Difficult to justify; mayor apologizes

 

“Integrity, transparency and the fight against corruption have to be part of the culture. They have to be taught as fundamental values.”

—Angel Gurria

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

EVEN if Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio will hire the best accountants and spin masters in the Philippines to help her wiggle out from her present predicament, the P125 million representing the “confidential funds” her office had “spent” for only 11 days, according to the Commission on Audit (COA), is hard to justify.

No mathematician, auditor and accounting expert can camouflage and smokescreen a suspected blatant misappropriation of public funds in such a lousy and outrageous manner.    

She is expected—and will be forced—to issue alibis and justifications whether she likes it or don’t, for she cannot ignore the growing and hostile demands from various sectors and irate taxpayers for her to explain how the money was used in such uncanny fashion and hurtle.

She has to liquidate it by all means. Transparency and accountability can’t be shrugged off especially if it involves millions of pesos in public funds.

As concurrently the secretary of education, she has to face the issue squarely and refrain from hiding behind the blouses of her undersecretaries.

 

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Mrs. Duterte-Carpio can’t just brush aside the burning issue and divert the people’s attention by resorting to name-calling and lambasting lawmakers like Sen. Riza Hontiveros and Rep. France Castro who demanded for her accountability.

That’s a PR disaster nonpareil. It’s a fatal way of handling a very difficult and embarrassing crisis in connection with the “confidential funds.”

By being sardonic amid this humiliating situation, she will only further sink her own body in the quicksand.

Where’s the humility, couth, and professionalism?

Doesn’t she have advisers and consultants for crisis management? Better still, does she listen to them?

Did the hard-hitting ex-president fret about his daughter’s scandalous misadventure?

He should have at least done something as a father and a fellow public servant to stop her on her tracks when it became known all over the country that the daughter appeared to have mishandled her office’s “confidential funds.”    

Instead of being belligerent and angry, Vice President Duterte-Carpio should have spoken meekly and calmly. She can’t win this gory battle in the bar of public opinion.

When you are accused of abusing and messing around with the people’s money, you’ll be rebuked and loathed even if your popularity is skyrocketing.

Taxpayers can tolerate incompetence in public service, but not a whiff of graft and corruption and a potential plunder.

 

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In a rare act by a local chief executive, Iloilo City Mayor Geronimo “Jerry” Treñas has apologized for the conduct of several city hall contractual employees and a permanent employee implicated in a case of theft recently.

“One regular employee and 5 casual employees of the city government under the City Engineers Office have been reported to have been involved in the theft of active main copper wires of the Pldt,” the mayor wrote in his Facebook account.

“They are given the option of resigning from their employment immediately or face criminal and administrative cases. In behalf of the city government, I apologize for these employees. We will always endeavor to prove that they are the exceptions rather than the rule in the city government.”

 

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IT IS STILL A TECHNICAL DEPORTATION, GENERAL. Former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. has insisted he was not deported by the Canadian immigration authorities who reportedly gave him plenty of trouble upon his arrival at the Langley Airport in Canada recently.

Report said he was subjected to intense questioning about the drug war of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

Because he couldn’t stand the heat in the kitchen, the retired general claimed he opted to take a flight back to the Philippines, as reported in the Philippine Star, to avoid further “harassment” by immigration authorities.

The Canadian immigration authorities were reportedly interested to know the details about the Duterte drug war, and even asked Azurin about incumbent senators allied with the previous administration.

By taking a flight back to his airport of origin after a nightmarish experience in the Canadian immigration, it’s still a technical deportation. For whatever reason, we will never know unless the Canadian authorities will tell us.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

A preventive suspension made in River Styx

 

“A person who has been punished is not less inclined to behave in a given way; at best, he learns how to avoid punishment.”

— B. F. Skinner

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

THE 90-day preventive suspension the Sandiganbayan has meted Antique governor Rhodora Cadiao for alleged violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act (RA) No. 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, was the kind of punitive measure that would ruin local chief executives.

Being forced to vacate their posts temporarily for a maximum of three months means the suspended local chief executives were half guilty of the charges leveled against them.

Even if they would be acquitted, the preventive suspension tarnished their so-called aura of invincibility.

Even if the Sandiganbayan’s Seventh Division has explained that “a preventive suspension is necessary to forestall the possibility that the accused may use one’s office to intimidate witnesses, or frustrate the prosecution of the case, or continue committing malfeasance” and may be lifted after upon expiration of the 90-day period, it’s already a psychological defeat for the accused, in this case Cadiao.

