Legarda slams slow crisis response, tells gov’t to acknowledge crisis and drop motherhood statements

Senator Loren Legarda on Tuesday rebuked government agencies for what she described as a slow, complacent, and disconnected response to the worsening fallout of the Middle East conflict, warning that empty assurances and motherhood statements will not help Filipinos already reeling from rising fuel, food, and transport costs.

Speaking at the Senate Organizational Meeting of the Proactive Response and Oversight for Timely and Effective Crisis Strategy (PROTECT) Committee, Legarda stressed that the government cannot afford to downplay what is already unfolding as a full-blown crisis affecting overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), household prices, energy security, and the broader economy.

“Until we define it as a crisis, we will not act. Anybody who says ‘Chill lang tayo. Wala namang crisis.’ No! If we do not admit that there’s a crisis in the Middle East affecting our OFWs and their families, impacting the prices of our petroleum products, energy, food, and transport, and displacing millions of Filipinos, the agencies will not act with urgency,” Legarda said.

She warned that ripple effects are already being felt across sectors—by OFWs and their families, fisherfolk, farmers, drivers, and households struggling as the cost of living rises.

“We can have all these PowerPoints, pero pag kumakalam ang tiyan ng mga mangingisda, ng mga drivers ng transport sector, ng lahat — the former middle class is now lower class and struggling. We want to see the translation of those presentations into actual jobs created, actual food on the table of every affected Filipino family,” Legarda said.

Legarda also pressed the Department of Energy (DOE) for clearer and faster action, citing delays and mixed messaging, including those involving the Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC).

“The congressional approval is needed. So hasn’t this been communicated to both houses?” she asked, after DOE officials suggested that timing was affected by Congress being on break.

“Kasi po, we were willing to go on special session. May we know? Number one, no GAA funds needed. It’s with PNOC and all it needed was congressional approval… May I know, kailan po binigay ng DOE sa Senado? Kailan natanggap ‘yung sulat? Kailan binigay sa atensyon ng leadership at ng Chair ng komite?” Legarda added.

She further stressed that it was misleading to suggest congressional inaction as the cause of delays. “Excuse me, hindi po nagbe‑break ang Senado na hindi inaaksyunan ang hinihiling ng Executive… Hindi po magandang pakinggan yan,” she said.

During the hearing, Legarda also underscored the need for strong, accountable leadership, particularly as Filipinos are facing daily hardship from increasing prices. She urged agencies to show urgency and be fully prepared to explain their plans to the public.

When asked about contingency planning should tensions escalate further, the DOE acknowledged that a worst‑case scenario could involve supply constraints, with DOE Secretary Garin stating that “the worst-case scenario is we run dry – this country runs dry.” Legarda said such scenarios must be explained clearly—what they mean for transport, food supply, emergency services, prices, agriculture, and overall economic stability—and what concrete steps government is taking to prevent the situation and protect ordinary Filipinos.

“Pakipaliwanag po ang tagtuyot. For us Filipinos to understand the preparations that need to be made. If that is what the government is saying, is this not a crisis yet? Fuel will run out, transport will not run, food supply is disrupted, emergency services stalled, prices spike, agriculture gets hit, GDP declines, health risks. That is what we want to hear from you,” Legarda said.

Legarda closed by warning against business‑as‑usual governance in extraordinary times, emphasizing that the country cannot afford slow, routine processes when people’s livelihoods and daily survival are already at stake.

“We must first admit that there is a crisis for us, for all of us to act with urgency. And we must admit that it can’t be the usual way things are. On regular times, you are painfully slow. But now, we cannot afford that. Everyone must act as if we are in an ICU situation. That’s how it should be,” she said. (30)

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Legarda binatikos ang mabagal na pagtugon sa krisis, hinimok ang pamahalaan na kilalanin ang krisis at iwasan ang motherhood statements

Mariing pinuna ni Senadora Loren Legarda nitong Martes ang mga ahensya ng pamahalaan dahil sa aniya’y mabagal, kampante, at hiwa-hiwalay na tugon sa lumalalang epekto ng sigalot sa Gitnang Silangan. Binalaan niya na ang mga pangakong walang laman at paulit-ulit na pahayag ay hindi makatutulong sa mga Pilipinong matinding tinatamaan ng pagtaas ng presyo ng langis, pagkain, at pamasahe.

