I got a chance visiting Manila last week and guess what I saw from TVs and heard from radios? Yes, advertisements "paid by friends" daw of Sens. Manny Villar, Mar Roxas, and even Mr. Puno. Even national papers are heralding full pages of political parties specifically that of the majority block dead-ma lang ang dating, but clearly promoting it to the public.
Now we know that formal political campaigns by law are allowed only in February 2010. It's not even November yet (the month for presidentiables to file for candidacy). Malayo pa ang kampanya pero naglabasan na ang mga "paid by friends" ads ng mga aspirants na 'to. We know that they have the money to do it, but this does not give any of them the right to banner their ads even paid by their friends.
Now we know exactly kung sino ang kurap at bumabalga ng batas! Ipinakikilala lang nila this early kung sino ang mandaraya at gustong magkaroon ng advantage over the other candidates. Ngayon pa nga lang nag-i-invest na ng mahal tong mga ito, papaano pa kaya kung manalo ang mga ito dahil sa pandaraya? Tayo na naman ang kawawa. Ngayon pa lang eh hindi na sumusunod ang mga ito sa guidelines ng COMELEC. Papaano pa kaya kung manalo ang mga ito? Sino ang babawian at kukunan ng kanilang itinaya this early? Lumang strategy na to ng mga TRAPO na ginagawa pa nila. Huwag na kasing botohan ang mga 'to. Magbago na tayo. Ngayon computerized na ang election, patalsikin na natin 'tong mga obvious na trapo para magkaroon ng totoong pagbabago ang ating bansa!
Saturday, July 25, 2009
‘Narration of lies’—Estrada
BAGUIO CITY – Former president Joseph Estrada, convicted of plunder and freed by presidential pardon, said here on Friday that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s State of the Nation Address (Sona) tomorrow would be “nothing but a narration of lies and corruption in her years of being the nation’s leader.”
“On Monday, GMA’s Sona will be anything like in the past, a litany of lies, so be pro-active and make your voices be heard,” he told a youth forum at the University of the Cordilleras here.
“We need real leaders who are transparent, honest and sincere. For someone who wants to be a president, my advice is do not lie, cheat or steal,” said Estrada, who was jailed for receiving millions of pesos in kickbacks from the illegal numbers game jueteng.
Estrada, ousted in a military-backed uprising, was also found to have used an alias when he opened a bank account.
Estrada, who insists he was wrongly convicted, criticized the Arroyo administration for having the most scams involving her Cabinet. He claimed that none of his Cabinet members were involved in scandals during his term as president.
Quoting a World Bank study, Estrada said the Philippines was one of the most corrupt countries in the world as a result of bad governance.
During his trip here, Estrada distributed T-shirts, cellular phones and P30,000 in cash to students who attended the forum.
He later joined a motorcade on Session Road.
Estrada calls his sorties a campaign to explain to the people that he did not commit the crimes which he was convicted of, but many in his camp said it was the ex-President’s way of preparing for a return to power through the 2010 elections.
During his abbreviated term, various scandals also rocked the government, including accusations that government funds were used to raise the value of shares of stock of one of Estrada’s closest friends.
Estrada was also linked to the murders of publicist Salvador Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito, but he repeatedly denied it. Desiree Caluza, Inquirer Northern Luzon
(Comment: This is another nonsense news. GMA is corrupt being criticized by Erap who got jailed for corruption. Waste of time 'to).
“On Monday, GMA’s Sona will be anything like in the past, a litany of lies, so be pro-active and make your voices be heard,” he told a youth forum at the University of the Cordilleras here.
“We need real leaders who are transparent, honest and sincere. For someone who wants to be a president, my advice is do not lie, cheat or steal,” said Estrada, who was jailed for receiving millions of pesos in kickbacks from the illegal numbers game jueteng.
Estrada, ousted in a military-backed uprising, was also found to have used an alias when he opened a bank account.
Estrada, who insists he was wrongly convicted, criticized the Arroyo administration for having the most scams involving her Cabinet. He claimed that none of his Cabinet members were involved in scandals during his term as president.
Quoting a World Bank study, Estrada said the Philippines was one of the most corrupt countries in the world as a result of bad governance.
During his trip here, Estrada distributed T-shirts, cellular phones and P30,000 in cash to students who attended the forum.
He later joined a motorcade on Session Road.
Estrada calls his sorties a campaign to explain to the people that he did not commit the crimes which he was convicted of, but many in his camp said it was the ex-President’s way of preparing for a return to power through the 2010 elections.
During his abbreviated term, various scandals also rocked the government, including accusations that government funds were used to raise the value of shares of stock of one of Estrada’s closest friends.
Estrada was also linked to the murders of publicist Salvador Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito, but he repeatedly denied it. Desiree Caluza, Inquirer Northern Luzon
(Comment: This is another nonsense news. GMA is corrupt being criticized by Erap who got jailed for corruption. Waste of time 'to).
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Sa Mga Maagang Election Banners O Posters ng mga Politiko sa Bansa
Naglipana na ang mga banners ng mga kandidato sa bansa at napakarami pa sa mga kandidatong ito ay ikinabit pa sa mga linya ng kuryetnte ang kanilang mga mukha; mga kandidatong tatakbo sa susunod na eleksiyon. Ngayon pa lamang, alam na kaagad natin kung sino sa mga kandidato ang me masamang intentisyon na makalamang sa ibang kandidato dahil ilang buwan pa bago nila pwedeng ikabit ang kanilang mga anunsiyo at banners o posters. Alam na kaagad natin kung sino ang mga mandaraya, mga corrupt, at mga gagawa ng hindi mabuti para sa taong bayan. Ngayon pa nga lang eh binabalga na nila ang batas o hindi sumusunod sa batas, papaano pa kaya pagkatapos ng eleksiyon kapag nanalo ang mga ito? Hay, nakakasuka na talaga ang mga ito!
On The Lakas-CMD and Kampi Merger
"Ramos, Lakas’ founding chair emeritus, snubbed the ceremony to mark the merger of the Ramos, Lakas’ founding chair emeritus, snubbed the ceremony to mark the merger of the Lakas-CMD and Kampi last Thursday, where he was supposed to have delivered an inspirational message. He called a press conference the next day to denounce the “undue haste” with which the merger was done and the “dictation” and lack of consultation."
Comment: Kahit pagsama-samahin pa ang lahat na mga partido sa Pilipinas bilang iisang mega partido, wala pa ring saysay o meaning ito dahil karamihan pa rin naman sa mga members nito ay puro corrupt. Taghirap pa rin ang bansa pagkatapos ng eleksiyon (taga gobyerno corrupt, oposisyon corrupt din talagang walang patutunguhan ang bansa dahil walang agenda ang mga ito para sa Pilipino).
Comment: Kahit pagsama-samahin pa ang lahat na mga partido sa Pilipinas bilang iisang mega partido, wala pa ring saysay o meaning ito dahil karamihan pa rin naman sa mga members nito ay puro corrupt. Taghirap pa rin ang bansa pagkatapos ng eleksiyon (taga gobyerno corrupt, oposisyon corrupt din talagang walang patutunguhan ang bansa dahil walang agenda ang mga ito para sa Pilipino).
Sunday, May 24, 2009
MY AGENDA FOR THE PHILIPPINES
Dahil parami na ng parami ang nagtatanong sa akin tungkol sa magagawa ko sa bayan if elected, so here's a summary of my plans for the country including Filipnos abroad (my email address is now being clogged by hundreds of responses from the Philippines, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Australia, Canada, U.S.A. [pinakamarami from Filipinos overseas], the Midle East like Kingdon of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, UAE, Bahrain, parts of Europe, islands of Palau, Guam, Hawaii, including emails from Africa and Russia. Please read on and read my thoughts and give me comments. Salamat po)
ENRIQUE R. SADIOSA FOR PRESIDENT 2010
13 POINTS AGENDA TO CHANGE THE COUNTRY
(Many, if not all, presidentiables DO NOT HAVE any plan for the Filipinos per se as a nation. Dahil popular lang sila kaya tatakbo. Wala namang plano para sa bayan. Pagkatapos ng halalan, taghirap pa rin ang sambayanan. Balik sa dating gawi. Balik corruption. Balik hirap ang tao)
13 points to do during my 6-year term that would bring impactful changes in our country (of course, without the use of guns, goons and ammos):
1. Double the salary of our, teachers, policemen, soldiers, nurses and civil servants. This will give them dignity as civil servants and improve their services. Them and the people will start trusting the government again. Of course, controlling the prices of basic commodities should be prioritized and make them affordable to all. The money saved from corruption is more than enough to double the pay of all our civil servants including funds for other major projects to benefit the poor and the unemployed. It is only by doubling the salary of our people to be able to cope with the real inflation in the country.
2. Control or curtail corruption - if we cannot eradicate it 100%.. We should create a special task force or a commission such as a real Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) to run after corrupt officials and businesses that sabotage our economy. No one is exempted from the ICAC. The Bureau of Customs and the Department of Public Works and Highways should be given priority to be raided by this agency.
3. Curtail RED TAPES and BUREAUCRATIC NONSENSE to speed up everything from a simple filing of income tax returns (magbabayad ka na nga lang ng tax, kasalanan mo pa!) to business registrations, court assistance and results, registrations of registrations, and the like. Red tapes already made our country the slowest in business and everything that should be moved to bolster economic development! This is so shameful and disgusting. Red tapes are a major source of corruption in the country.
4. No pork barrel. Civil servants (including the President, senators, governors, mayors, barangay captains should make their living via government salary and benefits ONLY. Political parties will receive nothing from the government but from their own initiatives only -- such as money from sponsors and donors or other sources only. With no pork barrel, no politician can afford to buy votes or to hire private armies to intimidate the voters. They will have no money to corrupt other corrupt officials and individuals. Them and their children (or cronies) will have no means to boast of their ill-gotten wealth. They will no longer be untouchables. We need highly-respected government officials to achieve change. We don't vote for these public servants to bully us in the end. Public servants are not gods. They are only public servants hired by the people to keep the country strong and in order.
5. Controlling government money (peoples’ money) and spending it accordingly: to education, health, infrastructures (roads, clinics, etc). Education means scholarships, modern schools with facilities (including additional support to government subsidized schools to modern equipment and building facilities, high quality teachers, etc. Health means health insurance for government servants including free hospitalization, modern hospitals, cheaper medicines (made locally), high pensions, etc. Infrastructures also means road and farm (or sea)-to-market roads, garbage disposal equipment, modern air and seaports, access to clean drinking water, new clean public toilets, improved postal services, more lamp posts, etc.
6. Building factories, roads, hospitals and other government projects to create more jobs and stimulate economic activities. This includes building them in provinces to enahnce employment and economic opportunities. This in a way will discourage many not to migrate to cities already over-crowded and polluted.
7. Creating income-generating projects such as loans to support small and medium entrepreneurs to start their own businesses and compete. Support business organizations to again stimulate the economy. More money circulating, more businesses, more production, more employment, higher income. Create Economic Zones to provincial areas to discourage migration of workers to cities. Economic Zones provide jobs in the provinces and further stimulate economic activities, thus developing the countrysides (provinces).
8. Self-sufficiency in food supply by supporting local farmers (both sea farming and land farming) to have access to modern equipment, raw materials for planting and good training. This is 100% possible. Farm projects including equipment and raw material support to farmers will be monitored to ensure success.
9. Self-sufficiency in raw materials not by importing but by developing our own resources (machines, equipment, tools, etc) to produce high quality products. This will improve the quality of our local products which in time will qualify for local consumption and exportation.
10. Self-sufficiency in defense, including security of our territorial waters. This means modernization of our national defense. By improving its budget, we can acquire good training and good equipment to boost the morale of our men in uniform. We will professionalize our servicemen and women by increasing their salaries and benefits, including health and housing. By giving respect to our military personnel, they become dignified and respectful to the people they protect.
Having modernized weaponry increase the effectivity of our men in uniform. By controlling corruption, we can have real funds to do this. This way, even the Spratley Islands, which are being "invaded" and claimed by China, Taiwan (only recently), Malaysia, Vietnam, and Brunei will have a different outcome when we fly our modern jets and hi-tech navy around these island which is geographically within the 200-mile territory of the country. Wala tayong magarang armas kaya binu-bully tayo ng mga bansang ito ngayon. 30 years ago, not one among these countries has any claim on the Spratleys because these islands were being used as target practice by our navy and the US navy. Having more than 1,700 islands it should be a prerogative of our government to have a strong navy to guard our sea. Otherwise, we will have no idea how much of our tuna and other marine products are lost to illegal fishing by foreign pouchers. This is also a perfect way to control terrorists and other illegal actitivies to ply our shores.
Lastly, we should have a strong I.D. System in the country. This will not only stop corrupt officials to profit from conniving or assisting scrupolous syndicates that bring illegal aliens, but also discourage illegal aliens to enter the country without proper documentation and taxation. This means one ID that we can use for all personal and business transacti0ns. Illegal aliens steal our jobs and transact businesses in the country without benefit to the government. A strong ID system will help facilitate our travels faster without the use of forms and other documents that create delays and discouragement to tourism.
11. Local and international promotion of the country as tourist destination where tourists are secured and satisfied with our infrastructure and services. Filipinos are good at this. Learning from the success of other countries will not really affect our egos. But this we can only be successful if we have strong image abroad that we don't have kidnappings and high crime rate in our country. We should give focus on the hygiene of our local destinations with clean public toilets (ni tissue paper wala!), availability of efficient transportation, communication, clean food, cheap hotels and other amenities expected by our local and international visitors. Again, having controlled corruption means having the funds to do this.
For OFWS and Filipinos Overseas
They should retire here! (OFWs and Filipino residents abroad including foreigners)
Filipinos who have been overseas, either working or staying permanently, should think of the Philippines as their own and should retire and enjoy their waning years here. But whose idiotic OFW or immigrant Filipino will do this if the country is riddled with corruption, hunger, violence, and disease? We should first fix and clean our homes and backyards before accepting visitors and guests. This is very basic. Failure of having simple conveniences in the country WILL NEVER bring our kababayan back to our country. They'll never even think of doing this in the first place if our infrastructures are in shambles. This is basic.
12. Reduce importation of raw materials, finished products, but support projects that will improve our own production. Importation drains our national reserves and local businessmen become dependent of producers overseas. Importation kills our local manufacturers. We become dumping grounds of cheap foreign products. We should support our farmers, toolmakers, local manufacturers, etc.
Support them, finance them
We should support our Filipino inventors and innovators. They will give us better economic opportunities in the long run. Filipino scientists and innovators, like those developing engines that run NOT BY GASOLINE but other energies like water, electricity, or alternative energy (clean and green power). They SHOULD BE given priorities. This will stop our dependency on foreign oil which has been stalking the nation for more than 50 years! Yet our leaders NEVER learned from this! This will sound bad for oil companies (local and foreign) in the Philippines. BUT our priority is for the benefit of the GREATER good.
That Filipino politician from Laguna (?) who innovated the first "e-tricycle" which runs by electricity should be given funds to develop it and make it available to the nation. He said that the "e-tricycle" only uses P20 worth of electricity for a whole day's operation! Tanga lang ang presidenteng di ito susuportahan! (unless naba-bribe siya ng mga malalaking oil companies s atin).
13. Professionally imposing the laws of the land; meaning, a powerful judiciary, controlling nepotism, cronyism, red-tape, padrino system, etc. This also applies to implementing a real LAND REFORM so that many Filipinos would have lands to till and live. If I have the money saved from corruption, I can build more jails to discipline the corrupt, the criminals, and the pasaways! (this includes members of my family, friends, colleagues and classmates. If they too are corrupt, they land in jail. No exceptions).
Executing the laws of the land include correct accounting of taxes from all sectors of the country (personal income, business income, customs, exports, etc.). We know already that ours is country of many thousand certified accountants who do not know how to count. "Doctorism" will not be allowed anymore, unless our prisons need certified accountants too. No one will be REALLY above the law. This kind of action needs political will - and only an uncorrupt President can execute it.Support from the U.S. and other countries
The OBAMA government hates corruption. The new American government has repeatedly snubbed the Arroyo government and our government is aware of this. When US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton made courtesy calls to America's ALLIES in Asia early this year, she snubbed the Philippines -- a supposed ally in its war on terror. She instead visited Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, etc... The Obama government knows that the Philippines, now the 'most corrupt' country in the world, cannot be relied upon, unstable, "balimbing", no political will, and an untrusted ally. Our country’s image had sunk to its deepest level during the current government. Again, IMAGE! IMAGE! IMAGE! Pangalagaan natin!
Yes, the Americans had seen the Filipinos fighting the Japanese with them. But that was more than 60 years ago! Those were the days of gallant Filipinos, dignified Filipinos, brave, Filipinos, trusted Filipinos!
Now the Americans see corrupt Filipino leaders (most of them in the country), unrealiable, easily bribed, undependable, untrustable, coward, poor, deceitful Filipino leaders who cannot make sacrifices in times of war and crisis. Americans see a country riddled with nepotism, connivance, cronyism, bribed judges and policemen, corrupt politicians and government officials who spend their time enriching themselves out of peoples' money, custom officials and tax collectors rigging everything and conniving with local businessmen, politicians personally fighting among themselves (clan wars and political dynasty wars), a country of strong poverty and low moral, unemployed masses, a country that survives in doles and loans from other countries (which, again, are pocketed by corrupt leaders).
Corruption and in-transparency (sorry for the misuse of the word) have mained and crippled our leaders' determination and determination to stay firm and strong in times of difficulties. This is how our allies see us. It's embarassing, disgusting, frustrating and deceitful. From the eyes of our neighbors and allies, we are plain traitors.
This means the current Philippine government and those who will be running it after the current one WILL HAVE NO SUPPORT from the U.S. government (or its allies), unless they are not corrupt. Now, take a look at the line-up of presidentiables in 2010 (both form the ruling party and the opposition). Most, if not all, of these candidates are coming from old political parties and groups (many tainted and riddled with corruption scandals) or are part of them or a product of a mix of all these parties. Puro balimbing kasi. Walang isang salita ang mga 'yan!
Do we really think that the U.S. government (or other generous countries) will continue to help the Philippines if anyone of these tainted presidentiables (senators, other politikos) become the next Filipino president or leaders in 2010? Even rich countries will start to have second thoughts of helping the country when they know that the aid they will send for the poor people will only end up inside the pockets of corrupt Filipino officials. Magsasawa din sila sa kapapa-utang sa atin. They know it and they are not stupid.
If I am president, I start from scratch - by improving our own and developing our own resources and by investing on our own people. Support for our businessmen, farmers, students, soldiers, health care, insurance, infrastructures, tourism, diplomacy (local and abroad), science and engineering, research, medicine and the like which will make our people really proud and our country strong. We have to make our base really strong. Again, this can only be done by eradicating corruption and transparency. This will create patriots and people who are proud of their country.
Slow down on colonial mentality and dependency
If we want to change our country, we have to discourage colonial mentality and dependency. Change should start from within us. Then this change will open new doors and perspectives, new alternatives on how we can run our business.
