A senator called on his colleagues to buckle down to work and confront the country’s urgent problems, saying the Senate can restore public trust only by delivering concrete relief to Filipinos burdened by high prices, low wages, and weak economic conditions.
The solon said recent developments in the chamber, including a leadership change and the reported shooting incident within Senate premises, have damaged public perception of the institution. He earlier filed Senate Resolution No. 397 seeking an investigation into the incident.
“Sa gitna ng mga kaguluhan, naghihirap pa rin ang taumbayan sa mataas na presyo ng gasolina at bilihin, hindi pa rin tumataas ang suweldo, at bagsak pa rin ang ating ekonomiya,” Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino pointed out.
He said senators should shift the focus back to legislation that directly addresses the daily struggles of Filipinos.
“Ang tanging paraan para maibalik ang tiwala ng taumbayan ay gawin namin ang aming trabaho para matugunan ang kawalan ng trabaho, mahal na halaga ng bilihin, at iba pang pasanin ng ating mga kababayan,” he added.
Aquino pushed for the immediate discussion of proposals to remove the value-added tax on fuel and reduce VAT from 12 percent to 10 percent, saying these measures could help bring down the cost of petroleum products and basic goods.
He filed Senate Bill No. 2047, which seeks to lower VAT on goods and services, including petroleum products, to provide medium- and long-term protection for the middle class against external shocks such as the Middle East crisis and other future disruptions.
He also filed Senate Bill No. 265, which proposes the removal of excise taxes on diesel, kerosene, liquefied petroleum gas, fuel oil, and unleaded gasoline under the TRAIN Law.
Meanwhile, he expressed support for Senator Loren Legarda as she took over the Senate Committee on Basic Education, which he previously chaired before moving to the minority.
“She’s been working in the education space for a long time and she asked me to be vice chairman. I told her our office will turn over all the research, all the studies, all the bills that we’ve prepared, and I hope that she will continue what we started,” he noted.
The young solon said he expects Legarda to continue pushing for stronger funding for education, following his efforts to secure what he described as a historic P1.34-trillion allocation for the sector in the 2026 national budget.
“Dapat madagdagan pa ang budget ng edukasyon sa susunod na taon,” he said, stressing that education reforms must be properly funded to become effective.
During his stint as basic education committee chairperson, Aquino led the passage on third and final reading of the Class-Building Acceleration Program Act, which seeks to address the country’s 166,000-classroom backlog by allowing qualified local government units and non-government organizations to build classrooms under Department of Education standards.
He also sponsored the proposed Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA) and Last Mile Schools Act and the Curriculum Flexibility Act, both of which are now awaiting the President’s signature.
Aquino also led the passage of the Basic Education Voucher Program Act on third and final reading and was set to sponsor the National Nutrition Program Act.