Flagpole as a nation’s pride

 

Hallowed grounds of Luneta Park

Question: Tell me, since when has a flagpole been a nation’s pride?

Answer: Only now, and it can only happen in the Philippines!

I tell you, unless somebody shows me that another country on planet Earth has designed and erected a flagpole in their midst to fly their national emblem for self-esteem at the equivalent cost of P7.87 million, then, gladly, I will apologize.

Until then, I say, you guys at the Department of Tourism (DOT) are not doing any better in giving justice to the Filipino people by instilling in us a false sense of pride by claiming, nay, asserting the importance of Philippine history through a 150 feet high flagpole costing an extravagant P7.87 million.

What has an expensive flagpole got to do with our history.

Yes, I agree that to raise an extra large size flag emblematic of the country’s history at the hallowed grounds of Luneta Park necessitates a sturdy flagpole, but does it have to be that expensive?

Yes, I understand that it needs already a mechanical devise to help man raise the huge flag and a solid foundation to hold it in place, but does it have to be unreasonably high-priced?

Even if the restoration project has gone through a public bidding, as claimed by DOT, what makes it reasonable?

They say the P7.87 million is also earmarked for the removal of structures, reinforcement of steel bar, concrete works, carpentry works, tile works, pole and casing and includes further expenses for construction safety and health, project billboards, construction site fence and field office construction.

Has there really been a study on this or are we just after the bragging rights that the Philippines has the most sophisticated, state-of-the-art flag raising mechanism of the tallest flagpole in the whole world?

Is it the tallest?

Why, is the new designed flagpole also going to be a tourist attraction?

Talking about false sense of pride, indeed.

Note that the flagpole project drew attention and immediate criticism from the public after seeing the project billboard during the “Million People March” called upon to show outrage against the PDAF or pork barrel scam.

Economic growth and the Napoles brouhaha

Despite the Napoles brouhaha engulfing the nation, the balm that seems to innervate the Filipinos to resiliency and to continue looking at the positive side of things is the news that the Philippine economy has expanded 7.5 percent in the April-June quarter.

This has been attributed to an increase in government spending and growth in consumer spending.

”We are in a better position than many of the emerging economies,” Socio-economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said.

His comments come as the Philippines — like several emerging markets around the world — sees huge outflows of cash that had been pumped into the economy over the past year as the Fed kept interest rates ultra-low.

“While other economies that were growing at a fast rate are now decelerating due to a global slowdown, the Philippine economy has shown an ability to withstand external shocks,” Balisacan added.

This was supported by Emilio Neri, corporate economist of Bank of the Philippine Islands, one of the country’s top lenders, who said that “Manila has avoided the worst because it had not been to dependent on foreign funds and did not borrow too much abroad at the height of the US Fed’s easy money policy.

While I understand that the economic growth and the Napoles brouhaha are two different subjects, still one cannot help but associate the two, for if government money in the form of Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) were only given to the lawful beneficiaries, as was intended to be, it could have produced more goods and services, which in turn could have earned the poor people more money to improve their quality of life and, thus, contribute in consumer spending.

Thus, not a meager amount trickled upon the table of the poor to make it three square meals a day or to buy medicine for the sick or to replace the leaky roof or to have a new sandal. Alas, it went in torrents to the deep pockets and bank accounts of the unscrupulous individuals.

What happened is that the scandalous amount of money coming from the pork barrel of some senators and congressmen was not used productively for economic gain, but was rather diverted deceptively to bogus non-government organizations (NGOs) for personal and selfish gain through a cunning scammer, Janet Lim-Napoles, who is at present kept in custody as a high-risk prisoner.

It goes without saying that while we owe it to the financial/fiscal managers for improving the image and economy of the country to a respectable level and making us proud, on the other hand we also condemn in the strongest terms possible the greedy and corrupt practices of some of our lawmakers/politicians who have sold their souls and allied themselves with the devil in betraying the trust and confidence the people have given them in their role as public servants.

Life so precious that Napoles surrenders

Janet Lim-Napoles surrenders

The picture says it all.

No longer appearing acrimonious and arrogant, as the public has been used to seeing her, now Janet Lim-Napoles’ composed demeanor, as she awaits the arrival of President Benigno Aquino to surrender herself to him, belies the true feeling she had been harboring since the P10-million bounty was announced by no less than the president for any information of her whereabouts.

