On the Continued Increase in Oil Prices

 On the Continued Increase in Oil Prices

October 21, 2021 - The TRAIN Law that we passed a few years ago provides that the Department of Finance (DOF) may suspend the implementation of the increase of the excise tax on fuel upon the recommendation of the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) under certain conditions.

I therefore urge the DOF Secretary to exercise that option under the law, given the unabated increase of the prices of fuel resulting in a heavy burden on the transport sector and the public in general.

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SEN PING LACSON MESSAGE ON BRAVE!

 SEN PING LACSON MESSAGE ON BRAVE!

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SA LACSON PRESIDENCY, TULOY ANG DRUG WAR!

 SA LACSON PRESIDENCY, TULOY ANG DRUG WAR!

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ANG BOTANTE AY BOSS!

ANG BOTANTE AY BOSS!

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On the DOJ Review of the Anti-Drug War

  On the DOJ Review of the Anti-Drug War

October 21, 2021 - In the pursuit of any criminal investigation, there is only one rule that applies. It is called the rule on evidence which should be bound by the rule of law.

Once such evidence is clearly established to warrant the filing of criminal information against identified suspects, there is no other course of action for the Department of Justice to pursue but to take those cases to their logical conclusion, no matter the consequences.

That being said, the role of the DOJ is crucial in showing the community of nations in general and the International Criminal Court in particular that as a civilized, democratic country, we can independently and responsibly hold criminally accountable our law enforcement officers - and their superiors, if the evidence so warrants - when they commit excesses in the performance if their sworn duties.

And the total war against drugs should not be an exception.

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Lacson Details Overpriced Equipment Inside DOH-Procured Ambulances

 Lacson Details Overpriced Equipment Inside DOH-Procured Ambulances

October 20, 2021 - Inside the ambulances procured by the Department of Health (DOH) with an overprice of P1 million each are overpriced equipment ranging from automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to mobile phones, dashboard cameras and stretchers.

Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson bared these on Wednesday, even as he reiterated his call to the DOH to use public funds more judiciously.

"These are public funds. I augmented the budget of the Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP) to comply with the Universal Health Care Law. Somehow I feel guilty when I see overpricing," Lacson said at the DOH's 2022 budget hearing.

"Sana man lang maging judicious tayo sa paggastos ng public funds (We just hope the DOH would be judicious in using public funds)," he added.

He noted the DOH submitted prices for two mobile phones with SIM cards for Region 4A at P30,000 but the local government units bought phones with similar specifications for only P7,998. "Ang laki ng discrepancy (The discrepancy is huge)," Lacson said.

Also, Lacson said the DOH procured dashboard cameras for P15,000 each but the retail prices for such items were only P4,500 each - a P10,500 difference.

Meanwhile, the DOH procured stretchers at P23,800 each when the items were worth P21,200 each.

On the other hand, the DOH procured AEDs at P165,000 each for Region 4A, when the retail prices of such equipment stood at P96,500 - a P68,000 markup.

"These are the things we want explained by the Department para hindi na maulit (We want the DOH to explain these so this will not happen again)," Lacson said.

In response, DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III said Lacson was right. Duque said he has ordered his staff to look into it, adding he needed to do a "brand-to-brand comparison."

"Canvass namin ang actual brand and specifications. Yan ang ginawa namin para sigurado na. If you want, we can furnish you to aid you in your investigation (We canvassed the actual brand and specifications, to make sure. If you want, we can furnish these to you to aid you in your investigation)," Lacson replied.

Meanwhile, Lacson pushed for the inclusion of Special Risk Allowance-type assistance to outsourced personnel in their contracts, to make sure they are properly compensated.

"Siguro kung outsource ang hospitals advice namin isama sa contract nila ang parang SRA-type assistance to their personnel (Our advice to hospitals that outsource their personnel is to include in their contracts an SRA-type assistance)," he said.

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A Lesson Learned on the Limitations of Virtual Hearings

A Lesson Learned on the Limitations of Virtual Hearings

October 20, 2021 - In hindsight, before a motion to cite a resource person for contempt and a subsequent arrest-and-detain order is issued, a team from the Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA) should already be deployed to effect the arrest of the said individuals.

That said, we lost the element of surprise and even telegraphed our move to the person/s concerned. This is one of the limitations of a virtual hearing, and a lesson we must learn from.

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Pagpinaghalo Ang Kulay

 Pagpinaghalo Ang Kulay

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Opposition infighting cancelling out Isko Moreno and Leni Robredo camps, paving the way for either a Marcos or Lacson win

Opposition infighting cancelling out Isko Moreno and Leni Robredo camps, paving the way for either a Marcos or Lacson win

Too much drama in the Opposition camp. The way Boo Chanco tells it in his PhilSTAR piece “Keep focused” smacks of historical revisionism. According to Chanco, the Reds “tricked” Cory into releasing them after she “ousted” Marcos. He should he call them out for what they really are — political opportunists prostituting their organizations. Their release was the reason why the Reform the Armed Forces Movement (RAM) went against the administration just a couple of months after February 1986 which began the string of coup attempts against Cory.

Chanco claims the Reds went for Gringo Honasan and Ping Lacson in 2004 but this is false. The Reds hold RAM responsible for the killings of Rolando Olalia and Lean Alejandro. Lacson was under Col. Rolly Abadilla at the Military Intelligence and Security Group (MISG). What Chanco doesn’t mention is the Reds gained ground under the administration of Fidel Ramos with the peace talks and the passage of the enabling law for party-list representatives which the Reds exploited to the hilt and gave rise to the Makabayan Bloc in the House of Representatives. President Joseph “Erap” Estrada forged a broad coalition in 1998 with Boy Morales and Edicio De La Torre representing the Reds. They dumped Erap for Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA) and dumped GMA again for Noynoy Aquino. But Akbayan had the upper hand as Ronald Llamas became Political Affairs Adviser of PNoy. In 2010, they coalesced with the Nacionalistas and ran together with Bongbong Marcos for the Senate. Come 2016, they went for Grace Poe and Neri Colmenares was in the same slate as Isko Moreno.

