Senator Roxas: Not a square meter to be subtracted from RP territory

Liberal President Senator Mar Roxas said the Philippines should not allow even a square inch to be subtracted from the national territory, as he urged the government to use all international fora to defend the country's sovereignty.

He said this in line with the approval yesterday by the House of the Baselines bill and the subsequent insistence of China over their claim on the Spratlys Islands and other disputed islands.

"Gawin natin kung ano ang dapat nating gawin. Proteksyunan natin ang ating teritoryo. 'Wag nating isu-surrender ang ating claim nang basta-basta na lang, kesyo magalit ang Tsina, ang Vietnam, ang Malaysia o iba pang bansa (We should do what we need to do to protect our territory. We should not surrender our claim only out of fear that China, Vietnam, Malaysia or any other country will retaliate)," he said.

"Mahalaga ang republika. Ano ngayon kung magreklamo sila? Dapat magreklamo rin tayo laban sa panghihimasok nila sa ating soberanya. Hindi ako papayag na mabawasan tayo ng kahit isang metro kwadrado (Our republic is important. So what if they complain? We should also complain against their claim that is an affront to our sovereignty. I will not allow even a square meter to be taken from us)," he said.

Roxas said that the Philippines should defend its territory and exhaust all mechanisms under the United Nations, the International Court of Justice and other international fora to aggressively defend the Philippines' claim.

The Ilonggo senator said fears that trade and other relations with China and other countries may be soured due to this dispute should not blur the primary need to defend the national territory and sovereignty.

"Hindi naman puwedeng lahat na lang ay ibibigay natin sa kanila. Dahil lamang mas malaki ang Army o Navy nila, su-surrender na tayo? Ang mahalaga ay manindigan tayo para sa ating bansa (They are not entitled to everything. Are we going to surrender just because they have a stronger Army or Navy? What's important is we stand for our country and its territory)," he said.

China on Wednesday complained against the Philippines' laying claim over parts of the disputed Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal through the Baselines bill passed by the House of Representatives. Kalayaan Islands, which is part of the province of Palawan, is another disputed territory.

Roxas further explained that under the "Regime of Islands," which is part of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Philippines does not give up its claim over the contested territories, but only recognizes that other countries are also staking a claim over these territories.

Friday, February 20, 2009 | posted in baselines bill, china, malaysia, mar roxas, scarborough shoal, spratlys controversy, unclos, vietnam | 2 comments [ More ]

Senator Roxas to PGMA: Order probe of FG Mike

Liberal President Senator Mar Roxas today stressed President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo should now act to save the country's "corrupt" image in the international political arena, and she can begin by ordering an independent investigation into the numerous anomalies involving her husband, First Gentleman Mike Arroyo.

"Mahalagang linisin natin ang imahe ng ating bayan. Nakakahiya na tayo sa buong mundo. Ang tingin nila ay puro korap ang mga opisyal natin. Kailan pa ba kikilos si GMA? (It is important to clean our country's image. We are really in a very embarrassing situation now. The world thinks all Philippine government officials are corrupt. When will GMA act to stop this?)" he asked.

He said the president can prove her sincerity in removing corruption by subjecting her husband to an independent investigation and by allowing the long arms of the law to be served on him, when he is found guilty of pocketing millions of pesos in bribe monies and for masterminding multi-million peso fund diversion scams.

He also said President Arroyo should not ignore testimonies given to World Bank investigators that her husband and an unnamed former senator received millions of pesos in bribe monies in exchange for favorable endorsements to local and foreign contractors for them to be able to bag infrastructure contracts with the government, particularly the Department of Public Works and Highways.

The WB had conducted an investigation into irregularities that tainted projects that it financed in the country. As a result of the probe, seven firms - three from the Philippines and four from China - were banned from participating in any WB-funded projects here after they were found to have engaged in "collusive practices" in the bidding of a road project.

"Hindi pa ba sapat na ang WB na mismo ang nakakuha ng testimonya na milyong-milyong piso ang ibinayad ng mga kontratista kay Mike Arroyo para lamang manalo sa bidding ng mga projects sa DPWH? Kailangang kumilos na si GMA ngayon na (Isn't it enough that no less than the WB has been given testimonies that contractors had to pay millions of pesos to Mike Arroyo to get government contracts? She should act now)," he stressed.

