Francis Escudero Quotes

He said: "The right of reply is better than realized through editorial discretion and voluntary acts rather than through forcible dictation through state machinery which infringes upon a basic freedom."

As we devote ourselves to the higher calling of serving our country as president and vice-president, this is the reason we will choose to remain independent, or without party. We believe that whoever runs and serves as president or vice-president should not be member of a single party (LP, NPC, NUP, NP, UNA or others). Our party should be the Filipino people. And we should be loyal not only to liberals, nationalists, or other party members, but to every Filipino.

I believe that it behooves me to step down at this juncture to ensure that deliberations on the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) — considered the single most important piece of legislation passed by Congress each year — are untainted by suspicions or perceptions of partisan politics. It is, Mr. President, what propriety requires; it is, I believe, what our people expect from us all: delicadeza.

While today no foreign invaders threaten our sovereignty, there's another front that is on the line - our economy. Like a pandemic plague, worldwide recession now engulfs all nations. If stable, prosperous democracies are floundering in its wake, what more of developing countries such as ours?

This is where I would like to bring up the subject of equity. Economic statistics show that although there has been GDP growth over the past 23 years, the number of families living in poverty has increased - up to about 5 million families or 27.6 million people. This demonstrates that benefits of that growth have accrued to the wealthy. The rich have gotten richer and the poor have gotten poorer. This is clearly unacceptable to all of us.

• Increase of P3.636 billion for the Department of Education, particularly for a Feeding Program, the Quick Response Fund, and Chalk Allowance for teachers;

Black propaganda and negative politics don't and won't work here/elsewhere simply because of one thing - it is based on a lie.

Fifth, we must fast track our infrastructure development.

Aside from pump priming our economy, we would be bringing down the cost of transportation and opening up those areas of our country which have not been developed.

In the meantime, I urge all military and police commanders to make sure that human rights are respected during this period.

Augmentation, on the other hand, Mr. President, is defined in the GAB as the act of filling up a deficiency in any existing P/A/P of an agency or office from savings in other items of the said agency’s appropriations, and therefore, a non-existent P/A/P cannot be funded by augmentation from savings.

We cannot just sit idly by and watch while our laws are being subverted. If we cannot defend, protect nor assist our fellow Filipino right here in our own soil, what chilling message do we get out there to our people and especially to those who are outside Philippine soils?

As history has shown, overcoming tyranny takes time and patience, blood and sacrifice. It also takes a leader, who is willing to overcome the odds and be the sole beacon of hope. Suu Kyi is that kind of leader.

By lowering their expenditure on food, we would be awarding every family with an increase in disposable income, and mitigate labor demands for wage increases.

Senator Grace and I will establish a Government with Heart through a detailed platform for each agency, which will be based on their yearly budget.