Rodrigo Duterte
Boosting the economy
With government funds directed to the right channels, Duterte said he will propose a partnership with the private sector to help keep the prices of food stable.
“It is likewise unthinkable that in a country surrounded by water, fish is unaffordable to the poorest of our poor. And vegetables are priced so high that the diet of the poor is simply rice and more rice,” Duterte explained why having food security must be a major priority.
The mayor said the government should spend on agricultural research to help farmers produce more at a lesser cost.
Given the geographic advantages of Mindanao, its fertile plains and abundant water sources – if adequately developed – can feed Luzon and Visayas, according to Duterte.
Duterte lamented the current status of farmers who benefited from agrarian reform.
“Kasi ngayon, pagkatapos na binigyan mo ng 2 hectares ang landless, bahala na siya sa buhay niya,” Duterte said. (With the way things are now, the government does not care about the landless after giving them 2 hectares of land.)
He explained that there should be a more proactive approach to provide with incentives the private sector’s corporate social responsibility. This will help farmers manage their lands.
The next administration should also tap the idle manpower in the countryside to build roads and dig irrigation canals to boost the income of the poorest.
On the business side
Davao City prides itself with the 72-hour-limit for acquiring business permits, such that failure on the part of the local government to do so would merit having to directly explain to the mayor himself reasons for such.
Duterte said the government should let businesses flourish “by making it easy to do business”, with government providing “utmost transparency and accountability.”
In terms of laws, he said he plans to prioritize the Freedom of Information bill if he runs and wins in 2016.
In addition, he would also prioritize effective public transportation such as trains, railways and the renovation of airports.
Duterte recounted an agreement he made with businessmen when he first won as Davao City’s mayor in 1988: he will take care of the peace and order, as well as provide for the basic services, while the business group will take care of the business sector and invite more investors into the city.
He added that these improvements should have all been done decades ago but refrained from blaming others.
“You are business executives. You cannot go to your board of directors each time and say you did not meet your targets because of the mess you inherited when you assumed your positions. You should know what you are getting into. If you can’t hack it, be honest… don’t seek the office,” he said.
Law and order
The tough-talking mayor who claimed to have transformed Davao into one of the safest cities in the world, said he will make sure that “criminals are afraid of the law.”
Aside from increasing the salaries of the police, Duterte proposed to repeal laws that have become a refuge for criminals.
He plans to revoke the juvenile delinquency law, “which syndicates have used to train young kids to commit crime, protected by the mantle of impunity due to young age.”
He also pledged to re-impose the death penalty for heinous crimes, such as drug-trafficking and drug-dealing.
“But over and above legislation, we will make sure that crime does not pay; that swift justice awaits those who would commit heinous crimes,” Duterte said.
Shifting to federalism
Consistent with past efforts, conducting “listening tours” around the country to give a face to the idea of federalism as an alternative to the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), Duterte declared, “I will within the first year in office, call for a Constitutional Convention to effect change in our form and structure of government. We must change the present highly-centralized, unitary system into a federal system.”
The mayor had been pushing for a shift to a federal system to address inherent issues in corrupt practices in governance. Duterte said he would abolish Congress and the pork barrel system.
He claimed that federalism would provide “a lasting solution to the demands of our Muslim brothers and other cultural minorities for a recognition of their historical and indigenous rights to a multi-cultural community united under one flag and one nation.”
Duterte had previously said he supported the BBL but expressed concerns over some of its provisions. He claims that federalism is a better solution to the conflict in Mindanao.
On leadership
Duterte also said that a leader must be a “strict taskmaster” who should replace inefficient cabinet members or heads of agencies who, if involved in corruption allegations, should face prosecution.
“It should not take a leader months of agonizing to choose a PNP chief, or to replace a jail warden who allows drug lords to continue with their deadly trade inside prison, abetted with luxurious lifestyles at that. It should take no more than 24 hours,”
Miriam Defensor Santiago
PLATFORM
Defensor-Santiago is running on a platform of continued economic growth. She plans to continue the government’s cash transfer program with adjustments on the leakages of the program, and to support the Supreme Court on the Priority Development Assistance Program and the Disbursement Acceleration Program.[citation needed]
She has also promised to sign the Freedom of Information Act as the act is an “important tool to promote public accountability.”[4]
Defensor-Santiago also plans to “aggressively fight the war against illegal drugs”. She has promised to reform the tax system and increase government efficiency, with the goal of keeping the government deficit below 3% of the GDP. Defensor-Santiago also plans to invest in public infrastructure, agriculture sector, and government institutions.[5]
According to Defensor-Santiago’s running mate Bongbong Marcos, he and the candidate agreed on the importance of good governance.
“So we will try to make this country better simply by trusting in the Lord, trusting in yourself—trusting that you yourself may lead in God’s great heaven where we know He loves,” the senator added.
“With most of our ASEAN neighbors moving ahead in full steam, we don’t have time for misguided “delicadeza”. It is high time we get rid of this notion of saving face. We do more damage to our society when we turn a blind eye to our public servants’ shenanigans. Some Filipinos think that supporting a public servant they voted for means not criticizing him. Like what I have said before, there is a misguided notion among Filipinos that their public servants will eventually do what they are being paid to do. This is wrong and this is part of the reasons things never go according to plan in the Philippines”
Source:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miriam_Defensor_Santiago_presidential_campaign,_2016
http://www.rappler.com/nation/politics/elections/2016/109128-miriam-running-for-president-in-2016
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/730549/miriam-santiago-will-run-for-president-in-2016
Mar Roxas
PLATFORM
Continuity will be the cornerstone of the Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer’s campaign, banking on the purported gains of the Aquino administration’s centerpiece governance agenda of “daang matuwid” (straight path).
