Roxas, Legarda 'face off' on pro-poor stance at ABS-CBN's VP debate
Mar leads in terms of 'believability' ratings
MANILA, Philippines – Liberal Party bet Manuel “Mar” Roxas II endured a tough “grilling” by his closest rival in the vice presidential race in a debate in Manila on Sunday.
Roxas answered questions raised by Nationalist People's Coalition candidate Sen. Loren Legarda on land reform, party allegiance and alleged inconsistencies in his pro-poor stance during ABS-CBN's Harapan: The Vice-Presidential Debate aired live over Channel 2, ANC, Studio 23, and abs-cbnNEWS.com.
Legarda, who has been trailing Roxas in election surveys, accused Roxas of “watering down” the Cheaper Medicines Act by blocking drug price regulation and supporting the Expanded Value-Added Tax law that she claims worsened poverty.
Roxas voted for the EVAT law in 2005, but later pushed for tax exemptions on oil products and medicines for senior citizens. He was also the Cheaper Medicines Act’s primary author.
The Liberal Party bet shrugged off Legarda’s claims, saying these were non-issues that he and his family “listened to but sometimes laughed at.”
Roxas said that creating a board to regulate drug prices, as suggested by Legarda, would only add to the crop of “corrupt” regulatory boards in government.
He reminded Legarda that the Cheaper Medicines Act had effectively reduced the prices of medicines like Lipitor, which Legarda takes weekly to treat high cholesterol.
“[Meanwhile,] VAT will fund all the services that government should be giving,” he added.
“There is nothing wrong with raises taxes. What is wrong if these taxes are not used to benefit the people.”
Land reform case
Legarda also asked why Roxas’s family—who owns vast tracts of land in the country—had not distributed 1,600 hectares of land to farmers in Montalban, Rizal under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
Roxas said he supports land reform, having voted in favor of CARP and its 5-year extension last 2009.
He declined to comment further, however, since a case involving the distribution of Rizal land is still pending before the Supreme Court.
Both Roxas and LP standard-bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III have been the subject of land reform issues this elections, as they both come from landowning families.
In a heated exchange, Legarda also accused Roxas and the Liberal Party of having fickle party allegiances.
She cited how Roxas became a trade secretary under former President Joseph Estrada and President Gloria Arroyo—only to support their ouster later on.
“People wonder why the LP always ally themselves with whoever is in power, whoever is in [a powerful] position,” she told a smirking Roxas.
Roxas hit back at Legarda, who has jumped from one political party to another throughout her career. “First of all, people who don’t follow party lines or policies, I think, don’t know how to discipline themselves,” he said in Filipino.
Roxas stressed that he has always been part of the Liberal Party, a political party that his grandfather helped found in 1945.
He said he withdrew support from Arroyo because he later recognized her wrongdoing in government. Roxas claimed that, as Cabinet member, he had performed his duty regardless of who appointed him there.
“I have only one boss—the Filipino people,” he said.
Irrigation, anti-corruption
A farmer and teacher also got to ask each vice presidential candidate a question about pressing issues in the agriculture and education sector, respectively.
Asked by Nueva Ecija farmer Poling Magbitang about the LP’s plans to help farmers during El Niño (intense heatwaves that damage crops), Roxas said they will fund irrigation systems.
The LP suggests halting the importation of crops, especially rice, to allow domestic farmers to earn money, and boosting loan systems so farmers are not forced to sell their goods at low prices to traders.
Roxas also reiterated the party’s education program, that focuses on funneling funds saved from anti-corruption to the needs of the education sector.
Meanwhile, Legarda continued to take potshots at Roxas. While answering teacher Letty’s question on quality education, she mentioned that Roxas’s Senate committee on education had not yet passed a bill she filed that aims to increase teachers’ wages.
Viewers who aired their opinions on social networking site Twitter remarked that Legarda showed poor form by constantly attacking Roxas.
Others, however, thought the VP frontrunner deserved to be placed in the hot seat so voters could determine his stance on issues.
Vice presidential candidates who joined the festive debate were Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay (Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino), Bayani Fernando (Bagumbayan Party), Atty. Perfecto Yasay (Bangon Pilipinas), and Jay Sonza (Kilusang Bagong Lipunan).
Lakas-Kampi-CMD vice presidential candidates Edu Manzano reportedly declined to join the debate.
