ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, CONSERVATION, AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Meeting with Chinese Press and Businessmen, 29 January 2004 12:00 pm, Mandarin Villa Restaurant, Ongpin St., Binondo, Manila

"To my Chinese friends here today representing different organizations, …there are so many of you, Wu an (mandarin for Good afternoon)!

I hope you excuse me if I don't state your individual names, not only are you many, some of your names are also hard to pronounce. So I will honor you by not corrupting your names. You are all my friends and family.

This is the first time I will have the opportunity to say that I am related to the Filipino-Chinese community by affinity. My wife “Arlene Sinsuat” has Chinese blood running her veins, as her grandfather was chinese. So before I left the house this morning, she reminded me to tell you that she will be your voice in my office and in our bedroom.

I value the major contribution of our brothers Filipino-Chinese to the Philippine economy since time-immemorial. Before any other commercial districts like Makati and Ortigas was developed, Binondo was the center of trade and commerce.

As a Broadcast-Journalist, I had many opportunities to cover the Filipino-Chinese. I know your stories, and I am aware of your issues.

I know that you wish for a peaceful and orderly community for you, your family, and your businesses. I also know that many of you have relatives who want to be legalized residents or naturalized citizens of the Philippines. I also know that you want to be empowered, to better help the government get our economy going.

When I decided to join the government, I had in mind your issues and how I can be an effective national leader for you, my brothers and sisters Filipino-Chinese. I therefore wish to present to you today programs which I will take with me to the next level of my political career.

First on the issue of peace and order…., specifically, kidnapping. The present government has already achieved much in terms of curbing kidnapping and combating street crimes. The program of conducting checkpoints in selected areas, had been effective indeed. But this is just a short-term solution to street crimes and kidnapping.

I believe that success over criminality depends on strengthening our government's pillars of law enforcement: The police, the judiciary and the prosecution. The police will not be effective if they don't have adequate weapons, enough transportation and communication facilities, and sufficient salaries.

Thus, I propose that sufficient portion of the president's social fund be allocated for the purchased of additional arms and increase the transportation and communication facilities of the Philippine National Police. In order to augment the police force, we should maximize our current citizens arm or the barangay tanods and give them additional benefits commensurate with their service.

In the senate, we have already passed the law upgrading the salaries of all enlisted officers in the police force. However, it is not yet enough. I therefore propose to regularly upgrade their salaries every three years to keep up with economic factors like inflation, increasing expenditures of their families, and comparative increase in the private sector.

There should also be an intensified effort to rid the government of scalawags and corrupt judges, justices and prosecutors. For criminality to pay, we should ensure that the men of law enforcement are incorruptible.

Regarding the issue of legalization of stay in the country of our Chinese immigrants, I understand that many of our Chinese tradesmen are being harassed by Immigration Officials while they are doing business in the country. I think there are worse aliens and foreign criminals to be apprehended and that should be prioritized by BOI.

The Administrative Naturalization Law, passed by Congress in 2000 makes the Naturalization Process for native-born aliens in the country less restrictive, through a Special Administrative Process, in order to facilitate their integration into the mainstream of Philippine Society.

I sympathize with the predicament of aliens born in the Philippines who find it difficult to share the spirit of nationhood when they feel that the Government has been half-hearted in making them citizens of the country which they want to serve. I understand that the process should be cut further in order to make it easier for aliens to become legal residents but without compromising the requirements of Citizenship.

Finally, I would like to see more Filipino-Chinese in Cabinet positions or as Heads of Agencies. Your inherent brilliance and capacity to manage resources should be tapped by the Government.

I run, not to further division, but to sow harmony among all sectors. I run not for some Filipinos but for all Filipinos, including Filipino-Chinese. I run for progress, peace and unity, and nothing else.

Although the upcoming electoral process will surely divide the country, I pray that the Filipino-Chinese Community will be an instrument of God's unity. We, after all, Desire the same things: A STABLE AND GROWING ECONOMY THAT WILL SUSTAIN THE GOOD LIFE FOR OURSELVES AND OUR FAMILIES.

Maraming Salamat Po!"

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