ADVERTISEMENT
News
De Lima bares five-point legislative agenda for ‘good governance’
Senator Leila de Lima on Thursday released the five-point legislative agenda she will push if reelected to address the needs of every Filipino.
Dubbed as “5 Securities 4 Filipinos” or “Limang Kasiguruhan para sa Filipino”, De Lima's agenda will focus on civil and political security through good governance; human rights and rule of law; food security; health security; economic security; and national security.
The detained senator said civil and political security should be promoted by the next leadership by “upholding transparency and valuing accountability.”
“The allegations of premeditated plunder during the time of the pandemic have not only resulted in lost faith and trust in the government, it caused actual damages and loss of lives to many Filipinos,” she said.
To prevent abuse of public officials, De Lima stressed the need to re-examine the procurement laws, especially in times of disasters, and strengthen the safeguards and protocols of law enforcement units during operations.
She reiterated the necessity for laws on prosecution service reform to speed up the progress of the government’s cases, on protection of human rights defenders, as well as legislation on prison reforms.
On the other hand, De Lima emphasized that achieving food security should be the number one priority of the next administration.
“We need to protect our farmlands and food-producing areas by enacting a Comprehensive Land Use Act which would prevent destructive developments and exploitation of land areas to the point of endangering our food security,” she said.
ADVERTISEMENT
Likewise, De Lima underscored the need to increase the country's border control to prevent food smuggling which endangers consumers and farmers.
“Food smuggling must be absolutely stopped. Markets must be continuously monitored for smuggled food,” she added.
On health security, De Lima said the government must ensure that “the hospitals and health centers in the country are up to the task.”
The senator highlighted the importance of enacting a Magna Carta for Barangay Health Workers (BHWs) and establishing permanent roles for them, as well as supporting investments in local medical equipment and drug makers.
“The next administration must be able to simultaneously focus on Micro- and Macroeconomics, address concerns and balance the interests of Labor, Small and Medium Enterprises, Long-term Investors, especially in the Manufacturing and Service Sectors,” she said.
“We need to double our efforts in educating our students to make up for time lost during the pandemic. Our graduates need to be competitive if we are to encourage investments here,” she added.
On national security, De Lima stated “we need to ensure that our rights as a sovereign nation is reflected in our treaties and policies. Our rights over the West Philippine Sea (WPS) remains non-negotiable and we should only work on the exploration of its wealth with countries which respect our exclusive economic rights over it.”
She further said: “We should likewise blacklist corporations which participate in activities that violate our rights over our territory.”—Mel Matthew Doctor/AOL, GMA News