Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer
Date:    03/03/2008

“NOLI”

 In his weekly radio show the other day, Vice President Noli de Castro made a carefully calibrated distinction. Responding to questions about the possibility that he may succeed to the presidency if the current political crisis worsens, he said he was prepared, but not preparing, to take over Malacañang.

“Iba yung naghahanda at handa [There’s a difference between preparing and being prepared].”

His statement was obviously designed to soothe anxiety on both sides of the political divide. When he said that he was not preparing for the possibility, he meant that he shared Malacañang’s upbeat political assessment: President Macapagal-Arroyo will survive this crisis.

On the other hand, when he said that he was “already prepared” to assume the presidency “from Day 1,” he meant that he recognized the reservations of some in the opposition—that he was a political lightweight, and unqualified to assume the presidency.

“From Day 1, I already knew my duties under the Constitution as the elected Vice President. I’m prepared for that,” he said.

For better or for worse, De Castro was elected to the vice presidency in 2004. It is a result which closest rival Sen. Loren Legarda contested, not without reason or evidence; but by virtue of the final decision of the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, it is an election which it is our duty to recognize.

Precisely because of his election, we must also recognize De Castro as someone whom a plurality of voters in 2004 deemed ready to assume the presidency at a moment’s notice. This is no idle notion. In our short history, four vice presidents have succeeded presidents who died in office or abandoned it; Ms Arroyo herself followed that route to power. Untimely succession, in other words, is a very real concern to Filipino voters.

All this maneuvering to keep De Castro from succeeding to the presidency, in the event history calls for it, strikes us therefore as deeply undemocratic. If Ms Arroyo resigns, her successor has already been ordained by the Constitution and chosen by the electorate. Do we simply ignore the will of the people because we think De Castro is unqualified?

The opposition has not done itself any favors with the call of some of its members for a snap election. To use this pre-Edsa option, our post-Edsa polity needs to have both the President and the Vice President resign and an enabling law passed. But why? There is no showing that De Castro is involved in the corruption scandals that have deepened the President’s legitimacy crisis. If the scandals force Ms Arroyo to resign, the succession is already in place.

We should be wary of messengers proclaiming the gospel of snap elections.

Other oppositionists worry that a De Castro presidency, however abbreviated, will derail campaign plans for 2010. As an incumbent President who can run for election in his own right, De Castro may prove to be a much more formidable foe than he is now.

We think their worries may be misplaced. In the first place, having De Castro in Malacañang will be the surest guarantee we can have that the 2010 presidential contest will take place as scheduled. (There will be no more attempts to pull a fast one and change the Constitution.) And if De Castro is as incompetent as some people think he is, then opposition candidates will have even better chances in 2010.

But it must be noted that it is not only leading oppositionists who worry about the De Castro factor. Many in the administration think of him as the President’s best insurance policy; as long as many Filipinos continue to express reservations about his competence, the calls for the President to resign will always be muffled. For them, De Castro’s role is that of the loyal subaltern, a living reminder of the incumbent’s incomparable competence. Thus, even a potentially disruptive statement like De Castro’s “prepared, but not preparing” declaration can discomfit them—it threatens the validity of the insurance policy.

The other week, De Castro became the target, once again, of another round of intrigues. It should be instructive to trace the source. Who wants to keep him exactly where he is?

 

 

Reaction:

I agree to this editorial that the author wanted every one of us to be wary of what is happening in our country, more specifically the political crisis that we are into. Somehow I do agree as well on the points presented by Noli de Castro on the political crisis that our president is in to right now. Vice-President Noli is in fact right in presenting his thoughts on the differences between “preparing and being prepared.” Exactly, he is already prepared in succeeding the presidency in case the administration could no longer stand against these crises. Thus, this statement of Noli does not lowered his respect nor his loyalty to Arroyo but the fact that it is in the Philippine Constitution that in case of presidency’s vacancy by due process he is going to assume the position as one of the primary duties that an elected vice-president must be prepared of.

As mentioned, we are a country governed by law and no one is above the law. What just Vice-President Noli wanted us to realize that in due process, in case Arroyo will be ousted on her position, it is his duty to take over the responsibilities. I just can’t completely grasp why there are still people making issues against this forecasted situation in our country when in fact, Noli is the Vice-President and we should have known that the moment he ought for allegiance to it. What we should set ourselves in focus is to help revealing the truth and discern which is true on these seemingly uncontrollable issues that put our country’s stability in the most negated level.