We have to promote our own and support our own. This way, we stop looking at other nations treating us as second-class citizens or worst, treating us like shit. When we have made our country truly strong and independent, then nations will come to us and respect us. When this thing happens, development is on the horizon. And the time to do this is NOW!
My term is just a precedent; There to do the job and nothing else!
My term will only be a precedent to the next leader, a preparation for the next President in 2016. Like John The Baptist of old, I will only prepare the way for the next President to continue the accomplishments and achievements that we as a country have made during my term. It is only a 6 years' sacrifice. After that, I'll go back to my private life but continue to promote the country as a decent, clean, and honest destination where there is security and smiling people.
Democracy is not cheap
Putting our country on the right track will need no people power, revolutions, or civil wars. It only needs a leader who is honest, transparent, and how knows how to execute laws. Someone who knows how to whip bad peoples' asses. Ours is a budding democracy, and democracy is not cheap! It needs responsible and matured people (not matured politicians who laugh from their mistakes and stupidity and easily forgiven by "religious" Filipinos). We need strong-willed Filipinos to guard our freedom. We need Filipinos who value the sacrifices of our forefathers to become an independent nation. We need Filipinos who know how to make good laws and executive them too.
This will make the country strong, better, more stable, create a more disciplined citizenry to be aligned among the rich countries like Japan, Singapore, China, UK, or the USA.
Leading by example
After my term, the people will clamour for the next President who will also lead and worked like I did. This will also be required by the people in choosing the next senators, governors, mayors or barangay captains - to lead by example! Nakita na nila ang resulta ng may malinis na leader. Hahanapin din nila ito sa mga susunod na lider ng bansa. Hahanapin nila ang lider who leads by example!
Dignity and honor to OFWs; Back to the Philippines - JOBS! JOBS! JOBS!
This is also the best way to bring back our OFWs and highly skilled Filipinos to work in the country and help restore our dignity, creativity, and respect as a nation. Having our highly skilled kababayans back into our country will bring enormous benefits to our economy, science, engineering, and the like. Though it is everyone's right to work or travel abroad, we will do our utmost to compete with the salaries and benefits abroad to discourage our professionals to give their services to foreign lands. Working overseas would still be allowed for everyone. But priorities should be given to having decent jobs in the country!
Putting the country in order and on the right track - up and running again!
When a country is in order, there is no need to invite foreign investors to invest in our country. They will come and invest because this is good and profitable for them. The country has the best natural resources in the region. Can we inagine our 1,700 islands all filled with resorts and tourists? Can we imagine the exploding economic activities and the amount of benefits they bring to our people? Employment and other opportunities always tag along with strong tourism.
My work and business in and around Asia gave me the understanding that the Philippines has the most a country can offer among all the other countries around it. The good thing about it is that I have understood how the Asian mind operate and work, what they need, or what else can give them a win-win advantage over other Asian competitors. I know how they do business, what they require to do business with, and how both can profit so that everybody will be happy. Ours is the best country for them to retire and enjoy the profits of their labor -- this holds also true to overseas Filipinos in the region.
Sadly, many of our leaders ARE NOT AWARE OF THIS because they are so tied up with infighting, pa-pogi points, corrupting the government. Our leaders do not mingle with other Asian business leaders. They have no experience of how is it to sell the country's products overseas. They have no idea on how businessmen and business leaders operate to create a win-win environment to benefit their people. OFWs are better off since we have lived with foreigners and we know their habits, characters, weaknesses, strengths. Can we imagine if OFWs are the ones running the country now? No one will leave the country anymore to clean the asses (I mean toilet sits) of our employers! OFWs are typically disciplined, trustworthy, honest (we don't steal from our employers), hardworking, aware of what is happening around us and always ready to save anyone from a burning building.
Our politicians do not have the experience of what I am saying here becasue they are so regional that they never mixed or lived with foreigners whom they are inviting to do business in the country. What our local leaders know is how to corrupt the country and focus their attention on government money (the peoples' money) and don't give a shit on what is happening around the world. They focus more on their party first, then the country second, thus, the poverty and chaos in the country.
MY CHECKS AND BALANCES LIST FOR A GOOD PRESIDENT
How will Filipinos know that I will not become a corrupt public servant or will not end like the corrupt ones? TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY, STRONG POLITICAL WILL and HONESTY are in my game plans:
1. ONE BANK ACCOUNT - I will only have one (1) bank account and any Filipino can call my bank and ask for my bank balance 24/7. Having two (2) bank accounts will mean my immediate resignation. No impeachment is necessary. This account will be my only bank account during my 6 years in office which is subject to government audit life-style check every month. All my financial dealings are open to the public for scrutiny and audited by independent representatives from various sectors of the society. Any Filipino can call my bank and inquire my bank balance.
2. ANTI-NEPOTISM -- If anyone of my relatives, friends or colleagues was able to enter Malacanang unofficially or any government post will mean my immediate resignation. No impeachment necessary.
3. SEEN BY PEOPLE 24/7 -- I will be in front of the camera during my official working time as an employee of the people, 24/7. Any official deals done off-camera will mean my resignation. All contracts and laws signed by me are all under the camera. Failure of doing this will mean my resignation. No impeachment necessary.
4. BONDY CLOCK AT MALACANANG -- I will install a bondy clock in Malacanang. This means everyone working there as public servants, including myself, will time in and out - just like a regular government worker. If I miss registering my entry even for a single day will mean my resignation. No impeachment necessary. This is a simple way to tell everyone that the president is not above the law.
5. NO VIP TREATMENT -- No VIP treatment, except official visits in and out of the country. No helicopters, SUVs, yachts, golf meetings, etc. Having used any of these toys will mean my resignation. No impeachment necessary.
6. PRO-MASSES, FRIENDLY TO BUSINESSES -- Neglecting the poor Filipinos and not supporting business will mean my resignation. No impeachment necessary.
7. EMPOWERING THE PESO -- If I was not able to uplift or increase the purchasing power of Filipinos (including additional employment and development of the economic status of government servants) after my first year in office, I will resign. No impeachment necessary.
8. NO RELIGION -- I will have NO religion during my term. If the problem in Mindanao is not resolved or at least see any light at the end of the tunnel in two years, I will resign. No impeachment necessary. As President, I will not be a respecter of persons. This means, I will have NO religion during my term. All religions will be treated equal.
9. IMPROVE IMAGE -- If the country has not achieved anything in improving its facilities and image abroad after my first year, I will resign. No impeachment necessary.
10. REGULAR LIFESTYLE CHECK --If I am richer than what I am supposed to receive during my first, second, third till sixth year, I will resign. No impeachment necessary.
11. DEDICATION TO WORK ONLY -- There to do the job and nothing else. My six years will only be focused on rebuilding the country: bringing back the trust of the people to the government, increasing employment and production, peace and order, health, education, diplomacy, income, creating opportunities in business, science, politics, etc. This is only for 6 years so that no doubts and malicious issues will affect my term. This is to show how sincere I am in this business.
12. JOBS! JOBS! JOBS! BUSINESS! BUSINESS! BUSINESS! -- My failure to create more jobs for the people means my resignation. No impeachment necessary. Eradicating corruption means opening of new investments and businesses. This means more jobs to our people. No corruption means very good business too. Having a fair business environment brings a lot of opportunities, wealth and security to the people.
Note: These 12 Check and Balance conditions shall be signed by me in front of the camera and witnesses and copies of this document shall be posted to all schools, colleges and universities in the country to remind our young generations of Filipinos that nothing beats transparency and honesty in public service.
Any Philippine politician who can do my 12 Check and Balance list will have my honest VOTE!
+++***+++
Political philosophy (what I thought are sensible and practical to the country and its people):
It is my belief that the President of the land is just a caretaker of the people and not a god or someone who is untouchable. The president is worthy of respect because of the office, not to be treated as someone who is high up there who's unreacheable. Suweldohan lang siya ng tao para mamahala sa kapakanan ng tao. For 6 years, dito lang dapat naka-focus ang attention ng Presidente at wala ng iba. Ang isang sundalo ng pamahalaan ay kagaya lamang ng Presidente na parehong suweldohan at wala ng iba.
Hindi dapat abusuhin ng lider ang taong bayan sa maraming pamamaraan lalo na ang dayain sila. Sagrado ang boto ng tao na dapat pangalagaan ng bawat mamamayan--- kasama na ang Presidente.Karapatan ng mamamayan na patalsikin ang isang lider na corrupt at sinungaling sa bayan. Kaya nga dapat lahat ng lider sa bansa ay transparent para maalis ang duda at kutya ng tao sa kanila. Ito lang ang paraan para respetuhin silang muli at manumbalik ang kaayusan sa bansa.
Kapag mahirap ang bansa, hindi maaalis ang corruption at pandaraya. Kapag corrupt ang lider, corrupt din and mga followers. Kawawa ang mamamayan. (When corrupt leaders reign, the people suffer).
Leading by example is always the best barometer for an effective leader. Nothing beats honesty and sincerity to the people. The more transparent we are to our constituents, the better they respect us and follow our orders. The will love the leader and never ask him/her to leave the office.
There is no need to cheat the constitution just to stay in power. Honest and transparent leaders last longer and their legacy treasured by the people. They even teach this legacy in schools to be emulated by the next generations.
Please tell me what you think (email me at rsadiosa@yahoo.com). Thank you.
ENRIQUE R. SADIOSA FOR PRESIDENT 2010
13 POINTS AGENDA TO CHANGE THE COUNTRY
(Many, if not all, presidentiables DO NOT HAVE any plan for the Filipinos per se as a nation. Dahil popular lang sila kaya tatakbo. Wala namang plano para sa bayan. Pagkatapos ng halalan, taghirap pa rin ang sambayanan. Balik sa dating gawi. Balik corruption. Balik hirap ang tao)
13 points to do during my 6-year term that would bring impactful changes in our country (of course, without the use of guns, goons and ammos):
1. Double the salary of our, teachers, policemen, soldiers, nurses and civil servants. This will give them dignity as civil servants and improve their services. Them and the people will start trusting the government again. Of course, controlling the prices of basic commodities should be prioritized and make them affordable to all. The money saved from corruption is more than enough to double the pay of all our civil servants including funds for other major projects to benefit the poor and the unemployed. It is only by doubling the salary of our people to be able to cope with the real inflation in the country.
2. Control or curtail corruption - if we cannot eradicate it 100%.. We should create a special task force or a commission such as a real Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) to run after corrupt officials and businesses that sabotage our economy. No one is exempted from the ICAC. The Bureau of Customs and the Department of Public Works and Highways should be given priority to be raided by this agency.
3. Curtail RED TAPES and BUREAUCRATIC NONSENSE to speed up everything from a simple filing of income tax returns (magbabayad ka na nga lang ng tax, kasalanan mo pa!) to business registrations, court assistance and results, registrations of registrations, and the like. Red tapes already made our country the slowest in business and everything that should be moved to bolster economic development! This is so shameful and disgusting. Red tapes are a major source of corruption in the country.
4. No pork barrel. Civil servants (including the President, senators, governors, mayors, barangay captains should make their living via government salary and benefits ONLY. Political parties will receive nothing from the government but from their own initiatives only -- such as money from sponsors and donors or other sources only. With no pork barrel, no politician can afford to buy votes or to hire private armies to intimidate the voters. They will have no money to corrupt other corrupt officials and individuals. Them and their children (or cronies) will have no means to boast of their ill-gotten wealth. They will no longer be untouchables. We need highly-respected government officials to achieve change. We don't vote for these public servants to bully us in the end. Public servants are not gods. They are only public servants hired by the people to keep the country strong and in order.
5. Controlling government money (peoples’ money) and spending it accordingly: to education, health, infrastructures (roads, clinics, etc). Education means scholarships, modern schools with facilities (including additional support to government subsidized schools to modern equipment and building facilities, high quality teachers, etc. Health means health insurance for government servants including free hospitalization, modern hospitals, cheaper medicines (made locally), high pensions, etc. Infrastructures also means road and farm (or sea)-to-market roads, garbage disposal equipment, modern air and seaports, access to clean drinking water, new clean public toilets, improved postal services, more lamp posts, etc.
6. Building factories, roads, hospitals and other government projects to create more jobs and stimulate economic activities. This includes building them in provinces to enahnce employment and economic opportunities. This in a way will discourage many not to migrate to cities already over-crowded and polluted.
7. Creating income-generating projects such as loans to support small and medium entrepreneurs to start their own businesses and compete. Support business organizations to again stimulate the economy. More money circulating, more businesses, more production, more employment, higher income. Create Economic Zones to provincial areas to discourage migration of workers to cities. Economic Zones provide jobs in the provinces and further stimulate economic activities, thus developing the countrysides (provinces).
8. Self-sufficiency in food supply by supporting local farmers (both sea farming and land farming) to have access to modern equipment, raw materials for planting and good training. This is 100% possible. Farm projects including equipment and raw material support to farmers will be monitored to ensure success.
9. Self-sufficiency in raw materials not by importing but by developing our own resources (machines, equipment, tools, etc) to produce high quality products. This will improve the quality of our local products which in time will qualify for local consumption and exportation.
10. Self-sufficiency in defense, including security of our territorial waters. This means modernization of our national defense. By improving its budget, we can acquire good training and good equipment to boost the morale of our men in uniform. We will professionalize our servicemen and women by increasing their salaries and benefits, including health and housing. By giving respect to our military personnel, they become dignified and respectful to the people they protect.
Having modernized weaponry increase the effectivity of our men in uniform. By controlling corruption, we can have real funds to do this. This way, even the Spratley Islands, which are being "invaded" and claimed by China, Taiwan (only recently), Malaysia, Vietnam, and Brunei will have a different outcome when we fly our modern jets and hi-tech navy around these island which is geographically within the 200-mile territory of the country. Wala tayong magarang armas kaya binu-bully tayo ng mga bansang ito ngayon. 30 years ago, not one among these countries has any claim on the Spratleys because these islands were being used as target practice by our navy and the US navy. Having more than 1,700 islands it should be a prerogative of our government to have a strong navy to guard our sea. Otherwise, we will have no idea how much of our tuna and other marine products are lost to illegal fishing by foreign pouchers. This is also a perfect way to control terrorists and other illegal actitivies to ply our shores.
Lastly, we should have a strong I.D. System in the country. This will not only stop corrupt officials to profit from conniving or assisting scrupolous syndicates that bring illegal aliens, but also discourage illegal aliens to enter the country without proper documentation and taxation. This means one ID that we can use for all personal and business transacti0ns. Illegal aliens steal our jobs and transact businesses in the country without benefit to the government. A strong ID system will help facilitate our travels faster without the use of forms and other documents that create delays and discouragement to tourism.
11. Local and international promotion of the country as tourist destination where tourists are secured and satisfied with our infrastructure and services. Filipinos are good at this. Learning from the success of other countries will not really affect our egos. But this we can only be successful if we have strong image abroad that we don't have kidnappings and high crime rate in our country. We should give focus on the hygiene of our local destinations with clean public toilets (ni tissue paper wala!), availability of efficient transportation, communication, clean food, cheap hotels and other amenities expected by our local and international visitors. Again, having controlled corruption means having the funds to do this.
For OFWS and Filipinos Overseas
They should retire here! (OFWs and Filipino residents abroad including foreigners)
Filipinos who have been overseas, either working or staying permanently, should think of the Philippines as their own and should retire and enjoy their waning years here. But whose idiotic OFW or immigrant Filipino will do this if the country is riddled with corruption, hunger, violence, and disease? We should first fix and clean our homes and backyards before accepting visitors and guests. This is very basic. Failure of having simple conveniences in the country WILL NEVER bring our kababayan back to our country. They'll never even think of doing this in the first place if our infrastructures are in shambles. This is basic.
12. Reduce importation of raw materials, finished products, but support projects that will improve our own production. Importation drains our national reserves and local businessmen become dependent of producers overseas. Importation kills our local manufacturers. We become dumping grounds of cheap foreign products. We should support our farmers, toolmakers, local manufacturers, etc.
Support them, finance them
We should support our Filipino inventors and innovators. They will give us better economic opportunities in the long run. Filipino scientists and innovators, like those developing engines that run NOT BY GASOLINE but other energies like water, electricity, or alternative energy (clean and green power). They SHOULD BE given priorities. This will stop our dependency on foreign oil which has been stalking the nation for more than 50 years! Yet our leaders NEVER learned from this! This will sound bad for oil companies (local and foreign) in the Philippines. BUT our priority is for the benefit of the GREATER good.
That Filipino politician from Laguna (?) who innovated the first "e-tricycle" which runs by electricity should be given funds to develop it and make it available to the nation. He said that the "e-tricycle" only uses P20 worth of electricity for a whole day's operation! Tanga lang ang presidenteng di ito susuportahan! (unless naba-bribe siya ng mga malalaking oil companies s atin).
13. Professionally imposing the laws of the land; meaning, a powerful judiciary, controlling nepotism, cronyism, red-tape, padrino system, etc. This also applies to implementing a real LAND REFORM so that many Filipinos would have lands to till and live. If I have the money saved from corruption, I can build more jails to discipline the corrupt, the criminals, and the pasaways! (this includes members of my family, friends, colleagues and classmates. If they too are corrupt, they land in jail. No exceptions).
Executing the laws of the land include correct accounting of taxes from all sectors of the country (personal income, business income, customs, exports, etc.). We know already that ours is country of many thousand certified accountants who do not know how to count. "Doctorism" will not be allowed anymore, unless our prisons need certified accountants too. No one will be REALLY above the law. This kind of action needs political will - and only an uncorrupt President can execute it.Support from the U.S. and other countries
The OBAMA government hates corruption. The new American government has repeatedly snubbed the Arroyo government and our government is aware of this. When US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton made courtesy calls to America's ALLIES in Asia early this year, she snubbed the Philippines -- a supposed ally in its war on terror. She instead visited Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, etc... The Obama government knows that the Philippines, now the 'most corrupt' country in the world, cannot be relied upon, unstable, "balimbing", no political will, and an untrusted ally. Our country’s image had sunk to its deepest level during the current government. Again, IMAGE! IMAGE! IMAGE! Pangalagaan natin!
Yes, the Americans had seen the Filipinos fighting the Japanese with them. But that was more than 60 years ago! Those were the days of gallant Filipinos, dignified Filipinos, brave, Filipinos, trusted Filipinos!
Now the Americans see corrupt Filipino leaders (most of them in the country), unrealiable, easily bribed, undependable, untrustable, coward, poor, deceitful Filipino leaders who cannot make sacrifices in times of war and crisis. Americans see a country riddled with nepotism, connivance, cronyism, bribed judges and policemen, corrupt politicians and government officials who spend their time enriching themselves out of peoples' money, custom officials and tax collectors rigging everything and conniving with local businessmen, politicians personally fighting among themselves (clan wars and political dynasty wars), a country of strong poverty and low moral, unemployed masses, a country that survives in doles and loans from other countries (which, again, are pocketed by corrupt leaders).
