Legarda: Amend Anti-Hazing Law to Increase Awareness and Accountability

MANILA, August 6, 2012-“Hazing has laid claim to many lives, and will continue to do so unless we take concerted action,” Senator Loren Legarda said today in a privilege speech where she called to amend RA 8049 or the Anti-Hazing Law.

“These tragic, untimely deaths prove that hazing remains a serious problem in fraternities, sororities, and other organizations in the country. The Anti-Hazing Law in its current incarnation is evidently not enough,” she explained.

“We are called upon by the Filipino people to act on these tragedies. Let us advocate heightened awareness and participation among all stakeholders, and reestablish accountability among fraternities, sororities, organizations, and administrators of universities and colleges alike,” she emphasized.

She suggested that careful research should be conducted on effective administrative practices to regulate fraternities, sororities, and organizations should be conducted.

“Banning these student endeavors will only result in driving them underground, making it harder for them to be monitored. Alternatives should be sought and implemented immediately,” she added.

Legarda, expressing indignation over the recent hazing-related death of San Beda College of Law freshman Mark Andre Marcos, also reiterated her call to ensure that perpetrators of hazing are held accountable.

“There is a need to revisit the current policy of regulation under the Anti-Hazing Law given its failure to deter violence and the apparent audacity by which these fraternities and sororities and their officers and members perpetrate violence without regard to the existing mandate of the law,” she concluded.

Legarda Hails Senate Concurrence in Domestic Workers’ Convention

MANILA, August 6, 2012-Senator Loren Legarda today hailed the Senate’s concurrence in the ratification of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 189, the Convention Concerning Decent Work for Domestic Workers.

Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, said that all 20 senators present during the voting concurred in the ratification of the Convention.

“I am happy for our kasambahays because the approval of ILO Convention 189 will pave the way for the proper recognition of their important role in the households they are employed in and their contribution to the economy,” she stressed.

The Senator cited records of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) which showed that the deployment of domestic workers is increasing year-to-year. In 2011, newly hired overseas Filipino domestic workers breached the 100,000 mark (136,000) for the first time in Philippine history.

She added that through this Convention the government can provide stronger protection and greater support to the 3.4 million Filipino domestic workers here and abroad.

“Domestic workers are not nameless persons. They have families. They send siblings to school.  They work, just like us, but unlike us, many of them are denied their rights and are stripped of their dignity as a human being, and through the ILO Convention 189, we are hopeful that this kind of injustice would end,” Legarda stressed.

“Our kasambahays will now be recognized as legitimate workers, not slaves, and be accorded decent working conditions, just compensation and sufficient benefits they greatly deserve,”  Legarda concluded.

Senate budget deliberation kicks off Drilon says 2013 budget plugs in growth constraints

MANILA, August 6, 2012-Senator Franklin M Drilon is confident that the proposed P2.006-trillion 2013 national budget will address the top growth restrictions identified by the National Economic Development Board (NEDA) in order to achieve the projected 6-7 percent growth rate for the next several years.

 At a Development Budget Coordination Council (DBCC) briefing for the Senators on the proposed budget, the NEDA identified five critical areas hampering the country’s growth: slow infrastructure developments, human capital development, institution of governance, agricultural productivity and strengthening manufacturing and industry.

The Senator, who chairs the Senate Finance that reviews the country’s proposed expenditures, said these bottlenecks must be addressed to catch up with the neighboring countries’ robust economic conditions.

The country’s 2012 first quarter growth of 6.4 percent is the highest in the region except for China, gaining praises from a number of senators present in the hearing who expressed satisfaction for the way the economy has been managed for the past one year, noted Drilon.

Drilon cited, in particular, the slow implementation of government’s infrastructure projects will be addressed by allowing the pre-bidding process to take place, short of awards, through the National Expenditure Program (NEP).  

“In order to meet the requirements of the law and address the need to accelerate infrastructure, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) would now bid out projects based on the NEP. All infrastructure projects should be bidded out by December this year, so that come January 1, awarding of bids will be made on the basis of the approved General Appropriations Act,” said Drilon.

“In this manner, we will be able to commence these projects during summer months, and more importantly, we don’t want to be caught in the ban of awards of infrastructure projects because of the elections in 2013,” added Drilon.

