Other Issues

Spare No One in Pork Barrel Probe! – Sen. Bam

Senator Bam Aquino stressed that the full force of the law should be imposed to those who benefited from the P10-billion pork barrel scam.

“The government should not spare anyone in this investigation. If they do, it will send a wrong signal to the public that anyone can pocket billions and get away with it easily,” said Aquino.

Aquino made the reaction after it was reported that alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles asked the government to spare her children from prosecution.

“How can her children be spared from this investigation when whistleblowers revealed that they were the ones forging the signatures of Malampaya Fund ghost beneficiaries,” Aquino said.

According to the whistleblowers, Aquino said Napoles’ children Jo Christine and James Christopher allegedly received the funds that were funnelled to bogus non-government organizations if she was not at home.

“Testimonies show that they are major participants in this scheme and should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law and not be treated with kids’ gloves,” the senator emphasized.

Also, Aquino said Napoles should face the Senate after she recovers from vaginal bleeding and divulge to the public the truth

“After she recovers, she should face the Senate once and for all, tell what the public wants to know,” Aquino said.

“This way, we will let the truth prevail and punish those involved in the scam,” he added.

Investigate Rampant Cybersex Activities Involving Minors! – Sen. Bam

Senator Bam Aquino expressed alarm over the reported rampant cyber pornographic activities involving minors in the country.

According to Aquino, the Philippines has been listed by international watchdog Virtual Global Task Force as among the top ten countries with rampant cyber pornographic activities involving mostly boys and girls age 10-14.

Aquino added that the Philippine National Police (PNP) has identified 31 provinces as cybercrime hotspots for harboring cybersex and cyberporn hubs, and are being closely monitored.

“Reports showed that most patrons of these multi-billion-dollar cyber activities are from the United States of America and European countries,” said Aquino, chairman of the Committee on Youth.

Recently, 58 Filipinos were arrested in connection with alleged “sextortion” activities where they blackmail unsuspecting victims that they will spread their nude and compromising videos and photos online unless they pay huge amounts of money.

“This only shows that widespread incidence of prostitution and pornography in the Philippines has reached every part of the globe through cyberspace, and cybercrime dens operating in the country have reached international victims,” Aquino said.

The rampant cybersex operation in the country is prevalent despite the existence of Republic Act No. 9775 otherwise known as the “Anti-Child Pornography Law of 2009.”

The law prohibits any person from employing, inducing or coercing a child to engage or be involved in “explicit sexual activities, whether visual, audio, or written combination thereof, and knowingly distributes it in any manner”.

Aside from this, the Philippines is a signatory to the United Nations Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.

In line with this, Aquino has filed a resolution seeking to investigate exploitation and abuse of minors by cybersex syndicates and the rampant spread of online child pornography.

“There is a need to ensure that those who have access to Internet are protected from predators who search out children who are vulnerable and easily manipulated,” Aquino said.

Aquino believes that constant vigilance is key to the possible eradication of these pornographic materials involving children.

 

Photo source: www.buzzpatrol.com

Ensure Safety of Bus Passengers Immediately – Sen. Bam to Gov’t Agencies

Alarmed by the spate of accidents involving provincial buses in the past few days, Senator Bam Aquino called on concerned government agencies to intensify inspection and monitoring of provincial buses to ensure safety of travelers.

“These accidents are alarming, considering that many of our fellow Filipinos are trooping to the provinces for the last few weeks of summer vacation,” said Aquino, chairman of the Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship.

Aquino said the Land Transportation Office and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTRFB) must conduct regular inspection and monitoring to avoid loss of lives and limbs in the future.

Last Wednesday, three people were killed and 13 others were injured when a Raymond bus en route to Quezon City was rammed by 10-wheeler truck in Tiaong, Quezon. The LTFRB suspended the bus’ franchise to operate for 30 days.

Recently, three people were killed while 14 others were injured when a bus hit a mango tree in Burgos, Ilocos Norte while 21 passengers were injured when a bus fell down a ravine in Aurora.

“Suspension of franchise to operate isn’t enough. Prevention is better than cure and one way of doing it is through regular safety inspection of buses plying the provincial routes,” Aquino stressed.

At the same time, Aquino calls on operators to help the government by ensuring that their buses are in good running condition before allowing them to travel.

