‘Our man in Washington DC well-positioned for Biden presidency’

08 November 2020, Comment are Off
Our man in Washington DC is well-positioned to help steer our country’s interest through whatever changes a Democratic White House would bring to PH-US relations. Long before he allowed himself to be conscripted for foreign service, Ambassador Babes Romualdez already had enough...

Vaccines “not a job for one Superman, but for a broad Justice League”

04 November 2020, Comment are Off
I wish General Galvez good luck on his additional assignment as vaccine czar. No mission is tougher and no stake is higher than providing vaccines for all. But that burden is too heavy for one man to bear. This is not a job for one Superman. He has to assemble his Justice League....

Tap ‘plantreetos, plantreetas’ for govt’s P5B reforestation program next year

30 October 2020, Comment are Off
Government’s tree-planting drive next year should join other grassroots jobs initiatives, as mobilizing “plantreetos and plantreetas” could shield its proposed P5.1 billion budget from wastage and delays. This is just one of the proposals of Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph...

“May camera sa sasakyan, may camera sa katawan”

26 October 2020, Comment are Off
Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto today called for “an accelerated program” to equip officers and patrol cars of the PNP with dashboard and body cameras. “If food delivery guys wear them or have them on their bikes, why can’t our police officers and cars have them too?”...

“Call it Juan Flavier Medical Scholarship, but first don’t cut its budget”

25 October 2020, Comment are Off
President Duterte should sign the Medical Scholarship Bill into law next month so whatever required funds to implement it can still be included in next year’s national budget, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said. Recto is also proposing that the scholarship be named...

No time for amateur hour, Palace must name ‘vaccine czar’ who can hurdle ‘importation-to-injection’ obstacles

24 October 2020, Comment are Off
Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto has urged Malacañang to appoint a “vaccine czar” who can solve the “importation to injection” challenges of getting the COVID-19 vaccine to 110 million Filipinos in a world where rich countries bankrolling their development will get them...

Extra day of voting will cost “at least P2B”

23 October 2020, Comment are Off
A theoretical extra day of voting in the May 2022 presidential elections will cost at least P2 billion, twice the Commission on Elections’ initial estimate, Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said. “If the virus will still linger by then, that casting the ballot becomes...

PNRC test holiday distorts Covid picture; slow Bayanihan 2 fund release delays help

22 October 2020, Comment are Off
The temporary absence of Red Cross testing distorts the national COVID picture. One in four RT-PCR tests is done by the PNRC. The absence of PNRC deflates the infection rate, making any dip in the reported number of verified cases an artificial decline. If PNRC stops testing...