Posted by admin on Aug 27, 2010 in
Uncategorized From Day 1, we were all taught that the Congress is the only law-making body in the land.
Then what do we call the Executive Order (EO) No. 1 issued July 31 by President Aquino – unconstitutional?
The President signed EO1 “establishing a commission to investigate allegations of anomalies during the last nine years. The process of bringing a necessary closure to the allegations of official wrongdoing and impunity has begun.”
According to E01, the Truth Commission “shall primarily seek and find the truth on, and toward this end, investigate reports of graft and corruption of such scale and magnitude that shock and offend the moral and ethical sensibilities of the people, committed by the public officers and employees, their co-principals, accomplices and accessories from the private sector, if any, during the previous administration.”
The Commission will recommend the “appropriate action or measure to be taken thereon to ensure that the full measure of justice shall be served without fear or favor.”
It will investigate various anomalies, linked to the past administration like the “Hello, Garci” election scandal, the US$329-million NBN-ZTE telecommunications deal, and the P728-million fertilizer fund scam.
Former Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. will head the Truth Commission. The body will submit its findings and recommendations to the President, Congress and to the Office of the Ombudsman and has until December 31, 2012, to complete its mission.
The question is, is the creation of the Truth Commission legal via a presidential order in the absence of legislative imprimatur?
Second, with its “investigation of cases and instances of graft and corruption”, why does this function remind us of that of the Office of the Ombudsman?
Minority leader Edcel Lagman of Lakas-KAMPI-CMD poses this challenge to the Aquino administration.
Rep. Lagman said “the establishment of the Truth Commission may be constitutionally infirm for the following reasons — the creation and funding of offices and commissions is a legislative power of Congress and, consequently, the Truth Commission cannot be constituted by mere executive fiat; the equal protection clause of the Constitution may be violated by targeting a specific group of officials for investigation; and the Truth Commission duplicates the constitutional mandate of the Office of the Ombudsman as well as the statutory jurisdiction of the Department of Justice.”
He also cited that previous commissions like the Agrava Commission and the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) were created by legislative authorization.
He said only Congress can create such bodies and allocate funds for it. He also said that EO 1 lacks particularity and transparency because no specific amount is appropriated. The Palace only issued a statement that the “Office of the President shall provide the necessary funds for the Commission” without identifying a definitive funding source.
Senator Joker Arroyo had agreed, saying the Truth Commission is powerless through an executive order.
So how relevant and powerful shall the Truth Commission be? Will it really serve its purpose?
In a blog entitled “An unnecessary toothless tiger,” it said that the pitfalls of the commission are many.” While it can gather facts, the Truth Commission, as a creation of the Executive, does not have the powers to issue summons or to cite individuals in contempt. It is dependent on whether crucial witnesses are willing to testify and submit evidence.
Yet, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said officials who are implicated in the allegations of large-scale graft and corruption cases during the previous administration will be compelled to cooperate with the recently created body. “We, of course, anticipate that some of these probable respondents will not cooperate under pain of the sanction here to be dealt with in accordance with law.”
But what is lawful really, and what is not?
Ninez Cacho Olivares, in her Daily Tribune column, wrote, “The public officials they in the Palace speak of may no longer be with the administration or perhaps even in government and certainly private citizens cannot be penalized by such a truth commission that has no legally-acquired powers.”
“Still, it is certain that this Aquino EO1 will be challenged before the high court, precisely because of its unconstitutionality and illegality as many legal luminaries have already pointed out, such a truth commission cannot be granted prosecutorial powers through a presidential order.”
So, was the Commission created just to appease the Filipino people to whom President Aquino made a promise in his Inaugural Speech? Just so it can be said that he kept his word?
Will The Truth Commission succeed?
Many people believe that, unlawful or not, the Aquino administration in coming up with EO1 is sort of saying, “This is what we have for now. Bahala na bukas.”
Indeed as President Aquino answered his critics, “Sa ngayon po, tama ang ginagawa namin. Itutuloy namin iyan. Ang huhusga ay ang Supreme Court.”
“Temporary relief” or not, what matters is they can dig up as many facts as they could, keep on trying, and forever send the message that bad people cannot get away with their crimes.
Posted by admin on Aug 27, 2010 in
Uncategorized President Noynoy Aquino seems to be serious when he said in his Inaugural Speech that he “will design and implement an interaction and feedback mechanism that can effectively respond to the people’s needs and aspirations.”
The Palace recently announced the members of the President’s Communications Group. They are former Transportation Undersecretary and Business World columnist Herminio “Sonny” Coloma and broadcast journalist and ANC anchor Ricky Carandang.
The ComsGroup would be taking over the job of the Office of the Press Secretary.