"Gloria should make a clear statement that her husband is not beyond the law. She should not use her position to influence the findings of any investigating body. And if her husband is found guilty of any of the allegations against him, then she should not think twice about him going behind bars for his corrupt acts" he added.

Roxas warned the WB findings could affect relations between the Philippines and the United States, especially following the anti-corruption pledge that new US President Barack Obama made during his inauguration last month.

Also, the Ilonggo senator said it was not a surprise that the Philippines has been lumped with Nigeria, Pakistan and Bangladesh as among the nations with failing democracies due to rampant corruption in government.

He said controversies like the NBN-ZTE bribery, the P728 million fertilizer fund diversion, the "Euro Generals" money laundering and the most recent, the collusion between the owner of the Legacy Group of Companies and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to rip off hundreds of pre-need plan holders and bank depositors of their hard-earned savings have left an impression of widespread corruption in the nation.

"She should act to clean up the graft gangs in her government. She must spearhead this war against corruption by starting in her own backyard. Only then can she prove her sincerity," he said.

Thursday, February 5, 2009 | posted in barack obama, china, dpwh, euro generals controversy, fertilizer fund scam, legacy group of companies, mar roxas, mike arroyo, pgma, sec, world bank, zte deal | 0 comments [ More ]

Roxas to PGMA: Full disclosure needed on ZTE visit in Shenzen, China

Senator Mar Roxas called on President Arroyo to address the people and tell the truth about her trip to Shenzhen, China to meet with ZTE Corp. officials in November of 2006, a few months before the government decided to award the contract for the National Broadband Network (NBN) to ZTE.

Roxas, one of the co-chairs of the Senate probe into the ZTE-NBN controversy, reminded President Arroyo that all public officials are bound by 'delicadeza' not to meet or hobnob with prospective suppliers or other interested parties in government projects while contracts are still pending.

"Out of delicadeza and to protect the integrity and dignity of her office, the President should have avoided such a social visit knowing fully well that a multi-million supply contract was up for consideration by the NEDA Board which she chairs," he said.

The Liberal Party President advised Palace executives not to brush aside the meeting simply as a 'private social meeting,' especially as the Office of the President is imbued with the highest public interest.

"All official activities of the President are imbued with public interest and subject to full transparency, unless they involve sensitive matters of national security, which was not the case in the Shenzhen visit," he said.

Roxas explained that at the heart of this controversy—marred by allegations of corruption and bribery—is the decision of the NEDA-ICC to shift its procurement preference for the NBN, from build-operate-transfer to a straight-out government loan.

"Until now, we are still awaiting the Supreme Court's decision regarding our petition to release of the NEDA-ICC documents so we could see what magic happened there. The President must explain directly the agenda and nature of her trip to Shenzhen otherwise this social encounter might be misconstrued as the reason behind the sudden shift from a BOT project to a supply contract with a sovereign guarantee," he stressed.

"Nakakalungkot na ang Pangulo pa mismo ang dumalaw sa headquarters ng ZTE Corp. sa Tsina. Kahit na sabihin pang 'social meeting' lang ito, mahirap namang may ibang standard ang Pangulo at mas mahigpit na standard sa mga nasa mababang posisyon ng pamahalaan," he added.

Thursday, May 15, 2008 | posted in china, mar roxas, pgma, philippines, president, zte deal | 0 comments [ More ]

Roxas calls for ASEAN Leaders’ Summit on food security

Senator Mar Roxas, chairman of the Senate trade and commerce committee, called on the Philippine government to take the lead in calling for an ASEAN Leaders’ Summit to address the rice crisis and ensure food security in the region.

In a press release, Roxas announced that he would file a resolution on Monday expressing the sense of the Senate that the Philippines should take the lead in calling for such a special Leaders’ Summit, to ensure food and rice security in the coming months.

“ASEAN has in its membership the world’s two biggest rice exporters and the world’s biggest rice importer. The proposed ASEAN Leaders’ Summit has the opportunity to ease the fear and crisis that is gripping both the producing farmers and consumer families across ASEAN and the region. This kind of crisis is exactly why ASEAN exists. ASEAN must address and intervene in this crisis to prove to the world that it can take the lead in the political and economic integration of its member-nations” the former trade secretary said.

The Filipino leader said the proposed ASEAN leaders’ summit could even include non-ASEAN neighbors as such as Japan, South Korea and China for an ASEAN Plus Three Summit as well as multinational financial institutions, which have a critical interest on both the consumer and producer sides of the current crisis.

