Transcript of Sen. Pia Cayetano's manifestation
Animal Welfare Bill
June 3, 2025

Thank you, Mr. President. Yesterday, we passed on third reading the Animal Welfare Bill. and then, I am not sure if it was last night or this morning, I came across some concerns posted on social media about the bill, and of course, precisely because it is an animal welfare bill that the goal of the Senate is to promote the welfare of animals. And I know that Sen. Grace worked very hard on this, and so it bothered me that there were these concerns being raised that made it appear that instead of the welfare of animals being protected, it was the opposite that was happening. I am not aware that the Senate has ever passed a measure that would lessen protections, whether it's protection for women, protection for children, protection for animals. Because the bill of Sen. Grace received overwhelming support from the Senate, many of our colleagues are animal lovers. In fact, in the hall right now are animal lovers who obviously would want a measure that protects animals.

On that note, I had a quick discussion with Sen. Grace and I said it might be good for the public to understand what is in this bill and so I asked her if she could kindly explain this to me, not even in private, but in public so that even our colleagues would understand the importance of this bill and clarify any misconceptions that there are. And I believe that she is prepared to respond to these queries, so if we could ask her to join us on the floor, we'd be happy to hear her explanations on this.