GIBO SET TO DEBATE W/ PRESIDENTIAL BETS / NOYNOY BUCKS
SPECIAL POWERS
MANILA, FEBRUARY 21, 2010
(STAR) By Jaime Laude - Lakas-Kampi-CMD presidential
candidate Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. assured voters yesterday that he is ready
to hold debates with other presidential bets.
Teodoro had earlier said that he doesn’t need to debate with anybody because he has already publicly laid down his platform of governance.
“It’s just fine with me, I am willing to engage any one of them (bets) in an open debate, provided it does not interfere with my campaign schedule,” Teodoro said during in an interview at ABS-CBN morning show “Umagang Kay Ganda.”
His statement was made in response to the question on whether he is ready to debate with Senators Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and Manny Villar.
Teodoro expressed confidence that his platform of governance, which already attracted a following among the youth sector, will be the best for the country.
Gibo ‘impressive’ but Arroyo link a ‘turn-off’ REPORT AND PHOTO By Kristine Servando, Newsbreak | ABS-CBN NEWS ONLINE 02/18/2010 8:36 PM -
[PHOTO
AT LEFT - Gilbert Teodoro and his wife, Nikki Prieto-Teodoro, who cheered him on
at the MBC forum]
MANILA, Philippines – He may have a sound economic platform, but presidential candidate Gilberto Teodoro Jr.’s link to an unpopular president still proves worrisome to influential business leaders.
Teodoro had presented his business agenda before executives and dignitaries at the third and last Makati Business Club (MBC) General Membership meeting on Thursday.
Previous presidential candidates who met with the MBC to present their economic platforms are Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III (Liberal Party) and Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. (Nacionalista Party).
MBC executive director Alberto Lim told reporters that he was impressed by Teodoro’s economic agenda, but that his ties to the Arroyo administration prevent some businessmen from showing support.
“[Teodoro] has said he is running because of GMA. We don't want to have anything to do with GMA,” Lim said.
MBC Chairman Ramon del Rosario, meanwhile, said in his remarks that it is a “real pity that [Teodoro] is associated with…the most disliked president in the post-Marcos era.”
Del Rosario said Teodoro has both the credentials and intelligence to be a good president.
Something to prove
Lim explained that business leaders wonder whether Teodoro’s link to Arroyo translates to a continuation of her policies and type of governance.
“He has to be different from the people who are backing him up. That’s a problem because he owes so many people in this administration,” he said.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who has had record low trust ratings, appointed Teodoro as defense secretary in 2007.
Arroyo and Teodoro are part of the same political party Lakas-Kampi-CMD.
Lim said Filipinos’ choice of leader this year is crucial in determining whether the country’s economic situation will improve through policy stability, a fair justice system and proper enforcement of laws.
The MBC is a non-stock, non-profit business association composed of over 800 CEOs and business executives from 450 corporations.
Business-friendly
Though business leaders are worried about his link to the Arroyo administration, Del Rosario said Teodoro still has “a noteworthy base of supporters among MBC members.”
Teodoro was the second most popular choice for president in an MBC in-house survey on the May elections last December 2009.
The Lakas standard-bearer also had a noteworthy base of support among female audiences (including his wife Tarlac 1st district Rep. Monica Prieto-Teodoro), who gave him a standing ovation after his speech at the MBC forum.
Teodoro expounded on his plan to raise economic growth by 8% per year on a sustainable basis and raise per capita income from $1,900 to $3,200 by 2016 then double this by 2018.
Some highlights of his business agenda are:
* Providing financial assistance farmers who will be affected by El Niño (extreme heat and little rain), mechanizing farming processes, and efficiently implementing land reform * rewarding business-friendly, environmentally-friendly and managerially-advanced national and local government agencies; and, reforming the civil service process to include non-degree expertise * institutionalizing the independence of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, simplifying the tax process and improving tax collection * using 100 days of goodwill to attract investors; and building a logical network of long-term infrastructure.
Same goals?
Lim said Aquino, Villar and Teodoro all “said the same thing” in terms of their plans for infrastructure, investments and fiscal stability.
However, Lim said Teodoro’s health and education plans stood out more than the other candidates because it was “a little more specific.”
Teodoro wants to make public health insurance universal to all Filipinos by making membership to the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth) mandatory.
He wants to continue the basic education roadmap and invest in tertiary education through a P3 to 5 billion worth student loan program.
Teodoro also wants to increase the number of bona fide Master’s and Doctorate degree holders in the country.
Lim said Teodoro “did well” in the question and answer portion.
Won’t accept Cabinet role
Gilberto Teodoro Jr. at the Makati Business Club forum where he shared his economic agenda
Teodoro was asked about about private armies, what he plans for the Office of the Ombudsman, and whether he will accept a Cabinet position if he does not win as president.
