Lacson reveals he felt 'insulted' after second unification meeting

Lacson reveals he felt 'insulted' after second unification meeting

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BAKIT SI PING LACSON?

 BAKIT SI PING LACSON?

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Lacson Pushes Emergency Employment, Local Food Terminals to Help Address Joblessness

Lacson Pushes Emergency Employment, Local Food Terminals to Help Address Joblessness

October 16, 2021 - The government should prioritize setting up an emergency employment program and food terminals in each region to address the problem of joblessness, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson said Saturday.

Lacson said these are among the interim adjustments that the government must make to cope with the effects of the pandemic on our health and economy - while continuing to focus on controlling Covid and curbing corruption.

"Kung interim, sa emergency employment, government internship. Or sa mga mas mataas ang qualification, pwedeng kausapin ang private sector na tanggapin sa internship program nila. Gamitin na ring opportunity sa pag-harness ng kanilang skills (In the interim, we can have an emergency employment program where graduates and undergraduates undergo internship in government offices. The government can also tap the private sector to take graduates and undergraduates with higher qualifications. This will also give the public and private agencies the opportunities to harness the graduates and undergraduates' skills)," he said in an interview on DZRH radio.

He said this approach will not only harness the skills of young Filipinos, but use the internship program as an opportunity for skills training while continuously making adjustments in the government’s response to control Covid-19.

"We cannot effectively address joblessness due to the closure of businesses amid the pandemic, if we don’t reopen the economy," Lacson pointed out.

Meanwhile, Lacson also pushed for the setting up local food terminals in each island group or region, to help farmers and boat operators who lost their livelihood due to the pandemic.

"Ang food terminal natin sa Taguig napakalaki, almost barren ang lupa. Hindi ba pwedeng mag-create sa bawa’t island group may food terminal? Bawa’t region may food terminal (Our food terminal in Taguig is big but its land is almost barren. We can create a food terminal for each island group or region)," he said.

This can be complemented by government providing farmers with inputs such as seeds, fertilizer and irrigation. Lacson was one of the main authors of what is now the Free Irrigation Law - even as he lamented only two-thirds of the three to four million hectares of land in the Philippines has enough irrigation.

But Lacson maintained all these should also go hand in hand with ongoing efforts to control Covid, as well as curb corruption. The government should also avoid overregulation of the private sector while implementing budget reform to prioritize research and development and the use of information and communications technology.

He said that while farmers may need two to three years to feel the benefits of government subsidies, they may not get to feel it at all due to corruption.

"Ang overarching dito, talaga kailangan ayusin ang Covid response natin kasi napakasama. Babalik tayo sa No. 1 problem sa ating bansa which is corruption. Ang binibiling palay nakikinabang ang importers, karamihan di natin kababayan, ito ang pumapatay sa ating magsasaka (The overarching theme is that we must refine our Covid response because it is simply bad. We go back to our No. 1 problem, corruption. We import rice but only importers - most of whom are not Filipinos - benefit at the expense of our farmers)," he said.

Lacson pointed out the problem is not limited to rice importation, with the Philippines having become a nation of imported goods instead of maximizing its food production capabilities through agriculture.

"We are a nation of imported goods. Instead of maximizing our food production through agriculture, warehousing and processing and marketing, we are fixated on importing even food items that our farmers and scientists and researchers are capable of mass producing," he said.

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Lacson Bares Return of 'Kotong' Amid Pandemic

Lacson Bares Return of 'Kotong' Amid Pandemic

October 16, 2021 - From cash to a cut of one's fruits and vegetables: This is how "kotong" has evolved amid the pandemic, with corrupt policemen now giving vendors in Divisoria a list of items they should fork over.

Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson disclosed this on Saturday, citing a conversation he had with vendors selling wares in Manila's Divisoria commercial district.

