Ralph Recto lists legislative agenda in reelection bid

Re-electionist and Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto on Wednesday enumerated his legislative agenda after filing his certificate of candidacy (COC) for senator.

Recto, who was accompanied by his wife Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos and son Ryan Christian, said he will prioritize education, health care, employment, and peace and order if he will be re-elected in next year’s polls.

“[We will] provide legislation that will ensure that all those who want to study be given the opportunity through free public education and skills training,” Recto told the media after filing his COC.

Saying that 70 percent of Filipinos are afraid of getting sick “while health care is too expensive,” Recto said he aims to modernize public hospitals by reforming PhilHealth’s allocation of its resources.

The senator said he also envisions lowering food prices through agricultural investments and by “providing credit and crop insurance to farmers to increase productivity.”

Recto said he will reform the Landbank of the Philippines to “increase credit to farmers and fisherfolk,” and the Development Bank of the Philippines to “increase credit to micro, small, and medium enterprises.”

Recto, who authored the Expanded Value Added Tax law, said he wants to reduce taxes to generate more jobs with higher pay and to provide more credit for small enterprises to thrive.

“[I will] promote savings by eliminating taxes on small depositors,” Recto said, adding that he is also eyeing to reduce income tax “to increase take-home pay of employees.”

Also in his agenda is the creation of a Department of Housing and Urban Development and the restoration of death penalty for heinous crimes.

Recto, who served as Batangas representative from 1992 to 2001 and senator from 2001 to 2007, was reelected in the Senate in the 2010 elections.

A frontrunner in recent preference surveys, Recto will run under the Liberal Party-led “Koalisyon ng Daang Matuwid” of the administration. JE