Liberal Party bares platform

AS LIBERAL Party (LP) executive vice president, Senator Mar Roxas on Monday unveiled the policy of the political group as he pointed out that most Filipinos view politicians as "unreliable, unrepentant, irresponsible, expensive, irrelevant, and thus unnecessary." Roxas said the challenge for the LP is to be relevant to the people and present bold ideas on how to improve their quality of life. He said political debate should be shifted from political personalities to political issues that show the way to improve the quality of life of Filipinos. (Sun.Star Manila)

Roxas urges legal community to back bill to lower cost of medicines

Senator Mar Roxas, also known as `Mr. Palengke', called on the legal community to back a pending bill that seeks to lower the costs of medicines in the country through amendments to the Intellectual Property Code. In response, the PBA commended Roxas and expressed support to his bill, describing his efforts in promoting the Filipino nation's health and physical well-being as "noble". (PIA)

France & the 'health gap'

As Philippe Douste-Blazy, the minister of foreign affairs, puts it: "Of the issues threatening the balance of power in our world, the ‘health gap’ between North and South is now undoubtedly the most worrying. Quite apart from the question of ethics or of moral obligation, leaders are now beginning to appreciate the eminently political impact of issues on poverty and public health. A country which has no healthcare system, no prevention policy and no access to medicines is a vulnerable and destabilized country."

Our own response to the "health gap" within is Sen. Mar Roxas’ campaign for the lower cost of medicines, for as we are wont to say that in our country, if you’re poor and you get sick, you die. Meanwhile, pharmaceutical companies are getting rich on the misery of the sick and poor. (Manila Bulletin)