An endorsement is a reasonable expectation?

Senate President Franklin Drilon said today that President Benigno Aquino III is likely to endorse Interior Secretary Mar Roxas as the Liberal Party's presidential candidate in the 2016 elections. "People are expecting the President to endorse Secretary Mar Roxas and I think it’s a belief entertained by many sectors. Given all the circumstances, I think it is a reasonable expectation," Drilon said.

Drilon said the President would make the announcement of his endorsement of Roxas before July 31, after the State of the Nation address (SONA) on July 27.       Drilon said that after Secretary Roxas declares his intention to run as the LP standard-bearer, he should already leave his post as it "becomes untenable for him to continue holding the post as Secretary of Interior and Local Government."

The Senate leader said the endorsement of Roxas as LP presidential candidate took some time as President wanted to consolidate the coalition that brought him to power in 2010.  "I think it is a process that the President wanted to go through. He wanted to establish certain principles to continue the coalition we have had in the last five years," Drilon said.

      

"The first principle is that this administration had undertaken a lot of reforms. Two, the reforms must be continued by the next administration. Three, the alliance or group that the President would campaign for should assure him and the public that the reforms would continue," Drilon explained.

"Four, let’s face it, in politics, you have to have groups supporting your candidates, and there is nothing wrong, and certainly it is needed, that the President talk to his coalition partners to make sure that  they are in the fold when he endorses the candidate," he added.

Drilon said the LP vice-presidential candidate "must be somebody whom he (Roxas) could trust and be able to work with. It’s his choice at this point." Asked whether he is being considered as LP vice-presidential candidate, Drilon said: "That doesn’t any political sense. Why? Because Mar and I belong to the same group – to Region VI, both Hiligaynon. In fact we belong to the same island."

 "It doesn’t make any political sense for Mar to say, 'Frank come on, let’s run together.' I would like to think  he is looking at other people," he said.

Drilon said the LP will have a complete slate, from the President down to  the last councilor of the last fifth-class municipality. On the LP senatorial slate, Drilon said there  are six incumbent senators up for re-election, while four former senators would like to go back and present themselves to the people.

Apart from these, he said, some from the executive branch and from Congress who believe they have enough exposure also want to give a run for the Senate a try. Drilon said those who have signified their intention to run for senator include Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, TIEZA general manager Mark Lapid and MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino.

Drilon said that it is only Secretary Roxas who has expressed his intent to run for president, "so there is no sense in having a convention anymore." Drilon pointed out that since President Aquino has a very high trust rating, his endorsement of Roxas as the LP presidential candidate would "have a very strong value" during the campaign. 

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Can he solve the MRT woes?

Senate President Franklin M. Drilon has urged President Aquino to crack the whip on underperforming officials to improve the delivery of services to the people. The Senate leader cited the case of the public transport system where the riding public must endure everyday glitches in the Metro Rail Transit (MRT-3).

Drilon said the Aquino administration should accelerate public spending in the remainder of its term as underspending has pulled down the country’s economic gains.     

“We must be more efficient in spending. The gross domestic product (GDP) has been affected by underspending. What we should realize is government spending is crucial to achieving overall economic growth because 20% of the economy depends on government spending,” he pointed out. 

The Senate leader said the government should come up with solutions to the problems of the public transport system. 

“I would like to see in the last year of the President some firm executive action on transport services. Let’s face it, the MRT-3 is a disappointment,” he said.

“I feel the frustration of our people and so the improvement of services in this area is really critical,” Drilon said.

The Metro Manila-based mass transit line has been suffering from various problems, capped off by a train accident last August 14 that left 38 passengers injured.  On Tuesday and Wednesday this week, the operations at the MRT were disrupted due to technical glitches.  

“So I would like to hear—and I’m sure the public wants to hear—what the administration is going to do, even in the remaining short term, to alleviate the situation of the commuting public,” he said.

While Drilon expressed disappointment over the state of the transport system, he does not support calls for the resignation of the officials involved: “No, we don’t have to go into that. Let’s provide more attention, closer supervision and monitoring.”