80 to 90% 'trust'
Roxas enjoyed one of the highest “believability” ratings at the Harapan debate as he answered controversies raised by fellow candidates, primarily Legarda.
Randomly-selected audience members from Metro Manila and Naga in Luzon, Cebu in the Visayas, and Davao City in Mindanao, who were tuned in to the debate were given a total of 180 remote devices to rate each candidate's believability.
Participants were given 5 seconds to rate how believable they thought each candidate was in answering particular questions raised during the forum.
Roxas consistently garnered high votes throughout the evening, with no less than 80 to 90% of an unspecified number of audiences saying they believed him when he answered particular questions.
He also led by a wide margin over other vice presidential candidates in informal online and text polls conducted among more than 2,900 users tuned in to the forum that ended well past midnight on March 22, 2010.
More than half (55%) of online users and 57% of text voters chose Roxas as the most believable candidate among those who joined the debate.
Binay and Fernando were tied at second place in the online poll at 14% each, followed by Yasay at 9% and Legarda at 5%.
Meanwhile, Binay placed second in the text poll at 15%, closely followed by Fernando at 13% and Yasay at 8%.
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FALSE ACCUSATION FROM JAIHO
UPDATED AND MY REVISED VERSION IN RESPONSE TO ALL THE VILLAROYO LOSERS WHO ARE LOSING THEIR GRIP!
Nothing could be more hypocritical than the Nacionalista Party’s (NP’s) motto, “noon at ngayon marangal.” As we push towards the final month before election day, the steady stream of hardcore GMA allies going to NP goes on unabated. There is truth to Manny Villaroyo
But the Villaroyo partnership is not of two powerful individuals, not of Gloria Arroyo and Manny Villar. The partnership is among Gloria allies and Villaroyo allies who were once under one roof, shared the same spoils and played the same policy tunes. It is just like one person having two personas who are in a love-hate relationship but agreed in the end that they both want the ring. It seems the more appropriate battlecry for Manny Villaroyo is “Malacanang-My Precious.” The Gloria allies and Manny Villaroyo allies are Manny Villaroyo's two personas.
Which begs the question: Is Manny Villaroyo really in control of his party? Or do the puppet masters behind him already have an understanding with the power brokers of GMA that no matter what, tuloy ang ligaya. Anyway wala na si GMA sa Malacañang. Nasa Congress na. As it is laid out, the same machinery and interests which benefited from a GMA-Villaroyo-NP regime in 2001-2005 will also stand to benefit in an Villaroyo-NP-GMA regime in 2010-2016 if ever. No policy shifts. No program overhauls. No new faces. Land grabbing (Adelfa Properties) stays monkey business as usual . TOPAK or "Trapos, Oportunistas, and Villaroyo's parasites and leeches Inc." reverberates a thousand fold till the next presidential elections. A Manny Villaroyo presidency is another six years of GMA allies and former allies. Another six years of failed policies and false promises. Just look at the familiar faces in NP—they are too glaring not to see.
“Noon at Ngayon, the Nacionalista and kampi are Garapal….sa kapangyarihan
Mar Roxas 'pekeng' awtor ng Cheaper Medicine Bill
If a fish is caught by its mouth, so was Sen. Mar Roxas when he was caught lying on cheap drug issue in a move that is intended to promote the interest of multinational companies, not the ordinary Filipino.
This is according to the man who first filed the cheaper medicine bill in the 13th Congress when he was still a representative who described Roxas as “not the author but the murderer of the Cheaper Medicine Act.”
Former Rep. and now Iloilo Vice Gov. Rolex Suplico was referring to the press statement issued last Thursday (March 25) by Roxas claiming to be the “primary author” of the Cheaper Medicine Act which the latter claims to have reduced prices of “200 crucial medicines.” The press statement was also posted the same day on the Senate Web site.
Suplico, whose bill was filed even before Roxas became senator, stressed the bill that the latter filed in the 14th Congress (SB 101) was only to allow parallel importation of medicines which would have benefitted more the multinational drug companies.
“I coined the name ‘cheaper medicines’ law, not Mar,” he said.
Suplico, now campaigning to return to his old congressional seat, said Roxas lobbied to make optional and no longer mandatory the price regulation on medicine in the compromise legislation.
“He (Roxas) was trying to protect the multinational companies,” he said. “He was trying to soften the blow.”
Suplico noted that there were reports that multinational companies put up a P1 billion lobby fund, as exposed by other solons like Party-list Rep. Riza Hontiveros-Baraquel, to emasculate, if not kill, price control of drugs.
