Para humandusay ang korapsiyon, dapat na tiyakin na kongkreto ang mga ebidensiyang laman ng mga katiwaliang isisiwalat.
Ito ang isiniwalat ni Senador Panfilo Lacson na payo nilang dalawa ni Senate President Vicente Sotto III kay Senador Manny Pacquiao sa hangad nitong magsiwalat ng mga katiwalian sa loob ng sangay ng Ehekutibo.
“Our advice to him was to make sure the evidence he has is substantial, because if just one item in his expose turns out to be lacking or baseless, that is what the public will remember,” banggit ni Lacson sa panayam ng DZRH radio nitong Biyernes.
To land a knockout against corruption, make sure all your exposes are backed by solid evidence.
Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson said this was his and Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III’s advice to Sen. Emmanuel Pacquiao in exposing instances of corruption in the government.
“Our advice to him was to make sure the evidence he has is substantial, because if just one item in his expose turns out to be lacking or baseless, that is what the public will remember,” Lacson said in an interview on DZRH radio Friday, a day after he and Sotto met with Pacquiao at the Office of the Senate President.
Ang mabibigat na tanong na ito ang isiniwalat ni Senador Panfilo Lacson sa mga nagbabalak tumakbo sa pampanguluhang halalan sa 2022.
Hindi matatawaran ang bigat ng problema na patuloy na binubuno ng mga Pinoy kabilang na ang kalagayan ng Bulkang Taal, bukod pa sa mga nauna at hanggang ngayon ay mga problema tulad ng mga epekto ng pandemya, ayon kay Lacson.
“On the one hand, you have to make sure you are in the conversation and be in a position to win in the first place. But more importantly, you have to get a firm grasp of the problems besetting the country because what if you win, and you’re unprepared to face the problems? These are two equally important questions you have to ask yourself,” banggit ni Lacson sa panayam ng DZRH radio.
Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson on Friday posed these two critical questions to those wanting to lead at least 110 million Filipinos in 2022.
Lacson also stressed the seriousness of the problems facing the country, with the situation at Taal Volcano adding to the list.
“On the one hand, you have to make sure you are in the conversation and be in a position to win in the first place. But more importantly, you have to get a firm grasp of the problems besetting the country because what if you win, and you’re unprepared to face the problems? These are two equally important questions you have to ask yourself,” Lacson said in an interview on DZRH radio.
Bago pa man ikonsidera ang pag-aarmas sa mga civilian “volunteers” para maawat ang paglaganap ng krimen, dapat ipakita muna ng Philippine National Police (PNP) na kaya nitong protektahan ang publiko, ayon kay Senador Panfilo Lacson.
Ayon kay Lacson na namuno sa PNP taong 1999 hanggang 2001, dapat maging mas mahigpit ang PNP sa pag-isyu ng Permits to Carry Firearms Outside Residences (PTCFORs) sa mga sibliyan kabilang na ang mga senador, kongresman at iba pang matataas na opisyal ng pamahalaan.
“The PNP should make it a point first to show that it is efficient, professional, and competent to protect civilians on the streets from malefactors – including those with unlicensed guns and irresponsible gun holders that make them a threat – before it issues PTCFORs to deputize civilian ‘volunteers’ as force multipliers,” paliwanag ni Lacson sa panayam ng Teleradyo.
“Otherwise, the public would wonder if the PNP is that helpless to ask for help from civilians,” dagdag ng mambabatas. “Besides, we do not want guns to end up with those prone to road rage and similar incidents.”
Before entertaining thoughts of arming civilian “volunteers” to help stop criminality, the Philippine National Police (PNP) should focus on showing it can protect them, Senator and former PNP Chief Panfilo M. Lacson said.
Lacson also reiterated the PNP must be stricter especially in issuing Permits to Carry Firearms Outside Residences (PTCFORs) to civilians including senators, congressmen and other ranking government officials.