Corruption and in-transparency (sorry for the misuse of the word) have mained and crippled our leaders' determination and determination to stay firm and strong in times of difficulties. This is how our allies see us. It's embarassing, disgusting, frustrating and deceitful. From the eyes of our neighbors and allies, we are plain traitors.
This means the current Philippine government and those who will be running it after the current one WILL HAVE NO SUPPORT from the U.S. government (or its allies), unless they are not corrupt. Now, take a look at the line-up of presidentiables in 2010 (both form the ruling party and the opposition). Most, if not all, of these candidates are coming from old political parties and groups (many tainted and riddled with corruption scandals) or are part of them or a product of a mix of all these parties. Puro balimbing kasi. Walang isang salita ang mga 'yan!
Do we really think that the U.S. government (or other generous countries) will continue to help the Philippines if anyone of these tainted presidentiables (senators, other politikos) become the next Filipino president or leaders in 2010? Even rich countries will start to have second thoughts of helping the country when they know that the aid they will send for the poor people will only end up inside the pockets of corrupt Filipino officials. Magsasawa din sila sa kapapa-utang sa atin. They know it and they are not stupid.
If I am president, I start from scratch - by improving our own and developing our own resources and by investing on our own people. Support for our businessmen, farmers, students, soldiers, health care, insurance, infrastructures, tourism, diplomacy (local and abroad), science and engineering, research, medicine and the like which will make our people really proud and our country strong. We have to make our base really strong. Again, this can only be done by eradicating corruption and transparency. This will create patriots and people who are proud of their country.
Slow down on colonial mentality and dependency
If we want to change our country, we have to discourage colonial mentality and dependency. Change should start from within us. Then this change will open new doors and perspectives, new alternatives on how we can run our business.
We have to promote our own and support our own. This way, we stop looking at other nations treating us as second-class citizens or worst, treating us like shit. When we have made our country truly strong and independent, then nations will come to us and respect us. When this thing happens, development is on the horizon. And the time to do this is NOW!
My term is just a precedent; There to do the job and nothing else!
My term will only be a precedent to the next leader, a preparation for the next President in 2016. Like John The Baptist of old, I will only prepare the way for the next President to continue the accomplishments and achievements that we as a country have made during my term. It is only a 6 years' sacrifice. After that, I'll go back to my private life but continue to promote the country as a decent, clean, and honest destination where there is security and smiling people.
Democracy is not cheap
Putting our country on the right track will need no people power, revolutions, or civil wars. It only needs a leader who is honest, transparent, and how knows how to execute laws. Someone who knows how to whip bad peoples' asses. Ours is a budding democracy, and democracy is not cheap! It needs responsible and matured people (not matured politicians who laugh from their mistakes and stupidity and easily forgiven by "religious" Filipinos). We need strong-willed Filipinos to guard our freedom. We need Filipinos who value the sacrifices of our forefathers to become an independent nation. We need Filipinos who know how to make good laws and executive them too.
This will make the country strong, better, more stable, create a more disciplined citizenry to be aligned among the rich countries like Japan, Singapore, China, UK, or the USA.
Leading by example
After my term, the people will clamour for the next President who will also lead and worked like I did. This will also be required by the people in choosing the next senators, governors, mayors or barangay captains - to lead by example! Nakita na nila ang resulta ng may malinis na leader. Hahanapin din nila ito sa mga susunod na lider ng bansa. Hahanapin nila ang lider who leads by example!
Dignity and honor to OFWs; Back to the Philippines - JOBS! JOBS! JOBS!
This is also the best way to bring back our OFWs and highly skilled Filipinos to work in the country and help restore our dignity, creativity, and respect as a nation. Having our highly skilled kababayans back into our country will bring enormous benefits to our economy, science, engineering, and the like. Though it is everyone's right to work or travel abroad, we will do our utmost to compete with the salaries and benefits abroad to discourage our professionals to give their services to foreign lands. Working overseas would still be allowed for everyone. But priorities should be given to having decent jobs in the country!
Putting the country in order and on the right track - up and running again!
When a country is in order, there is no need to invite foreign investors to invest in our country. They will come and invest because this is good and profitable for them. The country has the best natural resources in the region. Can we inagine our 1,700 islands all filled with resorts and tourists? Can we imagine the exploding economic activities and the amount of benefits they bring to our people? Employment and other opportunities always tag along with strong tourism.
My work and business in and around Asia gave me the understanding that the Philippines has the most a country can offer among all the other countries around it. The good thing about it is that I have understood how the Asian mind operate and work, what they need, or what else can give them a win-win advantage over other Asian competitors. I know how they do business, what they require to do business with, and how both can profit so that everybody will be happy. Ours is the best country for them to retire and enjoy the profits of their labor -- this holds also true to overseas Filipinos in the region.
Sadly, many of our leaders ARE NOT AWARE OF THIS because they are so tied up with infighting, pa-pogi points, corrupting the government. Our leaders do not mingle with other Asian business leaders. They have no experience of how is it to sell the country's products overseas. They have no idea on how businessmen and business leaders operate to create a win-win environment to benefit their people. OFWs are better off since we have lived with foreigners and we know their habits, characters, weaknesses, strengths. Can we imagine if OFWs are the ones running the country now? No one will leave the country anymore to clean the asses (I mean toilet sits) of our employers! OFWs are typically disciplined, trustworthy, honest (we don't steal from our employers), hardworking, aware of what is happening around us and always ready to save anyone from a burning building.
Our politicians do not have the experience of what I am saying here becasue they are so regional that they never mixed or lived with foreigners whom they are inviting to do business in the country. What our local leaders know is how to corrupt the country and focus their attention on government money (the peoples' money) and don't give a shit on what is happening around the world. They focus more on their party first, then the country second, thus, the poverty and chaos in the country.
MY CHECKS AND BALANCES LIST FOR A GOOD PRESIDENT
How will Filipinos know that I will not become a corrupt public servant or will not end like the corrupt ones? TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY, STRONG POLITICAL WILL and HONESTY are in my game plans:
1. ONE BANK ACCOUNT - I will only have one (1) bank account and any Filipino can call my bank and ask for my bank balance 24/7. Having two (2) bank accounts will mean my immediate resignation. No impeachment is necessary. This account will be my only bank account during my 6 years in office which is subject to government audit life-style check every month. All my financial dealings are open to the public for scrutiny and audited by independent representatives from various sectors of the society. Any Filipino can call my bank and inquire my bank balance.
2. ANTI-NEPOTISM -- If anyone of my relatives, friends or colleagues was able to enter Malacanang unofficially or any government post will mean my immediate resignation. No impeachment necessary.
3. SEEN BY PEOPLE 24/7 -- I will be in front of the camera during my official working time as an employee of the people, 24/7. Any official deals done off-camera will mean my resignation. All contracts and laws signed by me are all under the camera. Failure of doing this will mean my resignation. No impeachment necessary.
4. BONDY CLOCK AT MALACANANG -- I will install a bondy clock in Malacanang. This means everyone working there as public servants, including myself, will time in and out - just like a regular government worker. If I miss registering my entry even for a single day will mean my resignation. No impeachment necessary. This is a simple way to tell everyone that the president is not above the law.
5. NO VIP TREATMENT -- No VIP treatment, except official visits in and out of the country. No helicopters, SUVs, yachts, golf meetings, etc. Having used any of these toys will mean my resignation. No impeachment necessary.
6. PRO-MASSES, FRIENDLY TO BUSINESSES -- Neglecting the poor Filipinos and not supporting business will mean my resignation. No impeachment necessary.
7. EMPOWERING THE PESO -- If I was not able to uplift or increase the purchasing power of Filipinos (including additional employment and development of the economic status of government servants) after my first year in office, I will resign. No impeachment necessary.
8. NO RELIGION -- I will have NO religion during my term. If the problem in Mindanao is not resolved or at least see any light at the end of the tunnel in two years, I will resign. No impeachment necessary. As President, I will not be a respecter of persons. This means, I will have NO religion during my term. All religions will be treated equal.
9. IMPROVE IMAGE -- If the country has not achieved anything in improving its facilities and image abroad after my first year, I will resign. No impeachment necessary.
10. REGULAR LIFESTYLE CHECK --If I am richer than what I am supposed to receive during my first, second, third till sixth year, I will resign. No impeachment necessary.
11. DEDICATION TO WORK ONLY -- There to do the job and nothing else. My six years will only be focused on rebuilding the country: bringing back the trust of the people to the government, increasing employment and production, peace and order, health, education, diplomacy, income, creating opportunities in business, science, politics, etc. This is only for 6 years so that no doubts and malicious issues will affect my term. This is to show how sincere I am in this business.
12. JOBS! JOBS! JOBS! BUSINESS! BUSINESS! BUSINESS! -- My failure to create more jobs for the people means my resignation. No impeachment necessary. Eradicating corruption means opening of new investments and businesses. This means more jobs to our people. No corruption means very good business too. Having a fair business environment brings a lot of opportunities, wealth and security to the people.
Note: These 12 Check and Balance conditions shall be signed by me in front of the camera and witnesses and copies of this document shall be posted to all schools, colleges and universities in the country to remind our young generations of Filipinos that nothing beats transparency and honesty in public service.
Any Philippine politician who can do my 12 Check and Balance list will have my honest VOTE!
+++***+++
Political philosophy (what I thought are sensible and practical to the country and its people):
It is my belief that the President of the land is just a caretaker of the people and not a god or someone who is untouchable. The president is worthy of respect because of the office, not to be treated as someone who is high up there who's unreacheable. Suweldohan lang siya ng tao para mamahala sa kapakanan ng tao. For 6 years, dito lang dapat naka-focus ang attention ng Presidente at wala ng iba. Ang isang sundalo ng pamahalaan ay kagaya lamang ng Presidente na parehong suweldohan at wala ng iba.
Hindi dapat abusuhin ng lider ang taong bayan sa maraming pamamaraan lalo na ang dayain sila. Sagrado ang boto ng tao na dapat pangalagaan ng bawat mamamayan--- kasama na ang Presidente.Karapatan ng mamamayan na patalsikin ang isang lider na corrupt at sinungaling sa bayan. Kaya nga dapat lahat ng lider sa bansa ay transparent para maalis ang duda at kutya ng tao sa kanila. Ito lang ang paraan para respetuhin silang muli at manumbalik ang kaayusan sa bansa.
Kapag mahirap ang bansa, hindi maaalis ang corruption at pandaraya. Kapag corrupt ang lider, corrupt din and mga followers. Kawawa ang mamamayan. (When corrupt leaders reign, the people suffer).
Leading by example is always the best barometer for an effective leader. Nothing beats honesty and sincerity to the people. The more transparent we are to our constituents, the better they respect us and follow our orders. The will love the leader and never ask him/her to leave the office.
There is no need to cheat the constitution just to stay in power. Honest and transparent leaders last longer and their legacy treasured by the people. They even teach this legacy in schools to be emulated by the next generations.
Please tell me what you think (email me at rsadiosa@yahoo.com). Thank you.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
'P50-billion road fund misused'
MANILA, Philippines - At least 15 congressmen are seeking an investigation into the alleged misuse of more than P50 billion in funds for road maintenance, road safety and pollution control.
Representatives Abraham Mitra of Palawan, Paul Daza of Northern Samar, Marc Douglas Cagas of Davao del Sur, Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro City, Niel Tupas Jr. of Iloilo and Carlos Padilla of Nueva Vizcaya sought the inquiry in separate manifestations they made at recent House hearings.
Eight other congressmen led by Deputy Speaker Eric Singson of Ilocos Sur filed a resolution also proposing an investigation. The congressmen said a large part of the money goes to the pockets of corrupt officials and contractors.
The funds whose use or misuse they want the House to look into are collections from the so-called motor vehicle user’s charge (MVUC), otherwise known as the road user’s tax.
This is a levy Congress imposed six or seven years ago on owners of all motor vehicles, whose annual registration fees were increased by 100 percent over a four-year period.
The collections go to a special fund administered by an agency called the Road Board, which the secretary of public works and highways chairs and which is attached to his department.
More than P50 billion in MVUV taxes have been collected. Annual collections now reach P10 billion to P11 billion.
Most of the funds go to road maintenance and safety projects such as the installation of catch eye markers and guard rails. A portion goes to pollution control. Mitra said despite insistent prodding from him and his colleagues, the House committee on public works chaired by Leyte Rep. Roger Mercado has not conducted a hearing on the misuse and misallocation of MVUC funds.
Mitra has filed a resolution that seeks to abolish the Road Board and to use MVUC collections to support the annual budget instead of the money going to a special fund outside the control of the Department of Budget and Management and being dissipated.
Padilla complained that projects funded by more than P400 million in road maintenance and road safety money allocated to his province four years ago could not be found. “The projects and the money have vanished,” he said.
There were complaints of missing funds in other provinces as well. In Eastern Samar, road signs and guard rails worth P350 million could not be located.
“What we need here are roads, not catch eye markers and guard rails,” one local official said.
Many congressmen complain of inequitable distribution of funds. For instance, in the past two years, Nueva Ecija was given about P2 billion in MVUC money.
More than P1 billion of the projects in Nueva Ecija were given to a newly formed company called Meditech Trade and Development Corp. The company has also won contracts in Laguna.
Nueva Ecija officials said they could hardly find the P2 billion projects in their province.
Rep. Rodriguez, who belongs to the opposition bloc in the House, complained of politics in the allocation of MVUC money.
He said his district was not given funds, while other districts received tens of millions and even hundreds of millions.
In their resolution, Singson and his seven other colleagues, all belonging to the Northern Luzon bloc of congressmen, said the House should revisit the MVUC tax.
Despite the collection and expenditure of more than P50 billion, they said many roads are still in a state of disrepair and are not safe to travel.
They said people need roads, not luminous signs and markers and guard rails.
They stressed that the bulk of the money is just being dissipated for projects that the public does not really need.
(Comments: Nagpapogi na naman ang mga corrupt congressmen na ito. Kunwari pa silang magrereport ng kurapsiyon ng iba... nagturo ng mga kurap, eh sila din mas kurap! Hay naku, talaga. Baka naman napilitan lang silang magreport ng kurapsiyon dahil hindi sila nabigyan ng 'tong' sa mga projects na ito? O, baka naman kasi malapit na ang eleksiyon kaya nagkukunwari na naman ang mga congreemen na ito na magmalinis ng kanilang papel na singputi ng ulap sa langit? Lumang istorya na ito. Style bulok na! Kelangan na nating mag-aksiyon, mga kababayan. Palitan na ng mga bagong Pilipino ang liderato sa Malacanang, sa senado, sa kongreso, mga governors, mayors, even barangay captain. Palitan na rin ang mga government civil servants (military, civil, etc.) na corrupt din. Kailangan ng overhauling ang ating bansa. Parang kotseng ii-overhaul. Kelangan ibaba ang makina, buksan, change oil, etc.. para mabago ang sistema at makinabang na ang nakararami).
Representatives Abraham Mitra of Palawan, Paul Daza of Northern Samar, Marc Douglas Cagas of Davao del Sur, Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro City, Niel Tupas Jr. of Iloilo and Carlos Padilla of Nueva Vizcaya sought the inquiry in separate manifestations they made at recent House hearings.
Eight other congressmen led by Deputy Speaker Eric Singson of Ilocos Sur filed a resolution also proposing an investigation. The congressmen said a large part of the money goes to the pockets of corrupt officials and contractors.
The funds whose use or misuse they want the House to look into are collections from the so-called motor vehicle user’s charge (MVUC), otherwise known as the road user’s tax.
This is a levy Congress imposed six or seven years ago on owners of all motor vehicles, whose annual registration fees were increased by 100 percent over a four-year period.
The collections go to a special fund administered by an agency called the Road Board, which the secretary of public works and highways chairs and which is attached to his department.
More than P50 billion in MVUV taxes have been collected. Annual collections now reach P10 billion to P11 billion.
Most of the funds go to road maintenance and safety projects such as the installation of catch eye markers and guard rails. A portion goes to pollution control. Mitra said despite insistent prodding from him and his colleagues, the House committee on public works chaired by Leyte Rep. Roger Mercado has not conducted a hearing on the misuse and misallocation of MVUC funds.
Mitra has filed a resolution that seeks to abolish the Road Board and to use MVUC collections to support the annual budget instead of the money going to a special fund outside the control of the Department of Budget and Management and being dissipated.
Padilla complained that projects funded by more than P400 million in road maintenance and road safety money allocated to his province four years ago could not be found. “The projects and the money have vanished,” he said.
There were complaints of missing funds in other provinces as well. In Eastern Samar, road signs and guard rails worth P350 million could not be located.
“What we need here are roads, not catch eye markers and guard rails,” one local official said.
Many congressmen complain of inequitable distribution of funds. For instance, in the past two years, Nueva Ecija was given about P2 billion in MVUC money.
More than P1 billion of the projects in Nueva Ecija were given to a newly formed company called Meditech Trade and Development Corp. The company has also won contracts in Laguna.
Nueva Ecija officials said they could hardly find the P2 billion projects in their province.
Rep. Rodriguez, who belongs to the opposition bloc in the House, complained of politics in the allocation of MVUC money.
He said his district was not given funds, while other districts received tens of millions and even hundreds of millions.
In their resolution, Singson and his seven other colleagues, all belonging to the Northern Luzon bloc of congressmen, said the House should revisit the MVUC tax.
Despite the collection and expenditure of more than P50 billion, they said many roads are still in a state of disrepair and are not safe to travel.
They said people need roads, not luminous signs and markers and guard rails.
They stressed that the bulk of the money is just being dissipated for projects that the public does not really need.
(Comments: Nagpapogi na naman ang mga corrupt congressmen na ito. Kunwari pa silang magrereport ng kurapsiyon ng iba... nagturo ng mga kurap, eh sila din mas kurap! Hay naku, talaga. Baka naman napilitan lang silang magreport ng kurapsiyon dahil hindi sila nabigyan ng 'tong' sa mga projects na ito? O, baka naman kasi malapit na ang eleksiyon kaya nagkukunwari na naman ang mga congreemen na ito na magmalinis ng kanilang papel na singputi ng ulap sa langit? Lumang istorya na ito. Style bulok na! Kelangan na nating mag-aksiyon, mga kababayan. Palitan na ng mga bagong Pilipino ang liderato sa Malacanang, sa senado, sa kongreso, mga governors, mayors, even barangay captain. Palitan na rin ang mga government civil servants (military, civil, etc.) na corrupt din. Kailangan ng overhauling ang ating bansa. Parang kotseng ii-overhaul. Kelangan ibaba ang makina, buksan, change oil, etc.. para mabago ang sistema at makinabang na ang nakararami).
'Balikatan funds misused'
By Jaime Laude, Philstar
MANILA, Philippines – The Department of National Defense has confirmed an ongoing probe into the alleged misuse of some P46 million for the 2007 RP-US Balikatan exercises, but said it is keeping its hands off the case of the whistle-blower – a female Navy officer – who is reportedly facing summary dismissal proceedings for another offense.
