Press Statement of Sen. Loren Legarda

ON CHEAPER MEDICINES ACT

The government must exercise political will to fully implement the purposes and provisions of the Cheaper Medicines Act. While the drug corporations have submitted a list of the medicines they propose should be covered by the law, the government must not necessarily be governed by such list, but should decide in the greater interest of the consumers, who are ill and mostly poor.

We should not allow the drug companies to interpret the law for us, because they would do so in their own favor. For so long they have exploited our people by charging excessive prices for their medicines sold in this country, even while they are priced much lower in other countries. The President must go ahead with the executive order setting the maximum prices for such medicines as determined by the law.

Medicines are essential items necessary for life itself. While the drug companies are entitled profit, including reserves for research, they should be reasonable and not exploitative.

ON ELECTION COVERAGE

It is heartening that the Comelec will provide copies to the media of election returns from precincts straight from the automatic counting machines in next year's elections. I also urge the Comelec to issue a directive for precinct officials to post the precinct's election returns as soon as they are available in any accessible and prominent place in the precinct for the immediate information of the voters and the citizens' watchdogs.

These should alert the public and the watchdogs to any sign that there has been any tampering of the results. The Iranian election should give us a lesson that automation is no guarantee to clean and honest elections. It can only guarantee fast reporting of returns, but the danger of manipulation is still there. Vigilance is the price of liberty.

ON CHA-CHA SURVEY

Malacañang cannot just ignore the results of the survey conducted by the SWS showing that 70 percent of adult Filipinos are against charter change that would allow President Arroyo to continue in power after 2010. The question posed by the survey firm was clear enough. It asked the respondents whether they are for or against a charter amendment that would allow President Arroyo to cling to power. They are firmly against it.

In addition, 55% believed that the President is behind the move to amend the Constitution to prolong her hold on government. Instead of denying the accuracy and validity of the survey results, Malacañang should face the issue squarely and answer frankly whether or not the people's suspicions are correct.

Posing like a Sphinx is not what is expected by the people of their governor in a democratic society. What they want is transparency, honesty and truth.