Date: 02/24/2008

Reaction:

I strongly agree to some points of this editorial and somehow disagree on the other way around. I agree on the point that the people are already very tired from these corruptions which are seemingly uncontrollable. It is very much disappointing that we often end up with government officials whose involvement in graft and corruption cases is very much rampant. I agree to air our points, our views against these tyrants but somehow I disagree of these lessened values of People Power. Filipinos tend to rally every now and then when satisfaction isn’t met. It’s tiring in such a way that we, the Filipinos, had people power to put Arroyo into her position right now and then what? What will happen next? Kick Arroyo out from her seat as a president and who did they think is capable enough to replace her? We end up doing the same mistake. It proves the popular niche stating “History repeats itself”, can’t we just change it? Can’t we seek for a whole new approach of kicking these corrupt officials out from their offices? People Power is not a trend when in the middle of the administrative years; we all gather and put up a new set of administrators. It’s an infinite loop and it requires more and new well planned approach to put an end of this infinite loop.

Published by: http://www.inquirer.net

Date Published: 02/04/2008

News Editorial: De Venecia ousted as House speaker

MANILA, Philippines - The House of Representatives has voted to declare the speakership vacant, effectively ousting Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. from the position he has held for five consecutive three-year terms. Of the 240 House members, 174 voted “yes” to declare the speakership vacant, 35 voted “no,” and 16 abstained. Hours earlier, De Venecia anticipated his ouster in an impassioned speech and in an interview with reporters said he would join the political opposition and was declaring “war” on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. De Venecia in a 59-minute speech accused Malacañang of orchestrating moves to remove him as speaker.

He recounted the times he had stood to defend President Arroyo, and said, “It pains me grievously to hurt the President and to hurt the First Family because I have invested so much more than any of you in this chamber to help the President become Vice President, become President….” Reporters later asked De Venecia whether his accusations against the President, members of her family and close associates were a declaration of war. He replied, “Yes.” “I will join the opposition to denounce corruption in this administration. I will join the battle against corruption,” he said. In his speech, De Venecia said that Malacañang was in "collusion" with a private lawyer who had filed several complaints against him and his son, Jose “Joey” De Venecia III, before the Ombudsman. He was referring to lawyer Roel Pulido, who had also filed an ethics case against him at the House.

He added that congressmen could not use proceeds of the road users’ tax without going through agents of Malacañang. He accused the presidential palace of inaction on alleged assassination threats against him and his son, who has alleged bribe offers in connection with a contract to put up a multimillion-dollar national broadband network.Before ending his speech, De Venecia also identified port magnate Enrique Razon, who served as treasurer of Arroyo’s senatorial candidates last year, as having control of the pork barrel, road users’ tax funds and many projects of the administration.He described Razon as “partner in the corridors of power in Malacañang.”

“De Venecia is just one with the same feather of Arroyo-balimbing king and queen.”

Reaction:

I strongly agree to this editorial especially the last reaction of the author. It was so unlikely to witness that former house speaker, Jose de Venecia, will be acting that way just becuase he’s losing up the position that he has to the extent of putting up a fight against the President. He even recounted the days he stood up and defended the rpesident and now promised to join the opposition and prove the administration’s malpractices especially in issues of graft and corruption. De Venecia just proved to the people that he’s aware of these malpractices but just keeps quiet because he is in the position or worst maybe he’s part of it.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer
Date Published: January 14, 2008

 “Let SC appoint all judges”

Reaction:

I don’t agree to this editorial. People have different perspectives in life and it just so happen when comes to this issue I reset so much with the author’s opinion. I would like to emphasize my resentment to the last line of the second paragraph of this editorial which states that- “That power should be exclusively exercised by the Supreme Court—to make the “separation of powers” principle more meaningful.”  

I can’t see any bright views on his statement that such principle would become more meaningful when separation of powers will solely be done by Supreme Court. On his latter explanation he stressed out that this purposely will insulate judges/justices from the pernicious influence of politics, when in the very first place- they are part of the Philippine Politics. And whether we like it or not, no matter what position you are into the government, these people sat on the same seat of “power”. Power that mostly push people to embrace graft and corruption, influence others to satisfy their selfish, political agenda. Mediocrity doesn’t know how to choose people to embrace it. So whether it is a Palace driven or not, politicians faced this one great tempting power.

