Kiko wants LP to fight solo in 2010 polls

Senate Majority leader Francis Pangilinan, who is also Liberal Party chair, on Friday said that the LP should veer away from a multi-party arrangement and should go alone in the 2010 presidential elections. "The LP should consider going it alone as an option if aligning with other groups or parties only serves to perpetuate the bankrupt and hopelessly inutile 'politics as usual,'" Pangilinan said. “It is this kind of mindless, self serving personality oriented politics that has brought our nation to the brink [of disaster]." Pangilinan said political coalitions or mergers are “old, tired methods that have proved inutile in providing effective leadership for the nation." “It cannot be 'politics as usual' and the LP must take on the challenge of breaking out from the outmoded and obsolete political paradigms," he said. At the same time, party-mate Sen. Manuel Roxas II, the taunted party’s standard-bearer in 2010, said political leaders should first concentrate on filling up the pocket of Filipinos to make them agents of change during electoral exercises. “We should put more money into the pocket of Juan de la Cruz (symbol for Filipinos), who knows best how to spend his money…Because the taxes the government collects are the people’s money, not the government’s money," Roxas said at a media forum. He added: “If Juan de la Cruz has more money in his pocket, he is less susceptible to political patronage." Roxas said a poverty-free electorate will have a better appreciation of the political landscape and choose leaders based on their principles and competence. He said elections are still years away and the challenge that needs to be faced is addressing poverty and the desperation of a large number of people. “[The elections] are still far off. We need to respond to the everyday needs of Juan de la Cruz," he stressed. He said one challenge is in the area of legislation, pointing out that people are still waiting for the approval of at least three important measures, namely: cheaper medicines, removing the value-added tax on petroleum products and exempting minimum wage earners from paying income tax. Roxas said his three legislative priorities would give relief to ordinary Filipinos who would be affected by high oil prices. He said that as the prices of oil hit $100 per barrel, the government should fight the “deflationary" effects these would make on the economy. He said the strong peso was expected to dampen spending, especially among the families of dollar-remitting overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). “That could mean P160 million in reduced consumption. And if they find no relief, there will be weaker spending, and cause deflation. Business and industries would slow down," he said. Roxas, principal sponsor of the cheaper medicines bill at the Senate, said that he was still trying to schedule the meeting between the bicameral contingents of the Senate and House of Representatives before Congress resumed its session on January 28. Roxas said that instead of a price-setting board, he would prefer that a point person, possibly the Health Secretary, be assigned to do this so that accountability would be clearer to the public. He admitted that the LP is holding talks with the administration Lakas party in fast tracking the passage of the measures. Roxas said both LP and Lakas members seemed to be open in supporting his legislative agenda. But when asked if he would join the multi-party opposition nomination process being cooked up by former president Joseph Estrada, Roxas said, “If invited, yes. We’re open to talking with everyone." The Estrada camp has announced that it would call all presidential hopefuls identified with the opposition to forge a consensus in arriving at a common candidate in 2010. He nevertheless said that the Estrada issue was a closed one as the former president himself said he won’t run again. “Let’s leave this issue with constitutional lawyers and political analysts," he said. Roxas also agreed with the statement Pangilinan that his becoming the LP standard-bearer was not final despite former senator Franklin Dillon’s endorsement. “Dillon’s endorsement is his endorsement but everyone will go through a process. It’s not like a magic wand," he said. - GMANews.TV