MIRIAM BATTLES WESTERN VISAYAS PLAGUE
16 March 1999

Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago yesterday sought to quash an endemic disease that has been plaguing residents of Panay Island, particularly Capiz, in the past years, by urging government to earmark research funds for dystonia.

Santiago filed Senate Bill No. 1516 or the “Dystonia Research and Information Act” following reports that one out of every 2,000 male residents in Capiz is afflicted with the incurable genetic disease.

“More than 300 Filipinos are suffering from  dystonia.  This neurological disorder is a cause of concern.  The government must help curb the growing cases of dystonia,” she said.

Dystonia is a movement disorder in which sustained muscle contractions cause twisting and repetitive movements or abnormal postures.  The involuntary and painful movements may affect a single or a group of muscles, and seriously hamper speech ability.

Santiago warned that mothers may have unwittingly passed on the deadly gene to their children.   Dystonia usually manifests among male patients when they are 40 years old and above.

“Not a single treatment has been found to be universally effective, and doctors would normally resort to therapies to reduce or eliminate the muscle spasms and pain that patients suffer,” she said.

According to GMA 7’SCRA I-Witness report, 65 percent of the country’s dystonia patients are based in Capiz, 20 percent in Aklan, 8 to 10 percent in Iloilo and Antique and 5 percent in Manila.

The dystonia gene is passed on to male children by their mothers who carry the defective X chromosome.

Santiago, who hails from Western Visayas, proposed the creation of the Committee on Dystonia Resarch in order to abate the growing incidents of dystonia in the country.

“In the United States, a number of privately funded voluntary health agencies continue to research on possible treatment of dystonia,” she said.

MIRIAM OFFERS STUDENT INTERNSHIP PROGRAM
17 March 1999

The Office of Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago is offering a two-month student intership program called Summer sa Senado from April to May this year.

The program is open to all university and college students who are interested to know more about the country’s legislative body.

Applicants must submit their resume, two 2”x 2” ID pictures, transcript of record or true copy of grades last semester, and a certificate of good moral character from the college dean.

The deadline for submission of requirements is on 29 March 1999.  For details, call Celine at 3724574.  Interested students should submit the requirements at or mail to 3 West Fourth St., West Triangle, QC.  Hurry, only limited slots are available.

MIRIAM SEEKS INFO ON DRUG-FRIENDLY POLITICIANS
15 March 1999

Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago called on the Estrada administration to identify public officials known to be close friends of suspected drug dealers.

Santiago issued the statement before leaving for Vienna yesterday (March 15) to attend the 42nd session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs.

Santiago was reacting to a recent US narcotics agency report stating that the anti-drug campaign in the Philippines is hampered by corruption.

“This kind of operation should be conducted quietly by the executive branch.,” she said.

The lady senator will act as adviser to the Philippine delegation composed of officials from the Dangerous Drugs Board, police, and military.

“I’m going to sniff around the US delegation, and see if their reports can provide clues on the identities of corrupt Filipino public officials  fraternizing with drug dealers,” she said.

She referred specifically to the 1998 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report filed by the  US bureau for international narcotics and law enforcement officers.

The US report calls the Philippines a significant marijuana producer and exporter, as well as a heroin transit point.

The US report adds that corruption is one of the reasons for the failure to stop marijuana, heroin, and shabu traffic in the Philippines.

“The conventional suspicion is that drug dealers are major campaign contributors and supporters of certain politicians,” she said.

“Do we need the US to tell us who these corrupt drug-friendly politicians are?” she added.

The Philippine delegation consists of: Santiago; Rey San Pedro and Tommy Lim of DDB; Jewel Canson and Reynar Gonzales of the national police; and George Avila of defense department.

The UN session will be held at the Vienna International Center on March 16-25.

MIRIAM WARNS: CHARTER FROWNS ON DIVORCE BILL
13 March 99

Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago warned that the Supreme Court might declare any divorce law unconstitutional in this country.

Santiago pointed out that the Constitution provides: “The State recognizes the sanctity of family life and shall protect and strengthen the family as a basic autonomous social institution.” (Emphasis added.)

“This provision is not found in the constitutions of other countries like the United States.  Their legal situation is different from ours,” she said.

Santiago said that even if the constitutional provision is interpreted to allow divorce, the charter would still require very strict grounds for divorce.

She said that a divorce law can be based only on the grounds for annulment, which are strict under the Family Code.

She said the charter does not allow a divorce law based on grounds for legal separation, which are lenient under the Family Code.

