The president’s remarks regarding his plan to move for the abolition of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) has been met by varied reactions from different sectors of the society. Those belonging to the youth sector, understandably, are up in arms to protest such plan which, they claim, would be a step backward as it would rob them of their much needed representation in the affairs of the state.
Other groups have also expressed their support for the president’s plan as they see no reason for the continuance of a system that does not do much to uplift the conditions of the youth sector while at the same time draining the government of much needed resources.
It is added that the present system indoctrinates the young ones into the filthy world of Philippine politics which, as a result, produces corrupted individuals who start their bad habits early, thus causing a great amount of harm to the already tenuous political climate.
This debate will persist even after the issue is resolved with a decision to either continue on with the SK or not. The two opposing arguments are equally with merit while at the same time also equally with faults of their own.
It is important though to see where the president is coming from. He wants to make the bureaucracy as lean as possible without necessarily sacrificing the delivery of the basic services needed by the people. Considering how very little the SK has done outside of the ordinary activities that barangay officials can also do themselves, it is understandable that the president would propose such a course of action together with other measures that would further make the government smaller and more cost-efficient.
While it is expected that the youth sector would protest vehemently, let us not forget that they have been given their chance to show that they can contribute to the society’s development rather than become hapless guinea pigs of established politicians and their well established network. Majority have failed this simple test of independence, hence, further strengthening the argument that it is just an exercise in futility.
To argue that the barangay council, to some extent, is also very politicized and as inept as the SK is not without merit too. It is apparent that even barangay councils are not free from interventions from politicians and their parties despite the mandate to be independent. It is important to emphasize, though, that the former has performed a more established role to the society than the latter ever has.
So would you rather have two (2) underperforming groups to spend on rather than one? Additionally, the SK must argue based on merit and not over use the point about youth representation as many (take note, not all) have failed to represent the interest of the majority anyway the moment they allowed themselves to be used by selfish politicians.
admin @ August 17, 2010
Lain na usab nga suspetsadong nagbaligya ug shabu ang nasakote sa kapolisan kaniadtong Agosto 14 diha sa Purok Farmers Center, Olingan, Dipolog City.
Ang suspetsado giila sa kapolisan nga usa ka RG Cuenca, 26 anyos ug molupyo sa Lopez Jaena, Barra dakbayan sa Dipolog.
Sumala pa sa kapolisan nga ang nakuha nga druga diha sa posisyon sa suspetsado mao ang lima ka plastic sachet ug duha ka gagmay nga sachet nga gituohang adunay sulod nga shabu, usa ka (1) unit NOKIA cellular phone, usa ka empty can of Cinnamon Altoids, usa ka (1) pair stainless scissor ug usa ka bag brand Club Generation.
Diha sa gipahigayon nga operation gisaksihan ni Felix Rendoque sa Department of Justice, Kapitan Juanito Cabale sa Barangay Olingan uban ni Barangay Konsehal Jerry Mutia, ug si Zoraida Eva Mustaril nga nagrepresentar sa media.
Nabawi usab diha sa posisyon sa suspetsado mao ang 4 ka one hundred peso bills nga adunay serial numbers DE847355, LX341410, MK511273 ug DW441129 ug duha ka fifty pesos (50.00 Php) bills nga adunay serial number EA0085483 ug WX698408 isip mga mark money.
Tungod sa pagsunod-sunod nga pagkasulod sa laang sa mga namaligya ug druga ubos sa pagpangulo ni Dipolog City Police Chief Reynaldo Maclang uban sa pagtimbang sa Tema DAVID, nagkatibulaag na karon ang mga nagpayuhot niini. Gituohan usab nga ang pagsuporta usab sa kagamhanang lokal ubos s apagdumala ni Mayor Evelyn T. Uy maoy nakapaepektibo sa mga operation sa kapolisan dinhi sa dakbayan sa Dipolog.
admin @ August 17, 2010
Migula na karon ang en banc Resolution sa Commission on Elections (COMELEC) sa kaulohang Manila nga permado ni Comelec Chairman Jose Melo nga nagsalikway sa motion for reconsideration nga giduso ni Dapitan City Mayor Dominador Jalosjos Jr. pinetsahan ug Agosto 11, 2010 bahin sa paghukom sa pagkanselar sa iyang cartificate of candidacy dihang siya miduso niini kaniadtong Disyembre 6, 2009 nga nahukman sa First Division sa Commission.
