Basic Proposition
Bangon Pilipinas Party (BPP) believes that for the country to recover from the terminal cancer of corruption, injustice and poverty, both the leadership and the people must weave back the basic tenets of love for God and love for countryinto the fabric of Philippine politics and governance. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and strength and love your neighbour as you love yourself”, is not only a credo for personal life, it is also the cornerstone of all nation-building. “DIYOS AT BAYAN” is the core philosophy of BPP.
The demand of loving God and loving the country is righteousness. The fruit of righteousness is first of all justice for the poor, for the civil servants, for the labourer, the employee and wage earner, for the businessman and investor, for the youth, for senior citizens, for the farmer, for the soldier and the veteran, for those who have to care for others, for the overseas worker, for the local government unit, for all people and every sector of Philippine society. Righteousness assures honesty, rectitude, transparency, responsibility, accountability, fairness and equal opportunity for all. Righteousness evokes compassion and charity. The blessings of righteousness are peace, development, the well-being of the community, self-respect, and prosperity. And this righteousness must begin in and with government itself, with servant-leadership that has Character, Competence, Courage, and Compassion.
Only love of God and love of country that produces righteousness in the body politic, under a servant-leadership of character, competence, courage, and compassion, can bring true and genuine change in the land. “Diyos at Bayan para sa Tunay at Tama na Pagbabago.”
{This all reminds me of our debate weeks ago... How religion can be a weakness when it comes to debates. I'm not against God; I'm a Catholic. What I mean here is he doesn't DEFINE everything. See what I mean? True, that a leader should have the character, intelligence and the will and the strength. True, We badly need these values. But he, Eddie, sounds so idealistic in his platforms. We're in the real world. Can he manage if ever he'll be chosen?}
7E’s Platform of Government of Bro. Eddie Villanueva
I. ERADICATE BAD GOVERNANCE
Before assumption of power:
By an honest, volunteer-driven campaign that will not engage in vote-buying, coercion, and other dishonest, ungodly and traditional ways of getting votes, so that the BP administration will not engage in corruption to recover campaign expenses.
Upon assumption of power:
A. By a clear, comprehensive and committed executive agenda, which shall include:
1. First, through leadership by example. BPP will not engage in and tolerate corruption. BPP commits that all these will begin with the President himself, and down to the entire slate.
2. By doing away with the rule of “Executive Privilege”, so that cabinet secretaries and other officers of the Executive Branch of the Government can testify in any legislative inquiry or investigation, subject only to the rule of mutual courtesy and respect between co-equal branches of the government, and subject to universally and well-recognized exceptions such as inquiries involving national security, where the same can be conducted by the proper committee of the legislature in “executive fashion.”
3. By request from the Chief Executive, certified as urgent to Congress, for the passage of legislation that will restore the death penalty according to the tenets of the Constitution, specifying that Congress define plunder and syndicated warlordism, among others, as heinous crimes, to signify BPP’s dead serious intent to clean the house of government itself. {...!!}
4. By request from the Chief Executive, certified as urgent to Congress, for the elevation of wages and compensation for government employees as an incentive against corruption.
5. By request from the Chief Executive, certified as urgent to Congress, for passage of a law that would immediately address the problem of ECONOMIC INJUSTICE to the countryside,
6. By immediately forming Presidential Accountability Task Forces, to be called Accountability Task Force 1 (and 2, 3, and so on and so forth) consisting of the best and most idealistic lawyers and accountants within the Department of Justice and other related offices or adjuncts of the Executive Department, to investigate within six months all controversial deals and transactions entered into by the previous administration and, if the prima facie evidence warrants, to forthwith cause the filing of the necessary criminal, civil and administrative cases as may be applicable against all persons responsible, under the maxim that no one is above the law.
7. By strengthening meritocracy in the civil service, among others, by de-militarizing the bureaucracy; a separate reward system will be established for those who serve in the military faithfully, but the civil service will not be used as a reward for some members of the military who may be used for dagdag-bawas and other “special ops”.
