Press statement of Sen. Loren Legarda

BOXING AND SPORTS

The triumph of two Filipino boxers in two world championship bouts at the Araneta Coliseum last Sunday proves that Filipinos are just as proficient in sports as people in other countries. Thus we join the nation in hailing the victories of Nonito Donaire Jr. and Brian Viloria because they show the prowess of Filipinos in sports given the right training and motivation.

Our people also look forward to the May 2 bout between our boxing idol Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton for the world junior welterweight championship. Manny has brought honor to Filipinos worldwide though his exceptional accomplishments in the sport. What we should learn from all this is that public support for our athletes is important in both motivating and training them for international sports.

Speaking on amateur sports, I appeal to our sports officials to stop squabbling among themselves and to put their act together in preparing our athletes for international competitions like the Southeast Asian Games, the Asian Games and the Olympics.

ON VIGILANTISM

The Commission on Human Rights is right in going into the problem of vigilantism or "death squads". The authorities and the public should know that the short cut to peace and order is the wrong path to take for in the end it is counter-productive.

When one person's human rights are violated with impunity, the rights of other persons who may be innocent or law-abiding are endangered. We learned this under martial law when individuals were arrested without warrants or summarily executed. This eventually led to the public's loss of faith in the authorities, encouraging insurgencies and people's power.

Let us support CHR in its efforts to stop vigilantism and entrench the rule of law.

ON CHA CHA

The dogged persistence of the administration allies to push through charter change through a constituent assembly continues to feed the fires of suspicion that the administration is up to something odious. Because of the more urgent problems besetting our country, such as rising unemployment, soaring prices and growing hunger, the diversion of Congress's attention to less urgent issues is outrageous.

But, of course, ambition is made of sterner stuff. It would even go against the will of the people as indicated by a poll survey that shows that 60 percent of our people are against undergoing a rigorous and expensive exercise at this time to change the constitution. People even suspect that the real purpose of cha-cha is not to amend the charter but to prolong the terms of those in power. In such a case, the proponents of cha-cha are treading on dangerous grounds.