Carandang will be in charge of “messaging” and Coloma, “dissemination.” Meaning, Carandang will write the words while Coloma will release it to the press. The “dissemination” unit will have for its deputy former Inquirer columnist Manolo Quezon III.
Meanwhile, Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda will be part of the communications group. But he will not be under either Coloma or Carandang.
Communication gap?
Prior to this announcement, there were reports of “communication gap” among the President’s men.
It was reported that the creation of the communications group took longer than expected due to internal differences. The Liberal Party is said to be backing Carandang, while presidential cousin Maria Montelibano, who was in charge of media relations during the presidential campaign, was reportedly pushing for Coloma.
Two budgets?
As the Office of the Press Secretary has been reorganized into the ComsGroup, this means there will be separate budgets for the two secretaries with Cabinet rank.
Carandang is said to be focusing on public relations while Coloma shall be handling the Philippine Information Agency, Philippine News Agency, as well as the government-run television and radio stations.
According to the Palace, there is a need to have two divisions to follow the 24-hour news cycle of modern media.
Sen. Loren Legarda has questioned the separate budgets for the new ComsGroup.
“Is this governance? Or is messaging now governance? Governance is leading people. We should go beyond creating the right message and really make sure that the hungry people are fed,” she said.
Loyalty to former employer and colored news reporting?
Carandang used to host “The Big Picture,” “Dateline Philippines,” and “The Rundown” with Ces Drilon.
A challenge posed to him now is his assumed partiality to the network. How will he show that he will not give it undue advantage over the others?
Other questions that propped up were: Was Carandang a Liberal Party member? Was he part of President Aquino’s think-tank group even while he was still in ANC?
Senator Legarda has also vowed to “grill” him when he faces members of the Commission on Appointments.
Aside from proving that he will not favor his former employer, ABS-CBN, in any way in the future, Legarda said she particularly wants to know if Carandang was already supporting President Aquino and the Liberal Party while he was still with ANC.
According to Legarda, “You can’t be an anchor and journalist and PR-ing at the same time for a candidate.”
If Carandang was indeed one of Aquino’s men even during the presidential campaign, this means there is a possibility that his news reporting might already be biased or “yellow”.
Did Carandang use his profession to advance the LP campaign? And was this a factor to his eventual appointment in Aquino’s ComsGroup?
Will 3F be effective?
According to Coloma, they will use the “3Fs in Public Communication” approach. 3F stands for “feed in, feed forward and feedback.”
Among the action plans is to integrate all government department websites into one that would allow for “all kinds of input and feedback,” Coloma said.
The team will also utilize social networking sites Twitter and Facebook to get feedback and get the pulse of the people.
“Hydra”
Whether the ComsGroup really justifies appointment of two secretaries (aside from the Presidential spokesperson) and creation of two divisions with two separate budgets, perhaps we will know and understand as the days go by.
But isn’t it that the President also said that he needs at least 19 more spokespersons? According to Lacierda, “The President instructed all the Cabinet secretaries to come up with an individual spokesperson for all departments.” These spokespersons shall coordinate with the ComsGroup.
This means at least 19 new mouthpieces, and this number could even increase if each department further appoints a spokesperson for each attached agency.
Philippine Daily Inquirer’s Amando Doronila has compared “the communications monster that the administration has created” to Hydra, a mythological many-headed serpent.
“If Lacierda’s version of 19 more spokespersons is what the President wants, then we would have a monster with more than 19 heads spewing toxic propaganda for the administration,” he wrote.
Posted by admin on Jul 27, 2010 in
Uncategorized “Walang lamangan, walang padrino at walang pagnanakaw. Walang wang-wang, walang counterflow, walang tong”.
Will President Noynoy Aquino be forever remembered for his anti-wangwang inaugural speech?
But more than his anti-wangwang policy, P-Noy’s inaugural speech was unforgettable, undoubtedly awe-inspiring and “makabagbag-damdamin”. He made us hope again. He made us Filipinos believe that the Philippines can indeed change and rise again.
The Filipino people are hungry for food, for justice and for peace. And P-Noy is the one whom they expect to cleanse and eradicate corruption, poverty, ignorance, criminality and unemployment.
What’s in store for us? What will he tell us? What do you think are the issues and concerns that P-Noy should bring up in his SONA? What are his plans and programs? What will he highlight? What will he prioritize? Or better yet, what do we want to hear from him? Will Pinoys lap up his first ever State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 26 with “unconditional love”?
One does not envy P-Noy’s position. True, how does one solve a problem like Gloria, or the problems left by the GMA administration? His 100-day honeymoon isn’t over yet but yes, expectations are heavy and great.
