Raffin

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/11/...-heinous-crime

One of the less crazy crazy bills lately but the lawmaker sees it a "heinous crime"

https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq...s-philippines/

Only the crime of "qualified bribery" could be considered to be anywhere near vote buying?

EnglishRed

Are you saying that they are qualified in the UK? Half of the house of lords are there by accident of birth, some by having an invisible friend in the sky (bishops) and the rest either by donations to political parties or being a friend of the prime minister.

Gazza-d

Yes but they don't make the laws.

Raffin

Much more comparable with the UK House of Commons than the House of Lords! The Senate here could be compared with the House of Lords. It is elected though. Yes, despite the life peers, the House of Lords is pretty unrepresentative of ordinary British people.

The Party List reps here would tend be less experienced and qualified in comparison with the majority who are elected by districts. Yes, they could know a lot about, say ,the security industry or schools, very useful if measures on those are being considered. But most district reps will be experienced in the ways, good and bad, of local politics.They will have dealt with a wide variety of issues. Many will be lawyers too. There is therefore the potential for some Party listers to be easy to manipulate.I thought the mandatory military service bill was one example of that.

Political parties are weak here, elites and personalities dominate, so they brought in the Party List seats to get more ordinary people into Congress.

Raffin

Bills can be introduced in both Houses. They have to be passed by both to become law. As here with the House of Representatives and Senate. But in the UK the House of Lords can be bypassed by the House of Commons going straight to Royal Assent by invoking the Parliament act if it delays passing a bill.

Raffin

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/28/...rly-from-scams

So there's going to be a government website so seniors (!) who " lack knowledge about social media and technology" can be aware of scams!
Rather than the government doing this it is really something that should be on TV. Do they have an Ann Robinson type here to front one?

Gazza-d

Perhaps a side line for Raffy Tulfo

Raffin

Another lawmaker banging the patriotic drum and wanting to create yet another government committee. This one looking at food using "heirloom ingredients", conduct "food heritage and regional culinary identity mapping", and further pack the school curriculum when it's already bloated. In a country where millions spend less than P56 a day for their food.

https://www.msn.com/en-ph/news/natio...ge/ar-AA11jQ5V

Personally I don't find the traditional local cuisine very exciting at all. But Jollibee and several other lower end chains rather good!

Bealinehx

What a really important item for the Senate to consider.
It must rank ahead of the critical state of children's education so woefully neglected during the last 30 months. Continual Chinese incursions in the South China Sea to feature just two items for concern. I must also add management of Covid, is it endemic or pandemic??? Finally the management of the economy.

Raffin

Junk food (and drink!) selling in and around schools:

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/tops...schools/story/

It's a laudable aim but it's the way he wants to do it. The increasing authoritarian tendency in Congress.
Effectively close down thousands of canteens and small stores. The students will just bring want they want in from elsewhere.

Gazza-d

Perhaps the first place to start would be the totally misleading adverts on the television, fat kid eating donuts trying to make it look healthy to be fat. Or telling parents that their kid will be failures if they don't use the right brand of milk.

Raffin

That's going to hit the media and food industry owners if chubby kids can't feature in ads so I don't think they will dare pass a bill on that. Strange they want to see fat kids here. Not that they were underfed in the past, like in China.
Would they legislate on levels of salt and sugar, like in Britain? Many food products here with high levels.

Gazza-d

When the sugar tax came in here a couple of years ago all the zero sugar soft drinks went up by the same amount as the sugary drinks, go figure.

Raffin

Yes, no effect from the 2017 tax.
I was thinking more of gradual reductions. Difficult as the manufacturers will cite preservation benefits in the warm climate. Though now refs are much more available. Many scientists say sugar is an addiction. Scientists can show how our brains are affected. In which case it is on a national not individual scale here! Dfficult to find any foods not sweet. Young and fat not seen as a problem. Nothing will be done until there are millions of old and fat people here.




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Bealinehx

Not too many fat people get old!