“Under the franchise given to them, operators have the responsibility to ensure safe travel for commuters. It is practical for them to ensure that their vehicles are roadworthy before they leave,” Aquino emphasized.

Aside from this, Aquino said operators should check the condition of their drivers if they physically and mentally fit to drive.

“Government agencies and private operators have to work side by side to ensure safe travels for many Filipinos who rely on mass transportation,” Aquino said.

 

Photo source: Rappler

Mindanao Brownout Bad for Business, Development – Sen. Bam

Senator Bam Aquino calls on concerned government agencies to immediately address the rotating brownout in Mindanao, saying it impedes the development of the region.

“We cannot accept that businesses are losing millions of pesos everyday. Lost income will lead to loss of jobs and other livelihood opportunities for our people,” said Aquino, chairman of the Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship.

Aquino, who hails from Davao, urged the government to open the electricity market to small independent power producers to help solve power shortage in the area.

“A more competitive and a level-playing market would provide better service to our people,” said Aquino, who recently visited Davao to check on businesses in the area.

Aquino said it is not acceptable that prospective investors would lose interest in the region because of the long power interruption.

“These power interruptions are putting Mindanao’s present and future economic development at risk so we must address this now,” the senator emphasized.

“How can Mindanao be the next big thing in business if electricity supply continues to be a problem,” he added.

Aquino made the reaction after the Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CDOCCI) revealed that Mindanao businesses are losing an estimated P30 million per hour to power interruption.

“With an average of six hours of power interruption, Mindanao businesses are losing P180 million per day. This is really bad for business and bad for prospective investors,” Aquino said.

Let’s Just Work Together to Hasten Rehabilitation! – Sen. Bam to Gov’t Officials

Let’s just work together!

Senator Bam Aquino called on concerned government officials to set aside their differences and work in unison to speed up the government’s rehabilitation efforts in areas devastated by Typhoon Yolanda.

Aquino made the pronouncement amid the reported rift between Yolanda rehabilitation czar Panfilo Lacson and two unidentified Cabinet members.

“It’s been six months since Typhoon Yolanda hit, and the rehabilitation should be moving smoothly already.  Let’s get our act together so that the survivors can get back to their normal lives,” said Aquino, Chairman of the Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship.

“The world is watching. Let us show them how we can come together and help the victims get back on their feet,” he added.

Aquino’s reaction stemmed from Lacson’s claim that two Cabinet members have been ignoring his request for assistance, delaying important rehabilitation projects in Yolanda-devastated areas.

The senator said this should not be the case because Yolanda rehabilitation is one of the government’s priority programs in the next three years.

“We should not prolong the agony of the Yolanda survivors. They lost their loved ones, their property and livelihood so we should not make them suffer even more,” said Aquino.

Aquino also urged concerned government agencies to submit their respective formal plans for affected areas to hasten the finalization of a master plan that will set the timetable and direction of the rehabilitation.

The Senate has approved a P14.6-billion supplemental budget for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of areas hit by typhoon Yolanda.

Recently, Aquino called on the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to closely monitor the prices of construction materials in Eastern Visayas after receiving reports of overpricing in areas devastated by Yolanda.

The DTI acted with haste, saying it will “double or triple” the frequency of monitoring and punish establishments selling overpriced construction materials.

 

Photo source: weather.com (http://tinyurl.com/pjzudru)

Stakeholders Should Work for Better Internet Service – Sen. Bam

We want to build, not blame.

With this, Senator Bam Aquino called on stakeholders to work together to make sure consumers get what they’re paying for and give them the best Internet service possible.

“It’s about getting all the groups together. In the Philippines, all of our major problems only get solved when everyone comes together to solve it,” said Aquino during a television interview.

“We need to really work together to make sure consumers get what they’re paying for and get to a place where their Internet is really functioning at a satisfactory level or the best level possible,” the senator added.

Aquino said the momentum of the country’s economic growth, which is the largest in the ASEAN region, would be for nothing because of the poor and expensive Internet service.

“We have the highest growth in the whole ASEAN. We’re going from developing to developed country in the next ten to fifteen years. We cannot do that with poor Internet service,” Aquino emphasized.

