Rep. Kaka Bag-ao's Explanation of Vote on the Death Penalty

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Delivered after the voting on Third and Final Reading, 07 March 2017.

Mr. Speaker, my dear colleagues—I vote NO to the proposal to reinstate the death penalty based on our fundamental values anchored on social justice and human rights and dignity.

Ang urong-sulong na pagtanggal ng mga krimen na nasasakop sa parusang bitay, tulad ng rape, plunder, at murder, ay indikasyon na wala talagang sapat na pamantayan para sa “compelling reason” at “heinousness” na isanasaad na kondisyon ng Korte Suprema para sa pagbalik ng parusang bitay. Ang pamantayan lang ngayon ay kung ano ang utos ng mayorya.

Bukas-Mata’t Bukas-Pusong Pagkakakilanlan (Privilege Speech of Rep. Kaka Bag-ao on World Hijab Day)

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Bago pa man ako naging isang Kongresista noong 2010, ako ay isang alternative lawyer at community organizer—ako po ay isang abugadong nakikisalamuha sa mga batayang sektor upang makita nila na sila ay may kapangyarihang gamitin ang batas upang maipagtanggol ang kanilang karapatan at kapakanan. 

Rep. Kaka Bag-ao on the DENR Order on Mining Operations

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Sa usapin ng pagmimina, ang mahalagang dapat nating tiyakin ay ang pagprotekta sa kalikasan, partikular na ang mga watershed, at ang pagpapaunlad sa tao at sa kanilang mga komunidad. 

Ngayong may mga ipinatitigil ang DENR na mining operations sa aming lalawigan, ang Dinagat Islands, kailangan ding aktibong singilin ang Kagawaran upang maihain at maipatupad ang mga ipinapanukala nilang alternatibong kabuhayan para hindi mawalan ng pagkakataon ang mga Dinagatnon na paunlarin ang kanilang mga pamilya't pamayanan. 

Kasabay nito, para sa mga kumpanyang nagmimina na nakapasa sa audit ng DENR, kailangang tiyakin na hindi lamang sila susunod sa environmental standards, kundi hihigitan pa nila ang kanilang performance. Patuloy rin dapat nilang tulungan ang mga mamamayan habang kumikilos sa paraang hindi makakasira ng aming kalikasan. 

Mahalaga ring balikan ang batas upang mas mapaigting pa ang mga pamantayang kailangang sundin ng mining firms upang siguraduhing sila ay gumagalaw na may pagpapahalaga sa tao at sa kapaligiran. Sama-sama nating itulak ang pagpapasa sa panukalang Philippine Mineral Resources Act sa Kongreso. 

Patuloy tayong magiging katuwang ng pamahalaan upang mapagkaisa ang lahat sa layuning i-angat ang buhay at kabuhayan ng mga mamamayan.

—Congresswoman Kaka Bag-ao (Lone District, Dinagat Islands)

The Dinagat Islands Anti-Discrimination Ordinance

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DOWNLOAD the Dinagat Islands Anti-Discrimination Ordinance:

 http://bit.ly/DinagatIslands_AntiDiscrimination

The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Dinagat Islands​ has recently approved an ordinance promoting and protecting the rights and dignity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons and providing for a comprehensive policy against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity and expression (SOGIE) in the province.

Sponsorship Speech for the On-Site, In-City, or Near-City Resettlement Bill

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Dinagat Islands Rep. Kaka Bag-ao’s sponsorship speech for House Bill No. 3936 (On-Site, In-City, or Near-City Resettlement Bill), which was approved on 07 November 2016 by the House Committee on Housing and Urban Development. 

