Bong with ‘committee of silent workers’

We take exception to Eusebio S. San Diego’s letter (“Boxing great not fit to be senator,” Opinion, 7/29/15), specifically its reference to Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr.

Frankly, I am quite embarrassed for San Diego—for his fallacious and baseless claim drawn out of prejudice and wrong information. More so because he is an educator and as such, he is expected to uphold the value of neutral study and to make assertions based only on established and verified facts. He has failed by this standard. Simple fact-checking would bare his malice and discrimination, traits unbecoming someone tasked to mold the minds of future generations.

Despite San Diego’s clear bias and prejudice against nonformally educated public servants like Rep. Manny Pacquiao, Senator Revilla is one of the top performers of the Senate. To date, 215 of his bills have been signed into law, Republic Act No. 10665 (Open High School System Act), of which he is the principal author and a cosponsor, among them.

In the 13th Congress, he filed 64 bills; of these 24 are now law. One of these, RA 9347 or the law rationalizing the composition and function of the National Labor Relations Commission, is now a law.

In the 14th Congress, he sponsored the citizen’s right of reply bill (approved on third reading) and the law on reduction of amusement taxes from 30 percent to 10 percent.

Another 115 of his bills are now law, including the Tax Exemption on Minimum Wage Earners, the Expansion of the Court of Tax Appeals, the new UP Charter, the Anti-Video Voyeurism Act, and the Magna Carta for Small and Medium Enterprises.

In this Congress, he has filed a total of 246 bills and 91 resolutions.

Of his 163 bills in the 15th Congress, 71 are now law, including: RA 10149 (GOCC Governance Act); RA 10158 which decriminalized vagrancy; RA 10165 which strengthens and propagates foster care in the country; and RA 10175 (Cybercrime Prevention Act).

His success rate in legislation is almost 36 percent or over one-third. This could have gone significantly higher had President Aquino not vetoed 50 bills for local and countryside development which Revilla sponsored last year.

Because of these accomplishments and many others, Revilla is now a holder of two doctorate degrees, honoris causa, one in public administration from Cavite State University, and the other in humanities from Nueva Vizcaya State University.

Is this what is meant by San Diego when he referred to the “committee on silence”? Maybe, he meant the “committee of silent workers.”

It is true that the senator is not as noisy and publicity-hungry as other politicians, but does that diminish his performance and accomplishments? Is San Diego such a hypocrite, clamoring for public servants to prioritize their responsibilities to the people over grandstanding and self-promotion, but quick to indignation when he encounters one simply because he happens to be an actor?

—KRISHNA POLITICO-LAZONA, legislative staff officer, Office of Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr.