ROXAS BACKS PUBLIC DEBATES BETWEEN GO, TU SLATES

Senator Mar Roxas welcomed the move of the Commission on Elections and the business community to organize public debates between the senatorial tickets of Team Unity and Genuine Opposition as a way to raise the level of political discourse during the campaign.

Its the right thing to do given the deteriorating quality of political discourse. Lets focus the campaign on our peoples needs and how both line-ups intend to address these needs, the senator from Capiz said.

Roxas , chairman of the Senate committees on economic affairs and trade and commerce, said the senatorial candidates need a well-publicized responsible public forum to air their views on a broad range of issues. He suggested that the debates also tackle looming Senate agenda items that would include the ratification of the Japan -Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement, amendments to the Labor Code, and other specific issues.

The senator also proposed that senatorial and upcoming congressional candidates respond to a statement by Finance Secretary Margarito Teves that the government may push new tax measures to sustain the current fiscal momentum. The public deserves to know the candidates stand on how to sustain fiscal reforms and whether they support the idea of new tax legislation including a recurring proposal to tax text messages, Roxas added.

In an interview with the media, Teves said his department would conduct a performance review to gauge whether existing measures are enough to sustain fiscal progress or if new tax measures are needed in addition to revenue enhancement initiatives currently in place. One of the options cited by the Finance Secretary in his interview was the revival of the much-debated tax on text messages.

This early, it is important to get the views of each candidate about fiscal reforms such as the RVAT and how it is being used today. Just as important, lets give them a good opportunity to debate about public health care, the educational crisis, and the eroding incomes of our workers, Senator Roxas said.

Roxas recalled that during the 2004 elections they were given sufficient opportunities to guest in different Comelec and NGO forums. He urged the Comelec to ensure broad public access to debates on relevant issues for the peoples enlightenment.