De Lima bares 5-point legislative agenda

Re-electionist Senator Leila M. de Lima detailed her five-point legislative agenda which banks on good governance that aims to genuinely and timely respond to the needs of every Filipino.

De Lima articulated on her 5-point legislative agenda labeled as "5 Securities 4 Filipinos" or "Limang Kasiguruhan para sa Filipino'', namely: (1) Civil and Political Security through Good Governance, Human Rights and Rule of Law, (2) Food Security; (3) Health Security; (4) Economic Security; and (5) National Security.

First off, De Lima said civil and political security should be promoted by the next leadership after the elections by upholding transparency and valuing accountability. She also pushed for intensified and more effective anti-corruption strategies.

"The allegations of premeditated plunder during the time of the pandemic have not only resulted in lost faith and trust in the government, it caused actual damages and loss of lives to many Filipinos," she said.

To prevent abuse by public officials given extraordinary powers and human rights abuses from uniformed personnel, De Lima stressed the need to re-examine the procurement laws, especially in times of disasters, and strengthen the safeguards and protocols of law enforcement units during operations.

De Lima further pointed out the urgent need for laws on prosecution service reform to speed up the progress of the government's cases, on protection of human rights defenders, as well as legislation on prison reforms.

As the country faces food insecurity, De Lima stressed that achieving food security, entails maximum support to farmers, fisherfolks and agricultural workers, should be the number one priority of the next administration.

"We need to protect our farmlands and food-producing areas by enacting a Comprehensive Land Use Act which would prevent destructive developments and exploitation of land areas to the point of endangering our food security," she said.

De Lima added the need to increase the country's border control to prevent food smuggling which endangers consumers and farmers, saying, "Food smuggling must be absolutely stopped. Markets must be continuously monitored for smuggled food."

On health security, the lady Senator from Bicol said the government needs to make sure that "the hospitals and health centers in the country are up to the task."

De Lima underscored the need to enact a Magna Carta for Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) and create permanent positions for them while encouraging investments in local manufacturers of medical equipment and medicine.

Moreover, De Lima said the next administration must be able to "simultaneously focus on Micro- and Macroeconomics, address concerns and balance the interests of Labor, Small and Medium Enterprises, Long-term Investors, especially in the Manufacturing and Service Sectors."

At the same time, De Lima said it should be able to re-invest, massively, in education. "We need to double our efforts in educating our students to make up for time lost during the pandemic. Our graduates need to be competitive if we are to encourage investments here."

Lastly, discussing National Security, De Lima pointed out that "we need to ensure that our rights as a sovereign nation is reflected in our treaties and policies. Our rights over the West Philippine Sea (WPS) remains non-negotiable and we should only work on the exploration of its wealth with countries which respect our exclusive economic rights over it."

"We should likewise blacklist corporations which participate in activities that violate our rights over our territory," she added.

Since being elected in office in 2016, De Lima has already filed 692 bills and resolutions. Some of those she has authored which have been enacted into law include the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) Institutionalization Act, Magna Carta of the Poor Act and the National Commission for Senior Citizens Act.