A blend of new names and seasoned political veterans flaunt their desire to serve the country, who will be fighting for 12 Senate seats in the May 9 elections. Among the rivals vying for the Senatorial seat[1] are the following:
Levi
Baligod
He was the former lawyer of
whistleblowers Benhur Luy and Merlina Suñas in the controversial case against
lawmakers involved in the pork barrel scam, the biggest corruption scandal in
the country. The controversy implicated lawmakers and other public officials
who supposedly connived with alleged mastermind Janet Lim Napoles to channel
public funds into fake non-governmental organizations in exchange for
kickbacks. He was a co-complainant with the National Bureau of Investigation
(NBI) in the plunder case against those involved in the scam.
Gwen
de la Cruz, The Leader I Want: Levi Baligod’s to-fix list for 2016
Published
6:00 PM, April 07, 2016, Updated 7:08 AM, April 10, 2016
Months
after, Luy relieved him, citing his “lack of time” as one of the major factors.
However, he explains that his failure to accompany witnesses in court was
because he was trying to collect more proof as he did not want to accuse people
without solid evidence. He also said that someone wants to control Benhur Luy, and
that he will be a hindrance to that.
He
wants to continue the fight against corruption as a lawmaker, pointing out that
when he fought corruption as an ordinary citizen, they had some
accomplishments, and that they need to continue the fight which should not
spare anyone.
On
the PDAF cases, he has been criticizing former justice secretary Leila de
Lima’s apparent “selective justice” in handling the PDAF case. He said he wants
all those involved in the scam to be prosecuted.
Fighting
against corruption is among his top priorities if elected as senator.
"Corruption
is the worst thief. It steals the hope of our country, it steals a better
future for our country, and more importantly, it steals the morality of the
individual. So he’s running because he can do something more concrete if he’s
in government, he says.
He
is also pushing to review legislators’ PDAF and Disbursement Acceleration
Program fund. The DAP allowed Malacañang to bypass Congress in realigning the
budgets of executive agencies, pulling out the allocation for unfinished
projects from one agency and transferring it to other agencies – an arrangement
that critics said effectively gave the President's office a huge pork barrel.
The Supreme Court declared some schemes under the DAP unconstitutional.
Greco
Belgica
Running
for the Senate for the second time now, Belgica is a pastor and former Manila
councilor, best known for filing petitions before
the Supreme Court in 2013 to eradicate lawmakers' Priority Development
Assistance Fund (PDAF) which the High Court supported based on its findings
that it is unconstitutional, the
President's Social Fund (PSF) which the Supreme Court disallowed when using
its fund for infrastructure development
projects, and the Malampaya fund which the Supreme Court also stopped the
release of its funds for non-energy projects. He triumphed again after a year
in his petition against the government's pump-priming mechanism, the
Disbursement Acceleration Program. The Supreme Court eliminated two schemes under the
spending program as unconstitutional.
He
also filed a petition to get rid of
the following lump sum funds in the 2014 General Appropriations Act: P1 billion
Contingency Fund, P139.9 billion Unprogrammed Fund, P2.5 billion E-Government
Fund, P405 million Local Government Support Fund. He wants government to use
these funds for his priority programs.[2]
He pushes free
education by establishing a Tuition Fee Voucher Fund. Under the scheme,
qualified students pay their tuition using the vouchers. For him, this would
also indirectly raise the quality of education as schools would improve their
facilities to be competitive. With PDAF now unconstitutional, he said that the
P25 billion that once went to the fund is enough to sustain it.
He
espouses a 10% flat tax rate, which entails scrapping all other taxes,
including the 12% value added tax (VAT) on all consumer goods and services. For
him, this will not adversely impact the government's revenues and capacity to
provide social services, considering that it can operate at its current funding
level even as public funds are lost to corruption. Rather, it would improve
government revenues as it simplifies the entire tax-collection process even
without the Bureau of Internal Revenue.
He says Filipinos would have more take-home pay through this policy, and
the price of commodities would also go down due to the elimination of VAT.
A
flat tax rate would be more faithful to the directive of the constitution that
taxation must be "uniform," "equitable," and follow a
"progressive system" than what is given under the Tax Code, he says.
He
also supports the adoption of a federal system of government, stating that 90%
of the budget should go to local governments and the remaining 10% to the
national government. The national
government should only be concerned with issues affecting the whole nation such
as foreign policy and national defense, while Social services should be
delegated to local governments, he says.
Regarding
the Philippine
dispute with China, he says that he would rather enter into bilateral
agreements and the joint exploration of the disputed territories so long as
China recognizes that the territories belong to the Philippines.
Despite
the consequences, he says that the Philippines must be prepared for the
possibility of war, with or without assistance from the United States. There is
a need to increase spending on national defense specifically on air defense
capacities like surface-to-air missiles.
He
is also for the return of mandatory enlistment in the Reserve Officers'
Training Corps.
He opposes the proposed Bangsamoro Basic
Law, which is constitutionally infirm for him. We cannot have a state within a
state, he says, adding that the Philippines is a Christian nation, and that
it's in the Constitution's preamble that there cannot be an Islamic state
within a Christian nation. He clarifies that non-Christians are free to live in
the country but if one desires to live under Muslim laws then one should go to
a Muslim state.
