Roxas: Road clear for 2010 LP victory

Liberal Party President Senator Mar Roxas today called on all Liberal Party members to unite and move towards victory in the coming 2010 national elections following a decision of the Commission on Elections upholding the November 26, 2007 proceedings of the LP’s National Executive Council (NECO).

"All stumbling blocks to the road to victory have been removed. Oras na para magkaisa (It’s time to unite)," Roxas said after being informed of the Comelec ruling.

"Oras na para tuluyan nating pagtagumpayan ang laban para baguhin ang sistema ng katiwalian na lumakas ng todo sa ilalim ng gobyernong Arroyo (It is now time for the LP to bring the fight to the final push and reform the system of corruption and patronage perpetuated by the Arroyo regime)," he added.

In a 12-page decision dated June 18, 2009, the Comelec denied the petition of DENR Secretary Joselito Atienza Jr. seeking to nullify the November 26, 2007 proceedings of the LP’s NECO in Club Filipino that elected Roxas as Party President to succeed former Senate President Franklin Drilon.

The decision was signed by Comelec Chair Jose Melo and Commissioners Armando Velasco, Lucenito Tagle, Ledonardo Leonida, Nicodemo Ferrer and Rene Sarmiento.

The Comelec decision also upheld the inherent right of political parties to impose discipline within its ranks and the determination of who can become members and the composition of its leadership.

The Supreme Court had earlier in July 31, 2007 also declared illegal an attempt by Atienza to form his own party leadership and upheld Drilon’s leadership following the LP’s decision in 2005 to break away from the Arroyo Administration over the “Hello Garci” controversy that alleged massive cheating in the 2004 presidential elections.

LP Secretary-General Rep. Joseph Emilio Aguinaldo Abaya hailed the Comelec decision as a signal for all LP members throughout the country to proceed with preparations for the coming 2010 elections.

"Destiny has put the LP at the forefront of struggles for reforms in the country. It is now time for us to unite to make sure we pursue this platform of reforming our country," Abaya said.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009 | posted in armando velasco, comelec, franklin drilon, hello garci, jose melo, joseph abaya, ledonardo leonida, lito atienza, lucenito tagle, mar roxas, nicodemo ferrer, pgma, philippines, rene sarmiento | 0 comments [ More ]

The Liberal Party's 2010 Senatorial Line-up

Below are the people being considered as 2010 senatorial candidates for the Liberal Party (LP). I repeat, the people below are still being considered and are still not the final bets of LP as what the LP-Atienza wing tries to claim.

Cavite Rep. Joseph Emilio Aguinaldo Abaya, who was tasked by LP chairman former Sen. Franklin Drilon to head the party’s Electoral Preparatory Committee, listed down the following potential "senatoriables":

• Former Senator Franklin Drilon
• Former Agriculture Secretary Florencio “Butch" Abad
• Muntinlupa Rep. Rozanno Rufino “Ruffy" Biazon
• Quezon Rep. Erin Tanada
• former Bukidnon Rep. Neric Acosta
• Naga Mayor Jesse Robredo
• Isabela Gov. Grace Padaca
• Pampanga Gov. Ed Panlilio
• TV personality Cory Quirino

In my own opinion, they should also include Prof. Danton Remoto and former Genuine Opposition Spokesperson Adel Tamano. I know they're not a member of LP but I believe they can be adopted by the party.

Much about the senatorial candidates, I wonder who would be Senator Roxas' running-mate? Would it be Senator Noynoy Aquino or Senator Francis Pangilinan?

How about you? Who do you think should be included in the vetting process for senatorial candidates of LP?

Tuesday, January 20, 2009 | posted in adel tamano, butch abad, cory quirino, danton remoto, ed panlilio, erin tañada, franklin drilon, grace padaca, jesse robredo, joseph abaya, lito atienza, mar roxas, neric acosta, ruffy biazon | 0 comments [ More ]

Roxas sought P500M budget realignment for cheaper medicines; but proposed add'l 2008 DOH budget not acted on

Liberal President Senator Mar Roxas revealed last Sunday he sought to realign P500 million from the proposed 2008 national budget to make available cheaper medicines to the public under a law that he authored, but Congress' conference committee did not act on it.

The Ilonggo senator said he wrote Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, Senate Finance Committee Chairman, to consider realigning P500 million from the P3-billion Kilos Asenso Fund as additional budget for the Department of Health's Medicine Procurement Program under the Cheaper Medicines Act.

As primary author of that law, Roxas sought to make available to Filipinos cheap medicines that are normally sold here at high prices by local and foreign drug companies.

"Ang sagot natin sana sa mataas na presyo ng gamot dito sa atin ay itong batas na itinulak ko sa Kongreso, at hiniling ko na bigyan ng dagdag na P500 milyon ang budget ng DOH para sa implementasyon nito."

