“The uproar has at least brought into the foreground issues relating to our history and love of country,” said Loren, here in Switzerland for the four-day United Nations conference on climate change and disaster risk reduction.

“Personally, I think that historical accuracy should be the guiding principle in maintaining or preserving historical sites like the Rizal home in Calamba, Laguna,” said Loren.

But the senator said that the discussions on the occasion of the 148th birth anniversary of Rizal (June 19) are healthy because the present generation of Filipinos must be reminded of the timelessness of the “ideals, thoughts and actions of our heroes, like Dr. Jose Rizal.”

“The lessons I am referring to is that freedom is earned and that we cannot let pass any and all forms of tyranny, even those perpetrated not by foreign colonizers but by those of our countrymen who may be drunk with power,” said Loren.

Loren said she likes the color green, “but what I want to see is the greening of the Philippines through the planting of trees.”

“This is the reason I founded Luntiang Pilipinas (Green Philippines) in 1998, because trees fight air pollution and soil erosion, while providing home and sanctuary for countless species. Likewise, they beautify our surroundings.”

She stressed that historical sites should be preserved well so that present and future generations of Filipinos may appreciate their heritage while learning valuable lessons from the past.

SOURCE: http:www.lorenlegarda.com.ph

The release of ICRC worker Eugenio Vagni by the Abu Sayaff shows what patient negotiations can do to save innocent lives in conflict situations. We should never give up when it comes to saving innocent lives. Whenever there is a chance, however slim, to rescue or bring about the release of hostages, we should take it, short of compromising the law.

The military authorities tasked with rescuing Vagni should also deserve our congratulations for showing restraint, caution and taking skillful calibrated action to pressure the Abu Sayaff into releasing their captive. The nation owes people like Vagni, a foreigner, some debt of gratitude for risking their lives.

Now the government should resume its negotiations with insurgent organizations like the MILF and the CPP-NPA to achieve national unity, peace and progress.

SOURCE: http://www.lorenlegarda.com.ph

“This reconciliation of Smartmatic and TIM with the blessings of the Comelec to conduct automated polls next year is a relief to our people. But that should not be enough. People should continue to be vigilant and watch the poll canvassing process with hawks’ eyes.

People’s watchdog organizations, including trained representatives of political parties, should be allowed to closely scrutinize the election and counting process to ensure total honesty and accuracy. The dark forces that hope to manipulate the elections for their own purposes continue to loom like phantoms.

With our experience in the dubious 2004 and 2007 elections, the people cannot afford to relax. If the elections next year are once more stolen, we cannot say what might happen next to our democratic system.“

SOURCE: http://www2.lorenlegarda.com.ph/article-1248149523.html

There is a huge tinge of humiliation for the Philippines, an “agricultural country”, to be reputed as the “world’s biggest importer of rice.” It cannot be that thousands of years ago, using only primitive tools, the Philippines was self-sufficient in rice as exemplified by the famous Ifugao rice terraces.

With a burgeoning population and long experience in intensive rice cultivation, it is difficult to understand why the Philippines has plunged from rice sufficiency to dependence. The only reason for this is government inefficiency or the adoption of the wrong policy. We must review and revise our rice production program to save our people huge expenses in rice importation, and wipe out the infamy of an agricultural people unable to raise their own food.

SOURCE: http://www2.lorenlegarda.com.ph/article-1248149412.html

But holding an automated elections next year is not an end unto itself because the important thing is to ensure that this shift from the manual system would be with minimal snags and snafus, and would finally shut the door on poll cheats. With Smartmatic and TIM resolving their differences, it’s time to determine whether they can really deliver the goods.

SOURCE: http://www2.lorenlegarda.com.ph/article-1248149804.html

“Vigilance by all sectors of society in ensuring a clean, honest and orderly elections next year is a must. Extensive media coverage of the elections, supported by business and non-government organizations, would provide our people information every step of the way during that critical period.

More importantly, vigilance by the people and media entities is needed to guard against poll cheats in a fully automated election system and their results much harder to tamper with, at least according to the claim of the joint venture that would provide the automated poll machines.

We cannot lower our guard just because of poll automation. As the saying goes, there are many ways to skin a cat. Surely, there would be attempts to crack the poll automated system because there remains a constant in our politics — the determination of some to hold public office for one’s gain by every means possible, whether they be clean or not.“

SOURCE: http://www2.lorenlegarda.com.ph/article-1248149740.html

“The act of a military contingent of preventing 52 journalists from visiting a refugee center in Maguindanao is a blatant suppression of press freedom. The Commission on Human Rights has rightly condemned it as a violation of the Law on Armed Conflict of the United Nations. The National Union of Journalists have basis to call it an “illegal detention.”

But the real victims of the detention are the Filipino people because they are being prevented from knowing the truth about the real situation of the refugee problem in Mindanao. An independent humanitarian organization, the Norwegian Refugee Council, has revealed that the world’s largest displacement due to armed conflict occurred in Mindanao in 2008. There are also reports that the more than 500,000 war refugees in Mindanao are being ravaged by hunger and diseases.

The Philippine media is to be commended for trying to get at the truth of the refugee situation in Mindanao so that the nation can collectively help their compatriots in the south. The administration is to be blamed if the military has not been properly instructed to allow media access. Or is the administration deliberately suppressing the truth?“

SOURCE: http://www2.lorenlegarda.com.ph/article-1248149645.html

“I strongly condemn the bombing near a Cathedral in Cotabato City that killed three persons and wounded 45 others last Sunday. The killing of innocent civilians for any reason at all is unacceptable. But this also goes to show that the peace and order situation in Mindanao is worsening in the wake of the resumed hostilities between insurgent forces and the government.

The incident underscores the need for the government to give top priority to the solution of the southern insurgency to prevent further losses in lives and property. Already, international humanitarian organizations have already pinpointed the Philippines as one of the countries with the biggest problem of refugees from civil unrest.

The present administration cannot escape the charge of bungling the peace negotiations leading to the worsening of the conflict. The MILF cannot also escape part of the blame.“

SOURCE: http://www2.lorenlegarda.com.ph/article-1248148234.html

“Secretary Eduardo Ermita‘s statement that the is preparing to quell any security threats leading to the SONA is scary. It fits in with the display of tanks in military maneuvers explained by the brass as intended to address protests and potential disorders during the SONA.

It is common knowledge that the political opposition and the protest organizations have no capability to plant bombs nor do they intend to overthrow the government but to express only their grievances to express concern on government corruption, incompetence, insensitivity to hunger and poverty, to the cha-cha conspiracy and the plot to prolong the administration’s tenure. It is the people’s democratic right to voice their sentiments.

The danger is that the alleged destabilization plot is being touted by the administration as an excuse to use the armed forces to clamp down on dissent and the right of the people to peaceably assemble and to seek redress of grievances.“

SOURCE: http://www2.lorenlegarda.com.ph/article-1248152938.html

“The Philippines is an active trade partner of the United States, with whom it shares many concerns like regional security and anti-terrorism initiatives. It is thus understandable that the US has expressed concern over a postponement of the 2009 elections.

A no-election scenario, whatever the underlying reason may be, would be very disruptive and would aggravate the already many problems being faced by the Philippines, including a slowdown in the economy, the peace and order situation in Mindanao and the increasing number of Filipinos afflicted by the A(H1N1) virus.

There can be no justification for not holding the 2009 elections as doing so would deprive the Filipino people of their right to choose their next leaders. Being held in the stranglehold of this administration for nearly a decade is more than enough. For this administration to dream of a term extension would be too much of an aggravation to the people.“

SOURCE: http://www2.lorenlegarda.com.ph/article-1248151523.html