Roxas slams planned NEDA policy vs. free information

Senator Mar Roxas condemned the reported plan of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) to draft guidelines limiting access to information amid the people’s search for truth behind the National Broadband Network (NBN) debacle.

The Liberal Party President said the NEDA’s move to craft such policy, as reported by BusinessMirror newspaper Friday, runs counter to the people’s outcry for the government to come clean and reveal the truth on the botched ZTE Corp. contract.

“Such moves are against the principles of sound market system where the free and transparent flow of information on the economy and the Government’s development programs, is indispensable to business confidence and decision-making,” he said.

“Moreover, this also runs against the quest of truth and justice, at a time that the people are deeply indignant about the ZTE-NBN deal, here comes NEDA rubbing salt on the wound,” he said.

“Talaga bang manhid na ang administrasyon sa nag-uumapaw nang galit ng sambayanan?” he stressed.

“Are they so numb with power and arrogance already that they continue to stonewall the truth and ignore the people’s outrage?"

Roxas said NEDA should not complicate the situation by issuing such guidelines, especially as the Supreme Court is set to hear the issues on executive privilege on March 4. He said Malacañang should immediately reject the said guidelines once NEDA submits these for approval.

“Ang panawagan ko sa Pangulo: huwag aprubahan ang mga guidelines na ito ng NEDA. Lalo lamang gugulo ang magulo na nating sitwasyon,” he said.

Roxas and fellow Liberal Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino, have filed a case before the High Court to compel NEDA to submit all documents on the NBN of the NEDA-Investments Coordinating Council; and with his NBN probe co-chairmen, a counter-case before the Supreme Court to order Socioeconomic Planning Sec. Romulo Neri to appear before the Senate. Both question the government’s application of executive privilege.

He has also made a call to the President to “save the Republic” by taking concrete steps to uphold the truth: revoke Executive Order 464 and order all her officials to appear before the Senate and submit all relevant documents, under pain of suspension.

Sunday, March 2, 2008 | posted in mar roxas, pgma, philippines, president, romulo neri, zte deal | 0 comments [ More ]

Roxas pushes for Comprehensive Database on Agrarian Reform

Senator Mar Roxas today pushed for the creation of a comprehensive database on agrarian reform as a parallel effort to extending the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), which expires this year.

Speaking before a Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) caucus on agrarian reform on Wednesday, Roxas stressed that proponents of CARP's extension must show a way forward that would result to better incomes and poductivity in the countryside.

“There must be an established and agreed upon database that would contain all the pertinent data on agrarian reform. How many lands have been and yet to be covered, how many agrarian reform beneficiaries are there and how their lives have changed due to CARP, how many families have yet to benefit, how much funding is available, among other intricate details,” he said.

“This way, we will be able to determine what are the real needs of our farmers, if there’s a need to spend more money on CARP, and how to spend it to have meaningful impact to the lives of families in the countryside,” he said.

Roxas said the process of extending CARP is much more complex than just passing one consolidated bill extending the same CARP law. Other factors, such as access to financing and farm inputs, government support programs to build competencies in support of land and farm inputs distribution, among others, have to be thought-out carefully as well.

“Through CARP extension together with reforms, there can be a convergence of resources, full support services and packages on top of land distribution. Our goal is not simply to extend carp but to ensure that this program will result to better incomes and better lives for farmer-beneficiaries,” he said.

“We should not extend CARP only for the sake of extending it. There must also be genuine reforms, else, it will be just more of the same, we will just be repeating the mistakes of the past,” he stressed.

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Photo Release of Senator Mar Roxas in Bulacan

Senator Mar Roxas gives a keynote speech at the 1st Bulacan Business Conference, organized by the Bulacan Chamber of Commerce and Industry and also attended by local officials, in the Hiyas ng Bulakan Convention Center in Malolos City, Bulacan. Roxas, in his speech, encouraged the Bulacan businessmen to pool resources and work with their local governments in order to better compete at a global level.


Senator Mar Roxas, in a speech before the four Rotary Clubs of Malolos City, Bulacan, said the present political turmoil as a result of the National Broadband Network controversy can be eased if the President would testify on what she knows and order administration officials to cooperate in the Senate's investigation on the matter. "We deserve better," he told the audience in the BarCIE International Center, University of Regina Carmeli Compound in Malolos City, Bulacan.