At the same time, Aquino called on the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to chart the roadmap that will lead to a faster, cheaper and more Internet availability for more Filipinos.

“The NTC should be empowered to create this roadmap for better services for Filipinos because there is a lot of public interest here. That’s where I think the collaboration can be better so we can see this roadmap forward,” Aquino stressed.

Aquino is also considering a department-level body that will oversee the state of Internet in the country.

Presently, Aquino said several government agencies — Department of Science and Technology (DOST), NTC and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) – focused on the issue of Internet in the country.

“We should put all of these functions together to a department that corresponds to the information age that were in right now,” Aquino said.

Working 37th birthday for Sen. Bam

It will be a working birthday for Senator Bam Aquino, who is expected to submit three committee reports and file seven key bills as he turns 37 today (May 7).

“The welfare of the country and fellow Filipinos should be prioritized above anything else,” said Aquino, the youngest senator in the 16th Congress.

As chairman of the Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship and the Committee on Youth, the senator will deliver a sponsorship speech for the Poverty Reduction through Social Enterprise (PRESENT), Youth Entrepreneurship and Financial Literacy and Philippine Lemon Law on Motor Vehicles bills.

Seven other measures – the Community Disaster Warehouse Bill, Coastal Mangrove Planting Bill, BEI-Election Service Reform Bill, Philippine Big Data Center Bill and the Cooperatives Officer Bill, Credit Surety Fund Bill and Start Up Business Bill – are also expected to be filed today.

“We should work hard to get them out of poverty and find commonalities that will benefit most, if not all, Filipinos. This is one way of thanking them for their trust and confidence,” Aquino emphasized.

Electric Vehicles to Mitigate Climate Change – Sen. Bam

Electric, hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles (AFV) will help the country mitigate the risks associated with climate change as they reduce air pollution as result of the country’s heavy dependence on petroleum.

Senator Bam Aquino underscored this as he filed Senate Bill Nos. 2150 and 2151, which grant two bills granting fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to manufacturers and buyers of electric and alternative fuel vehicles.

In his explanatory note, Aquino said the Philippines should mainstream programs that mitigate climate change risks and instill climate change adaptation among private sector, communities, and individuals.

“Early adaptation to and promotion of AFVs will help the country mitigate the risks associated with climate change, while opening up potential investment and job opportunities that will ultimately benefit more Filipinos,” Aquino stressed.

Based on studies, Aquino said 80 percent of particulates, or particles that cause pollution, come from gas and diesel powered vehicles.

“Electric and AFVs are pro-environment vehicles because they have zero emission,” Aquino said.

Aquino also hailed the government’s move to ensure the growth of the domestic electric vehicle manufacturing industry through transformation of public major transportation as this was showcased to US President Barack Obama last week.

Key milestones include the Department of Energy’s (DOE) goal of putting 100,000 electric tricycles on the road by 2017, and the Electric Vehicles Association of the Philippines’ (EVAP) goal of one million electric vehicles by 2020.

Aquino said his bills would provide a stronger policy support needed by the industry to encourage investment and remove key barriers that hinder its growth, such as high initial costs and lack of fiscal incentives.

Under the bill, qualified manufacturers, assemblers and importers of vehicles are exempted from the payment of excise taxes, duties and VAT for spare parts, raw materials, components and capital equipment for nine years.

Aside from that, they will also be exempted from paying Motor Vehicle User’s Charge (MVUC) for nine years.

Aquino also proposed several non-fiscal incentives to boost production and drive consumer demand for alternative fuel vehicles.

Among them are priority registration and plate number issuance; priority franchise application; exemption from Unified Vehicular Volume Reduction Program (UVVRP) or Number-Coding Scheme; and the provision of free parking spaces in new establishments for AFV drivers.

“While the costs of electric and hybrid vehicles are higher compared to those of regular vehicles, these non-fiscal incentives will make the acquisition and conversion of vehicles more attractive to consumers and manufacturers alike,” Aquino said.

Aquino’s bills also aim to help the local electric vehicle industry become a major player in the Asian market.

Aquino said Asia is currently the largest market for hybrid and electric vehicles with 56 percent of shares, based on a study released by international consulting firm Grant Thornton in 2012.

