How can we be sure that subsequent leaders will allow P-Noy’s crusade to continue.
PUEDE PA BA YAN?
By Andy Mac
Experience has taught me that in this country what works is considered “true”. One can get government certificates crafted in Recto. Land titles are faked; drivers’ licenses are faked; many public utility drivers carry traffic violation tickets that serve as licenses, after their fake licenses are allowed to be confiscated and never redeemed.
This fakery goes up the ladder of the bureaucracy and the “smart” operators get away with it. Those who should curb the debauchery play along and are financially rewarded.
I believe this way of thinking and environment make the legal profession very attractive. The truth is not what conscience dictates, but what can be proven legally by evidence after a lot of hair-splitting and rationalizing.
Notice that there is even a law that allows private property to be taken over by “informal settlers” and the owners are even made to pay for relocating the illegal settlers and even saving them when natural disaster strikes.
I submit that this is the root of P-Noy’s problem in curbing widespread corruption: the prevailing damaged culture and misdirected values have seeped from the lowest stratum of society and has pervaded the highest level of government and society.
I hasten to add that, since proper values can only be taught in schools and formed at home, this must be the rationale for the emphasis on education, increase in school years of the Education Department and the Welfare Department’s huge cash dole-outs. Education and poverty eradication are the proper steps in the right direction to curb corruption - from the roots.
But how can we be sure that subsequent leaders, who may have learned and benefited from the culture of corruption, will allow this crusade to continue. If the citizenry fails to properly choose future leaders, the situation may even worsen in the face of seemingly organized resistance to change.
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Floods in Metro Manila: Dereliction of duty
SHOOTING STRAIGHT By Bobit S. Avila (The Philippine Star) Updated August 14, 2012
It brought back memories of how things were in Ormoc City almost 21 years ago, when flash floods inundated the river and engulfed the one square kilometer Ormoc City. Back then, the Central Government of then Pres. Cory Aquino didn’t know how to react to this disaster. Cebu Governor Emilio “Lito” Osmeña got a radio message of the disaster that was unfolding and reacted by practically having the entire Cebu Province and City government rushing to Ormoc with emergency supplies to help the beleaguered Ormocanons even to the point of CITOM traffic officers manning traffic. Those were unforgettable times indeed.
Why am I writing this piece? I guess it is because we Filipinos still haven’t learned our bitter lessons from all the natural disasters that have fallen on us. If today Metro Manilans continue to suffer through that great flood with no name (because there was no typhoon to name it) last week, it is because our political leadership just cannot get their acts together. We can thank God that this flood only had 89 casualties, which is a miniscule number compared to the great flood of Ormoc that killed more than 8,000 people.
Because of his hatred for the previous administration, P-Noy stopped all the flood control projects prepared during the Arroyo Presidency. So if you are still wallowing in flood waters, should we blame God or the Aquino regime for this near criminal neglect in stopping those projects which could prevent floods from happening again? Now all of a sudden, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) revealed that there is some P352 billion for flood control projects. Is it really that much or is it P18.2 billion that Rep. Arnel Ty was telling everyone? So after all, they had all that money… but in the last two years of the Aquino Presidency… this was never prioritized. Isn’t this what is known as dereliction of duty?
No doubt, the priority of P-Noy is the political control of all the supposed independent pillars of our Democracy. We know that the Legislative branch is already firmly in his pocket by virtue of his being the titular head of the Liberal Party (LP). Even the Senate whom many of us thought (wrongly) was independent minded… proved to the Filipino people during the Senate impeachment trial that they too are just too scared of the tactics that P-Noy used to oust CJ Corona and succumbed to his wishes.
What we are seeing today is the “Daang Matuwid Railroad Company.” The 188 members of Congress railroaded the impeachment of CJ Corona in less than an hour. While the Senate may have taken a longer time to deliberate on the evidences thrown against the Chief Justice… however in the end, we now know that the reality TV was merely “in aid of Re-election” but the Senate also proved that they belong to the same Railroad Company.
Now it’s the turn of the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) to railroad the appointment of new Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. First the JBC insisted that there should only be one member of the Legislature in the JBC, but both Senator Chiz Escudero and Rep Niel Tupas questioned why Congress only had one vote. But isn’t this written in stone in the 1987 Constitution? Instead of insisting on only one member, the JBC decided to temporarily allow the two to continue with their duties as JBC members, which in my book is totally unconstitutional.
At this point, we can only warn the JBC that, they must chose from the shortlist persons with proven probity and integrity… and without any stain of any administrative cases… which unfortunately DoJ Sec. de Lima has because she defied the Supreme Court. However, I’m not counting de Lima out… but if P-Noy appoints her, then he is taking risks that the Judiciary itself might just revolt against the Executive Branch. I know for a fact that there are still many good Judges out there who are quietly grumbling from the trashing of the Judiciary by our politicians. I suggest that Pres. PNoy show some kind of respect to our Judiciary.
But respect is not in the vocabulary of the President. Last week, the social networks were busy chastising Pres. PNoy who led the distribution of relief goods to the flooded areas with his sister Kris and his Senatoriables in tow, notably, TESDA Chief Joel Villanueva, Rep. Rissa Baraquel, Rep. Sonny Angara and Customs Chief Ruffy Biazon. As our fellow Star columnist Marichu Villanueva said, “It was a cheap political stunt.” Shame!
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The floods in Metro Manila were caused mainly by the failure of existing flood control systems to work. The CAMANAVA Flood Control Project which was started during the time of President Estrada in 1998 broke down and failed to stop the flood waters coming from the Marikina and Tullahan rivers.
