DIE HARD III
Herman Tiu Laurel
6/6/2011
It was in the early part of the Gloria Arroyo administration that a new private entity took over from government the latter’s operations at the North Expressway. That time, news of a giant oligarchic corporation advancing a new scheme of toll rates, with graphic charts of costs and revenue projections, filtered out of the National Economic Development Authority (Neda). Based on the story, the Neda chief then, upon watching the Power Point presentation, got intrigued by an item worth P700 million. After asking the company’s top honcho why those expenses purportedly for “legal intermediation” and “information” were so high, he was allegedly told that the item had already been “taken care of with Malacañang.”
If an official investigation were to be launched with an honest-to-goodness subpoena of documents, we can easily verify this. Many times before, we have tried to investigate issues related to tollways overcharging but have invariably been rebuffed whenever financial documents were demanded. Time and again, we have brought these issues to court to no avail.
In fact, some years ago, I was sued by the Manila North Tollways Corp. (MNTC) for P100 million in “damages” because of what I wrote. That court case lasted over five years. I dutifully attended every nuisance hearing even if MNTC only had its lawyers showing up. As the judge eventually ordered mediation, it was in one of those sessions that I finally faced the toll operator’s head, Jose “Ping” de Jesus, and told him off.
The North Expressway toll operations have since been transferred to yet suspicions on the hanky-panky deal still linger.
Incidentally, that time also marked De Jesus’ entry into a Pangilinan-controlled Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) both as director and chief operating officer. This happened as Meralco started making profit surges of over 100 percent per annum with nary a significant increase (at only 3 percent vis-à-vis RP’s population growth) in volume of electricity distributed.
Of course, such groundswell of profits could never have been obtained without some inveiglement of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to approve a rate setting mechanism, the obfuscated PBR or Performance Based Rate, that violates the law mandating electricity to be delivered “at the least cost” to consumers.
But being an executive then of the power distributor, was it wrong for people to have suspected a scenario in the Department of Transport and Communications (DoTC) under De Jesus that would veer positively toward an MRT privatization and its attendant fare increases?
“Decent” has frequently been attached to De Jesus’ name, especially in light of his Cabinet resignation. Don’t get me wrong: He does seem to look and behave decently. He was always very modestly dressed in white polo barong, smiling, when he used to host the Annabel’s media breakfast with some public works contractors through a lady PR. I also acknowledge that it doesn’t look as if he steals. But I do know of the oligarchic corporations that engage such professionals’ image and services for their economic and financial abuse of consumers as well as government resources.
These oligarchs remind me of Romulo Neri’s 2008 briefing on the “oligarchic state” to members of the political opposition where he outlined the different oligarchs and their control of different economic spheres, notwithstanding our national elections.
Now it seems Neri, who worked under a political kleptocracy, hasn’t been as fortunate. Political dynasties have had to face ritual public roasting to give credence to “democratic” accountability such that it is their minions that suffer the consequences. Although Neri tries to be “decent” by never lying (technically, that is), he also evinces a bureaucratic Omerta for the benefit of his political patrons.
On that score, the oligarchs’ executives are luckier. Though they are appointed to government to serve their masters’ interests, they don’t suffer the presumption of corruptibility due to their being compensated beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. Plus, they can always go back to the corporation they served after being its Deep Penetration Agent (DPA) in government.
In contrast, political minions only have their pitiful official salaries, making it essential for “extra incomes” to rationalize their privations in thankless political and public roles, with few ever getting jailed for these anyway.
Furthermore, the activities of these oligarchs are not defined as “criminal” despite their control of society’s powers. That’s because they define the terminologies of legality and decency through the media they control or the clout of their advertising money.
And so, the “decent” man has now left his DoTC post with other officials in tow. But that protest move was enigmatic at best since it seemed to be only a day in the life of some regular bureaucrats, with their rapidly shifting assignments and all.
Not surprisingly, speculations on the “fall-out” abound: From the MRT privatization; to the Land Transportation Office’s multi-billion computerization (involving Virginia Torres, herself linked to carnapping in Tarlac); to the international airport’s Terminal III. As you will see, these are all still about money and nothing about public service.
Decency truly won’t stop people from serving indecent and avaricious goals that bring this nation to ruin. They must have something more. Integrity — the unity of “being” good and “acting” good, of upholding what is fair and just — may be what’s needed for a good man who has integrity would necessarily object to any corrupt assignment offered to him.
Gen. Angelo Reyes, a decent man to his friends and associates, sadly was not possessed of the integrity that could have saved this nation and his family from the pain and ignominy of a cover-up to the death, all because of the love of money which he, in all his “decency,” never failed to “share.”