“I understand that she is now facing an investigation before the Philippine Navy’s Efficiency and Separation Board (ESB) and I will have to wait for the results of this probe before taking any action,” Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. said.
Teodoro was referring to the case of Lt. Senior Grade Nancy Gadian, who is under investigation for alleged insubordination and for lavish spending during her term as head of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom)’s Civil Military Operations based in Zamboanga City.
Gadian had claimed that her then immediate commander, former Westmincom chief retired Gen. Eugenio Cedo, misused the P46 million provided by the United States for the Balikatan exercises.
She claimed that of the amount only P2.7 million went to Balikatan’s CMO projects.
But Cedo, in an interview over radio dzRH yesterday, belied the allegations, saying he never benefited from the funds and instead accused Gadian of trying to get back at him because he ordered her investigated for her failure to account for the Balikatan funds in her care. Cedo retired in 2007.
However, military records showed that Gadian had been cleared of any accountability by the military’s internal audit on Balikatan funds, except for an unaccounted P2,500 in hotel expenses.
The charges of insubordination reportedly stemmed from her refusal to face a probe for her lavish spending in a hotel in Zamboanga City. It was not clear if the investigators were referring to the P2,500 unaccounted hotel expenses.
On the other hand, the Navy urged Gadian to formalize her charges of corruption against Cedo.
Navy spokesman Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo asked Gadian to support her allegations against Cedo by filing appropriate charges.
“We urge her to come out in the open, formalize her complaint, adduce evidence by attaching documents that would substantiate her complaint or her claims of corruption and then the Navy is willing to help her clear her name,” he said.
“We are not saying that she is right or wrong. What is important here is for her to formalize her complaint because we will not conduct investigation based on mere allegations,” Arevalo added.
“It is also important for us to protect the name and integrity of one of our colleagues in the Navy,” he said, referring to Gadian.
“What we were saying is she is an officer. She has served the Navy for 12 years, so being an officer, we know that she understands what she is saying and she knows, she appreciates the repercussions of what she’s saying, so we urge her to come out in the open,” Arevalo added.
Arevalo maintained that the junior officer is still a member of the Navy, despite having filed her resignation last April 16, because her papers have yet to be evaluated.
He admitted that Gadian might also be held liable for airing her charges in public and not going through the Navy’s internal grievance mechanism.
(Comment: Hay, corruption everywhere! Filipinos, if we will not do anything with the deep corruption in the country, our future will be dark and dreary. There will be more sufferings, tag-gutom at tag-tuyo. There will be chaos if we can no longer afford to buy basic food, shelter, clothing or even send our kids to school. Without the OFW remittances, the country will be 'fed to the dogs!' Only the strong will surive).
MANILA, Philippines – The Department of National Defense has confirmed an ongoing probe into the alleged misuse of some P46 million for the 2007 RP-US Balikatan exercises, but said it is keeping its hands off the case of the whistle-blower – a female Navy officer – who is reportedly facing summary dismissal proceedings for another offense.
“I understand that she is now facing an investigation before the Philippine Navy’s Efficiency and Separation Board (ESB) and I will have to wait for the results of this probe before taking any action,” Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. said.
Teodoro was referring to the case of Lt. Senior Grade Nancy Gadian, who is under investigation for alleged insubordination and for lavish spending during her term as head of the Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom)’s Civil Military Operations based in Zamboanga City.
Gadian had claimed that her then immediate commander, former Westmincom chief retired Gen. Eugenio Cedo, misused the P46 million provided by the United States for the Balikatan exercises.
She claimed that of the amount only P2.7 million went to Balikatan’s CMO projects.
But Cedo, in an interview over radio dzRH yesterday, belied the allegations, saying he never benefited from the funds and instead accused Gadian of trying to get back at him because he ordered her investigated for her failure to account for the Balikatan funds in her care. Cedo retired in 2007.
However, military records showed that Gadian had been cleared of any accountability by the military’s internal audit on Balikatan funds, except for an unaccounted P2,500 in hotel expenses.
The charges of insubordination reportedly stemmed from her refusal to face a probe for her lavish spending in a hotel in Zamboanga City. It was not clear if the investigators were referring to the P2,500 unaccounted hotel expenses.
On the other hand, the Navy urged Gadian to formalize her charges of corruption against Cedo.
Navy spokesman Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo asked Gadian to support her allegations against Cedo by filing appropriate charges.
“We urge her to come out in the open, formalize her complaint, adduce evidence by attaching documents that would substantiate her complaint or her claims of corruption and then the Navy is willing to help her clear her name,” he said.
“We are not saying that she is right or wrong. What is important here is for her to formalize her complaint because we will not conduct investigation based on mere allegations,” Arevalo added.
“It is also important for us to protect the name and integrity of one of our colleagues in the Navy,” he said, referring to Gadian.
“What we were saying is she is an officer. She has served the Navy for 12 years, so being an officer, we know that she understands what she is saying and she knows, she appreciates the repercussions of what she’s saying, so we urge her to come out in the open,” Arevalo added.
Arevalo maintained that the junior officer is still a member of the Navy, despite having filed her resignation last April 16, because her papers have yet to be evaluated.
He admitted that Gadian might also be held liable for airing her charges in public and not going through the Navy’s internal grievance mechanism.
(Comment: Hay, corruption everywhere! Filipinos, if we will not do anything with the deep corruption in the country, our future will be dark and dreary. There will be more sufferings, tag-gutom at tag-tuyo. There will be chaos if we can no longer afford to buy basic food, shelter, clothing or even send our kids to school. Without the OFW remittances, the country will be 'fed to the dogs!' Only the strong will surive).
Teachers to get P6,500 pay hike
By Jess Diaz, Philstar
MANILA, Philippines – Public school teachers will receive a P6,500 salary increase under the compensation adjustment program that the House of Representatives was scheduled to approve last night.
The program calls for increasing the teachers’ basic monthly pay to P18,549 over four years from the present P12,000.
The first installment of the adjustment would be paid on July 1 this year. Teachers’ groups are demanding an immediate increase of P3,000.
For Representatives Carlos Padilla of Nueva Vizcaya and Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro City, P6,500 spread over four years is not enough. “This is not equal pay for work of equal value,” Padilla said, noting that teachers, unlike desk-bound bureaucrats, work long hours.
And yet, high-ranking bureaucrats such as undersecretaries, assistant secretaries and directors will get an increase of 100 percent of their basic pay, excluding allowances, he said.
Unlike teachers, he said these officials receive additional compensation in the form of fat allowances.
Padilla proposed that teachers who hold salary grade 10 under the 33-grade government compensation scheme should be adjusted to grade 15 with a monthly salary of P24,878.
Rodriguez, on the other hand, took up the cudgels for the more than 100,000 soldiers.
He said under the proposed pay adjustment program, soldiers would receive an additional P4,000 over four years, or P1,000 a year.
Since the first installment would be given on July 1, the lowest-paid members of the Armed Forces would be getting only P500 for this year, he said. He said soldiers, like teachers, work long hours and can even be considered as working 24 hours a day.
Under the proposed program, the President would have a salary of P120,000, up 100 percent from P60,000; while the Vice President would receive P103,000, which also represents a 100-percent increase.
Members of Congress would double their salaries to P90,000. Other bureaucrats getting substantial increases are undersecretaries, whose basic pay would be adjusted to P78,946; assistant secretaries, P73,099; and directors, P67,684.
The pay adjustment program is contained in Joint Resolution 36, which President Arroyo certified as urgent last Tuesday. The certification will enable the House to speed up its approval, which was expected to take place late last night.
(Comments:
Una: Like I mentioned in this blog, kayang madoble ang sweldo ng ating mga guro, sundalo, kapulisan, at iba pang kawani ng gobyerno sa buong Pilipinas kung masusugpo nating ang graft and corruption sa bansa. Bakit kailangan doblehin ang suweldo ng matataas sa gobyerno at hindi at par sa naninilbihan sa ibaba? Ang mga teachers, sundalo, pulis, etc. ang araw-araw na nasa front line at marami sa kanila ang overworked pa. Nararapat lamang na bigyan sila ng health insurance, free housing, other benefits na hindi maibigay ng gobyerno dahil sa kawalan ng pera sa kaban dahil sa corruption. Panahon na para baguhin natin ang mabahong practice at sistemang ito na ninuno pa natin sa ilang dekadang pandaraya at panglilinglang sa mga civil servants.
MANILA, Philippines – Public school teachers will receive a P6,500 salary increase under the compensation adjustment program that the House of Representatives was scheduled to approve last night.
The program calls for increasing the teachers’ basic monthly pay to P18,549 over four years from the present P12,000.
The first installment of the adjustment would be paid on July 1 this year. Teachers’ groups are demanding an immediate increase of P3,000.
For Representatives Carlos Padilla of Nueva Vizcaya and Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro City, P6,500 spread over four years is not enough. “This is not equal pay for work of equal value,” Padilla said, noting that teachers, unlike desk-bound bureaucrats, work long hours.
And yet, high-ranking bureaucrats such as undersecretaries, assistant secretaries and directors will get an increase of 100 percent of their basic pay, excluding allowances, he said.
Unlike teachers, he said these officials receive additional compensation in the form of fat allowances.
Padilla proposed that teachers who hold salary grade 10 under the 33-grade government compensation scheme should be adjusted to grade 15 with a monthly salary of P24,878.
Rodriguez, on the other hand, took up the cudgels for the more than 100,000 soldiers.
He said under the proposed pay adjustment program, soldiers would receive an additional P4,000 over four years, or P1,000 a year.
Since the first installment would be given on July 1, the lowest-paid members of the Armed Forces would be getting only P500 for this year, he said. He said soldiers, like teachers, work long hours and can even be considered as working 24 hours a day.
Under the proposed program, the President would have a salary of P120,000, up 100 percent from P60,000; while the Vice President would receive P103,000, which also represents a 100-percent increase.
Members of Congress would double their salaries to P90,000. Other bureaucrats getting substantial increases are undersecretaries, whose basic pay would be adjusted to P78,946; assistant secretaries, P73,099; and directors, P67,684.
The pay adjustment program is contained in Joint Resolution 36, which President Arroyo certified as urgent last Tuesday. The certification will enable the House to speed up its approval, which was expected to take place late last night.
(Comments:
Una: Like I mentioned in this blog, kayang madoble ang sweldo ng ating mga guro, sundalo, kapulisan, at iba pang kawani ng gobyerno sa buong Pilipinas kung masusugpo nating ang graft and corruption sa bansa. Bakit kailangan doblehin ang suweldo ng matataas sa gobyerno at hindi at par sa naninilbihan sa ibaba? Ang mga teachers, sundalo, pulis, etc. ang araw-araw na nasa front line at marami sa kanila ang overworked pa. Nararapat lamang na bigyan sila ng health insurance, free housing, other benefits na hindi maibigay ng gobyerno dahil sa kawalan ng pera sa kaban dahil sa corruption. Panahon na para baguhin natin ang mabahong practice at sistemang ito na ninuno pa natin sa ilang dekadang pandaraya at panglilinglang sa mga civil servants.
Panagalwa: Tingnan natin kung magkano ang tamang suweldo ng ating top officials ayon sa balitang ito:
"The President would have a salary of P120,000, up 100 percent from P60,000; while the Vice President would receive P103,000, which also represents a 100-percent increase.
Members of Congress would double their salaries to P90,000. Other bureaucrats getting substantial increases are undersecretaries, whose basic pay would be adjusted to P78,946; assistant secretaries, P73,099; and directors, P67,684."
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Problem is pork, not more solons
Problem is pork, not more solons
By Mr. de Quiros, Philstar
Several lawmakers have long wished to raise the number of seats in the House of Reps. So when the Supreme Court ruled last week to include 33 more party-list reps to the present 22, they took it as a cue. A bill came up in the Senate proposing a hundred additional seats to the present 238, while a House counterpart would make it an even 300.
The Constitution requires 20 percent of House seats allocated to the party list. So Speaker Prospero Nograles says 300 suits the Tribunal’s new seating of 55 party-list reps, as 20 percent of 300 is 60. Actually the Charter also sets the number of House seats at 250, subject to increase by Congress. But with 250 total, party-list seats would be limited to 50, five short of the Court’s new ruling. Nograles’s 300 is just about right.
At once critics howled. Allegedly it would only be wasting taxpayer money to add 33 new party-list reps, or make the total seats 300. At least P35,000 a month will be spent for each one’s salary, plus P300,000 for field office rent, utilities, representation, travel, staffing, etc. Better to lessen the number of reps or abolish the House altogether, they hooted.
The outcry is understandable. Citizens increasingly are spending on a Congress that is churning out less and less laws. And the laws of late have been of poor quality. Pending in both Senate and House, for one, is a right-of-reply bill that illegally would curb press freedom. Despite worsening poverty, legislators would be unable to point out even just one law passed recently to uplift Filipinos.
But the critics are barking up the wrong tree. It’s not bad to raise the number of reps. In theory the more reps putting their heads together, the better their output. The US has 435 reps for its 303-million population. India has 544 members of parliament for its billion people. Britain, where modern parliament evolved, has 646 MPs for 61 million people.
It’s also time to reapportion the elective congressional districts, by breaking up giant ones. The Constitution promotes one district for every 250,000 population. Too, new districts may be formed within three years of the last census. But Congress has never re-districted since the 1987 Charter ratification; new districts have been created only because of births of new cities and provinces. One district long begging to be broken up into six is Quezon City’s 2nd, consisting of 1.6 million residents and 600,000 voters. That would mean less moneyed candidates able to run against zillionaires. (This is not to push the splitting of Camarines Sur’s 2nd district. It is being done only to accommodate a presidential son and a returning ally, but the resulting districts would have less than the required 250,000 residents.)
What should be removed is the pork barrel: P70 million a year per congressman, P200 million a year per senator. Pork is the root of corruption in Congress. It is the reason why candidates overspend by the hundreds of millions of pesos, cheat and kill during election campaigns. From the pork crooked legislators pocket 20-25 percent. One greedier senator demands 55-percent cut from his pork projects: 50 percent for himself, 5 percent for his chief of staff. And yet the pork has no constitutional basis.
Just imagine if congressional pork were eliminated. Only candidates who sincerely want to serve the people would be left.
(Comment: Agree! There are few hundred corrupt government officials and a handful of good ones in our government. Sadly, most of our people have no BALLS to kick them out from office and help better their lives. Hay, kelan pa kaya tayo magkakalakas loob na baguhin ito?)
By Mr. de Quiros, Philstar
Several lawmakers have long wished to raise the number of seats in the House of Reps. So when the Supreme Court ruled last week to include 33 more party-list reps to the present 22, they took it as a cue. A bill came up in the Senate proposing a hundred additional seats to the present 238, while a House counterpart would make it an even 300.
The Constitution requires 20 percent of House seats allocated to the party list. So Speaker Prospero Nograles says 300 suits the Tribunal’s new seating of 55 party-list reps, as 20 percent of 300 is 60. Actually the Charter also sets the number of House seats at 250, subject to increase by Congress. But with 250 total, party-list seats would be limited to 50, five short of the Court’s new ruling. Nograles’s 300 is just about right.
At once critics howled. Allegedly it would only be wasting taxpayer money to add 33 new party-list reps, or make the total seats 300. At least P35,000 a month will be spent for each one’s salary, plus P300,000 for field office rent, utilities, representation, travel, staffing, etc. Better to lessen the number of reps or abolish the House altogether, they hooted.
The outcry is understandable. Citizens increasingly are spending on a Congress that is churning out less and less laws. And the laws of late have been of poor quality. Pending in both Senate and House, for one, is a right-of-reply bill that illegally would curb press freedom. Despite worsening poverty, legislators would be unable to point out even just one law passed recently to uplift Filipinos.
But the critics are barking up the wrong tree. It’s not bad to raise the number of reps. In theory the more reps putting their heads together, the better their output. The US has 435 reps for its 303-million population. India has 544 members of parliament for its billion people. Britain, where modern parliament evolved, has 646 MPs for 61 million people.
It’s also time to reapportion the elective congressional districts, by breaking up giant ones. The Constitution promotes one district for every 250,000 population. Too, new districts may be formed within three years of the last census. But Congress has never re-districted since the 1987 Charter ratification; new districts have been created only because of births of new cities and provinces. One district long begging to be broken up into six is Quezon City’s 2nd, consisting of 1.6 million residents and 600,000 voters. That would mean less moneyed candidates able to run against zillionaires. (This is not to push the splitting of Camarines Sur’s 2nd district. It is being done only to accommodate a presidential son and a returning ally, but the resulting districts would have less than the required 250,000 residents.)
What should be removed is the pork barrel: P70 million a year per congressman, P200 million a year per senator. Pork is the root of corruption in Congress. It is the reason why candidates overspend by the hundreds of millions of pesos, cheat and kill during election campaigns. From the pork crooked legislators pocket 20-25 percent. One greedier senator demands 55-percent cut from his pork projects: 50 percent for himself, 5 percent for his chief of staff. And yet the pork has no constitutional basis.
Just imagine if congressional pork were eliminated. Only candidates who sincerely want to serve the people would be left.
(Comment: Agree! There are few hundred corrupt government officials and a handful of good ones in our government. Sadly, most of our people have no BALLS to kick them out from office and help better their lives. Hay, kelan pa kaya tayo magkakalakas loob na baguhin ito?)
Monday, April 6, 2009
Supreme Court chief to Filipinos: Fight government corruption
MANILA, Philippines – As the nation enters the Holy Week, Chief Justice Reynato Puno yesterday reiterated his call for a moral force and asked Filipinos to work together to combat widespread corruption in the government.
Some Supreme Court justices who support Puno in this initiative are expected to name before Thursday members of an advisory council that would push for the movement toward moral transformation in government.
Speaking at the launching of the moral force movement of the Manila Episcopal Area (MEA) of the United Methodist Church (UMC) in the Philippines of which he is a member, Puno lamented how the country is now perceived in the world as a “moral pariah.”
He said Filipinos have witnessed moral decadence and leprosy, referring to corruption in government that he likened to the corruption in England at the time when John Wesley founded their church in the 1700s.
“We are cast as a moral pariah. What a tragic social landscape for the only Christian country in Southeast Asia,” he said.
“Corruption in the country has been deforming all its institutions, undermining our stability and security and preventing our socio-economic development. We can arrest this social decadence through a moral force,” said Puno.
Other religious groups, including the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches, the National Council of Churches in the Philippines, the Philippine Bible Society and the Ecumenical Bishops Forum, expressed solidarity with the Methodist Church in Manila at its launch.
“They are part of the moral force movement,” Puno said of the Catholic hierarchy, adding that there were CBCP representatives during the launch.
“However, I expect the CBCP will have its own brand of moral force movement,” he added, referring to a similar activity at which Catholic leaders would launch their own moral force initiative.
Bishop Lito Cabacungan Tangonan led UMC Manila Episcopal Area’s launch of the moral force at the Central United Methodist Church in Manila.
“We see the moral force as prophets of our time – people who feel the urge to expose and denounce the debilitating ills in our society, especially those generated by the structural system that promotes, breeds and spawns corruption,” read the UMC-MEA’s handout on its area-wide moral force movement.