Teodoro promised to review the performance of Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, who has been criticized for not acting on corruption cases filed against Arroyo and her allies.
He did not say if he will reappoint her, but assured he will find “someone who appears credible and who is credible.”
Teodoro will refuse a Cabinet position offered by any of his rival candidates. “I think that I can be in public service without being in government anymore,” Teodoro said.
As for appointing a rival presidential candidate in a Cabinet position, Teodoro is “open to appointing the most competent person at a particular time for a particular job.”
Prodded about the proliferation of paramilitary forces used by local warlords as private armies, Teodoro defended the military’s need for special forces during his stint as defense secretary.
He added, though, that there should have been a “cadre” overseeing these special units.
Teodoro repeated his call to beef up police and military forces as the country’s population grows. He said the current forces are insufficient to protect the country’s coastlines and to quash insurgency. Report and photos by Kristine Servando, Newsbreak.
Noynoy bucks special powers By Aurea Calica (The Philippine Star) Updated February 21, 2010 12:00 AM
MANILA, Philippines - Liberal Party standard-bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III believes there is no reason to grant President Arroyo emergency powers to deal with the current energy problems brought about by the El Niño phenomenon because the “crisis” could be artificial.
Aquino pointed out there are several ways to help Mindanao deal with its power problem and granting the President emergency powers should be the last resort.
Aquino told editors, columnists and reporters of The STAR that his camp was verifying reports that the energy crisis was artificial and could only be used to further the interests of some groups in the run-up to elections.
He said based on reports, Luzon and the Visayas were not yet affected by the blackouts and only Mindanao has been hit so far.
Aquino said the source of the energy problem must also be looked into properly, as some energy issues could have been addressed early on.
“We want to know, is it because of mismanagement? Is it a prelude to some monkey business come election day? Therefore if it is artificial, the emergency powers will not have any basis,” Aquino said.
Sen. Francis Escudero also said in a radio interview he would not support the granting of emergency powers because it might only be abused by the administration.
Malacañang earlier welcomed a proposal to grant emergency powers to the President in order to address the power crisis.
The Palace said Mrs. Arroyo would consider the proposal of Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez, a member of the opposition, to call a special session of Congress and declare a state of emergency in Mindanao.
Aquino and his running mate, Sen. Manuel Roxas II, have expressed concern over the power outages especially because the country will have its first automated elections in May.
Enough powers
Even Nacionalista Party standard-bearer Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. and his partymates yesterday rejected the proposal to grant emergency powers to the President.
“Emergency powers are not needed,” Villar said after campaigning in Mandaue, Cebu yesterday.
Villar added that Mrs. Arroyo has enough powers to address the energy crisis.
The NP standard-bearer also questioned why issues on energy are being raised anew months before the elections.
The party-list group Gabriela shared Villar’s sentiments.
“We fear that Mindanao, where Arroyo ‘secured her triumph’ over her opponents in the previous elections, would again become her instrument to stay in power,” said Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan.
“While the fact that another El Niño phenomenon is looming cannot be discounted, the government’s deliberate neglect in putting in place mitigating measures cannot be overlooked,” she said.
Gabriela said it is alarmed that instead of setting into motion the government’s backup power initiatives as promised in the Philippine Energy Plan, Arroyo allies in the House are selling the idea that she be given emergency powers to address this crisis, particularly in Mindanao.
No worries
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) reiterated yesterday that power interruption on election day is not a cause for concern.
Comelec Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer said power outage would not cause failure of elections on May 10 primarily because the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines would be equipped with batteries.
“We have backup generators in different towns and when it comes to the operation of the PCOS machines, each unit will have batteries that last for 15 to 16 hours,” Ferrer said.
It was predicted that the country will experience a 440-megawatt power shortage in May, prompting calls to hold a special session for both chambers of Congress to solve the energy crisis.
Some sectors fear the possible power outage on election day will result in a failure of elections.
“I think it’s impossible... Even in places where there’s no signal, voting will not stop. We can continue with the voting and ballots will be stocked there inside the ballot boxes,” he said.
He maintained that since the machines have batteries, they could continue counting the ballots and eventually produce election returns even when there is a blackout.
“So the problem that they are talking about refers to the transmission, not to the actual voting. But if the transmission fails, we can also do a manual transmission,” Ferrer added.
Power summit
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Public Affairs Committee (PAC) chairman Kalookan Bishop Deogracias Iniguez, meantime, expressed support for the holding of a summit to find solutions to the energy crisis.
CBCP treasurer Cubao Bishop Honesto Ongtioco added: “If it is necessary to obtain the objective, then I am for the summit. I believe even without the looming power crisis, everybody should conserve energy and protect the environment.” - With Christina Mendez, Sheila Crisostomo, Michael Punongbayan, Evelyn Macairan