Anchored on President Aquino’s popularity, Roxas and the LP-led coalition would present a platform of uninterrupted institutional reforms to curb corruption and ensure inclusive economic growth to woo voters in next year’s general elections.
“Our platform of principles is a platform of dynamic continuity; one premised on maintaining the gains and momentum of (the President’s) term and bringing it to the next level in a comprehensive and inclusive manner,” Roxas told the Inquirer.
“It is one that is arrived at through a process of deliberation and consensus,” he added.
Roxas said the LP and its coalition partners would make public their comprehensive governance principles and platform after the official filing of their candidacies.
In his speech after the President formally endorsed him on July 31, Roxas said, “We just need a government which cares for the welfare of the people and which remains faithful to its mandate … a government which quickly and readily respond to our needs; professional and not transactional.”
He said what the Filipinos needed was a government that would be able to put in place the appropriate system in attaining the nation’s goals of economic prosperity and stability.
“This has been started by the straight path. (The President) allowed us to imagine again what the Filipino is capable of,” he said. “We are a serious people who are serious with our dreams, who have just had a taste of what serious, selfless leadership can achieve.”
He said that the straight path advocacy was the embodiment of the dreams of every Filipino.
“As what the President said, it is worth fighting for. It is worth sacrificing for and dying for if need be,” he said. “The straight path transcends me and [the President]; it is a Filipino ideal that has been there long before we were born and will remain long after we are gone.”
Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/727917/binay-poe-roxas-bare-poll-platforms
Grace Poe
PLATFORM
Her program is centered on “a simple principle and belief: that no Filipino and no region should be left behind.”
“We will rise and progress together as one nation,” she said in her speech announcing her run for the presidency last month.
She said she was inspired by her father’s dream to help the poor and the oppressed, and to build a prosperous and just society.
Her goal, she said, is to bring about reforms to achieve inclusive growth, global competitiveness, and transparent government. There should be preferential bias for the poor and the vulnerable
To make these concrete, Poe presented her position on 20 key issues, including priority on infrastructure development for which the annual budget would be increased to 7 percent of GDP. The government would also help the private sector formulate an industrialization and IT plan, so that there would be more ‘made in the Philippines’ products. This would create more jobs, she said.
She planned to maximize digital technology for education, expand the scholarship programs and strengthen the “study now, pay later” program. College students would receive assistance in finding internships and jobs so they could get experience before graduating.
Poe said she would strive to give farmers their own land, boost irrigation and push for mechanization. She would look for a program to make fishing, farming and livestock propagation profitable for the farmers and the youth.
The fight against corruption would continue, and those responsible would be held accountable, whether friend or foe, she said. She would push for a freedom of information law.
Tax rates would be brought down, but the people should see to it that they are paying the correct taxes.
Wages and benefits of workers would be examined to ensure they are fair, she said.
Poe also said she would look for ways to lower power costs and resolve the frequent brownouts in Mindanao. She would see to the development of renewable energy.
Overseas Filipino workers would receive the proper attention. The government would give them the necessary legal support and reduce the fees they pay and the red tape they face in processing their papers.
The eradication of drugs and crime is a personal crusade for Poe. She would ensure the police had the required discipline and skills to immediately deal with crime, she said.
Peace with all groups is a goal. It is time that the Moros are given equal opportunities and genuine assistance, she said.
She said she would not be blind to the conditions of the vulnerable sectors, such as persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, urban poor, women, youth and children, the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) sector and senior citizens.
People should be able to rely on expanded benefits through PhilHealth, because families should not be driven to bankruptcy by illness.
The Philippines would protect its territory through peaceful means and according to international law. The Philippine Coast Guard and the Armed Forces would be beefed up so that they would not be intimidated by other countries.
Arts, culture, and sports would also receive proper government attention, so that the country’s skilled and talented citizens would be recognized at home and not just abroad, according to Poe.
There should be a separate Emergency Management Department that will focus on national preparedness, climate change and geomapping, she said.
More attention would also be given to the tourism industry to boost job creation. Additional infrastructure, including airports, would be built, she said.
Children, who represent the country’s future, would receive more government assistance through proper nutrition, Poe said. There should be a standard lunch program in all public schools, she added.
According to Poe, her dream is to have each and every Filipino live a complete and productive life, and one with dignity.
She outlined three strategies to achieve her goals. The first is to fight poverty and push for inclusive growth. The second is to have an open government, one that is free from corruption and respects human rights. The third is to push for a culture that would pave the way for the country’s global competitiveness.
HALALAN 2016- Getting to know the platforms of our candidates
Let’s focus on platforms and not on the personalities. The content of this post was gathered from several sources. I tried to provide the sources for references. Please vote wisely.
Jejomar Binay
PLATFORM
UNA has outlined 11 missions under a Binay presidency
A determined effort to curb corruption in government, competence in governance and compassion for the poor.
Private enterprise must be encouraged and supported, but the benefits of economic growth must be shared by the entire citizenry.
Foreign direct investments are desirable in order to strengthen and grow the Philippine economy, but any amendments to the Constitution must give priority to our national interests.
Small businesses must be aided in accessing capital and provided guidance.
Adequate education must be provided as a right to make our citizens competitive with the rest of the world;
It is the primary duty of government personnel to render efficient, competent and courteous service to the citizenry.
Patronage and nepotism breed incompetence and corruption. Transparency is key to trustworthy governance.
The executive, legislative and judicial branches of government should remain coequal.
Human rights, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly and freedom of religion must never be curtailed.
We must establish an enlightened foreign policy based on peaceful and friendly international relations, and the observance of alliances and international treaties.
Binay said his basic policy of governance was “anchored on competence, inclusiveness and compassion.
“Competence refers to competent and efficient management of the bureaucracy, utilization and development of available resources, and delivery of services to the citizenry,” he said.
