Philippine National Police --
A Big Disgrace!Philippine National Police should be ashamed of itself! The recent circus that they maid in Russia yet again placed our beloved Philippines in the ridicule of the international community. The "Euro-Generals" went to Russia for the the 77th Interpol General Assembly, there is no problem with that. HOWEVER Mr. Eliseo De La Paz was apprehended for carrying an unexplained sum of money amounting to 105,000 Euros which they say it is a contingency fund and later change to cash advance.
PNP Chief and even the DILG secretary cant explain how they were able to withdraw that kind of money. Senator Miriam Defensor was correct in his commentary about the Philippine National Police having trouble getting funds to get new equipments and yet here are the Euro-Generals having the time of their life in Moscow with 105,000 Euros in their pocket. If they say that indeed the money was legal then how come they did not declare the cash in papers so as to be transparent. Also, one thing to be noted here is that the amount recovered in the possession of Mr. Eliseo De La Paz were alarming large, way larger than the amount given for allowance for our delegates. I hate to think about it but I think one reason why this sum of money was not declared is because that if they got away with it then it'll be another money added to their fat wallets.
If the higher ups of Philippine National Police is committing this disgraceful acts then what would you think of those lower ranking police? YES! recently, there is a drug bust/operation in the region of Pampanga here in the Philippines and guess what? A member of the PNP was also caught in the operation. tsk tsk If these are the kind of person who are said to be your protector against crimes then would it be better if you just armed yourself? Also if i were the criminals they are apprehending or they have apprehended especially those who have committed these questionable conducts then i would think "what's their right arresting me when they themselves are doing criminal things"?
Also, Mr. De La Paz recent change of mind of not submitting himself to the senate for questioning raises yet again another eyebrow. If he will do what he told the public will do (submit himself for questioning to rid himself of any doubts) then why is he hesitating now? And how dare him say that the tribunal will not be impartial? He still have the audacity to say this things after what he has committed, from the way i see things, he has no right to say such things because first and foremost it is he who had committed this disgraceful act.
This is yet again another challenge not only for the Arroyo Administration, Ombudsman and other Government Instrumentality to prove that those who have committed violations will be punished and that Philippines is a Land where Law and Justice Prevails.........
Tragic WeekEnd..
Sulpicio Lines Inc, owner of one of the largest shipping vessel in the country is quite disappointing in their performance when it comes to managing the family of the victims of MV Princess of the Stars. Apparently, many of the people is still waiting for their relatives, dead or alive in Sulpicio Lines Office here in Manila. I really feel for the families of the victims because first and foremost, the company wasn't able to at least show their faces in the early days of the tragedy. Ngayon lang sila nagkalakas ng loob to face the victims of their shipping vessel. In the first days of the tragedy, i dont know but it seems like the management is cowering inside their office not even having the courage to face the families of the victims. It doesnt matter if they dont have the exact news about the whereabouts of the victims, they should have faced the people immediately to show at the very least that they are man enough to face them and tell them that they would take full responsibility of the incident.
Another thing that i noticed is that, it is as if they dont have a concrete plan on how to deal with the situation. I mean, i understand that they dont have the resources to immediately take those families who would like to go to cebu or romblon to personally check the bodies if it is their relative, at the very least, they should have taken photos of the cadavers and show it to families of the victims so they can immediately identify the bodies because if you prolong this, the bodies will rot and eventually it wont be recognizable for the families.
Ano ba naman yung picturan mo lang tapos send mo sa computer in their office at manila pier then show it to the families. Sa tagal ng action, malamang DNA na ang kelangan para ma-identify yung bodies and that would even cost more for the company which i believe the company dont want to happen.
Never ending impulsive decision....