"The
separation of Church and State is the separation of the institutions, the
Church and the government. But you cannot separate God from man. The country’s
laws must follow Christian teachings," he stressed further.
Once
elected, he will push for a land and water resources reform bill which seeks to
allow the government to give away public lands and support to people are
landless. He has not worked out the details, but his proposal would include
provisions on training and support for beneficiaries, he points out.
On
peace and order, he supports the re-imposition of the death penalty for heinous
crimes (murder, rape, drug trafficking, human trafficking, and plunder). He
will also push for a jury system to minimize the influence of corrupt judges
and aped up case resolution.
He
opposes large-scale mining.
Lorna
Kapunan
If
you want to win this election, buy the ticket of hope – that's me,"
lawyer, she says.
She
has represented celebrities and
controversial clients, including Janet Lim-Napoles who was linked in the
biggest corruption scandal in the country, the pork barrel scam.
She's
a tough-talking lawyer who wants to see a change in the country's justice
system[3]
Atty. Samuel
Pagdilao
He
is a retired police general and serves as party-list representative of the
Anti-Crime and Terrorism through Community Involvement Support (ACT-CIS) in the
House of Representatives.[4]
He
desires to bring his anti-crime advocacy to the Senate.
He
served as Chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Criminal Investigation
and Detection Group, the police arm that specializes in dealing with economic
sabotage, notorious wanted criminals, and organized crime groups, among its
other functions. He was also
one of the founding members of the PNP Special Action Force.
He
said that peace and order will be his priority once elected. Likewise, he wants
improve the Witness Protection Program.
As
party-list representative, he had filed a number of bills on public order and
safety which includes an Act Mandating the Installation of Closed Circuit
Television Cameras in Private Establishments and Government Offices, an Act
Establishing A National Sex Offender Registry System and Providing Funds
Thereof, an Act Creating A Special Court To Be Known As The 'Dangerous Drugs
Court' And For Other Purposes, an Act Creating The Position/Rank of Uniformed
Fire Truck Officer in the Bureau of Fire Protection, an Act Establishing the
Community Informant Reward Act and Appropriating Funds Thereof, an Act
Providing for Additional benefits and Incentives for Barangay Tanods.
He
is for the re-imposition of the death penalty for foreign drug traffickers. For
him, the war on drugs requires the modernization of the Philippine Drug
Enforcement Agency and the PNP.
He
also raised concerns about the Philippines becoming a hotspot for terrorism
based on Indonesian police claim that guns used in the terror attack in Jakarta in January were
made in the Philippines, to establish facts and to assess the present capability
of the Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines to
counter the threat of terroristic activities.
He
has also called for the reveiw of
the Comprehensive Arms and Ammunition Regulation Act in response to the "laglag-bala"
scandal "laglag-bala scandal" (planted bullet/ammunition scandal). The law was enacted in 2012 and serves as the legal
basis for the possession and ownership of arms and ammunition.
He
desires to clean up on corrupt police and traffic enforcers, in response to
bus, jeepney and taxi drivers, including their operators who are currently
confronted with low income because of the present traffic problems in Metro
Manila and other highly-urbanized areas of the country, yet they have to shell
out part of their income to these scalawag traffic enforcers.
On
the dispute with China, he believes the Philippines should improve its defense
capacities in case conflict arises. He has asked the government to fast-track
the modernization of the police and armed forces and acquisition of a missile
defense system.
Concerning
peace process, he
says that Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) is unconstitutional and was based on
negotiations between the national government and the Moro Islamic Liberation
Front, leaving out many stakeholders in the proposed measure. The PNP should
have both administrative and operational control of the Bangsamoro Police to
avoid another Mamasapano incident, he says.
He
opposes a divorce law in the country, saying broken families lead to more
crimes involving the youth.
He
is also for the return of mandatory enlistment in the Reserve Officers'
Training Corps.
Jericho
Petilla
He
served as Leyte governor for 9 years.
As appointed Energy Chief in 2012, he was able to improve power
generation investments and resolve the disagreement between Korean firm Kepco
and Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System.
Former
energy secretary Jericho Petilla says a proper energy mix is needed in the
Philippines.[5]
For
former energy secretary Jericho Petilla, weaning the Philippines from its
dependence on coal should not mean completely setting aside one energy resource
in favor of another.
Petilla,
who is running for senator in next month's elections, said that a mixed fuel
policy involving diverse sources of energy should be encouraged.
Francis
Tolentino
While
he has drawn criticism for his management of Metro Manila traffic, the
senatorial candidate has said that traffic is just one of the MMDA’s mandate.[6]
He
says that sometimes it’s unfair especially when looking at the other needs that
would alleviate traffic, explaining further that for instance MRT and
construction are not his territories.
His
top priority is public safety, pointing to how the MMDA handled the 2015 papal
visit, the Iglesia ni Cristo anniversary, the Feast of the Black Nazarene, and
the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation week.