"Ngayon daw iba na. Ang pulis, for some reason, may listahan na bawa’t pondohan sa lugar na pinagtitindahan. Listahan na binibigay. Ito dapat inyong ibigay, gulay, prutas, paninda. Balik na naman tayo. Day-to-day corruption (Kotong is back but in a different form. For some reason, police now present vendors with a list of items they should give them, such as a cut of the fruits, vegetables or whatever they are sending)," Lacson, who had eradicated the kotong culture in the Philippine National Police when he headed it from 1999 to 2001, said in an interview on DZRH radio.

He said the answer to this should not only be punishment for the erring policemen, but also leadership by example - which he was credited for in reforming the PNP.

During his stint as PNP chief, Lacson said vegetable traders transporting their goods from La Trinidad in Benguet to Divisoria or Balintawak had to shell out P1,000 to "kotong cops." When Lacson kicked out these rogues from the service, this resulted in savings for the vendors, who no longer had to charge extra for their vegetables just so they can meet the "quota" from the extorting policemen.

"Subliminal na ama ko naging jeepney driver pero hindi yan ang top reason ko to go after kotong (It might be subliminal that my late father was a jeepney driver. But that is not the top reason for me to go after kotong cops)," he said.

Lacson said this day-to-day corruption as shown by the return of "kotong" is one reason why the government and the public cannot turn a blind eye to corruption.

On the other hand, Lacson said corruption is also harming our teachers through the poor implementation of distribution of government subsidies for them.

He added the government may need to tweak its microfinancing program for teachers, so they would not resort to borrowing money from loan sharks - to the point of pawning their salary ATM cards.

Lacson said this is why he and Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III had agreed to practice leadership by example should they win the 2022 elections.

"This we commit ourselves, we reached this point in our lives. The only selfish motive remaining in our bones is to leave a good legacy," he said.

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SEN PING LACSON ON DZRH

SEN PING LACSON ON DZRH

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'Agility' and 'Pragmatism' Key to Philippine Foreign Policy toward China, Not Sound Bites - Lacson Spokesman

'Agility' and 'Pragmatism' Key to Philippine Foreign Policy toward China, Not Sound Bites - Lacson Spokesman

October 15, 2021 - “Next to the long-standing relationship with the United States, the Philippines’ most important foreign relationship will be that of China,” according to Ashley Acedillo, spokesman for presidential candidate Panfilo “Ping” Lacson.

Reiterating previous pronouncements of Sen. Lacson on the matter, Acedillo believes that to effectively deal with China on various fronts, foremost among them in the geopolitical and national security fronts, the Philippines must be “agile” and “pragmatic.”

“Agility” or to be agile means actively pursuing opportunities not only to monitor developments in areas of conflict with China, but also to improve the situation in our maritime domains to better position the country in any future discussion with the former. This also requires flexibility in our policy positions, lest we be hemmed in by ill-thought of or knee-jerk policy pronouncements - or worse still, “sound bites” - that either tend to limit our options, or confound the situation.

“Pragmatism” requires both our understanding of what China is and where it positions itself as well our understanding of what our capabilities are vis-à-vis how we can promote our national interest based on these capabilities. One pragmatic approach the Philippines can pursue are alliances - to “balance” against the economic heft and military might of China.

“Alliances do not necessarily mean entanglements, where our country’s foreign policy and national interest becomes subordinate to those of other countries. History has shown that fruitful and solid partnerships can be borne out of an alignment of the allied countries’ values and national interests. In the case of the Philippines and its current and potential alliance partners, these are the values of democratic governance, the rule of law, parity, and fairness,” noted Acedillo.

Acedillo further added that it will be naïve, and even dangerous, to think that our foreign relations with China can be compartmentalized - that our engagements with them in terms of trade and commerce, culture, and other non-political or non-security related matters can be divorced from our maritime disputes in the West Philippine Sea.

“Remember that China is a country with a 3,000-year history and culture, with a very vivid memory of having a central place in the affairs of the world - hence its nickname ‘The Middle Kingdom’. The next President of the country must grapple with this reality, as well as the reality that China is waking up again to its status as a hegemonic giant.”

