Korina booed during Tears for Fears concert: ABS-CBN

Korina Sanchez and Mar Roxas. (marroxas2010.blogspot.com)

MANILA, Philippines – Veteran broadcaster Korina Sanchez, wife of Liberal Party’s vice presidential bet Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, was booed during Sunday’s sold-out concert of ‘80s English pop rock duo “Tears for Fears” at the Araneta Coliseum, online reports said.

The crowd, according to reports, booed when Sanchez flashed the “Laban” sign when she was shown on 2 giant screens. Sanchez was watching the concert with Mar.

The gesture reportedly caught the ire of the tens of thousands of people who trooped to the Big Dome to watch Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith perform their greatest hits.

In his blog (http://www.motwister.com/blog/2010/5/3/was-it-right-to-boo-korina-sanche...), controversial television host and DJ Mo Twister lambasted the broadcaster.

“Yes, she is thrilled about her husband's likely win in the VP race, and of course, the Noynoy Aquino campaign. But sweet Jezus lady, it's a concert meant to entertain the thousands of Filipinos watching. Maybe it's even an escape from all the political talk engrossing our country at the present time,” he wrote, adding:

“Do you think it was right to boo her? Ask me and I say, absolutely.” (ABS-CBN)


Link: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/entertainment/05/04/10/korina-booed-during-tears-fears-concert

Senator Asks High Court To Stop Signing Of Muslim Homeland Deal

Senator Mar Roxas shows documents he filed at the Supreme Court to stop the Arroyo government from pushing through with the controversial agreement on Muslim ancestral domain.

MANILA, Philippines (August 11, 2008) - Senator Mar Roxas, President of the Liberal Party, on Monday asked the Supreme Court to stop the government from pushing through with the controversial GRP-MILF Peace Panel Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) on Ancestral Domain tagged by opponents within Mindanao as a trigger for war and violence in the region.

“Nagsalita ang taumbayan at hindi sila papayag na basta na lang matsa-chop-chop ang bansa natin gawa nitong MoA na produkto ng pamimilit at panloloko,” Roxas said after filing the motion for intervention at the Supreme Court in Manila.

“Nais ko ng kapayapaan sa Mindanao, pero hindi sa pa-traydor na paraan gaya ng ginawa ng mga negosyador ng ating pamahalaan.”

Roxas pointed out that the MoA violated the Constitution because it creates another “state” within the Philippines.

“Malinaw na malinaw sa unang pahina pa lang ng Konstitusyon ang hangganan ng ating teritoryo. Hindi ito pwedeng magbago sa sabi lang ng peace panel. Ni isang beses sa buong MoA ay nabanggit ang Konstitusyon sa MoA na ito,” he said in a statement.

He said the country had so much to lose if the MoA as crafted would be implemented.

“Matagal na nang ninanais nating lahat, mas lalo ang mga taga-Mindanao, ng kapayapaan at katahimikan. Ngunit paano magkakaroon ng kapayapaan, kung ang kasunduan mismo ay hindi dumaan sa konsultasyon ng mga maaapektuhan nito?” he said.

“We are for peace, but not for ‘peace at any price,’ not peace with a gun to our heads. If there is a peace agreement, it must go through the proper procedures and consultations not just between the government and the MILF but with the citizens of Mindanao,” he added.

With Roxas’ filing, he joins the petitions of the people of North Cotabato represented by their Governor Jesus Sacdalan and Vice-Governor Emmanuel Piñol, and the people of Zamboanga City represented by Mayor Celso Lobregat and Reps. Maria Isabelle Climaco and Erico Fabian. The petitioners were granted a temporary restraining order on the MoA on August 4, a day before it was scheduled for signing.

Cheap Medicines Bill and Quality Affordable Medicines Bill...Whatever!

MANILA, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / 13 Aug) – Filipino Senator Mar Roxas said approval of the quality affordable medicines bill could be fast-tracked once the members of the Senate Committees on Trade and on Health are announced, most likely during this week.

“We’re just waiting for the committees to be fully constituted, and then we’ll start the hearings as soon as possible,” he said in a statement sent to the Mindanao Examiner.

Roxas, chairman of the Committee on Trade and Commerce, said the bill had already been approved on 3rd reading in the last Congress after intense consultations and deliberations.

This, he said, could expedite deliberations in the present Congress. He said they would hold intensive public hearings and have meaningful consultations with stakeholders and experts.

Roxas filed Senate Bill No. 101, which is identical to the bill passed by the Senate on 3rd reading in the previous Congress. The bill was actively co-sponsored by Senator Pia Cayetano, who retained leadership of the Committee on Health.

