Author: teambam

Sen. Bam: Fact-check coalition will strengthen fight against online disinformation, fake news

Senator Bam Aquino welcomed Facebook’s initiative to push through with a local-fact checking coalition aimed at addressing spread of fake news on its platform.

“We’re glad Facebook has decided to enter into a local fact-checking coalition in the aftermath of its failure to protect millions of personal data from being exposed,” said Sen. Bam.

Sen. Bam was referring to Facebook’s move to partner with Rappler and Vera Files for a third-party fact-checking program in the Philippines to prevent fake news from spreading on its social media platform.

“With disinformation spreading like wildfire through social media, it’s encouraging to see Facebook take a stronger stance on this issue and partner with agencies that are genuinely fighting fake news,” added Sen. Bam.

Facebook’s move came days after it was revealed that the accounts of 87 million users worldwide were accessed by Cambridge Analytica, a communications firm accused of harvesting data of millions of Facebook users to help Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.

Of that number, around 1,175,870 Filipino users may have had their Facebook information improperly shared with Cambridge Analytica, according to Facebook’s Chief Technology Officer Mike Schroepfer.

Sen. Bam actively participated in fake news hearings conducted by the Senate. During one of the hearings, Sen. Bam urged Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar to help fight the spread of fake news through Facebook accounts using the name of President Duterte.

Sen. Bam urged the PCOO chief to police his own ranks, saying blogs written by some of his employees in their private capacity hurt the image of the agency.

Also, Sen. Bam called on both supporters and detractors of President Duterte to stop throwing hate speech at each on social media, saying the environment has become toxic.

Dengvaxia report a cover-up to government fiascos: Partido Liberal stalwarts

Partido Liberal stalwarts questioned the timing of the release of the committee report on the Dengvaxia issue, saying it could be a move to cover up controversies hounding the administration.

This is simply a smokescreen of the administration to hide the issues hounding its officials,” said former congressman Erin Tanada, now Partido Liberal’s vice president for external affairs.





“Why was the committee report released to the public before it has been filed or sponsored? Are not the signatures of majority of the committee members required before the report can be filed?” Tanada asked.

“What happens to the report if the majority disagrees? Wala pang pirma eh,” he added.





Sen. Bam Aquino agreed with Tanada. 





“Though this report has not been made available to the members of the Blue Ribbon Committee, if the final report reflects yesterday’s statements and political leanings, we will have serious concerns with the conclusions made,” Aquino said.

Moreover, the senator reiterated that no child has died due to the Dengvaxia vaccine. “Ang isang mahalaga na lumabas sa presscon kahapon ay wala pang napatutunayan na may batang namatay dahil sa Dengvaxia vaccine,” he said.

Tanada pointed out that the release coincided with the impending closure of Boracay Island, the President’s order to the House to hasten the impeachment process against Chief Justice Lourdes Sereno, and the rising prices of goods and services.





“Nais na naman nilang ilihis ang isyu mula sa kapalpakan at kontrobersyang bumabalot sa administrasyong ito para matuon sa LP ang galit ng taumbayan,” said Tanada.

For his part, Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat doubted the fairness of Gordon’s report, saying that it focused mainly on the past administration, but did not dwell on the current government.





“Hindi lang sa nakaraang administrasyon ipinatupad ang bakuna sa Dengvaxia kundi sa kasalukuyang administrasyon. Nakakapagtaka na nakatuon lang ang report ni Sen. Gordon sa nakalipas na administrasyon,” said Baguilat.











Sen. Bam: Gov’t is duty-bound to review TRAIN, protect poor from price surge

As Filipinos deal with high prices of goods and services due to the additional excise tax on petroleum products and with the country’s inflation rate shooting up to 4.3 percent in March, a senator urged his colleagues to revisit Republic Act No. 10963 or the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Act.

 In his Senate Resolution No. 704, Sen. Bam Aquino wants the appropriate Senate Committees to conduct an inquiry on the TRAIN’s inflationary impact and effect on the economy.

Sen. Bam underscored the need to take another look at the government’s tax reform program amid the rise in prices due to the imposition of additional excise tax on fuel.

 “It is our duty to ensure all reforms benefit our countrymen and do not make life more difficult for Filipino families,” said Sen. Bam, who voted to reject the TRAIN Law during its ratification.

“Kailangan suriin muli ang TRAIN. Maging bukas tayo sa pagsuspindi sa excise tax kapag nakitang nakasasama na ito sa kabuhayan ng mga Pilipino,” emphasized Sen. Bam, referring to the increase in tax on gasoline and diesel to P7 and P2.50, respectively.

Sen. Bam pointed out that Congress approved the inclusion of increased excise taxes in the TRAIN Law due to assurance by the Department of Finance that its impact on inflation would not be more than 0.7 percent.

However, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) announced that the inflation rate for March rose to 4.3 percent, way above the government’s prediction of two to four percent.

“Huwag nating hayaang lumala pa ang kahirapan at pagkagutom ng mga Pilipino,” said Sen. Bam.

Earlier, Sen. Bam filed Senate Resolution No. 597, urging the appropriate Senate committee to scrutinize the implementation of the unconditional cash transfer to ensure that it is sufficient to cover the increase in prices of goods and other services.

