The position will allow him to be high profile, conduct headline- grabbing operations that will change his image from a lackluster, elitist politician to a swashbuckling crime buster. If he succeeds, he would be gliding easily to Malacanang four years from now.
It would be the realization of his long-planned campaign for the presidency, which was shelved in 2010 when he slid to the vice-presidential race (in favor of Aquino) which he lost for a variety of reasons including complacency.
If the DILG position catapults Roxas to the presidency, President Aquino could then consider to have duly repaid the former the huge favor extended to him. In the Philippine culture of debt and gratitude, we say,“Quits na”
Roxas’ appointment at the DILG has nothing to do with good governance. It’s all about Roxas’ presidential plans and the Liberal Party extending its hold on power beyond 2016.
Aquino sees no distinction between governance and partisan politics. He mistakes the interest of the Liberal Party as logically the interest of the Filipino people.
Betraying a collosal sense of entitlement, he explained the latest appointment of Roxas as,“Tama lang naman po na ang pinuno ng isa sa mga pinakamatandang partidong pulitikal sa bansa ang makikipag-usap sa mga pulitiko. Sino pa nga ba ang sasalamin sa lahat ng katangiang ito kundi ang Pangulo ng aming partido na si Kalihim Mar Roxas. Itinatalaga natin siya ngayon bilang bagong kalihim ng Interior and Local Government. (It’s just right that the head of the oldest political party in the country would be the one to talk to the politicians. Who would mirror these attributes if not the head of our party who is Secretary Mar Roxas. I’m now appointing him secretary of Interior and Local Government.”
Public perception does not favor Roxas.
Blogger Koko said, “I’ll give Mar Roxas the benefit of the doubt. Too much is at stake here .If he fails, he will bring down all his party mates with him.”
And the country too, Koko.
Koko further said, “Surely Mar will be constantly compared to Jesse Robredo who is a tough act to follow. Peace and order and illegal gambling will be the biggest challenge for him so he needs to appoint a tough honest and committed Usec whose only duty is to pursue and neutralize all the criminals of all forms. Surely, this will make or break Mar Roxas.”
Raul Reyes said, “A senator with economics background to deal with peace and order, gambling and corruption. A senator who did not do well with his expertise in Department of Trade and Department of Transportation and Communication. He grabbed the opportunity mainly because it gives him a chance for an early presidential campaign next election.
“It’s a make or break for Mar. If he fails with peace and order, gambling and corruption – there goes his presidential aspiration. Even if he surrounds himself with capable alalay, I don’t think Roxas has the balls and guts to what the job entails. I don’t think the PNP and their counterparts will dance with Korina’s music.”
From blogger TonGuE-tWisTeD: “I have no doubt Mar is intelligent and capable. But what has he accomplished in DOTC? Aside from stopping and delaying the airport upgrade, reversing and delaying the Northrail Southrail connection, and no new highways, trains, ports, airports built in his time at DOTC, I don’t approve of this kind of moving around/promotion from one department to the other without any accomplishments whatsoever.
“I’m sorry for my friend Ruffy Biazon, for example, who is being groomed for the Senate. But what has he done in Customs to merit such promotion? Are the petty busts that come once in a while, sufficient to say his job is done? So with Roxas.
“Mar may have not been involved in jueteng but being related to the Aranetas/Arroyos technically makes him a relative of the illegal gambling lords, don’t it? He has not been in a position that involves direct law enforcement, except maybe in Coast Guard, which by the way was bypassed by the Navy in Scarborough that we are now experiencing this grand headache no Chinaman’s pill could cure.
“His forte is high finance, so departments such as the DOTC (an engineer-friendly post) or DILG (best reserved for public admin/criminologists) are just not him.”