Napoles knew that, more than sooner than later, the huge prize money for her head will work like a charm in smoking her out, including the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), which according to reports had earlier got a hot tip where she was hiding and were ready to serve her warrant of arrest.

The Priority Development Assistance Fund (DPAF) or pork barrel scam, said to be the brain-child of Napoles and allegedly in connivance with some of the country’s lawmakers, had been getting hotter and uglier by the day and with the outrage shown by the people it was not doing Napoles any good hiding. The more she hid, the more she became fearful for her precious life and, obviously, the lives of those shielding her.

Thus, yielding to the president was the safest and prudent way to go and she opted for it considering that she had dragged with her powerful political personalities whom she evilly enticed and corrupted.

Lawyer Lorna Kapunan said her client surrendered for fear of her life.

“There are really people who want to keep her silent permanently,” Kapunan said.

And for a reason. Nobody wants to be called an ill repute person, much more when you are in public service.

This humongous amount involved in the scandal she created and perpetrated all these years with the alleged participation, either wittingly or unwittingly, by some senators and congressmen, at the expense of the Filipino taxpayers, is not considered the ‘mother of all scams’ for nothing.

Now, the question in everybody’s mind is whether or not Napoles will be made a state witness in this scandalous people money’s scam?

Let us not even talk about it, for chrisssssake!

After depriving the country and its poor citizens for what should have been due them in terms of development, benefits, welfare and improvement in the quality of life, she is instead being considered under the witness protection program if she divulges the name of those who connived with her?

I say, let her name names and extent of their participation and prosecute the bastards, but let her precious life rot in jail, too, for overly enriching herself and her family by deceiving and defrauding the Filipino people.

It is not as if she is just the ears, the eyes, the middleman or the mouthpiece of this mind-boggling hocus-pocus of the public funds, if one has to determine her guilt.

Napoles is on top of the pyramid. She is the brains, for crying out loud!

Admission coming straight from the horse’s mouth

 

Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago

I am reprinting here an article written on Aug. 28, 2013 by Ms. Angela Casauay of Rappler.com, a social news network.

The article, which I consider a primer that makes for a comprehensive and reprehensible political scandal, talks about the high profile PDAF or pork barrel scam that is rocking both houses of Congress today and the reason for the successful people march and assemblage, but the gist of the story really is about the admission of how much senators of the realm make coming straight from the horse’s mouth.

The reason why I am reprinting this in toto is because I don’t want to take any credit away from Ms. Casauay. The fact that the one making the admission (confession?) is no other than the fiery Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago herself makes it all the more credible, yet the truth is disgusting and woeful, by any stretch of the imagination.

One should not wonder anymore, like what I had been saying all these times, that if running for congressman and senator is luring actors, actresses and boxing great, and political dynasties are shaping up, it is because these lofty positions are the antithesis of going bankrupt.

The following is Ms. Casauay’s article:

Senators earn from P600k to P5M a month

Under the salary standardization law, a senator receives a salary of P90,000 a month. But in reality, Sen Miriam Defensor Santiago claims, lawmakers receive between P600,000 to P5 million monthly — depending on the positions they hold.

And after the social media-organized protest to abolish the pork barrel on Monday, August 26, the senator believes it is time for Congress to make public the details on their incomes, and pass the Freedom of Information bill.

Santiago said Congress has devised a “labyrinth method” on providing lawmakers with incomes “very much more than their official salaries.”

“It’s like the ancient Japanese capital cities which were designed with labyrinthine roads to prevent the enemy from penetrating the ultimate castle of the shogun,” Santiago said during her keynote speech at the 30^th annual convention of the Philippine Blood Coordinating Council on Wednesday, August 28.

How does the “labyrinth” system work?

In the Senate, Santiago said, her colleagues receive extra income for chairing oversight committees or becoming a member of the Commission on Appointments.

For fiscal year 2013, each oversight committee has a budget of between P5 million to P37 million a year.

Those who get elected to the Senate get even bigger “discretionary funds” amounting to between P1.5 million to P2.3 million per month, Santiago added.

“If we add up all these sources of income, a senator could be making P4 million to P 5 million monthly. And this does not include a kickback of 10% to 50% from the pork barrel,” Santiago said.

