Press Release
June 6, 2009

Press statement of Senator Loren Legarda

On high cost of presidential campaign

The mindset that only the rich can get elected President in our country had already been disproved by the great late Ramon Magsaysay when the masses to which he belonged voted as one to propel him to Malacañang.

While his untimely death cut short his term, President Magsaysay showed that what is important is for a leader to have a genuine desire to serve the people, the majority of whom are wallowing in abject poverty.

This is the reason why I am calling on the electorate and the political parties to look at the heart of the matter, for them to disabuse minds that having personal wealth is a prerequisite to having the chance to serve the people as President.

There is an urgent need not only to shun traditional politicians but also traditional politics, which equates wealth and party machinery to winnability.

On Lacson quitting 2010 race

The statement of Malacanang that Senator Panfilo Lacson's withdrawal from the 2010 presidential election was of little significance to the administration was uncalled for and in bad taste.

By citing as reason Senator Lacson's purported dismal showing in surveys, the administration is deluding itself this early of what it sees as the "big prospect" of its candidate winning in 2010.

They should wait till November when the certificates of candidacies are filed because then they'll see a sudden shift in the political landscape leading to an opposition victory next year.

Simply put, our people are sick and tired of this administration and its unfulfilled promises and this will manifest itself sooner than later.

On House taking on senators 'one at a time'

Proponents of Con-ass in the House of Representatives can certainly try to approach senators individually to peddle their faulty and highly irregular charter change initiative. I will try to save them time by saying that as far as I'm concerned, Con-ass is dead.

Likewise, I would like to remind them that the senators must act on any con-ass initiative as a body, thus any individual expression of support for con-ass by senators, if there would be any which I doubt very much, would not constitute an act of the Senate as a whole.

Frankly, I am amused by the many tactics they are floating in selling to the senators and to the people something that is no different at all to rotten fish.

On JIL rally against Con-ass

Churches and religious organizations like the Jesus Is Lord Movement, in line with their mission to tend to their respective flocks, can be expected to lead public protests against the House of Representatives-initiated move to amend the Constitution by forming a constituent assembly minus the Senate.

If the House will insist on con-ass, it will meet strong opposition from our people because this is one issue that will galvanize the nation into action. As the JIL itself had said, it is ready to go to the streets to spearhead mammoth rallies.

The people can see through the true intent of con-ass, which is to extend the term of the outgoing administration past 2010. It would be foolhardy for the House to turn its back on its mandate to represent the people because the people would have nothing to do with con-ass.

On rains disrupting classes anew

There must be a closer coordination among the Department of Education, the Commission on Higher Education, local government units and PAGASA on the matter of suspending classes due to inclement weather.

The common complaint had been that the declaration of the suspension of classes often came late, so much so that many students had already made their way to school before being told to go back home.

Typhoons pose serious threat to the safety of students who should not be made to brave flooded streets, strong winds and rains, as well as trees and poles being toppled. Thus, the suspension of classes must be made well in advance by the concerned authorities.

On FPI pushing 'buy Filipino'

The Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI) is correct in encouraging Filipino to buy products that are made locally since doing so would increase demand, keep industries humming and secure, if not create, more jobs for our countrymen.

I have long been advocating the Buy Filipino Movement even before the economies of nation was hit by the global downturn. The reason why China is able to weather the global slowdown is because it does not only have a ready-made market for its products, but that market is very big. I am, of course, referring to China's 1.3 billion population.

We may not be as big as China population-wise and that's good in view of striking a balance between our resources and the people who use said resources. But if only Filipinos would buy Filipino first before looking at imported goods, our economy would be in much better shape.

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