Senator Mar Roxas lifts a sack of Jasponica rice being sold at the Bulacan Chamber of Commerce and Industry's trade fair, held as part of the group's 1st Bulacan Business Conference, in the Hiyas ng Bulakan Convention Center in Malolos City, Bulacan. Roxas, in his speech, encouraged the Bulacan businessmen to pool resources and work with their local governments in order to better compete at a global level. With him in the picture are Bulacan Gov. Joselito Mendoza (left) and former National Food Authority administrator Jess Tanchanco (right).

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Roxas to GMA: Truth or Consequence

Senator Mar Roxas warned President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo that her government’s continued stonewalling of the truth and obstruction of justice will soon break the nation apart.

The Liberal Party President said the Chief Executive should view today’s Makati rally as a fair consequence of her administration’s failure to come clean on the ZTE-National Broadband Network (NBN) controversy.

“Ang hamon ngayon, Ginang Pangulo: ‘truth or consequence.’ Huwag maging balakid sa katotohanan, kung hindi, patuloy na aapaw ang galit ng tao sa lansangan,” he said.

“In case you haven’t noticed, Mrs. President, the people are angry. They are very, very angry. And if you continue to turn a blind eye to this and sing your chorus that everything’s above board, then your so-called ‘Strong Republic’ will just break apart into 86 million pieces,” he added.

The co-chairman of the Joint Senate Committees investigating the NBN deal said the President must act to “save the Republic” by facing the situation squarely and by taking concrete steps to reveal the truth. The first step is ordering her officials to appear before the Senate, to submit all documents in relation to the ZTE-NBN deal, to testify and reveal all that needs to be revealed.

Roxas warned the administration that by continuing to be detached from the pent-up feelings of the people, this detachment will return a hundredfold: A nation of people whose anger has transformed into apathy. “Our country is already broken. Ang tiwala ng ating mga kababayan sa pamahalaan, sa ating mga institusyon, sa ating mag opisyales, ay mababang-mababa na o kaya wala na talaga,” he said.

“Ang rally ngayon ay patikim lang ng inis at galit ng taumbayan sa paggapos ng administrasyon sa katotohanan, sa asta nilang sila lamang ang may monopolyo sa bayan. The administration’s disastrous stance will lead the people to their wit’s end, to do what they can do to escape a country which they couldn’t call their own anymore,” he said.

He urged the administration to stop its defensive chorus and take the following steps to help put closure to the ZTE mess: Revoke Executive Order 464; order officials to attend the inquiries into the deal not only by the Senate, but also the Ombudsman and the Department of Justice; order them to submit to the Senate all documents of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) relative to the decision-making process on the NBN; and suspend those who do not follow.

Friday, February 29, 2008 | posted in mar roxas, pgma, philippines, president, rodolfo lozada, romulo neri, zte deal | 0 comments [ More ]

Roxas: "We deserve better than this"

Malolos, Bulacan – Senator Mar Roxas said the people deserve better than what the government is doing to address the current political crisis, which stemmed from anomalies involved with the government’s contract with ZTE Corp. of China for a National Broadband Network (NBN) project.

“We are a great nation. We are a great people. We deserve better than this,” he said, speaking before an inter-city Rotary Club gathering here.

“Kung nakikita ko na ganito ang kalagayan natin at napakalungkot naman, at hindi lang ako nalulungkot, naiinis ako, dumating na ako sa nakakagalit na, at talaga namang imposible, parang ginagago na tayo,” he said.

The senator lamented that the country is being left behind in the global economy because the leadership is too involved in the struggle for political survival.

“We are missing out on trade opportunities because the government has become too entangled in a web of corruption and deceit. The default for our youth is simply to go abroad,” he said.

Roxas called on the government to “save the Republic:” to respond with sincerity and earnestness to the people’s demand for the truth. He stressed that the people have the right to demand the truth from their leaders.

For one, he said the government should immediately lift Executive Order 464 and all other restraints on all officials invited by the Senate to testify on the ZTE-NBN contract. It should also grant the Senate full and untrammeled access to all pertinent documents in the files of the National Economic and Development Authority and the Department of Transportation and Communications on the deal.

He said the President should instruct all her cabinet officials and police officials to attend all investigations, not only the Senate’s but also the Department of Justice and the Ombudsman. Those who do not follow, he said, should be suspended.

“Ang gusto ko ay magbago ang ating sitwasyon. Ang gusto ko ho ay maging proud tayo, na maipagmamalaki natin yung mga nangyayari sa ating bansa,” he said.

