Senator Mar Roxas' Privilege Speech on the GRP-MILF MoA

Here's a summary of Senator Mar Roxas' privilege speech on the GRP-MILF Memorandum of Agreement provided by the Senator's office.

1. This MoA violates at least three major articles of our Constitution. Unang pahina pa lang, hindi na papasa ito sa Saligang Batas.

a. Rather than respect our national territory, this MoA breaks it up into smaller bits.

b. Rather than uphold the ideal that all government authority emanates from the people, this government entered into an agreement that would partition our country without prior consultations with the people of Mindanao.

c. Rather than uphold one sovereign people enjoying the equal protection of law, the MoA effectively splits the citizenry in two.

2. We had wanted peace and security achieved through these negotiations. Instead, we are on the brink of war. Government functionaries are making lame excuses for their bungling of a peace process that has spawned war rather than peace. None have spoken to stand by this MoA on the basis of reason and statesmanship; instead, its proponents have resorted to finger-pointing..

3. I demand complete transparency regarding this agreement. I call upon the government to step out from behind the veil of generalizations; to let the people know, completely and without qualification, its intentions and strategies concerning the situation in Mindanao.

4. I urge the government to enforce the equal protection of laws now. I call upon the President to revamp her entire peace team, including her peace adviser and peace panel. I call upon the Armed Forces to enforce order in accordance with the principles of the constitution. And I call upon all parties to the conflict to stand down and pave the way a renegotiation of the MOA.

5. More than anything else, I urge the government to do its utmost best to keep the nation whole. To keep the great ideals of our country: One territory, one sovereign people under the equal protection of the laws.

6. The answer is not in further shattering this ideal of one Philippine nation. And this has nothing to do with religion or ethnic boundaries. We are all for peace. The answer is in rebuilding our nation so that none feel neglected for the sake of others.

Click here to read the complete transcript of his privilege speech.

Below is the video courtesy of Youtube:

Wednesday, August 13, 2008 | posted in bangsamoro juridical entity, mar roxas, milf, mindanao, pgma, philippines, president | 2 comments [ More ]

Roxas: JPEPA experience highlights need for gov't reforms

Senator Mar Roxas, Liberal Party President, said the harrowing experience in having the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) passed underscores the people’s distrust of government, and consequently, the need for reforms in state institutions.

“I think a lot of the mistrust associated with JPEPA began not as a result of the actual provisions of the treaty, but the secretive manner in which the government went about with it,” said Roxas, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Trade and Commerce and co-chair of the JPEPA joint panel. 

He noted the Supreme Court case filed three years where executive privilege was cited to prevent the disclosure of information on JPEPA. Although the government was cleared by the high court, Roxas said this lack of open communication between stakeholders fostered ill will.

“The government must shift from this policy of ‘minimum disclosure’ that the government seems to have adopted in all its dealings, from the NBN-ZTE project to the GRP-MILF agreement on the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity, and others,” he said.

 The Senator maintained that although the JPEPA would not benefit Filipinos much, it would be far more harmful to not pass it and be left behind by other ASEAN countries trading with Japan.

“Some say we could have gotten more. Others claim, we gave up too much. Let me be candid. I too feel that we could have negotiated better. We could have gotten more,” he said.

“The choice before us is not the present JPEPA versus another better JPEPA that we can pick and choose from. The choice before us is the present JPEPA versus no JPEPA and an uncertain future as to when it could be renegotiated again and what terms we could actually obtain at that future time,” he added.

In order to address environmental concerns raised by some groups, Roxas has called on the executive to transmit to the Senate the Basel Ban Amendment, which would widen the coverage of hazardous substances banned for export, to include items for recycling. “It’s about time that the Senate reviews and consults with stakeholders on the need to ratify the amendment to the Basel Ban Convention. The important thing is to get started with the discussions,” he said.

He has also filed a bill to increase the penalties for violation of Republic Act No. 6969, the Toxic Substance and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act of 1990.

Roxas said a way to encourage transparency and accountability in government is his proposed Free Information Act, Senate Bill No. 109. A counterpart bill has already been passed in the House of Representatives, sponsored by fellow Liberal Erin Tañada of Quezon. The measure would require government offices to respond to all requests for public information within two days, unless this would place at risk national security, diplomatic relations or the peace and order situation.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008 | posted in asean, bangsamoro juridical entity, erin tañada, free information act, japan, jpepa, mar roxas, milf, pgma, philippines, quezon, supreme court | 0 comments [ More ]

Hermogenes Esperon must resign - Roxas

In his statement yesterday, Senator Mar Roxas called on Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to remove (Ret.) General Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. as her adviser on the peace process. Here's the Senator's complete statement:

"Hinihingi ko kay Pangulong Arroyo na sibakin na si General Hermogenes Esperon bilang Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process. Ayon kay Vice Governor Manny Piñol, na kinausap ko kagabi, nagbanta si General Esperon kay Vice Governor Piñol na hindi na maaasahan ng mga kababayan natin sa Mindanao ang suporta ng ating mga sundalo, kung hindi nila tutulungan at susuportahan itong MOA na negotiate ng gobyerno sa MILF.

"Labag ito sa batas. Labag ito sa sinumpaang tungkulin ni General Esperon at tama lamang na sibakin ni Pangulong Arroyo si General Esperon sa kanyang tungkulin.

"Itong kasunduan na ito ay hindi nauunawaan ng ating mga kababayan. Nakita natin sa proseso na kulang sa konsultasyon at wala halos ang nakakaalam sa nilalaman nitong kasunduang ito. Ito ay pruweba sa maling stratehiya na ginamit ng pamahalaan sa pag-negotiate dito, isang stratehiya ng pagtatago sa katotohanan, at pamumuwersa o pambabraso ng mga maaapektuhan nito.

"Hindi ito ang pamamaraan para mag-negotiate ng isang peace agreement. Kailangan lahat ay nakakaalam ng nilalaman nito, at sumusuporta rito. Kung hindi, nasa papel lamang itong peace agreement, at yung kaguluhan ang siyang iiral pa rin."

After the his statement on Gen. Esperon's resignation, I had started an online petition echoing the Senator's call. I hope you can sign the online petition at http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/esperonresign.

Thursday, August 7, 2008 | posted in bangsamoro juridical entity, manny piñol, mar roxas, milf, mindanao, pgma, philippines, president | 0 comments [ More ]