People’s participation in the provision of sustainable housing is one of the legacies of former DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo. His vision, which established a different lens in the implementation of socialized housing projects paved the way for the birth of the Oplan LIKAS Program (Lipat para Iwas Kalamidad At Sakit). Oplan LIKAS was executed pursuant to a 16-point “Social Contract with the Filipino People” of the previous administration which sought “inclusive urban development where people of varying income levels are integrated in productive, healthy, and safe communities.” The program aimed to provide safe, affordable and decent, permanent housing solutions to Informal Settler Families (ISFs) living in danger zones by relocating the affected families in on-site, near-city, and in-city relocation sites in accordance with a “People’s Plan” forwarded by these ISFs. This government program serves as the springboard for the proposed bill.

Paliwanag ng mga Boto nina Dinagat Islands Rep. Kaka Bag-ao at Batanes Rep. Dina Abad laban sa Con-Ass

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19 October 2016 - House Committee on Constitutional Amendments Hearing

DINAGAT ISLANDS REP. KAKA BAG-AO: Con-Con as a Democratic and Pro-People Approach for Constitutional Reform

This Administration has called for the institutionalization of Federalism as the answer to the age-old problem of wealth distribution especially in the country-side, and the peace and order problem in Mindanao. Such pronouncement has opened the debates on Constitutional reform and the preferred mode of change: Constitutional Convention or Constitutional Assembly.  

However, before the debates on the preferred mode of constitutional change, the Committee should determine first if there is indeed a necessity to change the present Constitution. Unfortunately, there has been no sufficient discussion on the matter. If the Committee, after deliberation, affirms the necessity for such a change, then we can proceed to the next step—the mode of constitutional change.

I am a Mindanaoan, an advocate of federalism and shift to parliamentary form of government. These advocacies, I believe, will address the fundamental and structural weaknesses of our political system that has resulted in the skewed development of our country. I know that constitutional change is an imperative for both of these advocacies. 

Sponsorship Speech for the First Committee Hearing on the Anti-Discrimination Bill

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17 October 2016 - Committee on Women and Gender Equality hearing on House Bill No. 51 (Anti-Discrimination Bill), which was the first measure that Dinagat Islands Rep. Kaka Bag-ao filed in the 17th Congress. 

Good afternoon, Madam Chair, fellow legislators, and guests.

Ako po si Kaka Bag-ao. Sa araw ng pagbubukas ng 15th Congress sa aking unang termino noong 2010, inihain ko ang Anti-Discrimination Bill. Matagal na itong ipinapanukala, noong panahon pa nina Akbayan Representative Etta Rosales, labing-pitong taon na ang nakararaan. Napakatagal na panahon na. Sa pagitan noong panahon na iyon at ngayon, patuloy ang diskriminasyon laban sa mga ating mga kapwa Pilipino at mamamayan, na nagkataon lamang ay iba sa inyo—ang mga Pilipinong lesbian, gay, bisexual, at transgender o LGBT. 

#EqualityChamps convene for the Anti-Discrimination Bill

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Today, legislators of the 17th Congress, dubbed as the #EqualityChamps, met with advocates from various civil society organizations to discuss the renewed campaign for the enactment of the Anti-Discrimination Bill, which seeks to prohibit discrimination against citizens on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

Present were authors and co-authors of the measure—Senator Risa Hontiveros, Dinagat Islands Rep. Kaka Bag-ao, Batanes Rep. Henedina Abad, Bataan Rep. Geraldine Roman, Pangasinan Rep. Toff de Venecia, and An Waray Party-List Rep. Victoria Noel. Joining them were advocacy groups that have assisted legislators in past Congresses in fighting for the bill in committee debates; they include the Lesbian and Gay Legislative Advocacy Network (LAGABLAB), TLF-SHARE, Babaylanes, Inc., UP Babaylan, GALANG, Akbayan LGBT Collective, Dangal Pilipinas, Amnesty International, Assocition of Transgender People in the Philippines (ATP), OutRight Action International, and Rainbow Rights. Commissioner Perci Cendaña of the National Youth Commission (NYC) facilitated the discussion.