He said the conference committee, however, only approved his recommendation that P50 million be allotted as budget for the reintegration of returning OFWs under the Social Protection and Welfare Program of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and another P10 million for the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) for the purchase of laboratory equipment for the implementation of the cheaper medicines law.

Roxas said he is releasing this information ahead of an expected showdown Monday on senatorial budget insertions arising from allegations of Senator Panfilo Lacson that Senate President Manuel Villar engineered an insertion in the GAA for a "road to nowhere."

"I requested realignments in the 2008 budget for what I believed are for the public interest and I hope everybody bare their own requests so this won't turn into a game of deception and obfuscation," he said.

He added that his request was also approved for P90 million under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for the widening and improvement of the heavily congested Manila-Cavite Road.

He said the P90 million request was made under the representation of Cavite Rep. Joseph Emilio Abaya, who sought the appropriation to address mounting complaints from Cavite's motorists of massive daily traffic congestion to and from Manila especially during the rush hour.

"This is a project to widen the road that is a major route not only for Cavite's beleaguered motorists and commuters, but also for cargo trucks transporting export products from the Cavite Export Processing Zone to Manila for shipment," he said.

Roxas said: "The national budget involves the people's hard-earned money that they entrusted to the government through taxes, so they ought to know whether these are being spent for their benefit or only for the benefit of a few."

He said the Senate Finance Committee, and thereafter the bicameral conference committee, approved his proposed amendment to the 2008 GAA for the allotment of P50 million for the DOLE's OFW social integration program.

"Daan-libong mga kababayan nating OFW ang bumabalik dito sa Pilipinas na walang trabaho o hindi alam kung paano gagamitin ang kinita nila. Kaya kasama ito sa programa na inaprubahan ng Kongreso sa ilalim ng aking panukala. Hindi lang po natin gustong makabalik nang ligtas ang ating mga OFWs kundi siguruhin din na magiging maayos din ang kanilang buhay sa pag-uwi nila," he said.

Under this program, the National Reintegration Center for OFWs of the DOLE will provide counseling, job matching services and skills training and development for returning OFWs, Roxas noted. He also said that DOLE had been pushing for this project for a long time and it was only funded this year.

Roxas said the P10 million for the DOH was allotted for the purchase of laboratory equipment for BFAD in preparation for the full implementation of the Cheaper Medicines Act.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008 | posted in bfad, cheaper medicines bill, doh, dole, joseph abaya, juan ponce enrile, manny villar, mar roxas, ofw, ping lacson, road to nowhere | 1 comments [ More ]

Solon warns public about alleged multi-million PR effort to discredit medicines law

Rep. Joseph Emilio Aguinaldo Abaya (1st District, Cavite) warned the public not to fall into the web of deceit and desperate hysterics being spun by doomsayers in Congress about the cheaper medicines bill.

"I have received reports that there is a multi-million PR slush fund to discredit the bill and its key authors," Abaya said, adding that this may also be tied to the 2010 elections. Sen. Mar Roxas, the principal author of the medicines bill, is considered among the frontrunners in the presidential race in 2010.

Abaya, one of the co-authors of the House bill, expressed his full support to the joint efforts of House trade and commerce chair Antonio Alvarez and his Senate counterpart, Senator Mar Roxas in consolidating both versions of the bill.

"Millions of ailing Filipinos have much to lose if this urgent health bill is delayed further or derailed permanently. In the 13th Congress, the House failed to pass this measure due to lack of quorum. Today, some legislators are out to discredit this measure and its proponents by saying that it is "watered-down". The truth is that people with vested interests are scared that the medicines law would actually work and thus lead to drastic cuts in the earnings of pharmaceutical companies," Abaya added.

"On the contrary, precisely because their recommendations were ignored, we now have a stronger, more cohesive bill," Abaya stressed.

The congressman from Cavite noted that the generics-only provision was dropped upon the request of the President with the Senate agreeing to consider this as part of a separate bill. The House provision creating a drug price regulatory board was replaced by a new provision that would grant price regulatory powers to the Secretary of Health who would in turn make his recommendation to the President.

"The Secretary of Health is in a better position to review drug prices compared to a board composed of political appointees without sufficient backgrounds about medicines and prices," Abaya added.

The LP stalwart pressed for the bill’s passage by May 1. "This is our collective gift to the people on Labor Day and we should not allow people with vested interests to succeed in blocking this bill."

Tuesday, April 29, 2008 | posted in antonio alvarez, campaign, cheaper medicines bill, doh, joseph abaya, mar roxas, pgma, philippines, president | 0 comments [ More ]