LETS GO GRINGO!

 LETS GO GRINGO!

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On the Upcoming Plenary Debates for the 2022 Budget

 On the Upcoming Plenary Debates for the 2022 Budget

November 8, 2021 - Definitely, amendments will be introduced at least from my end. Base pa lamang sa mga committee hearings na nadaluhan ko, meron na agad na mga issues na dapat suriin pang mabuti sa plenary debates.

We cannot overemphasize the importance of the budget for 2022, because it will be the first for the new administration as it faces humongous problems - including the heavy task of leading the nation to recovery from the effects of the pandemic.

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WE NEED A LEADER 2022 = PING LACSON!

 WE NEED A LEADER 2022 = PING LACSON!

(Please Watch and Share)

👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇

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ENRICO'S CALDERON POST

 ENRICO'S CALDERON POST

In my opinion, importation is a measure of last resort when all available remedies won't work to control the rising price of basic commodities and not the other way around. We should protect our own producers first and provide them the necessary capacity building to compete.

And this is the policy that Senator Lacson promotes because he understands and his heart goes out to the local farmers and fishermen.In my opinion, importation is a measure of last resort when all available remedies won't work to control the rising price of basic commodities and not the other way around. We should protect our own producers first and provide them the necessary capacity building to compete.

And this is the policy that Senator Lacson promotes because he understands and his heart goes out to the local farmers and fishermen.

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Regarding the Petition against Marcos, I’m posting here a summary of the facts and the legal bases of the petition

Regarding the Petition against Marcos, I’m posting here a summary of the facts and the legal bases of the petition

1. The petition filed against Marcos is NOT a disqualification case. It's a petition to cancel Marcos' Certificate of Candidacy or deny it due course (which means that the COMELEC should not allow it) because Marcos allegedly lied ("false material representation"). 

2. Legal basis: Section 78 of the Election Code allows the COMELEC to cancel the COC if the candidate writes anything false on it.

3. What was false in the COC of Marcos? In the COC, there is a section where you have to declare if you've been convicted of a crime that caries with it the accessory penalty of perpetual disqualification  to hold public office. Marcos wrote that he was never convicted of such a crime. This statement was made under oath.

4. Was Marcos' statement that he was never convicted of such a crime true or false? It is false. Marcos was convicted with finality for four counts of failure to file his ITR under the 1977 Tax Code. That means four convictions. The Court of Appeals simply removed the penalty of imprisonment - a penalty  that was actually required to be imposed together with the fine. But even if the penalty of imprisonment was removed, he was still declared guilty of the crime and sentenced to pay fines.

5. Did Marcos know he was convicted of the crimes? Of course he did. He filed an appeal of his conviction with the Supreme Court. In an appeal, the entire case will be reviewed, and it can be decided against him. The Supreme Court could overturn the decision of the Court of Appeals and sentence him to imprisonment. Appeal can be a risk when facts are not in one's favor. That said, I don't know why Marcos withdrew his appeal with the SC. He should answer that  question.

6. So, was Marcos a convicted criminal? Yes. He was convicted - not just once, but four times. He filed an appeal on his convictions with the Supreme Court, but later decided to withdraw them. By withdrawing his appeal, his convictions became final judgments. Note that a conviction does not always carry with it jail time. Being declared guilty of a crime is the conviction. In Marcos' case, he was declared guilty and sentenced to pay fines for his crimes.

7. Does the crime he was convicted of carry with it the accessory penalty of disqualification? Yes it does. Marcos was convicted under the 1977 Tax Code. Under Section 286 of that law, any public officer or employee convicted of any violation of the Tax Code "shall be dismissed from public office and perpetually disqualified from any public office" and is prohibited from participating in any election. When the Tax Code was amended in 1997, that same provision was retained. That  accessory penalty was never removed. The mere fact of conviction carries with it the penalty of perpetual disqualification. It's part of the law.

8. What about the argument that disqualification of a candidate applies only to those sentenced to a penalty of imprisonment of more than 18 months or for crimes involving moral turpitude? That provision under the Omnibus Election Code refers only to those crimes that do not include the accessory penalty of perpetual disqualification from public office. It does not apply to crimes where perpetual disqualification is already part of the penalty (which is why it is called an accessory penalty). Under the Tax Code, perpetual  disqualification is an accessory penalty to ANY violation. 

Whether the  COMELEC considers violation of the Tax Code as a ground for perpetual disqualification is something we are probably all interested in. The question of whether Marcos is required to file an ITR should have been discussed in the CA, but it would be interesting as well to see if this will be reinterpreted by the COMELEC.

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Ping Bares How Jeepney Driver Dad Inspired Him to End 'Kotong Cop' Culture

Ping Bares How Jeepney Driver Dad Inspired Him to End 'Kotong Cop' Culture

November 7, 2021 (CABUYAO, Laguna) - "Nakotongan na naman ako (I was extorted from again)."

