Press Release
June 12, 2007

GORDON OUTRAGED BY HOUSES SHAMELESS
FAILURE TO PASS TOURISM BILL

Senator Richard J. Gordon expressed outrage at the glaring failure of the House of Representatives to pass the Tourism Bill during the last session days of Congress. Despite being passed by the Senate on third reading long before the closing of session sine die, the House of Representatives unabashedly failed to pass the Tourism Bill. Its excuse a lack of quorum in not one, but three session days in June, during which the representatives could have voted on the said measure.

The Filipino people suffer yet again because of the indolence and the indifference of their representatives in the Lower House. It was downright irresponsible for the members of the House to choose not to attend the last three sessions of Congress. There could not have been a synchronized vehicular accident or sickness in the family which would have prevented them from doing so. There is simply no excuse nor explanation for such blatant and deliberate refusal to discharge their sworn duties to the Filipino people, Gordon emphatically declared.

The Senator further elucidated, The Tourism Bill aims, among other things, to provide our people with much-needed job opportunities here in our country, so that they do not have to leave their families behind and languish in foreign lands in search of greener pasture. It seeks to bestow upon our people the dignity that comes with being able to earn a decent living to put food on the table. These reasons alone should have been sufficient for our counterparts in the House of Representatives to find it urgent to pass this very important Bill, especially in a time when even white-collar individuals deem it necessary to seek employment abroad, a sign that even they are suffering from the inadequacies of our economy.

According to the Senator, The failure, neglect and refusal of the House of Representatives to pass the Tourism Bill smack of indolence and apathy to the plight of the Filipino masses, who would have benefited from the thousands of jobs which would have come with the influx of millions of tourists and investors in our beautiful country. Unfortunately, poverty again advances as tourism retreats, simply because of the failure of the House of Representatives to pass the Tourism Bill.

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