That’s why we call it as a preventive suspension made in the River Styx.

If anyone bathes in the River Styx and survives, according to the Greek mythology, that person will bear the Curse of Achilles and become invulnerable to most physical attacks, excluding a small spot on their body that if struck will instantly kill them.

Future political rivals would be emboldened to topple the erstwhile unconquered Cadiao now that she has been “blooded” by the pesky preventive suspension.

 

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Many local chief executives—village chiefs, mayors, governors, particularly—facing graft charges were never the same again politically after being canned for 90 days.

We know a lot of swaggering mayors and governors in Western Visayas and even in Metro Manila who got clobbered in the next elections after being slammed by the Sandiganbayan and even by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) for 90 days.

Not all suspended local chief executives though were found guilty after serving their suspension.

There were preventive suspensions, especially those handed down by the DILG, which were political in nature.

The late former Iloilo City mayor Rodolfo “Roding” Ganzon claimed in 1989 he was suspended by the DILG after he opposed the Cory administration’s Small Town Lottery (STL) project, an accusation the Malacanang had denied.

In Cadiao’s case, the preventive suspension did not come because she stole from the public coffer and got caught.

It’s more of a case of alleged harassment or abuse of power and authority by a Goliath over David in a public office, which should serve as a warning to other “vindictive” political leaders in power.

It stemmed from her 2016 order reassigning then Provincial General Services Office chief Antonio Dela Vega to the capitol’s Culasi satellite office some 100 kilometers away from the capital town of San Jose, where the seat of provincial government is located.

 

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Dela Vega contested the validity of Cadiao’s order before the Civil Service Commission (CSC) as he believed it was “tantamount to constructive dismissal.”

The CSC gave credence to Dela Vega’s complaint and in March 2017 subsequently ordered him reinstated to his original office in the provincial capitol.

The CSC also ordered the provincial government to pay Dela Vega his representation and travel allowance (RATA) among other benefits due him covering the time he was reassigned to Culasi from July 2016 to February 2018.

When he failed to get the benefits due him as ordered by the CSC, Dela Vega sued the lady governor before the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas in 2018.

Among Dela Vega’s allegations was that Cadiao did not sign his daily time record (DTR) resulting in the failure of both the provincial accountant and provincial treasurer to process the release of his benefits.

The Ombudsman found probable cause to indict Cadiao for one count violation of Section 3(e) of RA 3019 in a resolution dated Sept. 2, 2019 signed by Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Paul Elmer Clemente and approved by Ombudsman Samuel Martires on Oct. 22, 2021.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)

 

 

Tommy’s sleeplessness and our mortality

 

“The pain of loneliness seems to be part of the mortal experience. But the Lord in His mercy has made it so that we need never deal with the challenges of mortality alone.”

—Sheri L. Dew

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

UNKNOWN to my visiting friend from Vancouver, Tommy Choy. Jr., I silently grappled to understand my own mortality while listening to his lament he has been struggling with a sleep problem.

Like him, I also struggle to have a good sleep at night. Like him, I suspect my oxygen levels drop when I go to sleep, thus the carbon dioxide levels possibly build up in my blood. I’d be lucky if I dozed off for more than two hours every night.

We’re aware the condition could lead to morning headaches, fatigue and sleepiness during the day, which I have experienced.

But I don’t feel what Tommy feels. I haven’t experienced losing weight drastically. Tom did lose weight—like a featherweight UFC brawler impairing to straw weight; a trace of crimson is visible in the façade.

Tommy, a part time writer for Surrey-based Philippine Asian News Today and a successful realtor, said he doesn’t have worries with his liver and kidneys except for the “little” issues with his heart.

“I need to walk as much as possible even if I sometimes lose my balance. I need to do it slowly unlike before. I need to hold on to something when I take the stairs, if possible. If I fall and hit my head on the ground, it will be my end,” he chortled. “Protect your head, Alex. Don’t fall.”

It’s been four years since we last met, and everything hadn’t changed except Tommy’s physical appearance and honest-to-goodness confession: “I feel weak when I can’t sleep. There are nights that I can hardly sleep, and this has been bothering me a lot. But if I am able to sleep, I’m like a baby.”

 

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Was the septuagenarian from Vancouver envisaging his predestination?

Health issues have slowed down the effervescent Tom, 71, a successful realtor who now dabbles in part time writing and spends his time meeting with friends—old and new— “if I feel okay.”

