"Buy Me a Good Senator" Movement Launched

"T-Bills" to Fund Election Campaign

"Buy Me a Good Senator" movement was launched by a group of ordinary citizens at the Sulo Hotel just this morning. The goal is to fund the election campaign of "honest, competent and sincere people" by buying "T"-Bills for them. According to the group headed by Gerry Gamez the "T" stands for "Trust." He described these as "documents which bind the candidate to us, the electorate, for the whole period of their term, so they will faithfully serve us, instead of the people serving them."

The group initially picked Atty. Alex “Pinoy” Lacson, author of the 12 Little Things Every Filipino Can Do To Help Our Country, and who agreed to the concept of T-Bills in the political arena, as the first candidate to be supported. The Lacson T-bills can be bought for P300, P500, or P1,000. Each buyer/contributor will be given a certificate. In addition, those who paid for P500 will be given the 12 Little Things book; for P1,000, the book and a Thank God I’m a Filipino T-shirt. Globe celfone users can buy the Lacson T-Bill by simply texting: ALEX 300/500/1000. Then send to 2899.

An appreciative Atty. Lacson declared: “In this day and age where the norm is vote-buying, here we see Gamez and his group with what little they have for their prefered candidate. This shows that people are willing to invest in good governance. They are willing to act.”

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Power Crisis Presscon - March 22, 2010

Atty. Alex Lacson: Gov't Negligence = Power Crisis

Last Monday (March 22), I attended Atty. Alex "Pinoy" Lacson's presscon at the LP Senatorial HQ at the Manila Bank Bldg. along Ayala Ave., Makati City.

Atty. Lacson narrated that during his visit to Kidapawan City (capital of North Cotabato) last week, there was no electricity during his meeting with local officials. It was still brownout when the meeting concluded. Local executives confirmed they are experiencing six to ten hours brownouts. Lamenting the lack of central planning to address the energy crisis, he declared:

"Mindanao is growing both economically and socially, The Arroyo administration should have anticipated that its energy requirements would actually increase. Evidently, there was no planning."

"Pinoy" Lacson agreed with Mindanao-based executives that short-term solutions are needed such as buying power barges. In addition, long-term solutions should be explored, including tapping wind energy, building additional geothermal plants and rehabilitating existing power plants.

Questionable Use of 10 Billion Calamity Fund

Confounding the Mindanao power in crisis  is the questionable use of the 10 billion calamity meant to address the worsening blackouts. Out of the this fund, each affected province  was allotted close to 1 billion pesos to buy or lease generator sets.

However, reports have reached Lacson that administration-backed local candidates are using the calamity fund to instead buy rice, food stuff and even appliances to entice their constituents to vote for them in the coming May 10 elections. This prompted Lacson to tell Mindanaoans:

 "Kailangang tutukan ito ng ating may opisyales at bantayan ng taong bayan para hindi na naman manakaw ang pondong kinakailangan ng Mindanao. Let's literally and figuratively shine a light on this issue."

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Landas ng Pagbabago (Path to Change)

In yesterday's presscon by the Liberal Party at their new campaign HQ at the 3rd Floor of the Manila Bank Building, Ayala Avenue, the most "quotable quote" came from Sen. Kiko Pangalinan, the Campaign Manager of LP's Senate Slate.

Sen. Pangilinan emphatically said that voters can choose from two paths: landas ng pagbabago o landas ng C-5. Rough translation to English: "path to change or path to the C-5" (a controversial road project that has been the subject of a Senate ethics investigation of one of their members).

 Ms. Risa Hontiveros and Atty. Alex Lacson, both LP

Senatorial Candidates, flank Sen. Kiko Pangilinan.

(A print coverage of the event will be published in the next issue of Touchlife Express Balita.)

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