UNA won't allow rubber stamp Senate

MANILA -- Despite being supportive of the Aquino administration's reform programs, the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) said the Senate should not concede as an independent institution in light of the ruling party's plan to add more allies there after the May midterm elections.

"We will not let the Senate be simply a rubber stamp that would concede to the dictates of the 'yellow party.' We will not be part of a 'puppet Senate' na hindi na lang kikibo kahit mayroong mali," said UNA secretary general Toby Tiangco.

Yellow is the signature color of the Liberal Party, whose bets according to Senator Franklin Drilon are indispensable to the President Benigno Aquino III's goal of passing important legislative measures from 2013 up to the end of his term in 2016.

Tiangco said part of UNA's legislative agenda is to craft laws that would boost the country's economy through quality growth driven by exports and investments—and not by consumption or any dole-out program.

The government is currently giving subsidy for poor households mainly through the conditional cash transfer program, whose effect on poverty reduction has yet to be seen.

Tiangco said the LP must ensure that the positive economic outlook translate into more jobs for the people.

"The reality, as admitted by no less than Budget Secretary Butch (Florencio) Abad is that the administration has yet to make a dent in addressing unemployment and poverty," he said.

The economy grew 6.6 percent in 2012, beating government forecast of 5 percent to 6 percent. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)