“At the ASEAN Summit in Singapore last year, an ASEAN Charter was adopted. This document would be meaningless if the leaders of ASEAN cannot get together to ensure solidarity against hunger made worse by soaring rice and food prices,” the former trade and commerce secretary explained.

Roxas said the Philippines can invoke a provision in the ASEAN Charter on Summits that allows its leaders to hold a summit to “address emergency situations affecting ASEAN by taking appropriate actions.”

The president of the Liberal Party also quoted from the ASEAN Charter’s preamble that resolved “to ensure sustainable development for the benefit of present and future generations and to place the well-being, livelihood and welfare of the peoples at the centre of the ASEAN community building process.”

Saturday, April 12, 2008 | posted in asean, china, food crisis, japan, mar roxas, pgma, philippines, president, south korea | 0 comments [ More ]

Transcript of interview with Senator Mar Roxas during NBN hearing lunch break

On Leo San Miguel’s testimony:

MAR: I’d like to know what he has to say about the allegations of Madriaga. Basically Mr. San Miguel was invited here because Mr. Madriaga mentioned him 20, 30 times in the course of his testimony. According to Mr. Madriaga, Leo San Miguel this, Leo San Miguel that, so we deemed it proper to invite Leo San Miguel to find out exactly what his role was. Now it appears Mr. San Miguel is refuting what Mr. Madriaga said, so it would be a ‘he-said she-said,’ and we’ll try to find out now what Mr. Madriaga has to say, does he have proof or not, and then we take things as they are. Para sa akin, may sinabi si Mr. San Miguel na mukhang okey, pero marami rin siyang sinabi na hindi kapani-paniwala. Halimbawa, sinabi niya na anim, walong beses sila nagkita ni Chairman Abalos na wala namang pinag-usapan, parang hindi kapani-paniwala iyan. Sinabi niya na nasa teknikal lang siya, wala siyang alam, pero sa lahat ng mga biyahe sa China, kasama naman siya.

Q: Mr. San Miguel claims it isn’t his signature in documents presented by Madriaga.

MAR: That’s why it will be a ‘he-said she-said.’ There is forensic technology to find out if a signature was lifted by photocopy and transferred to another document, or whether in fact it was part of the original document. So I’m sure that for all of these things, the Senate will pursue to their logical conclusions.

Q: From Mr. San Miguel’s testimony, it appears that ZTE was trying to keep this transaction off books.

MAR: Well it is quite unusual. Mr. San Miguel said he was working as a consultant for ZTE. It’s a publicly listed corporation, it’s unusual for corporations such as this to be transacting in cash, particularly for a project as large and as important as the ZTE contract, $330 million. Second, Mr. San Miguel said that he would be receiving a success percentage if the transaction went through, but this is normally embodied in some sort of agreement, which Mr. San Miguel said does not exist, there is no such agreement. So parang nagiging free agent-entrepreneur si Mr. San Miguel, Mr. Madriaga, lahat nakapaligid dito sa kontratang ito, at either through balato, commission or ‘tong-pats’ ay makakabahagi sila kung maisakatuparan nga itong kontratang ito. It’s very unusual to have success fees, fees that are paid out on a regular basis without any kind of documentation.

Q: What would make a company want to keep this off-book?

MAR: Maybe it’s because they have not figured out what to do, these are all speculative. Maybe this will not fare well if their auditors looked into this, we must remember that ZTE is a publicly-listed company, and today, if you were a shareholder of ZTE, you can actually file an inquiry in Hong Kong with the anti-graft body there, which is quite strong, to say, ‘look at this company, it’s publicly listed here in the Hong Kong exchange, and they seem to have off-books cash transactions with entities that are not registered, have not paid any tax, have not paid any kind of documentation from government agencies and the like, and that would already be a cause for complaint in Hong Kong.

Q: Share prices of ZTE don’t seem to be particularly affected by the controversy. Are you saying this is because of no similar inquiry in Hong Kong?

MAR: Not necessarily. All I’m saying is that ZTE, with respect to the Philippines, whether going through with it or not, may not have been factored into the stock price of ZTE in Hong Kong. What would be important is if we were really serious in anti-graft and anti-corruption, we could, through the Hong Kong anti-corruption body, be able to file an inquiry. Why is ZTE in fact engaging in these practices here in our country? Did Mr. San Miguel pay VAT on this P150,000 per month? Did he file any kind of income tax return, or any kind of government papers relative to this? What about the 2 ½ percent that he was talking about as a success fee? Is this something that ZTE acknowledges on its side or not? So all of these questions are what makes his testimony contradictory. Parang hindi kapani-paniwala dahilan sa, on one hand, may mga sinasabi siyang kasama siya sa transaksyon, pero on the other hand, wala siyang kinalaman. So it does not smell good. Binasa na, kung in fact na kasama ba siya, kasabwat ba siya o hinde. You can not have it both ways.

