Senator Ralph Recto discusses the liability of PhilHealth board, blacklisting of Chinese companies involved in constructions in the West Philippine Sea, debt trap with China and the danger of putting up China telecom cell towers inside our military camps and bases.

While he agreed with the NBI recommendation to file administrative and criminal charges against PhilHealth officials, he noted that there were no sanctions for the PhilHealth board tasked to oversee the agency.

“Ang Board ang dapat na nagbabantay sa management ng PhilHealth. In the Universal Healthcare Law, we made sure that all the stakeholders are in the board, so bakit pinabayaan nila ang PhilHealth?”

Aside from Senate Resolution 507 prohibiting foreign companies who infringe on PH sovereignty from doing business with the gov’t, Recto had filed another resolution, PSR 512, seeking to limit the country’s debt exposure to China.

“Why should we reward contractors who reclaim parts of the West Philippine Sea? We will allow them now to reclaim Manila Bay and put up an airport there, too?

I filed the second resolution because China has a track record of giving loans. We had seen what happens in other countries—they fall into debt traps.”

In the 30 million hectares in the Philippines, why choose the less than a fraction of a percent occupied by our military areas for the Chinese-based telco towers?

“Bakit pinipilit sa loob ng military camp? Why not in the 50,000 public schools and state university campuses nationwide—at ang bayad nila, internet for the students. I don’t think the military needs the resources, at ang laki ng Pilipinas, maraming puwedeng paglagyan.”