Author: teambam

Sen. Bam: Keep watch over NFA rice distribution, drive down prices

Senator Bam Aquino urged the government to ensure that the imported rice purchased by the National Food Authority (NFA) will go to its intended beneficiaries to guarantee a steady supply of affordable rice in the market.
 
“Mahigit isang taon ding nalunod ang ating mga kababayan sa mahal na presyo ng bigas. Ngayon, tiyakin natin na tuluy-tuloy na ang supply ng murang bigas para gumaan naman ang kanilang kalagayan,” said Sen. Bam.
 
Earlier, the government said it expects prices of rice to lower with the arrival of the first tranche of imported rice, which will be distributed to provinces in Luzon and Mindanao. The rice has two varieties, priced at P27 and P32 per kilo.
 
The prices of commercial rice in the market rose to as much as P45 to P50 per kilo with the absence of NFA rice in the market since March of last year. 
 
During a Senate hearing, NFA administrator Jason Aquino admitted that the agency failed to comply with the 15-day buffer stock policy for almost one year. 
 
Sen. Bam said NFA’s inefficiency resulted in the increase in prices of commercial rice, forcing Filipino families to spend more for their staple food.
 
“Bigas ang bumubuhay sa ating mga Pilipino araw-araw kaya kailangan itong pagtuunan ng pansin ng pamahalaan at tiyaking mayroong sapat na supply ng murang bigas sa merkado,” added Sen. Bam.
 
Despite the arrival of imported NFA rice, Sen. Bam maintains that the NFA administrator should resign to avoid a repeat of last year’s debacle. Also, Sen. Bam is worried that the imported NFA rice could land in the hands of traders who will sell it for a higher price.
 
“Ngayong may dumating na bigas, baka maulit lang ang nangyari at mapunta na naman agad ang buffer stock sa kamay ng mga traders,” Sen. Bam stressed.

Sen. Bam underscores need to probe Anti-Tambay policy, amid inconsistent statements of the President

Senator Bam Aquino questioned the government’s decision to continue its campaign against loiterers even without legal basis. 

“Maraming mahihirap ang na-agrabyado at namatay pa si Tisoy, bakit pa nila itutuloy?” said Sen. Bam, referring to the death of Genesis “Tisoy” Argoncillo, who died in the custody of the Quezon City Police District. 

“Talagang nakakabahala itong pagtutuloy ng kampanya laban sa tambay dahil hanggang ngayon hindi pa nga nalilinaw ang legal basis nito,” Sen. Bam pointed out. “Isa pa, kailangan munang panagutin ang mga umabuso at ayusin ang proseso.” 

Sen. Bam made the pronouncement after President Duterte reiterated his order to the Philippine National Police (PNP) to ignore critics and continue its campaign against “tambays.” Earlier, the President clarified that he did not order the arrests and that “loitering is not a crime.” 

With Duterte’s inconsistent pronouncements, Sen. Bam underscored the need for the Senate to investigate and clarify the matter. 

“Sa pabagu-bagong polisiya ng administrasyon sa mga tambay, lalong kailangan imbestigahan ito ng Senado para maklaro,” said Sen. Bam, adding that the public and even the PNP are confused with the government’s conflicting statements on the matter. 

Sen. Bam has submitted Senate Resolution No. 772 seeking to investigate the government’s policy against loitering, which he called as discriminatory and anti-poor. 

In his resolution, Sen. Bam urged the Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, headed by Sen. Panfilo Lacson, to investigate the matter to protect ordinary Filipinos from unjust, discriminatory and abusive policies and practices. 

“There is a need to assess whether the PNP’s anti-tambay campaign, as well as the local ordinances on which they are supposedly based, are consistent with national laws and the Constitution,” said Sen. Bam. 

Sen. Bam filed the resolution days after Argoncillo died in the custody of the Quezon City Police District. Argoncillo was arrested on June 15 for allegedly causing alarm and scandal, but died four days later. 

The PNP issued different statements regarding Argoncillo’s death. First, it claimed that it was due to self-inflicted trauma then changed it to suffocation due to the severe congestion of prison cells. 

After Argoncillo’s death certificate revealed that he died from multiple blunt force trauma to his neck, head, chest and upper extremities, the QCPD claimed that he died after he was mauled by fellow inmates.

Sen. Bam files resolution to probe death of Tisoy, anti-tambay policy

Senator Bam Aquino has filed a resolution seeking to investigate the government’s policy against loitering and the death of Genesis “Tisoy” Argoncillo, who died in the custody of the Quezon City Police District four days after he was arrested for alleged alarm and scandal. 

