By Perfecto T. Raymundo, Jr.
MANILA – Secretary Larry Gadon of the Office of the Presidential Adviser for Poverty Alleviation (OPAFPA) on Friday (Feb. 21) urged Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero to call for a special session for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte as it is allowed in the 1987 Constitution.
During the Balitaan sa Tinapayan Media Forum hosted by NPC Director Benedict Abaygar, Jr. Gadon said “the poverty alleviation is improving because our economy is improving post pandemic. 6.1 % was not achieved, instead 5.5% but still the world Bank said that the Philippines is the no. 2 fastest growing economy in Asia.”
“We are the no. 1 fastest growing economy in Asia even surpassing Singapore,” Gadon said.
Because of the economic development, the purchasing power of the Filipinos has gone up.
15 percent to 35 percent was the growth achieved by the conglomerates and many businesses have been put up because the purchasing power of the Filipinos are high.
There were 38,000, 10,000 private cars and 28,000 are public vehicles which means, the economy is robus and that the trade and commerce is dynamic.
Underemployment means that with jobs back lack sufficient income.
President Marcos destroyed the “monopolies’ such as the Grab TNVS.
Because of that, even the banks reported that there was an increased in savings at the rate of 40 percent
P56 was the price of rice during the time of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and we decreased it to P42, therefore, President Duterte should be the one to be blamed on the high cost of rice.
Gadon surmised that those who are complaining about the high cost of rice per kilo are those who just would like to say something so to speak.
Poverty alleviation is not only about “ayuda”, it also covers healthcare, job generation. Those who complained about
P89.9 billion “idle funds’ transferred was not the money of PhilHealth. It was the money of PAGCOR, or the money of the gamblers who lost it to casinos.
“In fact, aside from being idle, Landbank is also paying interest. Hence, the government is in ‘double jeopardy’,” Gadon said.
It cannot be replaced by a second GAA (General Appropriations Act). The Congress has the inherent and plenary powers to allocate funds whether funds are unutilized,” he added.
For the first time in the BBM administration, there is a 100 percent application of PhilHealth upon confinement of Filipinos.
Every session was only P2,000 during Duterte’s time. It was really studied, which turned out that it should be P5,000-P8,000. And President Marcos increased it from P2,000 to P6,000 per dialysis session. He also made it to 166 sessions with P6,000 per dialysis session.
During Duterte’s time, P100,000 only for a chemotherapy session. It was also studied by the Marcos administration and it was increased from P100,000 to P1.4 million for the whole chemotherapy treatment.
50 patients a month was limited during the time of Duterte, even if there were 200 patients. President Marcos eliminated the “limit” for as long as the eye surgeon can perform cataract operation more than once a day.
“Our political opponents are attacking the foreign trips of President Marcos. Because of those trips, President Marcos has ratified the RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Protocol) that resulted in increase in exports of even up to 30 percent,” Gadon said.
“91.6% is now the employment rate because the economy has been revived,” he added.
The OPAFPA is very much against those who commit abuses to our OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers). “We need to open up opportunities to our products and it can only be done if President Marcos will continue to embark on foreign trips.
“More than 60 percent of jobs are in the Small Medium and Micro Enterprises (SMEs) and President Marcos has opened up more business opportunities,” Gadon said.
89 years, spanning 15 presidents, the foreign debts of the Philippines accumulated to P15 trillion, P3 trillion of which was during the time of President Duterte.
“The impeachment process is within the powers of Congress. And what Vice President Sara Duterte was doing was just a ‘delaying tactic’,” Gadon said.
Gadon explained the separation of powers between the Executive, the Legislative and the Judicial Branches of government, as well as Constitutional bodies or Commissions.
“The sins or omissions of Vice President Duterte is very glaring such that she used Mary Grace Piattos to disburse the P125-million Confidential Intelligence Fund,” Gadon said.
He noted that even the Armed Forces of the Philippines cannot just disburse P125 million intelligence funds in just 11 days.
“Her (Vice President Duterte) refusal to attend the Congressional hearings means she is ‘guilty’,” Gadon said.
“I think the Supreme Court would not intervene in the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Duterte in Congress because it is an inherent and plenary powers of Congress,” he added.
“We are now in a precarious situation because the Vice President is planning to kill President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez. It cannot be later on called as a ‘joke,’ Gadon said.
The presidential adviser is calling on Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero to immediately all for a special session to put into motion the impeachment trial of Vice President Duterte.
“Sir, mag special session na kayo sa Senado kasi very urgent ang impeachment na ito. Kahit na recess ngayong ang Senado, dapat pa ring magpatawag ng special session ang Senado,” Gadon told the Senate President during the media forum.
He stressed that a Committee can be created for the impeachment proceedings in the Senate and the other members of the Committee or other resource persons can be summoned later on.
“Mabilis lang ito. Halos kayo sa tatlong araw. In fact, kayang tapusing ang impeachment na ito in two days or at the most three days kasi there are only 6 grounds,” Gadon said.
He cited that the impeachment he filed against then Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Punzalan Sereno was based on 27 grounds.
“Binoto namin si Duterte (Sara) because no choice. Bakit si Sara ay tumakbo lamang na Vice Mayor ng Davao City noong 1992,” Gadon said.
“Kasi noong 2021 before the filing of the presidential candidacy. Malacanang had conducted a survey, and it showed that BBM was no. 1 with 80%, followed by Leni Robredo who got 11% and 7% to Isko Moreno. Sara only got 3-4%,” he added.
“Last minute, Sara decided to run for Vice President because she was confident that she will win as Vice President. We truly knew that BBM will win as President and Leni had more chance of winning than Sara,” Gadon said.
“I am very sure that if Sara runs for President in 2028, she would not win and she could only muster about 4 million votes. Walang boto ang mga Duterte,” he added.