Puno said yesterday’s activity in Manila wasn’t the first launch of a moral force movement.
The Chief Justice earlier called for a moral force movement nationwide to arrest corruption in the country while maintaining an apolitical stance, saying a council should be formed to spearhead the campaign.
Members of the moral force council would include credible leaders from “business, church groups, youth and the media.”
The core group would “set parameters for the moral force movement with the purpose of making the people aware of what’s been happening and to do something about it.”
Puno earlier vowed that the movement would not be anti-administration or pro-opposition but rather “a positive-neutral constructive” force.
(Comment: The government, being corruption itself, will have no BALLS or political will to fight and stop corruption. It is powerless to stop these bad apples since since many of these corrupt officials are part of even the instigators of graft. Puno alone and as a judge and those advocating to fight corruption will have no BALLS too to do so. Many Filipinos, tired of being impartial and biased to the many ills in the Philippine society, are no longer interested to fight corruption since those who are caught of corruption have "powers" to bribe judges, policemen, government officials and other authorities. They and other criminals remain on the streets devouring the country like hungry cannibals.
If I am president, I'll immediately form a task force (such as an independent commission against corruption) to arrest and jail these corrupt scalawags and build additional prisons to accommodate them. "Them" include corrupt politicians, judges, soldiers and policemen, actors, priests and religious leaders, cousins and family members, pretenders, balimbings, and many other leeches in the society that destroy our moral values. No one will be above the law including myself. We need a leader-president who has BALLS to throw all of them into prisons, yet a leader-president who lets justice and equality reign. We need a leader who can execute the laws of the land and has time to run after corrupt Filipinos. A leader who can encourage other leaders to do their jobs and clean up the whole country.
The Philippines is like an over-loaded 747 and ready to take off a long time ago, but it could not take off because of the existence of these corrupt officials and their cohorts.
BUT in order to stop graft and corruption, we need the help of the people to execute justice and the laws of the land). It's either the bad guys or us. No in between.
Some Supreme Court justices who support Puno in this initiative are expected to name before Thursday members of an advisory council that would push for the movement toward moral transformation in government.
Speaking at the launching of the moral force movement of the Manila Episcopal Area (MEA) of the United Methodist Church (UMC) in the Philippines of which he is a member, Puno lamented how the country is now perceived in the world as a “moral pariah.”
He said Filipinos have witnessed moral decadence and leprosy, referring to corruption in government that he likened to the corruption in England at the time when John Wesley founded their church in the 1700s.
“We are cast as a moral pariah. What a tragic social landscape for the only Christian country in Southeast Asia,” he said.
“Corruption in the country has been deforming all its institutions, undermining our stability and security and preventing our socio-economic development. We can arrest this social decadence through a moral force,” said Puno.
Other religious groups, including the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches, the National Council of Churches in the Philippines, the Philippine Bible Society and the Ecumenical Bishops Forum, expressed solidarity with the Methodist Church in Manila at its launch.
“They are part of the moral force movement,” Puno said of the Catholic hierarchy, adding that there were CBCP representatives during the launch.
“However, I expect the CBCP will have its own brand of moral force movement,” he added, referring to a similar activity at which Catholic leaders would launch their own moral force initiative.
Bishop Lito Cabacungan Tangonan led UMC Manila Episcopal Area’s launch of the moral force at the Central United Methodist Church in Manila.
“We see the moral force as prophets of our time – people who feel the urge to expose and denounce the debilitating ills in our society, especially those generated by the structural system that promotes, breeds and spawns corruption,” read the UMC-MEA’s handout on its area-wide moral force movement.
Puno said yesterday’s activity in Manila wasn’t the first launch of a moral force movement.
The Chief Justice earlier called for a moral force movement nationwide to arrest corruption in the country while maintaining an apolitical stance, saying a council should be formed to spearhead the campaign.
Members of the moral force council would include credible leaders from “business, church groups, youth and the media.”
The core group would “set parameters for the moral force movement with the purpose of making the people aware of what’s been happening and to do something about it.”
Puno earlier vowed that the movement would not be anti-administration or pro-opposition but rather “a positive-neutral constructive” force.
(Comment: The government, being corruption itself, will have no BALLS or political will to fight and stop corruption. It is powerless to stop these bad apples since since many of these corrupt officials are part of even the instigators of graft. Puno alone and as a judge and those advocating to fight corruption will have no BALLS too to do so. Many Filipinos, tired of being impartial and biased to the many ills in the Philippine society, are no longer interested to fight corruption since those who are caught of corruption have "powers" to bribe judges, policemen, government officials and other authorities. They and other criminals remain on the streets devouring the country like hungry cannibals.
If I am president, I'll immediately form a task force (such as an independent commission against corruption) to arrest and jail these corrupt scalawags and build additional prisons to accommodate them. "Them" include corrupt politicians, judges, soldiers and policemen, actors, priests and religious leaders, cousins and family members, pretenders, balimbings, and many other leeches in the society that destroy our moral values. No one will be above the law including myself. We need a leader-president who has BALLS to throw all of them into prisons, yet a leader-president who lets justice and equality reign. We need a leader who can execute the laws of the land and has time to run after corrupt Filipinos. A leader who can encourage other leaders to do their jobs and clean up the whole country.
The Philippines is like an over-loaded 747 and ready to take off a long time ago, but it could not take off because of the existence of these corrupt officials and their cohorts.
BUT in order to stop graft and corruption, we need the help of the people to execute justice and the laws of the land). It's either the bad guys or us. No in between.
Monday, March 30, 2009
On Hong Kong's Chip Tsao's Racial Slur vs. Filipinos
HK magazine regrets columnist’s racial slur By Jerome AningPhilippine Daily Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE 2) Publishers and editors of a Hong Kong magazine apologized on Monday for an article that labeled the Philippines "a nation of servants" and which said that the Philippines could not afford to pursue its claim to the disputed Spratly Islands.
The apology was issued by Asia City Publishing Group (ACPG), publisher of the HK Magazine's print and online editions, which carried on March 27, an article by Chip Tsao titled "The War at Home" which has been scored by Filipino groups in Hong Kong, the Philippines and other parts of the world.
"The publisher and editors of HK Magazine wish to apologize unreservedly for any offense that may have been caused by Chip Tsao's column date March 27. HK Magazine has long championed the rights of Filipinos working in Hong Kong. We note that Filipinos have often been unfairly treated in Hong Kong, and that they make an important contribution to this community," ACPG said.
"As a magazine, we would never want to say anything that would negate that belief," it added.
Copies of the apology were distributed by the Department of Foreign Affairs.A copy was also posted in the agency's website (http://www.dfa.gov.ph/).
The Philippine consulate general in Hong Kong joined politicians and migrant and labor groups in demanding for a public apology from Tsao and the publishers. ACPG, however, noted that the Tsao's column was satirical and the comments it expressed were not intentional.
"One aspect of a satire is that it can at times be read in different ways. In this particular case, many people have read meanings into this column that were never actually intended," the publishing company said.
"We wish to assure our readers that we have nothing but respect for Filipinos, both living in Hong Kong and abroad," it added.
The Philippine Consul General said Tsao’s article was a huge miscalculation. "While Mr. Tsao may have intended his column to be a piece of satire, he has miserably miscalculated in this endeavor," said Philippine deputy consul general Kira Dangan, in a statement issued by the DFA in Manila.
She demanded for an apology for the "grave disrespect" they have shown to the Filipinos in Hong Kong.
"Fortunately, their views are not shared by the larger society in Hong Kong," she added.
According to her, it was "unfortunate" that such an article "could be published in a city that prides itself as a progressive society, that has achieved milestones in multicultural harmony, and whose very character is defined by the presence of people from all corners of the globe."
Dangan noted that Filipinos contributions to Hong Kong’s achievements were "undeniable," adding, "Their work is a noble and dignified one."
Despite the incident, Dangan said that the "long-standing friendship and mutual respect" being enjoyed by the Filipino community and the Hong Kong society would remain. The Hong Kong magazine made the apology as Tsao’s article received an avalanche of condemnation from Filipino groups.
Migrante-Hong Kong and its Manila-based central organization, Migrante International, denounced Tsao’s "insulting wit" and called on the Philippine government to declare him "persona non grata."
"For the mockery and ridicule we are subjected to and for the license given to treat domestic workers harshly, we demand no less than a public apology from Mr. Tsao," Migrante-HK chair Dolores Balladares said in a statement emailed to the Philippine Daily Inquirer. She said the group hoped Tsao would be "civilized and humble enough to admit that his column was way out of line."
"Such contemptuous regard for migrant workers is unconscionable," she added. In Manila, Migrante-International secretary-general Gina Esguerra called the column "the most racist, insulting and demeaning attack yet against Filipino domestic helpers."
“The article smacks of unqualified racial bias that vilifies the hundreds of thousands of Filipinos in Hong Kong and puts them in danger of persecution and harm. We demand no less than a public apology from Mr. Tsao and from the Hong Kong Magazine for allowing this bigoted garbage to appear on its pages,” she said.
Esguerra said Tsao’s diatribes were “a cause for alarm for overseas Filipinos and their families, especially in this time of intensifying global financial crisis where bigotry and racial intolerance are customarily whipped up by host governments in a desperate attempt to evade responsibility on the crisis and to use the army of migrant workers as their convenient scapegoats.”
Before the issuance of a public apology by the Hong Kong magazine, DFA acting spokesman Ed Malaya criticized Tsao for his "condescending attitude" towards Filipino domestics and added that the article was made "not in the best light" and was "uncalled for."
Malaya said that while Tsao, a best selling author and former British Broadcasting Co. reporter, was merely expressing an opinion, the consulate was taking "appropriate action" upon consultation with the Filipino community in the Chinese special administrative region. Tsao's article has been pulled out of the HK Online website. As of 4 p.m., the Inquirer checked the March 27 article entitled “The War At Home” by columnist Chip Tsao and found its URL or Web address (http://hk-magazine.com/feature/war-home) no longer active, with the reader directed to the main Features page. No explanation was provided by the publisher.
A check made on the site around 2 p.m. showed that the article generated at least four pages of comments from readers, mostly denouncing Tsao for being racist and insulting to Filipino domestics, with a few defending him and saying that the article was a satire and should be taken tongue-in-cheek.
Balladares said Filipino domestics in Hong Kong were hurt by the article for using them in the discussion of the Spratlys issue.
She said Tsao’s article not only failed to shed "intelligent light" on the Spratlys issue, but became "a cheap shot, distasteful and demeaning of domestic workers who are already under extreme working and living conditions here."
"In his failed attempt to be witty, Mr. Tsao regrettably trivialized the very serious domestic workers’ situation in Hong Kong society. Such an article to appear publicly is very dangerous for it projects that it can be socially-permissible to treat domestic workers as no more than slaves ready to be lectured, ordered around, easily threatened with termination, and made to jump at every whim of employers," she added.
Balladares said the article could not be labeled as a satire, explaining: "Political satire as a journalistic device is used to challenge or even make fun of authorities and the status quo. Mr. Tsao did not do so in his latest column. Instead, he further beats up the already low and downtrodden."
"Behind such lines that Mr. Tsao may likely but wrongly justify as satire, there lies the precarious reinforcement of the master-slave treatment of domestic workers. Mr. Tsao makes it appear that it is alright to denigrate us and take potshots at us," she added.
Tsao wrote that the Philippines, as "a nation of servants" should not "flex your muscles at your master, from whom you earn most of your bread and butter," referring to the more than 130,000 Filipino domestics earning HK$3,850 monthly in the territory.
He wrote that he summoned Louisa, his domestic assistant who holds a degree in international politics from the University of Manila, and gave her "a harsh lecture."
He said he warned her that if she wanted her wages to increase, she would better tell other domestics that the Spratlys belonged to China and that if war broke out over it, he would have to terminate her "because I would not risk the crime of treason for sponsoring an enemy of the state by paying her to wash my toilet and clean my windows 16 hours a day."
He said that the taxes of Louisa's wage could go to the Philippine government, which might use it to fund a navy to invade Chinese territory.
With an earlier report Erwin Oliva from INQUIRER.net
+++++++++++++++ ******** +++++++++++++++++
(Comments)
Note: I personally wrote two (2) replies against Mr. Tsao’s dangerous article which I reprinted below. I was in HK when I emailed these replies.
My magalang na reply (not published by HK Mag, cc'd to Ms Balladares of UNIFIL):
Dear Editors,
Truly Mr. Tsao's latest article which you've allowed published online has created bad sentiments and ugly image to your publication. It was poorly written, discriminatory, of poor taste, irresponsible, and degrading not only to Filipinos but to all honest migrant workers in Hong Kong. If your intention of publishing Mr. Tsao's article online is just to increase traffic, or add fame or whatever mileage you people think would benefit your outfit, then you are dead wrong.
In this regard, I am calling many of our friends, associations, colleagues including business associates to stop supporting your outfit and remove their advertisements on your publications. We are emailing and forwarding emails to all your advertisers and pick-up outlets in Hong Kong to stop supporting your publications both paper and online.We are also forming an advocacy group to call on all Hong Kong maids including their associations to inform their English-speaking employers to BOYCOTT your publication until a formal apology of both you (editors and Mr. Tsao's) is published online.We shall continue to forward this cause until your apology is published.
By the way, your forum warning in RED color at the top of the forum section is meant to censor reactions from your readers. We think it's too late for that now since the damage has been done:"The War At Home --Please refrain from using profanity or making inappropriate comments. Comments will be disabled if profane or inappropriate comments continue. Please don't ruin the discussion for everyone."
You of all people should have thought it over before allowing a low-life, sick writer Mr. Tsao to unleash his damning article through your outfit. We are forwarding this same email to a lot of good people in Hong Kong including concerned groups and NGO's.
Ricky Rueda Sadiosa
Presidential Candidate 2010
My censored and angry reply (not published by HK Mag – my nose and ears fuming, so pardon the bad words—for adults only. HK Mag is being read by many foreign expats in HK, so there goes my street lingo):
All these Chinese crap and an asshole mathafucker called Tsao
Submitted by rickyrueda on Mon, 30/03/2009 - 11:22.
Facts:
There are more than 10,000,000 chinese and Chinese-Filipinos in the Philippines. Let's massacre them all!
There are 1,000,000 Chinese and Chinese-Americans in the U.S. Let's massacre them all too.
Let's BOYCOTT HK Magazine and tell all our english-speaking friends and employers not to read this crappy cheap mag. Just use them as sheets to clean our windows and dripping walls. This is because this mag thinks and allows mothafuckers like Tsao to use its pages to mock not only Filipinos but other maid nationals in HK... that this mag thinks that it's cool to insult people through its pages. This is very irresponsible and stupid-- f_cking editors and publisher(s) of HK mag. This mag thinks that all these are just for fun to entertain its readers. Perhaps we can visit this mag's office and give its owners and writers a nice pat on the head.
Let's all visit Mr. Tsao's office and give him a nice pat in the head too.
Did I get your attention? Pardon the extremes of my invite to kill Chinese – though this is just a hyperbole for HK mag and Chip Tsao to notice my email from the deluge of emails coming from Filipinos and non-Filipinos all over the world condemning this malicious and racist article!
HK, when still being ruled by the Brits, was just a piece of rock filled with Chinese prostitutes back in the 60's and 70's. People here were as poor as sh_t (like the Philippines now). Back then Filipino tourists did not even consider walking the streets in HK because the territory was filled with triads, narcotics, beggars and prostitutes. It was a very dangerous piece of sh_t back then. So, I guess Mr Tsao forgot this piece of HK history because he was too busy sucking d_cks (yes, this stupid writer Tsao's a foggot) of his classmates while his school teacher was teaching him history.
Again, the people of HK and this foggot Tsao should not brag about Filipinos being a "country of servants" because his grandparent's asses were also poor as rats in the 50's, 60's and 70's. Even my late uncle, who was a small time mayor in our province back in the 60's, has welcomed Chinese migrants in the his home in our province to work as amahs. He had 3 chinese amahs then. I still have that black and white photo with his Chinese maids (who ran away from Amoy and sought refuge in the philippines), standing on both ends of the family clan reunion photo in the 60's all having long pony tails and wearing traditional Chinese dresses.
Ngayon lang kayo yumaman, yumabang na kayo! Mga p_tang-ina n'yo! Galing din naman kayo sa wala, ah! Pwe! (For chinese racists, go and ask your Filipino maids to translate what I've written here in Tagalog and savour the sweet smell of its meaning).
So this BBC-kicked out irresponsible and idiotic journalist Tsao should better read the correct version of Chinese history and be humbled by their true history. I guess he grew up and learned his education from fake Chinese teachers (China is the most notorious product fakers in the world) who, like desperate chinese historians, wanted to present an immaculate history of how China became a superpower - and trying to change and rewrite the not-so-pretty history of their country from the inhuman astrocities during the building of the Great Wall to the Communist Cultural Revolution in the 50's-70's down to the country's persecution of the fa lung gongs of modern china.
"Long live Mao" is Tsao's desperate act of swallowing the errors committed by the former mass murderer of China. During Mao's leadership, more than 30,000,000 chinese died, including many of those who escaped in HK, the Philippines, Taiwan, Korea, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia. Mr Tsao and HK Mag should really apologize. Tsao should be greatful that without the Philippine's hospitable policy of welcoming Chinese escapees and refugeees during their worst political nightmares, there will be no SM's, Cojuangcos, Tans and more than 10,000,000 Chinese and Filipino-Chinese who now are controlling the Philippine economy with the connivance of few Filipino as_holes in the country.
Finally, HK will not be as pretty and clean these days without the "130,000 Filipino slave workers" as this as_hole Tsao has written in his damning article! This alleged bestseller (my ass), self-proclaimed writer should be crucified and ass-kicked from HK Mag -- and this mag finally padlocked!
Enrique Sadiosa
Presidential Candidate 2010
(Comment #2)
In the light of this racist slurs and controversy, our government and past governments should be party blamed for allowing its people to work like slaves in foreign countries. I remember this policy of sending OFWs was a temporary "cure" for the worsening unemployment during the waning Marcos years. It was the former Blas Ople who helped chart the policy of sending OFWs back then to temporary "solve" unemployment.
Now, this policy became a hanapbuhay of the government to earn precious dollars to continue their corruption and neglect of the Filipino people at their expense. Results: Millions of Filipinos today are "motherless and fatherless", many workers are in foreign jails due to various "offences and stupidities" as their foreign host countries charge them. How many Filipinos suffered psychological traumas, physical abuses, some even left on the sidewalks to die like pests, how many thousands are suffering from various mental syndromes far worst than those being suffered by servicemen in their battle against terrorism?
All these because of the Philippine government's neglect and corruption. Do we OFWs really think that we are the "modern heroes" these corrupt officials and their cohorts are labelling us to be? At least, my book "Mga Bagong Bayani" has documented more than 200 of them toiling overseas. But these alleged "protectors of migrant workers" made OFWs as the modern milking cows just for the country to stay afloat. Without the annual OFWS remittances of US$8 billion, the country has already fell into civil war because of hunger!