“What is necessary is strong executive action. Spend what needs to be spent, and do what must be done, for the sake of our people. After all, the MRT and other rail systems are in essence a public service” Drilon said. -End-

A Model Community

Iloilo province is now a model  of political unity, good governance and economic development, thanks to President Aquino' "daang matuwid" or straight path.

This was the message conveyed by Senate President Franklin M. Drilon in his remarks on the occasion of the celebration of the 117th year of Philippine independence in Santa Barbara town on June 12. President Aquino himself led the commemoration. "Iloilo has made giant leaps and strides. Iloilo is on the move," Drilon said.

The Senate leader cited the gains made in  reviving the dying Iloilo River. "We revived it. The river esplanade is now a prime tourist destination.The Iloilo River has become the pride of Iloilo," he said.

The Iloilo River Plains, where the 1,000 families living along the river banks have been resettled, is now a model resettlement site, Drilon said. Among the other projects implemented in Iloilo in the past five years are the  Iloilo International Airport and the Iloilo seaport.

Drilon also reported on the progress made in the Jalaur River Multi-Purpose Project. Authorized under Republic Act 2651 in 1960, the project was fully funded  with a US$208 million ODA loan from South Korea.

Once completed, the project will irrigate 32,000 hectares of land, benefit 783,000 farmers, increase annual rice production to over 300,000 tons, produce 6.6MW of electricity, and provide up to 86,000 cubic meters per day of good quality potable water. Another achievement of the province, Drilon said, is the world-class convention center which will position Iloilo as a prime convention destination. It will be the venue of the upcoming APEC meeting in October.

Also on track is the upgrading of the road network. The provincial government widened the existing Senator Benigno Aquino Avenue to make it a 10-lane road, complete with a red-tiled bicycle lane.  The 14-kilometer four-lane President Corazon Aquino Avenue around the city has opened new areas for land development. "In Iloilo, we have our own versions of NLEX and SLEX, but unlike the two expressways, ours is free of charge, " Drilon said.

"In Iloilo, we have proven that if we are united, and put our collective interest before individual interest, we can create change. In Iloilo, we are nurturing big dreams, and are working hard to realize these dreams," Drilon explained.

In conclusion, Drilon pointed out: "I know that in each and every Filipino, there is a longing to make a difference.  There is an innate capacity to rise to the challenges of the times. And there is a profound love for our country. However, the best way to honor their legacy is to unite and bring our beloved country to its development goals on the wings of good governance."

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Anti-trust law will enhance PHL preparations for ASEAN integration

The recent approval by Congress of the Philippine Competition Act will bolster the country's  preparedness for eventual ASEAN market integration, Senate President Franklin M. Drilon said today.

Drilon said the approval of this landmark measure "will greatly boost the nation’s preparations as Southeast Asian markets unite under the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) by the year’s end."

“With the Philippine Competition Act one step away from being enacted into law, we are much closer to ensuring that our country is at par with our ASEAN neighbors in terms of preventing unfair trade behavior within our shores,” he pointed out.

The Senate President noted that the Philippines remains the only original nation-member of the ASEAN without a comprehensive anti-trust law in effect. A competition law, he stressed, is a commitment under the AEC Blueprint.

He emphasized that the long-standing absence of a competition law “has discouraged and stymied the flow of investments to the country, thus inhibiting our long-term economic development.”

Drilon commended the Senate Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship Chair Sen. Bam Aquino and the bicameral panel from both Houses of Congress “for all their hard work in crafting a landmark national competition policy.”  

"After nearly three decades of attempts by Congress to pass this law, finally, we will have a competition law in place which will protect businesses and consumers,” he said.

Drilon said that under the act, a Philippine Competition Commission will be established to enforce a national competition policy prohibiting anti-competitive agreements, abuse of dominant position, and anti-competitive mergers and acquisitions.

The law will penalize enterprises guilty of engaging in unfair business practices with fines reaching up to P250 million, with amounts adjusted for inflation every five years. Offenders of the act may also face up to seven years in prison.