Q: But would this actually affect ZTE’s stock prices?

MAR: I don’t know. I don’t know the size of ZTE’s business, what its total revenues were. $330 million might look like a lot, but in the larger context of things, it might not actually be too much. Maybe the market has already discounted or already factored in the fact that the contract was discontinued or canceled, so there would not be much impact on earnings and so therefore on prices.

Q: Would the Senate have the personality to file suit in Hong Kong?

MAR: This really goes to the heart of the issue, which is, how serious is the executive branch in getting to the bottom of this. On one hand the executive says they want the truth, they want disclosure relative to this, they have nothing to hide, and then on the other hand, they’re withholding information, not allowing witnesses to show up, or not actively engaging in ferreting out the truth, doing things to obstruct, impede or otherwise not allow the truth to come out. So what is it really? And this is at the heart of the issue – the credibility or the lack of credibility problem of the current administration.

On Neri not appearing in today’s Senate hearing:

MAR: For the record, naniniwala ako na dapat tinanggap namin ang proposal ng Supreme Court. Ang sinasabi ko ngayon ay hindi nag-iiba doon sa last week. Noong gabi sa Supreme Court oral arguments, hanggang sa Senate caucus, hanggang after the caucus, nanindigan ako, at malinaw... Imbes na itong circus na ito, si Neri na dapat ang tinatanungan natin. Bakit, tatlo lang ba yung maitatanong natin? Ako, isanlibo ang pwede kong itanong e. At lahat ng ini-invoke niyang executive privilege ay pwede isama sa pagdedesisyunan ng Supreme Court.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008 | posted in china, dante madriaga, leo san miguel, mar roxas, pgma, philippines, romulo neri, supreme court, zte deal | 0 comments [ More ]

China affirms respect for RP domestic laws in commercial deals

A top official of the Communist Party of China (CPC) today affirmed that it is the policy of Premier Wen Jiabao and the CPC that all Chinese firms must strictly abide by the domestic laws in the countries where they operate.

According to Senator Mar Roxas, CPC International Department Vice Minister Liu Hongcai made the affirmation this morning in the context of their frank and cordial discussions on the ZTE-NBN deal and the Spratlys controversy.

“Vice Minister Liu’s statement is fair and timely, katulad ng pagrespeto ng ating mga kumpanya sa kanilang mga batas kapag pumasok sila sa Tsina,” he said.

Senior Liberal Party leaders led by Roxas and the visiting CPC delegation headed by Liu met for breakfast at the Hotel Sofitel this morning.

“They understand very well our LP position that we must hold our own government officials accountable for anomalies or incompetence attendant to the ZTE-NBN and Spratlys controversies,” he said.

“Naiintindihan nila na mahalaga para sa atin na malaman ang katotohanan sa likod ng ZTE-NBN deal. Sa kanila ang ZTE ay isang komersyal na transaksyon lamang, na hindi dapat makasira sa relasyon ng Pilipinas at Tsina,” he added.

During the meeting, Roxas said it was “unfortunate” that despite the goodwill and assistance extended by China to the Philippines and the rest of the countries in the region, China has been put in a “difficult situation” due to graft and corruption committed by certain Filipino officials.

“We in the Philippines appreciate the help and goodwill of China, but we must make sure that our own domestic procedures are done properly. We cannot allow our officials to act to the detriment of our people and in the process erode the positive views and warm sentiments of Filipinos towards China,” he said.

Roxas also noted efforts in China to fight corruption in all aspects of government, which their President Hu Jintao has said is one of the biggest threats to the legitimacy and survival of the CPC. On the matter of the territorial dispute on the Spratlys group of islands, Roxas said the LP supports the principle that the South China Sea must be a “zone of prosperity and harmony”.

“As there are other claimants in the area, our interest is to live together like good neighbors, coexist peacefully and find mutually beneficial solutions to our problems,” he said.

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“At the same time, the LP’s interest is also to make sure that in all negotiations affecting the Spratlys issue, our government officials act in the best interest of Filipinos,” he added.