Oath-Taking Speech of Congresswoman Kaka Bag-ao

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Dinagat Islands Rep. Kaka Bag-ao delivered this speech after her taking her oath of office, which was administered by Senator Risa Hontiveros, on July 3, 2016 in the Municipality of Cagdianao.

Mga minahal kong mga Dinagatnon, mga panauhin at mga kasama sa pamahalaan at sa civil society, magandang umaga po sa inyong lahat.

Unang-una una nais ko pang magpasalamat sa bawat isa sa inyo sa inyong pagbibigay ng panahon para samahan kami sa araw na ito. Sinimulan ko po dito sa Dinagat ang tradisyon ng aking panunumpa sa katungkulan sa aking kaarawan. Ito po ay sadya dahil nais ko pong ipaalala sa aking sarili taun-taon ang aking panunumpa na manilbihan sa kapwa at sa bayan ng buong katapatan. Nais ko pong ipaalala sa sarili ko na ang aking panunungkulan ay hindi lamang simpleng trabaho kung hindi ito ay isang misyong panghabambuhay. Kaya po ako ay lubusang nagpapasalamat sa inyong pagsaksi sa araw na ito sa aking muling pagtataya sa isang habambuhay na paglalakbay.

[LEGAL NOTES] The Historical Injustices Against the Filipino Moros and the Draft Bangsamoro Basic Law as Impetus for Rectification and Peace

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The conflict in Mindanao is deeply-rooted, present and harbors consequences to the daily lives of the Moro, Christians, and indigenous peoples residing in the affected areas. The Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB)—which was crafted for at least 17 years of negotiations between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)—seeks to address the century-old injustices against the Moros and end the decades of war and armed conflict in Mindanao.

Rep. Bag-ao: Passage of Anti-Discrimination Bill is a victory for all citizens

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The House of Representatives Committee on Women and Gender Equality recently approved the proposed Anti-Discrimination Bill, which seeks to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity while providing penalties for such acts.

The bill was first filed by then Akbayan Party-List Representative and now Commission on Human Rights Chairperson Loretta Ann Rosales in the 11th Congress. Since then, it has been refiled and shelved by the Legislature in the midst of the growing clamor for its passage.

Dinagat Islands Rep. Kaka Bag-ao, the principal author of the measure, said that "this is not only a triumph for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community, but for all Filipinos because the Anti-Discrimination Bill will protect the rights of each and every citizen regardless of their sexual orientation and gender identity." 

Legislating Trust in Government

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Dinagat Islands Rep. Kaka Bag-ao delivered this speech in Yapak ni Jesse, a forum on good governance inspired by the brand of leadership of the late DILG Secretary and former Naga Mayor Jesse Robredo, last 10 February 2015.

Why FOI Matters: Freedom of information, in the form of legislation, provides public access to data held by the government. Such a law establishes and enables a concrete process to ensure that documents containing information that is relevant to the public can be easily obtained, given certain exceptions defined by law. 

Why FOI Matters: Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms the right to freedom of opinion and expression, which includes the “freedom to receive and impart information.” In most parts of the world, access to information is considered to be a prerequisite for transparency and accountability in government. At least 95 countries have enacted various forms of Freedom of Information laws.

Why FOI Matters: The 1987 Constitution provides for the State to adopt and implement “a policy of full public disclosure of all its transactions involving public interest.” Moreover, the Bill of Rights states that: “Access to official records, and to documents and papers pertaining to official acts, transactions, or decisions, as well as to government research data used as basis for policy development, shall be afforded the citizen, subject to such limitations as may be provided by law.”

Sponsorship Speech for the Ruben Edera Ecleo, Sr. Birth Anniversary in Dinagat Islands

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Post by Rep. Kaka J. Bag-ao.

Dinagat Islands Rep. Kaka Bag-ao delivered this sponsorship speech during the 27 January 2015 hearing of the Committee on Revision of Laws for the initial consideration and approval of House Bill No. 4318 (An Act Declaring December 9 of each year a special non-working holiday throughout the entire province of Dinagat Islands to commemorate the birth anniversary of “Local Hero” Ruben Edera Ecleo, Sr).  

