Senate Ways and Means panel unveils its own sin tax measure for plenary scrutiny and approval

10 October 2012, Comment are Off
Sen. Ralph G. Recto today expressed dismay over the failure of the Department of Energy (DOE) to detect and stop state-run Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM) from overcharging power consumers. “Who’s minding the store at the DOE? I’m sure they knew about...

Senator-Judge Ralph G. Recto’s Explanation of Vote on the Impeachment Trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona

29 May 2012, Comment are Off
I base my decision on facts presented in this court, and not on opinions aired outside of it; on testimonies of witnesses, and not on theories of wags; on the arguments of lawyers, and not on the analysis of their spokesmen; on submitted evidence, and not on anonymous leaks; and...

Holistic approach to achieve food security pressed

20 May 2012, Comment are Off
‘Neutral’ investments in agriculture The country doesn’t live from rice alone. Sen. Ralph G. Recto today said government should roll out an expanded and holistic approach in attaining food security in the country, which should cover sufficiency targets in all sectors of...

‘Power rate scenario’ to guide investors, consumers if rates will remain stable until 2016

13 May 2012, Comment are Off
High power rates stymie manufacturing growth Sen. Ralph G. Recto today reiterated his call on the Department of Energy (DOE) to let the Senate have a peek of what power rates would look like until 2016 to give business leaders a heads up in charting their investment or expansion...

Rethinking of CCT, policies pushed as more Filipinos go hungry

12 May 2012, Comment are Off
Sen. Ralph G. Recto today expressed alarm that despite billions being poured into the government’s flagship anti-poverty program called conditional cash transfer (CCT), many Filipinos are still going hungry and in fact an estimated 4.8 million of them are skipping meals once in...

Deploy economic-business ‘Avengers’ to win peace & joint deals in West Philippine Sea & elsewhere

10 May 2012, Comment are Off
Sen. Ralph G. Recto yesterday pressed for the immediate deployment of a contingent of economic and business diplomats that would engage China and its business leaders in spirited discourse on the joint exploration of the vast economic potentials of West Philippine Sea. As the...

Joint Spratlys exploration with China pushed

18 April 2012, Comment are Off
Sen. Ralph G. Recto today urged Malacanang to seriously consider engaging China, not through diplomatic protests, but through a possible joint exploration agreement in the Spratlys Islands. “Every stand-off, the territorial tension only escalates and we’re not gaining anything –...

Privatize all power plants or none at all

17 April 2012, Comment are Off
Solving Mindanao’s power crisis Sen. Ralph G. Recto today said government should make up its mind whether it would privatize all state-owned power utilities in the country or not. “A piece-meal approach in the power situation in Mindanao might not be the proverbial light at the...