Ang maong hukom maoy tubag sa gipasakang petisyon ni Col. Agapito J. Cardino batok ni Mayor Jalosjos nga nabutang sa SPA No. 09-076 (DC).
Matud pa sa maong resolution nga ang gidusong Motion for Reconsideration ni Mayor Jslosjos diha sa nahaunang desisyon sa First Division sa Komisyon gi-deny tungod kay kulang kini sa merito ug ang respondent gimandoan nga paphaon sa puwesto isip mayor sa dakbayan sa Dapitan ug dili na siya tugtan nga makahimo pagmandar sa buhatan sa mayor.
Kahinumdoman nga ang gidusong petition to disqualify ni Mayor Jalosjos diha sa dakbayan sa Dapitan gifile ni Col. Cardino sa wala pa ang piliay kaniadtong Mayo 10.
Gituohan ni Cardino nga ang iyang paglansar kaniadto wala siyay kontra tungod kay nagtuo siyang kusog ang iyang giduso sa Comelec.
Dihang mihukom ang First Division sa Komisyon nga disqualify si Mayor Jalosjos nga mokandidato diha sa dakbayan sa Dapitan dili pa lang dugay, mihimo dayon ang mga abogado ni Mayor Jalosjos ug Motion for Reconsideration.
admin @ August 17, 2010
From Monday to Friday of each week since the utterly unpopular Philippine president started her much maligned Pantawid Gutom dole out project, zounds of people have flocked to the Landbank office to claim their share of the president’s much talked about “generosity”.
Never before in the history of the country has a president engaged in such a brazen attempt to uplift her image by bribing the people who have been at the receiving end of her administration’s failures.
While taxes are squeezed dry out of every person capable of paying it, the president decided to share the collections with those whom her popularity has become tremendously low—the masses.
Never mind that nobody ever asked for such dole outs. If we can remember correctly, what the people were asking for were honest to goodness reforms that will get rid of the large-scale corruption that has shamelessly gone unabated in her administration.
It would have been enormous for everybody had she taken the cue and gone all out against the corrupt men and women who masquerade around as public servants. She would have cemented her place in history had she dared and succeeded in weeding out the misfits in government.
In the name of public service, it would have been electrifying to see a president who did what was right for her people for a change.
But, for some reason, that just would not be.
She could not—or is it “would not”?—do much to address the single most damaging problem of our society that has continuously eroded the gains that those before us painstakingly achieved.
The level of corruption, particularly in the public sector, has been so high that it has become a norm rather than a deviant behavior when dealing with government officials and employees, national or local, to allot “grease money”.
We are throwing away tremendous amount of resources by allowing the corrupt practices to continue. And government service has greatly suffered. This is the very reason why life has become so much harder today than it was years ago. This is also the reason why many are up in arms to protest the undeserving president’s moves to stay in power beyond 2010.
So what does the president do?
The president then throws bread at the very angry but hungry mob in an effort to silence them by temporarily filling their stomachs. And, so far, it has worked for her.
Those who used to grumble endlessly about the declining living conditions have now heaped praises for the suddenly-not-so-unpopular president.
She has bought our silence.
She bought it with the taxes we paid—a stroke of genius, no doubt.
Whoever said that nothing comes out of sharing the loot?
admin @ January 30, 2009
Former Senate President and Liberal Party Chairman Franklin Drilon today dismissed as another “Malacanang hatchet job” the claim of Arroyo administration election lawyer Romulo Makalintal that he (Drilon) was disqualified from running for senator in the elections next year.
“Makalintal’s twisted legal opinion is apparently another hatchet job for Malacanang aimed at sniping at President Arroyo’s critics who are now consistently topping the senatorial surveys,” Drilon said. “But this distorted legal position will fall flat on its face because of the inconsistencies of Makalintal’s own statements and actions.”