Recently, there has been a grave disaster in China, where a big earthquake killed nearly 12,000 people (according to yahoo). Almost immediately our president made a decision to send a medical team to china. I dont mean to belittle this decision made by our super president but i think she is forgetting the fact that china is one of the big economies of the world and that it has all the resources to help its citizens in this disaster. It has, as of the moment, dispatched 50,000 of its soldiers to help its citizens affected by the tragedy. Why did our president made this impulsive decision when in fact we have our own problems at bar. Is she forgetting that visayas region is also under calamity and experiencing flash floods? Why not send the medical team there and help those people, why? because one problem in evacuation areas is that people there will, in a matter of time, be sick because of the environment.
Quoting the words of Golez from ABS-CBN news "Every time we have disasters in the country, all you have to do is count the hours and China's support is always there". And our people is grateful for the help China is bringing. I am not being selfish nor self-centered but one of the job of the government and a reason for its existence is to help its people. There is a saying that you must first help yourself before you can help others, certainly, this is not on the vocabulary of our super president. This maybe is one of the reason why so many Filipinos dislikes its own president. It cares more for others then its own citizens. Here is an irony, when i am visiting my beloved province of Pampanga, i always see the slogan of our super president that she cares, "GMA cares...." i think they forgot to include the word "others".
Analyzing the bold diplomatic move of the president, maybe, she is thinking that china will help Philippines in coming weeks, because its already the rainy season and floods will again "flood" the Philippines, literally. Its like planting the good old seed of kindness, so that later she can reap these seeds to help its citizen because our government is to a certain point inutile in helping its own people. Why? Because money to help is being pocketed by our beloved officials, its sad to think that Philippines cant help its own citizens due to rampant corruption.
OIL PRICE HIKE.....again!
apparently, earlier today there has been another oil price hike by the big oil companies such as shell, etc... i dont know if they are playing with us but from my point of view i think there is a fluke in the way they are increasing the oil prices. Apparently, from the way i understand the news reports, almost instantaneously, these oil companies raises prices from the moment the oil in the world market increased. I mean, the government should look into this event with the eyes of an eagle. Companies should not instantly react to the prices in the world market because obviously, they are not importing oil everyday. Companies such as these order/buy in bulk.
If for example these companies ordered by BULK in April 20, 2008 with an oil price of $97/barrel, and the price in the world market the day after increased by $2, oil companies should not instantaneously say that they would increase their price for in fact they were able to oil at a price of $97/barrel. They should not impose the $2 dollar deferential on the people just because from the time they would be able to sell the oil they ordered, price of oil in the world market have increased. Again, they should not account immediately for the $2 difference. This is just plain cheating! Plus, if again for example, the price in world market of oil increased again 2 days after its previous increase, companies cannot increase their prices still simply because they still have oil stored in their depots that was bought at a price of $97/barrel last April 20, 2008.
For government: They should have a monitoring system at the very least to know the price of how much the oil was bought by the oil companies and the projected period of how long the import will last in the market because obviously, these can be exploited by the oil industry as a loop hole that can be use to take advantage and to gain more profit. By doing so, government can minimize if not remove the doubts in minds of the citizen, just like me that the increase is indeed legitimate.
MILF and other terrorist groups...
Recently, there has been another turmoil brewing in the south of the philippines particularly in the Sulu and Basilan region. Many of our soldiers died in the ambush orchestrated by the run away group of MILF. Bodies have been mutilated and disrespected by decapitating and even going to the extreme of cutting the male portion of the corpse. Philippine Army have mourned over the lost of their comrade and so too will the fate of these terrorist! I do not generalize the Muslim as a whole but there are really extremist like the one reported clamoring for the teaming up of all Muslim to take over the Philippines and make it as an Islamic State. I've had friends who are Muslims but they do not act the same way, its a shame that because of these guys that the muslim are being branded as terrorists.
One thing that is baffling my mind is that aren't the Philippine Government having a peace talk/agreement with the MILF forces? There have been talks to prevent the bloodshed but still there are a lot of terrorist attack claims coming from the side of the MILF, coming from run-away group of MILF. Is the MILF hiding their primary tactics saying that these horrible act were acts by extremist in their group who are not willing to negotiate but in fact the MILF is the one who ordered it? If so, is the government wasting its time and effort on negotiating and trying to win them back to return to the government? One thing that i liked about the previous administration is its all out war policy with the terrorist groups in the south. I mean, government should not be the one begging for mercy and trying to win people back. Government should be stern in irradicating these pests that threatens the peace and order that the people wants to enjoy.
