Healthcare, education first; infrastructure later — senatorial bets

Three senatorial aspirants on Friday offered their respective solutions to the country's poverty, but their proposals would undermine appropriations for infrastructure. Dr. Martin Bautista, a Liberal Party (LP) candidate, voiced his dissatisfaction with the healthcare status of the country, proposing a halt to infrastructure projects for the next five years. "Sa halip na ilagay natin ang karamihan ng pondo sa infrastructure projects na napakadaling nakawin ng mga traditional politicians, katulad ng mga nuclear power plant na hindi naman natin ginagamit, ilagay na lang natin halos lahat ng infrastructure fund sa [pagdoble ng] sahod ng bawat guro, duktor, nurse, barangay health worker, pulis, at sundalo.... Tama na muna ang infrastructure for the next five years," Bautista said during Unang Hirit's Hiritan 2010. The other guests in the television program were Ang Kapatiran's Manuel Valdehuesa and lawyer Alex Lacson, also of the LP.

In airing his proposal, Bautista decried the measly appropriations for healthcare, which he said helped cause the high mortality rates due to various sicknesses. "Last year, P249 lang ang inilaan sa bawat Pilipino para sa kalusugan kaya hindi naman nakakapagtaka na araw-araw, 100 pilipino ang namamatay sa tuberculosis," Bautista said, adding that his advocacy for the Reproductive Health bill was in response to the country's 750,000 abortion cases annually. Valdehuesa, meanwhile, opposed the prevailing 12-percent Value-Added Tax. "Hindi ako pabor [sa VAT] dahil ang tax ay parang penalty. Ita-tax mo 'yong kita [at production] ng tao. Production and income are wealth. 'Yan ang kontribusyon sa ekonomiya ng bayan," Valdehuesa said. For his part, Lacson said he also wanted to reduce the prevailing 12-percent Value-Added Tax (VAT). "Kung maaari lang, bawasan natin ang vAT dahil nagpapahirap sa tao. Pero ganun namang andiyan na, gamitin na lang natin sa antipoverty measures," Lacson said. Lacson also stressed on the 11th point he made in his book "12 Little Things Filipinos Can Do To Help Our Country," which was to adopt a scholar or a poor child. He said that people adopting scholars should be exempted from taxes to encourage more people from supporting poor young people. "Gusto ko pong pag-aralan ang isang panukalang batas na magbibigay ng libreng edukasyon up to college sa state universities and colleges sa bawat first-born ng bawat pamilya," he said. 'Stop calling the shots for Mindanao' In the same program, Valdehuesa, who hails from Cagayan de Oro and is the author of the book, "Trapo Governance and the Cha Cha Conspiracy: More Power to Those in Power, None for the People," also criticized the way Mindanao's affairs has been managed by the government. "Ang mga programa para sa Mindanao ay ginagawa ng mga taga-Luzon, taga-Visayas. Hindi man lang sila kinukunsulta kung anong programa ang nababagay sa kanila. Unang una, pagbigyan natin sila, pakinggan natin ang kanilang mga panukala at ‘yan ang bubuuin natin bago tayo gumawa ng kung anong programa," he said. "Dinidikta lahat sa Mindanao, tapos ang kinakausap natin sa Mindanao ‘yong mga armadong grupo. Karamihan sa mga Mindanaoan ay mapayapang mga tao, so we should give them a chance. Let us stop calling the shots for Mindanao. Let us stop prescribing the medicines for Mindanao. The Mindanaoans have the right to determine their own cure for their own diseases and all problems," Valdehuesa said. Reunion It was also a reunion of sorts for history professor Valdehuesa and Bautista, former Ang Kapatiran party-mates. "I'm very sorry na wala si Jess Paredes. I was told he would be here, [and] I was looking forward to a reunion among Ang Kapatiran members," Valdehuesa told Bautista. Zosimo 'Jess' Paredes, another former Ang Kapatiran member, is running for senator under Bangon Pilipinas, which is fielding Eddie Villanueva for president. Asked by Valdehuesa how he felt about being away from his original group, Bautista said he was still living by his former party's principles, but added that he was standing by LP's candidates for the two top posts in the country. "Miss na miss ko po ang Ang Kapatiran [and] I continue to live by [its] principles. Kaya lang naman po ako andito dahil ako ay may complete na tiwala po kay Sen. Aquino," Bautista said. The LP's standard bearer is Sen. Benigno Simeon Aquino III, while Ang Kapatiran's presidential bet is Olongapo City councilor John Carlos de los Reyes. "No offense to Ang Kapatiran, but I think this is my generation’s last chance to regain what is rightfully for the Filipino people, and I have no doubt in my mind that only Sen. Aquino and Sen. Roxas can lead us into this new landscape," Bautista said. — Nikka Corsino/RSJ/LBG, GMANews.TV