• The use of the Special Vehicle Pollution Control Fund under DOTC-OSEC, particularly the amount of P2.532 billion for air pollution control of LTO a… - Francis Escudero

And because he believes numbers don’t lie, he minces no words in explaining them, and will not consult the political weather bulletin on when to expose them. So much so, that he sometimes sails against the wind, driven only by the motto set by his grandfather, who also once sat here, that one must do what is right over what is popular.

It is saddening because our SSS pensioners have waited long enough for this measure. There is no better time than now to have the SSS pension hike bill enacted into law, and I urge my colleagues in the Senate and members of the House of Representatives to do the right thing and vote to override the President’s ill-advised veto of this bill. We need to muster the two-thirds majority vote to override the veto. It may be difficult but we will try for the sake of our SSS pensioners.

The government does not have the mandate to create jobs. This should be the function of the private sector but the government should provide policy support for businesses to generate permanent or long-term jobs.