As in the 13th Congress, Roxas expects the bill to be supported unanimously by his colleagues and approved on third reading once more in the Senate.

“Sixteen senators, who were present in the 13th Congress, are already familiar with the elements of this bill. I am also confident that the rest are familiar with the contents of the bill, and would support it for the sake of the public.” he said.

Roxas said that the battle for flexibilities in patent laws on medicines is an international battle, which is winning in various fronts across the globe.

“In the international front, steps are being taken to make life-saving medicines affordable and available to all. We must not be left behind,” Roxas said.

The bill provides a legal mechanism for the importation of cheaper drugs whose patents have not expired locally, otherwise known as parallel importation, already practiced among European Union nations, as well as Japan, Argentina, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam.

He said attempts to do such in the United States, a known bailiwick of multinational pharmaceutical interests, are gaining ground, with the recent approval by the US House of Representatives of a bill effectively allowing the importation of cheaper medicines from abroad.

SB 101 also provides an “early working doctrine” where generic drug manufacturers are allowed to experiment, produce and register patented drugs even prior to expiration of their patents. This doctrine, he noted, has already led to significant price reductions in the US, Japan, Canada, Israel and Thailand.

Lastly, the bill seeks to give government discretion in use of patents when public health is at stake, providing for a framework for the just compensation of the patent holder.

Roxas said supporters of the bill include various stakeholder groups such as the Ayos na Gamot sa Abot-Kayang Presyo (AGAP), the Cut the Cost, Cut the Pain Network (3CPNet), the Third World Network, among other civil society and people’s groups; international organizations such as the World Health Organization and OXFAM International.

And also the local pharmaceutical industry, through the Philippine Chamber of Pharmaceutical Industry (PCPI) and the Drugstores Association of the Philippines (DSAP); as well as government agencies such as the Department of Health and the Department of Trade and Industry, the Intellectual Property Office, the Philippine International Trading Corp. (PITC), among others.

Pharmaceutical firms have allegedly put up as much as P1-billion lobby fund to derail the passage of a bill seeking to reduce medicine prices.

Cebu Rep. Eduardo Gullas warned multinational pharmaceutical firms against carrying out their plan, saying, the government is firm in supporting the “Cheap Medicine Bill.”

"Our people desperately need access to affordable medicine. The new Congress has no other recourse but to quickly pass the bill. It is bad enough that the previous Congress failed to pass the bill," Gullas said.

Gullas earlier introduced House Bill 307, his version of the Cheap Medicine Bill. The measure is comparable to the bill previously introduced by Iloilo Rep. Ferjenel Biron.

Last month, Biron accused multinational drug firms of putting up the money to allegedly “kill” the Cheap Medicine Bill.

Gullas' bill seeks to provide Filipinos increased access to inexpensive drugs by reinforcing the parallel importation scheme of the state-owned and by allowing any entity to import patented drugs sold cheaper in other countries.

Gullas said the country’s health protection remains grossly inadequate, with only one of every three citizens covered by medical insurance.

He said the government's insufficient financial resources have hampered universal health insurance coverage.

As a result, Filipinos have to take out of their own pockets more than 40 percent of all health-related spending, including the purchase of high-priced medicines.

"Congress should promptly relax existing patent rules by declaring that parallel importation will not violate trademarks, as long as the drugs brought in are determined to be genuine counterparts produced in other countries," Gullas said.

"Allowing unrestrained competition is one sure way for Congress to help drive down drug prices, and make them more affordable to most Filipinos."

Based on the finding of previous congressional inquiries, dozens of branded drugs that are now being sold here at prohibitive prices, may in fact be imported and sold here for much less.

For example, a branded amlodipine which costs P44.75 in the Philippines sells only P6 in India. And branded drugs such as Mefenamic acid that costs P20.98 in the country sells for about P2.80 in India and P1.46 in Pakistan.

And same with branded loperamide hydrochloric acid that usually costs P10.70 only sells P1.94 in Pakistan.

The PITC imports about 90 cheap medicines that are being sold to the public through Botika ng Bayan outlets. The 1,345 outlets nationwide will be increased to 2,000 by year's end.

This year, the PITC plans to import from Pakistan and India an additional P500-million worth of medicines, mainly for diabetes, asthma, hypertension, and tuberculosis.

Review Tourists Visa Extension Order, RP Immigration Told

MANILA, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / 11 Aug) - Senator Mar Roxas called on the Bureau of Immigration to review a recent order that allows foreigners to extend their temporary visitors visas up to 16 months, saying this ran counter to the government’s crackdown on terrorism.

