Roxas asks GMA to attend oversight panel probe

Liberal President Senator Mar Roxas today announced that he invited President Arroyo to attend and explain before the Quality Affordable Medicines Oversight Committee her refusal to implement a vital provision of the law that reduces by half prices of 22 essential medicines.

The President will also be asked to shed light into reports that pharmaceutical companies have brought their lobbying against the implementation of the Cheaper Medicines law on the doorsteps of Malacañang; particularly the provision on Maximum Retail Prices (MRP) of medicines.
"Ginang Pangulo, gawin niyo po ang inyong trabaho. Pirmahan niyo na po itong executive order" that would impose the MRP on, and slash by half the prices of, the country’s top 22 prescribed but costly medicines, he said.

"Sa kadahilanan nga na nagkaroon ng miting dun sa Malakanyang at hindi natin alam kung ano ang napag-usapan—baka nagkaroon ng aregluhan, baka nagkaroon ng sabwatan kung ano na ang mangyayari dito sa batas—nagtakda tayo ng oversight committee hearing dito po sa pagpapatupad nitong batas," he also said.
The oversight committee had transmitted a notice of invitation to President Arroyo requesting her or her representative to attend to shed light on her alleged meeting with representatives of multinational drug companies held last July 8 in Malacañang.
He said: "Para malaman po natin ang katotohanan: paano nangyari itong miting na nito? Sino ang humingi nitong miting na ito? Kelan hiningi itong miting na ito at kelan pinag-bigyan, bakit nagkaroon agad ng schedule itong miting na ito? Makikita natin sa mga record. Malalaman natin ngayon kung ang gobyerno ba ay tumatayo para sa interest natin o tumatayo para sa interest nitong malalaking kumpanya na ito."
The Visayan senator had earlier lambasted what seems to be a conspiracy between the government and giant drug manufacturing firms to circumvent the implementation of the year-old law, which would bring relief to the public through easy access to cheaper but quality medicines.

Citing highly reliable sources, Roxas had exposed the "confidential meeting" and urged the Chief Executive to be wary of presidential advisers whose personal conflicts of interest might compromise her.
"Nanawagan ako sa Pangulo: Huwag po kayong makinig diyan. Nagla-lobby lang po ang mga iyan. Huwag po kayong makinig sa mga adviser ninyo, nagla-lobby lang po iyan. Panigan po ninyo, tayuan po ninyo, tindigan po ninyo, ang interest ng ating mga kababayan," he appealed to President Arroyo.

He vowed: "Hindi ko bibitiwan itong isyu na ito. Nasa batas na ito. Ang tagal na nating ipinaglaban ito. Ngayong nasa batas na ito, wala ng dahilan kung bakit hindi na mangyari ito kung hindi na lang iyong kagustuhan ng pangulo."

Friday, July 10, 2009 | posted in , , , , , | 1 comments [ More ]

Roxas exposes conspiracy between GMA and multinational pharma

Liberal President Senator Mar Roxas today exposed a devious conspiracy between President Arroyo and multinational drug firms to circumvent the cheaper medicines law, in effect keeping critical drugs out of reach of the poor.
"I am informed by very reliable sources that recently, President Arroyo held a closed door meeting with representatives of multinational drug firms," he said.

"Sa meeting nila, napagkasunduan na ipagpaliban muna ang EO na magpapataw ng Maximum Retail Price (MRP) sa mga gamot. Ang kapalit, gagawa ng paraan ang big pharma companies na ibaba ang presyo ng gamot bago sumapit ang SONA ni GMA sa July 28," Roxas revealed.
The Executive Order setting the MRP for 22 essential medicines has been submitted by the Department of Health (DOH) to Mrs. Arroyo as early as June 16. The MRP list seeks to slash by half the prices of these drugs within reach of poor patients who are in need of life maintenance or at the brink of dying.

These drugs include the anti-hypertensive drug Norvasc (to P22.50 from P44.50); anti-diabetic Diamicron (to P7.35 from P14.75); antibiotic Zithromax (to P149.37 from P298.75); and antibiotic Augmentin suspension 60 ml (to P179.50 from P359).
"Sa meeting na iyon, nandoon daw ang Secretary of Health. Tinatanong kita, Secretary Duque, bakit hindi ka umalma sa kuntsabahang nasaksihan mo sa pagpupulong na iyon?" he said.