Three pumping stations in Taguig stopped working due to lack of fuel. According to former DPWH Sec. Virgilio Vigilar, the CAMANAVA Flood Control Project was almost finished during President Estrada’s incumbency but it was discontinued during President Arroyo’s time because then DPWH Sec. Bayani Fernando did not believe in the project and refused to release additional funds to complete and maintain the project.
After 12 years, the project is still incomplete and much repair work needs to be done.
At least in Navotas, Mayor John Rey Tiangco had 28 pumps working and he has started to repair the broken dikes out of city funds. He said it takes too long to wait for DPWH to act.
MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino has sacked Baltazar Melgar who heads the Flood Control office for 15 years and is principally responsible for the non-completion of the CAMANAVA Flood Control Project. From an initial P1.9 billion which President Estrada received from the Obuchi fund of Japan, the cost has balooned to about P10 billion but still unfinished.
The COA and the Ombudsman should investigate this project. So much money has been spent and misspent for this project.
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TOO LATE . . After Typhoon Ondoy, the administration promised a lot of remedial measures to prevent a repeat of the casualties and damages.
There were many pronouncements again of relocating squatters on riverbanks. There was announcement of dredging of the Pampanga River and plans to dredge Laguna de Bay. The CAMANAVA Flood Control Project was to be completed. More rubber boats and water assets had to be procured.
But the sudden flooding last week again caught the government unprepared resulting in 92 casualties affecting 441,000 persons. Once again, thousands had to go to crowded evacuation centers.
Up to now, no new plans has been completed for the dredging of Laguna de Bay after the Belgian contract was cancelled in 2010.
The proposed Parañaque spillway is still on the drawing boards.
President Aquino announced a P2 billion flood control project for Bulacan, also P212 million for Pampanga. Why the priority for Bulacan and Pampanga and not Metro Manila?
DPWH has estimated the total flood control program to cost P352 billion. Where will the money come from? It will take years to complete.
It certainly looks like many more typhoon damages and floods will happen while the government is still trying to implement the start of a flood control program.
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WELCOME VISITS . . The President visited evacuation centers in Marikina, Muntinlupa, Barangay Silangan, QC, Malabon, Navotas, Valenzuela and Caloocan. He also visited Tarlac, Pampanga, Bataan, Bulacan, Laguna and Montalban, Rizal.
This time he took charge of the emergency situation immediately.
Presidential visits to calamity areas are always welcome as it uplifts the spirit of the victims and puts officials on their toes. It is correct though to ask why he brought along 5 senatorial bets with him. But that’s his prerogative. That’s politics as usual.
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Only a ruthless dictator can solve our metropolitan flooding problem
Too many lives were lost, and lives made miserable by metropolitan flooding and the prognosis is that things will get worse because of climate change. Seen from the perspective of previous years’ rainfall, last week’s floods weren’t unusual occurrences but rather a preview of worse floods to come. Per Mahar Lagmay of Project Noah, we had 1,000 mm rainfall in four days last week — compared to 455 mm rainfall in just a few hours during 2009’s Tropical Storm Ondoy.
Environment Secretary Ramon Paje is right when he told the government TV network: “There is nothing we can do but to adapt to climate change and the only way we can be prepared for the impact of climate change is to accept that these recent developments in our country, like intense weather disturbances, heavy rainfall, as well as long dry season are now the ‘new normal.” You know that. I know that. But the people mostly affected by floods don’t seem to know that — or are simply in denial.
Many of us could only shake our heads in disbelief and utter frustration when it was reported that many metro residents refused to leave their domiciles, even when it was clear that they would experience severe inundation. Their reason is that they were afraid to lose their few worldly possessions. Granted that most, if not all of these folks who have squatted along riverbanks or creek sides are poor — still there’s no justification for risking one’s life and the lives of other family members for the little that they’ve got. This clearly demonstrates a people’s damaged culture and warped values. Is there hope for a country whose people think like this?
Senator Gringo Honasan has a good proposal — implement a rationalized national land use plan. He correctly pointed to the hindrance, some local government executives who benefit from patronizing the urban poor. Honasan was quoted: “How can you convince people that it is in the national interest to relocate people in hazardous areas when doing so will affect their chances of reelection? How can you convince developers to accept a national land use plan when they have so far been dictating where a city’s infrastructure should be built based on their own interests?”
Last week, a photo of the muck and garbage that invaded the waters of the prestigious Manila Yacht Club went viral and it was very appropriately captioned — The Manila Yuck Club. When we laugh at that or even pass it on, we should not lose sight of the realities that our country is facing with the way our lack of discipline and concern for others is bringing us down and derailing our desired progress. Comic relief is useful but it should not shift our focus from solving the core problem.
The political will of President Noynoy Aquino (P-Noy) to solve the metropolitan flooding problem during his term is laudable and deserves our full support. Already we’ve seen the remarkable improvements that P-Noy has injected with the way government handles natural calamities. Last week, it was very evident that the government was on the job — but it was our fellow Filipinos who were not willing to be saved or be spared the risks of settling along perilous riverbanks and creek sides. Last week, despite all the previous attempts to promote proper waste disposal, we saw that the problem has worsened instead of lessened.
It seems that only a ruthless dictator can solve our metropolitan flooding problem. Only a ruthless dictator can rationalize land use by depopulating the Metro Manila area and removing obstructive structures to waterways. Only a ruthless dictator can impose a death penalty for improper garbage disposal. That’s an exaggeration, of course, but can you think of a better deterrent? Unfortunately P-Noy isn’t the type to fill the shoes of the ruthless dictator that we need. There’s too much goodness and kindness in our president.
We can only hope for redemption when all our countrymen understand and accept that we’re the bigger problem of our country. We’re the problem and the solution.
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