(Tune in to Radyo OpinYon, Monday to Friday, 5 to 6 p.m., and Sulo ng Pilipino, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 6 to 7 p.m. on 1098AM; Talk News TV with HTL, Tuesday, 8 to 9 p.m., with replay at 11 p.m., on GNN, Destiny Cable Channel 8, on “K+12=Education Chaos”; visit http://newkatipunero.blogspot.com and http://hermantiulaurel.blogspot.com for our articles plus TV and radio archives)
Monday, June 6, 2011
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Their milking cow (1)
BACKBENCHER
Rod Kapunan
6/4-5/2011
It is irrelevant whether there would be a gain to be realized to the proposed ordinance adding a 0.5 percent increase in the assessed value of the real property just to implement the Socialized Housing Program of the Quezon City. Rather, the increasing cost for social services has become the local politicians’ favorite pastime to justify their insatiable need to increase their pork barrel. Their projects, if one has to be blunt about it, are not at all intended to ameliorate the poor, but calibrated to promote their own political agenda. We are saying this because the residents and those doing business in the city are now up in arms because the numerous taxes, licenses, permits and certification fees that have been slapped on them are supposed to vouch the boast of then-Mayor Feliciano Belmonte, now Speaker of the House, that he left a hefty P6.5-billion surplus.
The decision of some councilors to press hard its approval exposed the canard peddled by Belmonte for if it were so, all they need is to enact an ordinance to realign that alleged P6.5 billion to the proposed socialized housing program estimated to cost only P223 million without them imposing an additional burden to the property owners. More than that, in 2010, the city government appropriated P30 million under the heading of financial expenses to cover payment for bank charges, documentary stamp taxes, interest expense, and other financial charges which, according to Johnny Chang of the Movement for Better Quezon City, are indicative the city government is mired in debt. In 2009, it paid for the same financial expenses P31.281 million, and in 2008, P50 million or for a total of P111.2 million. Such amount does not reflect yet the principal for which those interests and charges are being paid for by the city government.
Already, the residents of the city are mired in taxes, licenses, business permits and certification fees to the Office of the Mayor down to the barangay level, and the argument made by its proponents led by Councilor Edcel Lagman Jr. is to comply with R.A. No. 7279, or the unpopular Lina law. True, local governments are authorized to pass an ordinance, but failure to enact could not make them liable. On the contrary, Section 43 of that law has become a dead law provision for they could have done it right after it was approved on February 2, 1992, or 19 years ago.
Nonetheless, the eagerness to ram into our throat the proposed socialized housing tax ordinance is because it is some kind of big bonanza that awaits them. It is bound to become another milestone in their continuing efforts to appease the informal urban settlers whom they have made as their ever-reliable election bailiwick. The gimmick is to keep open the pipeline for political patronage, instead of coming out with concrete solutions that would help alleviate the problems related to urban resettlement. One could be sure because the crazy idea would not help ease urban congestion, but could aggravate the problem that in the end the legitimate residents will be overwhelmed by millions of landless people all flocking to the city.
Notably, Quezon City has earned the unsalutary reputation of being called the “squatter capital” of the Philippines. As a matter of fact, the unabated inflow of squatters has been blamed to our local politicians who have been acting as their padrinos and protectors. The ugly part about this modus operandi is that many of them have been encouraged to occupy government and private lands, while in the meantime, City Hall pesters the landowners by imposing on them high taxes, even penalizing them for not paying taxes for those lands that have virtually been appropriated from them.
Many of the legitimate residents are living in small and middle-sized subdivisions who acquired their property through years of hard work. As law-abiding citizens they continue to comply with their obligations. On the other hand, squatters who do not pay anything are, in this case, about to be rewarded by a low-cost socialized housing, to be financed by those who are already burdened with high taxes. In fact, if only our councilors would squeeze a bit harder the gray matter that is inside their coconuts, they would realize that the problem is not on where to get the money, but on how to trim down their bulging pork barrel.
For one, in 2011, the mayor had a budget for his office P2.7 billion or 26 percent of the city’s total budget, an amount much bigger than that of the Vice President of the Republic; the vice mayor, P182.3 million; while the 24 councilors receive P44 million each. The worse thing is that each barangay has been is allocated the minimum of P5 million as its share of the internal revenue allocation, which explains why many of them act as “rah rah” boys of the mayor. An increase in revenue, including the proposed 0.5 surcharge on real estate property, would automatically result in an additional IRA for the “enforcers” of the mayor. As many observe, most of our barangay officials, aside from acting as rabble rousers for the mayor, are now being paid to exact more from their community than in doing their job of overseeing that social order is maintained and public services carried out down to the grassroots level.
