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Interview with ERNESTO HERRERA
By Georgia
Ernesto "Boy" Herrera is
a familiar name in Philippine politics, and this is his third time to
run for the Senate. He has more than 30 laws to his credit, and plans
to make even more if he is re-elected.
But what has he got that
the others don't? Only he has the answer, and he shared it with us.
What major issues do
you raise in your platform, and why do you think it's important to raise
these issues?
LABOR: The major problem of employment is in the rural and informal sector.
Low labor productivity is due to inadequate education and training. An
effective safety net in this era of globalization is empoloyment insurance.
PEACE and ORDER: Our laws against drugs need to be reviewed. The penalties
against law enforcers who are also drug pushers need to be made stiffer
and the enforcement simpler. Mandatory testing for the employees of public
services should also become the norm. To prevent corruption, the testing
should be done by NGOs, but their expenses should be reimbursed.
GOVERNANCE: The transformation of the Department of Labor and Employment
int a Department of Employment is consistent with my employment thrust.
The Budget System and Cycle should be reviewed so that the Congress has
full control of the resources of government.
ENVIRONMENT: Our laws on coastal resources management have not helped
preserve our fishing grounds, wetlands and mangroves. The approach shold
be more control and accountability by communities with the help of government
NGOs. We should also trake another look at the Clean Air Act to make incineration,
especially of hospital and hazardouse wastes, possible.
With your experience
in politics, what was the most important lesson you learned that you will
be able to apply if elected?
The most important lesson I've learned is that one can never stop learning.
I was a senator for 12 years and I make it as point to study as much as
I can. You have to know better to do better. You have to try to do better
everyday. There is no standing still, you're either getting better or
getting worse.
How and why did you
decide to run for the Senate?
I am running for reelection. The first time I ran in 1987, I was asked
by then President Cory Aquino because she wanted somebody to represent
the workers in the legislature. I was and still am the secretary general
of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines, the biggest workers' organization
in the country.
What are some pros and
cons about being a member of a political party?
Perhaps there are some member of your political party that you don'e necessarily
agree with, but that's alright. You agree to disagree.
Lots of pros, foremost among them is that the party machinery gives you
a good chance of not getting cheated during the counting of your votes.
Why should we vote for
you?
First of all, you should vote, if you're of voting age, and vote your
conscience. I believe that the integrity of a political candidate should
be measured through his actions. I can only say that in the 12 years that
I was senator, I authored 34 landmark laws in the present Congress. I
filed over 90 measures of national significance.
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