“Maraming mga detalye na hindi tumutugma, pero ang malinaw sa akin, hindi dapat namatay si Tisoy,” said Sen. Bam, who filed Senate Resolution No.  772. 

“Hindi sya mamamatay kung hindi pinatupad ang isang polisiya na nakatarget ang mahihirap,” added Sen. Bam. 

In his resolution, Sen. Bam called the campaign against loitering as untenable, discriminatory and anti-poor as he urged the Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, headed by Sen. Panfilo Lacson, to investigate the matter to protect ordinary Filipinos from unjust, discriminatory and abusive policies and practices.  

“There is a need to assess whether the PNP’s anti-tambay campaign, as well as the local ordinances on which they are supposedly based, are consistent with national laws and the Constitution,” said Sen. Bam. 

Sen. Bam filed the resolution days after Argoncillo died in the custody of the Quezon City Police District. Argoncillo was arrested on June 15 for allegedly causing alarm and scandal, but died four days later. 

The PNP issued different statements regarding Argoncillo’s death. First, it claimed that it was due to self-inflicted trauma then changed it to suffocation due to the severe congestion of prison cells.  

After Argoncillo’s death certificate revealed that he died from multiple blunt force trauma to his neck, head, chest and upper extremities, the QCPD claimed that he died after he was mauled by fellow inmates. 

“Pumunta lang sa tindahan, inaresto dahil hindi naka-tshirt. Ngayon, nakaburol na. Napakasakit nito para sa pamilya ng biktima at sa ating bansa. Nakakabahala ang paiba-ibang deklarasyon ng pulis sa dahilan ng pagkamatay ni Tisoy,” said Sen. Bam. 

Several citizens also claimed that they were arrested while waiting outside the gate of a friend’s house in Makati City. They were detained for one hour and were shown a video of President Duterte’s pronouncement against “tambays” as basis for their detention. 

On June 17, 2018, a social media post showed CCTV footage of a shirtless man who was accosted in front of his house by roving police seconds after he stepped out of the door in Novaliches, Quezon City. The man, Ariel Morco, was not arrested but was ordered to clean the bathroom of the police station. 

“Halos lahat ng mga naaresto ay mga mahirap at ang mga operasyon ay ginagawa sa mahihirap na komunidad. Tama na po ang pagpapahirap sa mga mahihirap,” Sen. Bam stressed.

Sen. Bam hopes the President also hears cries of ordinary Filipinos on issue of inflation and rising prices

Senator Bam Aquino called on President Duterte to also listen to the cry of the people, especially the poor, on the high prices of goods and services caused by the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law.

“Tama po kayo. Ramdam na ramdam na ng mamamayan ang paghina ng ekonomiya dahil nalulunod na ang Pilipino sa taas ng presyo,” said Sen. Bam, referring to Duterte’s pronouncement that the rising prices of goods could prolong the economic stagnation in the provinces.

“Ang isa sa magpapasigla sa ekonomiya lalo na sa probinsya at kanayunan ay ang pagpapababa ng presyo ng bilihin,” added Sen. Bam, one of four senators who voted against the ratification of the TRAIN Law.

Sen. Bam said Duterte must listen to the people, who are pleading on the government for respite from the burden of high prices of goods and services.

 “Sana po pakinggan natin ang hinaing at panawagan ng taumbayan, hirap na hirap na po ang pamilyang Pilipino dahil sa taas ng presyo. I-roll-back na natin ang excise tax sa petrolyo na dulot ng TRAIN law,” said Sen. Bam.

Sen. Bam renewed his call for the immediate suspension of the excise tax on petroleum products under the TRAIN Law to ease the public’s burden.

The senator has filed a measure seeking to roll back of TRAIN’s excise tax on fuel when average inflation rate surpasses the annual inflation target over a three-month period.

Sen. Bam is also pushing for the full implementation of mitigating measures under the TRAIN Law, such as the unconditional cash transfer program for poor families and the Pantawid Pasada for jeepney operators and drivers.

In addition, Sen. Bam has also filed a resolution calling for an investigation regarding the implementation of the unconditional cash transfer to ensure if the amount is still sufficient to cover the increase in prices of goods and other services.

Sen. Bam: Solusyunan ang taas presyo, hindi tambay ang problema

The government should solve the pressing problem of high prices of goods and services caused by the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law, instead of focusing on so-called loiterers or “tambays”, according to Sen. Bam Aquino.

