Former Executive Secretary and senatorial aspirant Vic Rodriguez will push for the lowering of the amount threshold and death penalty for plunder if elected senator in the May midterm elections.
Rodriguez bared this as he tackled the issue of confidential and intelligence funds in an interview over dzBB’s “Ikaw Na Ba? The Senatorial Interviews” Friday.
The former executive secretary of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said he will push for “war on corruption” in the Senate, noting that this issue has not been addressed for a long time.
“Aking ipapanukala bilang senador ang pagpapababa ng threshold ng plunder from ?50 million to ?5 million or even less. At ‘pag ‘yan ay naibalik natin, ipapanukala kong maibalik ang death penalty bilang kaparusahan sa plunder dahil pagod na pagod na tayo,” Rodriguez said.
(I will push, if elected as senator, the lowering of the threshold of plunder from P50 million to P5 million or even less. And if we are able to do that, I will propose to revive the death penalty for plunder.)
“Bata pa tayo ay naririnig na natin ang korapsyon. Subalit, imbes na masawata, ay palala nang palala nang palala at higit na talamak ngayon ang kurapsyon,” he noted.
According to Rodriguez, the threshold of plunder can even be lowered to P1 million.
“Ang pagnanakaw ay pagnanakaw kahit ano pa ang halaga niyan,” he said.
(Stealing is stealing regardless of the amount.)
For him, there are higher chances for people to favor the death penalty for plunder, considering the supposed prevalence of corruption in the country at present.
“I think iba ang kondisyon ngayon. Galit higit ang mamamayang Pilipino dahil nakikita nila grabe ang korapsyon at all levels,” Rodriguez said and even cited what he called the “mangled and unconstitutional” 2025 national budget law.
(The situation is different now. The Filipino people are already angered because they can see corruption at all levels now.)
Rodiguez said this plan could not be tagged as “anti-poor,” saying “walang nagnanakaw sa gobyerno na mahirap.”
On the issue of confidential and intelligence funds, Rodriguez said intelligence funds should be given to agencies with law enforcement and intelligence-gathering functions.
He is in favor of giving confidential funds to civilian agencies, saying that the public should not be “afraid” as long as the Commission on Audit is doing its job.
As to the probe on OVP’s confidential and intelligence funds, Rodriguez stressed the need for fairness.
“Dapat pare-parehas, dapat patas. Kung sisilipin mo ‘yung paggamit ng confidential funds ng Office of the Vice President, dapat lahat ng gumagamit, silipino mo rin, dahil ‘yun ang diwa ng tunay na transparency. Hindi pwedeng meron kang tinititigan, meron kang tinitingnan lamang,” he said.
(The probe should be fair. If you will scrutinize the use of confidential funds of the OVP, you should also study the use of other agencies because that is the essence of transparency. You cannot single out one agency.)
WPS
On the issue of the West Philippine Sea, Rodriguez said the Philippine government should be “more diplomatic” in easing the tension in the South China Sea.
“Hindi tayo pwedeng sumunod doon sa itinutulak na interes–hindi interes ng Pilipino ito eh. Interes ito ng ating banyagang alyado, ‘yung American interest. We cannot follow their interest,” Rodriguez said.
(We cannot follow the interest of other countries. This is not the interest of the Filipinos. This is the interest of our allied country, the American interest.)
“It is not in our interest to go to war with China. I am not acquitting China of their many wrongdoing, marami silang mali, subalit ang choice mo lang…ay dalawa. Kaya mo makipagdigma o makipag-usap tayo. Let’s be real, hindi natin kaya ang digmaan at hindi natin interes yan. Makipag-usap tayo,” he added.
(It is not in our interest to go to war with China. I am not acquitting China of their many wrongdoingbut it our choice is limited to two options, either we go to war or we talk to them. Let’s be real. We cannot go to war with China and it is not our interest. So let’s talk to them.)
Rodriguez said the Philippines should stop “war mongering” and “megaphone diplomacy”, stressing the need to consider Filipinos in China’s soils.
“During the time of President Duterte, ang kanyang foreign policy, ako’y sang-ayon doon. Na hindi siya exclusive, all-inclusive. Makipagkaibigan tayo sa lahat. Makipag-usap tayo,” he said.
(I am in favor of the foreign policy during the time of President Duterte wherein it is not exclusive, but inclusive to all parties.)
He said he favors bilateral talks with China and not multilateral.
“Mag-usap kayo na kayong dalawa lang. Ayaw nilang may nagme-mediate na ‘yung nagme-mediate kargado naman ng kanyang interes. So makipag-usap tayo nang diplomatiko, bilateral,” he said.
(The two states should talk without the interference of others. China does not want a discussion where there are other parties who are serving as mediators and these mediators are also pushing for their own interests.)
Meanwhile, Rodriguez said he will also push for wage standardization wherein there are no distinctions between the wages in Mega Manila and in the rural areas.
“Hindi totoo na mas mura ang buhay sa probinsya,” Rodriguez said.
(It is not true that the cost of living in the provinces is lower.)
Fast talk
During the Fast Talk segment of the dzBB Eleksyon 2025 Special, Rodriguez shared his stance on various issues:
Political dynasty: Depending on the definition of political dynasty
Penalties for political turncoats: In favor
Publicizing SALNs: Depending on its use, saying this might be used to persecute the subject and his/her family
Divorce: Against, says there is already laws for annulment
Legalization of jueteng: Against
Legalization of medical marijuana: It depends if it will be hospital-administered and -distributed
Death penalty: In favor but only for plunder and drug trafficking
Amending the Constitution: In favor, but not under this administration
— RSJ, GMA Integrated News