And each of us has his own hopes. We all have our own wish-list. These are just some of the many “sana’s” in P-Noy’s SONA (not necessarily in order), as all eyes and ears will be on him:
Environment / Climate Change
Improve the weather forecasting system and implement pro-active anti-disaster measures.
Ensure ample food, water and power supply during calamities.
Implement stricter laws on pollution / wastes.
Energy
Tap alternative sources of energy.
Curb the powers of Meralco.
Curb the powers of oil companies.
Education
Address shortage in classrooms and inadequate facilities in public schools.
Invest in quality education, including vocational education.
Infrastructure
Improve infrastructures for transportation, tourism and trade.
More LRTs, more MRTs.
Employment/Livelihood
Provide local jobs so that Filipinos will not have to work abroad.
Ensure the welfare of overseas Filipino workers and protect their rights.
Promote and support entrepreneurship and create opportunities for livelihood, including Mindanao.
Promote ecotourism and implement sustainable tourism programs which create job opportunities.
Budget deficit
No new taxes and/but reduce tax rates.
We understand the need to cut spending and improve tax collection, but please, not on our expense.
Any increase in anything (toll fee, power rates, oil price) is passed on to ordinary consumers/commuters.
Health Services
Implement a comprehensive public health care system.
Make health services and basic medicines available to all Filipinos.
Build more barangay health stations and hospitals.
Push for the Responsible Parenthood bill.
Housing
Provide adequate housing and uphold every Filipino’s right to a decent home.
Agriculture
Look into the plight of farmers and into the defects of the agricultural system.
Invest in farms and rural enterprises to achieve food security.
Support and modernize the agricultural sector.
Anti-graft and corruption
With the help of the Truth Commission, probe corruption scandals, reveal and put a closure on irregularities done by the past administration/s.
Do not forget the Freedom of Information Bill which was bypassed in the last Congress.
Do not limit your choices of Cabinet members and other appointees to Liberal Party members. There are many good men outside the Party.
Justice, Peace and Order
Continue to uphold human rights.
Eradicate unofficial armed forces. Implement stricter laws on illegal firearms and push for gun control.
Initiate and continue peace talks with insurgents. As they say, a peaceful and orderly country attracts businesses and tourists.
Bolster the greatly weakened justice system.
The President seems to have a very high approval rating or trust rating at this point. Unfortunately, in the meantime, he still has to address the water crisis, lack of disaster preparedness, traffic in Metro Manila, power rate hike, toll fee hike, oil price hike, health issues, lack of employment, Hacienda Luisita, and hunger problem due to widespread poverty and inadequate social services in the country.
President Noynoy, the Filipino people will be waiting. Those who voted for you will be listening. Those who didn’t will be watching.
Posted by admin on Jul 19, 2010 in
Uncategorized OMG! Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez will not resign.
In a televised press conference last Monday at the Office of the Ombudsman, Gutierrez said, “Like many constitutional officials, the Ombudsman has a fixed term and can be removed only by impeachment.”
According to Gutierrez, there was no basis for her impeachment, not even an “alleged closeness to the appointing authority.”
Gutierrez was appointed by then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in December 2005. She said will complete her fixed seven-year term.
It can be recalled that President Arroyo herself was involved in the “Hello Garci” election fraud controversy, the $329-million NBN-ZTE deal, and P728-million fertilizer scam.
Gutierrez is said to be close to the Arroyos as the former First Gentleman was a classmate in law school.
Gutierrez, whose term ends in 2012, explained that she had inhibited herself from the NBN-ZTE deal and the fertilizer fund scam while maintaining that she and her office were “independent.”
However, she committed her Office’s full cooperation with the Truth Commission to be headed by former Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. to probe the Arroyo administration. This is to show her support for the current administration. Gutierrez said she is willing to personally talk to President Aquino to tell him the accomplishments of the Office of the Ombudsman.
“I will also explain to him my side,” Gutierrez said.
She said her conscience is clear in her almost three decades in government service.
“I’ve been in the government for almost 28 years, but I was never involved in any anomaly. Hindi po ako corrupt, yun po ang maipagmamalaki ko sa inyo. Kahit isa sentimo wala po akong ninakaw sa kaban ng ating bayan,” Gutierrez said.
Even so, this does not excuse her from the failure of the Ombudsman to win anti-graft cases in court. Aside from her association with the Arroyo administration, another complaint against her of those who call for her impeachment or resignation is Ombudsman’s record of court losses.
A Sandiganbayan report released last week said that in the first four months of 2010, the Office of the Ombudsman lost most of the cases it had filed in the anti-graft court.