The DPWH is allotted with P152.9 billion in 2013 to build roads, bridges, ports and airports, noted Drilon.

Meanwhile, to improve human capital, Drilon said, strategic investment in education and health are taken into considerations in crating the 2013 budget. The social services sector has the highest allocation of P698.4 billion.

                                                                                      

The Department of Education (DepEd) will get P292.7 billion allocation – the highest in the entire bureaucracy. The Department of Health will have a budget of P56.8 billion, while the Department of Social Welfare and Development is provided with P56.2 billion allocation.

“All of these would now address this need to develop our human capital and to address the inadequacy in our investment in our people where we lagged behind in terms of our educational attainment and in preparing our youth for the future,” stressed Drilon.

Drilon also pointed out that the policy of the government is to emphasize transparency, strengthen anti-corruption drive, and continuously address red tape.

On the agricultural productivity, the 2013 budget provides for enough funding to support agriculture, particularly to construct irrigation, farm-to-market roads, post-harvest facilities. The Department of Agriculture is the 5^th highest funded department with P74.1 billion in 2013.

“There is need to support agriculture in order that we can lower the cost of food. This can only be achieved in terms of agricultural productivity. Second is that agriculture is essential because food security is critical to our country,” explained Drilon.

Finally, Drilon said manufacturing and industry will be improved through investments in infrastructure and by encouraging participation by the private sector through Publi-Private Partnership programs

The proposed P2.006 trillion 2013 national budget is 10.5 percent higher than the P1.816 trillion budget this year, and represents 16.8 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) in 2013, said Drilon.

“The government intends to bring down the deficit to two percent of GDP, equivalent to P241 billion, in 2013 from its current target of 2.6 percent or P279.1 billion, to create a robust and sustainable fiscal space,” he added.

On the other hand, the government’s disbursement capacity in 2013 is pegged at P2,021.1 trillion from its current target of P1,839.7 trillion, and it will be funded by the P1,780.1 trillion proposed revenues from its current target of P1,560.6 trillion.

In addition, government owned and controlled corporations have been provided with P29.8 billion subsidy from current’s P11 billion. 

KIKO: BENCHMARKING ON PER-CAPITA INCOME CHANGES AN EFFECTIVE TOOL FOR GAUGING IMPACT OF GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS

MANILA, August 6, 2012-At a briefing conducted by the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) to senators in preparation for the 2013 budget hearings, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan pushed for the benchmarking of per-capita income data between the Philippines and other ASEAN countries as a way to gauge the impact of government programs.

Pangilinan specifically requested for per-capita income information between “ten, fifteen years ago” and today to determine if the Philippines “is moving forward or running in place.”

“We don’t operate in a vacuum; we operate in the context of our neighbors and our would-be competitors,” Pangilinan pointed out. “We need to see if we are trailing behind our neighbors and if our programs are helping us move forward. Are we really hitting the bull’s eye in terms of addressing what has to be addressed? Otherwise, we just might be running in place.”

NEDA Chief Arsenio Balisacan confirmed that “The Philippines trails [behind] the other nations.” He cited Vietnam’s gross domestic product (GDP) as having grown by seven percent since 2000, while population growth was at roughly two percent, bringing per capita growth to five percent.

“Indonesia is now past us; by now they are much higher by five hundred dollars per person [in terms of per capita income]. Thailand was almost the same as the Philippines in the mid-1980s, but their per capita income is now twice [larger] than us.” Balisacan said.

Pangilinan asked that the figures be submitted to the Senate’s Budget Committee for benchmarking, to determine the effectiveness of government programs. He also recommended that comparative figures be presented in terms of job generation.

“The reason why I’m raising this is that if we view our country as lagging behind, then we’re obviously doing something wrong, or we’re not doing enough. That would justify why we have to put the money into [the programs we want to push for], because we need to do things differently.”

The lawmaker reiterated, “This is something for the DBCC to think about. Ultimately, this is about improving the quality of life of our citizens. Are we moving forward, or we moving in place, or are we lagging behind?”

Senate Budget Committee Chairman Franklin Drilon carried the proposal and requested the DBCC to provide the said data.

At Microsoft Regional Conference ANGARA SAYS PHL NEEDS TO ACT ON DATA PRIVACY NOW

Singapore, August 6, 2012-As he attends the Microsoft Southeast Asia Privacy Dialogue in Singapore today, Senator Edgardo J. Angara stressed that the country needs to urgently scale up efforts to protect personal information transmitted via the Internet and other information and communications technologies (ICT).

