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By Jayson Cruz Luna, Contributor
United Opposition (UNO) spokesman Adel Tamano on
Saturday said they are ready to help the administration in
formulating solutions on the rice crisis, despite the opposition’s
being critical of the government’s food security plan.
In reaction to Malacañang’s call to help them
resolve the problem on rice, Tamano said the opposition is doing its
part in finding ways to help resolve the problem.
“Of course we are willing to do our part in
addressing our country’s political and economic problems. We are
very much willing to find answers for them if they ask for our
help,” Tamano said.
When asked what specific actions the opposition
is willing to do to help solve the problem, the UNO spokesman said
“it will be very difficult to cite specific actions since it is a
major problem that cannot be analyzed in a day.”
He added the opposition will maintain its
critical stance on the administration despite their willingness to
help resolve the rice crisis, since it is their duty as opposition
members to call the attention of the administration on the different
problems affecting the country.
Tamano likewise said that agreeing to a
“political ceasefire” would mean not performing their mandate of
being the watchdog of people against corruption and bad governance.
“We will help the government but not at the
expense of giving up the opposition’s duty of being the
administration’s constructive critic,” he said.
On Saturday morning, Presidential Management
Staff Chief Cerge Remonde called for a “political ceasefire,”
saying the “responsible” political opposition should link up
with the Palace in finding solutions to the rice problem.
Roxas calls for Asean rice summit
Senator Mar Roxas, chairman of the Senate trade
and commerce committee, called on the Philippine government to take
the lead in calling for an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean)
Leaders’ Summit to address the rice and food crisis that is
threatening the region.
In a press statement, Roxas announced he would
file a resolution on Monday expressing Senate’s sentiments that
the Philippines should take the lead in calling for the Asean
Leaders’ Summit, that will ensure food and rice security in the
coming months.
“Asean has in its membership the world’s two
biggest rice exporters and the world’s biggest rice importer,”
the former trade secretary said.
Roxas said the proposed summit could even
include non-Asean neighbors as such as Japan, South Korea and China
as well as international financial institutions.
“At the Asean Summit in Singapore last year,
an Asean Charter was adopted. This document would be meaningless if
the leaders of Asean cannot get together to ensure solidarity
against hunger made worse by soaring rice and food prices,” he
said.
Roxas said Asean cooperated in the past
regarding issues like the containment of the Severe Acute
Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), where a Special Leaders’ Summit on
the matter was held in Bangkok on April 29, 2003. After the meeting,
Asean member-countries agreed to set up a regional information
network and early warning system to help stop the spread of SARS.
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