8. By increasing transparency and people’s participation in the screening of the judiciary, by reverting to the model of the 1935 Constitution for appointment of justices in the Supreme Court.
9. By institutionalizing Pres. Proc. No. 62, otherwise known as the Moral Recovery Program of the government, by asking Congress to pass a law that would institutionalize it.
10. By revising the curriculum of the elementary education by including the subject on GOOD VALUES, GOOD CITIZENSHIP, and/or GOOD MANNERS AND RIGHT CONDUCT as required subject at all grade levels.
11. By tasking pertinent undersecretaries for transparency and accountability in all government offices to report to the people all transactions undertaken by government in the respective departments and offices in excess of P5M.
12. By establishing a one-stop-shop for foreign and domestic investors wanting to invest or set up new business in the Philippines, and encouraging LGU’s to do likewise, in order to facilitate ease of registration and eliminate as much as possible structural opportunities for corruption.
13. By stopping smuggling that results in loss of jobs and closure of local businesses as well as importation based on unnecessary or fabricated “needs” which are rich sources of corruption.
B. By a clear legislative agenda, to wit:
1. Support the call of the Chief Executive for passage of a law calling for a Constitutional Convention (Con-Con) to consider adopting the federal form of government under a presidential model, as well as other innovations to governance that would require amendment or revision of the Constitution.
2. Pending consideration of the possibility of shifting to the federal form of government by way of the Con-con, a law shall be passed that would give economic justice to the regions of the Philippines,
3. Pass an implementing law that would give flesh and substance to the ECONOMIC RENT PRINCIPLE enshrined in Sec. 18 of the Local Government Code whereby local government units and communities will have a fair share of the incomes for the heavy use of natural resources in their areas.
4. Pass a law requested by the Chief Executive for the restoration of the death penalty according to the tenets of the Constitution, defining among others plunder and syndicated warlordism as heinous crimes deserving of the death penalty.
5. Pass the Freedom of Information Act.
6. Quash the Right of Reply Bill
7. Review the effectiveness of the Office of the Ombudsman, consider the desirability of making it an elective office, submitting the study to the people that it might be considered as a possible amendment to the Constitution by way of the Constitutional Convention.
8. Pass all necessary laws that will effect changes in policy directions for the rebuilding of the nation, such as, among others, support for the agricultural sector as the foundation of our economic growth and social justice program.
II. ENERGIZE THE ECONOMY
1. The Principle of Agriculture being the Foundation of the Economic Recovery of the Philippines
The desirability of fusing the Department of Agrarian Reform and Department of Agriculture (to be renamed as the DARA) shall be seriously considered, to ensure that the twin objectives of social justice and agricultural productivity can be pursued in harmony with each other, to ensure productivity. Government shall also support organic farming, production of organic health supplements and organic medicine, as well as clothing and shelter by-products, for domestic consumption as well as for export.
2. The Policy of Self-Help First before Foreign Assistance:
For this reason, Bangon will adopt a policy of self-help first before foreign aid, primarily among others by financing research and development for the conversion of raw materials and natural resources into finished products.
a. Granting tax holidays to local business institutions that will prioritize Research and Development (R&D) for Filipino inventions and products
b. Lifting tariffs and duties for the import of equipment and technology intended to aid Filipino invention and production of goods
c. Opening up of government credit facilities with special interest rates for R&D and production of Filipino inventions
d. Granting similar incentives and assistance for the green and sustainable modernization of Philippine agriculture
e. Funding scholarships for bright Filipino students to study in schools all over the world with contract to bring back their knowledge to the homeland.