Angara is the main proponent of the Data Privacy Act which mandates both public and private enterprises to safeguard the integrity and confidentiality of all the personal information collected throughout their operations.

The measure, which will boost to the country’s fast-growing Information Technology and Business Process Outsourcing (IT-BPO) industry, was recently transmitted to Malacanang for the President's signature.  

“I am confident that President Aquino will sign this into law,” said Angara, Chair of the Senate Committee on Science and Technology. “But getting it enacted is only the first step—albeit a very vital one.

“To ensure the smooth implementation of the law, government agencies and private enterprises must look into how they can already incorporate international privacy principles into their systems and internal policies. For sure, some significant changes will have to be made, but that only makes it important for us to start working on them as early as now.”

The veteran lawmaker cited a white paper from the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that discusses best practices on how to implement and operationalize privacy frameworks, similar to the proposals made under the Data Privacy Act.

The report proposes three principles as basic guidelines for implementation, which are: 1) Privacy by Design; 2) Simplified Consumer Choice; and 3) Transparency.

Angara explained, “Businesses and government agencies must promote the privacy of their customers or constituents throughout every step of their operations. Their data collection practices should also be clearly explained. It should also be relatively easy for consumers to express their choices on how they want their personal data handled.”

He concluded, “A lot has to be done for the country to meaningfully protect its online data. Therefore, we must build on our capacities and collaborate with our neighbors every chance we can get.”

Aside from Senator Angara, representatives from the Philippine IT-BPO industry, the academe, business leaders, as well as government ICT officials from Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia, will also attend the Microsoft Southeast Asia Privacy Dialogue. (Rikka Sotto w/ Shielo Mendoza)

PIA-3 signs agreement with local school for studes' practicum

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga, August 6, 2012-The Philippine Information Agency 3 (PIA) signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the College of Computing Sciences and Information Technology (CCSIT) of the University of the Assumption (UA), here, August 3. 

The MOA signing primarily aims to gain partnership with public and private companies to train students and prepare them for the real world through internship or On the Job Training (OJT). 

Together with PIA, the Bureau of Fire Protection 3 (BFP) and the WALLEM Innovative Solutions also took part in the general assembly and MOA signing themed ,"E.D.I.T.-Explore, Develop, Innovate, Transform." 

"With the agreement between the university and the companies, rejection of the students' application for internship will be avoided," said Joey Suba, CCSIT practicum coordinator. 

"There will be industries ready to adopt their practicum," Suba added. 

On the other hand, the agreement will not only benefit the university and the students but also the practicum site. 

According to PIA regional director Robert Baldago, "the OJTs are of big help to us in the office. We have IT students from UA right now who do computer works and troubleshoot our computers.

Baldago added that PIA may also be the way for a student's employment in the future. 

"In 1996, i was an ojt in PIA Central Office, then I was absorbed as a contractual employee," Baldago narrated. 

Suba expressed the university's gratitute for the companies' invaluable support to the MOA' s goal. (Aurora Catu)

Local gov't, DOLE release salaries of summer studes

ANGELES CITY, Pampanga, Aug 6, 2012-The remaining 40 percent counterpart of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in the salary of 252 beneficiaries of the city’s Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES) was recently released. 

“The 60 percent of their allowance were already given by our local government in June. What we are distributing now are the remaining 40 percent from DOLE,” said Adelina Deocales PESO (Public Employment Service Office) manager as the student-grantees received their salaries. 

Shaira David, a student-grantee from Angeles City National Trade School, was thankful for the DOLE share. 

“I am thankful because I was able to earn money for my education last summer. It is a perfect opportunity for us since it is vacation time. We gained work experience and met new friends,” said Shaira. 

Edita Dublon, a parent of a SPES scholar from Barangay Salapungan also thanked the city government and DOLE for the timely release of the monetary compensation. 

“We, as parents, are thankful for the opportunity given to our child. The first tranch of the salary was able to help us in paying her tuition fee. The release of this second partition will help us in financing her everyday allowance,” said Dublon. 

For his part, Pamintuan expressed optimism for the success of the summer job program of the city for the students. 