“Every time I feel weak, I tell the Lord if it’s my time, I’m ready for you,” he quipped.

Tom emphasized: “Sleep is important to us. Our body needs rest. We can do many productive things if we have enough sleep. Our mind can function effectively, and we can think clearly and do our tasks efficiently if we have a good sleep. You should sleep more, Alex.”

Health experts have warned of short-term problems we will encounter if we don’t log enough hours of sleep. These are lack of alertness. Even missing as little as 1.5 hours can have an impact on how we feel; excessive daytime sleepiness. It can make us very sleepy and tired during the day.

Also impaired memory. Lack of sleep can affect our ability to think, remember and process information. Relationship stress. It can make us feel moody and we can become more likely to have conflicts with others.

Also, our quality of life. We may become less likely to participate in normal daily activities or to exercise, and greater likelihood for car accidents. Drowsy driving accounts for thousands of crashes, injuries and fatalities each year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

 

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Tommy wished me luck on my “new life” in New York. He suggested that I “connect only with the right people who can help you with your livelihood and happiness and not waste your time with those who cannot help you and have nothing to do with your passion.”

As a “hard-hitting” journalist, Tommy said I must build my own defense like playing chess. “When the queen falls, you lose the match,” he warned.

“You must focus on your passion as a writer, avoid getting involved in the conflict of others, and keep your faith in God.”

“Also,” Tommy added, “we should avoid salty food or salty sauce. Salt isn’t unhealthy unless we eat too much of it.

Tom warned that too much salt intake can lead to serious health problems when liquid goes down and stays in our legs and stomach.

Doctors said hyperuricemia, an abnormally high level of uric acid in the blood associated especially with the disease gout, happens if too much uric acid stays in our body.

Hyperuricemia reportedly causes uric acid to clump together in sharp crystals. These crystals can settle in our joints and cause gout, a painful form of arthritis. They can also build up in our kidneys and form kidney stones.

According to health authorities, salt and sodium aren’t the same things. Salt is composed of two minerals — about 40 percent sodium and 60 percent chloride. Sodium is what can negatively affect our health if we consume too much.

But our body also needs sodium to survive, health experts said. In small amounts, it helps our nerves and muscles function properly and balances fluid in the body.

According to Dr. Julia Zumpano we need a minimum of 1,500 milligrams of sodium a day. Going below that leads to low blood pressure and electrolyte imbalances in our blood. Signs of too little sodium include: Dizziness. Headache. Lack of energy. Muscle fatigue. Nausea.

We have been warned of the effects of eating too much salt. A sodium-heavy diet makes us retain fluid, which leads to swelling in the short term.

But far more concerning is its impact on our body over time. Zumpano said excess sodium intake can negatively affect our kidney function. It also leads to high blood pressure, the top risk factor for stroke.

“If you only check your blood pressure once a year at your checkup, it could be normal that day,” explained Zumpano. “Perhaps you’ve fasted, had a cup of coffee, peed a lot, and so your blood pressure seems fine. But it might not be so normal if you were tested after eating out at a restaurant.”

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)

 

 

Because it’s defective

 

“One sees qualities at a distance and defects at close range.”

— Victor Hugo

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

DEPARTMENT of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) OIC regional director Sonny Boy Oropel appeared to be unhappy with the criticism they received from the media and the public after he announced the temporary or “soft” opening of the scandal-ridden and defective P680-million (plus P200 million for “repair”) Ungka flyover (UFO) in Pavia, Iloilo starting September 21.

If they did not open the controversial flyover, they got flak, he moaned. And now that they decided to open it temporarily, they still got negative feedback.

“I can’t understand,” he averred in vernacular.

The main issue here was not whether the flyover would be opened to motorists.

It is the defective project that is problematic.

After being initially opened to traffic on Sept. 5, 2022, the flyover, which straddles Jaro district and Brgy. Ungka 2 in Pavia, was closed two weeks later due to the vertical displacement of the structure.

And the taxpayers have all the right to revolt. Is this hard to understand?

 

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RP HEARD AGAIN BUT RUSSIAN STOLE THE SHOW. The Philippines, represented by Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique A. Manalo, was finally given the opportunity to be heard in the morning session of the 78^th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 23.

Aside from the Philippines, other speakers came from the Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Cabo Verde, Somalia, Laos, Ethiopia, Papua New Guinea, Azerbaijan, Russia, Indonesia, Mexico, New Zealand, Armenia, Iceland, Egypt.

