Lawmakers told: Attend proclamation, keep speeches short

Be present at the session proclaiming the winners of the presidential and vice presidential race last May 10, and keep your speeches short. Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri on Tuesday said these were the main "agreements" by leaders of the Senate and Houses of Representatives in a bid to proclaim the winners by 6 p.m. Wednesday the latest. "Kung pwede, maikli ang paliwanag ng bumoto para sa ganoon 5 p.m. o pinakamatagal mga 6 p.m. ay ma-ipoproklama na ang bagong pangulo at pangalawang pangulo (If possible, explain your vote briefly so that we can have the proclamation by 5 p.m., or at 6 p.m. at the latest)," Zubiri said in an interview on dzRH radio. "So yan ang pangako namin sa taumbayan, bukas na bukas tapos na ang proseso at meron na tayong bagong presidente by tomorrow afternoon (That is our promise to the people. By Wednesday the process will be finished and we will have a new president by Wednesday afternoon)," he added. Zubiri said the secretariats of both houses of Congress had been instructed to issue invitations to senators and congressmen to ensure a quorum on Wednesday. "Bukas ng hapon sigurado na yan, wala nang palitan ng date. Bigyan natin ang secretariat ng sapat na panahon para makapagtawag ng kasamahan namin sa Kongreso at Senado para may quorum bukas (By Wednesday afternoon we will have a new president, there will be no more postponements. We will give the secretariat enough time to call all members of the Senate and House of Representatives to ensure a quorum)," he said. He said they already agreed at a caucus Monday to prepare the committee report on Tuesday and hold the proclamation on Wednesday afternoon. Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile had said the committee report would be presented to Congress in a joint public session on Wednesday. The Congress will then decide on the fate of the report through viva voce voting where the lawmakers in favor will shout aye while those opposing it will shout nay. Enrile said those who would like to explain their votes can do so by writing it and it would be inserted into the report. "Mag-uumpisa kami ng 2 p.m., siguro may 3 oras ang pag-sponsor ng committee report pati pagboto ng ating kasamahan at pagbigay ng paliwanag sa kanilang pagboto. Late afternoon, 5 to 6 p.m. ma-proclaim natin si President-elect Noynoy Aquino and Vice President-elect Jejomar Binay (We will start at 2 p.m. We will allow three hours for the sponsoring of the committee report and the voting, with each lawmaker explaining his or her vote. By late afternoon about 5 to 6 p.m., we can proclaim Presidential front-runner Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino and Vice President-elect Jejomar Binay)," Zubiri added. — LBG/RSJ, GMANews.TV