“The PNP should make it a point first to show that it is efficient, professional, and competent to protect civilians on the streets from malefactors – including those with unlicensed guns and irresponsible gun holders that make them a threat – before it issues PTCFORs to deputize civilian ‘volunteers’ as force multipliers,” Lacson, who headed the PNP from 1999 to 2001, said in an interview on TeleRadyo.
“Otherwise, the public would wonder if the PNP is that helpless to ask for help from civilians,” he added. “Besides, we do not want guns to end up with those prone to road rage and similar incidents.”
Isinusulong ni Senador Panfilo Lacson ang malalimang imbestigasyon ng Senado sa isang sindikatong “tong-pats” sa loob ng Department of Agriculture, na makikinabang sa rekomendasyon ng ahensya na ibaba ang taripa at taasan ang minimum access volume (MAV) ng imported na baboy dahil sa African Swine Fever (ASF).
Ito ay makaraang makarating sa kaalaman ng mambabatas ang impormasyong limpak-limpak ang “tong-pats” na nakokolekta ng ilang mapagsamantalang nasa gobyerno, habang malalagay sa alanganin o tuluyan nang pagkamatay ang lokal na industriya ng babuyan sa bansa, bukod pa sa malaking halagang nawawala sa ekonomiya at manganganib ang kalusugan ng publiko.
“We should unmask who is/are behind this scheme no matter how powerful and influential he may be with this administration. I want to see even a whiff of enthusiasm from the President to order the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission and other concerned agencies to investigate, not to mention heed the call of the Senate to disapprove the DA’s recommendation to reduce the tariff and increase the volume of pork importation. Let’s see,” mariing pahayag ni Lacson.
Nakipag-ugnayan na rin ang mambabatas sa pamunuan ng Mataas na Kapulungan kaugnay sa kanyang hangarin.
“I have talked to Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III to have the Senate look into this, so we can get the documents we need. So far, we have received documents from the Bureau of Customs and DA. Still, we need more data to get to the bottom of the anomaly,” paliwanag ni Lacson sa panayam sa TeleRadyo.
Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson pushed Tuesday for a Senate investigation into the activities of a syndicate within the Department of Agriculture that stands to gain billions of pesos in “tong-pats” from the DA’s recommendation to lower tariff rates on – and to increase the minimum access volume (MAV) of – imported pork products due to the severe impact of African Swine Fever (ASF) on the swine industry.
Lacson said the anomalies amount to a triple whammy that threatens to kill our local hog industry while raising health concerns and costing the government forgone revenues.
“We should unmask who is/are behind this scheme no matter how powerful and influential he may be with this administration. I want to see even a whiff of enthusiasm from the President to order the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission and other concerned agencies to investigate, not to mention heed the call of the Senate to disapprove the DA’s recommendation to reduce the tariff and increase the volume of pork importation. Let’s see,” Lacson said.
“I have talked to Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III to have the Senate look into this, so we can get the documents we need. So far, we have received documents from the Bureau of Customs and DA. Still, we need more data to get to the bottom of the anomaly,” he added in an interview on TeleRadyo.
Dapat na pagtuunan ng pansin ng PhilHealth ang paglilinis sa aspetong pananalapi laban sa katiwalian at kawalan ng kakayahan, habang ipinagliban ang mas mataas na singil sa kontribusyon ng mga miyembro nito.
Ayon kay Senador Panfilo Lacson, hindi tamang lagakan ng karagdagang pondo ang ahensiya buhat sa kontribusyon ng mga miyembro hanggang hindi pa natitiyak na hindi mapupunta lamang sa mga bulsa ng kung sino ang mga ito.
Idiniin ng senador na maling-mali ang pagpapataw ng karagdagang singil sa mga miyembro kung babalikan ang mga nakaraang karima-rimarim na naganap sa kaban ng ahensiya buhat sa mga kamay ng mga dating nangasiwa.
“It is right to defer the premium hike, at least so that it can review its procedures to get rid of corruption and incompetence. Why punish members with higher premiums for the benefit of the corrupt and the incompetent?” banggit ng mambabatas sa panayam ng TeleRadyo.