Publisher: Philippine Daily Inquirer

Date Published: 12/01/2007

EDITORIAL:

Ways of the Gestapo

MANILA, Philippines — As Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV prepared to turn himself in to arresting officers, after realizing that his second attempt to topple President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had failed, he whined that what had transpired only showed to what great lengths the President would go to hang on to power. “You have been witnesses and victims of the kind of ruthlessness that this government has been giving (sic) to the people,” said the former Navy lieutenant who also led the failed Oakwood mutiny in July 2003. He was, of course, referring to the overpowering force the administration unleashed against his group of about 30 soldiers and a few dozen civilian supporters.

Not very many people would agree that the government used excessive force to quash the rebellion. But very few would disagree that the way the police handled — or more accurately, manhandled — the members of the media who were covering the event bordered on ruthlessness.

As soon as Trillanes et al. signaled surrender, the police moved in to arrest everyone in sight, regardless of whether they were Magdalo soldiers or sympathizers or media people going about their business of reporting what was obviously a significant event. Then they tied up everyone with plastic tie wraps (except for a few feisty female reporters who refused to be subjected to such indignity) and herded them into buses that would later bring them to Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig City. Some media men who stuck their hands out of the window to show to television cameras were hit with sticks. A few said the police pointed their guns at them.

What was their crime? None, police and civilian officials declared. Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno explained that there were reports that some Magdalo members or sympathizers had disguised themselves as members of the media and the police wanted to make sure they didn’t get away. So, he said, everyone was being taken to Bicutan for “processing” so that the authorities could determine if those who claimed they were from the media were indeed what they claimed to be.

Of course, the police cannot be expected to know each and every reporter, photographer or cameraman working for scores of media organizations based in Metro Manila. But unless someone does not watch the news on TV at all, he would surely know that Ces Drilon and Pinky Webb work for ABS-CBN Broadcasting and Sandra Aguinaldo for GMA Network. Their faces are their IDs, so why did the police have to confirm their identities in Bicutan? And why was it not good enough for the police that top station officials would vouch for the identities of the people assigned to cover the event?

If all that the police wanted was to check the media people’s identity, they could have done that right at the hotel by asking for everyone’s ID and calling the newsrooms to verify. But no, the police had to humiliate the media people and force them to go through the ordeal of being handcuffed and transported to Bicutan. Only to find out that their information about infiltration was wrong, since they found not a single impostor among the media people they had brought in for questioning.

But Puno himself hinted that there was a dark reason for the arrests other than identity checks, when he accused the media people of “wittingly or unwittingly, all of them, obstructing justice.” In other words, the administration suspected the journalists who covered the event of being part of the plot to topple Ms Arroyo. In fact, Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Avelino Razon is now threatening to charge the journalists present at the Manila Peninsula with obstruction of justice if they would file any charges against the policemen who hauled them off to Bicutan.

The media should call Razon’s bluff. Let’s see if he can find a friendly judge who will declare it a crime to cover breaking news. If the media will blink in the face of such intimidation, the Gestapos in the PNP and in Malacañang will continue to march in triumph, crushing under their heels everyone’s political rights and civil liberties.

Reaction:

I’m no longer surprise how Filipinos are becoming wild just because of power. With regards to the failing attempt of  Sen. Trillanes, well he deserves it. He called up for revolution without even giving the people a clear grasp of why do such thing. These people, who happened to have power, money, authority and everything that poor Filipinos doesn’t have, really are just wasting all their resources. Pres.GMA is not going and will never step down from her position. And who did they think deserves to become the president of this very poor country whose leaders aim only for one goal and that is to quench their thirst for political power and all their selfish agenda? This chaos which recently transpired in Makati is just a very clear indication how worst this country is becoming to be. Unfortunately, the people residing in this country are making it worse than ever.

Editorial:

Oil cartel

MANY Filipinos, particularly drivers and motor vehicle owners, feel helpless every time the country’s oil companies raise the prices of gasoline and other petroleum products, including liquefied petroleum gas.
   
Furious and frustrated, they want to know from the authorities if the price adjustments are justified or not, but the problem is the existence of a law which allows the oil firms to adjust their prices even without the approval of the government.
   
The controversial legislation, Republic Act 8479 or the oil deregulation law, stripped the state of its power to control the prices of imported crude oil and finished products.
   
But more than 10 years after the full deregulation of the industry, the people, particularly the consumers, are wondering whether the government has achieved its goal of breaking the “wings” of the oil giants.
   
Today, even Senate President Manuel Villar Jr. claimed that the simultaneous adjustments of oil prices indicate the existence of oil cartel which violates the oil deregulation law.
   
“Based on what the oil companies are doing, I have serious suspicions that a cartel is in operation. This is a clear violation of the law. Oil price hikes are simultaneously implemented in spite of the strengthening of our currency against the dollar,” he said.
   