Agree. If Noy indeed gave him all the elbow room to do his bidding at DILG, Roxas should replace Bartolome. The guy is soft. He may have been good as the PNP mouthpiece, but that is just about it. Media is too kind to him. Is it because he knows how to play them? Get a no nonsense PNP Chief and that will take care of his ‘weak’ image. Look at the dividends
Erap gained with his appointment of Lacson, first as PAOCTF and next, as his C,PNP. Wala namang ginawa si Erap but to have his pictures taken at every accomplishment made by Lacson and his men. The Boss always gets the credit. There’s your cue Mar. Your move.
now is the time for Mar to crank up those cells in his somewhat lazy head…the Liberal Party fortunes rest in his performance and the Interior and Local Government ministry is the one of the best ministries to show his mettle if he can run the country on is own..and I believe he can…Peace and order needs of lot of attention…reforms in the local government started by the late Secretary needs to be sustained and continuing reformation specially in regards to Transparancy and Accountabilities of Local officials…Corruption in Law Enforcement is still a major problem and a monumental task for the Secretary…this and more is his test and the Party is giving him a one-way ticket to fulfill his ultimate ambitions if he can do it…
And as for Mar Roxas Presidential Ambition it is not a Secret, but an open public ambition which was postponed for the sake of the Party when his Chances of carrying the Party banner to Victory was overshadowed by fate with events and that would be a Safe bet to give way for His Partymate Aquino to take the Party to Victory and he was Rigth on with that Decision…and he can not be faulted nor Pnoy for giving him that opportunity back…and if he deserves it, the Voters will be the final jurors…
Thanks, Ellen, for the quote.
And to prove my point, try this:
http://goo.gl/D5jWs
If Roxas cannot move fast enough at the time a great opportunity presents itself, that pretty much sums up what we should expect of a Roxas presidency.
Pray I’m wrong.
I interrupt your regular yellow programming.
Sorry, I have to post the whole thing because the link on Tribune archive is not working.
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Mar Roxas caught lying for multinationals
03/29/2010
If a fish is caught by its mouth, so was Sen. Mar Roxas when he was caught lying on cheap drug issue in a move that is intended to promote the interest of multinational companies, not the ordinary Filipino.
This is according to the man who first filed the cheaper medicine bill in the 13th Congress when he was still a representative who described Roxas as “not the author but the murderer of the Cheaper Medicine Act.”
Former Rep. and now Iloilo Vice Gov. Rolex Suplico was referring to the press statement issued last Thursday (March 25) by Roxas claiming to be the “primary author” of the Cheaper Medicine Act which the latter claims to have reduced prices of “200 crucial medicines.” The press statement was also posted the same day on the Senate Web site.
Suplico, whose bill was filed even before Roxas became senator, stressed the bill that the latter filed in the 14th Congress (SB 101) was only to allow parallel importation of medicines which would have benefitted more the multinational drug companies.
“I coined the name ‘cheaper medicines’ law, not Mar,” he said.
Suplico, now campaigning to return to his old congressional seat, said Roxas lobbied to make optional and no longer mandatory the price regulation on medicine in the compromise legislation.
“He (Roxas) was trying to protect the multinational companies,” he said. “He was trying to soften the blow.”
Suplico noted that there were reports that multinational companies put up a P1 billion lobby fund, as exposed by other solons like Party-list Rep. Riza Hontiveros-Baraquel, to emasculate, if not kill, price control of drugs.
“I dont know if Senator Roxas received anything, but I am sure I did not get a single centavo,” he said.
Suplico revealed that Roxas got his way in emasculating the original proposal allegedly by threatening that no cheaper medicine bill will be passed as long as he was the Senate trade committee chairman.
This law did not result in the reduction of prices of 200 medicines but only of 22 drugs, said Suplico who stressed that fact can be verified with the Department of Health and is of public record.
The Suplico bill, which was later refiled by Rep. Ferjenel Biron and adopted by the House, sought automatic price regulation of items in the Philippine Drug Formulary which could have resulted in the prise reduction of 1,500 medicines and not just 22 or 200.
Further, the House version would have reduced medicine prices by 80-90 percent, not just 50 percent in accordance with the watered-down law caused by the lobbying efforts of Roxas, Suplico said.
He cited Lipitor, a cholesterol-lowering drug, whose price went down from P44 each tablet to P22 after the law was passed, could have cost only P4.40 each.
From Tribuneonline.org:
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Medicine expert: Mar Roxas lied on issue of cheaper drugs
03/26/2010
Sen. Mar Roxas lied on the issue of cheaper medicine, according to a top executive of a drug company.
Lawyer Allan Alambra, vice president of Philippine Pharmawealth Inc. which has made public commitment to bringing quality but cost-effective healthcare, said Roxas’ assertion to be behind the reduction of medicine prices is just a sham political move to gain votes.
“As to the claims and assertions of Senator Roxas relating to his participation in crafting the final version of the Cheaper Medicines Act, suffice it to say that this being election season, verity or truth usually is the first casualty,” Alambra said.
