Emil Jurado on Mar Roxas

Here's a part of Emil Jurado's article in the Manila Standard Today wherein he said the Senator Mar Roxas "has the edge over the others insofar as public perception is concerned." Try to read this and

"Among the presidential aspirants for 2010, I’d say that Senator Mar Roxas has the edge over the others insofar as public perception is concerned. First, he has an organization and the Liberal Party to support him. Second, his image as “Mr. Palengke,” and his being no. 1 senator in the 2004 polls give him that edge.

People may not know it, but had Mar wanted to be Senate President, he could have been so. The position was offered to him when the alliances in the Senate were not yet firmed up.

But Mar declined the offer since he did not want to be perceived as having allied himself with the administration. That’s the reason he opted to be with the minority of eight oppositionists.

I like Mar not because of Korina Sanchez, who I admire as a broadcaster, but because of his background—he was, after all, secretary of Trade and Industry—and more importantly, his integrity and independence."

Indeed, Mar Roxas has the upper hand in this upcoming 2010 elections! Though, public perception should not always replace performance and track record.

If ever it was really true that Senator Roxas would have aimed for the Senate Presidency, it would have been better having a great track record in the House of Representatives, Department of Trade and Industry and in the Senate, but I know Senate President Manny Villar would not give way because he wants to make his position as a starting point of his presidential ambition.

Monday, September 17, 2007 | posted in , , , , , , , , , | 0 comments [ More ]

Add Mar Roxas 2010 in Friendster

If you have a Friendster account, please add our official Friendster profile at http://profiles.friendster.com/marroxas2010 and our e-mail address is mar2010roxas@gmail.com


Sunday, September 16, 2007 | posted in , , | 0 comments [ More ]

Invite Mar Roxas to your place!

With the help of Eventful.Com, you can now invite Senator Mar Roxas to come to your place in collaboration with this blog! Isn't that great? So, what are you waiting for? Demand Senator Roxas NOW!!!



Saturday, September 15, 2007 | posted in , , , , | 0 comments [ More ]

Roxas, underwhelmed by JPEPA hearing

Sen. Mar Roxas, the Senate Trade committee chairman, was "underwhelmed" by the JPEPA hearing last September 14. This is what he said:

"I am 'underwhelmed' by the presentation of the government that, to my estimate, kung ngayon ang botohan ay di papasa ang (if voting was held today, it would not pass) JPEPA (Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement)."

Roxas told the Department of Trade and Industry and other key government agencies to provide a clearer and more definitive presentation of JPEPA’s benefits and its detriments to the country not only for the trade aspect but also to the other element of the treaty such as investments, labor and environment.

"All negotiations are all about give and take, and it is the government's duty to make its case here. Since they negotiated the treaty, they ought to know the data and provide us with the big picture of this give-and-take," he said.
He added that sectors to be affected must be identified and that the necessary measures to mitigate the suffering of these sectors must be threshed-out.

"Nais nating maunawaan talaga ito, kung ano ang benepisyo sa atin kumpara sa benepisyo na makukuha naman ng bansang Hapon. Marahil ay malinaw sa kabilang panig kung ano ang interes nila sa agreement na ito. Ano naman ang maliwanag na pambansang interes natin? Ito ang inaasahan naming masagot ng ating mga trade negotiators (We really want to understand this, on what the benefits are to us compared to benefits Japan will get. Maybe the other side is clear what their interests are. What then is our national interest? We were expecting these to be explained by our trade negotiators)" Roxas said.

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Roxas wants to strengthen drug importation system

Senator Mar Roxas is seeking to find ways on how to strengthen the existing system on the drug importation program as he believes that all efforts to provide the poor Filipinos with quality, affordable medicines have been hampered by the overly stringent patent system in the country, which he said makes for a less competitive environment.

He said this was what had been established during yesterday's joint public hearing conducted by the Senate committees on Trade and Health, with state firm Philippine International Trading Corp. (PITC) still facing law suits from big pharmaceutical companies in its program for the importation of more affordable medicines abroad.

But he also noted the success of the PITC's parallel importation program in bringing quality and affordable medicines to the Philippines resulting in savings from consumers who buy from the government's Botika sa Barangay outlets.

Read more...

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Senator Roxas' statement on the Erap Verdict

“Nalulungkot ako at nakikiisa kay Pangulong Erap at sa kanyang pamilya. Sana ang hatol na ito ay hindi lubhang makaapekto sa karamdaman ng kanyang mahal na ina na si Doña Mary.

“I served under President Erap as his Trade Secretary. Throughout that time, not once did he ask me to do something indecent or irregular. And for that, he has earned my deepest respect, despite all that has happened.

“I shall do all I can can to extend my personal and moral support to President Erap in his appeal. Knowing Erap, this verdict will not derail him from helping the poor and giving voice to their afflictions. His legacy as the champion of the masses remains safe and secure in the hearts of millions of his friends and supporters.”