“I laud PESO for continuously catering to the employment needs of the people of Angeles especially the student-beneficiaries of our student-employment program last summer,” said Pamintuan. 

“In cooperation with DOLE, we were able to facilitate opportunities for poor but deserving students of the city to work and earn for their education,” Pamintuan added. 

The SPES, which is a nationwide project, is jointly implemented by the city government and DOLE. 

Mandated under Republic Act 7323, government units are enforced to help indigent but deserving students in pursuing their education by giving them jobs during summer and Christmas vacation. 

Angeles City was able to admit a total of 350 student-beneficiaries during the implementation of the program last April to May this year. 

Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan and Vice Mayor Vicky Vega-Cabigting along with Councilor Edu Pamintuan and officials from DOLE at the PESO here handed the salaries to student-beneficiaries. (WLB/AC-CIO)

On CARPer's third anniversary CL farmers dare Aquino to abandon interest on Luisita, implement 'genuine' land reform

BALER, Aurora, August 6, 2012-Farmers belonging to Alyansa ng mga Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luson (Amgl, Farmers' Alliance in Central Luzon) dared Philippine president Benigno 'Noynoy' Aquino III to abandon interest on Hacienda Luisita and implement 'genuine' land reform by junking the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with 'Reforms' (CARPer) and passing House Bill 374 or the Genuine Agrarian Reform Bill (GARB).  More than a hundred farmers from Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan and Pampanga protested in front of the Dept. of Agrarian Reform (DAR) central office in Quezon City, joining farmers from other regions under the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) and Anakpawis Partylist.  The following day, the farmers protested at Mendiola bridge to challenge the Aquino government.  CARPer or Republic Act 9700 is on its third year implementation after former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed it on August 7, 2009.

“Aquino and everyone in the country should accept that without genuine land reform, there would be no social justice and fundamental reforms and all deception and lies about CARPer would be exposed and its multi-billion budget allocation would all go to waste or to the pocket of rich landlords,” Joseph Canlas said, Amgl chairperson.

Amgl primarily demanded Aquino to abandon his and his family's interest on Hacienda Luisita and immediately order its distribution to the 6,296 farmworker-beneficiaries (FWBs) as ordered by the Supreme Court.

“Aquino is sending a wrong signal by delaying the distribution of Hacienda Luisita.  He and the Cojuangco-Aquinos promised to follow the law but when the Supreme Court decided, here he goes ordering DAR to make a new list of FWBs, prolonging the process,” Canlas said.

“DAR's action on Hacienda Luisita is risky as making the new list would sow chaos and unnecessary confusion among the farmworkers.  It is apparent that DAR is making the distribution process complicated, thus, Aquino is not sincere in abiding the law or the SC order,” he added.

Amgl is also demanding the immediate distribution of 3,100-hectares agricultural lands formerly part of the Fort Magsaysay Military Reservation (FMMR) in Laur, Nueva Ecija being claimed by the 7th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army (IDPA).

“The issue of Fort Magsaysay Military Reservation is the very concrete example of the uselessness of CARPer.  Imagine, its coverage was already ordered by former president Cory Aquino through her executive orders 407 and 448 in 1990, and Deed of Transfer (DOT) between DAR and the Dept. of National Defense (DND) signed by sec. Benjamin Leong and Renato De Villa, respectively in 1990, but the process is being opposed by the AFP, a government entity itself,” Canlas said.

“CARPer could not even compel the AFP to follow the law, thus, harassment against farmers continue and retired police and military officials are grabbing lands in Fort Magsaysay,” he added.

Amgl also demanded Aquino to stop the massive land use conversion(LUCs) in Central Luzon, ejecting farmers from their land.

“These LUCs in Central Luzon is a threat to farmers' rights on land, as well as to the food security of our country,” Canlas said.

Amgl said that the construction  of Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEx) and Central Luzon Expressway (CLEx) projects in Nueva Ecija has ejected and continue to threaten farmers out of their lands.

“If Aquino was sincere in realizing fundamental reforms, CARP should have covered the subjected lands decades ago and distributed to legitimate farmer-beneficiaries, but he did not.  Hence,  farmers are now defending their rights,” Canlas added.