He stressed that “the proceedings and minutes of the congressional committee meetings on the Cheaper Medicines Bill are public records, thus open and available for anyone’s scrutiny, from whence one can judge as to who is telling the truth.”
“After having almost single-handedly emasculated the vital and the most salient provisions of the Cheaper Medicines Act, Senator Roxas now apparently feels the need to gain media mileage to further catch public attention and sustain his bid for the vice presidency,” Alambra said.
He added his own company is a victim of Roxas’ mental dishonesty when the latter alleged that it supplies substandard medicines simply because of their cheap prices, even after the Department of Health has certified the drugs’ high quality.
Alambra joins the list of people who labeled Roxas a liar on the cheaper drug issue, including Rep. Ferjenel Biron, Iloilo Vice Gov. Rolex Suplico and Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay.
The People’s Movement Against Poverty (PMAP), in a full-page advertisement yesterday (March 25), demanded that Roxas explain why his position on medicine prices has resulted in “less for the people and more for the big drug companies,” especially the multinationals.
Ronald Lumbao, PMAP chairman, said Roxas’ version (SB 1658) sought price reduction by only 50 percent and to only 22 essential medicines. Originally, Roxas only sought, in SB 101, parallel importation of medicines which would have benefitted greatly multinational companies.
The House version, espoused by Suplico and Biron, sought the price reduction by 80-90 percent and to cover not just 22 but 1,500 essential medicines, Lumbao said.
“Your (Roxas) version is only for the elite, the rich and perhaps the middle class,” he said. “They (the poor) still cannot afford the high cost of essential medicines.”
By the way Lipitor patent already expired and the Generic and Brand name cost significantly lower, much, much lower…And since, most drug prescription and hospital dispensed drugs are covered by the Universal Care (for everyone’s info, the universal care scheme do not cover regular RX maintenance medication, unless one has no means of income, or on social assistance, but most who are gainfully employed are covered by their employees family extended care as part of employment benifits)the Government has to go for the Cheaper Alternative Generics for its Drug Plans…there is a court battle ongoing that will allow BIG Pharmcy Chain to use their own Labels or own Manufactured equivalent in their own drugstore to further lower the price of the Medicines…do not just trust the Legislators…the courts is one venue to fight for the Cheaper Medicine.
Mukhang magiging madali ang dadaanan ni Mar Roxas sa confirmation ng CA at hindi niya kasing suwerte si Jesse Robredo na dalawang beses na bypass ng commission. Puwede palang ipakiusap ito ni Presidente bakit hindi niya nagawa dati sa yumaong butihing kalihim? Kung nabubuhay pa ngayon si Robredo hindi mo pa rin ito mariringgan ng reklamo at hinanakit dahil bukal sa kanya ang pagiging mabuting lingkod-bayan.
Ah Suplico, it’s true, he may have been the original author of the bill but Roxas, without the benefit of legislation made it possible to import the same drugs from other countries these very same companies’ named licensees produced them from. The drug companies TRO’d DOT, PITC extending to Obet Panganganan’s term. The succeeding Law was just formality, it breezed through congress largely due to Roxas’ effort. Gov’t had partial victory, they needed the drug companies’ investment and jobs, they compromised on which drugs will be affected.
The drug companies later had their sweet revenge when it heavily stuffed Binay’s war chest (and whoever was against Pagdanganan, too) with it’s lobby money.
Suplico is not in the picture, sorry.
Ang lahat para sa akin ay may kaugnayan pa rin sa halalan. Pero kahit ganun na hawak na niya ang mga LGU ay wala pa ring problema dahil wala ng makakahadlang kay Binay sa pag kandidato pagka Presidente at pagkapanalo.
Wala ba kayong napapansin kapag may usapin ng tungkol sa RH bill ay kung anong di maganda ang dumarating na dulot ng kalikasan. Una ay ang pagbaha sa Maynila at karatig na lugar. Tapos ang lindol naman sa vismin. Kapag muli naging laman ng mga pahayagan at usapin ang RH bill at may dumating na kalamidad naman ay mas mabuti pang ibasura na lang iyan kasi baka malala ang dumating na dulot ng kalikasan.
So it’s all about getting himself elected into office and not for public service (obvious naman, diba?). Sayang naman ang mga sinimulang mga proyekto ni Jesse Robredo. Baka mapunta lang sa wala.