Friday, September 14, 2007 | posted in , , | 0 comments [ More ]

Roxas: Jail ponzi scamers

Sen. Mar Roxas said the Senate Committee on Trade will conduct an inquiry today on the reported $250-million worth of investments in PIPC Corp. that has gone down the drain, victimizing Filipinos.

The victims were supposedly enticed to invest at least P1.8 million on the promised earnings of 12 percentat least P200,000a year. Who would not be allured by this guaranteed windfall? he said in a press release.

Roxas called for strict government action so scam perpetrators can be sent to jail.

The committee, which Roxas chairs, will be tackling two Senate resolutions on the matter filed by Senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Loren Legarda. The Senate Committee on Banks will also be part of the inquiry.

Read more...

Wednesday, September 12, 2007 | posted in , , | 0 comments [ More ]

Palengke Tours & Joey-Willie clash

This is in response to columnists Ramon Tulfo of the Inquirer and Erwin Ambo Delilan of Sunstar Bacolod on their respective columns that tackled about the what they call "early campaigning" of Senator Mar Roxas.

In his column in the Inquirer with the topic Mar Roxas’ early campaigning , Mr. Tulfo said:
"Will somebody tell Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II the 2010 presidential election is still three years down the road?

He’s much too early in the campaign trail. Masyadong nagmamadali, making him look like an eager-beaver kid.

Just so voters will not forget him, Roxas went to visit the public market in Baguio City to apparently remind market-goers and vendors that he’s still “Mr. Palengke.”

The grandson and namesake of the illustrious President Manuel Roxas has invited two warring TV comedian-hosts, Willie Revillame and Joey de Leon, to the august halls of the Senate.

The purported reason for the invitation is to shed light on the supposedly P2-million “Wowowee” game show scandal.

Aw c’mon, Mr. Senator, we know the real reason. Only those who were born yesterday wouldn’t know your reason for initiating the Senate investigation of the alleged game-show scandal: Publicity mileage."

Actually, Mr. Tulfo is just like what everybody's thinking. The people may have been interpreting Sen. Roxas acts as "early campaigning" but he's doing it in accordance with his job as Senator. The presidential ambitions and the people's perceptions of Sen. Roxas may have overshadowed his job as Senator. What he does today may mean different to others. A person might say that he's a good Senator because he's really going to the markets and seeing whether the basic commodities' prices are stable while his critics say that he's just doing it for the sake of popularity. Let's face it, Sen. Roxas has already been a Senator for 3 years and he's doing this before (the palengke [market] tours.) It just now that other people have start noticing him because 2010 is just 3 years away. I think you, Mr. Tulfo, was the one born before the election of Mar Roxas as Senator!

On the other hand, in his column in Sunstar Bacolod entitled Delilan: Waste of time!, Mr. Delilan said:
"With so many, many problems that the country is facing right now, I can’t imagine Senator Mar Roxas taking a move to investigate the Wilyonaryo brouhaha that involves the country’s famous “playboy” Willie Revillame, host of ABS-CBN’s noon time show.

Maybe Senator Roxas has a noble intention in his desire to probe the case of what ABS-CBN described as a “technical glitch” committed by the technical men of Wowowee that led to the brouhaha.

But the way I judge Roxas’ move is “politically motivated.”

But I think it’s too early for a political Showtime if Roxas really aims to run for President in 2010.

Yes, it can’t be denied that Roxas topped the Senate race in 2004 because of his “Mr.Palengke” TV ads.

He captured the masses by projecting himself as real “Palengke” man, but later can’t even be seen in the palengke.

Now that Wowowee is one of the famous variety shows on TV plus that Joey de Leon of Eat Bulaga! is the “accuser”, it’s as if Roxas would like to ride on the popularity of two shows and their equally famous hosts.

But the question is: is Roxas determined to conclude whatever probe he would initiate in this Wilyonaryo?

If his action is only meant for a show, then I think Roxas should stop making an early gimmick.

I suggest that instead he should focus himself to other “meaty” issues confronting the country such as the controversial broadband deal between ZTE and the government, the country’s ballooning population, the hanging barangay and SK elections, among others with national concerns.

Let Willie Revillame and Joey de Leon “clash” on TV and let the viewers judge who between them is honest. After all, the two are raking millions of pesos out of their hosting ability even if they are controversial.

If Roxas will focus on the Willie-Joey tiff, then it’s obvious that he has only something in mind – and that’s to make an early campaign. What a waste of time!"
Sen. Roxas stepped-in to this issue so that these "alleged" cheating in game shows would not happen anymore and it is a part of Roxas' advocacy of consumer protection. If ever there was really that "alleged" cheating, would we just left it behind. With the MTRCB denying that it is not in their responsibility to investigate on this game shows and DTI that they only have jurisdiction on raffles and not on game shows (but later admitted that they are also responsible of game shows.)

In what Mr. Delilan said that Joey and Willie should instead be left having face-off in television, what are you to say that? So, you are happy when they're fighting on national television? Should someone be moderating these 2 personalities? It would just intensify the "ratings war" of this stations.

Sen. Roxas is not using the popularity of Joey and Willie and his palengke tours to boost his popularity. He has the people's trust, which he is grateful of, and I believe that he will also have it in 2010.