Thank you, Madam Chair. To the members of the committee, good afternoon. Siguro po marami sa atin marahil ay kilala na si Ruben Edera Ecleo, Sr. On 9 December 1934, Ruben Edera Ecleo, Sr., was born in Cabilan in the town of Dinagat in the province of Dinagat Islands.  He eventually founded the Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association, Inc. (PBMA)—an organization of people who dedicated their lives for the service of humanity without expecting any monetary benefits, doing charitable works by serving others faithfully, and giving help voluntarily.

Sponsorship Speech for Amendments to the Family Code (Equality of Spouses)

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Post by Rep. Kaka J. Bag-ao.

Dinagat Islands Rep. Kaka Bag-ao delivered this sponsorship speech during the 27 January 2015 hearing of the Committee on Women and Gender Equality for the initial consideration of House Bill No. 4613 (An Act ensuring the fundamental equality of men and women, amending for the purpose Articles 14, 96, 124, 211 and 255 of Executive Order 209 otherwise known as the Family Code of the Philippines), which she authored with Batanes Rep. Henedina Abad.

Madam Chair, members of the committee, good afternoon.

The Family Code  or Executive Order No. 209 was enacted where it set forth the rights, duties, and obligations that will govern among family members, particularly between husband and wife. However, certain provisions in the said law do not reflect the spirit of equality between men and women, a right that is enshrined in our Constitution.

Sponsorship Speech for the Agrarian Reform Commission Bill

Dinagat Islands Rep. Kaka Bag-ao delivered this sponsorship speech during the 06 August 2014 hearing of the Committee on Agrarian Reform for the initial consideration of House Bill No. 4375 (Agrarian Reform Commission Bill), which she authored with Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo.

Extraordinary Possibilities for Ordinary People III

Dinagat Islands Rep. Kaka Bag-ao delivered this speech in the "Living the Legacy of Hubert H. Humphrey" Panel and Global Webinar last 25 April 2014 where she received the Distinguished Leadership Award for Internationals in the University of Minnesota, United States of America. She was a 2006-2007 Humphrey Fellow for Law and Human Rights.

Imagine Schools without Soft Drinks. Imagine the Youth in Nation-Building. (Sponsorship Speech for the Healthy Beverage Options Act)

Dinagat Islands Rep. Kaka Bag-ao, Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo,
and Healthy Beverage Options Act advocate and 'Soda Slayer'
Chip Magno Gatmaytan with his parents, Dr. Cielo Magno (UP School
of Economics) and Atty. Dan Gatmaytan (UP College of Law).

Dinagat Islands Rep. Kaka Bag-ao delivered this sponsorship speech during the 10 March 2014 hearing of the Committee on Basic Education and Culture for the initial consideration of House Bill No. 4021 (Healthy Beverage Options Act), which she authored with Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo.

Opening Speech in the Special Committee on Land Use Hearing

Dinagat Rep. Kaka Bag-ao delivered this opening speech in the 20 November 2013 hearing of the Special Committee on Land Use where the consolidated National Land Use Act was approved. She is a principal author of this proposed legislative measure.

Acceptance Speech for the Rotary Outstanding Surigaonon Award for Law and Public Service

Dinagat Islands Rep. Kaka Bag-ao delivered this acceptance speech last 30 August 2013 for the Rotary Outstanding Surigaonon Award for Law and Public Service (Rotary International District 3860). 

[LEGAL NOTES] Extracting good policy from bad legislation: A review of Executive Order No. 79, Series of 2012

Are all critical areas in “No-Go Mining Zones” actually mine-free? Does the moratorium on mining prohibit the operations of mining within the protected areas? Are LGUs deprived of their Rule-Making Power when it comes to mining?