They were overshadowed by Russian Foreign Sergey Lavrov, who claimed power was slipping through the hands of the old order, dominated by Washington, which has long rejected the principle of equality.

Lavrov told delegates: “Americans and Europeans “make all sorts of promises…and then just don’t fulfill them.”

Quoting President Vladimir Putin, he said the West was “truly an empire of lies” which even during the battle against Nazism in World War Two, had plotted an offensive against their Soviet allies.

Manalo said in his speech the UN spirits calls upon all to decisively respond to existential threats such as global warming, degrading ecosystem, diseases, and food security.

 

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He added: “We must configure our work to the realities of our time, placing people and communities at the heart of our agenda, refocusing consensus through differences and recognizing the agency of many voices, not only the powerful few, in shaping our shared future.”

Manalo emphasized that The Philippines advocates for the peaceful settlement of disputes, in accordance with international law, adding: “This has always been our position with respect to the disputes in the West Philippine Sea, inasmuch as we are prepared to defend our sovereignty, sovereign rights and territorial integrity.”

Humanity remains in danger from too many destructive and disruptive weapons in existence, he continued.  With thousands of nuclear warheads still present and the Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty unrealized, heightened arms races and new ways of warfare – including in the cyber and space domains — have transformed the strategic landscape in the twenty-first century.  

 

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“The rule of law must reign all the more,” he stressed.  Advocating for the peaceful uses of outer space and greater responsibility among States to reduce space threats, he also stressed that new technology cannot be weaponized or misused in any way that subverts democracy and freedom, challenges international humanitarian law, exploits the vulnerable and violate human rights.

Further, he called for industrialized countries to abide by their obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement on climate change.  

The continued reform of the UN Development System is key to ensuring that the Organization delivers transformative development outcomes. “Solidarity sets the ground for international cooperation as we reinforce the global health-security system, following the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic,” he emphasized, reiterating calls for equity in the provision of vaccines.  

“We must never again witness a global emergency of such scale wherein those in most need will be provided for last,” he added.  

The Philippines will continue to advocate for the human rights of vulnerable groups, especially women, children, Indigenous Peoples, migrants, persons with disabilities, refugees, and older persons, he declared. (With reports from UN News)

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo. —Ed)

 

 

‘Safe’ as long as it isn’t made of marshmallow

 

“It is not the beauty of a building you should look at; its the construction of the foundation that will stand the test of time.”

—David Allan Coe

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

THE many restrictions imposed by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for the “temporary” reopening of the much-vilified and defective P680-million (plus P200-million for the “repair”) Ungka flyover (UFO) in Pavia, Iloilo can be compared to a newly built but poorly constructed house turned over by the builder to the homeowner and his family for a short-term use.

The homeowner and his family can temporarily use the new house but are prohibited from using some of the interior amenities pending the final repair of other major areas inside.

Even if they own the house, other overweight family members have limited movements; they can’t stay together in the kitchen or extend extra time inside the bathroom.

The time to watch TV in the living room is limited; and they can’t park their cars in the garage.

It’s like telling them, the construction of the house has been finalized, but there are some finishing touches yet to be done inside. You can live there temporarily at your own risk.

If the house is still inhabitable, it’s better not to live there until after the complete redecoration and refurbishment.

 

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Under the DPWH restrictions for the flyover’s “soft” opening this week, only the two inner lanes of the four-lane flyover would be open; access to the flyover would be restricted to rush hours, from five o’clock to nine o’clock in the morning and four o’clock to eight o’clock in the evening daily.

Barriers would block access to the flyover beyond the aforementioned hours.

Only four-wheeled vehicles, such as traditional jeepneys, modernized units, and private vehicles, would be permitted cross the flyover. Motorcycles, bicycles, and tricycles would not be allowed.

To ensure that only authorized vehicles used the flyover, an overhead “gantry” would be erected.

Based on the insistence and assurance of DPWH officer-in-charge Sanny Boy Oropel during the press conference on September 19, the Ungka flyover is safe for light vehicles only.

“We hope for the best. Our continuous monitoring provided us with the data,” he said as quoted by reports. “There has been no additional vertical movement since January after the contractor introduced jet grouting.”

We agree with Engr. Oropel that the controversial flyover is “safe” as long as it is not substandard and not made of marshmallow.

 

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SECURITY FROM CYBERATTACK. At the 78^th UN General Assembly in New York City on September 19, eleven senior leaders joined the United States led by U.S. Deputy Secretary Richard R. Verma and Ambassador at Large for Cyberspace and Digital Policy Nathaniel C. Fick in a discussion on how to better secure cyberspace and support recovery of partners that suffer a significant disruptive cyberattack. 