“Hiking the premium for individual members is extremely ill-advised, especially as we have yet to resolve where the money lost to corruption went,” diin ng senador.
The deferment of the increase in monthly premium payments of Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) members should allow the state insurer the needed time to rid itself of incompetence and corruption, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson said Tuesday.
Lacson said the plan to increase premiums for PhilHealth members is very ill-advised especially due to the huge losses it incurred due to the two scourges.
“It is right to defer the premium hike, at least so that it can review its procedures to get rid of corruption and incompetence. Why punish members with higher premiums for the benefit of the corrupt and the incompetent?” he said in an interview on TeleRadyo.
“Hiking the premium for individual members is extremely ill-advised, especially as we have yet to resolve where the money lost to corruption went,” he added.
Ito, ayon kay Senador Panfilo Lacson, ang unang dapat na isinasaalang-alang ng Department of Health (DOH) at Food and Drug Administration (FDA) para sa paggagawad na ng compassionate special permits upang makapasok sa bansa ang mga COVID-19 vaccines sa lalong madaling panahon.
“Why don’t they exercise their power to issue a compassionate special permit? Their officials keep claiming they are still conducting studies. Mamamatay tayo sa ka-study eh,” mariing pahayag ni Lacson sa panayam ng TeleRadyo.
Ayon sa mambabatas, walang ibang pinakamainam na gawin ang mga nabanggit na ahensiya kundi ang agarang pagpayag na makapasok sa bansa ang mga bakuna.
“We have to start the rollout of the vaccines soonest. Kahiya-hiya ang nangyayari sa atin,” banggit ni Lacson.
It is high time the Department of Health and Food and Drug Administration show a sense of urgency in procuring COVID vaccines, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson said Tuesday.
Lacson said the DOH and FDA should exercise their power to issue compassionate special permits especially for those who most need them.
“Why don’t they exercise their power to issue a compassionate special permit? Their officials keep claiming they are still conducting studies. Mamamatay tayo sa ka-study eh,” he said in an interview on TeleRadyo.
“We have to start the rollout of the vaccines soonest. Kahiya-hiya ang nangyayari sa atin,” he added.
Atty. del Rosario’s irrevocable resignation is one of many reasons to hope for some good things to come in view of the ongoing DOJ-led Task Force investigating the recent PhilHealth anomalies. The paying members and all taxpayers who contribute to the state health insurance fund surely deserve a break from the cyclical corruption involving its top executives.
DOJ Sec. Guevarra being on top of the situation, with full support being extended by the President, is something that we did not see in past investigations of PhilHealth anomalies.
We can only pray and hope that the renewed effort will be sustained all the way to its logical conclusion.
On PCEO Ricardo Morales:
I feel sorry for PCEO Morales, not for anything else but for his health condition. I hate to think that the stress brought about by the intense hearings of the Senate Committee of the Whole may have taken a toll on his already infirm health condition.
In spite of his possible complicity that could make him face some serious legal problems stemming from the report of the Senate Committee of the Whole, I still wish that he wins his bout against cancer and recovers.
More than rectifying the wrong implementation of the IRM Circular 2020-0007, the accountable officers of PhilHealth who were responsible for the advance payments worth billions of pesos from March to July made to unauthorized HCIs like dialysis centers, maternity care providers, etc., should be made criminally and administratively liable for malversation of public funds (or property) under Art. 217, Chapter 4 of the Revised Penal Code as amended by Sec. 40 or RA 10951, which carries the penalty of reclusion perpetua if the amount involved is in excess of P8.8 million.
The evidence supported by official documents and testimonies provided by resource persons who testified under oath so far gathered by the Senate Committee of the Whole during the threeweeklyhearings are enough to indict people responsible directly or otherwise.
Without tough punitive action against those involved in such shenanigans, we may never see the end of the vicious cycle of corruption that has plagued PhilHealth.
