Gibo calls for stable policies to support investments

MANILA, Philippines — Former defense secretary and senatorial candidate Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro has urged the government to provide stable investment policies to complement the passage of three key economic bills aimed at attracting foreign businesses into the country.

Teodoro, who has vast experience in both public and private sectors, made the statement as President Duterte signed into law the amendments to the Public Service Act (PSA). The newly enacted law is part of the three key economic bills of the government to relax rules for foreign enterprises wanting to do business in the Philippines. The two other laws are the Retail Trade Liberalization Law and the Foreign Investment Law signed in December 2021 and February 2022, respectively.

“Now that we have eased the rules to attract foreign investments, the government should ensure that future regulations are consistent with the laws,” the former Tarlac congressman and 1989 Bar topnotcher said.

Once seated in the Senate, Teodoro said he would pursue the Project Repeal of the government, which aims to revoke outdated rules and unnecessary laws that affect the country’s investment climate.

“We have opened our doors to foreign investors to contribute to our economic and jobs recovery. Now, we have to ensure that their investments are safe here by providing a stable policy environment for all businesses,” the senatorial candidate said.

Eleazar pushes food security

For former police chief and senatorial candidate Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, the creation of a food security cluster will help the agriculture sector in securing food products

Reports of massive wastage and spoilage of harvests have frustrated farmers and fishermen the past years, Eleazar said.

“In an agrcultural country like the Philippines, it is sad to note that farmers and fishermen are the ones who don’t have food to eat,” he said in Filipino.

“We have to raise their dignity. One of the things I’m thinking of is to create a food security cluster to help them bring their products to different places, especially in cities,” the Partido Reporma senatorial bet added.

More importantly, he said the agricultural sector should be assured that their products would be bought so that they can earn and recover their capital.

Eleazar echoed the suggestion of the Lacson-Sotto tandem that the government should buy at least 50 percent of all agricultural products of farmers and fishermen.

Recently, onion farmers in Nueva Ecija were forced to throw their harvests as not all of their products were bought by traders.

The excess products could not also be delivered by farmers to potential buyers in other places because of the additional cost of transport.

Safeguard Pinoys’ rights – Roque

UniTeam senatorial aspirant Harry Roque wants more protection for internally displaced persons (IDPs) of calamities and insurgencies, noting an annual average of 3.6 million Filipinos displaced by disasters from 2011 to 2020.

If elected, Roque said his first Senate bill would be a supplemental budget to the 2022 General Appropriations Act to help victims of Typhoon Odette rebuild their lives and livelihoods.

In February, the Department of Social Welfare and Development reported that there are still 99,560 displaced persons in the Visayas, Mindanao, Mimaropa and Caraga. They are living in evacuation areas or staying with relatives or friends.

Roque said he would reintroduce the “Rights of Internally Displaced Persons” measure detailing IDP rights and entitlements. As a former party-list representative in the 17th Congress, he filed this under House Bill 222.

The human rights and health advocate describes IDPs as Filipinos forced to evacuate or expelled from their homes within the national borders by long-standing armed conflict and humanitarian emergencies.

Gutoc backs move for Rody to endorse Isko

Senatorial candidate Samira Gutoc is supporting the moves of her party Aksyon Demoktratiko and standard bearer Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso to woo the endorsement of President Duterte and welcome his propagandists such as controversial performer-turned-politician Mocha Uson.

In an interview with “The Chiefs” on One News, Gutoc sought to downplay her public embrace of Uson in a recent campaign gathering in Cavite despite criticisms thrown at her by the social media influencer during her first bid for a Senate seat in 2016.

Uson had earlier announced her endorsement of Domagoso as her bet for president in the May 9 polls.

Gutoc said she chose to welcome Uson and see her endorsement of Domagoso as a victory of their party.

“It means we got to be convincing of our principles, philosophy as a party. The party is something she read through. It means we were convincing,” Gutoc said.

Trillanes wants post-COVID economic program

Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV, who is making a comeback bid in the Senate, wants to see the triumph of Vice President Leni Robredo in her presidential bid and work on the passage of a law providing a post COVID-19 economic recovery package.

In an interview with “The Chiefs” on Wednesday, Trillanes said he is optimistic Robredo would win as an economic recovery package is critical for the country to recover from the “dismal economy to be left behind by President Duterte.”

Next priority in his legislative agenda, Trillanes said, is to address the worsening corruption that has plagued the government during Duterte’s term.

Trillanes said that his next proposed law is to make the mandatory livestreaming of all public biddings in government agencies and institutions.

Mandanas backs Villar

Meanwhile, Batangas Gov. Hermilando Mandanas announced his endorsement of the Senate bid of former public works secretary Mark Villar.

Aside from Villar, Mandanas also expressed his support for the senatorial candidacy of Teodoro and the reelection bid of Batangas Vice Gov. Jose Antonio Leviste II.

Both Teodoro and Villar are in the Unity Team senatorial slate of presidential candidate former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his running mate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.

Mandanas raised the hands of Villar, Teodoro and Leviste in a political gathering at the Lipa City Youth and Cultural Center in Batangas on Tuesday.