The study added that global sales of hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are projected to reach 5.4 million vehicles by 2021 or more than six percent of the automotive market.

Also, the integration of the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015 presents a key opportunity for the Philippines to emerge as a leader in this sector and cater to a regional market.

“This can very well pave the way for more investments, jobs, and livelihood opportunities to reach more Filipinos,” the senator said.

 

Photo source: Get Philippines Facebook page

Sen. Bam: Slow Internet Affects Business Growth

Slow Internet connection adversely affects ease of doing business and hampers the advancement of telecommunication services and facilities in all areas of the country.

This was emphasized by Senator Bam Aquino as he formally filed a resolution calling on the Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship, which he chairs, to investigate the slow and costly Internet service in the country.

In his resolution, Aquino reiterated the need to ensure that all users of Internet services shall have access to it anytime and anywhere in the country at an acceptable standard of service and at a reasonable cost.

Aquino made the move after it was reported that the Philippines is at the bottom of the list of ASEAN countries (3.6 Mbps) in terms of Internet speed, way below the ASEAN average of 12.4 Mbps.

A report by the Massachusetts-based Akamai Technologies Inc. entitled State of the Internet mentioned that the Philippines’ low use of broadband technology as well as high costs for internet users compared to other countries mean slow average connection speeds for consumers.

A study commissioned by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and released by Boston Consulting Group (BGC), saying the Philippines is trailing its ASEAN neighbors in terms of Internet infrastructure.

The study also mentioned that the Philippines has the eighth most-expensive fixed broadband pricing among 65 countries included in the study.

Also, Aquino took notice of the expensive Internet service in the country where Filipino consumers spend around One Thousand Pesos (Php 1,000.00) per month for speed up to two (2) Mbps and around Two Thousand Pesos (Php 2,000.00) for speed up to five (5) Mbps.

“Comparing the prices of Internet services among Southeast Asian countries, the cost to Filipino consumers is way more expensive than the Internet costs in Singapore and Thailand, which have the fastest connections globally,” said Aquino.

The senator said improving Internet connection in the Philippines is crucial to the ASEAN Economic Integration, which aims to transform the region into a single market and production base, and a highly competitive region.

“We should provide an environment for the emergence of communications structures that will benefit the vast majority of consumers in the country which has a broad economic growth geared towards increasing competition,” Aquino stressed.

 

Sen. Bam Vows to Work vs. Age Limit on Job Applicants

Senator Bam Aquino vows to work against practice of companies to hire employees based on age, calling it discriminatory on the part of workers above 45 years old who still want to be productive citizens.

“This practice is unacceptable because we want to encourage our citizens, including those in advanced years, to be productive. Kung kaya pa naman, bakit natin hahadlangan ang pagnanais nilang magtrabaho,” said Aquino, chairman of the Senate Committee on Trade, Commerce and Entrepreneurship.

“If we prevent them from exercising this right, then it is tantamount to discrimination, which has no place and should be outlawed in today’s society,” stressed Aquino.

Aquino made the pronouncement after receiving complaints from several jobseekers about this practice of companies to turn down applicants who are above their maximum age requirement of 45.

The senator said companies should give seasoned workers a chance to earn their livelihood, as long as they can perform the required duties and responsibilities required.

“Kahit ano pa ang edad, basta kaya pang magtrabaho dapat bigyan ng pagkakataon para kumita,” he said.

Aquino said he would work for the removal of age requirement by companies looking for workers.

“From I understand, there is already an existing bill about age discrimination. I will work for it to be incorporated in the anti-discrimination bill that I recently filed,” Aquino said, referring to his Senate Bill 2122 or the Anti-Discrimination Act of 2014, which seeks to combat discrimination of any form.

Recently, Aquino received a letter from a 55-year-old former overseas Filipino worker who still wants to work to help his family.

In his letter, he called on Aquino to work for the passage of a bill that will remove the maximum age limit of 45 imposed by companies on applicants.

At the same time, Aquino called on companies to base their criteria for applicants on skills and not on degree.

“As they say, experience is the best teacher. Many important things are not being taught in schools and they are learned on the job. Some of the best people I know don’t have college degree but they excel in their respective fields,” Aquino added.

This way, Aquino said companies would help address the problem of job mismatch hounding the labor industry.

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