Duterte admin told to ‘step up’ as community pantries rise amid lack of aid
Apr 19, 2021 1:36 PM PHT
Legislators said the rise of community pantries during the coronavirus pandemic should serve as a wake-up call for President Rodrigo Duterte’s government to step up in addressing the crisis at hand.
Members of Congress first heaped praises on Patreng Non for setting up the Maginhawa Community Pantry in Quezon City, as it has inspired other residents to do the same in their respective areas.
In these community pantries, strangers leave out food and other essential goods in a marked communal area so anyone who needs these goods can freely take the items.
Congress clashes with admin as Duterte told to scrap pork imports EO
Apr 15, 2021 2:38 PM PHT
Legislators from both chambers of Congress are at loggerheads with the executive branch as they formalized their call for President Rodrigo Duterte to revoke the executive order (EO) reducing taxes on imported pork.
On Thursday, April 15, the Senate – sitting as the committee of the whole – adopted a resolution urging Duterte to withdraw Executive Order No. 128, which reduces import taxes on chilled and fresh pork meat to address the supply shortage and soaring prices.
The same resolution also wants Duterte to set aside his initial proposal to Congress to increase the minimum access volume (MAV) or the number of allowable pork imports with lower tariffs to 350,000 metric tons from the current 54,000 MT.
The executive's arrest and detention powers under the anti-terror law took away civil liberties that have been guaranteed to Filipinos since the 1899 Malolos Constitution, says opposition congressman Edcel Lagman
'Given our experience with corrupt legislators and greedy business on transactional legislation, are we willing to entrust our legislators with that kind of power?' asks Christian Monsod, one of the framers of the 1987 Constitution