According to the report, of the 98 cases resolved this year, 78 individuals were either acquitted or saw their cases dismissed. Between January and April, it resolved 62 cases involving 98 respondents. Only eight persons were convicted. The same report showed that 56 people were acquitted, while 22 people had their cases dismissed even before trial could start.
In short, to put it bluntly, if one will look at the reports, “Walang nagawa ang Ombudsman.”
In President Aquino’s inaugural speech, he vowed to provide the country with true and complete justice for all, social reform and equitable governance.
But how could one expect this to happen if people like Gutierrez remain at the helm of Ombudsman, an office responsible for investigating and prosecuting Philippine government officials who are allegedly guilty of crimes. What with her record of inaction and the mishandling and downright dismissal of graft and corruption cases.
People can only pray and say, “Have mercy on us.”
www.blogwatch.ph
Posted by admin on Jul 19, 2010 in
Uncategorized Who’s the Boss?
“Kayo ang boss ko, kaya’t hindi maaaring hindi ako makinig sa mga utos ninyo. We will design and implement an interaction and feedback mechanism that can effectively respond to the people’s needs and aspirations.” — President Benigno S. Aquino III
Last June 30, 2010, we all have just been promoted. We are the President’s boss.
A few days after our promotion, it seems like everyone’s acting out the position.
Will the real Boss please stand up?
Improving the Cabinet’s media relations
After brushes with media, President Aquino’s Cabinet was ordered to undergo media relations training.
This announcement came after Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda had a heated exchange with some Palace reporters over the delayed conduct of a press briefing. The delay was due to Lacierda’s granting of an interview with cable channel ANC.
There was also an incident involving DepEd Secretary Armin Luistro who snapped at the media when he was asked on his stand on the controversial sex education issue.
The training will hopefully help the newly-assigned officials to handle media, “how to improve relations with everybody, hindi naman normal kasi, hindi naman tinuturo sa eskwela,” President Aquino said.
According to President Aquino, the seminar would also help his administration reach out to the public.
“We want to engage the people in the agenda that we have, so the best way is through you, and to communicate what the plans are, the timeframe and not just the substance, the form is also very important, so that seminar will be had by most of the cabinet, especially those who are new to government.”
Latest developments include the appointment of ANC host and Inquirer columnist Manuel Quezon III as his spokesperson for inauguration-related news and award-winning journalist and ANC anchor Ramon ‘Ricky” Carandang as part of the President’s media group.
Don’t shoot the messenger
Some people insist that public officials need not be taught media relations. With or without a honeymoon period, new to the job or not, it’s just a matter of humility, courtesy and tact. And most of them anyway have had previous encounters with the press.
Why pick a fight with the media people or vent anger on them if the latter are just doing their job? Journalists by nature and by profession can be intrusive and nasty to be able to obtain the information they need.
A blog described the seminar on media relations as “should be of great interest to the press and instructive for the department secretaries.”
The blog also suggested some topics and situations to be discussed during the training, such as “anger management,” “the need to appoint people within the department to handle denials, apologies and fine-tuning;” and “why the press is called “the fourth estate” and how the media dictate the national debate/agenda.”
In his column, Atty. Pachico A. Seares wrote, “It doesn’t pay to be angry in talking with media. The news source says things he’ll regret. And he comes out uncouth or bratty: ugly in a news story, uglier in a TV clip or news photo.”
Uproar over media’s “bossiness”
Meanwhile, a comment was posted in Yahoo news, berating media for its “kami muna” attitude.
Using the name “Amelia”, the person cited, among others, and we quote:
- The PNoy government is here for the Filipinos. The interest of the Filipinos should always come first. The media is to work as media. No more, no less. To function as one of the communication between the Filipino and the government…
- The PNoy government is not obligated to make news for the sake of news to give the media its job, but for the sake of news it has to deal with the Filipinos it’s governing.
- The Media can not feel or think themselves as priority and should always be treated as special than any other Filipino.
- The Media can not be above the Pnoy Government.
- The Media can not be a “cry baby”, asking too much unnecessary “WWWWH”. They should be the hand to write, eyes to read, mouth to speak, for the benefit of the Filipinos and not because they are the “media” per se.
Will the real boss please stand up?
A free press is no doubt a powerful press but on the other hand, our public officials and the offices they represent deserve respect.
So who’s the real boss now? It’s neither the government officials nor the press. The two have one thing in common, though: they are committed to public service. If both parties do their job well, the public is served well.
www.blogwatch.ph
Posted by admin on Jul 19, 2010 in
Uncategorized According to Vice President Jejomar C. Binay, President Noynoy Aquino offered him several posts. This includes the Housing Urban and Development Coordinating Council, Department of Agrarian Reform, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, and chairmanship of a commission to probe the Arroyo administration.