Acedillo believes that compounding this “China challenge” is the fact that China has a “President-for-life” in the person of Xi Jinping - one of the most powerful Chinese leaders since Mao Zedong to assume the position of head of the Chinese Communist Party and head of state. “The next President of the Philippines must be able to stand ‘toe-to-toe’ to someone like President Xi, not just in terms of experience, but also in terms of knowledge and instincts required of the job of a Chief Executive.”

“Senator Lacson, as President and Commander-in-Chief, can rely on thirty years of service as a soldier and a policeman (and eventually Police Chief), a stint in the Cabinet, and almost eighteen years as a veteran Senatorc - once called upon to craft the foreign policy of the country, and eventually to deal with China for the next six years,”Acedillo further added.

(Senator Lacson currently serves as the Chairman, Senate Committee on National Defense and Security).

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Reforms, Vision for Philippines in 2022

 Reforms, Vision for Philippines in 2022

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PING BENEATH THE WINGS

  PING BENEATH THE WINGS

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Lacson Pushes Acceleration of National ID Rollout

 Lacson Pushes Acceleration of National ID Rollout

October 14, 2021 - To help Filipinos cope with the problems brought about by the pandemic, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson pushed Thursday for a faster rollout of the National ID system.

Lacson, one of the authors and the principal sponsor of the measure in the Senate, said the National ID could address issues including "ayuda" and other social services.

He added the National ID system, along with digitalization and interoperability of systems in government agencies, would minimize the chances of corruption.

"Ito dapat i-accelerate ang rollout ng implementation. It will solve a lot of issues: ayuda, social services, laban sa graft, red tape. Ang daming ma-solve kung fully implemented ang National ID system (We have to accelerate the rollout of the National ID system. It will solve a lot of issues including ayuda, social services, and minimizing graft and red tape)," he said at the Pandesal Forum.

He noted that while many have voiced doubts about the National ID before it was signed into law, they now realize its importance especially during the pandemic.

Lacson said this will complement the digitalization of the government's processes, noting governments like South Korea have become quite seamless due to it. Even in China, the customs system is online and has virtually no room for human intervention.

"Imagine how much we can save from public funds kung may interoperability ang ating government processes, transactions between and among government agencies, private sector and government. Less human intervention, less corruption if not ma-stop ang corruption (Imagine how much we can save from public funds if there is interoperability of government processes, transactions between and among government agencies, and with the private sector and government. There is less human intervention and less corruption, if not a stop to corruption)," he said.

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Lacson Considers Scrapping Lockdowns Under His Leadership

 Lacson Considers Scrapping Lockdowns Under His Leadership

October 14, 2021 - Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson is considering scrapping lockdowns in preventing the spread of Covid-19, should he and Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III win as President and Vice President in next year's elections.

Lacson said that while the Philippines has had the world's longest lockdown, it has not prevented the spread of Covid, much less helped the country recover compared to other nations.

"We’re toying with the idea that after June 30, 2022, wala na tayong lockdown kasi hindi nagwo-work ang longest lockdown. Lockdown ng lockdown, hindi nagwo-work. Baka may ibang approach (We are toying with the idea that after June 30, 2022, we won't have a lockdown anymore because the lockdown approach is not working. There could be a better approach)," he said at the Pandesal Forum on Thursday.

Earlier, Lacson mentioned in another interview that all anti-Covid-19-related policy decisions must be science-and-technology-based and data-driven, and should not be a trial-and-error approach.

"As we go on, we adopt methods; ginagawa natin na magwo-work but we stop or reconsider tayo sa hindi nagwo-work. Kung hindi ka flexible, hindi ka nag-a-adapt for some reason, walang mangyayari sa buhay natin (As we go on we adopt methods that work and reconsider those that don't. If we cannot be flexible or adapt, nothing good will happen to us)," he added.

He said they are considering alternatives such as the more efficient rollout of vaccines, capacitating of government hospitals, and the judicious use of public funds - including the possible use of off-budget "income" of government hospitals to defray the hospitalization expenses of Filipinos confined there.

Lacson cited Nikkei Asia's COVID-19 Recovery Index listing the Philippines as last in infection control, vaccination and mobility, ranking it dead last among 121 countries.