“Ang gusto ko ay yung ating passport pag pumasok tayo sa ibang bansa, hinahangaan at hindi pinagtatawanan. Ang gusto ko ho ang ating mga kababayan, ang ating mga kabataan ay makakahanap ng kanilang trabaho dito sa ating bansa at hindi sa ibang bansa,” he stressed.

Thursday, February 28, 2008 | posted in luzon, mar roxas, pgma, philippines, president, zte deal | 0 comments [ More ]

Roxas to PGMA: "Save the Republic"

Davao City – Senator Mar Roxas on Wednesday made a call to the President to “save the Republic,” in light of controversies arising from the anomalous government contract with ZTE Corp. for a National Broadband Network.

At the sidelines of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines’ Mindanao Island Cluster Congress, Roxas outlined to reporters his proposed steps that the President could take relative to controversies hounding her administration.

“My recommendation to the President would be to save the Republic, to save the instutution of the Presidency, to save our country from Constitutional crisis, by doing the following:

“First, to lift EO 464; Second, to instruct all her cabinet officials and police officials to attend all investigations not just the Senate’s but also the Department of Justice and the Ombudsman, so they can tell everybody kung ano talaga ang nangyari rito;

“Third, to suspend such officials who do not follow this; Fourth, to instruct the National Economic and Development Authority to release to the Senate the all documents relative to the NEDA hearings on the ZTE contract.”

Asked by reporters to describe the country at present, Roxas, president of the Liberal Party, said it is “broken.” “Our country is broken. The institutions have low credibility. The executive itself has low respect from the people. And we need to fix this. Ang ating mga kababayan, yung tiwala nila sa ating pamahalaan, sa ating mag opisyales ay mababang-mababa na o kaya wala na,” he said.

“Kaya magagamot lamang natin ito, aayos lamang ang ating bansa kung maibalik natin ang tiwala ng ating mga kababayan sa kanilang pamahalaan sa pamamagitan ng tuwid at tapat na pang-gogobyerno,” he stressed.

Roxas, who is Co-Chairman of the Joint Senate Panel investigating the botched ZTE-NBN deal, said the Senate will continue on with its hearing in the interest of the truth, despite a chorus from the Palace calling for its abortion. He also said that former NEDA Director General Romulo Neri is key to this search for truth.

“Neri is a very important important component in the story. Siya mismo ang nagsabi sa Pangulo na may bribe attempt sa kanya. At kung anuman ang sinagot sa kanya ng Pangulo ay siya rin ang makakapagsabi niyan,” he said.

“What we want to know is first, what were the anomalies here, who perpetuated them and cases should be filed against them. Second, how can we amend our procurement laws para hindi na maulit itong gawain na ito,” he stressed.

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Sen. Mar Roxas with CBCP

Senator Mar Roxas and several lawmakers (right photo) discuss the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) with members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP, left photo), in a meeting Thursday morning at the Pope Pius Catholic Center in Paco, Manila.

Roxas stressed that any extension of the CARP should not be “for the sake of extending it,” and that the law required changes to ensure that farmer-beneficiaries are given not just land but an assistance package that would include farm inputs and implements. With Roxas are Quezon Rep. Lorenzo Tañada III, Cagayan De Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez and Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel. Representatives of the CBCP included (left to right) Revs. Bernardo Cortez, Martin Jumoad and Jose Oliveros, former Commission on Elections Chairman Christian Monsod, Revs. Antonio Ledesma, Honesto Pacana, Edwin De La Peña and Buenaventura Famadico.

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Roxas calls on AMLC to verify Madriaga testimony

Senator Mar Roxas said the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) should verify alleged fund transfers in relation to the controversial ZTE-National Broadband Network (NBN) project, as per the testimony of Engr. Dante Madriaga, a self-claimed consultant to ZTE Corp.

On Tuesday, Roxas made a motion to the Senate Joint Committee investigating the anomalous NBN project to formally request the AMLC to verify the amounts supposedly moved offshore, the dates of the said transfers and the names involved, as discussed by Madriaga during the hearing.

“Makikita natin kung mayroon ganyang halaga na pumasok dito sa pamamagitan ng AMLC. Proseso ito na itinalaga sa ating batas, para nga itong mga labas-pasok na pera na ito ay ma-monitor lalong-lalo na kung bunga ito ng mga iligal na gawain,” Roxas, co-chair of the Senate’s NBN hearings, said.

“We appreciate the testimony of Engr. Madriaga as to the amount of cash that changed hands as part of the NBN mess. But in order to build a stronger case, we need documentary evidence,” he added.

