Wednesday, April 25, 2007 Nikki accuses Arroyo gov't of spending P3B for TU TV ads
SENATORIABLE Anna Dominique "Nikki" Coseteng accused the Arroyo administration of spending as much P3 billion for the television ads of the Team Unity senatorial bets.
In a press conference held at the Business Inn Tuesday night, Coseting of Genuine Opposition (GO), said the P3 billion budget is about one-fourth of the country's entire budget for health programs.
"GO's chances of winning is only through a clean, honest and credible election," she told Bacolod mediamen.
Coseteng said an allegation coming from former Comelec (Commission on Election) commissioner Luzviminda Tantuangco that this year's voters' list is padded by almost five to seven millions names.
Despite this, TU bets are still "killing" each other, Coseteng also revealed.
"It's better to shoot an opponent than spend P200 million just to win the election. That's why as of now, there are about 30 election-related deaths recorded by the Comelec in the entire country," Coseteng said.
But why is she running? Coseteng said, "I want to experience this year's election being a candidate. But I can say that I am one of the sacrificial lambs in these May elections and if I lose, it will be the people's loss."
Corruption
Coseting said corruption in the country is now getting worse.
"Corruption is now a whirlwind and in a staggering proportion," she said, adding that because of corruption, peace and order in the country is also deteriorating.
She lamented that Philippines is now considered one of the most corrupt country in Asia.
Carp
The lady senatoriable, meanwhile, stressed that there's a need for an immediate review of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (Carp) before it will be extended beyond 2008.
Carp, Coseteng said, was designed to "upgrade our country's economy but it failed its mission and instead it went to nothing."
He said unless farm-to-market roads, post harvest facilities, modern farm equipment, among others will be provided to CARP beneficiaries, "there's no way yet of flying high."
Iranian tractors
Coseteng also recalled the 500 Iranian tractors purchased by the Estrada administration and were given to five provinces where Carp has potential to progress.
These provinces include Iloilo, Negros Occidental , Davao del Norte, Pangsinanan and Nueva Ecija.
Each unit is fully-airconditioned with 175 to 275 horse power and with 14 additional modern farm equipment attachments for deep plowing.
"But what is lamentable now, these 500 units of Iranian tractors were discarded to different junkshops in the country," Coseteng lamented.