She provided the following computation of senators’ total approximate monthly incomes

Salary	P90,000
If chair of two oversight committees	P70,000
As member of 7 oversight committees	P210,000
As member of Commission on Appointments	P200,000
Approximate Total Monthly Income	P570,000
Budget for Office of the Senator	P1,522,240 to P2,302,425
Budget for the Permanent Committee	P1,228,995 to P2,295,732
Approximate Total Monthly Discretionary Funds	P2,751,235 to P4,598,157

 

A 2011 Commission on Audit (COA) report found that the following senators received additional funds for being elected as officials:

• Juan Ponce-Enrile, as Senate President – P71.7M
• Jinggoy Estrada, as Senate Pro Tempore – P9.3M
• Tito Sotto, as Majority Floor Leader – P9.3M
• Alan Peter Cayetano, as Minority Floor Leader – P10.2M

Meanwhile, a subsequent special COA report on the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) found that lawmakers channeled at least P6.1 billion worth of funds to bogus nongovernment organizations allegedly operated by Janet Lim-Napoles, now considered a fugitive.

President Benigno Aquino III announced a P10-M reward for the arrest of Napoles, who has been missing for about two weeks now.

Amid calls to scrap the pork barrel system, the President earlier announced he was abolishing the PDAF and installing a new scheme. The PDAF is a lump sum fund in the national budget. Each senator receives P200 million worth of PDAF a year, while counterparts in the House of Representatives receive P70 million each.

Following Monday’s protests, Santiago said netizens should now push for the passage of the FOI.

“It is a natural consequence of the People’s March last Monday that netizens should now call for passage by Congress of the Philippines Freedom of Information Act (FOIA),” Santiago said.

The Philippines can follow the example of the United States’ FOI law, according to Santiago. In the US, government agencies are required to publish online documents of high public interest, ready for download by anyone interested.

People assemblage against PDAF has made us “bosses”

 

Aerial view of the “Million People March” at Luneta

Finally it is becoming a reality.

Remember when Benigno Aquino III was sworn in as the country’s 15^th President in 2010 and made that famous and endearing speech, proclaiming “Kayo ang boss ko (You are my boss)?”

Aquino was not trying to create an empty slogan or was playing with words to make us feel good. In fact, he was serious then and has continued chanting this slogan in every SONA that he has made for, indeed, it is written in Article II, Section 1 of the 1987 Constitution that “….Sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them.”

All along we have taken this particular proclamation very lightly, if not, nonchalantly, for we know very well how politicians take us for a ride. We always feel puny and inferior against their being mighty and wealthy in their lofty position.

We had been disadvantaged and we know that. They, their ilk and their cohorts can always be seen getting richer, and the poor amongst us, getting poorer. Even in times when the economy has been perceived to be turning for the better, the poor, the marginalized sector of our society, have been complaining that not a trickle of the country’s affluence has gone their way.

But, not any more, and for a reason.

Divine Providence has made it happen that someone comes out from nowhere, either with guilt-laden conscience, gyp,  or getting revenge, and divulge (whistle-blows) the web of corruption being orchestrated and perpetrated by one, Janet Lim-Napoles, with some senators and congressmen as accomplices, using the taxpayer’s money amounting to a mind-boggling quantity.

The result has been described in the media as the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam or commonly known as pork barrel scam, for these are huge amount of government money allotted to benefit the poor, but got channeled to bogus non-government organizations (NGOs) and ultimately funneled to the bank accounts of Napoles and some alleged unscrupulous politicians.

This anomaly has caused much indignation and incensed the national psyche that the “Million People March” was called on Heroes Day, August 26, resulting to an assemblage of people from all walks of life rocking the boat of Aquino’s government urging the abolition of pork barrels of senators and congressmen and demanding the prosecution of those guilty.

With the latest report of the Commission on Audit (COA) saying and showing the magnitude of the scam to the people, the more that we feel and realize that, indeed, when we unite and have strength in our voices, that we are the “boss” that President Aquino has been talking about all along and now Aquino and his administration is listening.

We have sent our message loud and clear and government is responding.

Let us remain the “bosses” we have been proclaimed to be, but let us always be one in our desire to have competent and honest servant leaders who could give us also an adequate and efficient governance.

We can only do this if we remain united, vigilant, discriminating and responsible – as “bosses”.

Pork barrel scam heats up Santiago-Lacson feud

 

Senators Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Panfilo Lacson

We all know there is no love lost between these two outspoken and feuding senators of the realm – Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Panfilo Lacson.

