Senator Loren Legarda on the Imperiled Poll Automation, the Torture of Fil-Am Melissa Roxas and the Murder of Jonathan Fetalvero

30 June 2009

Senator Loren Legarda is still out of the country — I know many people wanted her back as early as last week, I understand she's coming back on July 2 — but she has released this press statement on three important issues of the day:

Press Release
June 30, 2009

Press statement of Senator Loren Legarda

On imperiled poll automation

There may be merit in allowing the other bidders in the Comelec's poll automation project to complete their deficiencies so that they may contend for the project, a possibility pointed out by Comelec Chairman Jose Melo.

True, there may not be enough time to start a new bidding for the poll automation project. But with this statement by Chairman Melo, who said the bidding has to be started from scratch, by all means, Comelec must look at this possibility or some legally feasible alternatives, instead of altogether shutting the door on a computerized election.

Without any honest-to-goodness effort by the Comelec to push poll automation, the people may be justified in thinking that they had been taken for a ride by some parties whose interests would be served by the status quo - that of holding a manual election which is more vulnerable to fraud.

On Fil-Am's torture

The account of torture by Filipino-activist Melissa Roxas at the hands of purported military men in the Philippines is most troubling and deplorable. This administration cannot just brush it aside because the account was, more or less, congruent with its pockmarked human rights track record.

While the Commission on Human Rights wants Ms. Roxas to come back to the Philippines, I would understand if she would refuse to do so having been traumatized by her experience and knowing that she had made some very powerful enemies here.

CHR should consider to instead meet with Ms. Roxas in the United States so that her deposition can be taken in order to pinpoint those responsible for the reprehensible crime which she said had been committed against her.

On killing of yet another media practitioner

The killing of Jonathan Fetalvero, a hard-hitting radio broadcaster, underscored once more the culture of violence against media practitioners that had marked this administration.

The sixth media man to have been killed in the country since January and the 67th under the Arroyo administration, Fetalvero had been added to the long list of journalists who had been silenced permanently, probably by people who do not like their hard-hitting ways of exposing corruption and other wrongdoings in society.

Justice has been elusive to the other victims of violence against Fetalvero, and we can but urge our law enforcement authorities to do their duty with utmost dedication so that these crimes can be solved.

This is the affidavit of Melissa Roxas, and the following video clips show Roxas making her allegations against the AFP and AFP spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner denying AFP involvement in the abduction and torture, all courtesy of GMANews.tv: 

I wish Senator Legarda will speak out openly and clearly on the raging H1N1 menace.  We need her leadership on this issue, she being the Chairman of the Senate's Committee on Health and Demography.  The prima donna attitude of the DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III is simply unacceptable.