Another thing that Mar should watch out and be careful about is his wife. Her attacks on Binay using her radio program and commentary during the news program might just backfire. Sabi nga ni Atty. SNV, Binay is a sly fox and he might just used it as a way of making himself look like the underdog.
Korina is getting to sound like Annabelle Rama. 😛
#11
Di pa pinaguusapan ang RH bill, meron ng mga delubyong nangyayari di lang sa Pilipinas, kundi sa buong mundo. Ang paguugnay ng isyung RH bill sa mga nangyayari sa ating kapaligiran ay mga kathang isip lang ng mga di sangayon sa panukalang batas na isinusulong ng higit sa nakakarami.
#12. Ang tingin ko ay devastated pa at hindi maka-move on si MR at Korina sa pagkatalo kay Binay. They are being consumed by the loss, hindi baga matanggap kaya parang hilo hangga ngayon si Mar at hindi maka-focus which is not good for another bid.
I wish Mar would not say anything more about pursuing the tsinelas leadership of the late JR, they are different in a lot of ways. Just focus and do his own style of leading, baka makapa nya ang right konek sa tao. Tsaka isantabi muna si Korina, a major distraction kasi mas ambisyoso kesa sa kanya.
2016 is still a long way to go. Ascribing political motive to Roxas’ appointment to DILG is putting the cart ahead of the horse. Why? Are there no more worthy candidates better than Roxas and Binay? I won’t vote for these two.
04 September 2012
Ang tanging masasabi ko ay “Abangan ang susunod na kabanata” sa buhay pulitika ni Mar Roxas at ng Partido Liberal.
Lahat naman ng tama at mali ay mababasa nating lahat sa pagtatalaga kay Mar Roxas, subalit kung lahat tayo ay mag bibigay agad ng kanya-kanyang kuro-kuro sa kanyang pagkakatatalaga, lahat tayo ay pwedeng maging tama o mali.
Kaya abangan natin kung ano ang kanyang magagawa at kung ito ba ay patukoy sa kanyang ambisyon sa 2016.
Prans
Akmang-akma ang banner page ni ellen, “DILG is make or break for Roxas’ presidential bid”. Nandiyan na yan, umasa tayong mag deliver siya at umayos ang local government lalo na ang peace & order ng bansa.
Makasarili patungo sa daang baluktot.
Mahal ko si kuya Mar kahit indicisive at malayo ang tingin ng malungkot na mga mata kasi hindi sya korap. Sana ay mabasa nya ang mga comments dito sa blog at media outlets and take them as suggestions for improving himself towards 2016. 🙂
OT:
This Sotto just doesn’t get it. It’s strike 2 for plagiarizing. First from a blogger from the US. 2nd, from a famous dead senator, only this time, translated in Filipino language.
Jeez! Iskul Bukol talaga ang utak.!!!
Sorry for the rant. Can’t help it.
#20. Mike, bakit nakakapagsalita ba ng tagalog si Kennedy? Question bereft of all reasoning and common sense. 🙂
Apat na dyug dyug (score, as in umiskor) at pitong taong nakararaan, ang ating mga ninuno ay nagtatag dito sa mga islang ito, ng bagong bansa; pinasibol sa kalayaan, at inaalay sa adhikaing, lahat ng tao ay pantay pantay.
Katha ba yan ni sax? O copya sa:
Four score and seven years ago, our forefathers brought forth on this continent a new nation; conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Hindi marunong mag-Tagalog si Pareng Abe, kaya akin yung nasa itaas.
Sayang. Ang taas ng antas niya sa akin sa impeachment.
Sibakin na kasi yung tamad na speech writer.
At least, noong time ko, walang kopyahan, nang gumagawa kami ng speech para sa mga Boss. Batuhan lang ng idea sa mga tropa, habang pinayayaman si Danding sa pagtunga ng San Miguel Beer.
Allow me to amend the first line with a term from Doña Delilah of John en Marsha.
Apat na etneb (bente) at pitong taong nakararaan….
re #20
Iskul Bukol talaga ang utak.!!! LOL!
#21
Chi, ang alam kong walang sense yung mga palusot ng isang senador na mahillig mangopya. 😛
mar knows that one false move and his political career will go pufffffp!
kapag nangyari ‘yan, matutuwa ang mga naghahangad ng kanyang pagbagsak.
abangan ‘yan sa teeeeeveeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeyyyy……….!
hu, kapal ng mukha ng lintek na walang kahihiyang butas butas ang mukha!
