Home 
Sen. Mar Roxas yesterday said that if he gets elected president, he would require a higher standard of honesty of himself and his Cabinet by making their bank holdings transparent “all through their term”.
That includes their spouses and his own partner, said Roxas, who is engaged to marry TV anchor Korina Sanchez at a date still to be announced.
“I would ask them to give up the protection of bank secrecy laws for themselves and their spouses,” said Roxas at a forum of businessmen in the Marco Polo Plaza where he and Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero were invited to explain their ideas of a road map for Philippine progress.
Asked in the open forum how they would fight corruption in their first 100 days of office, Roxas said he would “start from the top” in setting a good example and be able to eliminate “50 percent” of graft that way.
“The best way to stop corruption is – don't steal. It starts from the head of the fish. If the top is clean, they you would expect the rest to be clean,” said Roxas, who referred to his record in public service, which includes a stint as Trade and Industry Secretary, as one “without a a whiff of scandal”.
Escudero, who said he still has not decided whether to seek the highest office in the land in the 2010 election, pointed to well-paid talent as the key.
“Recruit the best and brightest people,” said the 39-year-old lawyer who is affiliated with the opposition National People's Coalition.
“Give them the salaries they deserve and then start putting people in jail if caught stealing.”
About 200 people attended the first National Business Conference of Independent Business Clubs.
The Makati Business Club and Cebu Business Club, which mounted the first joint forum, later passed separate statements opposing House Resolution No. 1109, which allows the House of Representatives to convene itself into a constituent assembly (Con-Ass) and amend the Constitution without Senate participation.
CON-ASS
Both clubs agreed that Con-Ass was an attempt to manipulate the political process and disregard the sentiment of majority of Filipinos who reject changing the Charter at this time.
Roxas and Escudero were asked about their stand on new taxes, federalism, the disproportionately high prices of fuel prices in Cebu, political appointees, education, tourism and reproductive health. (See separate table on this page.)
The three-hour forum, which had queries coming from veteran businessmen and universtiy economics experts, was described as “an interview for a CEO position”.
(Gilbert Teodoro, another presidential aspirant, wasn't able to attend the event while another guest, Sen. Manuel Villar, who was lined up for the forum begged off saying he was out of the country that day.)
At one point, Fr. Carmelo Diola of the anti-corruption group Dilaab, asked if both Roxas and Escudero would support a Code of Ethics for Spouses if they got elected president.
Controversies surrounding the role of First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, the mistresses of former president Joseph Estrada and the conjugal powers of former president Ferdinand Marcos and wife Imelda are part of Philippine politics’ colorful history.
Roxas, in a light vein, said a code could be made part of his “pre-nuptial agreement”, then said that a written code of mother statements was less important than a clear understanding between spouses of what is expected of each other.
Earlier Roxas said he believes a “leader is one who walks the talk” and “delivers rather than just hopes and dreams”. As for his wife, “she would be true to me” and “not tarnish the name” of the family, he said.
Fiancee Korina Sanchez took an indefinite leave as news anchor from ABS-CBN to support his political campaign and prepare for their wedding.
Escudero, whose wife is involved in art, said he makes it a point to keep “separate worlds” from his spouse, “so that when I go home, it's a sanctuary” to rest and think of other things , and not bring home political debates.
The lack of expertise of some Cabinet members was raised in the forum yesterday by businessmen.
The new president elected in 2010 will have the power to appoint “5,200” government officials, pointed out Escudero. He vowed to limit the number of presidential appointments in the Cabinet, a statement which drew a wave of applause.
He said presidential appointees should be limited to secretaries of national defense, interior and local government, social welfare and development, finance and foreign affairs.
“The rest of the departments—education, transportation and communication, for instance, should be left to career officials in the government because these are people who know the departments better,” said Escudero.
“This way, we infuse new blood in government by providing certain positions open to young people with perhaps better experience,” he said.
Senator Roxas, meanwhile, said clear metrics should be set for presidential appointees to ensure that they are fit for the position and not just placed there for political convenience.
In his opening speech, Roxas said he views progress as “a continuing escalator of the quality of life... but three generations after World War II, we're still on the ground floor”
He cited “four tools” to achieve progress.
Roxas said he would use the dynamics of the market wthout leaving people open to “predators”, good governance, affirmative action for the poorest of the poor through education, health and handouts; and a solid foundation of “morality”.
The whole day forum was participated by 14 business chambers nationwide.
The panelists who posed questions were economist Benjamin Diokno and Felipe Medalla, former National Power Corp. president and Cebu Energy Development Corp. president Jesus Alcordo, Davao Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Simeon Marfori III and Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Eric Ng Mendoza.
Marian Codilla, Cris Evert Lato and Eileen Mangubat
