Gutoc: Gov’t should help business flourish
Senatorial bet Samira Gutoc joins the campaign sortie of Otso Diretso in Caloocan City on February 12, 2019. INQUIRER.NET / GABRIEL PABICO LALU
MANILA, Philippines — Opposition senatorial candidates see the need to prop-up peace-centered policies and anti-corruption measures to help businesses flourish in the country.
Marawi civic leader Samira Gutoc said pushing for peace-centered policies would form part of her legislative agenda, while former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay stressed the importance of the rule of law to support businesses.
“As a peace advocate, I push for peace policy: spending less on conflict and spending more on business confidence, said Gutoc, a long-time community organizer, in a statement on Thursday.
“When you have a grenade attack in Mindanao because you’re not addressing the roots of conflict, hindi mo siya binibigyang pansin – ang ating intel, ang ating civilian relations sa sundalo at PNP para mismo ang tao ang nagbibigay impormasyon… that would make it bad for businesses,” she said.
“So importante ‘yung plataporma natin sa kapayapaan,” she added.
Gutoc pointed out that “conflict-affected areas like Mindanao have the potential to lead the country’s economic growth in the coming years if only the government would focus on improving the situation in these areas.”
“Give the business sector the necessary confidence to travel to Mindanao, to provinces. Instead na airstrikes in Sulu, no peace talks with CPP, Mr. President, isipin mo na kailangan natin ng pera. Hindi siguro Build Build lang sa TRAIN law, kundi feed, feed, feed and feed the poor,” said Gutoc.
The Train, or Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion, Law was passed not only to fund the massive government infrastructure program but also to give more funds to about three million more poor people under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program or 4Ps.
READ: 7.4M households to get gov’t aid
The opposition senatorial candidate also vowed to support measures that would allow ease of doing business in the country.
“I understand that the business sector is concerned on the ease of doing business as a policy push so interesado ako. Syempre ang daming permits, requirements, gusto nilang mas mabilis, mas transparent at maaksyunan agad. We were just in Negros Occidental and their issue was the President did not sign the order EO 1 Negros that would have facilitated the mobility of goods around Negros,” Gutoc said, referring to the establishment of Negros Island Region (NIR).
This law, which placed the provinces of Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental in one region, was signed during the Aquino administration but the Duterte administration issued an executive order abolishing it and brought back Negros Occidental to Western Visayas or Region VI, and Negros Oriental to Central Visayas or Region VII.
Meanwhile, Hilbay proposed during a press conference in Manila on Wednesday the possibility of enacting a Magna Carta for the business sector, as well as standardizing the best practices of local government when it comes to gaining business.
“Connected din siya dun sa rule of law. I think Every time that there’s a government na too powerful there’s no longer checks and balances, then cronyism is on the rise and that’s a threat to the business sector,” the lawyer added, stressing that the government should ensure that businesses are able to “play fairly” in any industry. /cbb