3. The Principle of Filipino Security amidst Global Trade
Along this line, a Bangon administration will protect local industries and businesses against the adverse effects of globalism such as AFTA (Asean Free Trade Agreement), GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade), JPEPA (Japan Philippine Economic Partnership Agreement), and other similar agreements, by the following measures:
a. Political will in enforcing the policy of RECIPROCITY and EQUALITY
b. Review of such treaties and agreements and request or work for appropriate repeals, revisions or amendments as may be necessary to protect local industries
c. Subsidize or support local industries to make them globally competitive
d. Review in order to revise if not repeal the EPIRA Law, to make the cost of electricity in the country low, so that local producers and manufacturers can make the prices of their products competitive in the global market
e. Stop smuggling
4. The Principle of Kindness, Incentive, or Reward to Foreign Investors that utilizes local products, goods, or services
a. Reduction if not removal of excise or similar taxes on foreign companies that set up businesses here which utilise local products (“local content”) for the things they produce
b. Establishment of one stop-shops for investors
c. Provision of stiffer penalties for those who illegally impose personal levies on investors
d. Long term lease of carefully classified areas of land under terms and conditions that are fair
e. Honest and righteous governance that will not tolerate corruption
f. Reduction of the cost of electricity low in the country
5. The Principle of Government being the Equalizer or Leveller of the Playing Field
Government should reacquire its share in Petron, if only to prevent cartelization in the fuel industry.
6. The Policy of Alchemy over Mere Raw Material Production:
Along this line, Bangon will reward both local business and foreign investors who will bring the Philippines to this new direction. For example: foreign investments that transfer knowledge, knowhow, training and technology to enable the production of finished, useful products out of Philippine natural resources will be encouraged with a moratorium on corporate and income tax for a fixed number of years until investors are able to recover their investments, or after a minimum number of Filipinos are employed by said company vis-a-vis its capital investments. Instead of merely buying vehicles from other countries for example, the Philippines will make its own engine blocks and produce its own eco-friendly vehicles.
7. The Policy of “ASSURED REGIONAL PIE”
The Bangon administration will pursue a policy and program that will assure that what is for Mindanao will go to Mindanao, what is for Visayas will go to Visayas, what is for Luzon goes to Luzon and what is for Metro Manila goes to Metro Manila. Bangon believes that greater economic activity will be spurred if the countryside is given the necessary resources to unleash its potential.
This major shift in policy in the sourcing and allocation of the national wealth and income is best achieved by a corresponding Constitutional amendment that makes permanent the shift, or by legislation that brings about the change in the budgetary process.
8. The Principle of Collective vs Central Economic Planning:
The first stage of which will consist in their consultation and contribution of plans and ideas together with the collation of statistics through research. The aggregated data will be assessed and developed by the NEDA into one economic master plan, to become the basis for the national budget to be passed by Congress and implemented by the Executive, subject to the economic policies of Bangon Pilipinas Party herein explained.
9. Developing Smart Labor while Protecting Cheap Labor:
a. Granting government scholarships for poor but talented minds
b. Increasing the mandate and budget of TESDA
c. Re-gearing existing state-sponsored technical and vocational schools towards software programming for agricultural as well as entrepreneurial purposes
d. Bolstering current polytechnic learning institutions with an R&D orientation designed to build the best possible products out of Philippine human and natural resources
e. Establishing Community Entrepreneurial High Schools that can develop family and community enterprises with the view of also developing skilled and smart labor within the families and communities involved in these enterprises
10. The Institutionalization of Nationalized Microfinance for Small and Medium-Range Enterprises:
The Bangon administration will adopt the tested concept of the Grameen Bank, and provide them with adequate capitalization, support services and technical support to enable the poor to have access to soft loans to start their businesses.
11. Purchasing Power of the Peso vs Exchange Rate:
12. The three-point strategy of honest leadership, debt moratorium, and increased revenue collection to address the problem of the budget deficit
a. First establishing an honest, credible, and respected leadership in government
b. Then by working for debt relief or moratorium
c. Then by improved revenue collection.
III. ELEVATE THE LIVING STANDARDS OF THE PEOPLE
1. Direct a national inventory of all government abandoned, idle, or foreclosed lands and direct the allocation of the same for massive urban and/or rural settlement and housing under Commonwealth Act 141 otherwise known as the PUBLIC LAND ACT,
2. Pass a LAND FOR TAXES LAW
3. Put up elementary, high school and or entrepreneurial schools therein, as well as heath centers or lying-in clinics to address the most urgent school and medical needs of the community.