"I believe that this conspiracy was engineered with the facilitation of an influential Presidential Adviser who is also connected with one of the multinational pharmaceutical giants," he added.

"It is the poor patients that the President should call to Malacañang for a meeting so she can see for herself how hard it is to cling to dear life without affordable quality medication," he said.
Roxas demanded "for the nth time" that the President sign the EO on the MRP "and stop consultations with the pharmaceutical firms as if they were the victims in this issue."

He also demanded that Tamiflu—now priced as high as P150 per tablet—should also be included in the MRP.
"Stop playing with the lives of the people and just implement the law, Mrs. President," he said.

Thursday, July 9, 2009 | posted in , , , , , , , | 1 comments [ More ]

Support Mar Roxas in Facebook!

Good day everyone! As we all know, Facebook has been growing in the Philippines. I'm sure most of you have been aware of that. Having been a longtime user of Facebook, we have continued to spread the word about Mar Roxas on this social networking site and indeed, it has gained momentum and we want you to be part of it.

With your online participation, you can make an impact.
Oras Na! Roxas Na!

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COMELEC assures Roxas of info program on 2010 poll automation

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has assured Liberal President Senator Mar Roxas that it will carry out an extensive information dissemination campaign nationwide to educate voters about the new automated system to be used in the 2010 national and local elections.
"The 2010 elections will mark an important day in our country’s history. Mahalagang may sapat na kaalaman ang mga botante ukol sa bagong sistemang gagamitin ng Comelec sa susunod na taon," Roxas said.

"I assume the Comelec will be ready for any eventuality that could happen. It is always good to be ready than to be sorry. Walang puwang ang pagkakamali sa halalan," he stressed.
Comelec Executive Director Jose Tolentino Jr. has informed Roxas that contingency measures have been put up in preparation for any hitches that could bog down the smooth conduct of next year’s elections.

Among others, he guaranteed that public information activities would be launched all over the country to teach voters on how the automated system works and what voters should do. The program would include the presentation of optical mark ballots and a discussion on the proper way of filling up these ballots.

Survey forms, which have been designed to measure competence of voters on the use of the ballots, would be distributed to local offices of the Comelec. Participants would be asked to fill-up these forms at the end of each voter education activity.

The same forms would be distributed to all private voter education initiatives for use at their own information campaign programs. A private survey firm would also be contracted to determine sufficiency of voter competence in the use of these ballots.

Furthermore, on Election Day itself, each polling place would be provided with posters that show the proper way of filling-up the new ballots. Other guarantees made by the Comelec on the Visayan senator included:
  • The Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) is capable of counting 60 ballots per minute (equivalent to 360 ballots per hour or 3,960 ballots for the 11-hour voting period from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.);
  • Classrooms or polling places will be set-up to accommodate 12 to 15 voters simultaneously;
  • The PCOS will be installed right inside the polling place where voters will their ballots; and
  • Strategic locations would be set up to ensure replacement of counting machines ore related peripherals within 2 hours in case of machine breakdown.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009 | posted in , , , , | 0 comments [ More ]

Mar Roxas, to officially announce his 2010 presidential bid

This just in from Panay News website. The news that we have been waiting for.

Mark your calendars on JULY 11, Saturday, Senator Mar Roxas will announce his presidential bid in his hometown, Roxas City, Capiz.

He and his future wife, Korina Sanchez, with his supporters will travel via Ro-Ro from Manila and then will take breakfast at the house of Gov. Vic Tanco in Dumarao, Capiz.

It's good to know that this news broke out on my birthday, July 7. Good luck to Senator Mar Roxas and Korina Sanchez!

Show your support! Be a Friend of Mar NOW!

