Press Statement of Senator Loren Legarda

On Gov't must step up food aid to Mindanao

The bombings in Mindanao are most appalling in that they have not only resulted in the loss of lives and maiming of innocent civilians, but also have caused the United Nations (UN) World Food Program to suspend its food missions to the region.

The UN cannot be blamed for its action because it must ensure the safety of its personnel who had been barred from traveling to the areas under threat. In view of this, I urge the government to step up its distribution of food, medicines and other supplies to the affected evacuees because government cannot tell our people to wait one week until the UN resumes its food missions.

The police and military going on heightened alert in Metro Manila is a necessary precaution against threats similar to what's happening in Mindanao. But the administration must not be quick to put the blame for the bombings on the MILF and must, instead, concentrate on arresting those behind the bombings, whoever they may be, and unmask the masterminds. The Armed Forces of the Philippines, in its pronouncements to media, seemed to be so sure that Metro Manila will be the next bombing target. It must have the intelligence reports on which it based its assessment, reports which it must use not only to issue warnings but to stop those who have sinister plans.

On GMA 'withholding' EO on medicines' max retail price

That is a very serious accusation - that the President allegedly met in secret with representatives of multinational pharmaceutical firms, during which she purportedly pledged not to issue an executive order setting the maximum retail price of medicines sold in the country.

We must get to the bottom of this accusation because the President cannot be seen as putting the interest of corporate entities before that of the people whom she had sworn to serve. Keeping prices of badly needed medicines like those regularly used in the management of hypertension affordable is a must.