Drilon cited precedents where at least five senators who run in the past elections were in exactly the same situation as he is if he (Drilon) runs in the 2010 senatorial elections. Drilon said Senators Angara, Mercado and Herrera completed their two terms in 1998, and were qualified as senatorial candidates in 2001. Similarly, Tito Sotto and Greg Honasan reached their term limits in 2004 and run in 2007. Clearly, the rule is that the one-term gap requirement has been interpreted as three, not six, years, Drilon said.
“In the 2007 election, when Makalintal was legal counsel of Pres Arroyo, he never raised the issue of Sen. Sotto’s eligibility as one of Pres Arroyo’s senatorial candidates, when Sotto’s case is similar to mine if I run in 2010. How come Makalintal did not invoke his bizarre legal theory and how come the Commission of Elections (Comelec) did not disqualify these candidates seeking to return to the Senate then?” Drilon said.
“Apparently Makalintal is under instructions to embark on a smear hatchet job on me,” Drilon said. Sources from the Drilon camp revealed that the former Senate president has consistently landed in the top four slots of winners in surveys conducted by the Social Weather Station (SWS) and the Pulse Asia for the 2010 senatorial elections.
Earlier, Makalintal told Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist Neal Cruz that Drilon and Naga City Mayor Jesse Robredo were disqualified from running for the Senate next year.
Makalintal claimed that 1987 Constitution stipulates that Drilon can run for the Senate only in 2013 and the LP chairman must wait for an interval of six years..
“Makalintal has apparently misread the Constitution,” Drilon further said. “But what I find amusing is that he conveniently forgets this alleged election prohibition when it involves senatorial candidates identified with his principal client, President Arroyo. His legal positions are inconsistent, and therefore, devoid of any credibility.”
admin @ January 30, 2009
Column:Pen Talk Part 2 by Miranda Comments (0)
RIANNE MARIE P. MIRANDA
Kung Hei Fat Choi! This is the Chinese greeting uttered on the Chinese New Year on Monday. For many Filipinos, especially those who are Bisdak (Bisayang Dako), the Chinese New Year is another reason to celebrate it by trying to imitate the Chinese traditions in welcoming the year so that good fortune and prosperity will continue to flow into the family.
We, who have no single drop of Chinese blood in our veins, are contented to view at a distance the goings-on in Chinese families on how to lure good fortune into their homes. Being associated with Chinese friends, we know that Tikoy, a glutinous sweet delicacy, is a must for the tables on New Year’s Day. The sticky and sweet food is a symbol for the family members to stay together, through thick and thin, for better or for worse. The sweetness is also a symbol for family members to stay “sweet” with each other despite the bitter trials which might come their way.
Many fruits are also considered to bring good luck especially those which are round and sweet. No wonder, oranges and other citrus fruits are very popular and fetch a very good price these days.
For popular get-ups during the New Year, red is the “in” color. Incense sticks are also lighted to ward off bad spirits and houses are cleaned inside out to welcome the good spirits and driver away the bad luck of the previous year. Rice, oil, sugar, salt and water containers are filled to the brim so that the whole year round, the pantry is full and not wanting.
Parents see to it that children have their pockets full of coins so that the jingling sound will attract good luck into their homes and business establishments. Crystals, beads, semi-precious stones are also part of the preparation. The Chinese are known to be meticulous people who value customs and traditions to the hilt.
And who could resist their tables groaning with sumptuous foods? Not me. My mouth would simply water with the thought of the yummy foods offered to the guests. The ever-famous many course-dinner is simply an experience worth remembering for the rest of one’s life. Chinese New Year is not a New Year without elaborate dishes on the table.
Let me reiterate. I do not have a single drop of Chinese blood flowing in my veins. My eyes do not have any hint of a Chinese fold or slit. But I do enjoy partaking of Chinese cuisine and observing Chinese customs and traditions. These have become part and parcel of our life. I am sure my mama would agree with this observation.
To Mayor Evelyn and Mayor Berto Uy, as well as the Amatong family KUNG HEI FAT CHOI!
admin @ January 30, 2009