“While we are all in favor of courting tourists to visit our country, we must be mindful that too much leniency is also not good for our national security,” Roxas said in a statement sent Saturday to the Mindanao Examiner.

Roxas said that immigration policies should also be attuned to global realities and local concerns such as the campaign against terror and transnational crimes.

He noted efforts around the world to shore up defenses against terrorists and transnational criminal syndicates through immigration reforms and better security and intelligence efforts.

He said it is best to modernize and strengthen the Bureau of Immigration and other frontline agencies that deal with tourists and foreign investors before government loosens its grip on tourist arrivals.

Roxas also pointed out the irony in granting foreigners unhampered and therefore unaccountable freedom to stay in the country for more than a year while government wields the Human Security Act like a sword of Damocles on its people.

“I recall that the Bureau of Immigration made it clear that countless foreign nationals were overstaying. Should we now, as a matter of policy, legitimize these overstaying foreigners, some of who have even managed to set up small businesses in the countryside, by declaring them almost as perpetual tourists?”

But Commissioner Marcelino Libanan, of the Bureau of Immigration, said the extension of temporary visitors’ visas is intended to further promote tourism in the country.

Philippine Solon Honors Slain Teacher, Urges Authorities To Solve Murder

MANILA, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / 09 Aug) – A Filipino senator on Thursday urged authorities to immediately resolve the killing of a public school teacher in Mindanao island in the southern Philippines.

Police said Musa Dimasidsing, school district supervisor in Maguindanao province, was killed on June 9 in his hometown in North Cotabato. Dimasidsing was murdered after exposing alleged poll fraud in Maguindanao.

Despite threats to his life, Dimasidsing testified that ballots for last May’s elections were tampered with.

Senator Mar Roxas said the sacrifice of the slain teacher must not be in vain. Roxas filed a Senate Resolution honoring Dimasidsing.

“The unresolved murder of Dimasidsing is a blot on the nation’s soul and a stern reminder that electoral reforms are needed to strengthen Philippine democracy,” Roxas said.

“To make light of the crime of poll fraud is to make light of the sovereign will of the people in choosing their leaders. Our debt to Musa Dimasidsing, who stood by the truth and in turn defended the people’s right to vote, is immeasurable.”

Dimasidsing, who served as election officer, was one of those that said polls in the province were dirty and marred with cheating and fraud.

Maguindanao, one of four other provinces under the Muslim autonomous region, is where President Gloria Arroyo’s senatorial candidates won by a landslide.

Roxas’ resolution also calls for the Senate to urge the relevant agencies to immediately resolve the case, and for the appropriate Senate committee to conduct an inquiry into the hazards confronting teachers who undertake poll duties.

Dimasidsing, he said, “should be remembered for refusing to let election fraud pass despite risks to his own life.”

The killing was believed connected to Dimasidsing’s exposé to prevent him from testifying about the cheating and fraud allegedly perpetrated by candidates. (Juan Magtanggol)

Solon Urges PGMA To Certify Bill Decriminalizing Libel

MANILA – Philippine Senator Mar Roxas on Thursday said he wanted to strike off from the statute books all criminal liabilities attached to libel and guarantee public access to information to advance the freedom of the press and democratic governance, respectively.

He urged President GMA to certify his bills decriminalizing libel (SB 110) and his Free Information Act (SB 109) to substantiate her avowed commitment to human rights.

“The libel law has been used to inflict fear on journalists already saddled with the threat of physical harm when reporting events to the ire of the high and mighty.”

Civil damages are enough penalty for, and deterrence of libel, he added, considering that it is difficult to prove malice because this issue goes straight to personal motives of the journalist.

“It is ironic that the Philippines, while claiming to be a beacon of democracy in Asia, suffers from vicious shootings of reporters,” he said.

SB 110 also limits the venue for filing libel suits to the regional trial court where the media office or address of the charged journalist is located.

“Presently, one can file a libel suit virtually anywhere and leave a reporter without legal or financial means twisting in the wind, to the whim of the powerful and influential,” Roxas said.

At the same time, Roxas said information on matters of public interest must be readily made available to the people under pain of sanctions against errant government officials and employees illegally hiding secrets from the public.

RP Senate Finally Approves SME Magna Carta Amendments

MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / 06 Jun)- The Philippine Senate has approved on third reading Senate Bill 2593, amending Republic Act 6977 or the Magna Carta for Small Enterprises, to provide greater assistance to the businesses that are the backbone of the economy.