I say we start changing our impressions and images of our politicians. For more than 40+ years, most of our politicians have had struggled but failed in making the country strong and stable. They failed to uplift our way of life, failed to strenghten our industry, failed to improve the image of the country abroad, failed to stop kdnappings, failed to give solution to the Mindanao problem, hasn't stopped the NPAs from roaming our hills, failed even to produce rice for our people, or even give solution to the traffic-pollution-garbage-over population of Metro Manila, failed to control infaltion, and thousands of other simple problems of the country? 40+ years, mga kababayan! Walang nagawa ang mga sweet-talkers na mga 'to! Plakda pa rin ang bayan!
So, why choose politician candidates to run our lives for the next 6 years again in 2010? Some of these corrupt officials are even sons and daughter of former corrupt politicians posing as "opposition" candidates. One of them even is a son of a former action-movie star-turned president and was convicted of economic plunder and got jailed for it! Now, both him and his dad are running for president! Sonnavabitch! Saan na tayo papunta, mga kababayan?
Can we not understand that the country is only being ran by political families and dynasties which actually brought the country to poverty and hunger? They fight amongst themsleves. They throw accusations among themselves as being corrupt, magnanakaw, mangagnahoy, mamamatay-tao, kidnappers, hamletters, vigilantes, kick-backers and all sorts of degrading insults. They fight among themselves for personal gains in the senate and congress at the expense of our money, time, and efforts. While they insult and fight in the senate and congress, they waste their time, money and efforts while we pay our precious taxes so that they can feed their families, buy their expeditions, villas, resorts, travel abroad, or finance their private armies. And mind you, these are in billions of pesos!
If I am president, this will stop and rechannel these monies to infrastructures, hospitals, schools, health, additional salaries, sound government projects to create jobs, jobs nad more jobs!
I suggest we start rethinking of our choices, our decisions to elect non-politicians or individuals who can present and deliver better solutions to our economic woes and dificulties. Honest candidates who can give "lights at the end of the tunnel" to our suffering 88 million people.
Politicians will NOT give solutions to our current problems. Period! Choose people who have good connections abroad, good business know-how, candidates who knows how to deliver solutions to the economy, who has a heart for OFWs and Filipinos seeking for better lives. Kandidatong me pakiramdam at malasakit sa kapakan ng nakararami (hindi sa iilang mayayaman at kilala na na ang tanging layunin ay isahan ka para lalo silang yumaman).
Lets choose candidates who can teach our people how to create their own businesses and support them too. Candidates who knows how to control the people's money and invest them locally -- invest on their people. Candidates who can network the country to other countries through sound trading where both are winners through import and export of goods. Candidates who aim to see the country becoming industrialized, a country capable of producing its own food and raw materials and process them to benefit the many and earn dollars not by exporting its people, but exporting its products that can compete worldwide.
Let's change ourselves and we can change the country.
MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE 2) Publishers and editors of a Hong Kong magazine apologized on Monday for an article that labeled the Philippines "a nation of servants" and which said that the Philippines could not afford to pursue its claim to the disputed Spratly Islands.
The apology was issued by Asia City Publishing Group (ACPG), publisher of the HK Magazine's print and online editions, which carried on March 27, an article by Chip Tsao titled "The War at Home" which has been scored by Filipino groups in Hong Kong, the Philippines and other parts of the world.
"The publisher and editors of HK Magazine wish to apologize unreservedly for any offense that may have been caused by Chip Tsao's column date March 27. HK Magazine has long championed the rights of Filipinos working in Hong Kong. We note that Filipinos have often been unfairly treated in Hong Kong, and that they make an important contribution to this community," ACPG said.
"As a magazine, we would never want to say anything that would negate that belief," it added.
Copies of the apology were distributed by the Department of Foreign Affairs.A copy was also posted in the agency's website (http://www.dfa.gov.ph/).
The Philippine consulate general in Hong Kong joined politicians and migrant and labor groups in demanding for a public apology from Tsao and the publishers. ACPG, however, noted that the Tsao's column was satirical and the comments it expressed were not intentional.
"One aspect of a satire is that it can at times be read in different ways. In this particular case, many people have read meanings into this column that were never actually intended," the publishing company said.
"We wish to assure our readers that we have nothing but respect for Filipinos, both living in Hong Kong and abroad," it added.
The Philippine Consul General said Tsao’s article was a huge miscalculation. "While Mr. Tsao may have intended his column to be a piece of satire, he has miserably miscalculated in this endeavor," said Philippine deputy consul general Kira Dangan, in a statement issued by the DFA in Manila.
She demanded for an apology for the "grave disrespect" they have shown to the Filipinos in Hong Kong.
"Fortunately, their views are not shared by the larger society in Hong Kong," she added.
According to her, it was "unfortunate" that such an article "could be published in a city that prides itself as a progressive society, that has achieved milestones in multicultural harmony, and whose very character is defined by the presence of people from all corners of the globe."
Dangan noted that Filipinos contributions to Hong Kong’s achievements were "undeniable," adding, "Their work is a noble and dignified one."
Despite the incident, Dangan said that the "long-standing friendship and mutual respect" being enjoyed by the Filipino community and the Hong Kong society would remain. The Hong Kong magazine made the apology as Tsao’s article received an avalanche of condemnation from Filipino groups.
Migrante-Hong Kong and its Manila-based central organization, Migrante International, denounced Tsao’s "insulting wit" and called on the Philippine government to declare him "persona non grata."
"For the mockery and ridicule we are subjected to and for the license given to treat domestic workers harshly, we demand no less than a public apology from Mr. Tsao," Migrante-HK chair Dolores Balladares said in a statement emailed to the Philippine Daily Inquirer. She said the group hoped Tsao would be "civilized and humble enough to admit that his column was way out of line."
"Such contemptuous regard for migrant workers is unconscionable," she added. In Manila, Migrante-International secretary-general Gina Esguerra called the column "the most racist, insulting and demeaning attack yet against Filipino domestic helpers."
“The article smacks of unqualified racial bias that vilifies the hundreds of thousands of Filipinos in Hong Kong and puts them in danger of persecution and harm. We demand no less than a public apology from Mr. Tsao and from the Hong Kong Magazine for allowing this bigoted garbage to appear on its pages,” she said.
Esguerra said Tsao’s diatribes were “a cause for alarm for overseas Filipinos and their families, especially in this time of intensifying global financial crisis where bigotry and racial intolerance are customarily whipped up by host governments in a desperate attempt to evade responsibility on the crisis and to use the army of migrant workers as their convenient scapegoats.”
Before the issuance of a public apology by the Hong Kong magazine, DFA acting spokesman Ed Malaya criticized Tsao for his "condescending attitude" towards Filipino domestics and added that the article was made "not in the best light" and was "uncalled for."
Malaya said that while Tsao, a best selling author and former British Broadcasting Co. reporter, was merely expressing an opinion, the consulate was taking "appropriate action" upon consultation with the Filipino community in the Chinese special administrative region. Tsao's article has been pulled out of the HK Online website. As of 4 p.m., the Inquirer checked the March 27 article entitled “The War At Home” by columnist Chip Tsao and found its URL or Web address (http://hk-magazine.com/feature/war-home) no longer active, with the reader directed to the main Features page. No explanation was provided by the publisher.
A check made on the site around 2 p.m. showed that the article generated at least four pages of comments from readers, mostly denouncing Tsao for being racist and insulting to Filipino domestics, with a few defending him and saying that the article was a satire and should be taken tongue-in-cheek.
Balladares said Filipino domestics in Hong Kong were hurt by the article for using them in the discussion of the Spratlys issue.
She said Tsao’s article not only failed to shed "intelligent light" on the Spratlys issue, but became "a cheap shot, distasteful and demeaning of domestic workers who are already under extreme working and living conditions here."
"In his failed attempt to be witty, Mr. Tsao regrettably trivialized the very serious domestic workers’ situation in Hong Kong society. Such an article to appear publicly is very dangerous for it projects that it can be socially-permissible to treat domestic workers as no more than slaves ready to be lectured, ordered around, easily threatened with termination, and made to jump at every whim of employers," she added.
Balladares said the article could not be labeled as a satire, explaining: "Political satire as a journalistic device is used to challenge or even make fun of authorities and the status quo. Mr. Tsao did not do so in his latest column. Instead, he further beats up the already low and downtrodden."
"Behind such lines that Mr. Tsao may likely but wrongly justify as satire, there lies the precarious reinforcement of the master-slave treatment of domestic workers. Mr. Tsao makes it appear that it is alright to denigrate us and take potshots at us," she added.
Tsao wrote that the Philippines, as "a nation of servants" should not "flex your muscles at your master, from whom you earn most of your bread and butter," referring to the more than 130,000 Filipino domestics earning HK$3,850 monthly in the territory.
He wrote that he summoned Louisa, his domestic assistant who holds a degree in international politics from the University of Manila, and gave her "a harsh lecture."
He said he warned her that if she wanted her wages to increase, she would better tell other domestics that the Spratlys belonged to China and that if war broke out over it, he would have to terminate her "because I would not risk the crime of treason for sponsoring an enemy of the state by paying her to wash my toilet and clean my windows 16 hours a day."
He said that the taxes of Louisa's wage could go to the Philippine government, which might use it to fund a navy to invade Chinese territory.
With an earlier report Erwin Oliva from INQUIRER.net
+++++++++++++++ ******** +++++++++++++++++
(Comments)
Note: I personally wrote two (2) replies against Mr. Tsao’s dangerous article which I reprinted below. I was in HK when I emailed these replies.
My magalang na reply (not published by HK Mag, cc'd to Ms Balladares of UNIFIL):
Dear Editors,
Truly Mr. Tsao's latest article which you've allowed published online has created bad sentiments and ugly image to your publication. It was poorly written, discriminatory, of poor taste, irresponsible, and degrading not only to Filipinos but to all honest migrant workers in Hong Kong. If your intention of publishing Mr. Tsao's article online is just to increase traffic, or add fame or whatever mileage you people think would benefit your outfit, then you are dead wrong.
In this regard, I am calling many of our friends, associations, colleagues including business associates to stop supporting your outfit and remove their advertisements on your publications. We are emailing and forwarding emails to all your advertisers and pick-up outlets in Hong Kong to stop supporting your publications both paper and online.We are also forming an advocacy group to call on all Hong Kong maids including their associations to inform their English-speaking employers to BOYCOTT your publication until a formal apology of both you (editors and Mr. Tsao's) is published online.We shall continue to forward this cause until your apology is published.
By the way, your forum warning in RED color at the top of the forum section is meant to censor reactions from your readers. We think it's too late for that now since the damage has been done:"The War At Home --Please refrain from using profanity or making inappropriate comments. Comments will be disabled if profane or inappropriate comments continue. Please don't ruin the discussion for everyone."
You of all people should have thought it over before allowing a low-life, sick writer Mr. Tsao to unleash his damning article through your outfit. We are forwarding this same email to a lot of good people in Hong Kong including concerned groups and NGO's.
Ricky Rueda Sadiosa
Presidential Candidate 2010
My censored and angry reply (not published by HK Mag – my nose and ears fuming, so pardon the bad words—for adults only. HK Mag is being read by many foreign expats in HK, so there goes my street lingo):
All these Chinese crap and an asshole mathafucker called Tsao
Submitted by rickyrueda on Mon, 30/03/2009 - 11:22.
Facts:
There are more than 10,000,000 chinese and Chinese-Filipinos in the Philippines. Let's massacre them all!
There are 1,000,000 Chinese and Chinese-Americans in the U.S. Let's massacre them all too.
Let's BOYCOTT HK Magazine and tell all our english-speaking friends and employers not to read this crappy cheap mag. Just use them as sheets to clean our windows and dripping walls. This is because this mag thinks and allows mothafuckers like Tsao to use its pages to mock not only Filipinos but other maid nationals in HK... that this mag thinks that it's cool to insult people through its pages. This is very irresponsible and stupid-- f_cking editors and publisher(s) of HK mag. This mag thinks that all these are just for fun to entertain its readers. Perhaps we can visit this mag's office and give its owners and writers a nice pat on the head.
Let's all visit Mr. Tsao's office and give him a nice pat in the head too.
Did I get your attention? Pardon the extremes of my invite to kill Chinese – though this is just a hyperbole for HK mag and Chip Tsao to notice my email from the deluge of emails coming from Filipinos and non-Filipinos all over the world condemning this malicious and racist article!
HK, when still being ruled by the Brits, was just a piece of rock filled with Chinese prostitutes back in the 60's and 70's. People here were as poor as sh_t (like the Philippines now). Back then Filipino tourists did not even consider walking the streets in HK because the territory was filled with triads, narcotics, beggars and prostitutes. It was a very dangerous piece of sh_t back then. So, I guess Mr Tsao forgot this piece of HK history because he was too busy sucking d_cks (yes, this stupid writer Tsao's a foggot) of his classmates while his school teacher was teaching him history.
Again, the people of HK and this foggot Tsao should not brag about Filipinos being a "country of servants" because his grandparent's asses were also poor as rats in the 50's, 60's and 70's. Even my late uncle, who was a small time mayor in our province back in the 60's, has welcomed Chinese migrants in the his home in our province to work as amahs. He had 3 chinese amahs then. I still have that black and white photo with his Chinese maids (who ran away from Amoy and sought refuge in the philippines), standing on both ends of the family clan reunion photo in the 60's all having long pony tails and wearing traditional Chinese dresses.
Ngayon lang kayo yumaman, yumabang na kayo! Mga p_tang-ina n'yo! Galing din naman kayo sa wala, ah! Pwe! (For chinese racists, go and ask your Filipino maids to translate what I've written here in Tagalog and savour the sweet smell of its meaning).
So this BBC-kicked out irresponsible and idiotic journalist Tsao should better read the correct version of Chinese history and be humbled by their true history. I guess he grew up and learned his education from fake Chinese teachers (China is the most notorious product fakers in the world) who, like desperate chinese historians, wanted to present an immaculate history of how China became a superpower - and trying to change and rewrite the not-so-pretty history of their country from the inhuman astrocities during the building of the Great Wall to the Communist Cultural Revolution in the 50's-70's down to the country's persecution of the fa lung gongs of modern china.
"Long live Mao" is Tsao's desperate act of swallowing the errors committed by the former mass murderer of China. During Mao's leadership, more than 30,000,000 chinese died, including many of those who escaped in HK, the Philippines, Taiwan, Korea, Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia. Mr Tsao and HK Mag should really apologize. Tsao should be greatful that without the Philippine's hospitable policy of welcoming Chinese escapees and refugeees during their worst political nightmares, there will be no SM's, Cojuangcos, Tans and more than 10,000,000 Chinese and Filipino-Chinese who now are controlling the Philippine economy with the connivance of few Filipino as_holes in the country.
Finally, HK will not be as pretty and clean these days without the "130,000 Filipino slave workers" as this as_hole Tsao has written in his damning article! This alleged bestseller (my ass), self-proclaimed writer should be crucified and ass-kicked from HK Mag -- and this mag finally padlocked!
Enrique Sadiosa
Presidential Candidate 2010
(Comment #2)
In the light of this racist slurs and controversy, our government and past governments should be party blamed for allowing its people to work like slaves in foreign countries. I remember this policy of sending OFWs was a temporary "cure" for the worsening unemployment during the waning Marcos years. It was the former Blas Ople who helped chart the policy of sending OFWs back then to temporary "solve" unemployment.
Now, this policy became a hanapbuhay of the government to earn precious dollars to continue their corruption and neglect of the Filipino people at their expense. Results: Millions of Filipinos today are "motherless and fatherless", many workers are in foreign jails due to various "offences and stupidities" as their foreign host countries charge them. How many Filipinos suffered psychological traumas, physical abuses, some even left on the sidewalks to die like pests, how many thousands are suffering from various mental syndromes far worst than those being suffered by servicemen in their battle against terrorism?
All these because of the Philippine government's neglect and corruption. Do we OFWs really think that we are the "modern heroes" these corrupt officials and their cohorts are labelling us to be? At least, my book "Mga Bagong Bayani" has documented more than 200 of them toiling overseas. But these alleged "protectors of migrant workers" made OFWs as the modern milking cows just for the country to stay afloat. Without the annual OFWS remittances of US$8 billion, the country has already fell into civil war because of hunger!
I say we start changing our impressions and images of our politicians. For more than 40+ years, most of our politicians have had struggled but failed in making the country strong and stable. They failed to uplift our way of life, failed to strenghten our industry, failed to improve the image of the country abroad, failed to stop kdnappings, failed to give solution to the Mindanao problem, hasn't stopped the NPAs from roaming our hills, failed even to produce rice for our people, or even give solution to the traffic-pollution-garbage-over population of Metro Manila, failed to control infaltion, and thousands of other simple problems of the country? 40+ years, mga kababayan! Walang nagawa ang mga sweet-talkers na mga 'to! Plakda pa rin ang bayan!
So, why choose politician candidates to run our lives for the next 6 years again in 2010? Some of these corrupt officials are even sons and daughter of former corrupt politicians posing as "opposition" candidates. One of them even is a son of a former action-movie star-turned president and was convicted of economic plunder and got jailed for it! Now, both him and his dad are running for president! Sonnavabitch! Saan na tayo papunta, mga kababayan?
Can we not understand that the country is only being ran by political families and dynasties which actually brought the country to poverty and hunger? They fight amongst themsleves. They throw accusations among themselves as being corrupt, magnanakaw, mangagnahoy, mamamatay-tao, kidnappers, hamletters, vigilantes, kick-backers and all sorts of degrading insults. They fight among themselves for personal gains in the senate and congress at the expense of our money, time, and efforts. While they insult and fight in the senate and congress, they waste their time, money and efforts while we pay our precious taxes so that they can feed their families, buy their expeditions, villas, resorts, travel abroad, or finance their private armies. And mind you, these are in billions of pesos!
If I am president, this will stop and rechannel these monies to infrastructures, hospitals, schools, health, additional salaries, sound government projects to create jobs, jobs nad more jobs!
I suggest we start rethinking of our choices, our decisions to elect non-politicians or individuals who can present and deliver better solutions to our economic woes and dificulties. Honest candidates who can give "lights at the end of the tunnel" to our suffering 88 million people.
Politicians will NOT give solutions to our current problems. Period! Choose people who have good connections abroad, good business know-how, candidates who knows how to deliver solutions to the economy, who has a heart for OFWs and Filipinos seeking for better lives. Kandidatong me pakiramdam at malasakit sa kapakan ng nakararami (hindi sa iilang mayayaman at kilala na na ang tanging layunin ay isahan ka para lalo silang yumaman).
Lets choose candidates who can teach our people how to create their own businesses and support them too. Candidates who knows how to control the people's money and invest them locally -- invest on their people. Candidates who can network the country to other countries through sound trading where both are winners through import and export of goods. Candidates who aim to see the country becoming industrialized, a country capable of producing its own food and raw materials and process them to benefit the many and earn dollars not by exporting its people, but exporting its products that can compete worldwide.