Chanco tries very hard to justify the Senate slate of Leni Robredo but fails. If the basis is the lesser evil then it should comes down to the NPC-Reporma-NUP-UNA coalition, some of whose candidates have been adopted by Robredo. Why vote for the Pinklawans when the Lacson – Tito Sotto tandem is more organized and has a better platform compared to Robredo and her ilk who still continue to stumble in the dark despite her being Vice-President for the past five years? Voters who are neither pro-Opposition or pro-Administration will consider first the Lacson-Sotto ticket. Surveys haven’t really focused on this niche at all but it is growing. Another consideration is the fact that the 21-45 demographic, which is 40 million strong were born between 2001 – 1977. Those who are 45 were nine years old when Marcos was ousted so they grew up under the Yellows. Those who are 21 were born the year GMA became President. They came of mind during the PNoy administration and as adults under the present administration. For sure, they have witnessed the stark difference in governance.

It’s not likely probable also that this demographic will go for Isko even if he comes from it for the simple reason that those in the upper range will question his ability to lead and govern given his experience and track record. But, as it is, the bickering is inside the Robredo camp and that of Isko, and between the two. The net effect is they are cancelling each other out even before the official campaign period begins. The opposition might as well be branded as the That’s Entertainment group because that’s all they’re good for. The men get separated from the boys and, the way it’s looking, it will be a race between Senators Lacson and Marcos. This is actually more beneficial to the public became there will be no bickering, mudslinging and black propaganda. It will be an issues-based campaign between two gentlemen, which is actually the kind of politics we need.

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Traditional Opposition REALLY worried as disastrous fiascos under Leni Robredo leadership strengthen’s Lacson-Sotto 2022 bid

Traditional Opposition REALLY worried as disastrous fiascos under Leni Robredo leadership strengthen’s Lacson-Sotto 2022 bid

The Opposition appears egregiously divided among the ideological purists and the political pragmatists. Amang Rodriguez said politics is addition. How can the opposition win if they do not know how to add? John Nery’s column today, “Warning: Lacson”, comes on the heels of the latest public relations fiasco of Vice-President Leni Robredo which she herself lit because of the answer she gave her co-anchor on her Sunday radio program, as to why she rejected Sen. Ping Lacson’s “unification formula.” He is clearly worried. On the Lacson – Tito Sotto tandem’s play for a centrist positioning that is “neither pro nor anti” Duterte, he is “certain that this move to the center will play well with many voters”.

Yesterday, Robredo’s disastrous posturing was still in the news cycle which prompted Senate President Tito Sotto to tweet a screenshot taken by his Chief of Staff, showing that it was the Robredo camp which approached him by way of a text message from Robredo’s Chief of Staff to his, in order to negate the impression given by Robredo that the Lacson-Sotto tandem approached her and not the other way around.

The problem with the Opposition is that time is running out and so are their options at putting up a credible candidate against the administration. Former Ambassador Rigoberto Tiglao, in his column yesterday, pointed to the possible death of democracy in the country because of the asinine manner with which the Opposition under Robredo has been conducting itself in the past five years. Both Lacson and Sotto issued polite but obviously piqued statements in reaction to Robredo’s latest boo-boo. Both expressed disappointment because the proposal was shot down immediately during the meeting. Short of accusing Robredo of acting in bad faith, the two said that they expected the proposal to be thought over and then discussed again. In short, the unification formula wasn’t a take-it-or-leave-it proposition. Lacson added that he just rose to the challenge seeing as how the Vice-President also met with Sen. Dick Gordon over a possible alliance for the 2022 polls.

Nery is again using Lacson’s record as a Constabulary officer at the defunct Metrocom Intelligence and Security Group under Col. Rolando Abadilla and his posting as chief of Task Force Habagat under the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission against him. It’s clear that the public are behind this given that Lacson has been elected to Senate each time he ran and won convincingly. Nery even admits to the promise in Lacson’s “positioning himself as ‘Heneral ng Bayan,’ the People’s General” considering how the “Duterte campaign in 2016 proved that an entire presidential run can rest on the peace and order issue, even though, at best, it ranks only seventh in the list of voters’ concerns”. Nery goes on to compare Lacson with former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada and his bid for the Presidency in 2010 when there is nothing in common between former subordinate and superior. Estrada was out for vindication in 2010. If Cory did not pass away in 2009, Erap would’ve established another record for being the only candidate who ran for President twice and won. Lacson’s case is different because he is offering himself as an alternative to the public given the dearth of credible candidates. He could easily win reelection to the Senate but chose to rise up to the challenge, as he himself put it, because it is his political valedictory.

Lacson and Sotto are both 73 years old. They would be 79 at the end of their six-year term if they are successful. Contrast this with the Vice-President who is only 56. In a way, Lacson and Sotto are giving the political pragmatists among the public a choice; would they prefer more of the same under a Duterte or Marcos Presidency, or would they opt for a measure of change if they vote for Lacson and Sotto? In essence, the Lacson-Sotto tandem is keeping democracy alive in the country as opposed to what the traditional opposition under Robredo is doing.

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#fyp #foryoupage #foryou #pinglacson #WeNeedALeader2022

 #fyp #foryoupage #foryou #pinglacson #WeNeedALeader2022

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