The Senate leader said the Philippine Competition Act will complement many of the economic reforms the government has been pursuing: “The Philippine Competition Act is just one of the many pro-economy reforms and policies which are being pushed to make the country more competitive and more compliant to international standards, thus maximizing our true economic potential.”
The Senate has already passed economic reform measures such as the amendments to the Cabotage Law and the Tax Incentives Transparency and Management Act (TIMTA).

Other proposed measures like the Rationalization of Fiscal Incentives, and the Customs and Tariff Modernization Act (CTMA) are part of the Senate's priority legislative agenda when it resumes its session next month.

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Underspending slows down economy

Senate President Franklin Drilon said today that 20 percent of the economy relies on government spending thus the failure of several government agencies to push through with their programs and projects already budgeted by Congress is saddening.

The underspending of such agencies like the education and social welfare departments, and even the Commission on Elections (Comelec), results in the country failing to meet its target to expand the national economy, he said.

“We failed to meet our GDP (gross domestic product) target because of the underspending of the agencies. The only agency I see utilizing its allocation is the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) under Secretary Singson,” said Drilon in Filipino.

In tackling the 2016 budget, Drilon said lawmakers would determine the root causes of underspending for which some sectors want concerned officials of the underspending agencies to be held accountable for.

“But just to be fair, because of the Supreme Court decisions on the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), many of our colleagues in government are just being careful so as not to be dragged before the Ombudsman,” he added.

“A little mistake and then find themselves before the Ombudsman. That’s why government employees are being careful, but that’s not an excuse not to utilize the funds.”

-30-

Sta. Barbara takes spotlight on Independence Day

Senate President Franklin Drilon confirmed today (June 10) that President Aquino would grace with his presence the country’s 117^th Independence Day celebration at Santa Barbara in Iloilo on June 12, Friday.

Drilon said that the President decided to attend the flag-raising in Santa Barbara because it was there that the Visayans raised the Philippine flag in November 1898 and established a revolutionary government under General Martin Delgado.

The traditional vin d’ honneur, in which the President, along with members of the diplomatic corps, would toast the country’s independence will follow.

More than 100 ambassadors are expected to attend the celebration, along with officials of the three branches of government, Drilon said.

Drilon said the people of Iloilo would use the occasion to showcase the progress that has been made under President Aquino’s “daang-matuwid” advocacy. -end-

Drilon: We will make sure BBL follows the Constitution

Senate President Franklin M. Drilon today reiterated that the version of the Bangsamoro Basic Law to be approved by the Senate should be "within the four corners of the Constitution." 

Drilon made the statement in reaction to the statement of Sen. Ferdinand Marcos, chairman of the Senate committee on local government, that he cannot support the Palace version of the BBL.

"It is the prerogative of the committee certainly. Nobody has said that we will not revise the BBL as submitted by the Palace. We have always said that we will review and make sure that the BBL is within the four corners of the Constitution. So we will debate on the substitute bill when it is submitted to the chamber," Drilon said. "I don’t think the statement of Senator Marcos should cause much concern," he added. "The substitute bill is the committee report. It’s just called a substitute bill because it doesn’t refer to Section 1 of the BBL as submitted by Malacañang. So, maybe what he (Marcos) wants is that instead of going through an amendment of the measure, it is more convenient to present for debate a substitute bill. A substitute bill is the result of the hearings conducted in the committee," Drilon explained.

The Senate President said the senators have common ground in so far as the BBL is concerned. One, that it should pass the constitutional test. Two, that it should result in peace in Mindanao. And three, that national interest should be served.  "The Senate is a collegial body. No one can dictate (to us). The senators are all independent. They have their own independent assessment of the situation and we will debate on this," Drilon said.

As to whether the Senate can pass the BBL this month, Drilon said: "We are a democracy. We have totally independent branches of government. I think it cannot be denied that the Mamasapano episode delayed the debates on the BBL. No matter what you say, the Mamasapano incident delayed the enactment of this critical piece of legislation that can bring stability, peace and progress to Southern Mindanao."

       

Drilon also emphasized that it is not necessary for the BBL to be ratified by the people in a national plebiscite. Under the Constitution, the plebiscite is only for the affected areas.

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