ONE can’t help but say aloud “You’re out of your mind!” to anyone who proposes either new or raise taxes at a time when businessmen are already losing sleep over the global economic and financial crises, and workers are getting apprehensive about losing their jobs.

It’s an understandable reaction. Just look around, everybody is trying to cut on costs, improve efficiencies and save, if it’s still possible. And take a close look, too, at the quarterly reports of publicly listed corporations, starting from the top. They stress measures to reduce operating expenses so these would not eat up too much of their declining revenues.

Continue reading »

FUNNY how the opposition reacted adversely when Rep. Pablo Garcia of Cebu belittled the results of various surveys by citing the survey made by Pontius Pilate some 2,000 years ago, asking the throng whom they will choose to be freed, Jesus of Nazareth or Barabbas the criminal. And the mob chose Barabbas.

I would like to think the opposition did not look kindly at the comparison with biblical passages of great historic and moral events, because during the impeachment trial of former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada, no less than Chief Justice Andres Narvasa likened Erap to Julius Caesar by insinuating that Erap was betrayed by people who were close to him, just as Brutus betrayed his friend, the great Julius Caesar.

Continue reading »

AS the country approaches closer the constitutional termination of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s presidency in 2010, the more audacious the attempts to extend her stay in office become.

The most brazen of these attempts is a resolution filed by Batangas province’s Rep. Hermilando Mandanas in the House committee on constitutional amendments seeking to extend her grip on power for another year through the subterfuge of postponing the general elections in May 2010 to a year later. The scheme in effect extends the President’s tenure, awarding her an extra-legal stay in office. There are fears that an extension could open the gates to a longer and more permanent extension.

Continue reading »

BACOLOD CITY — Long before 1986 I already read the book of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, his Pulitzer-Prize winning “Profiles In Courage.”

The book tells of different U.S. Senators who, in their time, faced issues, most of them unpopular but they stood their ground and later history recognized their heroism.

One of them was a young and neophyte Senator Edmund G. Ross of Kansas. He was very principled. His lone vote saved and acquitted President Andrew Johnson, Vice-President of Abraham Lincoln who took over when Lincoln was assassinated.

Continue reading »

NOVEMBER 21, Friday last week, was World Fishers Day. How many people in this country, fishers included, knew that? This nation of islands floating between azure skies and azure sea is home to fishers and fish. Yet, among the poorest of the poor among us are the small fishers who subsist on their daily catch that are dwindling by the day.

Those of us who try to live a meatless life or with little meat in our diet extol the greatness of the fish. The gourmets among us know the different flavors and textures in a fish head, which non-Asians miss out on because they have a horror for detached body parts.

Fishers and fish were often mentioned and given symbolic meaning in biblical times. Several of Jesus’ disciples were fishermen, Peter among them. Jesus sent them off to the world with the words, “I will make you fishers of men.”

Continue reading »

I AM surprised at the reported announcement from the Presidential Antigraft commission (PAGC) that there was a 500-percent rise in corrupt appointees during the term of President Arroyo, who were identified as involved in graft, as compared with the terms of Presidents Fidel Ramos and Erap Estrada.

Considering that the PAGC is mandated to check on the performance of government officials and is merely a recommendatory body, and not prosecutory in nature, we are also glad to note that the PAGC is not sleeping on the job. This also goes to show that despite the efforts of many of her critics to malign her administration, the President, through the PAGC, is clearly endeavoring to correct or, at least, minimize to the least level the corrupt practices of government officials. While 10 presidential appointees were sanctioned by President Ramos and 11 by President Estrada, PGMA took to task 126, booting out 72 and suspending 25, while 21 were given accessory penalty and eight with minor offenses were reprimanded. Although figures are deceptive, the rise in uncovered graft cases does not necessarily mean a rise in graft and corruption, but a reflection of the vigilance of the administration in ferreting out wrongdoers. The 500-percent rise in cases forwarded by the PAGC to the attention of the President is a clear signal that the Arroyo administration is serious in its campaign to rid the bureaucracy of graft and corruption. Kudos to PAGC Chairman Connie de Guzman.

Continue reading »

FORMER City Councilor kagawad Lando Dabao went ballistic at the sight of battle-ready SWAT people tailing Kgd. Ely Estante whose additional office, the Task Force Adam’s Apple, barged in night clubs and hauled girls to jail.

Don’t get us wrong: we do agree with the PNP acting-Iloilo City director that deploying the SWAT with Estante is legal. But we can’t help but say it’s an overkill like eliminating a fly with a gallon of DDT. Using the SWAT here is correct but it’s stupid, idiotic even.

Long before Lando Dabao blew his top, Estante and a jeepload of PNP operatives, swooped down on a videoke bar at Guzman, Mandurriao.

Continue reading »

BACOLOD CITY — I underestimated people. There are many who also love books. Many reacted to my item yesterday on books. I was asked what are the best books to read.

That is difficult to answer because there are many books as there are many kinds of readers. Some like fiction, others like history. Some like war books, others like adventures.

But there are ten books, judged by scholars many years ago as the books that changed the world. Whether they are best or not, they changed the world, the outlook of people.

If you can get a copy read them. They are good.

Continue reading »

THE bombshell dropped by former House speaker Jose de Venecia exposing the alleged bribery attempts by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to buy congressional support to kill a “sham” impeachment complaint invites comparison with the exposé of former governor Luis “Chavit” Singson of Ilocos Sur province on Oct. 4, 2000, accusing then-president Joseph Estrada of taking bribes from “jueteng” underground lottery lords.

Singson, a drinking and gambling buddy of Estrada, blew the whistle on Estrada the day after a group of heavily armed police tried to assassinate Singson in the evening of Oct. 3 in a dark spot on San Marcelino Street in Ermita, Manila. Two police cars stopped his two-car convoy while he was on his way to his office, after a meeting with municipal mayors at Holiday Inn on United Nations Avenue. Believing his life was at risk, Singson blew the whistle, setting in motion a congressional investigation into corruption charges and triggering an impeachment complaint against the President.

Continue reading »

BACOLOD CITY — This week the country celebrates the 74th National Book WeekAmerican Governor General Frank Murphy, in response to the petition of the Philippine Library Association in 1934, declared June 18 to 24 National Book Week.In 1936, Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon changed it to Nov. 24 to 30. The purpose has been to promote literacy.Seventy-four years after the National Book Week was launched, are we literate? The U.N. Development Program Report said, we rank No. 77 in 2007-2008 among the countries’ literacy rating. Not good.This translates into 6.6 percent of the 80 million Filipinos or 5.28 million who could not read or write. Literacy is defined as the capability to read, write, and understand any message in any language or dialect. Continue reading »