He said he also pointed this out to Health Secretary Francisco Duque III during the hearing for the DOH's 2022 budget on Wednesday.

"Covid is here to stay, we don’t know when it will end. I told Sec. Duque that what we have is not working. Tayo ang longest lockdown sa buong mundo (We have the world's longest lockdown)," Lacson said.

Making matters worse are other factors such as corruption in procuring supplies to address the pandemic, along with inefficiency and incompetence.

"Pinaparusahan natin ang ekonomiya at hindi nagwo-work ang health efforts natin para ma-cure ang COVID (We are punishing the economy with health efforts that do not work)," he said.

"Ang daming problema hindi lang pandemic, pati post-pandemic (The next leadership will have to deal not just with the pandemic but with the post-pandemic problems)," he added.

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Lacson Blasts Gov't Hospitals' Humongous Off-Budget Income: Konsensya Issue Ito

Lacson Blasts Gov't Hospitals' Humongous Off-Budget Income: Konsensya Issue Ito

October 14, 2021 - How could government-run hospitals have billions of pesos in off-budget income in the past several years, yet still charge Filipinos who are confined there?

Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson raised this question Wednesday during his interpellation of the Department of Health (DOH)'s proposed budget for 2022.

Lacson stressed the huge amounts could have been used to help defray the expenses of poor patients, especially those who lost their livelihood due to the Covid pandemic.

"Why would we still charge patients hospitalization fees at a time of pandemic? Should it not be that the amount be used to cushion the suffering of our people who are confined in government hospitals?" he asked. DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III replied, "Yes, Sir."

"Hindi ba parang may kaunting konsensya issue rito (Should there not be an issue of conscience here)? We’re not using the budget yet we’re charging patients," Lacson added.

"I think a review of these off-budget accounts is in order para maipuno natin sa pangangailangan (so we can help those in need)," he said.

Also, Lacson noted this may be a sign that something is wrong with the management of government hospitals. "Kumikita naman, bakit di nagagamit? That’s my point (They are earning income but why is that income not put to good use? That's my point)," he said.

Lacson cited the Budget Expenditure and Sources of Financing (BESF), where the DOH's off-budget accounts indicated government hospitals' retained income for 2021 hospital fees amounted to P448.439 billion.

Duque admitted being "dumbfounded" by the P448-billion amount and promised to look into this. "We’ll look into these, and have it reviewed right away," he added.

Philippine Heart Center executive director Joel Abanilla said the amounts are "shockingly and ridiculously high."

Off-Budget Accounts under the BESF reflect Retained Income/Receipts for the DOH from all its ‘retained hospitals’ with the following sources/nature of revenues: hospital fees, drugs and medicines, rent/lease income, seminar/training fees, certification fees, income from hostels/dormitories and other like facilities, income from printing and publication, and other business income. The class/nature of its expenditures only indicated “Augmentation of MOOE and CO.”

Duque later cited a clarification from his office indicating the off-budget account for 2021 amounted to P21.3 billion instead of P448 billion, as the Eastern Visayas Medical Center submitted inaccurate figures that should have been P448 million and not P448 billion. He said the DOH will coordinate with the Department of Budget and Management to have this corrected.

Still, he said the DOH will still review the hospital incomes due to the huge amounts involved.

According to Lacson, off-budget accounts amounted to P4.789 billion in 2016, P9.092 billion in 2017, P6.156 billion in 2018, P7.667 billion in 2019, and P8.035 billion in 2020.

"We are among the few countries without zero billing in government hospitals. In countries like Cuba, citizens need not pay for hospitalization if they are confined," Lacson noted.

"It doesn’t make sense that the DOH does not spend its off-budget accounts, yet is still punishing our patients by billing them, especially during the time of Covid when so many have lost their livelihood. They have to run to senators, congressmen, mayors, and governors for help. It’s rather cruel for government hospitals to be charging patients when so much is left in their off-budget accounts," he added.

Meanwhile, National Kidney Transplant Institute director Rose Marie Rosete-Liquete said their service cases have no balance billing even for Covid cases.

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