4. Encourage the sharing of land by discouraging excessive landholding through the application of the principle of progressive taxation; progressively increase the percentage of land taxes for increasing large holdings
5. Strengthen and further expand the asset reform program of the government through:
a. Agrarian reform
b. Preserving and expanding the municipal water zones for marginal fisherfolk
c. Ancestral domain for upland farmers
d. UDHA for the urban poor
6. Institutionalize cash transfer program as incentive for parents
a. Give a certain amount to parents for keeping their children aged 6 to 13 in school
b. Give a certain amount to poor parents who regularly visit health centres (to develop a healthy citizenry)
7. Grant tax credits to companies who engage in direct, sustainable poverty-alleviation or reduction program.
8. PROTECT LABOR
Treaties such as AFTA, GATT, and JPEPA will reviewed for any adverse effects on Filipino workers, and will be addressed accordingly.
The interest of labour will be preferred over foreign interest that works adversely on the Filipino worker.
9. PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT
a. Imposing a moratorium on all large scale, open-pit mining, until after a policy is set in place whereby Filipinos are able to make their own finished products of their own natural resources under a mining program that protects the environment
b. Regulating small-scale mining
c. Imposing a total log ban on all forest-grown or endemic trees
d. Regulating logging of farm or privately-grown trees
e. Strictly enforcing the clean air act, solid waste management, and other existing environmental laws
f. Promoting organic farming
g. Pursuing eco-friendly and renewable fuel sources
h. Promoting eco-tourism
i. Providing the government with the latest equipment on weather or climate reading for disaster-preparedness, as well as tools and adequate equipment for disaster response
j. Strengthening the EIS (Environmental Impact System) among others by increasing the penalty for violators and for polluters
k. Preparing the country to allow the Visayan Sea to rest from commercial fishing and rejuvenate itself
l. Reducing if not removing excise or similar taxes on products that comply with international standards on environmental protection such as the Clean Air Act
m. Prioritising watershed preservation and expansion of watershed areas, not just flood control
n. Encouraging and supporting by legislation the use of “carbon credits” under the Kyoto protocol on climate change
IV. EMPOWER THE PEOPLE
A. Economically
1. By generating the growth of small, medium and large-scale enterprises in producing the basic needs of food, clothing and shelter and educating, organizing and mobilizing the people to this end: SME GENERATION, GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT shall be a Centerpiece Program of the Party.
2. Green, Biodiverse and Sustainable Agricultural, Agroforestry and Fisheries Security and Productivity Program
a. Prioritization of irrigation infrastructure systems, farm-to-market roads and post-production facilities
b. Government subsidy for procurement of indigenous seeds, fingerlings and organic fish food, fertilizers and pesticides
c. Tax exemption for local manufacture of farm implements and machines
d. Assured purchase of agricultural and agro-forestry products and marketing of agricultural and agroforesty produce to foreign markets via inter-nation trade
e. Establishment of large stretches of green, biodiverse and sustainable agroforestry areas in every province and municipality
B. Politically
1. By strictly enforcing the Freedom of Information Act
2. By empowering Local Government Units,
3. By propagating the use of the PHILIPPINE EAGLE, as the symbol of the new Philippines, the Philippine Eagle being stronger and bigger even than the American Bald Eagle, and more accurately depicting the new Filipino resolve to arise (“bangon”) to new heights of righteousness in governance and peace and progress in the land; the Philippine monkey-eating eagle will also symbolize that the new Philippines will “eat” or devour any monkey-business in governance {OOOH. Sounds new.}
4. By aiding the cause of Justice for the Poor that will enable:
a. Granting of pro-bono handling incentives to private law firms and practitioners by assigning tax deductibility percentages to said cases
b. Working with the Supreme Court to allow said handling of pro-bono cases as equivalent to certain MCLE credits
c. Encouraging law schools and/or law centers to handle pro-bono or public interest cases, and granting appropriate incentives for the same
5. By ensuring freedom of speech and the press through:
a. The Magna Carta for Journalists as envisioned by journalists, broadcasters and bloggers
b. The Freedom of Information Act
c. The quashing of the Right of Reply Bill
6. By protecting human rights, including women’s rights and children’s rights, and ensuring its full exercise by all citizens.