“We call on other sectors to support our demand to junk CARPer and enact House Bill 374 or GARB.  We should learn that CARP and CARPer  is not a real land reform program in its 24 years of implementation.  If we want to keep our country's food supply secure, we must defend the farmers' cultivation of productive agricultural lands and protect it from LUCs.  The absence of a genuine land reform program would lead to an agrarian unrest in our country,” Canlas said. 

Casiño seeks probe of power firm Protest leaders owe PAMES huge amount

PANTABANGAN, Nueva Ecija - Rep. Teddy Casiño pressed for a full dress investigation on the condition of the Pantabangan  Municipal Electric System  (PAMES) even as power has not been restored in the municipality as of press time.

But Casiño, who chairs the House committee on energy said he motored to the town to personally hear the sentiments of townsfolk  regarding the issue that the local government is facing with the power producer First Gen.

“Alam naman natin nagkaroon ng mukhang mismangement sa power distribution company,” he said. 

“Gayunpaman ang importante para sa atin ngayon, maibalik kaagad yung kuryente.,”

He said the provincial government and the National Electrification Administration can come up with a measure to immediately reconnect the electricity for the benefit of the residents while an audit of PAMES transactions is being conducted.

He also said that the PAMES franchise is already up for renewal and this could be the best time for a probe. 

He said he will make sure the franchise would not be renewed unless its finances are properly audited and accountable people are made to pay.

“Managot ang dapat managot,” he said.

Tension rose when Vice Mayor Romeo Borja, Jr., decided to face the crowd, which police estimated at about 120 people, and started enumerating the names of those people and entities who owed PAMES, including the leaders who spoke prior to his attendance.

He said naming them gave him a heavy heart but had to do it to prove that it was his father’s fight for his constituents that resulted to the power cut-off. 

He first mentioned villages such as Malbang whose head, Danilo Padilla, also belonged to the picket speakers. 

Malbang, he said, had P1.4 million debt. Villarica, which host the power plant, owed P2.3 million.

While doing it, however, someone from the crowd shouted “bulaan” apparently referring to the vice mayor.

Among those he named who supposedly failed to settle bills with PAMES  were the protest group La Solidad leader Bienvenido Reyes who allegedly has 10 months unpaid bills amounting to about P25,000; a resort owned by another protest leader Dr. Bernardo dela Merced with some P268,000 debts for 18 months; Padilla has 31 months, P41,000; former Mayor Ruben Huerta, five months, P11,000; Coun. Teodora Agustin, 47 months, P119,000, among others.

The vice mayor admitted he himself has an outstanding bill for eight months. 

In reaction, Reyes said he will castigate his wife as soon as he went home for no -paying the bills.

But Borja said they did not blame the people for failing  to pay their bills and instead run after FGHPC with allegedly undervalued equipment declaration.

“What we are saying is that it’s the billionaire company that should pay properly,” he said, adding that FGHPC enjoys a five-month tax moratorium that would amount to roughly P100 million.

Search is on for GMA challenger

LUBAO, Pampanga, August 5, 2012-Confirmation that former President, now Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo would seek reelection next year in this province’s second district has fueled anew a search for her opponent.

Architect Adonis Simpao, who was the official candidate of the Liberal Party (LP) against Arroyo in the 2010 congressional race in the district, said he would not run again, but stressed he would help search for a worthy opponent to Arroyo.

Kapampangan journalist Randy David, who initially announced he would challenge Arroyo in the 2010 polls but backed out later, said in a text message to Punto that “I have no plan to run in Pampanga in the next elections or to embark on a political career. Politics is not my vocation.”

David, a native of Barangay Betis in Guagua in the second district, explained that “I thought of opposing GMA (Arroyo’s initials) in order to send her a strong message: that it was not right or fair for a sitting president to seek a lower office at the end of her term so she could continue political power.”

But even now that Arroyo is no longer president, David indicated she should already “step aside.”

“Pampanga deserves and needs the infusion of new and young blood. Mrs. Arroyo should step aside now, graciously retire and let the younger generation have a chance at public service,” he said.

Former governor Eddie Panlilio, whose request to be reinstated as a full time priest has remained pending after his suspension when he run and become Pampanga governor in the 2007 elections, could not be reached, but his brother Gerry said he was not anymore interested in running for political office. 

Panlilio was named LP chairman in Pampanga when he ran but lost in the 2010 gubernatorial race against Gov. Lilia Pineda.