Saturday, September 8, 2007 | posted in , , , | 1 comments [ More ]

Mar Roxas made a stand

Others have been questioning Senator Mar Roxas' stand on the issues. Others say that Senator Mar Roxas is very vocal and visible only now that the 2010 elections is fast approaching. Others even question, "where was Mar Roxas during 2004-2007?." I want to set the record straight.

Since his election as Senator of the Republic in 2004, he has been touted as a presidentiable by a lot of people and not only by his LP Partymates. As Senator serving his first half of his 6-year term (2004- 2007), he had made a STAND on the different issues of our country contrary to what others say. I think others may have not been listening too much from Sen. Roxas before than now as the 2010 polls comes closer.

Try reading these news articles (which I sorted by YEAR) so that you would know what Mar Roxas was doing and what STAND he made on this issues.
Senator Roxas made a STAND by nudging BIR to help gov't recover Major General Carlos Garcia's 'tainted' assets, expressing his concern over imposing new taxes and implementing another increase on Napocor rates, revealing the P84 billion revenues that are lost because of smuggling, introducing commercial line fishing, seeking rewards to whistle blowers, welcoming the government's decision to expropriate the NAIA 3, telling the people about the massive proliferation of fake medicines, favoring a 50% cut on pork barrel, and many more. That's for 2004 alone...

In 2005, he made a STAND by asking the SC to stop the EVAT implementation on gas and power to avert a price increase, pushing for the compulsory licensing of the bird flu drug Tamiflu as a "calibrated preemptive response (CPR)" against a possible pandemic, insisting National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales to give the full details of the government deal with the US lobby group Venable LLP, appealing for support of dollar-earning industries, expressing lamentation on the excessive cost of medicines, supporting the NTC order on VoIP calls, opposing the proposal to grant emergency powers to President Arroyo in an apparent bid to avert the emerging oil crisis, protecting the call center workers, investigating on the proliferation of substandard colleges and universities that produce graduates with dismal passing rates in professional licensure and eligibility examinations, supporting the use of biofuels, suggesting to adopt measures to protect credit card data systems from thieves, lauding the SC for its decision on stopping the government on paying to PIATCO, and many more.

In 2006, he made a STAND by calling on all sectors to focus on job generation, pushing for DepEd supplemental budget, urging the government to help new graduates seek jobs, asking the DTI to monitor closely the basic commodities' prices, expressing his point of view on the Marines' rebellion, expressing his concern over "the rising tide of human rights abuses", urging the Congress to create an Office of Trade Representative, telling that stock surge may not necessarily mean that the economy is improving, support DepEd Secretary Lapus' program, calling a reintegration program for displaced OFWs during the Lebanon crisis, expressing support of the President's move on the nursing board exams retake, stepping into the abduction of students, urging the youth to use people power for good governance, reiterating that the true LP is the Drilon-wing, pushing the passage of the 2006 national budget, lashing out the Securities and Exchange Commission for sitting the case of pre-need companies, probing the quality of broadband services, and many more.

This 2007 alone, he has made a STAND by filing a bill that would give stiff penalties to SSS law violators, questioning the ZTE deal, calling an investigation on the Wowowee controversy, calling a resumption of the NPA peace talks, probing the Hello Garci scandal, calling on the executive to work on JPEPA, criticizing the relaxed tourist visa policy, calling the abrupt hike in PUV tax unfair, questioning the transfer of PCGG to DOJ, exposing the kidnapped Filipino workers for labor in Iraq, and counting...

As what Estelle had comment on this post, she said:
I completely agree with your post.

Just because he's not the noisy, controversial (read: pala-away) type of politician, doesn't mean he's not doing his job. It does not mean that he's not fighting for us and our interests.

If anything, he has more time and energy to fight for our interests in the only arena that matters, in the only arena that translates to tangible benefits for the people: the congress!

If only more people can see beyond political theatrics and look at actual work done, I bet they'd have no doubt that Mar Roxas is the only acceptable contender for 2010.
Sen. Roxas is not a type of always-"papansin" politician, he's a SILENT but WORKING STATESMAN. As what I had said, I don't agree that Sen. Roxas is not making a STAND. He has been making a STAND since he was a Congressman, as DTI Secretary and as Senator now. You may not have been listening to him when 2010 wasn't still in the air!

Wednesday, September 5, 2007 | posted in , , , , , , , , | 6 comments [ More ]

Is Mar Roxas campaigning already for 2010?

When Senator Mar Roxas was in Baguio City, everyone thought that he was already campaigning for 2010! There was the old campaign jingle being played, banners were all around, and a woman also announced him as "our future President."

Sen. Roxas denied that he was campaigning early for 2010. This is what he said:
“That’s part of the enthusiasm of locals. Nagbabantay naman tayo ng presyo, kasama sa trabaho natin yan [We monitor the prices, that’s part of our job],” he said.
Indeed, it's true. Sen. Roxas has not yet announced his 2010 presidential bid, but the enthusiasm of the people for him is alive and vibrant!

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