Let's change ourselves and we can change the country.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Palace reminds Erap, Binay they are not above the law
(Kasi sila sa Palace eh above the law?)
SAN JUAN, Batangas , Philippines РMalaca̱ang yesterday reminded pardoned former President Joseph Estrada and Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay that they are not above the law and that they should be responsible for their actions.
Press Secretary Cerge Remonde was commenting on the complaints of Estrada and Binay that they are being harassed after Philippine National Police (PNP) officials said they would be investigated for violating a law banning the display and possession of real-looking firearms.
The two opposition leaders were seen riding a restored World War II US army jeep with a mounted .30 caliber machine gun replica during their “Lakbay Pasasalamat” tour in Cebu last March 4. “Officials in the administration of President Arroyo, the sitting President, when going around the provinces, do not ride vehicles with a .50 caliber machine gun mounted on them,” Remonde said in a radio interview.
He said Binay and Estrada should explain their actions instead of crying political harassment.
PNP Director General Jesus Verzosa has said that authorities are investigating if charges can be filed against the two. Verzosa said the Central Visayas Police Office (Region 7) in Cebu had confiscated the machine gun replica. Police revealed that the restored army jeep is owned by the husband of Carmen Mayor Sonia Pua and had recently won in a vintage car show in Cebu.
Verzosa directed PNP-Civil Security Group director Chief Superintendent Ireneo Bacolod to monitor the investigation of the incident. Bacolod said Estrada’s group might have violated Letter of Instruction (LOI) 1264, signed by former President Ferdinand Marcos in 1982, that bans the import, sale and public display of gun replicas.
He said a technical working group would discuss the issue of gun replicas as part of the effort to amend the law on controlling firearms. The PNP has decided to regulate the proliferation of gun replicas, which are sometimes used by criminals in carrying out illegal activities, including bank robbery.
A case of ‘serious sunstroke’
However, Binay said Malacañang is just suffering from “serious sunstroke” and that it is not in a position to give him a lecture on respect for the law. “There are far larger violations of the law that have been committed right inside Malacañang. Yet they choose to hang us for riding a jeep with a replica machine gun,” he said. The feisty local executive said he is ready to face the charges in court, and even dared Mrs. Arroyo, her husband Jose Miguel and other Palace allies to do the same for violations of the law. Binay had earlier dismissed the “gun toting” charges as absurd and ridiculous. “These allegations should be ignored but under Mrs. Arroyo, the absurd and ridiculous are used as evidence in court cases against the opposition,” he said, adding the administration has started its demolition job on them.Estrada, on the other hand, challenged the PNP to file the charges in court, saying its officials are “a bunch of ignoramus.”
(Comments: Hay naku, nag-away ang dalawang grupo ng mga corrupt! Nagtapunan ng parehong baho ang mga kulugo! Waste of ime, money, and effort lang ito. Kapag ang dalawang parehong me baho ay nagsalubong, siguradong wala bangong maibibigay ang mga ito sa mga tao. I suggest na huwag na nating botohan ang lahat na mga kandidatong nanggagaling sa malalaking partido at oposisyon (kuno) since pareho namang mga corrupt ang mga ito. Vote for independent candidates who have no parties, no huge amount to bribe the voters, at saka dahil lamang sa kilala at sikat ang mga ito (dating mga artista). Putulin na rin natin ang pagboboto sa mga kandidatong anak ng dating politiko at galing sa pamilya ng mga politiko dahil wala rin namang plano ang mga ito sa mga Pilipino. Inuuna pa nila ang pansariling interes bago ang mamayan. For more than 40 years, ganito na ng ganito sa bansa. Hindi pa rin ba tayo nagsasawa? Hindi na ba natin mahal ang puturo ng mga anak natin ngayon sa mga magigi nilang mga anak? Kung ang sagot n'yo ay "Oo", then botohan 'nyo ang mga ito.
Hindi pa ba natin napapansin na kahit na sinong politiko ang umupo sa puwesto, wala pa rin tayong asenso. For so many years now, political dynasties had brought no richness and development to the country except corruption, extortion, cheating, embarassment to the people, killings of media practitioners, bad image to the country, insensitivity to the real needs of the poor, unemployment, widening war and misunderstanding in Mindanao, loss of respect of the people to the government (so, the government people just steal their money), illiteracy of the masses, cultural and religious divisions, high prices and inflation, and countless sufferings of the people. Four decades ago, the Philippines is the envy of Asians. Hong Kong, Singapore, Macau, Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, and even China were all looking up to us as the future competitor of Japan. Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, and South Korea were just pieces of rocks. Isang malaking pantalan lang ang Hong Kong at Singapore. Pero dahil binigyan nila ng halaga ang kanilang puturo, ang kanilang boto, naging maunlad silang pareho. Ngayon, tayo ang mga alila nito. Now, all these countries (and even other western and eastern countries are looking down at us like shit (and these "S.O.Bs" in the government (and many of their cohorts don't even give a damn about it! As long as they can squeeze zillions of cash from the people - including OFWs - they are happy and can sleep well at night. What if we, OFWs, exchange positions with these dirty politicians? Let them come to Hong Kong or Saudi or America to work as amahs and engineers or musicians working 12-18 hours a day with no protection or securities or being paid less than what they are supposed to earn? Or being kicked, slapped or dumped in jails because their employers do not like their smell? Can you imagine Mrs. Arroyo being kicked or spat upon in her face by her Chinese employer here in Hong Kong because she can't iron their clothings well? Or Erap, Mar Roxas, Nograles, or Chiz Escudero receiving 12 lashes per day for 4 weeks in a Saudi jail because they're being accused of stealing from their employers? Can we imagine Mr. Enrile or Manny Villar working in Hong Kong as drivers and are asked to clean their employers' swimming pools, scrubbing their toilet bowls or washing their cars or being insulted by their "amos" calling them stupid because their government cannot provide decent jobs for them in the country? Can we imagine Meriam Defensor being scolded and hout upon while removing the shit-filled bed pan of her senile employer? Ano kaya kung sila ang magtrabaho sa abroad and mga OFWs ang umupo sa kanilang puwesto? Finally, siguradong lilinis ang gobyerno natin! Kung talagang nasa puso ng mga lider natin na tawagin tayong mga bagong bayani, sana matagal na nilang binigyang pansin kung papaano tayo makakauwi sa ating mga mahal sa buhay dahil mas mahalaga sa ating mga Pilipino ang pamilya kaysa kita sa malalayong bansa.
Sana matagal na nilang ginamit ang kinurakot na pera sa pagbukas ng mga negosyo para magbigay ng trabaho sa mga OFWs. Ilang milyong kabataan ngayon sa bansa ang nagsilaking walang ama at ina? Marami ang naging mga drug addict, prostitutes, walang natapos at nalulong sa mga sindikato. Sa Hong Kong lang ako nakakita ng tatlong henerasyong lahat naging katulong: yung lola, ina, at babaing anak puro katulong ang kinahitnan dito. Sigurado akong ang magiging anak ng babaing anak na ito ay magiging katulong din pagkatapos nitong mag-aral. Kailan pa natin puputulin ang katarantaduhang ito dahil walang magawang solusyon ang gobyerno ngayon--- at ang magiging kapalit nito kung hindi natin ihahalal ang may tama at tunay na hangarin para sa 88 milyong Pilipino? Gising na, kababayan ko!
Ano nga ba talaga ang nagawa ng maraming politikong naka-upo ngayon sa ating mga Pilipino at sa mga politkong nakaraan na sa ating ekonomiya? Sa ating image sa abroad? Sa ating employment? Sa ating security? Sa ating environment? Sa ating health protections? Sa ating mga paaralan na delapidated na? Sa ating mga public infrastructures? Basura pa lamang sa Metro Manila eh hindi nila mabigyan ng tamang solusyon! Kidnapping na walang katapusan! Gutom! Marami ang namamatay dahil mahal ang hospital at medisina! Maraming kababayan natin ang pumapatol na lamang sa kung sino-sinong banyaga makaahon lamang sa gutom. Marami ang inililibing na walang tamang respeto dahil walang pambayad? Maraming Pilipino ang mistulang tulala at magpakumbaba dahil lumaki silang "sir" at "mam" ang tawag sa mga taong umaabuso naman sa kanilang kahinaan. Tingnan na lamang natin ang simpleng problema sa mga "casual" workers sa bansa. Dahil marami ang walang trabaho, tyaga na lamang sila sa pagiging "casual" kahit college graduate naman ang mga ito. Kaso, inaabuso naman sila ng mga malalaking shopping malls at ibang negosyo sa bansa. Bakit hindi natin baguhin ang sistemang ito? Lalong yumayaman ang mga mayayaman at lalong naghihirap ang maraming mahihirap.
Nasaan na ang ating national pride, mga kapatid? Where is our diginity? Matuto na tayo, mga kababayan ko! Let's clean and make good changes in the country for the benefit of our posterity!
SAN JUAN, Batangas , Philippines РMalaca̱ang yesterday reminded pardoned former President Joseph Estrada and Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay that they are not above the law and that they should be responsible for their actions.
Press Secretary Cerge Remonde was commenting on the complaints of Estrada and Binay that they are being harassed after Philippine National Police (PNP) officials said they would be investigated for violating a law banning the display and possession of real-looking firearms.
The two opposition leaders were seen riding a restored World War II US army jeep with a mounted .30 caliber machine gun replica during their “Lakbay Pasasalamat” tour in Cebu last March 4. “Officials in the administration of President Arroyo, the sitting President, when going around the provinces, do not ride vehicles with a .50 caliber machine gun mounted on them,” Remonde said in a radio interview.
He said Binay and Estrada should explain their actions instead of crying political harassment.
PNP Director General Jesus Verzosa has said that authorities are investigating if charges can be filed against the two. Verzosa said the Central Visayas Police Office (Region 7) in Cebu had confiscated the machine gun replica. Police revealed that the restored army jeep is owned by the husband of Carmen Mayor Sonia Pua and had recently won in a vintage car show in Cebu.
Verzosa directed PNP-Civil Security Group director Chief Superintendent Ireneo Bacolod to monitor the investigation of the incident. Bacolod said Estrada’s group might have violated Letter of Instruction (LOI) 1264, signed by former President Ferdinand Marcos in 1982, that bans the import, sale and public display of gun replicas.
He said a technical working group would discuss the issue of gun replicas as part of the effort to amend the law on controlling firearms. The PNP has decided to regulate the proliferation of gun replicas, which are sometimes used by criminals in carrying out illegal activities, including bank robbery.
A case of ‘serious sunstroke’
However, Binay said Malacañang is just suffering from “serious sunstroke” and that it is not in a position to give him a lecture on respect for the law. “There are far larger violations of the law that have been committed right inside Malacañang. Yet they choose to hang us for riding a jeep with a replica machine gun,” he said. The feisty local executive said he is ready to face the charges in court, and even dared Mrs. Arroyo, her husband Jose Miguel and other Palace allies to do the same for violations of the law. Binay had earlier dismissed the “gun toting” charges as absurd and ridiculous. “These allegations should be ignored but under Mrs. Arroyo, the absurd and ridiculous are used as evidence in court cases against the opposition,” he said, adding the administration has started its demolition job on them.Estrada, on the other hand, challenged the PNP to file the charges in court, saying its officials are “a bunch of ignoramus.”
(Comments: Hay naku, nag-away ang dalawang grupo ng mga corrupt! Nagtapunan ng parehong baho ang mga kulugo! Waste of ime, money, and effort lang ito. Kapag ang dalawang parehong me baho ay nagsalubong, siguradong wala bangong maibibigay ang mga ito sa mga tao. I suggest na huwag na nating botohan ang lahat na mga kandidatong nanggagaling sa malalaking partido at oposisyon (kuno) since pareho namang mga corrupt ang mga ito. Vote for independent candidates who have no parties, no huge amount to bribe the voters, at saka dahil lamang sa kilala at sikat ang mga ito (dating mga artista). Putulin na rin natin ang pagboboto sa mga kandidatong anak ng dating politiko at galing sa pamilya ng mga politiko dahil wala rin namang plano ang mga ito sa mga Pilipino. Inuuna pa nila ang pansariling interes bago ang mamayan. For more than 40 years, ganito na ng ganito sa bansa. Hindi pa rin ba tayo nagsasawa? Hindi na ba natin mahal ang puturo ng mga anak natin ngayon sa mga magigi nilang mga anak? Kung ang sagot n'yo ay "Oo", then botohan 'nyo ang mga ito.
Hindi pa ba natin napapansin na kahit na sinong politiko ang umupo sa puwesto, wala pa rin tayong asenso. For so many years now, political dynasties had brought no richness and development to the country except corruption, extortion, cheating, embarassment to the people, killings of media practitioners, bad image to the country, insensitivity to the real needs of the poor, unemployment, widening war and misunderstanding in Mindanao, loss of respect of the people to the government (so, the government people just steal their money), illiteracy of the masses, cultural and religious divisions, high prices and inflation, and countless sufferings of the people. Four decades ago, the Philippines is the envy of Asians. Hong Kong, Singapore, Macau, Korea, Thailand, Indonesia, and even China were all looking up to us as the future competitor of Japan. Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, and South Korea were just pieces of rocks. Isang malaking pantalan lang ang Hong Kong at Singapore. Pero dahil binigyan nila ng halaga ang kanilang puturo, ang kanilang boto, naging maunlad silang pareho. Ngayon, tayo ang mga alila nito. Now, all these countries (and even other western and eastern countries are looking down at us like shit (and these "S.O.Bs" in the government (and many of their cohorts don't even give a damn about it! As long as they can squeeze zillions of cash from the people - including OFWs - they are happy and can sleep well at night. What if we, OFWs, exchange positions with these dirty politicians? Let them come to Hong Kong or Saudi or America to work as amahs and engineers or musicians working 12-18 hours a day with no protection or securities or being paid less than what they are supposed to earn? Or being kicked, slapped or dumped in jails because their employers do not like their smell? Can you imagine Mrs. Arroyo being kicked or spat upon in her face by her Chinese employer here in Hong Kong because she can't iron their clothings well? Or Erap, Mar Roxas, Nograles, or Chiz Escudero receiving 12 lashes per day for 4 weeks in a Saudi jail because they're being accused of stealing from their employers? Can we imagine Mr. Enrile or Manny Villar working in Hong Kong as drivers and are asked to clean their employers' swimming pools, scrubbing their toilet bowls or washing their cars or being insulted by their "amos" calling them stupid because their government cannot provide decent jobs for them in the country? Can we imagine Meriam Defensor being scolded and hout upon while removing the shit-filled bed pan of her senile employer? Ano kaya kung sila ang magtrabaho sa abroad and mga OFWs ang umupo sa kanilang puwesto? Finally, siguradong lilinis ang gobyerno natin! Kung talagang nasa puso ng mga lider natin na tawagin tayong mga bagong bayani, sana matagal na nilang binigyang pansin kung papaano tayo makakauwi sa ating mga mahal sa buhay dahil mas mahalaga sa ating mga Pilipino ang pamilya kaysa kita sa malalayong bansa.
Sana matagal na nilang ginamit ang kinurakot na pera sa pagbukas ng mga negosyo para magbigay ng trabaho sa mga OFWs. Ilang milyong kabataan ngayon sa bansa ang nagsilaking walang ama at ina? Marami ang naging mga drug addict, prostitutes, walang natapos at nalulong sa mga sindikato. Sa Hong Kong lang ako nakakita ng tatlong henerasyong lahat naging katulong: yung lola, ina, at babaing anak puro katulong ang kinahitnan dito. Sigurado akong ang magiging anak ng babaing anak na ito ay magiging katulong din pagkatapos nitong mag-aral. Kailan pa natin puputulin ang katarantaduhang ito dahil walang magawang solusyon ang gobyerno ngayon--- at ang magiging kapalit nito kung hindi natin ihahalal ang may tama at tunay na hangarin para sa 88 milyong Pilipino? Gising na, kababayan ko!
Ano nga ba talaga ang nagawa ng maraming politikong naka-upo ngayon sa ating mga Pilipino at sa mga politkong nakaraan na sa ating ekonomiya? Sa ating image sa abroad? Sa ating employment? Sa ating security? Sa ating environment? Sa ating health protections? Sa ating mga paaralan na delapidated na? Sa ating mga public infrastructures? Basura pa lamang sa Metro Manila eh hindi nila mabigyan ng tamang solusyon! Kidnapping na walang katapusan! Gutom! Marami ang namamatay dahil mahal ang hospital at medisina! Maraming kababayan natin ang pumapatol na lamang sa kung sino-sinong banyaga makaahon lamang sa gutom. Marami ang inililibing na walang tamang respeto dahil walang pambayad? Maraming Pilipino ang mistulang tulala at magpakumbaba dahil lumaki silang "sir" at "mam" ang tawag sa mga taong umaabuso naman sa kanilang kahinaan. Tingnan na lamang natin ang simpleng problema sa mga "casual" workers sa bansa. Dahil marami ang walang trabaho, tyaga na lamang sila sa pagiging "casual" kahit college graduate naman ang mga ito. Kaso, inaabuso naman sila ng mga malalaking shopping malls at ibang negosyo sa bansa. Bakit hindi natin baguhin ang sistemang ito? Lalong yumayaman ang mga mayayaman at lalong naghihirap ang maraming mahihirap.
Nasaan na ang ating national pride, mga kapatid? Where is our diginity? Matuto na tayo, mga kababayan ko! Let's clean and make good changes in the country for the benefit of our posterity!
DPWH executives in World Bank mess face raps - Ombudsman
MANILA, Philippines - Former secretary Florante Soriquez and 16 other officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) are facing charges of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and other offenses after the Office of the Ombudsman found documentary evidence linking them to alleged anomalous biddings for World Bank-funded road projects.
Assistant Ombudsman Mark Jalandoni told The STAR the anti-graft agency and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) will jointly probe alleged collusion between private contractors and government officials in the supposed anomaly. The investigation of their Field Investigation Office (FIO) covers only the first phase of the fact-finding process since the Office of the Ombudsman does not have jurisdiction over private contractors, he added. Jalandoni said First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo was implicated in the alleged bid-rigging in a World Bank report based on alleged interviews with unnamed witnesses.
Mr. Arroyo can only be probed based on the testimonies of private contractors in the Senate hearings since the witnesses were never named, and the report was confidential, he added.
Jalandoni said their FIO tried to make use of the copies of the testimonies sent to them by the Senate by asking the World Bank to authenticate them. However, the World Bank refused their request, he added. The joint probe with the NBI will have to again call on the witnesses and have them testify on Mr. Arroyo’s supposed involvement in the anomaly, as well as other government officials mentioned in the Senate hearings, he said. Jalandoni said Soriquez, now a DPWH undersecretary, leads the list of officials who are being charged for grave misconduct, dishonesty, conduct prejudicial to the interest of the service, and neglect of duty based on provisions of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Government Officials and Employees before the Office of the Ombudsman’s Preliminary Investigation and Administrative Adjudication and Monitoring Office.