But the No. 2 man said he will not accept any Cabinet position and even so, he would still be a working and active vice president. “I would not be a “spare tire.”
Binay said that more than anything, he wants to focus on his own duties as vice president. “Pabayaan n’yo muna akong maglingkod bilang vice president,” he said. “Marami akong tratrabahuhin.”
He said would go around the country to consult with the people and know their condition as it is part of his vice presidential functions.
In fairness to the Vice President, many people thought he would make a good head of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), owing to his experience and expertise being Makati City’s main man for more than 20 years.
According to his website, “Makati has been recognized as the financial center since the 1970s. But at the time of the EDSA Revolution of February 1986, the municipal government was bankrupt.”
However, when Binay took over, Makati’s annual collection has grown at an average growth rate of 18.2 per cent, and the city has consistently posted a budget surplus each year, he said.
“What we did in Makati shows that if the government stands by solid principles, earns the trust of the stakeholders, and more importantly earns a legitimate mandate from the people, we can overcome any challenge,” Binay said.
Among Binay’s programs and plans is to work for a budget increase for the Office of the Vice President and to start working on his campaign promises, such as replicating his accomplishments in Makati City in the rest of the country. This includes free health care, free school supplies for public school students, increased benefits for senior citizens, and better benefits and working conditions for the police force. He believes that “police officers must receive decent homes and decent compensation, and that the promotion system in the police force “should be insulated from politics.”
He also has programs to help increase the revenues of local governments, which would lead to more infrastructure projects.
Aside from local government, Binay said he will also focus on the issues of climate change and the environment.
Binay’s local governance programs and exposure in the local scene may just be his key to success. Even during the May 10 poll campaigns, most opinion editors found it to be a wise move, an ace up his sleeve – to highlight his expertise in the local government. As the saying goes, “All politics is local.”
Not a few analysts and political experts say that “if a politician aims for an important national position, he must not ignore the local road map.”
Which is what Binay has done and will continue to do. Yesterday: Makati. Tomorrow: the Philippines.
Now, one may conclude that no wonder, the DILG post was not offered to him. PNoy and his advisers must have seen it in their minds – Binay controlling all local government units, the police, jails, and even the fire department.
And if they did ask Binay to head DILG, can you imagine if Binay has accepted the challenge? The power would be indeed in Binay’s hands.
This would have a great impact as well on politicians aiming for the Presidency in 2016. So presidential aspirants, beware. As one who vows not to be anybody’s spare tire – visiting each city and municipality to do his vice presidential job, it seems Binay already has one foot in the presidential door. If he plays his cards right, the other one might just be there too soon.
www.blogwatch.ph
Posted by admin on Jul 2, 2010 in
Uncategorized Charity begins at home. But does sex (or knowledge / awareness of it) have to begin there as well, or at school?
This question is posed in the light of the current controversial topic – the integration of sex education in the basic curriculum in public and private elementary and high schools.
According to the Department of Education (DepEd), “The topic will be integrated in Science, Edukasyong Pantahanan at Pangkabuhayan (EPP), Health, Heograpiya, Kasaysayan at Sibika and Mathematics.”
DepEd secretary Mona Valisno, in her guesting stint at Q-TV 11’s “Tonight with Arnold Clavio” claims that for the longest time, such topic has been integrated in all subjects/courses, such as Biology.
She says that it must be the use of the word “sex” that makes it a sensitive issue. According to her, “Sex education” is not about “the sexual act” nor about the use of condoms and contraceptives. But it is about teaching Grade V, Grade 6, and high school students about the reproductive system, wellness, cleanliness, proper hygiene, to enumerate a few. “It is also teaching them values formation, sex in the context of marriage, teaching them how to protect themselves, preparing them for critical thinking, decision-making, and being responsible,” she said.
Sex education also warns about unwanted or teen pregnancies, HIV or sexually-transmitted diseases, and coping with peer pressure, especially in the disadvantaged communities.
In the same show, it was asked if the Catholic Church is over-reacting to the issue, as the teaching modules may not have been properly explained.
Bishop Oscar Cruz of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Tribunal said that DepEd should also consult the parents and seek help from them. “Parents should be the ones to teach their children, not the school,” he said. Most parents do not educate their children on sex because it is a topic that everyone feels awkward to tackle, and most parents either do not know how (to teach it) or have no time (to teach it), even though “It is their obligation to do so,” he said.
According to the show host Arnold Clavio, Filipinos up to now has a different attitude towards sex and sexuality, and the subject is still considered a taboo among us.
Another guest, psychologist Dr. Margie Holmes, said, “You learn it as your age will allow,” answering Clavio’s question as to what age (of the child) it should be taught. “And I’m not referring to the “plumbing”, but sex and relationships in the whole context.”