“I dont know if Senator Roxas received anything, but I am sure I did not get a single centavo,” he said.
Suplico revealed that Roxas got his way in emasculating the original proposal allegedly by threatening that no cheaper medicine bill will be passed as long as he was the Senate trade committee chairman.
This law did not result in the reduction of prices of 200 medicines but only of 22 drugs, said Suplico who stressed that fact can be verified with the Department of Health and is of public record.
The Suplico bill, which was later refiled by Rep. Ferjenel Biron and adopted by the House, sought automatic price regulation of items in the Philippine Drug Formulary which could have resulted in the prise reduction of 1,500 medicines and not just 22 or 200.
Further, the House version would have reduced medicine prices by 80-90 percent, not just 50 percent in accordance with the watered-down law caused by the lobbying efforts of Roxas, Suplico said.
He cited Lipitor, a cholesterol-lowering drug, whose price went down from P44 each tablet to P22 after the law was passed, could have cost only P4.40 each.
HAHAHA!!!
Huli ka Mar Roxas! Isa kang tunay na palenkerong manloloko ng pekeng gamot mu.
IBASURA ANG KANDIDATURA NG PEKENG PALENGKERONG MANLOLOKO NA SI MAR ROXAS
LOREN jinx
napaka malas ka partner yan si pokpok.. lahat ng ka tandem nya nataTalo and after 1 year PEPOK pa
greediness..
GREEDINESS SA INGLISH, KAHAKOG SA BISAYA, GAHAMAN SA TAGALOG TAWAG DUN... LOL...KAHIT SINO PANG PONCIO PILATO ANG ME ARI NG MGA MALALAKING LUPAIN NG PINAS STILL SA GOBYERNO PA RIN YAN... KAYA NGA GUSTO NG GOBYERNO NA MAGING PATAS AT PANTAY PANTAY ANG MGA MAMAMAYAN KAYA NA IMPLEMENT ANG LAND REFORM... NAKINABANG NA LAHI NYO, LAHAT NG PAGMAMAY ARI NATIN SA PINAS AY PINAHIRAM LAMANG SAYO... (KAHIT 4FT UNDERGROUND SA SEMENTERYO) KAYA MAMAHAGI AT IBALIK NATIN SA TUNAY NA NAGMAMAY ARI (SILA ANG MGA NAGHIHIRAP NA NAGPAPAALIPIN SA SARILING LUPAIN... ANG SAMBAYANANG PILIPINAS ANG TUNAY NA NAG MAY-ARI NG MGA LUPAIN)... KAYA LALONG NAGHIHIRAP ANG PINAS GAWA NG MGA TAONG ITO NA SARILI LANG INIISIP WALANG SATISFACTION... YAN BA ANG TUNAY NA PUBLIC SERVANT (KUNO) NA TATAKBONG LIDER NG PILIPINAS? MAG ISIP NGA KAYO KUNG ME MGA UTAK ULO NINYO...
Mar 'pekeng' awtor ng Cheaper Medicine Bill
Mar 'pekeng' awtor ng Cheaper Medicine Bill...nagyabang na itong si Roxas....Si Suplico pala ang tunay na may akda nito...Masyado nang naloloko ang taumbayan niyang si Roxas kaya dapat lang na palagan na yan.....Ngayon....ang tanong....patunayan mo Roxas na ikaw nga ang author ng cheaper medicines law para hindi ka iwanan ng supporters mo. Puro ka kasi kayabangan!
HA!
LEGARDA IS MAKING HERSELF KNOWN TO US AS USELESS AND WORTHLESS. SHE IS ONLY GOOD AT MUDSLINGING AND PROMOTING BLACK PROPAGANDA....