Position on Reproductive Health Bill
Bangon Pilipinas believes that:
a. the so-called “population explosion” is not the cause of poverty; rather, it is the effect of poverty;
b. the real, issue, is the issue of equitable sharing of resources
c. abortion-inducing drugs should never be classified as common drugs or over the counter-medicine
d. the health and welfare of women and babies is important to the state
e. moral values should be taught, more than technology or device
f. children and youth should be protected from any unnecessary and unhealthy exposure to sexual information
7. By adopting, in the field of FOREIGN AND GLOBAL RELATIONS:
A. Immediately
1. By increasing the budget for poverty alleviation in existing programs
2. By withdrawing AO 187, which unduly and unjustly controls membership in the National Anti-Poverty Commission
3. By bringing back the DENR’s Department Administrative Order (DAO) 2001-17, protecting our waters as well as our small and middle fishermen
4. By calling and leading consultations between all stakeholders on the issuance of Certificates of Ancestral Domain Titles (CADT) as regards Ancestral Domain, to settle questions of jurisdiction once and for all
B. In the medium term
1. By launching the Green, Biodiverse and Sustainable Agricultural and Agroforestry Security and Productivity Program
2. By establishing the Philippine Self-Help and Self-Determination Program, which prioritizes self-help before foreign aid especially in the matter of research and development in converting raw materials and natural resources into finished products
C. In the long term
Subject to the collective wisdom of the Filipino people through their duly elected representatives in a Constitutional convention to be called for the purpose, by submitting the question of shifting to the federal form of government under a presidential model whereby proceeds of taxation, tariffs and customs will stay in the province or region where it is paid, subject to mandatory contribution to the national government for running its national offices, and subject further to mandatory contribution to poorer regions and/or provinces as may be identified by NEDA, or by clustering poorer provinces with richer ones to ensure that resources are evenly spread out in the federal region, thereby diminishing red tape and corruption and subjecting funds to much greater transparency and accountability at the local level, and emancipating localities from the burden of subsidizing a top-heavy national government.
VI. EDUCATE THE PEOPLE
A. By restoring and implementing in public schools and state colleges and universities:
1. Mastery of languages through a mother tongue-based multilingual educational system
2. Thorough knowledge of Philippine pre-history, history, geography, and culture
B. By establishing Community Entrepreneurial High Schools that will:
1. Build the concept and practice of entrepreneurship into all subjects
2. Turn high school students as well as their parents and communities into teams of entrepreneurs capable of growing micro to small and small to medium-scale enterprises with the cooperation of teachers and barangay/town officials
C. By ensuring that the mandate and practice of Science High Schools produce scientists and mathematicians who are capable of inventing new knowledge, products and processes
D. By ensuring that technological colleges and universities produce graduates who are not only competent but world-class in:
1. Software Programming
2. Internet and Communications Technology
3. Networking
E. By granting incentives to state colleges and universities to conduct R&D towards the production of new knowledge, products and processes especially with regard to the green and sustainable modernization of indigenous agriculture and the green and sustainable production of food, clothing and shelter
F. By ensuring the preservation, consolidation and popularization of our national identity, history and culture through:
1. The establishment of Philippine Studies Programs in all state colleges and universities
2. The strengthening of all cultural agencies of government, including the NCCA, CCP, NHI and National Museum through a significant boost in budget and private funding as well as increase of enforcement powers with regards to the preservation and protection of historical and artistic sites and streets, including street names
3. The reorientation of other government agencies with regards to Philippine history and culture as well as the preservation and protection of historical and artistic sites, streets and street names, with the NCCA, NHI and National Museum at the lead
4. The granting of tax incentives for the restoration of historical sites and streets as well as the production of public monuments and murals
5. The de-politicalization of the National Artist awards
G. By working towards free college or tertiary-level education of poor but determined and industrious students nationwide.
