Category

// Press Release
JUL
26
2016

2017 budget must reflect SONA promises – Recto

President Duterte’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) promises should find expression in the 2017 national budget “because without funding, they will remain as empty pledges,” Senate Minority Leader Ralph Recto said. “Rhetoric must be translated to reality and the way to do it
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JUL
24
2016

Recto: FOI order should be red tape-cutting device

Senator Ralph Recto said the Freedom of Information (FOI) order signed by President Duterte today should cut red tape in public offices and lead to “shorter periods and simpler processes” in accessing government services. “There’s one important benchmark by which this FOI order
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JUL
24
2016

President must unveil expanded “kill list” in SONA

Like any maiden SONA, I expect it to be more of a “looking forward” than a “looking back” speech, more of what to do and not on what has been done. So this SONA is about Setting the National Agenda, and Stating the Nation’s Aspirations. It is fair to say that what the people
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JUL
23
2016

Use PCSO income to boost anemic gov’t drug spending of 70 centavos per Pinoy daily

Latest government figures show that government drug purchases translate to P73 per capita annually, underscoring the need for the state lottery income to augment the state’s measly medicine budget. “It comes up to 20 centavos per Filipino a day,” Senator Ralph Recto said in
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JUL
22
2016

Lack of IRR bogs down PWD law’s implementation

It has been four months since the signing of the law expanding the tax breaks and other benefits for persons with disabilities (PWDs) and its Senate principal author is asking the responsible agencies to speed up the release of the law’s implementing rules and regulations (IRR
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JUL
20
2016

To avoid repeat of GMA case, Recto files bills putting all PCSO funds into health, away from Palace hands

With the Supreme Court’s dismissal of the charges against former President Arroyo for illegally diverting PCSO funds, Senator Ralph Recto has filed bills in the Senate placing state lottery income “beyond the reach of the most powerful person in the land” by earmarking it for
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JUL
19
2016

With NG debt near P6 trillion, Recto files debt cap bill

With the country’s outstanding debt hitting P5.9 trillion in 2015, Senator Ralph Recto has filed a bill capping government’s indebtedness at 50 percent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Recto said a mandatory debt cap is needed as “uncontrolled public debt can
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JUL
18
2016

Recto: Solar power in gov’t offices to free P1.2 billion a year for social services

Why spend more than P1 billion a month for electricity use of national government agencies when such can be reduced by tapping abundant solar power? This possibility was raised by Senator Ralph Recto in a bill requiring government agencies to spearhead the use of renewable energy
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JUL
17
2016

Recto bills lengthen validity of passport to 10 yrs, driver’s license to 5 yrs

Senator Ralph Recto has filed bills extending the validity of a driver’s license from three years to five years and that of a Philippine passport from five years to 10 years. Recto said “lengthening the expiry date of these two important documents” will spare the holder of the
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JUL
14
2016

Recto: Flying commercial gives Pres. Digong opportunity to monitor NAIA’s improvement

President Duterte’s decision to take commercial flights in regularly shuttling between Manila and Davao would allow him to personally check on the improvements done on the the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). This is the observation of Senator Ralph Recto, who said that
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