These words of exasperation from his late father Buenaventura spurred a young Panfilo "Ping" Lacson to fight not just kotong but all forms of corruption.

Lacson recalled how his father would come home too exhausted to eat, but still worrying he could not provide for his family because corrupt policemen extorted from him.

"Pawis na pawis siya at pagod na pagod. Halos hindi na makakain ng hapunan kasi pagod na. 'Nakotongan na naman ako kaya ang ihahain sa hapag kainan ay nabawasan' (I recall my father coming home very tired after a full day of work. He was too exhausted to even eat. But he was sad he could not buy enough food for us, all because corrupt cops extorted from him)," Lacson, who as Philippine National Police chief (1999-2001) stopped the kotong culture in the police institution, said at a program here.

"Maybe subliminally naalala ko ang aking ama, at ina na nagbebenta sa palengke ng tela - hindi pwedeng magpatuloy itong kotong sa PNP. Hindi lang dahil sa aking ama; dahil sa libo-libong driver ng jeepney, driver ng taxi at driver ng bus at PUV, tapos ang manggugulay (Maybe subliminally I remembered my father who worked as a jeepney driver and my mother who sold textiles in the market - this extortion cannot go on. And this is not just for my father. This is for the drivers of public utility vehicles like jeepneys, taxis and buses - as well as traders)," he added.

He said vegetable traders in the 1990s would have to shell out as much as P1,000 at "checkpoints" where corrupt policemen would demand payoffs. They would have no choice but to pass on the "cost" to buyers in the form of higher prices.

But once Lacson ended the "kotong cop" culture when he headed the PNP, people felt the effect in the form of lower prices of vegetables.

"Anong tama niyan sa amin bilang pangkaraniwang mamamayan? Nagmura ang gulay at bilihin (What was the effect on the ordinary Filipino? Prices of vegetables and other commodities went down)," he said.

In a gathering in his hometown of Imus in Cavite on Friday, Lacson said his late father's problem instilled in him the drive to grapple with the problem instead of merely "studying" it. "Pag nakakita ng problema, grapple with the problem. Ora mismo i-solve ang problema (If I see a problem, I will grapple with it immediately)," he said.

During his term as PNP chief from 1999 to 2001, Lacson managed to get rid of scalawags in uniform and earned back for the PNP the trust of the public through his “No to Kotong Policy” and brand of leadership by example.

Even after becoming senator, Lacson said his drive to stop wrongdoing - particularly corruption - has not abated.

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Lacson: Experience Needed to Lead PH Out of Dire Straits

 Lacson: Experience Needed to Lead PH Out of Dire Straits

November 6, 2021 (CABUYAO, Laguna) - Experience, more than anything, will be needed to lead the Philippines out of the dire straits made worse by the pandemic, Sen. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson said Saturday afternoon.

Lacson likened the country to a patient in the Emergency Room of a hospital, having to choose between a "smart-looking" fresh graduate from medical school or an experienced surgeon with a successful track record.

"Kung sa ER kayo at lucid pa kayo, ang pipiliin nyo bang duktor ang matikas na bago o yung sanay sa opera? Siyempre pagkakatiwala ko buhay ko sa mas maraming karanasan (If you are in the ER and you are still conscious, who will you choose to work on you - a smart-looking doctor who just graduated, or one who has a track record of many successful surgeries? Of course you would entrust your life to the one with the experience)," he said at a gathering he and his running mate Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III attended here.

Lacson - who is running under Partido Reporma - said he and Sotto - who is running under the Nationalist People's Coalition - have more than 80 years of public service between them.

He said this includes 42 years of legislative work as senators of the Republic - and thus ready to perform the proverbial surgery.

"Yan ang maihahain namin sa inyo ni SP Sotto - may Kakayahan, Katapatan, at Katapangan (That is what Senate President Sotto and I are prepared to offer you - our talent, loyalty and courage)," he said.

Meanwhile, Lacson stressed anew the need to empower local government units (LGUs) so they can implement their development projects. This is in line with his Budget Reform Advocacy for Village Empowerment (BRAVE), where local governments receive much-needed resources to implement their projects.

The national government can give leeway to the local governments and limit its role to policy supervision and guidance, he added.

In Cabuyao, Lacson noted the local government unit set up two hospitals and two schools without help from the national government.

But he said this is not the case in many other parts of the country, adding that in the national budget from 2010 to 2020, an average of P328.25 billion went unused.

"Ito ang dapat natin itama, kasi mali talaga (This is what we have to correct because it is simply wrong)," he said.

Lacson also emphasized the need to allot enough resources to fully implement the Universal Health Care law, which would allow quality healthcare to all — at no cost to the public.

Should he be elected President in May 2022, he said his administration would fully fund the requirement of the "high-cost" stage of the Universal Health Care Act to cover all barangays - as well as subsidize Philhealth premiums for all especially for indirect contributory populations, and ensure optimal benefits for healthcare workers.