“Mas matinding problema ang mataas na presyo ng bilihin, hindi mga tambay,” said Sen. Bam, one of four senators who voted against the ratification of the government’s tax reform program.

“Nalulunod na sa taas presyo ang taumbayan. Sana ito ang pagtuunan ng pansin ng ating gobyerno,” added Sen. Bam.

Sen. Bam called on the government to lay a clear-cut plan on how to address the high prices of goods and services to alleviate the plight of Filipinos, especially the poor.

“Ano po ba talaga ang plano ng gobyerno para maisalba ang napakaraming kababayan nating nalulunod sa taas presyo?” said Sen. Bam.

At the same time, Sen. Bam urged the government to stop arresting loiters, most of whom are poor, and focus on the issue that burdens them the most, which is the high prices of goods.

 “Tama na po muna sana ang paghuli sa mga tambay na karamihan ay mahirap. Unahin po sanang tugunan yung nagpapahirap sa kanila,” said Sen. Bam as he renewed his call for the suspension of the excise tax on petroleum products under the TRAIN Law.

Sen. Bam has submitted a measure seeking to roll back of TRAIN’s excise tax on fuel when average inflation rate surpasses the annual inflation target over a three-month period.

In addition, Sen. Bam is also pushing for the full implementation of mitigating measures under the TRAIN Law, such as the unconditional cash transfer program for poor families and the Pantawid Pasada for jeepney operators and drivers.

Sen. Bam on the death of Genesis Argoncillo a.k.a ‘Tisoy’

Mahirap na naman ang biktima.
 
Tumambay lang sa tindahan, nanonood ng video sa cellphone, inaresto dahil hindi naka-tshirt. Ngayon, nakaburol na. 
 
Napakasakit nito sa kanyang naiwang pamilya at napakasakit na nangyayari ito sa ating bayan.
 
Nakakabahala pa na paiba-iba ang deklarasyon ng pulis sa dahilan ng kaniyang pagkamatay. 
 
Nakikidalamhati tayo sa mga naulila ni Tisoy. At kasama nila tayong nananawagan para sa katarungan. 
 
Mahirap na naman ang biktima.
 
Halos lahat ng mga naaresto ay mga mahirap at ang mga operasyon ay ginagawa sa mahihirap na komunidad.

Sen. Bam: Drive down price of PH internet, encourage competition in telco sector

Competition will help lower the price and improve the quality of internet service in the country, Senator Bam Aquino maintained.

“Nalulunod na nga sa taas ng presyo ng bilihin, pati internet napakamahal dito sa atin. Mahal na nga, mabagal pa,” said Sen. Bam, chairman of the Committee on Science and Technology.

“We need more than three telcos to have a healthy competition. We should look at other countries aside from China,” added Sen. Bam.

As chairman of the Committee on Science and Technology, Sen. Bam is currently working on Senate Bill No. 171 or the Open Access in Data Transmission Act of 2016.

If enacted into law, Sen. Bam said the will enable more players into and promote competition in the internet industry.

Sen. Bam has been working to improve the quality of internet in the country. In the 16th Congress, he spearheaded an investigation into the slow and expensive internet in the country during his stint as chairman of the Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship.

The probe helped determine needed legislation to address the internet problem in the country and led to the release of a Department of Justice opinion on telco advertising.

The hearing also compelled the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to come out with guidelines on minimum internet speeds and conducted speed testing in various areas of the Philippines to check compliance of telcos.

As chairman of the Senate Committee on Science and Technology, Sen. Bam pushed for the passage of Republic Act 10929 or the Free Internet Access Program in Public Places as principal sponsor.

Sen. Bam welcomes passage of his 22nd law in support of Filipino scientists

Senator Bam Aquino welcomed the passage of the law that provides necessary assistance to Filipino scientists who will return to the country and help strengthen its research and development capability. 
 
Sen. Bam pushed for the passage of Repubic Act 11035 or the Balik Scientist Act in the Senate as principal sponsor and principal author. The law is Sen. Bam’s 22nd in his five years as senator. 
 
“Malaking tulong ang batas na ito upang mahikayat ang mga Pinoy scientists na bumalik sa bansa at tumulong sa pagpapaunlad sa bayan at sa buhay ng mga Pilipino,” said Sen. Bam, chairman of the Committee on Science and Technology. 
 