Cyberspace and digital technologies offer tremendous opportunities for economic growth and development for all UN member states.  Cyberattacks carried out by criminals and nation states demonstrate the risk that cyber vulnerabilities can pose to global peace, security, and economic development, according to the US Department of State.

For more than two decades, added the State Department, UN member states have built consensus on a normative framework for responsible state behavior in cyberspace that includes the applicability of international law, non-binding peacetime norms of responsible state behavior, confidence building measures, and capacity building. 

To advance collective action on those commitments, leaders focused on practical steps to implement the framework, provide support to partners responding to and recovering from significant cyber incidents, and help all countries realize the tremendous potential of a digitally connected future.

Deputy Secretary Verma emphasized the U.S. commitment to work with other countries to strengthen global cybersecurity during the event. 

He also reiterated U.S. support for the creation of a new Program of Action at the United Nations as a flexible venue where UN member states can engage in practical discussions on how best to secure cyberspace for all. 

This is a decisive decade, and we are all in it together.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)

 

 

 

Still risky and dangerous

“The road to success is always under construction.”

—Arnold Palmer

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

LET’S hope there’s no truth to reports the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) was planning to open the scandal-ridden and defective P680-million Ungka flyover in Pavia, Iloilo to light vehicles even if it is still under repair and observation.

We still trust the expertise and wisdom of technical people—the experts and engineers—when it comes to hammering out the correct and wise decision.

Our only concern is, opening the unfinished flyover to light vehicles can be like allowing a newly circumcised male adult to, no pun intended, participate in a horse racing, or forcing a prostitute just released from hospital after a Caesarean operation, to report back to the whorehouse.

Since it involves the public works and elevated infrastructure, the danger and risk are always clear and present.

Before any untoward incident like a collision of vehicles when certain portions of the flyover accidentally abrade or scrape away, it’s best if they will allow the flyover’s total rehabilitation to conclude first according to timetable before opening it to traffic.

We can’t experiment with safety or human life.

It’s better to err on the side of caution.

Or, as the saying goes, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

 

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Opening it to light vehicles might follow after the dynamic “load testing” was done last month to determine if the flyover’s piers or foundations are still sinking.

The final decision would be known reportedly during the press conference at the DPWH regional office on September 19.

It may be recalled that the Pier 5 sank at a depth of 22.9 inches, Pier 6 at 19.21 inches, and Pier 4 impaired by 16 inches.

Now that a budget of P200 million has been reportedly set aside to fix the sinking foundations, it may be best if they let the entire rehabilitation works be completed first before any vehicle can be allowed to cross the flyover for safety purposes.

Again, we leave the matter to the experts, the engineers, who are more knowledgeable, responsible, and accountable.

 

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There are two major issues that will forever inconvenience and torment the Filipinos: China’s non-stop incursion and harassment of our ships in the West Philippine Sea and the mind-boggling oil price increase.

If we think China will stop tailing or blocking the Philippine Navy ships in the disputed waters after a series of diplomatic protests and complaints before the international tribunal, we are wrong.

If we think prices of fuel products, which will rise for the 11th consecutive this week as Russia and Saudi Arabia extended voluntary production cuts, will end, we are also wrong.

Both our woes with China and oil price hike are parts of geopolitics.

It is because of China’s sweeping claims of sovereignty over the sea—and the sea’s estimated 11 billion barrels of untapped oil and 190 trillion cubic feet of natural gas—that have antagonized competing claimants Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

Countries began to claim islands and various zones in the South China Sea, such as the Spratly Islands, which possess rich natural resources and fishing areas, as early as the 1970s when Ferdinand Marcos Sr. was the president.

And in accordance with its Statute, the mission of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is to coordinate and unify the petroleum policies of its Member Countries and ensure the stabilization of oil markets in order to secure an efficient, economic and regular supply of petroleum to consumers, a steady income to producers and a fair return on capital for those investing in the petroleum industry.

On September 18, Pilipinas Shell and Caltex announced increases of P2.50 per liter for diesel and P2 per liter for gasoline and kerosene.

Other companies are expected to announce the same price hikes.

The adjustments took effect on September 19.

Pump prices have not slowed down since July, bringing total increases for diesel to P16.90 per liter, gasoline to P11.60, and kerosene to P15.74.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)

 

 

    

 

Digging her own political grave

 

“Greed is not a financial issue. It’s a heart issue.”