Tuesday, July 7, 2009 | posted in , , , , , , | 0 comments [ More ]

Kevin Ray Chua's Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs for 2009

Chedeng! Finally, the list on my notebook has been officially transferred to this blog post. It was quite a long time that I decided to vote on these sites as my Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs for 2009. Last year, I was able to join this writing project and luckily, this blog was chosen as one of the Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs for 2008. Without further adieu, here are my Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs for 2009 IN RANDOM ORDER, (drum rolls please):

  1. Kelvinonian Ideas - A blog of Kelvin Servigon, one of my blogger friends online, that is a must see for this kid with a lot of potentials. He's currently taking up Civil Engineering, but he's more into photography. No wonder why this one is now a commercial model and who knows, even a TV actor!
  2. Let’s Go Sago! - Jonel Uy's blog which captured our minds with Sago in his travel and food adventures. I'm was able to met Jonel during the iBlog5 but I wasn't able to catch a glimpse of Sago, but still, this blog is on my list.
  3. Patay Gutom - What can I say? In literal translation, it's "Dead Hungry" and I must admit it, once you drop by this blog, the pics of the food makes you surf the site a lot. With the collaboration of different bloggers, this blog will surely stand out in the years to come.
  4. Adaphobic - I wonder of this irony on Ada's blog because the phobia doesn't reach me. I love the blog and as Ada says in her blog tagline, "Blogging what is essential", indeed, the essential things in her life.
  5. New Media Philippines - Carlo Ople is the owner and what can you expect? A lot of new ideas and thoughts on the new media landscape of the Philippines that's why this one is also on this list.
  6. Flair Candy - Woot! I was able to meet the owner of this blog, Hannah, during the iBlog5, though I wasn't able to talk with her personally. But despite that, her blog is on my list! Go go go CPA candy blogger!
  7. Focal Glass - A blog of my fellow CBS members Evanjohnn Mendoza. His passion for photography is evident in this blog. Very expressive in his shots, Van never fails to amaze us with his photos.
  8. Video Chops - Now, here's another collaborative blog made by Filipino video bloggers, or shall I say Vloggers. Nowadays, more and more bloggers are moving to the next level from just simply encoding their thoughts through blog posts to sharing it through videos. This site would surely be a one-stop-shop for Vlogs!
  9. Hay Men! - The blog of the real man, as what the blog says. It's really funny! Just can't get enough of it.
  10. Cebu Bloggers Society - How could I be able to forget this one. As part of the CBS, I am glad to nominate our site as one of the influential blogs. CBS has come a long way since it started and I believe in the years ahead, a lot is in store for CBS. Mabuhi ang CBS!
Be sure to have your list! Choose your Top 10 and visit Influential Blogger for more details. Cheers to Ms. Janette Toral for this one!

This writing project will not be possible without the support of sponsors such as Absolute Traders, My Brute Cheats, Business Summaries, Fitness Advantage Club, Events and Corporate Video, Events at Work, Dominguez Marketing Communications, Red Mobile, Budget hotel in Makati, and Blog4Reviews.com.

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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.

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Roxas to NTC: Pre-paid load resolution too late, not enough

Liberal President Senator Mar Roxas today said the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) resolution lengthening the validity of pre-paid call load is too late and not enough to address consumer demands for a fair and equitable deal from telecommunications companies.

Roxas said the Senate committee on trade and commerce which he heads will push for the per-second metering system on cellular phone calls as practiced elsewhere.
"Maganda itong naging memorandum circular ng NTC pero, bakit ngayon lang? Siguradong daan-daang milyong piso na ang kinita nitong mga telcos na ito mula sa kanilang mga subscribers," he said, referring to the issuance of NTC Memorandum Circular No. 03-07-2009, which imposed longer expiration or validity periods for pre-paid loads.
The Senate trade and commerce committee is looking into service complaints against the country’s giant mobile phone providers Smart Communications Inc, Globe Telecoms and Digitel Mobile/Sun raised by Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile in a privileged speech entitled “The Case of the Disappearing Load.”
"Kailangang kumilos ngayon na ng NTC upang ma-resolba ang iba pang mga reklamo laban sa mga telcos na ito. Hindi pwedeng babagal-bagal pa rin ito sa kabila ng mga napakaraming reklamo mula sa mga celfone subscribers," Roxas stressed.
The Visayan senator stressed it is important for the NTC to come up now with guidelines against the sending of push messages and the on the use of per-second charging on voice calls.

