I don't know why I was chosen.
29:19To be honest, if you will ask me, I'm happy here.
29:27If you only know the stress, because first of all, it's a campaign period.
29:32Of course, I'm reading, I'm studying and I'm going around my district.
29:39At the same time, you will see the bashing that we are receiving.
29:44Sometimes, you will think that it's worth it.
29:48But to be honest, you don't want to chicken out, you don't want to back out.
29:54If not, what I hate here is my district.
29:57My fellow district may say that their congressman is afraid of backing out.
30:02Backing out. Now Joel, there was a release of the BICAM report of the General Appropriations Act of 2025.
30:10Some people noticed it.
30:14The Department of Public Works and Highways, MMDA, DICT, but also the House of Representatives.
30:21You have a big windfall.
30:24Isn't that a conflict of interest or not good?
30:29You added your own funds.
30:34First of all, I don't know about that because I'm not a member of the Committee on Appropriations and I don't know about that.
30:40As a new congressman, I don't have any power there.
30:45I'm just focused on my job, on my district, on going around and addressing the concerns of my fellow districts.
30:54Because of this, I don't have much time.
31:00If you can see, especially now in December.
31:03To be honest, one of my problems is to master orungs in the committee.
31:07Of course, we have to admit by next year, this is the campaign season.
31:14Even though the campaign started in March, but the campaign started too early.
31:21That's the fact that you can see different things in your district.
31:28You can't just be active in the congress.
31:32Congress is localized.
31:36It needs personal touch in its districts.
31:40But Jowel, aside from the additions, there's also a reduction in the budget.
31:46Department of Health, Department of Education, and our state universities and colleges.
31:53Even though you're not a member of the Committee on Appropriations, when you heard the news,
31:57what do you think?
31:58Will good government and public accountability advance if the budget is divided like that?
32:06To be honest with you ma'am, I just heard about it.
32:09Like I said, I don't read any social media.
32:13I just got the information from you.
32:17But personally, if I were to ask, it would be better if the Department of Health would be added.
32:25That's one of the concerns that many are coming to me when it comes to health.
32:33I can see that our countrymen have a serious problem.
32:38Cong. Jowel, they say that there's always an investigation on corruption or the loss of the country's funds.
32:48But it depends on who's in charge.
32:51The one who's in charge is the opposition party or the other side.
32:55But again, the corruption and investigation doesn't seem to be a problem.
33:01What is your perspective?
33:03What can be done to finally end the abuse and loss of the country's funds?
33:10Well, what we're doing, like what I told you, is a big thing.
33:17Because like this, before we didn't know that the confidential funds would be reimbursed like that,
33:25through acknowledgement receipt and signatures.
33:31At least now, this is one of the solutions that we can do.
33:39You know, it may not be totally eradicated, this corruption.
33:46But as long as we can make such laws,
33:50the opportunities for public officials are getting smaller and smaller.
33:55Before, they can easily get such a big amount of money without accountability.
34:03But now, if we pass this law, it will get smaller.
34:07It may not be totally eradicated, but we can minimize the opportunity for such corruption.
34:15They said that if the Congress impeaches you, if we lose the vote of the vice president, Sarah,
34:21you will also be the pork barrel.
34:25The distribution of unprogrammed expenses or budget,
34:31I'm sorry, but that's the impression of the people,
34:34that you are also working hard to have special funds.
34:41As far as I'm concerned, I don't know because I'm new here.
34:45But you know, everyone has an issue, right?
34:52For me, we are doing everything to minimize it.
34:59Like what I mentioned earlier, it may not be totally eradicated.
35:05But at the very least, what we can do here is to minimize this and the opportunities.
35:12Before, everyone is welcome.
35:16Now, we can see that as time goes by, the number of laws increases and the world shrinks
35:21for those who want to do bad things.
35:26Okay. My last question.
35:28There are two impeachment complaints, maybe three.
35:31What is the outlook in your view?
35:34Is it possible for the 19th Congress to have a vote in the House of Representatives,
35:41to get two-thirds vote of 300 plus members to be passed in the Senate Impeachment Court?
35:48Do you have a view on that? Is it still possible or not anymore?
35:53You know that impeachment is a political process.
35:59It's a political process.
36:02So if it's possible, it's possible because of the political parties that we have.
36:09But my question is, for example, next year, by February, it will be a national campaign.
36:18By March, it will be a local campaign.
36:20Although, as I always say, we may have a campaign.
36:27But at the end of the day, our oath in our office is until June, end of June.
36:36So you are obligated, if this is a national campaign, we will be obliged,
36:42including the senators and the re-electionists,
36:44they are obligated to carry out their duties because all of us were sworn in.
36:52This is our job.
