Press Release
March 18, 2009

Press statement of Senator Loren Legarda

On Nicole - VFA

The affidavit of Suzette "Nicole" S. Nicholas apparently clearing US Marine Cpl. Daniel Smith of the charge of rape does not in any way weaken the correctness of the move to repeal the US-RP Visiting Forces Agreement. Whether or not Smith is eventually acquitted by the higher court, the incident has already proved that the VFA provides unequal treatment of Filipino and American soldiers, in favor of the latter.

The "rape" incident showed that if an American soldier commits a crime in the Philippines while engaged in military exercises under the VFA, he does not go to jail even after conviction and can be hosted in the US embassy pending final judgment. On the other hand, a Filipino soldier visiting the US under the VFA would be handcuffed and jailed immediately even before conviction.

As one of those who voted against ratification of the VFA, I have always maintained that the agreement is against our national interests because it allows the stationing of foreign military forces in our country in violation of the Constitution. The Senate has already terminated the RP-US military bases agreement that makes this possible. It also makes us permanently dependent on a foreign country for our defense needs instead of becoming self-reliant.

On Stimulus Package

The stimulus package included in the national budget should be focused on spending that would provide the most jobs to the unemployed. The National Statistic Office (NSO) has reported that there are now 2.855 million jobless Filipinos as of January as the local unemployment rate increased to 7.7 percent owing to the global economic crisis. This is certain to go even higher as more and more business establishments and factories close and more OFWs return to our country due to the global economic downturn.

I appeal to the Department of Public Works and Highways and other government agencies that would implement the stimulus projects to eliminate all kinds of graft in the implementation of the projects so that the full benefits can be enjoyed by the unemployed.

Direct hire of workers by the government in projects financed by our taxes should be resorted to in order to prevent bidding irregularities and to prevent large chunks of the stimulus money from going into private pockets. In this time of crisis, we should all practice patriotism and shed all selfishness for the sake of country and the unfortunate.

On Reconsider EO 366

 The administration should defer the implementation of Executive Order 366 directing the "rationalization" of the bureaucracy. Now is not the time to lay off hundreds of thousands of government workers when our country is suffering from the harsh impact of the global economic downturn and hundreds of local factories and business establishments are folding up.

In the National Food Authority and the state-owned Quedan corporation alone, 131,000 employees are scheduled to be laid off under E0 366. I agree with the proposition that instead of being downgraded, the NFA should be strengthened and reinforced to make it a more effective agency in helping our rice farmers.

Other countries, like the US and European nations, are subsidizing their farmers in order to improve their productivity and raise their living standards. Our country, which depends heavily on agriculture for a great part of its domestic product, should do likewise and support our farmers with additional subsidies and technical support to make us more self-sufficient in food production. A more efficient agriculture is a bulwark against hard times.

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