The Roxas committee has scheduled a Technical Working Group (TWG) meeting on Wednesday to discuss the results of the NTC’s discussions with the telcos in relation to pending proposals concerning the cases of disappearing loads and other pre-paid phone irregularities. The TWG was formed to discuss complaints against wireless phone providers.
"Kailangan natin siguruhin ang tama at wastong pagsingil ng mga kumpanyang ito nang mapangalagaan natin ang interest ng ating mga kababayan," Roxas said.

Monday, July 6, 2009 | posted in , , , , , , | 0 comments [ More ]

Roxas to GMA: Take responsibility for resolving automation crisis

Liberal President Senator Mar Roxas yesterday called on President Arroyo to take responsibility for resolving the crisis involving the Commission on Election’s poll automation project.
"It’s a matter of national security and public interest; President Arroyo should quickly call all parties involved to a meeting and find out for herself why and how this important project hit this snag," he said.

"Kung talagang desidido ang gobyernong ito na magkaroon ng malinis na halalan, dapat ang Pangulo mismo ang humanap ng paraan para resolbahin ang problemang ito. Oo, alitan ito sa pagitan ng dalawang mag-partner sa isang korporasyon, pero malaki ang implikasyon nito sa demokrasya natin," he added.

"Gutom na nga at walang trabaho ang mamamayan, nanakawin pa ng gobyerno ang pagkakataon nilang bumoto. Ito na nga lang ang nagbibigay sa kanila ng pag-asa na magkakaroon ng pagbabago. Pero di pa nga nagsisimula ang kampanya, ninanakaw na ang karapatan ng mamamayan sa tapat at malinis na halalan," he stressed.
The scheduled automation of the 2010 national elections is now in peril due to internal wrangling between Smartmatic and its Filipino partner, Total Information Management Corp. (TIM), which has withdrawn from the consortium, citing irreconcilable differences with the foreign firm.

The Visayan senator reiterated that a delay, much worse a cancellation, of the 2010 national elections is a severe setback to Philippines democracy as this would deny Filipinos the chance to elect their new leaders in the name of change and reform.
"Responsibilidad ng Pangulo at ng Comelec na siguruhing matutuloy ang eleksyon sa susunod na taon. Hindi maaaring panoorin lamang nila ang away sa pagitan ng Smartmatic at TIM nang wala silang ginagawang paraan upang maayos ang mga gusot at matuloy ang proyekto," he said.

"Kaya naman panahon na para patunayan ng administrasyong ito na iniisip din nila ang kapakanan ng taumbayan," he added.

Friday, July 3, 2009 | posted in , , , , , , | 0 comments [ More ]

Roxas: Automation failure an attact on democracy

Liberal President Senator Mar Roxas today likened the potential collapse of the election automation project for 2010 as an attack on the country’s democracy as it will deny Filipinos their eagerly-awaited chance to elect new leaders.
"Our people have long awaited this chance to elect their leaders in clean and honest elections, and automation was seen as a way to break away from the tradition of cheating. Now, even that chance is denied us," Roxas said.
Roxas had earlier written Comelec Chair Jose Melo to express concerns over possible hitches in the planned poll automation system.
"Para sa taumbayang gustong gusto na nang pagbabago, hindi katanggap-tanggap ang anumang dahilan upang ipagpaliban ang eleksyon. Ito na nga lang ang inaasahan ng taumbayan na maging solusyon sa pandaraya, tapos ngayon ay biglang mawawalang parang bula," he said.

"Computerized man o hindi, kailangang matuloy ang eleksyon sa susunod na taon," he said.

"Ang tanong, ano ba ang mga ginawang paghahanda ng Comelec? Hindi puwedeng ngayon pa lang sila magbubuo ng mga contingency measures," he also said.
Comelec’s Melo had said the Comelec would be forced to go back to manual voting following the collapse of the Smartmatic-Total Information Management Corp. (TIM) consortium, which won the bidding for the right to lease 82,200 counting machines to be used by the poll body to complete the canvassing of votes in two days instead of weeks under the manual system.


TIM announced its withdrawal from the consortium on Monday, citing irreconcilable differences with Smartmatic.

Wednesday, July 1, 2009 | posted in , , , , , , | 0 comments [ More ]

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