On Malacanang's appointment of new CJ

We welcome the appointment of Associate Justice Maria Lourdes Punzalan Aranal-Sereno as the 24th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.

We hope her relative youth and her passion and dynamism will invigorate the moribund and antiquated system of justice in the country. Nothing less than sweeping and comprehensive reforms will do to ensure that the crisis facing the judiciary will be overcome, and we will need the energy, creativity and stamina of a new generation of jurists to do just that.

Salamat at paalam, Jesse

Hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala na wala na si Jesse. Isang naging kaibigan sa serbisyo publiko at kapartido ng mahigit na isang dekada. Isang napaka malaking kawalan sa bansa at sa larangan ng govt. service ang kanyang pagpanaw. Nakikiramay kami kasama ang aking pamilya kina Leni at mga bata. Bihira ang tulad ni Jesse sa public service at napakabigat sa aking kalooban ang
kanyang pagkamatay.

After 18 years as mayor of Naga City, Sec. Jesse would still take public transportation coming to Manila or returning to Naga and travelling within Metro Manila. This is the quality of public service that Sec. Jesse displayed. His passing is a terrible loss not only for the party but even moreso for the nation.


Image Source: Inquirer.net

Rice import without NFA permit is clearly contraband

It boggles the mind that those entrusted with closely guarding our ports are not aware of which goods are prohibited from entering the country. When that much rice enters any of our ports, it should automatically raise signals for our officials to be cautious in having them enter the country. This case is extremely disturbing. There were no permits nor pertinent documents presented, yet these goods were allowed not only entry in our docks, but were also allowed to be unloaded without the necessary permits.

Is it too difficult for SBMA officials to know rice import procedures from the NFA? Is it not standard procedure for SBMA to coordinate with concerned government agencies whenever questionable goods enter our country? Four hundred twenty thousand sacks of rice are not exactly mere blimps in their radar.

Galing na mismo sa chairman ng SBMA na si administrator Roberto Garcia na ang destinasyon ng mga bigas na ito ay ang Pilipinas at wala nang iba pang bansa. Malinaw na may balak ibenta ito sa ating merkado. Kawawa naman ang mahihirap nating mga magsasaka. Kayod sila nang kayod at pagkatapos ay papatayin lang ng smuggling ang kanilang hanapbuhay. Binabagyo na nga tayo at nasisira ang ating mga pananim at sakahan, may smuggling pa. Doble pasakit ito sa ating mga kababayan.

Layon natin na tanggalan ng maskara ang mga smugglers na ito upang sila ay maparusahan. Kailangan nating ipakita sa taumbayan na tayo ay seryoso sa pagpuksa ng ganitong tiwali at mapansamantalang gawain. Ang smuggling ay isang krimen. At lahat ng kriminal ay dapat maparusahan, lalung-lalo na dahil ang kapalit nito ay kagutuman para sa marami nating mga mamamayan.

Offer public free short courses on safety training

We urge government agencies such as the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) to offer the public basic safety training courses for free.

Doing so will not only equip citizens with skills needed in cases of emergency but will also beef up the government's volunteer reserves.

We have seen that with the recent flooding that hit Metro Manila, we are severely lacking in manpower that could help in rescue operations. Even if our countrymen heed the call to volunteer during rescue operations, they are ill-equipped to deal with emergency situations. It would be very much like deploying troops to a gun battle without the necessary firearms.

Alam na nga natin na bawat taon ay tinatamaan tayo ng napakaraming bagyo, ganito pa rin ang nangyayari taun-taon—at palala pa nang palala ang sitwasyon. We should invest a significant amount of resources on beefing up our infrastructure and equipping our people with life-saving skills so that more lives will be saved when disasters and emergencies strike.

Hindi natin puwedeng sabihin na ‘ganyan na talaga’ dahil hindi tama na taun-taon na lang ay nalalagay sa panganib ang mga tao dahil lang sa pag-ulan na ni hindi pa nga ‘supertyphoon.’ For drastic change to happen, then we must also do drastic actions and do things differently. In this case, doing things differently can be literally a matter of life and death.