VII. ESTABLISH PEACE AND ORDER IN THE LAND
A. SPECIAL ATTENTION TO PEACE IN MINDANAO
Bangon Pilipinas strongly believes that the Mindanao Peace Agenda should command the special and focal attention of the new administration. The Bangon Adminsitration will seek peace in Mindanao that would strongly help establish peace all throughout the country through the following concrete means:
1. PEACE PROCESS. Immediately reconvene, continue, and as much as possible conclude the on-going stalled peace process between all stakeholders in Mindanao;
2. CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION. The Bangon Administration will call a Constitutional Convention to consider and address, the desirability of shifting to the federal form of government under a presidential model for a permanent solution to the problem of injustice in the countryside, including Mindanao, or any other long-term solution that would establish justice and peace in Mindanao as well as the whole country, depending on the collective wisdom of the people’s representatives to the Con-con and as may be ratified by the Filipino people;
3. REVIEW AND SUPPORT the Philippine claim to Sabah and Spratlys.
4. Establish an ECONOMIC-ZONE IN TAWI-TAWI AND A TRANSHIPMENT PORT IN SIBOTO STRAIT, to enable the collection of transshipment from foreign vessels plying the route, according to the fees set by the U.N. Law of the Seas, and for the income to be used for the upliftment of Tawi-tawi and Mindanao
5. IMMEDIATELY DISMANTLE ALL PRIVATE ARMIES,
B. OVER-ALL APPROACH TO THE AGENDA OF PEACE
1. The causes of the a deteriorated peace and order situation are:
a. Massive social injustice and widespread poverty
b. Neglect of the countryside
c. Unabated graft and corruption
d. Policy of militarization as an instrument of peace-keeping
2. The long-term solutions include:
a. Equitable distribution of the national wealth and income through the “Assured Regional Pie” Policy in the national budgeting process as explained in II.5 hereof;
b. Federalism, or any equivalent or alternative long-term formula that would assure that what is for Mindanao goes to Mindanao, what is for Visayas goes to Visayas, what is for Luzon goes to Luzon, and what is for Metro Manila goes to Metro Manila.
c. Paying special attention to the agriculture sector and agricultural economy, where majority of the rural poor belong, and which is the source of discontent and insurgency, through measures outlined in Section II hereof;
d. Distributing government-owned idle or abandoned lands for urban and rural housing and relocation with infrastructure for support, in partnership with the private sector such as GK and Habitat for Humanity
e. Encouraging direct private sector participation in poverty alleviation programs where expenses incurred by such individuals and corporations will be tax creditable.
f. Putting up of basic facilities like water and electricity in the most depressed areas preferably through eco-friendly, alternative, and non traditional methods or means
3. Reorient the AFP and PNP towards more civilian relations-related activities, such as building of schools, homes, bridges, medical missions, etc.
4. Protect the integrity of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police and taking care of their welfare by ensuring :
a. Their basic human needs, including housing, medical, and retirement benefits
b. Sufficiency of arms, weapons and equipment
c. Electronic/communications logistics
d. Education in Philippine history and culture
5. Provide for the education of AFP/PNP legitimate children up to the college level.
SOURCES: http://broeddie.ph/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Villanueva
http://www.eleksyon.co.cc/brother-eddie-c-villanuevas-platform/
There are new stuffs here. But most aren't because they're also addressed by the other candidates. Not bad platforms, though.
But why jump right away to presidency?
Hmm....
Is he the one, Philippines?
Again, we need S.M.A.R.T. plans. The president should know what he or she is doing. :)
2D is another DEE.
