By Floreño G. Solmirano
LEGAZPI CITY — Noted human rights lawyer Edcel C. Lagman, who is staging a comeback as congressman of First District of Albay, wants to continue and expand infrastructure development in the area, including more road networks in the island villages as well as school buildings district-wide.
Lagman bared this plan in statement sent to the Philippines News Agency on Monday as part of his 15-point agenda for the district, which he had served as its representative from 1987 to 1998 and 2004 to 2008.
During this congressional stint, he had been consistently chosen outstanding congressman every year.
As he had done during his congressional years, Lagman said he will enhance the speedy delivery and social services in health, education, job generation, housing, livelihood support, potable water, and electrification.
The 1998 Philippines Free Press Outstanding Congressman of the Year said he wants to pursue the construction and operation of more maternity and lying-in clinics, particularly in the island and upland villages, which are capable of emergency and basic obstetric care as a component of the reproductive health (RH) program.
“There is also a need for the establishment of strategic diagnostic centers for indigent patients,” said the author of Republic Act 9502, or the “Universally Accessible Cheaper and Quality Medicines Act of 2008.”
Lagman, former vice chairman of the Special Committee on Bicol Growth Area, said he wants to accelerate the growth of the tourism industry for local revenues, employment generation, and dollar income.
He said he aims to have more pro-women and pro-children legislation as well as consumer protection laws.
Seeing defects in the current electoral system, the 1997-1998 Most Outstanding Bicolano Legislator said he will work for electoral reforms.
In this connection, Lagman said he will push through with the House bill filed by his son, incumbent First District Rep. Edcel “Grex” B. Lagman Jr., seeking mandatory resignation for all elective officials who wish to run for any position other than the one they are currently holding.
He said he wants Congress, particularly the House of Representatives, to reclaim its plenary authority in the appropriation of public funds.
The former undersecretary of the Department of Budget and Management after the EDSA Revolution, 1986-87, said he wants to enhance national policies on the aged and the aging population.
As one of his principal advocacies, Lagman said he will push for the modernization of the Southe Line or the Bicol Line of the Philippine National Railways as a catalyst for growth and development.
The well-known labor leader seeks full protection to the workingman and incentives to businessmen.
When he was congressman, he authored Republic Act 9504, an Act exempting minimum wage earners from paying income tax and increasing personal exemptions for other taxpayers.
Lagman also authored Republic Act 8424 (Comprehensive Tax Reform Program) providing, among others, the increase in the tax exemptions and deductions of ordinary workers and employees.
An environmentalist, he wants full protection of the environment and mitigation of the dangers of climate change, including effective and adequate disaster preparedness.
The 2000 Mamamayan Ayaw sa Droga (MAD) awardee sees the need to combat the drug menace and criminality, and improve and democratize the justice system.
Lagman aims to increase the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) for poor and deserving local government units (LGUs).
He authored Republic Act 7160 increasing the IRA to enable LGU, particularly the barangays, to address the basic needs of their constituents.
The veteran politician said he had also authored General Appropriations Acts which institutionalized the increased allowances of barangay officials and the granting of the Personal Emergency Relief Allowance to government employees.
Giving highest priority to education, Lagman authored Republic Act 6728 providing financial assistance to students and teachers in private institutions.
He also authored Republic Act 6655 establishing and providing for a free public secondary education.
The former editor of the UP Law Register, 1962-1963, and managing editor of The Philippine Collegian, 1965, authored
Republic Act 7079 providing for the development and promotion of campus journalism.
He also authored Republic Act (RA) 7936 converting the San Francisco High School into the San Francisco Institute of Science and Technology, RA 7731 abolishing the National College Entrance Examination (NCEE), RA 7784 strengthening teacher education in the Philippines by establishing Centers of Excellence and creating a Teacher Education Council, and RA 8522 General Appropriations Act of 1998 providing funds for the establishment of the Bicol University Tabaco Campus.
Lagman also authored RA 9346, “An Act Prohibiting the Imposition of Death Penalty in the Philippines,” RA 6657 (Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law) providing for a more equitable distribution and ownership of economic-size farms as the basis of Philippine agriculture and to promote social justice, sound rural development, and industrialization, and RA 8532, an Act strengthening further the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) by providing augmentation funds.
His principal advocacies include reproductive health and population development; full and speedy implementation of the Agrarian Reform Program; protection and promotion of the rights and welfare of students, teachers, and non-teaching personnel; crusade for the abolition of the death penalty (and against its restoration); criminalization of involuntary disappearance and promotion of human rights; review of the debt stock and reduction of debt service; eradication of graft and corruption; protection of Filipino workers, both local and overseas; consumer protection; promotion of accessible and quality education; adequate and immediate medical care services; full empowerment of local government units; and modernization of the Main Line South (PNR South Line). PNA