Press Release
January 9, 2009

ROXAS: 2009 IS LAST YEAR OF GOVT'S BROKEN PROMISES

Liberal President Senator Mar Roxas said today that people must exercise vigilance to make sure that 2009 is the last year of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's failed administration.

"Ito ay isang 'Happy New Year' sa atin, sapagkat ito ay ang huling taon ng pamumuno ni GMA. Siguruhin natin na hindi mapapahaba sa pamamagitan ng Cha-Cha itong termino na puno ng kasinungalingan at anomalya (This is a 'Happy New Year' for us, since it is the last year of GMA's rule. Let's make sure that Cha-Cha doesn't push through and lengthen this term full of lies and anomalies)," he said.

Roxas noted the sweet promises given by Arroyo upon her election in 2004 with the acronym "BEAT THE ODDS," which never materialized and has been all but forgotten.

"Dahil sa kapabayaan ng administrasyong Arroyo, mukhang tayo ang 'beaten up by the odds.' Bugbog sarado ang mga Pilipino (Because of the Arroyo administration's neglect, it looks like it we were 'beaten up by the odds.' Filipinos have been battered and bruised)," he said.

  Pledge Reality
B Balanced Budget Deficit Spending
E Education for all 17 million children out of school
A Automated Elections Budget on hold
T Transportation and Digital Infrastructure NBN-ZTE scandal
T Terminate hostilities with MILF and NPA Botched GRP-MILF MoA and more war on all fronts
H Heal the wounds of EDSAs I, II, and III Deeper partisan conflict due to corruption
E Electricity and water for all 2 out of 3 Filipinos in rural areas still do not have access to potable water (Source: ADB)
O Opportunities for livelihood and ten million jobs Increasing poverty due to inane policies; OFW exodus
D Decongestion of Metro Manila Results? Where?
D Develop Subic and Clark Drugs and smuggling
S    

The Ilonggo senator lamented that even now, with the effects of the financial crisis starting to manifest in the country, Arroyo has been focused on staying in power, by removing term limits in the Constitution through Charter Change.

"Nasaan si GMA sa gitna ng mga kinakaharap nating krisis? Nagluluto ng paraan para manatili sa puwesto? Sa 2009, maaasahan natin na gagawin niya ang lahat, sa pamamagitan ng propaganda at pag-impluwensiya sa Kongreso at Korte Suprema (Where is GMA as we face this crisis? Cooking up another scheme to stay in power? In 2009, we can expect for her to do all she can, through propaganda and influencing Congress and the Supreme Court)," he said.

"Ang totoo ay ginagago tayo (We are being fooled). This is not just about being pro- or anti-Gloria. This is about a government that's taking its citizens for a ride. Tungkol ito sa tama at mali. Gusto ko lang malaman ng taumbayan ang totoong nanangyari (This is about right and wrong. I just want the people to know what's really happening)," he said.

Roxas said the administration's focus on vested interests left it to the Senate to come up with a comprehensive plan to protect the people during the continuing financial turmoil.

He called for P100 billion worth of realignments in the 2009 budget:

  • A one-time income tax credit or refund for four million fixed-income workers worth P5,000 each, or a total of P20 billion. People are going to be experiencing hard times. By putting more money in people's pockets, we will be able to stimulate consumer demand and keep our industries running.
  • P20 billion for the education sector. This will be spent for classroom building, teachers' salaries and training, textbooks.
  • P12 billion funding for a new Health Peace Corps program, which will deploy paid nurses and midwifes to boost health care services, and to employ the surplus in health-care workers as overseas demand slows down.
  • P10 billion to the DSWD's Conditional Cash Transfer program, twice the current amount of P5 billion, to provide more financial assistance to families of children who may be potential dropouts in elementary school.
  • P10 billion in agriculture support, for fertilizers, rehabilitation and maintenance of 1.4 million hectares of irrigated land nationwide.
  • P10-billion allocation for the Development Bank of the Philippines for financial assistance to boost capital and productivity of micro, small and medium enterprises.
  • P3 billion to be allocated to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration to help it deal with the expected return of thousands of OFWs affected by the projected job losses.
  • P10 billion for agencies which are involved in the implementation of the Cheaper Medicines Law.

Roxas has also filed several measures to complement the realigned budget:

  • A three-year temporary increase in insurance for bank deposits;
  • A 90-day moratorium on foreclosures, to protect homeowners unable to pay off their loans or mortgages;
  • Elimination of penalties for early withdrawals with a term of five years and below;
  • Income tax credit for employers, worth 30% the gross annual salary per additional regular or permanent employee hired, for three years after effectivity of the proposed law.
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