Sa Senate Organizational Meeting ng Proactive Response and Oversight for Timely and Effective Crisis Strategy (PROTECT) Committee, binigyang-diin ni Legarda na hindi maaaring ipagwalang-bahala ng pamahalaan ang krisis na tumatama na sa mga overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), presyo ng bilihin, seguridad sa enerhiya, at kabuuang ekonomiya.

“Until we define it as a crisis, we will not act. Anybody who says ‘Chill lang tayo. Wala namang crisis.’ No! If we do not admit that there’s a crisis in the Middle East affecting our OFWs and their families, impacting the prices of our petroleum products, energy, food, and transport, and displacing millions of Filipinos, the agencies will not act with urgency,” pahayag ni Legarda.

Binalaan niya na ramdam na ang mga epekto sa iba’t ibang sektor—mula sa mga OFW at kanilang pamilya, mangingisda, magsasaka, tsuper, hanggang sa mga pamilyang hirap sa patuloy na pagtaas ng gastusin sa araw-araw.

“We can have all these PowerPoints, pero pag kumakalam ang tiyan ng mga mangingisda, ng mga drivers ng transport sector, ng lahat — the former middle class is now lower class and struggling. We want to see the translation of those presentations into actual jobs created, actual food on the table of every affected Filipino family,” iginiit ni Legarda.

Hinimok din ni Legarda ang Department of Energy (DOE) na maglatag ng mas malinaw at mabilis na aksyon, at tinukoy ang mga pagkaantala at magulong pahayag, kabilang ang usapin sa Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC).

“The congressional approval is needed. So hasn’t this been communicated to both houses?” tanong niya, matapos ipahiwatig ng mga opisyal ng DOE na naapektuhan ang timing dahil naka-break ang Kongreso.

“Kasi po, we were willing to go on special session. May we know? Number one, no GAA funds needed. It’s with PNOC and all it needed was congressional approval. May I know, kailan po binigay ng DOE sa Senado? Kailan natanggap ‘yung sulat? Kailan binigay sa atensyon ng leadership at ng Chair ng komite?” dagdag ni Legarda.

Binigyang-diin pa niya na nakaliligaw ang pagbibintang ng pagkaantala sa Kongreso. “Excuse me, hindi po nagbe break ang Senado na hindi inaaksyunan ang hinihiling ng Executive… Hindi po magandang pakinggan yan,” saad ng senadora.

Sa pagdinig, binigyang-diin rin ni Legarda ang pangangailangan ng matatag at may pananagutang pamumuno, lalo na’t araw-araw na nahihirapan ang mga Pilipino sa patuloy na pagtaas ng presyo. Hinimok niya ang mga ahensya na ipakita ang agarang aksyon at maging handa sa pagpapaliwanag ng kanilang mga plano sa publiko.

Nang tanungin tungkol sa contingency planning kung lalala pa ang tensyon, inamin ng DOE na ang pinakamasamang senaryo ay maaaring magdulot ng kakulangan sa suplay, kung saan sinabi ni DOE Secretary Garin na “the worst-case scenario is we run dry – this country runs dry.”

Ayon kay Legarda, dapat ipaliwanag nang malinaw ang mga ganitong senaryo—kung ano ang ibig sabihin nito para sa transportasyon, suplay ng pagkain, serbisyong pang-emerhensiya, presyo, agrikultura, at kabuuang katatagan ng ekonomiya—at kung ano ang kongkretong hakbang ng pamahalaan upang maiwasan ito at maprotektahan ang mga ordinaryong Pilipino.

“Pakipaliwanag po ang tagtuyot. For us Filipinos to understand the preparations that need to be made. If that is what the government is saying, is this not a crisis yet? Fuel will run out, transport will not run, food supply is disrupted, emergency services stalled, prices spike, agriculture gets hit, GDP declines, health risks. That is what we want to hear from you,” saad ni Legarda.

Sa huli, nagbabala si Legarda laban sa pamamalakad na parang business as usual sa harap ng pambihirang krisis, at ipinunto na hindi na kayang tiisin ng bansa ang mabagal at rutinang proseso habang nakataya ang kabuhayan at araw-araw na pamumuhay ng mga mamamayan.

“We must first admit that there is a crisis for us, for all of us to act with urgency. And we must admit that it can’t be the usual way things are. On regular times, you are painfully slow. But now, we cannot afford that. Everyone must act as if we are in an ICU situation. That’s how it should be,” aniya. (30)