During the Tuesday hearing, Roxas deferred questioning Madriaga until his claims are placed in a sworn affidavit, with all details clearly threshed out.

“I defer my questioning not because of doubts on Madriaga’s testimony, but because it would provide greater weight to his statements if we base our questions on a sworn affidavit. The more detail, the more we could see the veracity of his statements,” he said.

Madriaga, who said he was a consultant for NBN contractor ZTE from May 2006 to March 2007, had tagged the First Couple, along with businessmen Ruben Reyes and Leo San Miguel, retired policeman Quirino de la Torre and former Commission on Elections Chairman Benjamin Abalos, as major players in the anomalous broadband project.

Roxas said, “The intricacies of alleged corruption in this case–yung detalye nitong sinasabing “bukol”—ay unti-unti nang lumalabas. For the Senate to act appropriately on this case, we need the whole story, and we need the full cooperation of the government.”

| posted in amlc, benjamin abalos, comelec, leo san miguel, mar roxas, mike arroyo, pgma, philippines, president, quirino de la torre, ruben reyes, zte deal | 0 comments [ More ]

Sen. Roxas to arrive at Davao City tomorrow

Senator Mar Roxas will be arriving at Davao City tomorrow Wednesday, to attend the 1st League of Municipalities in the Philippines (LMP) Mindanao Island Cluster Congress.

He praised the LMP for its efforts in furthering unity and progress in Mindanao, noting how its programs reflected “Unity Amidst Diversity Towards Genuine Peace, Progress and Countryside Development,” which is the theme of the event to be held at the Grand Regal Hotel in Lanang, Davao City.

Roxas, keynote speaker for the event, said “It is about time that we change the perception that national development primarily presides in Manila. We have begun our efforts as early as 1991 with the Local Government Code, but our industries in the countryside remain hampered, due in part to the lack of sustainability of peace and order.”

“I believe that our provinces have a lot to gain, and have a lot to contribute, as a result of a peaceful environment,” he added.

Ramon Abalos, mayor of Lambayong, Sultan Kudarat and President of the LMP, is organizing the event, to be attended by about 40 other municipal mayors of Mindanao. Also invited are President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Cabinet members.

Roxas, the Liberal Party President, said the LMP would have a lot to gain as well from listening to what their constituents had to say.

“It is important to get the pulse of the people, and learn from them what their needs are, and how local officials can help in this regard,” he said, noting that he has already held talks with some leaders on initiating a Visayas-Mindanao Development Agenda.

“By holding consultations, we can find out what industries need the most attention, and devise a comprehensive plan that would make the most of what we have, and create new wealth and value for each constituency,” he said.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008 | posted in mar roxas, mindanao, pgma, philippines, president, visayas | 0 comments [ More ]

Transcript of interview with Senator Mar Roxas on ABS-CBN's 'Umagang Kay Ganda'

On the President’s knowledge of the flaws in the NBN deal with ZTE:

Q: Sa hearing ng Senado ngayong araw na ito, kasama na ba sa agenda yung pag-amin ng Pangulo na alam niya may anomalya sa NBN project?

MAR: Siguradong kasama na iyan, at kung hindi naman ako, I’m sure the committee as a whole, hihilingin namin or isa-subpoena namin yung transcript ng kanyang interview. Ang mahalagang malaman dito, kase malaking development ito, ay kailan niya nalaman, at ano ang kanyang ginawa rito.

Q: Ang katwiran ng Presidente ay kahiyaan sa China kapag hindi itinuloy ang kontrata.

MAR: Mahalagang malaman kung ano ba talaga ang nalaman niya. Tsismis lang ba? Ito ba ang pag-report sa kanya ni Neri na “Ma’am, sinuhulan ako rito”? Ano ang kabuuan ng pagkaalam niya? At ano ang ginawa niya matapos n’on? Kase may dahilan naman e, sabihin na “Ang asawa ko, kaoopera lang, ‘di ako makapunta,” pangalawa, hindi naman ito government-to-government, private company ito e. Pangatlo, kaya may Secretary bilang alter-ego ng Pangulo, pwede naman na Secretary o kaya Vice-President ang pinadala roon. In fact, yung pumirma sa panig ng China, vice-president lang ng kumpanya, hindi naman opisyal ng Tsina o chairman ng kumpanya. So parang malabo nang kaunti na kahiyaan ito.

Q: Ano ang pananagutan ng Pangulong Arroyo?