“It is nice to be ready, it is nice to know these things before it happens,” she said. According to her, it should be taught both in home and school, both by parents and teachers. “Sex is a three-letter word that should be explained with four-letter words such as love, care and give.”
Meanwhile, the DepEd has agreed to defer the implementation of sex education in 80 elementary and 79 secondary schools where the subject will be pilot-tested, even as two batches of teachers have already completed their training on how to handle the modules on sex education, while another batch is set to start theirs within the year.
Topics on the reproductive system, parts of the body, reproductive cycle and puberty are discussed in Science. EPP will integrate proper behavior among and between peers of different genders while MAPEH (Music, Arts, PE and Health) will cover personal hygiene and reproductive health.
Sex education will also be taught in social studies topics under Heograpiya, Kasaysayan at Sibika such as the position of religious groups on pre-marital sex and the norms when people of opposite sex interact.
In Mathematics, students will use data on issues like pre-marital sex, teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections in their mathematical analysis and exercises in statistics.
Sec. Valisno clarified that the deferment was not a reaction to the filing of a class suit by Ang Kapatiran Party (AKP) before the Regional Trial Court of Quezon City, but to wait until a final decision is made on the consultation process.
Meanwhile, the United Nations expressed strong support for the teaching of sex education in public schools believing that it would help provide accurate and appropriate information on how to protect the youth in practicing healthy behavior. The UN pointed out that a critical element to helping young people out of poverty is by providing them with the information to enable them to grow up healthy and to make the right choices for their family.
On the other hand, the petition to stop DepEd from implementing “Institutionalizing Adoloscent Reproductive Health Through Lifeskills-based Education Program” argued that sex education in the country is “unconstitutional and illegal,” and that the Education department is acting without or in excess of jurisdiction or “with grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction.”
Lawyer Jo Aurea Imbong, the executive secretary of the CBCP legal office, and Dr. Ligaya Acosta, the executive director for Asia-Pacific and Oceania of Human Life International, said, “Researches around the world substantiate the fact that the more contraceptive programs are aimed at the young, the more pregnancies, abortions, promiscuity, sexually transmitted diseases and cancer of the cervix result.“ She added that in the DepEd modules, the program is encouraging masturbation, debate on abortion, role-playing and group discussion on sexuality.
So where should it be done – at home or in the classroom? A newspaper columnist said it can be both. While the school takes care of the nitty-gritty; parents can dwell on the more profound or practical aspects of sex education. Clavio was also right in saying that beyond both, there is media, the Internet and peer pressure. And yes, there is also a question of from whom or from where children prefer to hear it.
At the end of the day, the most important is children should be guided and helped in making informed choices. Cliché, but what we all want is what’s best for them.
www.blogwatch.ph
Tags: issues, sex education
Posted by admin on Jul 2, 2010 in
Uncategorized Now that we’re easing ourselves out of the dry spell of El Niño, a lot of Filipinos are welcoming the approaching rainy season with mixed feelings of relief and anxiety. It’s a respite from the oppressive heat for sure, but it’s also a revival of our fright and our helplessness during the terrible floods brought by Ondoy and Pepeng.
These dual disasters, coming one after the other to our already disaster-prone country, had a silver lining though. On top of the floating bodies and debris, one term rose prominently again into our consciousness – disaster preparedness.
It’s not a new term, of course. As far back as the time of President Manuel L. Quezon, two executive orders gave birth to the Civilian Emergency Administration, which was tasked primarily to formulate and execute policies and plans for the protection and welfare of the civilian population under extraordinary and emergency conditions. The program underwent various permutations and expansions until in 1978, by virtue of Presidential Decree 1566, the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) was created to serve as the highest policy-making body for disasters in the country and includes almost all Department Secretaries as members.
The NDCC, though, was an agency with so many tasks yet very limited funding. It did not have its own regular budget to disburse. Rather, it operated through the member-agencies and its local networks, which were the regional and local disaster coordinating councils. It did not even have the police power of the state to compel attention and obedience, because it was the local government units (LGUs) that had to spend for and activate personnel and actually employ resources when doing any kind of disaster management work.
Pressed by cause-oriented groups and lawmakers, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo finally signed into law RA 10121 otherwise known as the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act. Now, instead of merely responding to and recovering from disasters, concerned agencies can focus on being more proactive and pre-emptive in preparing for and mitigating effects of disasters, greatly reducing the risks. Subsequently, the name of the NDCC was also changed to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, which is also applicable to the regional levels.
