Press statement of Senator Loren Legarda

On possible upheaval over cha-cha

Any political crisis arising from the insistence of the House of Representatives to amend the constitution without Senate concurrence will squarely be on the shoulders of the leaders of the lower chamber. The latest Ibon Foundation survey shows that six out of 10 Filipinos oppose cha-cha, seeing it as a scheme to extend the term of the outgoing administration beyond 2010.

An upheaval is the last thing our country needs in the face of the global economic crisis, thus the House must desist from pursuing cha-cha. If lawmakers are really sincere in helping our people, there are so many pending bills that impact directly on poverty and good governance that need our attention. Cha-cha can wait.

As it is, Malacanang is distancing itself from the House move, but they are fooling no one. They say that they merely want to amend some economic provisions of the constitution. Nonetheless, what would stop them from changing our form of government or resetting the next election when they have gotten cha-cha rolling?

On surge in kidnapping cases

There's something wrong with our law and order when two students were snatched in broad daylight by kidnappers wearing police uniforms and manning a police checkpoint. Aside from the police, government has a lot of other law enforcement agencies tasked to combat kidnapping, but why the reported rise in kidnapping incidents?

The apparent helplessness by government to resolve the kidnapping of three Red Cross workers in Mindanao may be emboldening other kidnap groups. The police and NBI must double its efforts to stop kidnapping by increasing police visibility and by coordinating closely with one another and with civilian groups active in campaigning against crime.

On hope spurred by US economic data

It is always good to be optimistic, more so when economic figures in the US tend to show that the worse may be over for that major trading partner of the Philippines. An early climb back from recession by the US will surely redound to the good of other countries, including the Philippines because the economies of nations have become interdependent.

However, favorable economic figures must not lull us into a false sense of security as the Philippines has to grapple with its own economic problems, including falling exports, industries closing down, people losing jobs, and local trade contracting. But we'll take whatever good news that comes our way.