Every time there is a chance to go at each others ‘jugular’, there is no stopping them.

This time it is about the suggestion of a colleague in the senate that Lacson be appointed as an special investigator or a consultant to look into the alleged irregularities in the use of the pork barrel funds by some senators.

Hearing this, Santiago couldn’t contain her blood pressure from rising, criticizing the suggestion, saying, “Lacson, a former police chief, doesn’t have any clue about the law.”

“He is a former fugitive from justice who remains unpunished and serves as the poster boy for people like [Janet Lim] Napoles who has disappeared to evade a warrant of arrest, just like he did.

“A policeman cannot be adviser to a Senate committee probing the pork barrel, because this is a question of law. He has no clue on how the law proceeds in these cases. After a cop finishes his investigation, the report is submitted to the prosecutor, not the other way around,” she said.

Not to be outdone, Lacson retorted, “She’s nothing but a pathetic absentee solon who will soon be facing corruption charges in the Sandiganbayan.”

Apparently, Lacson, who has ways of ferreting out information, says that Santiago has been approaching people to influence Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales to drop a possible graft and corruption charge against her.

He said Santiago can’t do anything now but “to invoke her insanity.”

Those are, indeed, harsh exchanges of words, but while I agree with Miriam, it is not, however, for the reason she has given. And, neither the analysis given by their senate colleague that Lacson is the best man for the position because of his being a Philippine Military Academy graduate and a former Philippine National Police chief, is adequate justification for being named a consultant on the pork barrel scam probe.

Others are saying that because Lacson has never touched his pork barrel in his 12-year tenure as senator, that he is a shoo-in for the job.

What a shallow argument.

My disagreement simply lies in the fact that there is already an existing government agency headed by a competent and highly regarded former member of the Supreme Court called the Ombudsman of the Philippines (Filipino: Tanodbayan ng Pilipinas), whose mandate is to investigate and prosecute government officials accused of graft and corruption.

So, what makes it ‘special’ and ‘elite’ for Lacson to be a pork barrel scam prober?

‘The million people march’ versus the PDAF

The gathering of a large, determined and peaceful crowd, like ‘the million people march’ movement, being called upon by the organizers to show solidarity against the scandal laden Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork barrel is a very strong signal to political leaders that the citizenry has finally awaken and is up and about in fighting corruption in government.

While size and unity is important in giving strength to the movement, what matters most, however, is that it has to have the character, the power and the leadership to make it sustainable.

Thus, it is not just enough to be a number in the crowd, but what is critical for the success of this noble movement is that, now that it has been started, it shall continue monitoring its progress, never letting up or slackening in the drive for the abolition of granting taxpayer’s money in the form of pork barrel to lawmakers in the upper and lower House of congress.

These unscrupulous politicians, who love to call themselves ‘public servants’, have done so much injustice to the Filipino people for so long that it is time for them to reform their evil ways and be more responsible, transparent and accountable for anything they do that is intended for the citizens, especially the marginalized ones.

As the people power revolution dethroned the despot Marcos and brought back democracy in our midst, so, too, should our expectations be that ‘the million people march’ movement will start reforming and transforming our so called’ public servants’ into ‘servants leaders’ and truly serve the interest of the country and the welfare of its people.

It is about time we do away with patronage politics. Doing away with patronage politics is doing away with the immoral ‘debt of gratitude’ between political leaders, which translate to the adherence of the pork barrel scheme in the guise of PDAF

Indeed, the opportune time has come for a change, but not just for the political leaders of this country.

The fact that ‘the million people march’ has been conceived and realized by well meaning netizens, in coordination with and cooperation of important sectors of society, to include the religious groups, also means that we, the public, are ready to make changes in the ways we participate in the political process in this country, especially during elections, when we are given choices as to whom to vote to be our leaders in the executive and legislative branches of government.

Let “the million people march” movement on August 26, fittingly coinciding with the celebration of National Heroes’ Day, be remembered as the turning point in the Filipino people’s quest for responsible leaders and good governance.

PNoy more dependable with pork barrel than lawmakers

Pres. Benigno Aquino with Budget Secretary Florencio Abad

Budget Secretary Florencio B. Abad is said to have defended the presidential pork barrel, saying it is necessary so the Palace could act swiftly during emergency situations.

I could not agree with him more, but only because the president is Benigno Aquino (PNoy).