36:54If we will not carry out our duties and we will just make a campaign,
36:59that might be the cause of why we will lose.
37:03Okay. But as Senate President Chief Escudero said,
37:08the timing of the impeachment trial is different.
37:12It's different in the session that is held in the House and the Senate regarding your regular calendar.
37:20So do you think that the majority of House members will agree to wait for more time
37:28if you really want to talk about the impeachment complaints?
37:33Like what I said, if this will really be discussed,
37:39I think we really need to devote more time on this.
37:45Because this is a constitutional mandate for us.
37:50This is our job. Our Constitution dictates this to us.
37:55This is not just rules, this is not just an ordinary law.
37:59The Constitution itself gives us the obligation to do this.
38:07All right. Lastly, what does your family say?
38:11If there will be another big case like this,
38:14will you repeat it or is there a second chance for you to continue these investigations?
38:20Of course, my family are businessmen.
38:27My parents are not that old, they're in their 70s.
38:31Of course, if they will be able to continue, they don't want to go to politics.
38:40They want us to continue our business.
38:42I'm the only one in my family who went here.
38:47They're not used to this.
38:50That's why I said, each of us has our own destiny.
38:55When I was young, I also dreamed of becoming a businessman.
38:59But this is where I was brought up.
39:01This is where I was brought up by chance.
39:04That's why for me, as long as we are here, as long as we work,
39:08we believe that God will not forsake us.
39:12All right. So if there will be a second round of this kind of investigation,
39:17you will do it as committee chair?
39:20As chairman, if I will still be the chairman of this,
39:24we will still do what is mandated by our work here in Congress.
39:32And your two proposed laws, the regulating special dispersing officers
39:38and the regulating the release, disbursement and management of confidential intelligence funds,
39:43do you think there's a chance for it to be violated?
39:47If it will not be violated now because of the shortness of time,
39:51in the next Congress, we will still pursue this.
39:57All right. I'm also curious.
39:59You are the only congressman from Manila who supported the divorce bill.
40:03That's another topic.
40:05But what is your perspective on that?
40:08Why is your perspective so progressive or liberal on family and gender issues?
40:17You know, I'm a lawyer and I studied all of that.
40:23I even read the divorce bill.
40:27You know, to be honest, we also have laws like that.
40:33There's legal separation, declaration of nullity, and there's also annulment.
40:44So what's the difference between divorce and annulment?
40:47It's the same.
40:48The only difference between divorce and annulment is the addition of grounds.
40:56So in so far as the divorce, and when I voted here, I did not look at my religion.
41:05I am a Roman Catholic, but you know,
41:13what I saw here as a lawyer is that there are marriages that cannot be fixed.
41:23For example, when you are having a retake, you have a different religion.
41:34There are others who are not famous personalities.
41:39Take the case of Carmina Villarroel.
41:43Her first marriage could have been a failed marriage,
41:47but now we can see that their marriage became good.
41:52She has a good life now.
41:55So I'm looking at why we all want a good marriage.
42:05All of us, our dream is to have a good marriage.
42:11But sometimes, something happens that is not good.
42:16But you know, to be honest, my mother scolded me for that.
42:23My mother is a sacred Catholic.
42:26To be honest, I don't want to talk about that out of respect to my mother.
42:31So that was just a coincidence.
42:33At that time, when I voted, I did not use my religion.
42:38What I used was what I learned from the law,
42:42and what I saw as a congressman and not as a Roman Catholic.
42:49All right.
42:50And as a kid, what did you see?
42:54To be honest, sometimes in the church, I also get criticized.
42:59But sometimes, we need to defend ourselves.
43:03But I told myself and my mother, I promise that I will not talk about it
43:08because my mother is really fighting me.
43:11All right.
43:14And we also have friends who we respect.
43:21All right.
43:22And they also get mad at you?
43:27There are some who can understand.
43:30But of course, you can't avoid having feelings.
43:35So maybe if there is an opportunity, I will ask for their forgiveness.
43:42But I am always for the sanctity of marriage.
43:47All right.
43:48And it's a good thing that it's Christmas.
43:51Family reunion, reconciliation, and reunification.
43:57What do you think?
43:59For me, our family is very close.
44:03Yes.
44:04My parents are a bit old now.
44:08So our primary objective is to balance everything
44:16because of their stress and worries.
44:19That's why I'm here now in a situation where we are not family.
44:26We are just simple people.
44:29Simple people, but you forgot the problem you were facing.
44:34We can't do anything because this is the job that is being assigned to us.
44:39All right.
44:40On that note, we would like to thank Representative Joel Chua of Manila,
44:45Chairperson of the Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability,
44:51House of Representatives.
44:52Good day, sir, and Merry Christmas.
44:55Long live to you.
45:15♪