Senator Chiz Escudero on Wednesday urged the Arroyo administration to take the lead in urging the United Nations to form a multinational force against Somali pirates who have attacked several international shipping and held several hundreds hostage including Filipino seamen.
Escudero said the Philippine government, through our representative to the UN, should make a strong representation in the United Nations General Assembly and the Security Council to defend and protect the sealanes off the Somali coast.
“It is high time that the government take a positive and definite action to keep our people out of harm’s way. After all, this is just a token compared to how these seamen’s remittances have long kept our economy afloat,” he said.
He supported the call of a leading seafarer’s group for the Philippines to be at the forefront in pushing for the creation of an UN-led expeditionary force to guard the sea lanes in the Gulf of Aden.
Somali pirates have vowed to step up attacks on international shipping after US Navy commandos killed three pirates during the successful rescue of a hostaged American captain of a cargo ship last week.
As of last count, the pirates continue to hold 98 Filipino seamen who were members of the crew of six ships hijacked since January in the Gulf of Aden.
The Philippines is the world’s largest supplier of sailors, with some 350,000 manning all types of ships, according to available data.
“We owe it to these seamen and their families to do something to ensure their safety in the high seas and not act only when something bad happens to them,” he said.
CHIZ WANTS DOC STAMP ON ‘SANGLA’ TRANSACTIONS REMOVED
With the economic crisis on hand, Senator Chiz Escudero wants the documentary stamp tax on pawned items whose loan value does not exceed P10,000 removed to give poor Filipinos a break.
Escudero has filed Senate Bill 3133 which would scrap the DST on the loan, or an equivalent of P30.
“This may not seem much, but a pawner can save P30 which is enough to buy a kilo of rice, or one-fourth kilo of chicken, or even a two-way MRT fare or a cellphone load. When one is pawning an item for only P200 or P500, the P30 can be significant,” the senator said.
Escudero said his bill exempts the pledge of property covering a loan not exceeding P10,000.
Under the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, the DST for pledged items is P20 for the first P5,000 and P10 for the succeeding P5,000.
“It cannot be denied that the economic crisis will hit hard, and no other sector is more vulnerable than the poor,” the senator said.
Escudero explained that his bill is part of Congress’ efforts to provide relief to taxpayers, as it recognizes that taxation is not just about raising taxes but to accomplish non-revenue or social objectives as well.
“Faced with the current situation of the economy, any tax reform effort and revenue scheme should not only be judged according to its fiscal adequacy, equity, and administrative feasibility, but more importantly its impact on poverty,” he added.
“Any bill that would alleviate the plight of our countrymen during this financial crisis should be given the appropriate attention,” Escudero noted.
The Chamber of Pawnbrokers of the Philippines, Inc. (CPPI), an association of over 14,000 pawnshops nationwide, welcomed the proposed bill.
Romen Runas, an officer of CPPI, said most transactions below P10, 000 involve the C and D crowd. “We are talking of ordinary housewives and minimum wage earners who pawn personal belongings just to cope with the hard times,” she added.
Runas said the CPPI welcomes the bill as it will greatly help their clients take out more from their loan, especially when the amount involved is just a few hundred pesos.
CHIZ STATEMENT ON THE DEATH OF TRINA ETONG
I express deep and serious concern over the way the Philippine National Police, the Quezon City Police Department in particular, handled the arrests of the kin and household members of Ted Failon. The overzealousness of the police authorities has trampled upon the rights of these people.
The right of the state to preserve peace and order is as equally important as the protection of the right of the people to due process. The death of a person, in this case of Mrs. Trinidad Etong, is not an excuse to violate the human rights of other people.
As Chairman of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, I wish to remind the Philippine National Police to strictly observe the procedures on conducting investigations. The PNP should be impartial and professional at all times.
I take this opportunity to express our deepest condolences to Ted Failon, his children and the entire Arteche family. My family and I offer our prayers that they find strength in this time of bereavement.
CHIZ CALLS ON DOJ CHIEF TO STOP MEDIA STRIPTEASE
Senator Chiz Escudero on Wednesday called on Secretary Raul Gonzalez to stop his vilification campaign against leaders of the opposition and instead focus on going after big-time scoundrels in and out of government.
“He should end this virtual striptease. The secretary has become a master at feeding bits and pieces of innuendo to media,” the senator said.
Escudero issued the statement a day after Gonzales said that there “will definitely be a linkage” between the BW stock manipulation case and the Dacer-Orbito murders after the Court of Appeals ordered the prosecution of BW chair Dante Tan and seven of his co-accused.
“The timing is once again dubious and questionable. All of these issues were resurrected after the former president Estrada signified his intent to unite the opposition and his plans of running should the opposition fail to unite,” he said.