Santiago said the only grounds for divorce that could be considered constitutional are the following grounds for annulment: lack of parental consent, unsound mind, fraud, force, physical incapability, sexually transmissible disease, and psychological incapacity.

“It would be unconstitutional to allow a divorce by mutual agreement of the spouses,” she said.

Santiago said the charter prohibits a divorce based on the ground of “irreconcilable differences,” which is often used in the US and Europe.

She said that the latest Supreme Court decision ruled that “irreconcilable differences” and “conflicting personalities” are not valid grounds for annulment.

Santiago quoted the Supreme Court ruling: “Any doubt should be resolved in favor of the existence and continuation of the marriage and against its dissolution and nullity.”

“This is rooted in the fact that both our Constitution and our laws cherish the validity of marriage and unity of the family.”

She was citing the 1997 case of Republic v. Court of Appeals and Molina.

MIRIAM WANTS VFA RULES TO SENATE
8 March 99

Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago said that the foreign affairs department should submit to the Senate for concurrence not only the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), but also the so-called implementing arrangements provided for by the  VFA.

Santiago issued the call at a VFA forum attended by Catholic nuns and priests who are members of the Catholic Church Coalition on the VFA, led by the Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines (AMRSP).

Santiago said that the VFA Art. 8 provides that the Philippines and the US must promulgate “implementing arrangements” that will government the movement in Philippine territory of US vessels and aircrafts.

“The implementing arrangements between the two governments should be submitted to the Senate together with the VFA itself.  Those arrangements are an integral part of the VFA,” she said.

Santiago insisted that the Senate should be informed of the implementing arrangements because, she said, the VFA does not define what kind of “activities” will be engaged in by US personnel.

“The term ‘activities’ is too broad.  This term should be narrowed before the Senate should approve the VFA,” she said.

Santiago said that it would not be enough for the Senate to concur with the VFA, because it is incomplete until the implementing arrangements are promulgated by the two governments.

“At this point, all that we know is the VFA allows the US to engage in unspecified military activities,” she said.

Santiago said that unless the implementing arrangements are submitted to the Senate, the senators would have no basis for giving their informed consent to the agreement.

“The implementing arrangements will be the key to the real nature of the VFA.  Without it, the senators would be acting and speaking without full information on such a controversial topic,” she said.

The AMRSP forum was held at the Institute of Formation and Religious Missionaries led by two executive secretaries, Br. Tito Reverial, CSSR, and Sr. Evelinda Lacanilao, SFIC.

The reactor was Prof. Dennis Gonzales of the Maryhill School of Theology, where Santiago took her masters degree in Theology.

MIRIAM: CALL ELMA TO QUESTION HOUR
8 March 99

Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago will file a resolution for the Senate to summon PCGG Magdangal Elma to answer questions pertaining to the recovery of the Marcos wealth in general, and to the alleged $13.2-B account of Irene Marcos Araneta in particular.

Santiago was reacting to the claim by Australian Reiner Jacobi that Irene Araneta is allegedly keeping a secret account worth $13.2-B in a big European bank.

Jacobi said he would file a petition for a writ of injunction at the Sandiganbayan seeking to order Elma to take steps to freeze the account and recover the money.

Jacobi has accused Elma of following “a personal agenda” in protecting Araneta’s account, reportedly the biggest Marcos account so far unearthed.

Under the Senate rules, any head of a government financial institution maybe summoned by the Senate to give information within three days.

“Under the Senate rules, if Pres. Estrada identifies it in writing, question hour can be conducted in executive session, so there will be no prejudice to the public interest,” she said.

Santiago said that under the rules, Elma should be summoned by the Senate Tuesday next week.

MIRIAM: JACOBI HAS NO RIGHT TO SUE?
9 March 99

Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago said that Reiner Jacobi, who reportedly filed a civil case against PCGG Chair Magdangal Elma over the recovery of Irene Araneta’s alleged $13.2-B secret account, might not have the right to file a suit in the Philippines.

Santiago, a former RTC judge, said that the law requires the plaintiff to be the real party in interest, meaning, the party who stands to be benefited or injured by the judgment in the suit.

“Jacobi apparently does not have standing to sue, because it is not he but the Filipino people, including the human rights victims, who are the real party in interest,” she said.

Santiago explained that Jacobi is allowed to file a suit, only if he is the  authorized representative of a real party in interest.

Santiago said it is no longer necessary for Elma to appear during question hour at the Senate, because last Monday Elma gave every senator a copy of his written explanation.