If the government should persue these negotiations with regards to this group, i think a provision that should be included in the agreement is that MILF should be the to castigate or reprimand their own people. if not done, their whole group will be subject to reprimand as well. I mean, this is to assure that they are not really the one who puppets these break-away groups. Also, they should be the one in front of the battlefield again for the reasons of assurance as said above.
"Reconciliation should be accompanied by justice, otherwise it will not last. While we all hope for peace it shouldn't be peace at any cost but peace based on principle, on justice." -Corazon Aquino
The MOST powerful branch of Government!
The Government is an important element of the state. It follows the doctrine of 'Parens Patriae' or better understood as 'Guardian of the Rights of the People. A government like that of the Philippines has 3 major braches namely: Executive, Legislative, and Judiciary.
The question that i would like to take and answer in this blog is "Which branch of government is really the most powerful?". Before I answer this question, I will first lay down the basic job description of each branch.
First is the Executive, the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines was specifically drafted to reduce the power of the Executive branch of the government for fear of another Marcos to come. Basically, Executive branch from the word itself deals with the 'execution' of laws or enforcement of law. In the simplest definition, Executive is the 'Police' that ensures the proper administration of the law to the public.Second is the Legislative branch which deals with the enactment or creation of the laws. Anyone in the country can pass a bill which can be heard in the congress provided that they will have a sponsorship from any Representative of the House. Legislative branch of the government basically is responsible for most laws that we have today. Lastly, Judiciary is branch that aplly the law. They are the one who interpret the laws created by the Legislative branch. Judiciary is also responsible for settling disputes of many individuals.
In summary, as Isagani Cruz puts it in his book Philippine Political Law "Legislature is generally limited to the enactment of law and may not enforce or apply them; the Executive to the enforcement of Law and may not enact or apply them; and the Judiciary to the application of laws and may not enact or enforce them". This is done for the purpose of checks and balance in the government.
Now, which do you think is the most powerful branch?
My answer? For me it would be the JUDICIARY. Maybe many would be surprised with my answer because many would think that it would either be the Legislative or Executive who is the most powerful but I think otherwise. My reason for choosing the Judiciary is the ACCOUNTABILITY element of each brach. Clearly, Executive and Legislative is accountable to the people and there are several institution that makes sure these two branch will function honestly like the Office of the Ombudsman, Philippine Anti-Graft Commision and to some degree Commission on Human Rights. These institutions are there to assure as that these to branches would function properly in the light of public interest. It also shows a concrete plan in dealing with misbehavior or corruption of any officials in this branch. Plus the fact that these two branch also has the power to check each other for any signs of corruption or whatsoever.
Judiciary on the other has no ACCOUNTABILITY. The fact that what the Supreme Court say is considered as FINAL and EXECUTORY means that no one else can dispute what the Supreme Court had ruled. Example: In the case of Santiago VS COMELEC, in this case of People's Initiative, if hypothetically the SC had ruled otherwise saying that RA.6735 is enough to be considered as an enabling law to the provision in the constitution, Article 17 Section 2, then for all we know we are now in a parliamentary form of government years before and even if people would disagree in this decision, like what is said earlier, the words of SC is FINAL and EXECUTORY.
Is there an institution that can re-checked the works of SC? As far as i know there is none. From being the weakest branch of government in the years of Marcos, SC became the most powerful in present. The only thing that Justify the decisions of Supreme Court is thinking that "Supreme Court decisions is perceived as Constitutional".
YOU, what do you think?!?
DISCLAIMER:
I am not saying that philippine system is flawed in creating Judiciary as the most powerful (at least for me).
GARAPALAN to the MAX!!