—Andy Stanley

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

LET’s not interrupt while she makes a big mistake; in fact, plenty of moral, spiritual, and political mistakes.

She has dug her own political grave for being: 1. Rapacious; 2. Arrogant; 3. Onion-skinned; 4. Abusive; 5. Feeling-special; 6. Feeling-bossy; 7. Hot-tempered; 8. Insensitive; 9. Pugnacious; 10. Dominant; 11. Tart-tongued; 12. Entitled; 13. Corrupt; 14. Power-hungry; 15. Greedy; 16. No delicadeza; and 17. Spoiled brat.

Now that the cat is out of the bag, let her fall under her own weight. It’s destiny; and she has shown she is morally unfit as leader when she refused to be scrutinized and criticized.

It is evident she’s not prepared for a job in public office because of her lack of respect for the taxpayers and their hard-earned money.

“He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is vanity.” (Ecclesiastes 5:10)

“For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (1 Timothy 6:10)

“But the Lord said to him, ‘Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and of the platter; but inside of you, you are full of robbery and wickedness.’” (Luke 11:39)

 

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As we have emphasized here repeatedly, no dictatorship or despotic ruler has won—and will win—against the press in history and in the future.

Simply put, dictators come and go while the press (it is better abused than curtailed) remains and perseveres in a democratic state.

We insisted then that Nobel prize winner Maria Ressa’s string of “defeats” during the Duterte administration was only temporary.

Now that the past administration is history, comes the vindication of the Filipino-American journalist and the brave Rappler.

While fewer women journalists are among the victims of fatal attacks, women are particularly targeted by offline and online gender-based threats and harassment.

These attacks have increased significantly in recent years. Women journalists have identified political leaders, extremist networks and partisan media as some of the biggest instigators and amplifiers of online violence against women, according to the UNESCO discussion paper The Chilling: Global trends in online violence against women journalists, 2021, based on a major interdisciplinary study produced by the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ).

 

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Axios’ Sara Fischer has emphasized why it matters that Ressa was acquitted on tax evasion charges.

The most harassed lady journalist and Rappler have been fighting charges brought against them by former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s regime for the past five years.

Ressa, a former CNN bureau chief, and Rappler were acquitted on four counts of tax violations earlier this year.

“This is a victory not just for Rappler but for everyone who has kept the faith that a free and responsible press empowers communities and strengthens democracy,” Rappler said in a statement, according to its website.

The online Philippines news site became a target of the Duterte regime for investigative reporting that challenged the government’s claims.

Yes, but: Ressa is still appealing a separate six-year prison sentence she received for a cyber libel conviction in 2020. She was released on bail after she was arrested for those charges in 2019.

She and Rappler are also appealing an unprecedented 2022 government-ordered closure of Rappler.

Press freedom groups, while lauding her recent acquittal, continue to pressure the Filipino government to drop its remaining charges.

“As an immediate next step, we call on the government to abandon all remaining cases against Rappler and Ressa, and in doing so, put a long-overdue end to their persecution,” Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Hold the Line Coalition (HTL) said in a joint statement.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)

 

 

 

After 8 years, I continue to meet 9/11 deniers

 

“Refusal to believe until proof is given is a rational position; denial of all outside of our own limited experience is absurd.”

—Annie Besant

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

LIKE the group of “conspiracy theorists” that don’t believe Neil Armstrong and his ilk landed in the moon in 1967, there is a group that continued to convince people attending the 9/11 World Trade Center (WTC) Twin Towers attack anniversary in the Lower Manhattan every year on September 11 that “the US Government planted the explosives that toppled the Twin Towers.”

I first met some members of the group on September 11, 2015, outside the premises of the WTC, which was then under construction after being leveled during the violent terroristic attack when two commercial planes commandeered by Saudi terrorists hit the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001.      

Last Monday, during the 9/11 22^nd Anniversary, some of them were still there—but not anymore within the WTC premises.

I walked across the Church Street going to the St. Paul Church and found some of them positioned there or exactly in front the newly refurbished WTC, now a terminal station on the PATH system, within the World Trade Center complex in the Financial District of Manhattan, New York City.

I peeked and listened while they tell the crowd “there were explosives found in every sample of the WTC dust.” Not all those listening believed them hook, link, and sinker.

 

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The deniers didn’t believe the two planes that hit the buildings had caused the collapse of the two towers and another third tower.