SCENARIO:
LET SEE IF I OWN A LAND AND WORK HARD TO ACQUIRED THAT LAND WHY WOULD I GIVE IT AWAY FOR LAND REFORM? ROXAS AND AQUINO HAVE ACQUIRED THEIR LANDS THROUGH THEIR GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER. THEY ARE RICH WAY BEFORE WE WERE BORN.. AND WHY DO THEY HAVE TO BE PUNISH FOR NOT GIVING AWAY THEIR LAND? LAND REFORM SHOULD BE BY CHOICE NOT BY FORCE. THEY BUILT UP THEIR EMPIRE AND WEALTH THROUGH HARD WORK FROM THEIR GREAT GRANDPARENTS THEY DESERVE TO OWN THAT BECAUSE IT WAS ACQUIRED WITH LEGAL TITLE. AS LONG AS THEY DID NOT GRAB (VILLAROYO) IT FROM THE POOR FARMERS. THE REASON WHY THESE PEOPLE ARE RICH ITS BECAUSE THEY WORK HARD AND THEY ARE NOT LAZY. I WOULD NEVER GIVE MY LAND FOR FREE NOT UNLESS MY TENANT SERVED WITH ME FOR A LONG TIME AND EVEN THAT, IT IS MY CHOICE TO GIVE IT AWAY MY INHERITANCE BUT NOT FOR THE FARMERS/TENANTS/SERVANTS DICTATING ME TO GIVE MY LAND TO THEM BECAUSE THEY DESERVE IT.. .....NO NO NO.... IN THE BIBLE, NO SERVANTS INHERITED LANDS FROM KINGS.
I LIKE HOW ROXAS RESPONDED TO LEGARDA:
Roxas said that creating a board to regulate drug prices, as suggested by Legarda, would only add to the crop of “corrupt” regulatory boards in government.
He reminded Legarda that the Cheaper Medicines Act had effectively reduced the prices of medicines like Lipitor, which Legarda takes weekly to treat high cholesterol. HAHAHAHAHA.....
“[Meanwhile,] VAT will fund all the services that government should be giving,” he added. VERY VERY TRUE.... GENERALLY SPEAKING==>THAT'S WHERE WE GET OUR BUDGET FOR OUR INFRASTRUCTURE'S AND OTHER PUBLIC AND SOCIAL SERVICES
There is nothing wrong with raises taxes. What is wrong if these taxes are not used to benefit the people.” THAT IS TRUE AS LONG AS THE TAXES WON'T GO TO THE POCKET OF THE LEECHES AND PARASITES LIKE YOU LEGARDA.
ERAP PA RIN MGA UNGAS!!!
Kahit ano ang gawin ninyong mga pa-survery-survey at pa-face-off - face-off ninyo para lamang maiangat ang mga kandidatura ng mga bulok ninyo kandidatong mga tuta rin lang naman ni Gloria Arroyo na sina Villiarroyo, Aquinorroyo, Teodorroyo at Gordonorroyo ay magsi-tigil!!!
Alam na ng tao ang mga sena-senaryo, moro-moro at mga sarsuelang ka-ek-ekang pulitika ng mga sosyalerang may tulo kaya sori na lang kayo dahil malapit na ang paghuhukom ng sambayanang Pilipino. Mandaya pa kayo sa Comelec automated poll wah silbi. DAHIL UNGASING UNGAS KAYONG MGA SOSYALERANG TULO.
MGABWAYAHAHAHA!!!
ERAP PA RIN MGA UNGAS!!!
Kahit ano ang gawin ninyong mga pa-survery-survey at pa-face-off - face-off ninyo para lamang maiangat ang mga kandidatura ng mga bulok ninyo kandidatong mga tuta rin lang naman ni Gloria Arroyo na sina Villiarroyo, Aquinorroyo, Teodorroyo at Gordonorroyo ay magsi-tigil!!!
Alam na ng tao ang mga sena-senaryo, moro-moro at mga sarsuelang ka-ek-ekang pulitika ng mga sosyalerang may tulo kaya sori na lang kayo dahil malapit na ang paghuhukom ng sambayanang Pilipino. Mandaya pa kayo sa Comelec automated poll wah silbi. DAHIL UNGASING UNGAS KAYONG MGA SOSYALERANG TULO.
MGABWAYAHAHAHA!!!
STOP THE FACE OFF PLEASE
Huwag nyo na lang kayang ituloy and debate on pro-poor stance na yan para sa 2 VP aspirants. Kasi pareho lang naman yan walang pakialam sa mga mahirap, pareho sila ng qualities, mga pang commercial model at product indorser.
Pareho rin sila di dapat maging VP. pareho rin sila walang outstanding accomplishment as senator. Pareho lang sila maganda ang ginagawa sa harap ng camera na ang script ay yong gusto rin nilang maging image nila na malayo naman sa katauhan, kakayahan at ginagawa nila.
what's the use of this
what's the use of this debate?? may natatanggal ba? wala! walang napupuntahan ang debate na yan!