Nitong mga nakaraang araw tila minamadali ng house of representives ang pag-pasa sa amiyendang gusto nilang gawin sa konstitusyon. wala naman problema sakin kung magpapasa sila ng resolusyon o kahit ano pa man para maipalitan o mabago ang konstitusyon, ang bagay na nakakainis lang sa mga nangyayari ay ang GARAPALANG pagpasang ginagawa nila. Ito na ang tinatawag kong sumosobra na ang pag-gamit sa kapangyarihan. Hayaan niyong ilagay ko dito ang mga puntos ko kung pano sila naging GARAPAL sa paningin ko.
una, ang pinagtatalunan nilang depinisyon ng "congress" sa constitution article 17 section 1(1) sabi dito "any amendments to, or revision of, this constitution may be proposed by: The Congress, upon a vote of three-fourths of all its Members". Maliwanag naman na ang depinisyon ng "congress" dito ay ang BUONG CONGRESS or THE CONGRESS. Ngayon ano nga ba ang congress sa isang simpleng depinisyon, simple lang, sabi ni webster dictionary ang "congress" daw ay "the supreme legislative body of a nation and especially of a republic". Maliwanag na ang nakalagay ay ang supreme legislative body of a NATION ngayon ang house of representatives lang ba ang sakop ng mining ng NATION? maliwanag naman na hindi, kasama rito ang senado. ngayon ang ipinipilit kasi ng mga tuta ay ang house of representatives lang ang tinutukoy ng congress. hindi ba't malaking kalokohan ito? bakit niyo ine-echepwera ang senado? napaka-duming maglaro ng mga taga-administration lalo na ang mga lider ng mga grupong ito.
pangalawa, hindi ba't sinasabi ng malacanyang na magkakaron ng botohan next year? alam ko na kung ano ang botohan na ito, ito ang botohan sa plebesitong gagawin para ma-amyendahan ang konstitusyon. oh diba, ang galing nilang manloko, ang sinasabi nila, magkakaron ng botohan tulad ng gusto ng publiko, pero anong klase ng botohan ito? botohan sa plebesito pero hindi ang inaasahang botohan para mag-upo ng mga bagong opisyal ng bansa. may tawag dito sa ingles DECEPTION, teka sino ba ang magaling sa deception?.... sirit?.... e di DEMONYO!
pangatlo, sino sino ba ang mga nagsusulong nito? marami sa mga nagsusulong dito ay ang mga patapos na ang termino at naka-tatlo ng termino sa house of representatives ibig sabihin hindi na sila makakatakbo uli ayon sa batas. ano ibig sabihin nito? simple lang uli, wala namang mawawala sa kanila e, tapos nanaman ang termino nila kaya pilit na nilang isinusulong ang "pagbabago". isa pang dahilan dito, dahil sa tapos na ang kanilang termino, ayon sa batas, matatapos ang serbisyo nila sa susunod na taon bandang mayo o hunyo, pero ano pa ang ipinapasa nilang proposal? ayon dito hahaba pa lalo ang termino nila ng mga 5 o hangang 6 na buwan matapos ang plebesitong gagawin nila sa nobyembre sa susunod na taon. o diba maliwanag na power grabbing at maliwanag na ayaw nilang bitiwan ang pwesto nila? dahil hangang sa huli pinahaba pa nila ang kanila termino.
pang-apat, ewan ko lang ha, pero si JDV, yung pilit na nagpapapalit ng constitution, numero unong promotor, ano ba ang makukuha niya dito? well simple lang ang nakikita ko, pangarap niya kasing maupo sa pinakamataas na pwesto, ano koneksyon? hindi niya kasi kaya sa pamamagitan ng presidential form. alam niyang wala siyang pag-asa pag-dating dito kaya pilit na gustong palitan ang constitution para madali makaupo sa pwesto.
payong kaibigan lang sa mga kababayan nating nasa "congress", huwag kayo masyado GARAPAL, nakakaintindi at nakakaramdam si Juan dela Cruz, baka maging mitsa ito ng pag-bagsak niyo sa pwesto.
