4 prexy aspirants’ stand on rejoining ICC, publishing SALN, among others

Four presidential aspirants in Eleksyon 2022 voiced their respective stand on certain key issues being faced by the national government.

At The Jessica Soho Presidential Interviews aired on Saturday, Vice President Leni Robredo, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno and Senators Manny Pacquiao and Panfilo Lacson all agreed that the Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) of government officials must be made available to the public.

Under the Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, public officials and employees “have an obligation to accomplish and submit declarations under oath of, and the public has the right to know, their assets, liabilities, net worth and financial and business interests including those of their spouses and of unmarried children under 18 years of age living in their households.”

The Office of the Ombudsman had issued a policy restricting the public’s access to SALNs, including that of the President.

Further, the four candidates also agreed that the medical records of the President of the country should be publicized.

When it comes to the issue on whether joint exploration in the West Philippine Sea will be allowed, the four answered in the affirmative, with Robredo stressing that the involved countries will recognize the arbitral ruling wherein the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague invalidated China's massive claims over the West Philippine Sea.

Beijing has since ignored the ruling.

Meanwhile, the presidential bets were also asked if they will support the proposed measure prohibiting candidates to run for office if they have pending cases.

Lacson is not in favor of it while Pacquiao and Moreno will support the measure. Robredo, for her part, said it depends on the pieces of evidence against the accused candidate.

All the candidates are also in favor of letting the Philippines rejoin the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The Philippine government decided to leave the ICC in 2018 after the court's Office of the Prosecutor said that it would examine the allegations against President Rodrigo Duterte and his controversial campaign against illegal drugs.

In September last year, the ICC authorized the start of its investigation into the killings in the Philippines' war on drugs. However, the Duterte administration strongly maintained that the ICC has no jurisdiction over the Philippines.

Asked if they thought the ICC should prosecute Duterte, Moreno answered no, while Lacson answered in the affirmative.

Pacquiao said if Duterte is at fault, he must be prosecuted.

Robredo, on the other hand, said she is not in the position to answer because the case is still at the level of preliminary investigation. 

The positions of the four aspirants on other issues are as follows: 

Banning candidate substitution by withdrawal 

Lacson: Yes

Robredo: Yes

Pacquiao: No

Moreno: Yes

Mandatory drug test for candidates

Lacson: Yes

Robredo: Yes

Pacquiao: Yes

Moreno: Yes

Same-sex marriage

Lacson: Yes to [same-sex] civil union, no to same-sex marriage before the church

Robredo: Yes to civil union

Pacquiao: No

Moreno: No

Divorce

Lacson: Yes 

Robredo: At this point, no

Pacquiao: No

Moreno: Yes

Death penalty

Lacson: No

Robredo: No

Pacquiao: No

Moreno: No

Revising the Constitution to allow 100% foreign ownership 

Lacson: No

Robredo: Yes [only to open the debates and discussions]

Pacquiao: No

Moreno: Yes

Lowering the age of criminal responsibility

Lacson: No

Robredo: No

Pacquiao: No

Moreno: No

Continuation of the Visiting Forces Agreement with United States

Lacson: Yes

Robredo: Yes

Pacquiao: Yes

Moreno: Yes

Abolition of the Presidential Commission on Good Government, the agency tasked to recover the ill-gotten wealth of the Marcos family

Lacson: No

Robredo: No

Pacquiao: No

Moreno: No

Existence of extrajudicial killings in the war on drugs

Lacson: Yes

Robredo: Yes

Pacquiao: Yes

Moreno: Yes

Resumption of peace talks with the CPP-NPA-NDF

Lacson: Yes

Robredo: Yes

Pacquiao: Yes

Moreno: Yes

Allowing the operations of the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs)

Lacson: Yes

Robredo: No

Pacquiao: Yes

Moreno: Yes

Passage of an anti-political dynasty law

Lacson: Yes

Robredo: Yes

Pacquiao: Yes

Moreno: Yes

Legalization of jueteng

Lacson: Yes

Robredo: No

Pacquiao: No

Moreno: Yes

Legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes

Lacson: Yes

Robredo: Yes

Pacquiao: No

Moreno: Yes

— RSJ/VBL, GMA News