Part Four
FROM the most urgent to the long term, lawmakers have a long wish list of matters they hope President Duterte would include in his State of the Nation Address (Sona) on July 24, so they can be on the national agenda and get priority attention and resources.
The most urgent concern for senators is ensuring immediate and effective aid to the more than 200,000 residents forced to flee Marawi City after it was laid siege to by the Maute Group.
Beyond that, they hope to see a concrete blueprint for the long-term rehabilitation of one of Mindanao’s most progressive cities. The city of Marawi was heavily damaged by air strikes and fierce, nonstop exchanges between government troops and the extremists, who include the group of Abu Sayyaf subleader Isnilon Hapilon.
Then, there is the long view for progress in the rest of the country, by way of ensuring a firm synergy between the ambitious “Build, Build, Build” infrastructure-development plan and the need to create jobs, boost social services and cut poverty levels.
Asked what they hope to hear in the President’s upcoming Sona, Sen. Juan Edgardo M. Angara said Duterte can also opt to unveil his administration’s plans for education, as well as job creation.
Angara asserts the Duterte administration should address the need to create more jobs, since it has been a perennial problem.
“We have the highest unemployment in Southeast Asia,” the senator said, even as he acknowledged there has been some “improvements made in battling underemployment”.
Gordon’s list
FOR his part, Sen. Richard J. Gordon listed 13 “key points” for inclusion in the President’s Sona. On top of Gordon’s list is Marawi’s rehabilitation and redevelopment, including the development of Lake Lanao area as a tourism zone, to generate employment and livelihood opportunities, saying this would “stimulate again the commercial instincts of the Maranao”.
Second in the senator’s list is tax reform, saying it “must be reasonable but adequate enough to support investment in infrastructure required to ensure that the country is competitive and productivity loss minimized due to nonavailability of adequate infrastructure, leading to high costs and slow movement of people and goods.”
He also endorsed the adoption of a “National ID System”, including a facial-recognition system, to minimize criminality and terrorism, as well as subscriber identity module (SIM) card registration, mandating all SIM cards to be registered to minimize human trafficking, including child prostitution and terrorism; discourage sex tourism, particularly foreign pedophiles, who are registered sex offenders in their own country; drug trafficking; and money laundering.
Gordon also proposes inclusion of the postponement of the Marawi Barangay Elections and holdover of incumbent barangay officials until October 2018 to enable village officials to “help address the ongoing armed conflict in Marawi and the prevalence of illegal drugs”.
Peace, order
GORDON said the President could also endorse passage of the Campaign Finance and Election Automation Law intended to “level the playing field for all candidates by encouraging national debates on the candidates’ political and policy platforms.”
Gordon also listed modernization of the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces in terms of equipment, training and for defense and law enforcement to ensure peace and order.
He also proposes amending the Motorcycle Law to require bigger license plates to ensure that numbers can be recorded on closed-circuit television and/or seen by witnesses, as well as facilitate identification of witnesses.
The senator, likewise, batted for reforms in the Internal Affairs Service (IAS) and special courts for the police by having a civilian head of the IAS; special courts for police cases so that disciplinary action is fast for all concerned.
Gordon further suggests reforms to cover salary and training of teachers, saying this will encourage good teachers through competitive salaries and continuous training,
especially in this time of rapid technological change.
Next in Gordon’s list is to step up government drive to increase foreign direct investments. He said reforms should also cover domestic investments and tourist visits.
He also prodded concerned authorities to address the worsening traffic problem.
Last, Gordon suggests that Air Transport officials should move to “optimize the use of Clark and Subic”.
To be concluded
Image credits: Nonoy Lacza
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