Despite his shying away from politics, Simpao said he would remain active in “civil society” concerns of the group Kapampangan Manalakaran, Inc. (KMI) which he helped found with Panlilio.

KMI, which advocates good governance and responsible citizenship in Pampanga, backed charges against Arroyo who recently posted a P1-million bail on charges of electrical sabotage before a court in Pasig City.

“We are still looking for somebody who can challenge GMA. We are not short of qualified Kapampangans, although as of the moment, there is no one person we can yet name,” Simpao said.

In the 2010 elections when she was still president while campaigning for the congressional post, Arroyo was accused of using the resources of her administration to woo voters in the second district.

Political observers in her district noted that while she no longer has access to the same powers in 2010, Arroyo still has enough resources to win the support of her constituents in the 2013 polls.

They noted that Arroyo is the biggest recipient of pork barrel in Congress, with a P2.2-billion lump sum pork barrel from the Department of Public Works and Highways budget, on top of her P70-million PDAF pork, the P50-million extra infrastructure pork, another P28 million on top of that, and the P25-million windfall from the Road User’s Tax.

This was uncovered last year when Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello revealed that Arroyo had used her influence when she was president to make sure that her district would get a lot of projects funded by “multilateral lending agencies” from Japan and South Korea.

Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson later said that the huge funds secured by Arroyo were committed by foreign aid agencies like the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Korea Development and Cooperation Fund, and that the government could violate these commitments. (Ding Cervantes)

Bishops to ‘influence’ Catholic voters to elect only pro-life solons in 2013

MANILA, August 5, 2012—Catholic voters may not be dictated on who to vote but the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) will be more aggressive in “influencing” them to vote only for pro-life candidates in the midterm elections next year.

Aside from issuing a catechesis on elections to serve as a checklist for voters in assessing the moral ascendancy of candidates to handle government posts, the members of the CBCP will issue separate pastoral letters endorsing pro-life candidates who runs for public office, most especially those seeking Congressional seats.

CBCP secretary general Msgr. Joselito Asis said the public turnout during yesterday’s prayer power rally against the Reproductive Health Bill has highlighted the influence of the Church in the public’s conviction against the controversial RH Bill.

Asis admitted that in the past, the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Family and Life only issue guidelines on who to vote for.

“But now, we will already identify the pro-life candidates and convince voters against electing the anti-life ones,” he said.

“For the bishops’ part, they can separately issue pastoral letters, reiterating the Church’s call not to vote supporters of RH bill, especially in Congress,” he added.

The Catholic faithful may not vote as a bloc unlike other Christian churches but Asis said there is no need to have a solid Catholic vote.

“What’s important is that Church has influence over its faithful. Whether or not the voters heed the Church’s advice, its up to them. All we’re asking is for them to stand firm in their pro-life convictions in choosing who to vote in the elections,” he said.

The CBCP official particularly urged the Catholic youth to carefully scrutinize candidates for public office, especially after a pro-RH bill and anti-God person was elected as representative of the youth in Congress.

“Considering that the youth constitutes the majority of the voting population, we appeal to them to listen to us their elders because in order to make a right decision on who to vote, they should take it from the elders’ wisdom and maturity,” he added.

Meanwhile, youth leaders are also planning on campaigning for extensive voters education to help young voters cast their vote on pro-life and worthy candidates.

Jectoffer So of the Filipino-Chinese Catholic Youth said they will gather the profiles of congressional and senatorial candidates and discuss the position of each candidate for every issue that affects the youth and their morality.

“We will conduct voters’ education of our own in our respective organizations. We will not dictate who they are going to vote for in the coming elections but we will educate them of the consequences if they elect candidates who do not respect life,” he said.

For his part, Gailbert Bosea of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting urged first time voters to register ahead of the deadline and not waste their right to vote.

“Let us scrutinize the politicians and be involved in the election. Let’s register and vote since we, the youth, are going to inherit the fruit of the problems from the seed we sow when we vote for unworthy candidates,” he said.

Meanwhile, Guillermo Geronimo of the Focolare Movement said the candidates’ respect for life and dignity of the human person will be his utmost consideration for voting.

“Development starts with the human person and at home. Whoever gives importance to life and the family is worthy to vote for,” Geronimo added. (YouthPinoy)