Sen. Bam on the resignation of Justice Secretary Aguirre

Natutuwa tayo at nagkakaisa ang oposisyon at ang Pangulo sa isyung ito.  

Sa mata ng taumbayan, pawala na nang pawala ang kredibilidad ni dating Justice Secretary Aguirre sa bawat kapalpakan at palihis na kilos nito.   

The Filipino people deserve a credible, capable and respectable Justice Secretary who will lead with integrity and rebuild our trust in the Department of Justice. 

Muli nating ibalik ang tiwala ng taumbayan sa DOJ bilang tanggapan na nagtataguyod ng hustisya para sa bawat Pilipino, lalo na sa mga walang kalaban-laban.

Sen. Bam: Gov’t must act quickly to address high prices of rice

Senator Bam Aquino insisted that the government should do more than give assurance that there’s enough supply of rice in the market, saying it should also quickly address the rising prices of commercial rice and the lack of NFA Rice in the market.

“Hindi sapat ang katiyakan na mayroong supply ng bigas sa merkado. Kailangang kumilos ang pamahalaan para mapababa ang presyo ng commercial rice at tiyaking may supply ng murang NFA Rice na mabibili ang mga pamilyang Pilipino,” said Sen. Bam.

“May mga kababayan tayo na kanin na nga lang ang kinakain, tapos nagmahal pa ang bigas. Saan pa sila pupunta,” added Sen. Bam, insisting that the government should conduct an audit of the 2017 buffer stock to determine what happened to it.

 “Dapat tiyakin ng pamahalaan na natutupad ang itinakdang 15-day buffer stock ng murang bigas upang matiyak na mayroong mabibiling abot-kayang bigas ang ating mga kababayan, lalo na ang mahihirap,” Sen. Bam said.

During a Senate hearing on the rice issue, National Food Authority (NFA) administrator Jason Aquino admitted that the agency has failed to comply with the 15-day buffer stock policy for almost one year, prompting Sen. Bam to call for his resignation.

“Hinahayaan lang ng NFA na lumaki ang problema na dulot ng kanilang kapalpakan. Dapat lang na palitan na ang NFA administrator at magtakda ng bagong pinuno na may kakayahang solusyunan ito,” Sen. Bam said.

On Monday, Sen. Bam renewed his call for the NFA administrator’s resignation following reports that the NFA’s rice reserve was already depleted.

Sen. Bam said situation has forced Filipino families to spend more for rice as they have no other option but to buy costly commercial rice.

 “Ang 35 pesos per kilo ng bigas noon, 45 pesos na ngayon. Limandaang piso ang dagdag nito sa gastusin ng pamilyang Pilipino kada buwan kung isang kilong bigas ang kanilang nakokonsumo bawat araw. Nangyari ito dahil sa kapabayaan ng NFA sa kanilang tungkulin,” said Sen. Bam.

Sen. Bam calls for review of TRAIN amid inflation, rising prices

A senator insisted on evaluating the government tax reform program as he expressed alarm over the latest inflation projections on top of the rising prices of petroleum products and rice in the market.

“Nakakaalarma na para sa mga pamilya ang pagtaas ng presyo ng bilihin. Ngayon, mas mataas pa sa inaasahan ng pamahalaan ang inflation rate,” said Sen. Bam Aquino, referring to several projections that the inflation rate might range from 4.2 percent to 4.8 percent due to higher excise tax. 

 The latest projections were beyond the government’s forecast of between two to four percent, according to Sen. Bam.

“We should evaluate the tax reform law and consider suspending excise taxes given the surge in prices,” added Sen. Bam, who plans to file a resolution to assess the real impact on inflation and economy of the Tax Reform Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law.

 “Congress should determine the real and actual impact of TRAIN on the economy and especially on the lives of Filipinos,” said Sen. Bam, adding that the sharp rise in inflation could lead to a higher cost of living and can aggravate poverty. 

 “The continued implementation of TRAIN could lead to greater marginalization and suffering for many Filipino families,” Sen. Bam emphasized.

During the Senate hearings on TRAIN, Sen. Bam said the Department of Finance (DOF) insisted that the tax reform program’s inflationary impact would not be higher than 0.7 percent, meaning inflation should not go higher than 3.6 percent in 2018.

“We have to review the implementation of excise taxes as it was passed by Congress based on wrong information,” said Sen. Bam. 

Earlier, Sen. Bam voted to reject the TRAIN Law during its ratification. 

Sen. Bam also filed Senate Resolution No. 597, urging the appropriate Senate committee to scrutinize the implementation of the unconditional cash transfer to ensure that it is sufficient to cover the increase in prices of goods and other services.

Sen. Bam expects surge in price of rice, renews call to replace NFA administrator

Sen. Bam Aquino renewed his call for the resignation of top National Food Authority (NFA) officials for their incompetence that led to the total depletion of its rice reserve in the market, forcing Filipino families to settle for costly rice in the market.