The law now enables the LGUs to use calamity funds beyond the five percent of internal revenue allotment (IRA) cap previous imposed for disaster preparedness. They now have the flexibility to increase funding to cope with any disaster risk reduction measure.
And it’s really about time we wake up. Ondoy and Pepeng were just the tip of the proverbial disaster iceberg. AWorld Bank Study revealed that sea level is expected to rise by one meter this century. As climate change creates warmer oceans, heightened storm surges would surely damage coastal zones and nearby low-lying areas, and more tempests would start moving inland. Already hurricanes and cyclones have been documented in places where they have never been before. The Philippines, because of its geographical location, is especially prone to typhoons and cyclones.
But even with a new national agency that has a flexible budget and the Office of Civil Defense for its operating arm and secretariat, Filipinos are not relying solely on government action anymore. “Disasters exist when there are communities that are vulnerable and poor,” said Carlos Padolina, deputy director of Citizen’s Disaster Response Center (CDRC), an NGO.
That’s why the CDRC and other non-government organizations have already initiated training programs to prepare communities on what to do and expect before, during, and after a calamity. The CDRC has launched a nationwide training program together with a Singapore-based humanitarian organization Mercy Relief, covering communities prone to landslide s and floods. Not only do they hold educational activities and community drills, they also distribute tree seedlings and conduct forums on sustainable agriculture and community seed banking as part of the efforts to mitigate the impact of disasters and save more lives.
Likewise the residents of affluent villages in Makati City have initiated their own disaster preparedness program after last year’s catastrophies that saw Forbes, Dasmariñas and Magallanes districts submerged in flood.
Sen. Edgardo Angara meanwhile is working with the Hyogo Prefecture in Japan to help establish a Disaster Management Training Center which will develop plans and program aimed to reducing social, environmental, and institutional vulnerability and promoting sustainable human development.
Weather-bureau PAGASA went into partnership with Smart Communications and Jollibee to conduct its disaster awareness programs at the barangay level.
Ondoy and Pepeng, massively tragic as they were, served at least to open our eyes. And the greatest realization there is that, besides drawing on government support to mitigate the loss of life from disasters, we must be proactive ourselves to keep the traumatic history from being repeated.
www.blogwatch.ph
Tags: disaster management
Posted by admin on Jul 2, 2010 in
Uncategorized The controversial pork barrel funds hog the headlines again as more insistent calls for its total and permanent abolition come from different sectors roused by the promises of newly proclaimed president Noynoy Aquino. Latching heavily on to his campaign platform of ending corruption and poverty once and for all, these sectors, the latest being theCatholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), are more optimistic than ever that this congressional instrument of greed will finally be removed from the hands of lawmakers so they can focus on doing exactly what they should be doing – making laws.
It’s a tall order to execute, since Noynoy will basically go against a tradition that dates back to the 1930s during the US colonial occupation. From the start, the pork barrel fund was openly identified as part of a spoil system in politics. It was like the personal discretionary fund of the members of the legislature who belonged to the ruling party, and its dispensation degenerated under the Marcos dictatorship into its lowest form–cronyism.
Today, there may be so-called “definitive” parameters, equal allotments, built-in accountability, and clear transparency governing its use – or so say the lawmakers – and it may have adopted the more respectful-sounding name “Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF),” but there is still no mistaking the fact that it is the biggest source of corruption in the country. Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago herself already bared common practices like “congressional insertions” to bloat the 2008 budget by P11.5 billion, conducting “secret” low-priority projects that have “rich potential for kickbacks,” and appropriating other lump sums that are “most likely subject to abuse.”
Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes of the CBCP hit it right when he said that removing the pork barrel would be a big accomplishment because it will chop off 50 percent of corruption in the country. He recommends that it be “forbidden forever.” Saddled with their dependency on pork barrel, the legislative body also loses its independence from the executive branch of government, as it has been widely reported that President Arroyo withheld the pork barrel allocations from congressmen and senators who voted to impeach her for the “Hello Garci” scandal. No less than a budget official eventually admitted that the president controls the release of the PDAF.
So it is right that the CBCP and other concerned groups are making a beeline to the next president for the abolition of the pork barrel. A congressman allied with the GMA administration, most likely anticipating the sting of receiving a diminished if not outright withheld budget under the Noynoy administration, stated that the next president could not control the release of the pork barrel. Staunch Noynoy supporter Franklin Drilon contradicted this, however, by saying that the power to release the pork barrel is provided solely by the Constitution to the sitting president.
Again, it’s a tall order to even control the release of the pork, since according to columnist Neal Cruz, Noynoy himself filed a bill in the Senate prohibiting the president from withholding the release of budget allocations. Once he sits as president, Noynoy will have to use other means to entice House and Senate to support his legislative agenda, instead of dangling bags of money in front of their noses the way GMA used to do.
