OF RESOLUTION VS RATE HIKES
[PHOTO - FILIPINO YOUNG MALE
PROSTITUTES]
MANILA, SEPTEMBER 27, 2011 (TRIBUNE) The Aquino
administration had chosen to be in a state of denial in questioning the remarks
made recently by United States Ambassador Harry Thomas Jr. that up to "40
percent" of foreign male tourists go to the country primarily for sexual
adventure, Sen. Pia Cayetano said yesterday as she took Malacañang and newly
appointed Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez to task for not confronting the real
issue on the existence of sex tourism in the country.
"The Palace and Jimenez appear to be in a state of denial regarding the
existence and continued proliferation of sex tourism in our country. The remark
made by Ambassador Thomas that up to 40 percent of male foreign tourists come
here primarily for sex was met by an avalanche of denials from the government,"
Cayetano, chairman of the Senate committee on youth, women and family relations,
said.
"Instead of directly addressing the issue, Deputy Presidential Spokesman
Abigail Valte and Jimenez dwelt on questioning the accuracy of the ambassador's
statistics. But really, may we ask, what has the government been doing to
address these problems?" she asked.
"Whether it's 40 percent, 20 percent, or 10 percent, one wouldn't need to
hire a survey outfit to find out that sex tourism is happening in many of our
tourist destinations and luring in many foreign tourists. In fact, we don't even
have to physically visit these areas to verify for ourselves because with just
one click of a mouse, we will see that sex tours to the Philippines are openly
being promoted to foreigners through the internet and social networking sites."
"Sec. Jimenez has also stated that our 'message' to all tourists is that 'if
you come here for darker reasons, we don't want your business.' But really now,
do we see this message being aggressively conveyed in our airports, hotels and
motels, or in known red light districts all over the country? "
"In Cambodia, for instance, signs and posters are literally plastered all
over, including in strategic areas like men's toilets, warning would-be
offenders that pedophilia is a crime in their country. At the same time, the
public is encouraged to report people acting suspiciously, including foreign
nationals, to police authorities or to their respective embassies by dialing a
government hotline against pedophilia."
Cayetano is set to deliver a privilege speech on Monday to call on the Senate
leadership to prioritize Senate Bill 2341, the proposed 'Anti-Prostitution Act.'
The measure authored by Cayetano seeks to change the treatment of persons
exploited in prostitution as victims of the system and not as criminals. It also
shifts the accountability of prostitution from the prostituted person to the
exploiters by repealing existing provisions in the Revised Penal Code.
A senior justice official , however, said the government will come down hard
on predatory sex tourists in the country.
In a statement, Department of Justice (DOJ) undersecretary and Inter-Agency
Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) head Jose Vicente Salazar said the Aquino
government has made human trafficking a top priority concern.
Salazar said the government will not tolerate the promotion of sexual tourism
in the country contrary to the statement earlier made by Thomas in a recent
speaking engagement.
Thomas 'estimated that maybe' 40 percent of male tourists in the country come
for sex tourism. "That is unacceptable," Thomas said
"While we acknowledge the existence of such problem as pointed out by
Ambassador Thomas, there is a need, however, to verify the accuracy of his
statistics so that an appropriate response, a calibrated one, together with
Tourism authorities will be enforced," Salazar insisted.
Police agencies, the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Tourism
and even non government organizations do not have an accurate statistics on
sexual tourism and related cases.
He also said that the Government is resolved to prosecute not just Americans
but all, foreigners and locals alike, involved in cybersex and human trafficking
crimes.
Salazar added that the government is thankful for the support the US has been
providing in the campaign against human trafficking in the country and is
looking towards a more coordinated and responsive action against the menace of
human trafficking, already recognized as the second biggest criminal activity in
the world.
Salazar emphasized however that the reinvigorated and intensified effort of
the government to eradicate human trafficking is bourne out of the clear
recognition of its' obligation to protect its' citizens from exploitation.
Senate to Palace: Explain junking of resolution vs fare
hikes By Angie M. Rosales 09/26/2011
The Palace should explain President Aquino's decision to ignore a resolution
in the Senate urging him to exercise his prerogative to suspend the
implementation of impending price increases in the transport sector, opposition
Sen. Joker Arroyo said yesterday.
"You cannot (just) disregard (the position taken by) 13 senators. That is the
majority of the Senate. They cannot just treat it like that, for Malacanang to
dismiss outright our resolution," Sen. Joker Arroyo said.
"What's the merit of the resolution of the Senate? The resolution is a polite
way of telling the Executive that they should reconsider this (plan). What's
wrong with that kind of resolution? Malacañang should explain where we erred,"
the senator said.
Arroyo was referring to Senate resolution 602, initiated by him along with
Senators Manuel Villar Jr. and a known strong Aquino ally, Sen. Ralph Recto, and
ably supported by nine other colleagues that included the three key leaders of
the upper chamber, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, Senate President Pro
Tempore Jinggoy Estrada and Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III.
Support to the resolution, expressing the sense of the Senate on the
deferment of the implementation of the fare increases of Light Rail and Metro
Rail Transit (LRT-MRT) and the imposition of the 12 percent value-added tax
(VAT) on expressway tolls in the country beginning Oct. 1, continue to snowball
over the weekend with three other upper chamber members joining the bandwagon,
so to speak.
The latest to join the demand for
the suspension of the toll and fare increases were Senators Ramon Revilla
Jr., Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Minority Leader Alan Cayetano.
Arroyo pointed out that the government has enough resources to sustain the
commuters' subsidy on the fare of LRT-MRT "but they're not spending it."
"But that's another controversy. They don't want to talk about it anyway. But
the Senate, it's going out of its way (to help the administration and the
public). I think we deserve an explanation, a little more consideration," Arroyo
said.
The senator could only hope that Malacanang will try to listen to the upper
chamber this time, especially since more than majority of them are of the
opinion that the timing is not right and that there are other avenues that the
Executive could exhaust at this time so as not to aggravate the situation of the
overburdened public.
"If this is the attitude being displayed by Malacanang, we have an opinion
and they will dismiss it just like that, what kind of a relationship is that?
"Congressmen and senators are out there as representatives of the people.
They know the pulse of the people. Malacanang solely not knows the pulse of the
people. (This kind of) attitude (they're showing) is very unhealthy. It's like
they're saying that 'this our position, period.' They cannot just say that we
misconstrued (the situation) because we deliberated upon this (ourselves) for
awhile before we came out with a resolution," he said.
"Most of those who signed are allies of the President. Out of the (sitting)
23 (members), 20 are pro-administration and yet, they couldn't care less. What
does this mean? That these senators do not have voice? No participation?,"
Arroyo asked.
"The Senate (is proving to be) more statesman-like than Malacanang. The
Senate will consider every (Palace-backed) bill on its merits but it will not
avenge on Malacanang. The Senate with 20 senators allied with the President is
not like that," he said.
The senator pointed out that the Executive cannot dismiss the fact that
everywhere in the world, mass railway systems are subsidized by government.
"Throughout the world, the (operations of the) trains are subsidized by the
government. Let's accept the fact on the need for subsidy. They should study
this matter carefully," warned Arroyo.
Revilla, chairman of the Senate public services committee, couldn't agree
more to the issues raised by Arroyo as he expressed support to the said
resolution.
"As chairman of the Senate committee on public services, I reiterate my
strong opposition to the impending fare increase on the mass rail transit system
in Metro Manila.
"It could be recalled that I had already expressed my full support to the
Senate Resolution that would urge the President to suspend the implementation of
fare hike on the MRT and LRT even before it was officially tackled in the
session.
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2011 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
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