Ito ang newsbreak talaga. Kaya naman pala tinanggal sa DILG pagkamatay ni Mang Jessie. Walang sacred cows dapat!
___
Puno tried to raid Robredo’s condo unit? http://www.abs-cbnnews.com
Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Rico Puno and several police officers allegedly tried to enter the condominium unit of DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo in Quezon City last August 19, a day after his plane crashed in Masbate,…
…
The source said Puno and several officials of the Philippine National Police are the subjects of an investigation being conducted by Robredo prior to the crash.
Two weeks before the crash, Robredo allegedly informed the President of the investigation.
ABS-CBN News tried to get the side of Puno regarding the matter but he declined.
Gawing transparent at isapubliko ang imbestigasyon ni Sec. Robredo sa mga ‘activities’ ni Puno! Ang lintik at nagpanik, ibig sabihin documented na ni JMR ang kalokohan nya.
Now I understand kung bakit hindi tinanggal sa DILG si Puno sa panahon ni Mang Jessie, keeping the enemy closer is the best way to win.
Grabe, hawak ni Puno ang several PNP officials, kasama sa raid niya sa lairs ni JMR.
Si Ping Lacson kaya ibalik dyan sa PNP ng tumino ang mga loko.
Puno tried to raid Robredo’s condo unit?
From an exclusive report by Anthony Taberna, ABS-CBN News
Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Rico Puno and several police officers allegedly tried to enter the condominium unit of DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo in Quezon City last August 19, a day after his plane crashed in Masbate, according to sources of ABS-CBN News.
Confidential documents are stored in Robredo’s condo unit, which were later secured by the Department of Justice (DOJ).
Sources said a certain Supt. Oliver Tanseco was able to enter the penthouse of the condominium building while Puno and several others waited outside.
However, the group was not allowed to enter the unit by Robredo’s househelp.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/09/06/12/puno-tried-raid-robredos-condo-unit
Was the engine failure an accident?
Were all four marked, but Abrazado got lucky?
#32. atty sax, after reading this article biglang sumama takbo ng tuktok ko. 🙂
It may have something to do with the PNP’s purchase of new pistols for ALL its still unarmed personnel.
I know I wrote a backgrounder on this somewhere but I can’t find it. I think I said the purchased quantity was way overstated. by as much as 20,000 units that’s a lot of firearms lying around in the PNP Arsenal. Or it might just allow some officers to keep (or sell) their present weapons due to the oversupply. These may fall in the hands of criminals, well, some already are, in the active PNP!
But what’s more, it was found out the lowest bidder, Jericho of Israel was disqualified due to, would you believe, documentary requirements? Smells like something’s cooking in the PNP kitchen. These small requirements are left to the fingerlings in the pre-bidding stage. It will not allow a bid submission that does not prequalify, and these docs are prequal requirements.
So the award was given to Glock of Austria. But again, the Glocks had several failures in the test-fire, they use electric fans to cool it down (on a rainy day) yet the guns jammed.
Then the attention of congressmen Colmenares and Acop, a former PNP general, were called by some of the other bidders of the failures. Last we heard, the 2 will conduct a congressional inquiry.
I’m not saying these are the reasons, Robredo MIGHT be investigating Puno and some PNP officers. But it looks like it. Remember, Puno was taken in the PNP because he was familiar with the PNP supply system being a former supplier.
This is where he earned his money then. Could that be Puno’s pabaon today?
If it were just any of the generals that may have been involved in any anomaly, I don’t think Puno would personally appear at the condo and retrieve some confidential papers, right?
During the time of Gloria, patok ang ARMSCOR as their principal supplier. ARMSCOR as we know is owned by the Tuasons. The CEO, Bolo Tason, is a first cousin of FG Mike A., like Anna de Bretagne/de Brux once said here.
Was this the reason why Pnoy wants Puno reassign to other post so that incoming DILG Sec.Roxas had the free hand to investigate this angle? Well,this will be Mar Roxas finest moments ever,if he digs something fishy about this incident.It might be the redeeming factor to bolster his not so impressive political career,assuming ofcourse that Tongue’s analysis is correct as it is always. =))
Baril at jueteng, areas ni Puno. Let it all out!