HEADLINES IN MEDIA screamed that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) “raided” the office of Mr. Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr. This is farthest from the truth.

I am sorry to state that these headlines are clear propaganda against the administration. In fact, when the story broke, I ordered the NBI to explain within 24 hours what that supposed “raid” was all about.

Director Nestor Mantaring of the NBI explained to me that there was no such “raid” whatsoever. However, the officer in charge (OIC) who replaced Mr. Lozada voluntarily turned over documents to the NBI and, afterward, Mr. Lozada cried loud that the OIC, Mr. Erwin Santos, is a traitor for handing over the documents to the NBI.

A traitor to whom? Again, nakur-yente yata dito ang media.

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The days of prolonged agony over who won the elections seem to be almost over. The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is releasing funds needed to procure a computerized election system to be tested in Muslim Mindanao as a prelude to a nationwide application. The Comelec has asked bidders to submit their best proposals in time for use in August 11 in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, and the DBM is set to release P867.3 million for the project.

All systems go, and we hope that all the kinks must go, too, before a final choice is reached without the sad experience of the past. It is time that the Philippines join other modern countries in owning a sophisticated voting and counting system, for all our sake.

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Since our days in Congress, this writer has always supported the transfer of the oil depots from Pandacan to somewhere far from cities and residential areas, and where a massive conflagration can be contained without threat to human lives and the destruction of the ecology.

The idea that placed these depots right smack in the middle of Manila is an obsolete one, and whichever one may look at it, it is a kind of arrangement that benefits no one, not even the oil companies. In the event of a huge fire, firefighters will find it doubly difficult to get into the area because it is surrounded by residential areas with narrow streets and congested areas without space to maneuver a fire truck.

Let us never surrender the welfare of millions of Filipinos for the commercial benefit of just a few.

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Good news for commuters! While jeepneys just received a fare hike, a dozen bus companies have asked the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) for a 30-percent fare rollback in the Metro.

The group of bus operators filed their petition with the LTFRB to bring back the fare level to a minimum of P5.60 from the present P8 for the first five kilometers.

This is the kind of public service that we always wanted to see in our so-called public-service operators. The essence of public service is to bring to the public services that are reflective of the economic conditions of the times, promptly and with emphasis on the welfare of man. It is not always profits, but sometimes it is the opportunity to serve the public while making some money on the side, too.

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It seems that Vice President Noli de Castro is fast becoming a very viable presidential candidate in the 2010 elections.

The recent SWS survey has confirmed this perception because Vice President Noli topped the SWS survey, beating such declared presidentiables as Senate President Manny Villar, Sen. Loren Legarda and Sen. Mar Roxas II.

I am not surprised for I have always told friends that the Vice President should never be counted out in 2010 because of his showing in 2001 as a senatorial candidate while running as an independent, which is a clear indication of his acceptability to the people. It also shows that his victory in 2004 was a clear mandate from our people regardless of the claims of Senator Legarda.

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I would like to impress upon the public that during Cabinet meetings, VP Noli is always in my radar screen, and I see that the Vice President has the intelligence, the clear grasp of the problems and is equipped with the stature of leadership, which a national leader must possess.

As of now, Noli de Castro has not announced that he is a running in 2010, notwithstanding this situation. Thirty percent of the electorate have already ranked him No. 1 over those who have long ago announced their ambitions for the presidency.

We are not committed to the Vice President, but with his showing in the surveys and the sincerity that he has shown in carrying out his duties, as Vice President and as the “Housing Czar,” who knows, President Arroyo most probably could have also noticed what I have noticed.

In the meantime, congratulations, Vice President Noli!

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