DEC
17
2012

Explanation of Vote on the RH Bill

No bill is chiseled in stone. Hindi ito lapida na nakaukit sa bato. Because no bill is perfect, it is polished through debate and discourse, without which the faults and the flaws will never be straightened out. So it was in this spirit that I engaged the sponsor in an exchange
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NOV
25
2012

Christmas bonuses, allowances below P60,000 should be tax-free

Support of Regional Dev’t Councils snowballs Sen. Ralph G. Recto today reiterated his proposal to raise the tax exemption ceiling on Christmas bonuses and 13th month pay to P60,000 from the current threshold of P30,000 to give more spending power to employees celebrating the
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NOV
20
2012

Recto bats for P23B earmarks for PhilHealth

Specific allocations from sin tax revenues pressed Sen. Ralph. G. Recto today said a part of the total revenues and not mere “increments” from the sin tax reform package should go directly to intended beneficiaries and programs and should not be a “blank check” for disposal of
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NOV
14
2012

Toll rates bearable if VAT was not imposed

If only you had listened. This was the reaction of Sen. Ralph G. Recto to the reported plan of government to subsidize the operations of privately-run toll roads, including toll fees, to ensure the profitability of the investing firms and soften the impact on motorists. Recto on
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OCT
10
2012

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

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
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MAY
29
2012

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

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
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MAY
20
2012

Holistic approach to achieve food security pressed

‘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
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MAY
13
2012

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

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
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MAY
12
2012

Rethinking of CCT, policies pushed as more Filipinos go hungry

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
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