Villar filed Resolution 216, urging the Senate committee on energy to look into the apparent lax implementation of safeguards in the oil deregulation law and the reported oil industry cartel.
   
In filing the resolution, the Senate chief underscored the urgent need to determine the usefulness of the hated legislation in preventing an oil cartel amid the unrestrained rise in oil prices.
   
It is not enough that we expose the existence of the oil cartel. After all, the authors of the law wanted to knock down the oil giants to spur competition in the industry.
   
In fact, the law penalizes cartelization and predatory pricing with three to seven years imprisonment and a fine ranging from P1 million to P2 million.
   
And since competition was not achieved, there’s now a need to amend it to prevent manipulation of prices by members of the oil cartel.
   
Or scrap it altogether.

Reaction:

I strongly agree to this editorial. Unfortunately, the author did not publish his name so I don’t specifically know who does deserve credits for this. Anyway, this editorial really helped awaken its readers of the vast unjustified reasons behind the unceasing increase of oil price despite the continuing strength of our peso against dollars. As we could remember, the most used reason to justify price increase over products such as oil and other basic commodities is the prevailing strength of dollars against peso. Well, but it seems it doesn’t apply anymore at this moment because Pres. GMA is really proud that peso is going strong as days pass by. But why nothing seems to be good with the going strong peso? Still, oil prices increases as much as the giant companies can. It feels so bad that even our government can’t stop this crisis. How much more to the poor people who can only afford to accept the reality that even how high the price is they have no choice but consume it?  This oil cartel thing caused this strong manipulation of prices among members. A prevailing truth of violation on Republic Act 8479 or the oil deregulation law. Can’t those people who are in position right now defend the poor Filipinos from all these injustice and prejudices? We have a law but are not strictly implemented. We can’t rely on law alone; it has to be back up with good arms.

Published by: http://www.journal.com.ph

Date: November 17, 2007 4:54 PM Saturday 

Helping Sick, Old Prisoners

The pledge of Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez to work for the passage of a legislation which calls for the mandatory release of seriously ill or aging prisoners is a welcome development in the campaign to decongest the country’s overcrowded jails and other detention facilities.
    
But while the young congressman has offered the full support of his office to the Public Attorney’s Office in the pursuit of its mission of providing free legal aid to poor litigants, the government must transform the inmates into productive citizens again.The proposed bill of Romualdez, who represents the First District of Leyte in the House of Representatives, reflects his genuine concern for the welfare of old and sick inmates, many of them no longer visited by friends or relatives.
   
A lawyer, educator, and a banker, Romualdez discussed details of the measure during a meeting Tuesday with PAO chief Persida V. Rueda Acosta, the 2007 Gusi Peace Prize Laureate for Social Justice.
   
Before their one-on-one meeting, Acosta honored the Leyte congressman for his contributions to the fulfillment of the mandate of PAO in simple ceremonies at the House of Representatives. She presented a plaque of appreciation to the rising political star from Leyte.
   
PAO, together with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and other concerned government and private agencies, is involved in furthering the interests of prisoners and other detainees throughout the country, particularly in the Metro Manila area.
   
Acosta said the BJMP, along with the Bureau of Corrections, may be granted the authority to release inmates. She said two government medical doctors and a private physician could be appointed to certify inmates who are qualified for release.
   
“Nationwide percentage of congestion of detention facilities has peaked at 2,212.28 percent, which makes prison life even more deplorable and life-threatening,” according to the PAO chief.
   
We find merit and timeliness in the proposal of Romualdez, who is also known for his uncompromising stand against shenanigans in the government service, because of the mushrooming number of prisoners and detainees.
   
Thus, we call on the honorable members of Congress to fast-track the approval of measures aimed at decongesting the country’s over-crowded jails and re-training prisoners to enable them to become productive citizens again.
   
We are all for this.

REACTION:

I strongly agree to this editorial. I’m always been pro for social justice but this doesn’t mean that the detainees or prisoners, though have sinned are ought to be deprived from it. Imprisonment should not provide prisoners a venture for a new crime but instead help these prisoners transform. Thus, social justice is both a philosophical problem and an important issue in politics, religion and civil society. Most individuals wish to live in a just society, but different political ideologies have different conceptions of what a ‘just society’ actually is. Others might resent to this program of Romualdez but I believe Romualdez is just treating them humans and not monsters. If they’ll question on proper and just reward for their crimes and so have them suffer upright. I believe something worse could never become better unless we act better than that.