“Did you know a third tower fell on 9/11?” a senior male member sitting on a makeshift chair averred.

“The Twin Tower collapses have all the characteristics of controlled demolitions using explosives, including a rapid onset of destruction and complete dismemberment of structural connections.”

The senior male on the chair alleged all three buildings “had to have their columns severed to fail the way they did, synchronically timed floor by floor.”

He said “these truths” were supported by 3,000 architects and engineers that have allegedly compiled “a vast amount of evidence proving that all three World Trade Center skyscrapers were deliberately destroyed with explosives on 9/11.” 

Another speaker talking a separate group of onlookers and passersby who decided to listen, claimed “the discovery of pools of molten iron beneath the piles of all three skyscrapers reveals the use of incendiary cutter charges.”  

“Jet fuel does not burn hot enough to melt steel, but incendiaries, like thermite, which were discovered in the WTC dust, can cut through steel like a hot knife through butter.   

 

-o0o-

 

Meanwhile, some 9/11 families have supported the Bobby McIlvaine Act which calls for “real” investigation on the 9/11 attack. Below is their petition:

We, whose loved ones were killed in the events of September 11, 2001, join in support of opening a new and truly independent investigation into the destruction of the World Trade Center Twin Towers and Building 7.

For more than 20 years we have waited for truth and justice. During this time, an abundance of evidence has been gathered that casts serious doubt on the official explanation for the destruction of these three skyscrapers.

We therefore call upon the U.S. Congress to enact the Bobby McIlvaine World Trade Center Investigation Act immediately. Only by conducting an open and honest investigation will the millions of people affected by this tragedy finally have the truth they deserve.

 

-o0o-

 

During the ceremony earlier, six times the shiny silver bell was rung, once for each moment lives were lost in droves that morning when four hijacked planes were crashed, and two New York City towers went from touching the sky to choking the ground in seconds.

In between moments of silence at the site where so many died, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, sons, daughters, aunts, uncles and grandchildren read the long list of names of those who perished that day, Sept. 11, 2001.

The dead were waiters, firefighters, accountants, police officers, lawyers, soldiers and investment bankers.

Among those on the sacred ground were Vice President Kamala Harris, Mayor Eric Adams, former Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Gov. Kathy Hochul.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)

 

Drilon misses ‘confidential fund queen’ by skin of teeth

 

“People say I’m extravagant because I want to be surrounded by beauty. But tell me, who wants to be surrounded by garbage?”

—Imelda Marcos

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

VICE President Sara Duterte-Carpio probably thinks the taxpayers money grows on trees, and it is in the behest of high-ranking public officials like her who want to custody a big chunk of it “confidentially.”

She has to be stopped. She has to be told what is moral and immoral about using the hard-earned money in the form of taxes paid by the hoi polloi.

It’s not even a question anymore whether it is legal; it’s already a question about conscience and the values of our highest elected officials.

And the legislators should put a brake on her unrestrained rampage if President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has become a sitting duck on this brouhaha and too ashamed and weak to tell her, “Hey, that’s enough. The whole nation is watching.”

Only the retirement of former senator Franklin “Frank” Drilon had separated him from doing a heroic rule of saving the taxpayers money from being siphoned off to the new animal called “confidential and intelligence fund” or CIF.

 

-o0o-

 

Like many other fearless and outspoken sentinels of taxpayers money in the legislative body, former senator Franklin “Frank” Drilon missed the chance to confront and educate Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio, who is fast becoming known as the Philippine Government’s “confidential fund queen.”

“Only those agencies involved in gathering intelligence should be given confidential and intelligence funds. That should be the clear standard,” Drilon told ANC’s Headstart on September 7.

“Agencies like DepEd, DOH, DENR, etc. should draw information from intelligence gathering agencies,” said Drilon, citing the armed forces, the Philippine National Police, NBI, among others.

Drilon’s proposal comes in the wake of growing concerns surrounding the allocation and utilization of CIFs, such as to the DepEd which is allocated P150 million under the proposed 2024 spending outlay.

Drilon had earlier questioned the decision of the Office of the President to transfer P221.42 million to the OVP, P125 million of which was classified as confidential funds, even though there was no provision for it in the 2022 budget of the OVP.

 

-o0o-

 

The Ilonggo leader, who is a former senate president, advised the Senate to convene more regularly the oversight committee on the use of confidential and intelligence funds to review the utilization of the multi-billion funds.

The late former senators Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel, Joker Arroyo are no longer around. Unflinching and brilliant former senators Rene Saguisag and Francisco “Kit” Tatad, to name only a few, are already out of power.