Soriquez, as acting DPWH secretary when the biddings were held, should have rejected all bids that went beyond the approved budget for the contract, he added. The strongest evidence against the respondents are documented bidding records that show supposed irregularities or anomalies in the process, he said. Jalandoni said the World Bank rejected all three winning bidders due to findings that the detailed analysis of the original bids themselves reveal clear patterns of collusions among the bidders, and that in all three occasions, the lowest bids are some 15 percent higher than the estimate cost, which is indicative of alleged bid-rigging.
Graft investigators found sufficient documentary evidence to show that a violation of the Procurement Law has been committed, he added.
All 17 DPWH officials are being charged for approving bids that went beyond the approved budget of the $150-million National Road Improvement and Management Project-Phase 1, Jalandoni said. Charged with Soriquez were Undersecretary Manuel Bonoan as chairman of the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) for Visayas and Mindanao projects; BAC Assistant Secretaries Bashir D. Rasuman, Salvador Pleyto, Juanito Abergas as BAC members; Mocamad M. Raki-in Sr., as Vice Chairman for the Mindanao area; and Rafel C. Yabut as Vice Chairman for Operations for Area III. The anti-graft agency’s investigators also found sufficient grounds to charge BAC members Emerson L. Benitez, who is also a Project Manager III and head of the BAC-Technical Working Group; Baliame P. Mamainte, project director of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development-Project Management Office (IBRD-PMO); Lope S. Adriano, the project director of the IBRB-PMO; lawyer Joel I Jacob, officer-in-charge (OIC) of the legal service; Camilo G. Foronda, OIC of the Comptrollership and Financial Management Services; Director Walter R. Ocampo of the Bureau of Construction; and Florencio I. Aricheta, a representative of the National Constructors Association of the Philippines and the Philippine Construction Association.
Part of the World Bank-funded project covers the rehabilitation of the Marihatag-Barobo/Tagbina-Hinatuan section of the Surigao-Davao Coastal Road Contract Package, according to Jalandoni. A bidding was held on Nov. 20, 2002 wherein the BAC recommended the awarding of the project to China Geo Engineering Corporation which had a bid that was 15.59 percent higher than the approved budget for the contract (ABC) worth P967,012,362.15.
The second part of the NRIMP-1 covers the rehabilitation of the Kabankalan-Basay/ San Enrique-Vallehermoso Road Hinobaan-Basay/La Castellana-Canlaon Section Contract Package or CW-RU-1.6, which was later split into two projects as CW-RU-1.6A and CW-RU-1.6B.
For CW-RU-1.6A, a bidding was held on Aug. 8, 2006 wherein the BAC recommended that the project be awarded to the China Road and Bridge Corporation which had a bid that was 13.38 percent higher than the ABC of P682,396,537.65, according to graft investigators.
For CW-RU-1.6B, a bidding was also held wherein the BAC recommended that the project be awarded to China Wuyi Co. Ltd., which again had a bid that was 16.85 percent higher than the ABC worth P640,574,987.79.
Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez was not present during yesterday’s presentation of the initial findings on the World Bank case as she was allegedly out attending to other matters.
(Comments: Hay, grabe na 'to, nakakahiya na talaga. Halos lahat na yata ng departamento ng gobyerno sa atin ay corrupt! Again, pera ng tao ito at pera ng mga gustong magpahiram sa atin para maibsan ang kahirapan -- na ninanakaw naman ng mga corrupt officials sa atin na kasabwat ng mga taong kasama sa anomalous bidding na ito. Kelan pa natin susugpuin ang salot na ito, kababayan? Lately lang, 'nabigyan' ng bagong award ang ating bayan na pinaka-corrupt na bansa sa buong mundo!)
Assistant Ombudsman Mark Jalandoni told The STAR the anti-graft agency and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) will jointly probe alleged collusion between private contractors and government officials in the supposed anomaly. The investigation of their Field Investigation Office (FIO) covers only the first phase of the fact-finding process since the Office of the Ombudsman does not have jurisdiction over private contractors, he added. Jalandoni said First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo was implicated in the alleged bid-rigging in a World Bank report based on alleged interviews with unnamed witnesses.
Mr. Arroyo can only be probed based on the testimonies of private contractors in the Senate hearings since the witnesses were never named, and the report was confidential, he added.
Jalandoni said their FIO tried to make use of the copies of the testimonies sent to them by the Senate by asking the World Bank to authenticate them. However, the World Bank refused their request, he added. The joint probe with the NBI will have to again call on the witnesses and have them testify on Mr. Arroyo’s supposed involvement in the anomaly, as well as other government officials mentioned in the Senate hearings, he said. Jalandoni said Soriquez, now a DPWH undersecretary, leads the list of officials who are being charged for grave misconduct, dishonesty, conduct prejudicial to the interest of the service, and neglect of duty based on provisions of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Government Officials and Employees before the Office of the Ombudsman’s Preliminary Investigation and Administrative Adjudication and Monitoring Office.
Soriquez, as acting DPWH secretary when the biddings were held, should have rejected all bids that went beyond the approved budget for the contract, he added. The strongest evidence against the respondents are documented bidding records that show supposed irregularities or anomalies in the process, he said. Jalandoni said the World Bank rejected all three winning bidders due to findings that the detailed analysis of the original bids themselves reveal clear patterns of collusions among the bidders, and that in all three occasions, the lowest bids are some 15 percent higher than the estimate cost, which is indicative of alleged bid-rigging.
Graft investigators found sufficient documentary evidence to show that a violation of the Procurement Law has been committed, he added.
All 17 DPWH officials are being charged for approving bids that went beyond the approved budget of the $150-million National Road Improvement and Management Project-Phase 1, Jalandoni said. Charged with Soriquez were Undersecretary Manuel Bonoan as chairman of the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) for Visayas and Mindanao projects; BAC Assistant Secretaries Bashir D. Rasuman, Salvador Pleyto, Juanito Abergas as BAC members; Mocamad M. Raki-in Sr., as Vice Chairman for the Mindanao area; and Rafel C. Yabut as Vice Chairman for Operations for Area III. The anti-graft agency’s investigators also found sufficient grounds to charge BAC members Emerson L. Benitez, who is also a Project Manager III and head of the BAC-Technical Working Group; Baliame P. Mamainte, project director of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development-Project Management Office (IBRD-PMO); Lope S. Adriano, the project director of the IBRB-PMO; lawyer Joel I Jacob, officer-in-charge (OIC) of the legal service; Camilo G. Foronda, OIC of the Comptrollership and Financial Management Services; Director Walter R. Ocampo of the Bureau of Construction; and Florencio I. Aricheta, a representative of the National Constructors Association of the Philippines and the Philippine Construction Association.
Part of the World Bank-funded project covers the rehabilitation of the Marihatag-Barobo/Tagbina-Hinatuan section of the Surigao-Davao Coastal Road Contract Package, according to Jalandoni. A bidding was held on Nov. 20, 2002 wherein the BAC recommended the awarding of the project to China Geo Engineering Corporation which had a bid that was 15.59 percent higher than the approved budget for the contract (ABC) worth P967,012,362.15.
The second part of the NRIMP-1 covers the rehabilitation of the Kabankalan-Basay/ San Enrique-Vallehermoso Road Hinobaan-Basay/La Castellana-Canlaon Section Contract Package or CW-RU-1.6, which was later split into two projects as CW-RU-1.6A and CW-RU-1.6B.
For CW-RU-1.6A, a bidding was held on Aug. 8, 2006 wherein the BAC recommended that the project be awarded to the China Road and Bridge Corporation which had a bid that was 13.38 percent higher than the ABC of P682,396,537.65, according to graft investigators.
For CW-RU-1.6B, a bidding was also held wherein the BAC recommended that the project be awarded to China Wuyi Co. Ltd., which again had a bid that was 16.85 percent higher than the ABC worth P640,574,987.79.
Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez was not present during yesterday’s presentation of the initial findings on the World Bank case as she was allegedly out attending to other matters.
(Comments: Hay, grabe na 'to, nakakahiya na talaga. Halos lahat na yata ng departamento ng gobyerno sa atin ay corrupt! Again, pera ng tao ito at pera ng mga gustong magpahiram sa atin para maibsan ang kahirapan -- na ninanakaw naman ng mga corrupt officials sa atin na kasabwat ng mga taong kasama sa anomalous bidding na ito. Kelan pa natin susugpuin ang salot na ito, kababayan? Lately lang, 'nabigyan' ng bagong award ang ating bayan na pinaka-corrupt na bansa sa buong mundo!)
Plunder raps filed vs National Printing Office officials
By Rainier Allan Ronda, Philstar
MANILA, Philippines - The owner of a private printing firm filed plunder charges before the Office of the Ombudsman against officials of the National Printing Office (NPO) for the alleged anomalous biddings of an estimated P141-million worth of contracts for the printing of official forms of various government agencies and local government units last January and February.
Guillermo Sylianteng Jr., general manager of Ready Form, Inc., filed charges of plunder, dishonesty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the civil service against former acting NPO director Enrique Agana; NPO officer-in-charge Dionisia Valbuena; Miguel Arcadio, chairman of the NPO’s Bids and Awards Committee; and BAC members Eddie Vista, Florencia Reyes, Federico Ramos, Elsa Calma, and Sol Tamayo.
Charges were also filed against Evelyn Perlado, chief of the NPO’s Production, Planning and Control Division; and legal consultant Phio Viovicente. Private printers who participated and bagged contracts in the three public biddings were also included among those charged as private respondents. In his plunder complaint filed before the Ombudsman last Feb. 13, Sylianteng accused the NPO officials of presiding over three alleged “fixed biddings” on Jan. 13 and 19 and Feb. 6 to award multi-million peso printing contracts to produce the standard and official accountable forms of different national government agencies and LGUs.
Sylianteng said that during the Jan. 13 and 19 bidding during which Agana was still the NPO acting director, there was no public notice made of the bidding. In the secret biddings, only the “pre-selected and invited” private printers were able to participate and bag the printing contracts. Among the agencies that gave the NPO their printing contracts were the Land Bank of the Philippines, the Philippine Ports Authority, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, the Manila International Airport Authority, the Commission on Filipinos Overseas, and many others.
Sylianteng said that the officials had falsified bidding documents to make it appear that the two biddings were conducted on Dec. 24, 2008. He said the NPO held the two biddings secretly after he notified the agency that subcontracting of government printing contracts to favored private printers is illegal. The NPO resorts to subcontracting the printing of government forms if the printing agency cannot accommodate more printing jobs for government agencies. The Jan. 13 bidding involved an estimated P50-million worth of contracts of 11 government agencies including the LBP, the Philippine Ports Authority, the Western Visayas State University, Baguio City Hall, Pasig City Hall, and the province of Mindoro Oriental.
The Jan. 19 bidding reportedly involved P60-million worth of printing contracts of about 23 agencies including the LBP, the MIAA, the SBMA, the Philippine National Police, the provincial governments of Aklan, Bukidnon, Negros Occidental, and Antique, the National Children’s Hospital, and many others. After Agana was relieved from the NPO, the agency, then headed by Valbuena as OIC, again held another subcontract public bidding for 61 printing jobs referred to them by other government agencies. The Feb. 6 public bidding involved some P31-million worth of printing contracts. The STAR could not contact Valbuena to get her comment on the plunder charges filed against her and her colleagues. Valbuena stepped down as OIC and resumed her previous post as deputy director last Monday to give way to recently appointed NPO director, retired police general Servando Hizon.
Sylianteng said that the government agencies were prevented from getting cheaper printing services due to the rigged biddings. He cited Executive Order 378 issued by President Arroyo on Oct. 25, 2004 that took away the NPO’s exclusive jurisdiction over the printing of official accountable and standard forms of government agencies. Last Feb. 24, Malacanang’s legal office, through Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs Manuel Gaite, issued a legal opinion declaring that the NPO should no longer conduct such “sub-contract” public biddings of multi-million peso printing contracts. Gaite said that E.O. 378 was issued to ensure that government “benefits from the best services available from the market at the best price.” “Clearly, the NPO no longer has exclusive jurisdiction over the printing service requirement of the government over standard and accountable forms. In fact, it has to compete with the private sector, except in the printing of election paraphernalia which could be shared with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas,” said Gaite, who was recently appointed as commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
The legal opinion was sought by the Department of Finance’s Bureau of Local Government Finance, which has complained of delays in the delivery of vital forms such as official receipts by the NPO’s contracted private printers. Currently, many government agencies still go to the NPO for the printing of official accountable forms such as official receipts printed despite E. O. 387.
Due to its lack of modern printing facilities, the NPO merely farms out these contracts by holding public biddings wherein they select the private printers that will undertake the printing of government forms. The NPO charges the government agency a 15 percent “service fee” for the supposed printing of the forms that was actually undertaken by a winning private printer.
The NPO, it was learned, has around 33 “accredited” private printers that could bid for the subcontracted printing jobs. Official accountable forms are those which the printing office and government agencies have to strictly keep track of and account for, such as official receipts and registration documents such as those issued by the Land Transportation Office for motor vehicle registration and driver’s licenses, money order forms issued by the Philippine Postal Corporation, and the official receipts issued by local city and municipal treasurers to payers of local taxes such as real property taxes, and the receipts and other forms issued by government banks such as the Land Bank of the Philippines.
(Comment: Hay naku... sinabi ko na, kapag corrupt sa taas, corrupt din sa ibaba! At the expense of poor Filipinos, these people in the government treat their jobs as their own business na. Wala ng delikadesa, wala pang kahiya-hiya. Lantarang pang-aabuso sa pera ng tao na para bang isang napakalaking sindikato na ang ating gobyerno. Again, when corrupt leaders govern, the people suffers. I suggest a strong leadership with strong political will will finally eradicate corruption in the country and finally put these corrupt officials into JAIL!)
MANILA, Philippines - The owner of a private printing firm filed plunder charges before the Office of the Ombudsman against officials of the National Printing Office (NPO) for the alleged anomalous biddings of an estimated P141-million worth of contracts for the printing of official forms of various government agencies and local government units last January and February.
Guillermo Sylianteng Jr., general manager of Ready Form, Inc., filed charges of plunder, dishonesty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the civil service against former acting NPO director Enrique Agana; NPO officer-in-charge Dionisia Valbuena; Miguel Arcadio, chairman of the NPO’s Bids and Awards Committee; and BAC members Eddie Vista, Florencia Reyes, Federico Ramos, Elsa Calma, and Sol Tamayo.
Charges were also filed against Evelyn Perlado, chief of the NPO’s Production, Planning and Control Division; and legal consultant Phio Viovicente. Private printers who participated and bagged contracts in the three public biddings were also included among those charged as private respondents. In his plunder complaint filed before the Ombudsman last Feb. 13, Sylianteng accused the NPO officials of presiding over three alleged “fixed biddings” on Jan. 13 and 19 and Feb. 6 to award multi-million peso printing contracts to produce the standard and official accountable forms of different national government agencies and LGUs.
Sylianteng said that during the Jan. 13 and 19 bidding during which Agana was still the NPO acting director, there was no public notice made of the bidding. In the secret biddings, only the “pre-selected and invited” private printers were able to participate and bag the printing contracts. Among the agencies that gave the NPO their printing contracts were the Land Bank of the Philippines, the Philippine Ports Authority, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, the Manila International Airport Authority, the Commission on Filipinos Overseas, and many others.
Sylianteng said that the officials had falsified bidding documents to make it appear that the two biddings were conducted on Dec. 24, 2008. He said the NPO held the two biddings secretly after he notified the agency that subcontracting of government printing contracts to favored private printers is illegal. The NPO resorts to subcontracting the printing of government forms if the printing agency cannot accommodate more printing jobs for government agencies. The Jan. 13 bidding involved an estimated P50-million worth of contracts of 11 government agencies including the LBP, the Philippine Ports Authority, the Western Visayas State University, Baguio City Hall, Pasig City Hall, and the province of Mindoro Oriental.
The Jan. 19 bidding reportedly involved P60-million worth of printing contracts of about 23 agencies including the LBP, the MIAA, the SBMA, the Philippine National Police, the provincial governments of Aklan, Bukidnon, Negros Occidental, and Antique, the National Children’s Hospital, and many others. After Agana was relieved from the NPO, the agency, then headed by Valbuena as OIC, again held another subcontract public bidding for 61 printing jobs referred to them by other government agencies. The Feb. 6 public bidding involved some P31-million worth of printing contracts. The STAR could not contact Valbuena to get her comment on the plunder charges filed against her and her colleagues. Valbuena stepped down as OIC and resumed her previous post as deputy director last Monday to give way to recently appointed NPO director, retired police general Servando Hizon.
Sylianteng said that the government agencies were prevented from getting cheaper printing services due to the rigged biddings. He cited Executive Order 378 issued by President Arroyo on Oct. 25, 2004 that took away the NPO’s exclusive jurisdiction over the printing of official accountable and standard forms of government agencies. Last Feb. 24, Malacanang’s legal office, through Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs Manuel Gaite, issued a legal opinion declaring that the NPO should no longer conduct such “sub-contract” public biddings of multi-million peso printing contracts. Gaite said that E.O. 378 was issued to ensure that government “benefits from the best services available from the market at the best price.” “Clearly, the NPO no longer has exclusive jurisdiction over the printing service requirement of the government over standard and accountable forms. In fact, it has to compete with the private sector, except in the printing of election paraphernalia which could be shared with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas,” said Gaite, who was recently appointed as commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
The legal opinion was sought by the Department of Finance’s Bureau of Local Government Finance, which has complained of delays in the delivery of vital forms such as official receipts by the NPO’s contracted private printers. Currently, many government agencies still go to the NPO for the printing of official accountable forms such as official receipts printed despite E. O. 387.
Due to its lack of modern printing facilities, the NPO merely farms out these contracts by holding public biddings wherein they select the private printers that will undertake the printing of government forms. The NPO charges the government agency a 15 percent “service fee” for the supposed printing of the forms that was actually undertaken by a winning private printer.
The NPO, it was learned, has around 33 “accredited” private printers that could bid for the subcontracted printing jobs. Official accountable forms are those which the printing office and government agencies have to strictly keep track of and account for, such as official receipts and registration documents such as those issued by the Land Transportation Office for motor vehicle registration and driver’s licenses, money order forms issued by the Philippine Postal Corporation, and the official receipts issued by local city and municipal treasurers to payers of local taxes such as real property taxes, and the receipts and other forms issued by government banks such as the Land Bank of the Philippines.
(Comment: Hay naku... sinabi ko na, kapag corrupt sa taas, corrupt din sa ibaba! At the expense of poor Filipinos, these people in the government treat their jobs as their own business na. Wala ng delikadesa, wala pang kahiya-hiya. Lantarang pang-aabuso sa pera ng tao na para bang isang napakalaking sindikato na ang ating gobyerno. Again, when corrupt leaders govern, the people suffers. I suggest a strong leadership with strong political will will finally eradicate corruption in the country and finally put these corrupt officials into JAIL!)
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