The Rotary Balita no. 717 (March 19, 1953)

"I challenge President Quirino to a public debate on the charges filed against me as a tax evader," declared Senator Lorenzo Tañada. He said that he would not courage to face the Rotarians if he doesn' pay his taxes religiously as he knows that this group of people pay theirs honestly- He added that he is ready to meet the Pres- ident before any body to prove who is a evader and who enriched himself in public office. Tañada admitted that the greater part of the campaign of the opposition for the last four years has been centered on the person of President Quirino, because of the corruption, misgovernment and official lawlessness which have characterized his administration. He praised Speaker Eugenio Perez who he claimed seems to have won the personal affection of both the Nacionalistas and the Liberals alike. He called Senators Laurel Rodriguez, Recto and Osias as the old Nacionalistas, who shared their party's defeats and tribulations in the past, and now be lieve they have a prior right in a happier future. Much of Senator Osias' strength in the coming Nacionalista convention will come from the underlying opposition to the person of Mr. Magsaysay, as a former Liberal, a new Nacionalista, and therefore, in the language of Osias, a rank outsider. He traced the historic controversy over the Hare-Hawes-Cutting Bill which divided the people during that time. "If democracy is to be fulfilled to its high and noble purposes, we must get away from the spoils system," he said. He believed that the tragic lessons we learned in 1949 would lead us to a political reform, a change of heart among our politicians of high and low degree. He claimed that the renunciation made by Dr. Laurel and by Senator Recto of their legitimate ambitions and formidable chances for the highest office in the Republic, has no parallel in our political history. Either of them could have fought, and fought success- fully in the national convention of the Nacionalista Party. Both of them, he said, would have been entitled to claim a reward from their party as well as from the nation, and the fact that they now have put aside their personal interests and subordinated themselves to the imperative needs of our country speaks in the highest terms of their patriotism and sense of sacrifice. "How can the beneficiaries of the mock -elections of 1949 come out as champions of fair and free elections? How can those who conspired against the Constitution in the past deck themselves out now with the trap- pings of its defenders?" he asked. He added that those who enjoyed the spoils of fraudulent victory in the past cannot pretend to keep those spoils, and evade punishment, by changing sides and denouncing administration which opened for them undreamed of opportunities of personal enrichment, a which condoned their immoral and if t illegal practices. He said that Senator Recto called Magsaysay a Nacionalista guerrilla in Quirino administration, an underground worker for the principles and interests the opposition even when he was a member of President Quirino's party and cabinet. It is because, he said, as secretary of national defense he did much to keep the 1961 elections clean and honest. Tañada stated that confidence in the re tory of one man, whether he be Magsaysay or Laurel or Osias or Recto is not the the point. The point, the fundamental point, is confidence in the principles of honest, efficient, constitutional government, whether those principles will bring political victory or defeat. The finesmaster was Leroy Young. Orosa, first Filipino president of Heacock was fined P100.00. CX Clark who rose from office boy to vice-president of RCA fined P20.00. Danding Romualdez was fined P5.00; John Brimo, P10.00; Tony Roch P10.00. A short story of how a cancer patient from the province was treated is Manila was related by Leroy. The patient took the boat, General Lim to Manila. Pa Delgado, P10.00. Upon arrival in the pier, the patient rode in a taxi. Joe Bautista Gene Puyat and Paquing Benitez, P10.00 each. The patient was brought to the UST Hospital. Paulino Garcia, Doc Campos, car Jacinto and Quin Gomez, P10.00 each During the operation blood was needed. To Red Cross supplied it. Yan Yanzon, P10.00 Medicine came from Squibbs and Sons, P Green, P10.00. Oxygen was given to the patient. Pepe Tiosejo, P10.00. After a few days the patient was on the road to re- covery. He kept on reading books from the Philippine Education Company. Dave Gun- nell, P10.00. On his way home he boarded a PAL plane. Dan Gomez, P10.00. But prior to his departure, he took an insurance policy, Earl Carroll, P10.00. In the province, to be up-to-date with the news, he read newspapers, the newsprint supplied by Hans Menzi, Max Hernandez and Alero Adamson. All three were fined P10.00 each. A vocal solo was contributed by Miss. Florencia Santos accompanied on the piano by Miss Lilia Reyes both from the Philip- pine Women's University.