“Matutugunan din ng batas na ito ang kakulangan ng bansa sa scientists, upang makasabay na tayo sa ating mga kapitbahay sa Asya na mas marami ang nagtatrabaho sa research and development,” added Sen. Bam. 
 
During the committee hearing, it was discovered that the country has 189 scientists per million, far from the ideal ratio of 380 scientists per million. 
 
Currently, the Philippines trails South Korea and United States, which have 5,300 and 3,500 scientists per million, respectively. Malaysia, for its part, has 2,000 scientists per million. 
 
The Balik Scientist Act will provide overseas Filipino scientists with financial benefits and incentives to encourage them to return to the Philippines and help boost the country’s research and development. 
 
Aside from the Balik Scientist Act, Sen. Bam is also the principal sponsor and co-author of the Amendments to the Magna Carta for Scientists, Engineers, and Researchers bill and the Innovative Start-up Act, which is currently being tackled in the plenary. 
 
Meanwhile, President Duterte also signed into law Republic Act 11036 or the Philippine Mental Health Law, which Sen. Bam pushed as co-author.

Sen. Bam: Provide enough help to jeepney, tricycle drivers

Senator Bam Aquino reiterated his call to the government to expand the Pantawid Pasada program to include other public transportations to help them shoulder the effects of the administration’s tax reform program.

“Kung tutulong na rin lang tayo, bakit hindi pa natin lubus-lubusin at isama na ang lahat ng uri ng pampublikong transportasyon,” stressed Sen. Bam during his dialogue with members of different transport organizations here.

“Lahat ng kabilang sa sektor ng pampublikong transportasyon, kailangan ng tulong dahil nalulunod rin ang ating mga tsuper sa pagtaas ng presyo ng langis,” added Sen. Bam, referring to the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law.

 Sen. Bam is one of four senators who voted against the ratification of the TRAIN Law. Sen. Bam voted against it due to the government’s failure to immediately implement the unconditional cash transfer program and the Pantawid Pasada program.

For 2018, the government has earmarked P977 million for 179,000 jeepney operators under the Pantawid Pasada program. 

 Earlier, Sen. Bam called on the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to expand the Pantawid Pasada program other means of transportation, such as UV Express and tricycles as well.

 During the Senate hearing of the Senate committee on public services in Legazpi, Albay recently, Sen. Bam also urged the DOTr to conduct further study to see if the subsidy is enough to cover the increase in prices of goods due to TRAIN.

 Sen. Bam has been working to alleviate the burden of high prices of goods and services under the TRAIN Law on the Filipino people, especially the poor.

 Sen. Bam has filed a measure that aims to roll back of TRAIN’s excise tax on fuel when average inflation rate surpasses the annual inflation target over a three-month period.

In addition, Sen. Bam also renewed his call for the full implementation of the unconditional cash transfer program, which will help alleviate the increase in high prices of goods and services caused by the TRAIN Law.

Sen. Bam: Shield farmers and fisherfolk from price surge, suspend TRAIN excise tax

Senator Bam Aquino renewed his push to suspend the excise tax on fuel under the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law, saying the high prices of fuel also drive up cost of agricultural products. 

Sen. Bam said the government, especially the Department of Agriculture (DA), should recognize fuel increase as one of the main reasons for price increase.

“Kailangan natin tulungan ang mga magsasaka at mangingisda na pababain ang kanilang production at transportation cost para bumaba ang presyo ng agricultural products,” said Sen. Bam, one of four senators who voted against the TRAIN Law.

“Ito ang pinaka-epektibong paraan para maibsan ang hirap ng mga nalulunod sa taas ng presyo ng pagkain,” the senator added.

Sen. Bam insisted that suspending the excise tax on petroleum products could help lower prices of fuel, which in turn, would contribute to the lowering of prices of agricultural products.

“Itong pagsuspinde sa TRAIN sa petrolyo ay malaking tulong sa ating mga magsasaka at sa mga mamimili,” said Sen. Bam, saying that farmers also use diesel for their farm machinery such as tractor.

Sen. Bam has filed a measure seeking to roll back of TRAIN’s excise tax on fuel when average inflation rate surpasses the annual inflation target over a three-month period.

In addition, Sen. Bam is also pushing for the full implementation of mitigating measures under the TRAIN Law, such as the unconditional cash transfer program for poor families and the Pantawid Pasada for jeepney operators and drivers.

Also, Sen. Bam wants the Pantawid Pasada program expanded to include fishermen, who use unleaded for bancas and diesel for big fishing vessels.

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