Elma included in his explanation the finding of the Swiss judge that the alleged Araneta account number does not exist.

Santiago stressed that the statement of the Swiss judge ended with the conclusion “that the documents submitted in respect of such accounts are forged.”

“Under the law, Chairman Elma enjoys the presumption of regularity in the performance of his official functions.  Thus, between Elma and Jacobi, it is Elma who should be believed,” she said.

MIRIAM WARNS MILLENNIUM BUG MAY KILL HOSPITAL PATIENTS
4 March 99

The millennium bug can be deadly, and it can take the lives of thousands of helpless patients who cling to life-support systems at the country’s hospitals, Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago warned.

Santiago urged hospital owners to make sure that their machines, medical devices, computer equipment and life-support facilities are Y2K compliant in order to prevent an unwanted scenario of “massive annihilation.”

She explained that people who are supported by machines controlled by computers could perish if the machines stop at the stroke of midnight in the year 2000.

“We are facing a technological plague and the country’s health-care industry must address this concern immediately,” she said.

Santiago also warned that if hospital’s medical equipment are not Y2K compliant, one device can pass erroneous data onto other devices, and worsen patient conditions.

She said health officials must conduct a technical evaluation on all 1,800 hospitals operating in the country.

She added that the DOH must ensure that its doctors are  prepared for this New Year’s lethal scenario.  At present, DOH has 4,232 doctors in its fold, and 3,123 doctors assigned to local government units.

“Doctors will deal with more than just fireworks-related injuries come new year.  There may be mayhem in hospitals if their computer equipment suddenly bog down,” she stressed.

The year 2000 computer bug refers to system malfunctions that could result when computer clocks that display two digits for the year change to 2000 and confuse that with the year 1900.

“People may be too busy protecting their financial assets or planning where to herald the new year, that they neglect this serious problem that affects human lives,” she said.

MIRIAM DEFENDS VOLTES V  AND DAIMOS
4 March 99

Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago yesterday urged lawmakers to keep their hands off the hit cartoon series Voltes V and Daimos which resurrected on the television after an untimely demise in the late ‘70s.

Santiago said a ban on seemingly violent cartoon series may violate the equal protection clause guaranteed by the Constitution, because there are other television programs which carry similar fighting scenes.

“If they really want to shield young viewers from violent television shows, then they should also prohibit action movies, sitcoms with characters beating each other, and even news programs that carry gory crime footages,” she said.

Santiago said the viewers must be given the power to decide which shows should be aired or not.  She said the public can stop patronizing certain television programs, and stations will be forced to axe them if the programs no longer rate or sell to advertisers.

“In essence, Voltes V and Daimos carry the theme of good triumphing over evil.  In fact, these robots are portrayed as defenders of the world against invading aliens.  They don’t pick a fight with their enemies,” she said.

Santiago recently filed a bill calling for a classification of video games and   stressed that banning video games may not prove to be in the child’s best interest.

In the same way, Santiago said parents should play an active part in guiding their children while watching television.

MIRIAM WANTS CASINO VIPs IDENTIFIED
1 March 99

Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago filed a resolution directing the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee to identify bigtime gamblers patronizing Pagcor-run casinos.

Santiago seeks to know whether Pagcor extends to these VIPs so-called credit lines, which enable the gamblers to continue gambling even after they have lost all their cash.

The lady senator also wants to know how much are the outstanding loans owed to the Pagcor by the casino VIPs.

“Pagcor credit lines simply mean that the government lends huge amounts of money to bigtime gamblers.  Those government loans run to millions of pesos,” Santiago said.

Santiago said that bigtime gamblers given VIP treatment by Pagcor should be identified, so that the BIR could check the tax returns as well as the statement of assets and liabilities of the bigtime gamblers.

“It might be customary for casinos to extend credit lines to regular gamblers, but when the casino is state-run, there is a need for more transparency because public funds are involved,” she said.

Santiago said there is a need to determine the total amount of outstanding credit lines that has been extended to these casino VIPs.

She stressed that government runs the risk of losing millions of pesos if the practice is left unchecked and unstopped.

“Credit lines which remain unpaid for extended periods of time represent substantial revenue losses for the government,” she explained.

Santiago said the extension of credit lines in state-run gambling enterprises tends to reinforce the pernicious effects of organized gambling on society.

“As a state-owned corporation, PAGCOR should be prudent in extending credit lines to support the appetites of big-time gamblers,” she said.