From: news@netnews.upenn.edu (USENET News System)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.filipino
Subject: Ramos Urges Congress to Pass Tough Economic Bills
Date: 27 Jul 92 15:41:16 GMT
Followup-To: soc.culture.filipino
Organization: University of Pennsylvania


	MANILA, Philippines (UPI) -- President Fidel Ramos urged Congress
Monday to join him in a ``partnership of patriotism and progress'' by
backing dramatic measures needed to solve the nation's problems,
including raising taxes and legalizing the Communist Party.
	Congress said maybe.
	In his first state of the nation address, Ramos told a joint session
of Congress that legalizing the Communist Party was part of a plan to
increase political stability in the country.
	He promised to form a comprehensive economic development program to
lead the country to economic prosperity with the help of Congress.
	Many of the proposals are controversial, such as increasing taxes and
improving collection, easing terms for foreign investors and pushing the
peso lower to help exporters.
	``You and I can act separately and achieve little,'' he told a joint
session of the traditionally fractious Congress. ``Or you and I can act
together and achieve much, much more.''
	Saying improving peace and security was his top priority, he asked
Congress to put teeth into a crime crackdown by reimposing the death
penalty for serious offenses.
	The Philippines suffers widespread poverty and rising violent crime
with more than one person in 10 unemployed. Servicing foreign and
domestic debts claims 41 percent of the government's revenues.
	Ramos asked Congress to act so that ``the Communist Party of the
Philippines and similar organizations will no longer be outlawed but
allowed to compete freely, openly and peacefully in the political ...
arena instead of following the path of armed struggle,'' he said.
	The party's armed wing, the 15,000-strong New People's Army, has been
battling the Manila government for 23 years. The movement was outlawed
shortly after World War II.
	Ramos also asked Congress to grant an amnesty for 4,500 jailed former
rebels of the NPA, and the country's two other insurgencies -- Muslim
separatists and right-wing rebels.
	``This grant of amnesty is the initial step in a comprehensive peace
and unification process that shall address the problem of bringing back
all other rebels to the fold of law,'' he said.
	Ramos said he would form a committee to negotiate for peace talks
with the three rebel groups. He did not say whether he would continue to
insist that the rebels agree to abandon their armed struggles before any
such talks can be held.
	All three rebel groups have expressed some interest in Ramos's offer
of amnesty and peace talks but said they would refuse any deal that
required them to lay down their arms.
	Several of Ramos's general proposals to Congress follow a
prescription analysts say is crucial for the nation to rise to the
prosperity of its Southeast Asian neighbors.
	But many of them are politically unpalatable and will need strong
support in both houses of Congress to be implemented.
	Evidence of that support is thin so far.
	Although Congressional leaders Monday pledged to work with Ramos,
they gave a lukewarm reception to many of his proposals.
	Ramos's party, Lakas NUCD, won only a small minority in the House
during the May 11 elections. His new so-called rainbow coalition has yet
to be tested.
Newsgroups: soc.culture.filipino