Senator Manuel Roxas II, the proponent of the Senate bill, said that despite SMEs representing 99.6% of the countries’ registered companies, not to mention 70% of the labor force, their contributions to the economy’s growth have amounted to only a little over 30%.

The bill was approved late Tuesday.

He said he foresees this situation changing for the better by increasing financial institutions’ required allocation to SMEs, as well as strengthening the Small Business (SB) Corp., created in 2001 through Executive Order 28, which merged the Small Business Guarantee and Finance Corp. and the Guarantee Fund for Small and Medium Enterprises.

“By shifting the allocation of a portion of credit resources from the bigger, more independent businesses to those smaller ones with untapped potential, more people will be able to truly add to the nation’s progress.”

“Two out of three employees work in SMEs. More growth in this sector means more jobs and opportunities,” Roxas said in a statement sent to the regional newspaper, the Mindanao Examiner.

He said the changes to the SME Magna Carta will encourage entrepreneurs to invest, who will in turn produce more jobs and more wealth. “With each entrepreneur is a promise of hope for the private sector. The effect is exponential. I see no end in sight to what these entrepreneurs, fired up by available prospects, can achieve,” Roxas said.

The SB 2593 will increase the mandatory allocation of credit resources from 6 to 8 percent. The bill will require all public and private lenders to set aside 8 percent (for micro and small enterprises) and 2 percent (for medium enterprises) of their total loan portfolio to be made available to MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises).

The authorized capital stock of the SB Corp. will be increased, from P5 billion, to P10 billion.

Private sector investments in the state corporation will be limited to preferred shares. There will also be a five-year grace period for previous dividend commitments, with succeeding dividends limited to 30% of SB Corp.’s income.

As the House had already passed its counterpart on 3rd reading, both houses are now set to deliberate on reconciling their versions of the measure before the 13th Congress ends this week.

In the southern Philippines, Gov. Sakur Tan of Jolo island welcomed the approval of the bill, saying, it would really help SMEs and provide livelihood to many people.

"This is good and we hope that more important bills would be approved by our lawmakers that will attract investments and provide livelihood to many people," Tan said.

Tan has appealed for local and international investments in Jolo island, which is known for its marine products and coffee beans. (Mindanao Examiner)

Attend Last Session Days, Solon Tells Colleagues

MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / 29 May) - Barely five days to go before the 13th Congress resumes again for the last time, Senator Mar Roxas once more called on his fellow legislators to attend the last three plenary session days and the forthcoming meetings of the Bicameral Conference Committee, to help push the approval of a bill seeking quality and affordable medicines.

“This is a very important piece of health legislation. Providing quality and affordable medicines to our people is a moral imperative. It should no longer be delayed, he said in a statement sent Tueasday to the Mindanao Examiner newspaper.

“I ask my colleagues in both houses of Congress to exercise political will and pass this bill into law before the session ends,” he said.

He noted that next week would be the last chance for legislators who belong to the 13th Congress to address the urgent need of ordinary Filipinos for quality and affordable medicines.

Congress will resume on Monday, June 4, after almost a four-month break, and is expected to adjourn sine die on June 6.

Roxas, who is primary author and sponsor of the bill, also welcomed the active engagement of stakeholder groups in making sure that the landmark legislation is passed within the 13th Congress.

These groups include British aid agency Oxfam, the 3CP Net (Cut the Cost, Cut the Pain Network), AGAP (Ayos na Gamot sa Abot-kayang Presyo), Third World Network, Philippine Legislators Committee on Population and Development (PLCPD) among others.

“I greatly appreciate the activities being organized by stakeholders in support of this bill. These vigilant efforts are very helpful in preventing those who are blocking this bill from succeeding.”

“This snowballing of support makes the quest for cheaper and affordable medicines more worthwhile,” he added.

The Liberal Party stalwart also ensured that a consolidated version of the bill is already underway, as constant communication among the technical staff and with the concerned sectors is being held.

“Even before the bicameral meetings are held, we’ve been in constant communication with our counterparts in the House, with government agencies involved and stakeholder groups, and our staff are doing consolidation of drafts of the bill,” he said.

Provided there is a quorum, the House is expected to pass the bill on 3rd reading on Monday. The Bicameral Conference Committee will then convene to iron-out the disagreeing provisions of the House and Senate versions of the bill.

After which, a Bicameral Conference Committee report proposing a consolidated version of the bill will be transmitted to both Chambers for ratification.

The consolidated version will then be sent to the President for signature. The Senate has approved Senate Bill 2263 on Third Reading on January 31, 2007.

The House of Representatives, meanwhile, has passed its version—House Bill No. 6035—on Second Reading last February 20, 2007.