“I think all these calibrated, unsubstantiated, talk are simply designed to destroy the opposition and its leading figure. If indeed Secretary Gonzales has any evidence linking the former president then he should have filed the case in court,” said Escudero.
Gonzalez had floated the possible involvement of Estrada and Senator Panfilo Lacson in the Dacer-Orbito slays based on the supposed affidavit of former police officer Cesar Mancao, who is facing extradition from the United States.
“Perhaps, the good secretary should do some housecleaning himself instead of proving his loyalty time and time again to the appointing authority by going after the opposition,” said Escudero.
LAST HURRAH FOR CHA-CHA IS A WASTE OF TIME
Changing our Charter through a Constituent Assembly, if some members of the lower house will have their way, will only be seen as constitutionally questionable and morally reprehensible.
House Speaker Prospero Nograles will be doing a disservice to himself, the country and the people if he decides to push for Cha-cha now. This last hurrah for Charter Change is a waste of our time and will surely fail.
Congress should instead focus on some important pieces of legislation that need to be passed before we adjourn, like the extension of the agrarian reform law, and other pending measures aimed at cushioning the impact of the global economic crisis on our people.
TRANSPARENCY IS THE KEY TO THE SUCCESS OF POLL AUTOMATION
With reports of a possibly chaotic and haphazard implementation of automation in the 2010 elections, I urge the Commission on Elections to be more judicious in its actions in ensuring that modernizing our polls would not be at the expense of our democracy.
The proceedings should always be open to public scrutiny so the people can raise a red flag, at any stage of the process, whenever there are questions, even the slightest hint of doubt, about the implementation of the law.
I ask the people to be more vigilant now more than ever as we embark on a journey without precedent in our electoral history. Let it not be said that we failed to do our share in safeguarding the freedoms won, at great sacrifice, by our forebears.
LAST HURRAH FOR CHA-CHA IS A WASTE OF TIME
Changing our Charter through a Constituent Assembly, if some members of the lower house will have their way, will only be seen as constitutionally questionable and morally reprehensible.
House Speaker Prospero Nograles will be doing a disservice to himself, the country and the people if he decides to push for Cha-cha now. This last hurrah for Charter Change is a waste of our time and will surely fail.
Congress should instead focus on some important pieces of legislation that need to be passed before we adjourn, like the extension of the agrarian reform law, and other pending measures aimed at cushioning the impact of the global economic crisis on our people.
TRANSPARENCY IS THE KEY TO THE SUCCESS OF POLL AUTOMATION
With reports of a possibly chaotic and haphazard implementation of automation in the 2010 elections, I urge the Commission on Elections to be more judicious in its actions in ensuring that modernizing our polls would not be at the expense of our democracy.
The proceedings should always be open to public scrutiny so the people can raise a red flag, at any stage of the process, whenever there are questions, even the slightest hint of doubt, about the implementation of the law.
I ask the people to be more vigilant now more than ever as we embark on a journey without precedent in our electoral history. Let it not be said that we failed to do our share in safeguarding the freedoms won, at great sacrifice, by our forebears.
STIMULUS PLAN BEING USED TO JUSTIFY EXTENSIVE BORROWING
CHIZ: NATIONAL DEBT DOUBLED DURING GMA’S TERM
Opposition Senator Chiz Escudero yesterday said the national debt doubled during the almost eight-year term of President Arroyo, saying the administration’s stimulus plan is being used to validate extensive borrowing.“The administration’s stimulus plan should not stimulate government into borrowing more under the guise of helping the poor.
The plan to expand government spending should be done without enlarging national debt and indenturing future generations,” Escudero said.The senator disclosed that when President Arroyo assumed power in 2001, the national debt stood at P2.004 trillion.
“This has since doubled to P4.221 trillion by end of last year, which, by the way puts to shame Legacy’s double-your-money promo,” he said.
Escudero said the shock does not stop there, as the national coffers paid more in interest and principal payments for the loans it secured from 2001 to 2008.
“What rubs salt to the wound is that during the same period, we coughed up P4.436 trillion in interest and principal payments which should have reduced the mountain of a debt into a molehill and not the other way around,” he said.
Escudero further illustrated that with the figures on the national debt, it can be calculated that the Filipino people shelled out P1.448 billion a day to pay for the loans made to the tune of P759 million every 24 hours.“The government’s credit panhandling will continue this year with a conservative deficit target of P177 billion, which translates to a daily debt of P484 million,” he said.
“A government that will bow out in 15 months would be so reckless todump IOUs that will be redeemed from Filipinos yet unborn.”
Escudero also stated that based on this administration’s debt management record; there is reason to fear that it will use the financial crisis as “smokescreen for a borrowing spree.”
“We should carefully spend what we already have before we seek out credit. Stop corruption, curb wasteful spending, and spend only on essentials,” the senator said.
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