“We in the LP will look at the Spratlys issue dispassionately and not use it for partisan political advantage,” he stressed.

During the meeting, both Roxas and Liu agreed to help promote closer ties between the LP and the CPC and to help strengthen economic, cultural and political relations between the Philippines and China. Liu has invited Roxas, as LP President, to visit China in the near future, for which Roxas expressed his warm appreciation.

Also present in the meeting for the LP were LP Secretary-General Joseph Emilio “Jun” Abaya, LP Director-General Camilo Miguel Montesa, National Institute for Policy Studies President Mario Taguiwalo and former 1987 Constitutional Commissioner Florangel Braid.

The CPC delegation also included Asian Bureau of the International Department Director-General Ail Ping and directors Zhang Xuyi and Rao Huihua, among others.

Liberal Party (LP) President Senator Mar Roxas discussed with Communist Party of China International Department Vice Minister Liu Hongcai how important it is to the Filipino people to hold Philippine officials accountable for the botched National Broadband Network (NBN) deal with ZTE Corp., in a meeting on Tuesday of officials of the LP and the CPC.According to Roxas, Vice Minister Liu has conveyed to him that it is their government's policy that all foreign corporations of China must abide by the rule of law in the countries where these operate; and that the ZTE issue is only a commercial transaction that should not bear down on the good standing relations of the Philippines and China. The two parties met upon the request of the CPC, to discuss ways to strengthen party-to-party relations.

| posted in china, mar roxas, philippines, rao huihua, spratlys controversy, zhang xuyi, zte deal | 0 comments [ More ]

Roxas, LP leaders to meet with Chinese Communist Party leaders

Amid the raging controversy over the National Broadband Network deal and the joint seismic exploration of the Spratlys, Senator Mar Roxas and several leaders from the Liberal Party will meet with a delegation from the Communist Party of China (CPC), upon request of the latter tomorrow, Tuesday in Manila.

“China is bound to be the biggest economy in the world and is a historic friend of the Filipinos. The LP intends to explore with the CPC how to strengthen RP-China ties on the basis of mutual respect, and move forward along shared principles of good governance, fair economic cooperation and our respective people's interests,” he said.

“Ang Tsina ngayon ay kinikilala bilang higante sa mundo pagdating sa ekonomiya at geo-politics. Nasa interes ng Pilipinas na patibayin ang relasyon nito sa Tsina, nang hindi isinasantabi ang pambansang interes,” he said.

Roxas said he will stress the importance of greater transparency in bilateral agreements not only with China but also with other allies. “Diplomacy and transparency in government should not be in conflict with each other,” he stressed.

“This strengthening of diplomatic and economic relations must always be founded on the national interest and the welfare of Filipinos. We will explore with them how to ensure accountability and transparency in all our joint undertakings,” he said.

Roxas said he will also discuss serious concerns on the NBN deal, and discuss ways to cooperate on running after those involved and on ensuring transparency in future deals. “The prime interest of the LP is truth and accountability,” he stressed.

“Lilinawin ko sa kanila na ang LP ay para sa pagbunyag ng katotohanan sa likod ng kontratang ZTE-NBN, at tatalakayin sa kanila ang posibilidad ng kooperasyon para habulin ang mga may pananagutan,” he said.

“As a long-term cooperative effort, we will dialogue on how to ensure transparency and accountability in all foreign loans and agreements that both countries will undertake in the future. This is in line with our party’s agenda to reform the procurement system,” he said.

Meanwhile, on the Spratlys territorial conflict, Roxas said that dialogue and consultations between and among the claimants should be done in the tradition of friendship and cooperation, while at the same time, heeding the people’s calls for greater transparency. “I believe this matter will be resolved in the spirit of mutual respect and fair principles,” he said.

Joining Roxas as part of the LP delegation are LP Secretary-General Joseph Emilio “Jun” Abaya, LP Director-General Camilo Miguel Montesa, National Institute for Policy Studies President Mario Taguiwalo and former 1987 Constitutional Commissioner Florangel Braid.

The CPC delegation will be led by Vice Minister Liu Hongcai of the International Department, Central Committee; Asian Bureau of the International Department Director-General Ail Ping and directors Zhang Xuyi, Rao Huihua; among others.

Monday, March 10, 2008 | posted in china, mar roxas, philippines, spratlys controversy, zte deal | 0 comments [ More ]