He
has also taken credit for the deployment of the Philippine National Police
Highway Patrol, claiming it was his recommendation.
Before
he was commissioned at the MMDA, he served as Mayor of Tagaytay, a position
once held by his brother, Cavite Representative Abraham Tolentino. is His
sister-in-law Agnes Tolentino is the incumbent,.
He
claims for turning Tagaytay into a top tourist destination. Among the policies
and programs he implemented were the Tagaytay Office of Public Safety, the
“Character First” programs, the founding of the City College of Tagaytay, the
establishment of Ospital ng Tagaytay, barangay health offices, CIty Health
Office, and the Tagaytay City Mounted Police.
Once
elected, he will pursue rural
development to help decongest Metro Manila utilizing the model provided
by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, an attached agency of Department of
Trade and Industry that facilitates business operations and provides incentives
for investors in export-oriented manufacturing and service facilities in
selected areas around the country.
He
would use Senate oversight functions to assess laws meant to reverse centralism
but are not working, citing the Local Government Code, the Kalakalan 20, and the Magna Carta of Small Farmers as some of the
laws that might need examination.
He
plans to provide “better openings for greater women's participation and
empowerment in unchartered areas” in the labor sector, to unleash their full
potential for economic development. He also desires school children to automatically
become direct beneficiaries of PhilHealth and educational health insurance.
Pertaining
to Climate change and disaster, he says that he will push for the creation of
a Philippine Urban Development Commission that will advise local government
units (LGUs) in city planning, to avoid planning-caused problems that plague
Metro Manila. He also wants to create a Police Youth Reserve Corps to help
maintain peace and order in times of calamity.
He
believes that more money
should go into post-disaster recovery and reconstruction efforts, which can be
done through a community rehabilitation/recovery trust fund for LGUs.
He
also appeals on the private sector to have business continuity plans for speedy
resumption of operations after calamities.
To
improve disaster preparedness and the fight against climate change, he plans
for the following:
·
Immediate
rehabilitation for greater pliability in the face of climate change
·
Allotment
of funds to a Community Rehabilitation/Recovery Trust Fund for LGUs
·
Establish
a well-planned system for rehabilitating communities badly affected by natural
and man-made calamities, with the help of the private sector, through
appropriate tax incentives
·
Promote
the practice of responsible mining together with guaranteed revenues for host
communities for community development projects
·
Giving
of tax holidays to environment-friendly companies and enterprises
·
Employment of
alternative sources of energy"given the complex and sensitive
environmental issue of the coal fuel cycle"
He
opposes the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law, fearing a “dismemberment” between
the Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines. The draft Bangsamoro
Basic bill seeks to integrate the
Bangsamoro Police force into the Philippine National Police and the empowerment
of the Central Government to create a Bangsamoro Command of the Armed Forces of
the Philippines.
He
wants to push for legislation to implement the
Character First program in all local governments as he did in
Tagaytay City.
He
supports tax breaks for local filmmakers. At present, filmmakers have to pay
20% amusement tax on top of the 12% value added tax (VAT) on materials on both
production and post production processing, and 12% VAT on gross ticket sales,
income taxes, other fees, charges, licenses, and permits.
He
also proposed getting rid of the amusement tax for local films paid by
moviegoers, as the Quezon City government did in 2006.
References:
[1] Katerina
Francisco and Jee Y. Geronimo,The Leader I Want: Four senatorial candidates woo
voters at the first leg of Rappler's senatorial debates, Published 4:51 PM,
April 08, 2016, Updated 8:25 PM, April 09, 2016, http://www.rappler.com/nation/politics/elections/2016/128674-leader-i-want-senatorial-debate
[2] Gerard Lim,
The Leader I Want: Greco Belgica’s to-fix list for 2016
Published
8:00 PM, April 07, 2016, Updated 7:07 AM, April 10, 2016, http://www.rappler.com/nation/politics/elections/2016/128549-greco-belgica-advocacies-senatorial-elections
[3] Jee Y.
Geronimo, Published 6:43 PM, April 08, 2016, Updated 7:05 AM, April 10, 2016,
Lawyer Lorna Kapunan says no to death penalty, http://www.rappler.com/nation/politics/elections/2016/128943-vice-presidential-debate-2016-poll-round-2
[4] Gerard Lim,
The Leader I Want: Samuel Pagdilao’s to-fix list for 2016, Published 12:24 AM,
April 08, 2016, Updated 7:06 AM, April 10, 2016, http://www.rappler.com/nation/politics/elections/2016/128658-samuel-pagdilao-advocacies-senatorial-elections
[5] Katerina
Francisco, Rappler.news.com, Petilla pushes for diverse energy mix, Published
6:27 PM, April 08, 2016, updated 12:10 AM, April 10, 2016
[6] Gerard Lim,
The Leader I Want: Francis Tolentino’s to-fix list for 2016, Published 12:01
PM, April 07, 2016, Updated 7:09 AM, April 10, 2016, http://www.rappler.com/nation/politics/elections/2016/128501-francis-tolentino-advocacies-senatorial-elections
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