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Lacson: Filipinos Saved P300-B in My 17 Years of Budget Scrutiny

Lacson: Filipinos Saved P300-B in My 17 Years of Budget Scrutiny

November 6, 2021 (CARMONA, Cavite) - Seventeen years of scrutinizing the national budget has saved the Filipino people at least P300 billion, Sen. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson disclosed Friday afternoon.

Lacson, a watchdog of the national budget, said this amount in public funds could have been lost to corruption had he not kept his guard up.

"Hindi sa pagmamayabang, kinwenta namin ang natipid ng bansang Pilipinas. Hindi ko akalain sa loob ng 17 taon na ako senador ng Pilipinas, umabot sa P300 bilyon ang natipid ng mamamayang Pilipino (I am not bragging but the Filipino people saved some P300 billion in the 17 years I had been scrutinizing the budget. Even I did not quite expect the amount to be that big)," the Partido Reporma standard bearer said before a gathering here.

He noted this scrutiny has been done at all levels - from the committee to the plenary to the bicameral conference committee.

Lacson, who served as senator from 2001 to 2013 and 2016 to present, had flagged several irregular and inappropriate entries in the national budget.

Also, he made sure that his Priority Development Assistance Fund allocations (a.k.a. pork barrel) - amounting to P200 million a year - from 2001 to 2013 would be returned to the National Treasury. This was before the Supreme Court outlawed the PDAF in late 2013.

"Kung hindi nabantay nang maayos, natapon yan. Buwis natin ang ginagamit, utang natin ang ginagamit (If I had not been watching the budget, that's P300 billion in our hard-earned taxes and even debts lost to corruption)," Lacson said.

He reiterated his call to bring resources to the local governments so they can implement their development projects - the vision of his Budget Reform Advocacy for Village Empowerment (BRAVE).

Under BRAVE, the unused portion of the national budget - which averaged P328.85 billion from 2010 to 2020 - could be used to go to the local governments.

Lacson capped his visit to his home province of Cavite by welcoming new members of Partido Reporma.

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ENRICO CALDERON POST

ENRICO CALDERON POST

Get to know Senator Lacson; his vision, policy positions, beliefs, plans and the work he has done in the Senate that molded what he is today and prepared him for the biggest challenge and responsibility of his life: THE PRESIDENCY

EL PRESIDENTE is being called by the getting-louder voices of the people to serve and lead. AND IT WILL CONTINUE TO GET LOUDER BECAUSE A DESTINY HAS TO BE FULFILLED!

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Lacson to Fellow Caviteños: Hindi Ko Kayo Ipapahiya!

  Lacson to Fellow Caviteños: Hindi Ko Kayo Ipapahiya!

November 5, 2021 (IMUS, Cavite) - As he faced his fellow Caviteños on Friday, Sen. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson promised them he would not let them down should he win the presidential race in 2022.

Lacson, who is running under Partido Reporma, bared his platform of government where he reiterated the need to empower local government units (LGUs) as the Mandanas ruling giving bigger revenue shares to LGUs will be implemented starting 2022.

"Ako, taga-rito. Narito ang aking mga kamaganak, narito ang aking mga kababata, narito ang aking mga kaibigan, narito ang aking mga kaklase. Ito ang masisigurado ko sa inyo: Kung pagkakaloob ng Diyos na kami ni Senate President Vicente 'Tito' Sotto III ay mapagbigyan para maglingkod sa susunod na anim na taon, isa lang ang aking sasabihin: Hinding hindi ko kayo ipapahiya, di ko papahiya ang lungsod ng Imus, di ko papahiya ang lalawigan ng Cavite (I am here among my friends and classmates. I guarantee you this: If God willing, Senate President Sotto and I win the 2022 elections, I will not let you down. I will not let Imus down, I will not let Cavite down)," he said.

"Katunayan, ginagawa ko na ang marangal, matapat at walang pag-iimbot na pagkilingkod sa ating Inang Bayan (Even now, I make sure I do my job well, so I do not fail our Motherland)," he added.

He stressed he gives much personal importance to Cavite because he was born, raised and educated in the province.

Lacson is a champion of empowering the LGUs, as embodied in his Budget Reform Advocacy for Village Empowerment (BRAVE). He visited Cavite with Reporma senatorial bet Paolo Capino and "independent" candidate Raffy Tulfo.

 

"Napagusapan namin ni Senate President Sotto, pangunahin namin sa platform na ikalat ang budget sa malalayong lugar para pakinabangan ng ating kababayan (SP Sotto and I agreed to prioritize in our platform to make sure the budget can be used by our people especially at the local level)," he said.

After his talk, Lacson received from Imus local officials led by Mayor Emmanuel Maliksi a manifesto of support for his presidential bid in 2022.

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PING LACSON: IDOL NI IDOL

 PING LACSON: IDOL NI IDOL

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