Go easy on price hikes

As Metro Manila and parts of Luzon struggle to get back on their feet after the massive flooding brought about by days of continuous rain we call on oil companies and dealers of food, vegetables, and basic commodities to "go easy" on price hikes.

Maawa naman ho tayo sa taumbayan sa mga panahong ito. Naiintindihan namin na kailangang mabuhay ng mga negosyo, pero sa panahon ng krisis tulad nito, sana ay ipagpaliban muna ng mga kumpanya--lalo na yung may mga 'buffer', ika nga, sa kita nila--ang pagtaas ng presyo. Lubog na nga ang mga tao dahil sa grabeng pagbaha, ilulubog pa ba natin sa pagtaas ng presyo mga bilihin?

Baka po pupuwede tayong magkaroon ng pansamantalang 'price hike holiday' para bigyan ng pagkakataon ang taumbayan na makabangon muna mula sa kalamidad na ito bago magpataw ng panibagong presyo ang mga kumpanya. At sana ay kapag nag-stabilize na uli ang merkado ay maibalik ang presyo sa dati nitong lebel.

Magtulung-tulong na lang ho tayo sa mga panahong ito. Lahat tayo naaapektuhan--mula sa mga magsasaka't manggagawa hanggang sa mga maliliit na negosyante, hanggang sa mga malalaking kumpanya. Pero kung uunahin natin ang bayan at ang mga nasalanta bago ang pagbawi sa kita, lahat tayo siguradong mas mabilis na makakaahon.

Provide insurance for farmers and fisherfolk

It would be in the best interest of the government to focus on farmers and fisherfolk as the country pushes for food security.

There is an urgent need to include in the national budget crop insurance for our farmers, and also insurance for our fisherfolk. Every year we are ravaged by typhoons and the subsequent floods and destruction that go with them. It is high time we come up with a comprehensive insurance coverage plan for our crops, and even for our farmers and fishermen themselves. The government will save more in the long run as it secures the livelihood of our agricultural communities.

It would be nearly impossible to achieve food security and food self-sufficiency if the country's farmers and fisherfolk remain impoverished.

We should work hard toward giving our farmers and fisherfolk the same prosperity that farmers in countries like Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam, and China are now starting to enjoy.

We need to break away from the status quo as it has taken us nowhere in the past several decades. We must come up with radical solutions to address and eventually resolve those issues that ail the country's agriculture and fisheries sector.

SBMA officials cannot invoke rules as an excuse to allow smuggled goods into the country

Hindi naman pwedeng bukas para sa lahat ng bagay ang anumang pier natin, na kahit mga iligal na imports ay papayagan na nating makalusot. Lumalabas din na hindi nag-uusap ang mga opisyal ng SBMA at tila iba-iba ang sinasabi nila. May mga nagsasabi na pinayagang ma-unload dahil pino-proseso ng importer ang permit mula sa NFA, may nagsasabi naman na opisyal din na lumapit sa importer pwede nang i-warehouse ang mga pumasok na bigas.

Parang labu-labo ang sistema nila. Hindi pupuwede ito. Kung ganito ang nangyayari sa lahat ng freeports natin, ay ‘di kataka-taka na maraming nakakapuslit na smuggled goods sa atin.

My statement on the third death anniversary of former President Corazon C. Aquino

President Cory's death three years ago created a void in the hearts of our people and served as a trigger that unleashed our people's desire for principled and selfless leadership for the nation. Her death reshaped the nation's politics; as such, today as we commemorate her death anniversary, we must celebrate it also as the turning point in our quest for genuine change for our nation and our people.

We are grateful for your life and your example, President Cory! Your death was the crack of dawn for meaningful and relevant leadership for our nation. We shall be forever grateful and if today is to have real meaning, it is to reaffirm our commitment to ensure that we remain faithful and committed to our people's desire for genuine change for our nation.