Because these illustrious and outstanding anti-graft behemoths weren’t anymore around, Mrs. Duterte-Carpio, who concurrently sits as Department of Education (DepEd) secretary, was able to strike fear in the hearts of some wet-behind-the-ears and spineless senators and representatives who looked helpless as the second highest elected official of the land succeeded to get anther P500 million in “confidential and intelligence fund” or CIF for the Office of the Vice President (OVP) on top of the P221.42 million the OVP amassed in 2022.

And Mrs. Duterte-Carpio wants to run berserk with another hundreds of millions of pesos in CIF for the DepEd.

 

-o0o-

 

In her song, This Masquerade, the late diva and superstar in the 70’s, Karen Carpenter, asked:

Are we really happy with this lonely game we play?

Looking for the right words to say

Searching but not finding understanding anyway

We’re lost in this masquerade

And in their song, Teach Your Children Well, the fabulous Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, averred:

You, who are on the road

Must have a code you try to live by

And so become yourself

Because the past is just a goodbye

Teach your children well

Their father’s hell did slowly go by

Feed them on your dreams

The one they pick’s the one you’ll know by

Mrs. Vice President, hear the melodies.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)

 

 

 

Sara is lucky Miriam is no longer around

“The greater the power, the more dangerous the abuse.”

—Edmund Burke

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

IF the late Iloilo Senator, Dr. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, were alive today, the furor over the abusive and brazen requests by the country’s second highest elected official for the sordid and astronomical “confidential” and “intelligence” funds or CIF, would have been “settled” right away.

The bombastic Ilongga former jurist, one of the best presidents the Philippines never had, would have flatly told the requestor on her face in the budget committee hearing: “No way!”

“No way” because No. 1 it’s unconstitutional and Defensor-Santiago, a constitutional genius, would only allow anything that go against the charter “over my dead body.”

“No way” because the requests seemed to be immoral and bereft of logic and common sense (since when did the education department dabble in deep intelligence gathering that would warrant a budget of multi-million pesos?)

But it appears no one from among the present set of opposition firebrands in congress can halt Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio’s temerity to collect atrocious CIF for the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) where she is the secretary.

 

-o0o-

 

The P125 million “confidential” fund for DepEd and the P500 million “intelligence” fund for OVP sought by Mrs. Duterte-Carpio have been approved despite the cavil of  Senators Riza Hontiveros and Koko Pimentel, two known opposition legislators.

The vice president is lucky the hard-hitting Iloilo lady senator was no longer around when she tried to justify the request for the mind-boggling largesse at the expense of the taxpayers.

At the onset, it would seem like Hontiveros and Pimental were hellbent to neatly eviscerate Mrs. Duterte-Carpio’s highly suspicious and scandalous funding requests with their stunning questions and presentation of facts.

Hontiveros boomed: “There is no good reason why the Office of the Vice President should have confidential fund allocations that are larger than the combined confidential budgets of our top security agencies.”

The OVP’s proposed P500-million CIF—which has less auditing and reporting requirements than regular public funds—”tower over” the combined P438.2 million in confidential and intelligence funds allocated for the Department of National Defense and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), Hontiveros further averred.

The lady senator warned, “There is something fundamentally wrong when the OVP alone has a confidential fund of half a billion pesos while the NICA itself, which is the government’s primary intelligence arm, has confidential and intelligence funds of only P341.2 million.”

 

-o0o-

 

For his part, Pimental argued that while Mrs. Duterte-Carpio already manifested that her office could live without a P500-million CIF, the OVP still included it in its proposal to the Department of Budget and Management.

“When you look at the Constitution and any other law, what legal basis led us to include it in the proposed budget … that P500 million confidential fund?” Pimentel asked the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

Pimentel questioned the government’s understanding of the plight and commitment to serve ordinary Filipinos in allocating an increase in confidential and intelligence funds in the proposed P5.768-trillion budget for 2024 in a statement on August 5.

He explained: “The allocation of P9.2 billion to confidential and intelligence funds while our fellow Filipinos in calamity-stricken areas suffer raises serious questions about the government’s understanding of the real needs and challenges faced by our country.”

But, still the same, the CIF requested by the “spoiled brat” had been approved.

It perfectly confirmed the widespread belief that “what Inday Sara wants Inday Sara gets” even if her father is no longer in power. After all, she is being penciled for president in 2028 against an opposition perceived to be enfeeble and inutile.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)