MAR: Palagay ko yung pagiging witness, hindi naman masyado. Ang pananagutan dito kung may nalaman ang pangulo, o kahit sinong opisyal, ng anomalya o isang katiwalian, at wala silang ginawa tungkol dito. Nakita na halos five months na lumipas bago kinansela o sinuspend itong contract, at nangyari lamang iyan dahil sa pagkakaroon na ng mga whistleblowers, nagkaroon na ng mga testigo na may anomalya nga itong kontrata.

Q: So hindi kayo naniniwala na kinansela ito dahil sa mga anomalya?


MAR: Hinde, nakita naman natin na in fact every step of the way, halos ginawa ang lahat para hindi lumabas ang katotohanan. Yung EO 464 ininvoke, hindi sumipot ang mga opisyales, hanggang sa ngayon si Secretary Neri ini-invoke ang executive privilege. Para mapatunayan o maipakita talaga na interesado, seryoso ang Malacañang na malaman ang katotohanan, una, i-revoke ang EO 464; pangalawa, utusan ang mga Cabinet na may kinalaman dito na sumipot at magsabi ng katotohanan; pangatlo, ‘pag kinakailangan, isuspinde itong mga may kinalaman dito para hindi naman makulayan itong kontrata.

Q: E diba yung mga Cabinet officials, mula noong September, sinasabi na walang anomalya rito?

MAR: Iyon ang katuwa-tuwa, kase tumugtog na yung banda, kumakanta na sila ng koro, sabay yung lead singer, iba yung kinanta. Kaya ngayon, nasira na ang mga kinanta nila, kase iba na e, sabi ng lead singer na may alam siya na maanomalya ito, at iyon ang dahilan kaya kinansela ito. Samantala yung koro ng banda – “malinis ito, mabuti ito, mahusay ito.”

Q: Kaya mukhang nag-sinungaling ang lahat ng opisyal.

MAR: Kung opisyal ako, kailangan nang pag-isipan na mag-resign, o kaya magsabi na, “Hinde, ito yung bersiyon ko.” Kase sinabi na for five months, magmula noong nagsimula itong mga hearings, pilit nila sinasabi na mahusay ito, maganda ito, at walang anomalya ito.

Q: Ano sa tingin mo ang dahilan kaya inamin ito ng Presidente?

MAR: Hindi na talaga nating malalaman kung talagang kasama ito, may talking points ba siya diyan, kung may plano ito o nadulas lang. Ang punto dito ay magkaiba na ang istorya ng Pangulo doon sa mga opisyales niya, kaya kailangan malaman natin talaga kung ano ang nangyari. Magkaiba naman ang Pangulo, ang executive branch, sa Senado. Pwede naman na gumawa ng deposition. Wala naman kasing pangangailangan na pumunta pa siya sa Senado. Sabihin lang niya, “Ito yung nagsabi sa akin, ito yung sinabi sa akin, ito ang dahilan kaya tinuloy ko pa rin ang pag-witness ng pirmahan, at itong yung dahilan kaya for five months wala akong ginawa para itigil ang kontratang ito.”

Q: Maaari bang ipatawag ng Senado ang Pangulo?

MAR: Wala pa ‘atang precedent na ganoon, pero pagbigay respeto sa tanggapan ng opisina, sa institusyon ng pagkakapangulo, maaari na hindi naman pumunta sa Senado, pero under oath, pwede niyang sabihin sa abogado niya “Ito yung nalaman ko, ito yung nagsabi sa akin.” What did the President know, when did she know it, and what did she do about it? Iyon ang mga pinakamahalagang tanong dito.

Q: Ano ang nakikita niyong kinabukasan ng Office of the President gawa ng mga problemang ito?

MAR: Malubha ang ating sitwasyon ngayon. Nagmula ito sa mga suhulan. Ang kontrata, nagbunga na ito ng sa abduction. Ngayon ang Pangulo na mismo ang naka-target dito. Ang importante dito ay ibalik ng Pangulo yung kredibilidad doon sa tanggapan ng pagkapangulo. Iyon ang pinakamahalagang tanggapan doon sa pamahalaan natin, at palagay ko, kung gawin nga niya ito, i-suspend niya ang mga opisyales na may kinalaman dito, tanggalin niya yung EO 464, utusan niya ang lahat na pumunta sa Senado o kung saan man at magsabi ng katotohanan, doon, maibabalik niya ang kredibilidad ng kanyang tanggapan.

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