PNoy has a name to protect and for as long as he has been president he has guarded the legacy of his illustrious parent’s name with decency and propriety.

Thus, while he may have announced that “it’s time to abolish pork” amid allegations that the P10 billion Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of lawmakers was funneled to dubious nongovernment organizations (NGOs), he was criticized at the same time for his P449.95 billion worth of President’s Social Fund (PSF) earmarked for the 2014 national budget.

Be that as it may, I would rather put all my trust in PNoy who is known for his fastidiousness, when a large amount of money is involved, rather than have faith in people who can’t even account how the scandalous amount of money was spent and whether or not the beneficiaries are real people or dummies.

Now that the pork barrel has become a controversial issue involving some lawmakers themselves, the same people are calling for an investigation as if they are going to grill each and get to the bottom of the truth for the satisfaction of the public.

In fact the probe they are calling is simply to exonerate themselves, but as they start blaming and pointing a finger at somebody else, they should remember that the three other fingers are pointing at their own person. They seem to be sending a signal to the people that their conscience is clear. What conscience are you talking about?

The nerve of these politicians for taking us all for dumb!

Included in the presidential pork funds, according to Abad are:

• Calamity fund for typhoon victims
• Contingency fund for overseas Filipino workers affected by unrest abroad
• Money for emergency response by the police and the military
• Pension funds
• Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) of LGUs
• Debt servicing

The explanation given by Abad that the presidential pork is needed to allow the palace to respond promptly to “emergency situations” is fair enough, especially the likes of typhoon Maring, where lose of lives, properties and damage to infrastructures are to be attended to.

“It is not practical for the executive branch to go to Congress during an emergency situation to get the appropriate budget that’s why special funds are created in the budget,” he said.

So, if you already have this substantial amount of pork barrel to be managed by the president, why still allot more sizable amount to lawmakers only to squander it so others may be benefited – as has been discovered in the scam?

Political will is needed to abolish for good this corrupt system of repaying political patronage by senators and congressmen in the guise of Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).

Croc gives friendly ride to a turtle

 

This is an unusual sight, but a very advantageous, if not fortunate, one for the turtle who was not only given a free ride but also for an enlivening sun bathing.

The scene of the unlikely duo was taken by local photographer Peter Cruse while on a trip with his family in a crocodile-infested north Queensland river.

The accommodating croc was perhaps full and didn’t mind at all the edible load, at least for the time being.

Shane Neale, Reptile Department Supervisor at Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures, said the two species could live in harmony, but only if the fresh water crocs will continue to have their preferred diet of small fish, crustaceans and insects.

“If times were lean for food availability, then certainly they would take the opportunity to feed on a fresh water turtle, if it arose,” Neale added.

This opportunistic turtle just escaped being crushed by the proven 1000 pound closing pressure of the crocodile’s jaws.

Typhoon Maring’s rainfall destruction

 

With rain volume of 600 millimeters in 24 hours, exceeding that of Ondoy (455 mm) in 2009 and the Habagat (472 mm) in 2012, tropical storm Maring (international code name: Trami)  was just as equally devastating as when a typhoon is packed with killer winds.

Even as Maring has exited and now causing havoc in other neighboring countries, large portion of Luzon is still flooded and many people are displaced.

The same region hasn’t even recovered yet from the onslaught of typhoon Labuyo (Utor), when again another calamity brought by Maring struck causing more destruction to properties and misery to people.

Whether the present weather pattern now is the result of global warning caused by people’s greed and negligence of the environment or not, the fact remains that we are in the midst of chaotic weather changes that is happening all over the world.

For those of us far from the direct effects of a calamity, it is always with compassion that we watch on TV people suffering from the ravages, in whatever form, and whether abroad or that befalling our countrymen.

Our prayers and wishes for speedy recovery from personal losses – in lives and properties – are always being conveyed to God.

But in so doing, we cannot help but also mutter a prayer for our own safety and that of our love ones for we know that somehow, sometime, it will be our turn to be facing the wrath of nature.

Today you are in distress, tomorrow, it will be us. That is how nature works and that is the reality we are seeing now – with more devastating effect.

 Hopefully, the distress and despair etched on the faces of people when catastrophes happen will translate to better understanding, concern and care by the public servants in government in giving immediate response and aid to, at least, help assuage the havoc causing in the inner beings of the victims.

We can only look up to government with political will for a better tomorrow.