Press statement of Senator Loren Legarda

The bombings must stop

The blame game on who are behind the recent spate of bombings in the country, especially in Mindanao, must stop. Instead of brushing aside speculations that government may have something to do with them, the administration must do its duty to - number one, stop future attacks through diligent intelligence work by the police and military; and, number two, by bringing before the bar of justice those responsible for the attacks that had already been committed.

People have already been killed and injured by these bombings and the attacks must stop no matter what the motivations may be behind them. If they had been carried out by those in government, they must realize that the people can easily see through such a ploy to foment destabilization as a precursor to declaring a state of emergency or martial rule. They must not take Filipinos as na�ve because, in fact, our countrymen have become too jaded politically from our rich historical experiences.

Breast cancer is the real issue

Much had been made about the visit of President Arroyo to a hospital, but we should be aware that there are things that are private and personal even when it comes to public figures. The confidential relationship between a doctor and a patient must always be respected, unless a medical condition as in the case of the President is already interfering with her performance as a public official.

Speaking in the abstract, whether we are talking about breast implants or a woman's concern about breast cancer, that is a matter whose public disclosure rests solely on the concerned party. Breast cancer, as one of the leading killers of women worldwide, is a life and death concern of every woman, who must be given by society the very basic respect of being allowed to deal with it privately, if she so desires, or publicly, if her intention is to raise public awareness on the killer disease.

On 'overpricing' of imported rice

Department of Agriculture officials have maintained that, contrary to a published report, no overpricing had attended our importation of rice from Vietnam. As chair of the Senate Committee on Food and Agriculture, this is precisely the reason why I suggested that a hearing be held over this matter.

When faced by contending claims, we must try to sift through the facts to determine the truth, especially since the issue concerns the supply of our staple food and the use of taxpayers' money in importing the same. There is a need to look into the matter dispassionately and objectively by calling in all parties concerned to air their sides. Besides we must review our rice policy with a view to stopping dependence on rice importation and strive for rice self-sufficiency.