Noynoy is aware though that he will have to tread carefully when dealing with the CBCP and its demands. There may be no single Catholic block vote, but the Church can be a formidable force when it flexes its standing as the moral compass of the public when there is disorder and confusion.
Imagine, though, if Noynoy does succeed in his intention to be rid of corruption by sacrificing the pork barrel. The government would have trillions of pesos – more than enough funds to abolish poverty, too. There would be enough schools and facilities, hospitals, roads and bridges, jobs for the jobless, homes, and livelihood opportunities for the less fortunate. If he is serious about bringing about genuine and lasting reforms, and putting his administration into great shape – cut the pork!
www.blogwatch.ph
Tags: funds, Noynoy Aquino, politics, pork barrel
Posted by admin on Jul 2, 2010 in
Uncategorized As chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture and son of the late House Speaker Ramon Mitra, Abraham Kahlil “Baham” Mitra has been pushing for agricultural programs and policies that will promote entrepreneurial growth in rural areas. He has served nine years as Palawan Congressman.
On November 28, 2009, Baham filed his certificate of candidacy for governor of Palawan under the Liberal Party. Although he has long been associated with the present administration, he joined LP due to his affiliation with Noynoy Aquino. However, the first division of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) disqualified Baham in the gubernatorial race for falsely stating his place of residency. The ground for his disqualification was that Baham claimed to be a resident of the town of Aborlan, when he was known to live in Puerto City. One of the petitioners for Baham’s disqualification was Jose Chavez Alvares, who was also running for Palawan governor, a self-made billionaire, and was better known for holding the biggest logging concessions in the province of Palawan two decades ago.
Alvarez pointed out that Baham’s alleged residence in Puerto Princesa disqualifies him to run as Palawan governor because Puerto Princesa, being a highly urbanized city, its residents do not vote for provincial candidates. However, Baham countered that he has been living at Maligaya Feed Mill in Aborlan since 2008 because his house in the area is still under construction. However, Comelec expressed doubt over this, with the petitioners also presenting affidavits of Aborlan residents to the effect that they have not seen Baham in their area. LP President Mar Roxas revealed however that the affidavits disputing Baham’s residency in Aborlan, and which were relied upon by Comelec to disqualify Baham were taken under duress. Furthermore, a draft decision disqualifying Baham already circulated Palawan even before it was promulgated by Comelec. Mar pointed out that this is more than the technicality of residency but a matter of giving the people of Palawan a choice between cash and character.
The disqualification case confused and isolated the Palaweños because as far as they are concerned, the Mitras are deeply rooted in Palawan, Baham being a three-term Congressman, his father, the late Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ramon “Monching” Mitra, was also governor and Congressman of Palawan. To many Palaweños, if a Mitra could not effectively represent them, no one else could.
Baham filed a motion for reconsideration at the Comelec En Banc for the reversal of the First Division’s decision of disqualifying him to run for Palawan governorship. He believes that the move to disqualify him is largely due to his decision to align himself with LP Presidential bet Senator Noynoy Aquino. According to Baham, when Puerto Princesa became a highly urbanized city in August 2007, he scouted for a new area to build his home and found one in Aborlan. While the construction of his house in Aborlan was on-going, he rented a shack and facilitated the official transfer of his voter’s registration. On the other hand, Alvarez registered for the first time as Palawan voter in December 2008. It was therefore surprising that Baham, who served as Palawan representative for nine years, is facing a disqualification case over Alvarez, who is a first time Palawan voter, a native of Cagayan de Oro.
According to Mitra, the disqualification case in the COMELEC angered the Palaweños. It drove the people to personally monitor the movement of the case filed by the Alvarez camp and followed it all the way to the Supreme Court.
Two days before the May 10 elections, the Supreme Court issued a status quo ante order, which meant that Baham can retain his candidacy and the votes for him will be counted. And despite a disqualification case against him, Baham has led the gubernatorial race for Palawan, with Alvarez trailing behind.
After several deliberations at the Comelec and a pending review of his case still pending at the Supreme Court, Baham won and was finally proclaimed by the provincial board of canvassers as Palawan governor last Friday, May 14.
“The recently concluded elections gripped many Palaweños to the edge of their seats, from the time it started up until the winners were finally proclaimed the other day. The exercise became a memorable up-close and personal experience for the Palaweños that they are grateful to the highest tribunal for granting them the chance to vote the leader they want,” Mitra said.
As of this posting, the Supreme Court junked the disqualification against the newly elected, Governor Baham Mitra.
www.blogwatch.ph
Tags: palawan, politics, supreme court