“Lalong tataas ang presyo ng bigas ngayong ubos na ang stock ng NFA Rice. Napipilitan nang magbawas ng kanin ang mga karaniwang Pilipino, at posibleng isang beses kada araw na lang ang paghain nila ng kanin para sa pamilya,” Sen. Bam said in reaction to reports that the NFA’s rice reserve is completely gone.

“Hinahayaan lang ng NFA na lumaki ang problema na dulot ng kanilang kapalpakan. Dapat lang na palitan na ang NFA administrator at magtakda ng bagong pinuno na may kakayahang solusyunan ito,” added Sen. Bam.

 During a Senate hearing on the NFA rice problem, NFA administrator Jason Aquino admitted that the agency has failed to comply with the 15-day buffer stock policy for almost one year. This inefficiency resulted in the increase in prices of rice, forcing Filipino families to spend more for their staple food.

“Ang 35 pesos per kilo ng bigas noon, 45 pesos na ngayon. Limandaang piso ang dagdag nito sa gastusin ng pamilyang Pilipino kada buwan kung isang kilong bigas ang kanilang nakokonsumo bawat araw. Nangyari ito dahil sa kapabayaan ng NFA sa kanilang tungkulin,” said Sen. Bam. 

Earlier, Sen. Bam called on the NFA and the NFA Council to iron out their differences and address the lack of supply of NFA Rice in the market so as to spare the public from high prices of rice in the market.

Sen. Bam on SC’s order requiring gov’t to submit report on drug war

We support the Supreme Court’s call for greater transparency in the War on Drugs.
 
Buhay at seguridad ng mga pamilya at komunidad ang nakataya dito. 
 
We urge the PNP to earn the trust of the Filipino people by submitting accurate reports on drug operations, especially since they cannot seem to suppress the killings.
 
With 20,000 reported deaths due to the Drug War, it is only right that the public have access to real facts and information.

Sen. Bam to join ‘The Resistance’, genuine opposition slate

Senator Bam Aquino insisted that he will join a genuine opposition slate for the 2019 midterm elections, saying the country needs a coalition that is willing to dissent and oppose government policies that are not helpful or even detrimental to the Filipino people.
 
In a television interview, Sen. Bam clarified that he has never spoken to Sen. Koko Pimentel about PDP-Laban or Mayor Sara Duterte about Hugpong ng Pagbabago. 
 
“In 2019, hindi lang ‘The Force’ kailangan, we need ‘The Resistance’ – a genuine opposition slate. Kailangan ng mga taong magsasama-sama, magtutulong-tulong para labanan ang polisiya ng administrasyon na nakakasakit sa tao. You will find me on that slate,” said Sen. Bam.
 
“You need a slate that’s independent from PDP-Laban, that’s willing to oppose, willing to stand up even if it’s unpopular, and even when it’s dangerous. Kailangan natin ng oposisyon para sa ating demokrasya,” the senator added.
 
Sen. Bam said the Liberal Party (LP) will join the coalition slate, which will be made up of people willing to speak out and stand up against Malacanang’s policies that may be damaging to the people.
 
“The people willing to answer the call should join forces,” Sen. Bam pointed out.
 
Sen. Bam also stressed the importance for the 2019 elections to push through to show the true sentiment of the people.
 
“Let’s fight any no-election scenario that might be in the works,” Sen. Bam said.
 
However, Sen. Bam said it’s too early to talk about politics, saying the country is facing problems that need to be addressed immediately.
 
“Mas maraming isyu na dapat pag-usapan ngayon kaysa sa pulitika at eleksiyon, na isang taon pa bago mangyari,” said Sen. Bam.

Sen. Bam to gov’t: Protect 1.4M BPO jobs from impending threats

A senator reminded relevant government agencies to protect the 1.4 million jobs in the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector from identified threats and prepare for the next Senate hearing.

“Our resource speakers have identified 3 major threats to jobs in the BPO sector: Artificial Intelligence (A.I.), the tax reform law and the shifting economic policies of other countries. We must prepare for these threats and not be caught flat-footed,” said Sen. Bam Aquino, who recently held a second hearing on threats to the BPO sector as the chairman of the Committee on Science and Technology.

“Hindi maaaring mawalan ng kabuhayan ang Pilipino, lalo na sa panahon ngayon,” he added.

During the first Senate hearing on the threat of AI, the Information Technology and Business Process Association of the Philippines (IBPAP) mentioned that they are anticipating a decline in demand for low-skilled jobs in the IT-BPO industry of about 43,000 jobs by 2022.

On the bright side, there is potential to open up 388,000 jobs for mid-skilled tasks, and 309,000 jobs for high-skilled tasks also by 2022, jobs that Sen. Bam hopes the Filipino workforce can be ready for.

“The clear solution is to retrain our workers and upgrade their skills to be viable for higher job levels. Our training centers and academic institutions must start offering courses for these higher-skilled BPO jobs. Kailangan din na mayroong scholarships at TESDA vouchers,” said Sen. Bam, who also pushed the free college law as principal sponsor in the Senate.

However, Sen. Bam says the government agencies are not working quick enough.

“I want to see urgency in our agencies to move this forward quickly and with purpose. This is the first time in years that the BPO industry will be at risk. We need to protect our countrymen’s jobs,” said Sen. Bam.

 

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