Notably, the residents are already fuming mad at how our councilors squander their P44 million pork barrel just to greet them Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Graduation, and for the unabated construction of their lapida (tombstones) at every district boundaries. Many would not mind seeing them putting up their own lapidas, engraving or painting their names in those mediocre projects if it were their money. Alas, they are using the money collected from the resident taxpayers, which now makes them doubly shameless and corrupt. Of course, they got that cue from then Mayor Belmonte for it was he who initiated the blasphemous practice of personality cult despite him not yet being canonized as saint.
Rod Kapunan
6/4-5/2011
It is irrelevant whether there would be a gain to be realized to the proposed ordinance adding a 0.5 percent increase in the assessed value of the real property just to implement the Socialized Housing Program of the Quezon City. Rather, the increasing cost for social services has become the local politicians’ favorite pastime to justify their insatiable need to increase their pork barrel. Their projects, if one has to be blunt about it, are not at all intended to ameliorate the poor, but calibrated to promote their own political agenda. We are saying this because the residents and those doing business in the city are now up in arms because the numerous taxes, licenses, permits and certification fees that have been slapped on them are supposed to vouch the boast of then-Mayor Feliciano Belmonte, now Speaker of the House, that he left a hefty P6.5-billion surplus.
The decision of some councilors to press hard its approval exposed the canard peddled by Belmonte for if it were so, all they need is to enact an ordinance to realign that alleged P6.5 billion to the proposed socialized housing program estimated to cost only P223 million without them imposing an additional burden to the property owners. More than that, in 2010, the city government appropriated P30 million under the heading of financial expenses to cover payment for bank charges, documentary stamp taxes, interest expense, and other financial charges which, according to Johnny Chang of the Movement for Better Quezon City, are indicative the city government is mired in debt. In 2009, it paid for the same financial expenses P31.281 million, and in 2008, P50 million or for a total of P111.2 million. Such amount does not reflect yet the principal for which those interests and charges are being paid for by the city government.
Already, the residents of the city are mired in taxes, licenses, business permits and certification fees to the Office of the Mayor down to the barangay level, and the argument made by its proponents led by Councilor Edcel Lagman Jr. is to comply with R.A. No. 7279, or the unpopular Lina law. True, local governments are authorized to pass an ordinance, but failure to enact could not make them liable. On the contrary, Section 43 of that law has become a dead law provision for they could have done it right after it was approved on February 2, 1992, or 19 years ago.
Nonetheless, the eagerness to ram into our throat the proposed socialized housing tax ordinance is because it is some kind of big bonanza that awaits them. It is bound to become another milestone in their continuing efforts to appease the informal urban settlers whom they have made as their ever-reliable election bailiwick. The gimmick is to keep open the pipeline for political patronage, instead of coming out with concrete solutions that would help alleviate the problems related to urban resettlement. One could be sure because the crazy idea would not help ease urban congestion, but could aggravate the problem that in the end the legitimate residents will be overwhelmed by millions of landless people all flocking to the city.
Notably, Quezon City has earned the unsalutary reputation of being called the “squatter capital” of the Philippines. As a matter of fact, the unabated inflow of squatters has been blamed to our local politicians who have been acting as their padrinos and protectors. The ugly part about this modus operandi is that many of them have been encouraged to occupy government and private lands, while in the meantime, City Hall pesters the landowners by imposing on them high taxes, even penalizing them for not paying taxes for those lands that have virtually been appropriated from them.
Many of the legitimate residents are living in small and middle-sized subdivisions who acquired their property through years of hard work. As law-abiding citizens they continue to comply with their obligations. On the other hand, squatters who do not pay anything are, in this case, about to be rewarded by a low-cost socialized housing, to be financed by those who are already burdened with high taxes. In fact, if only our councilors would squeeze a bit harder the gray matter that is inside their coconuts, they would realize that the problem is not on where to get the money, but on how to trim down their bulging pork barrel.
For one, in 2011, the mayor had a budget for his office P2.7 billion or 26 percent of the city’s total budget, an amount much bigger than that of the Vice President of the Republic; the vice mayor, P182.3 million; while the 24 councilors receive P44 million each. The worse thing is that each barangay has been is allocated the minimum of P5 million as its share of the internal revenue allocation, which explains why many of them act as “rah rah” boys of the mayor. An increase in revenue, including the proposed 0.5 surcharge on real estate property, would automatically result in an additional IRA for the “enforcers” of the mayor. As many observe, most of our barangay officials, aside from acting as rabble rousers for the mayor, are now being paid to exact more from their community than in doing their job of overseeing that social order is maintained and public services carried out down to the grassroots level.
Notably, the residents are already fuming mad at how our councilors squander their P44 million pork barrel just to greet them Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Happy Graduation, and for the unabated construction of their lapida (tombstones) at every district boundaries. Many would not mind seeing them putting up their own lapidas, engraving or painting their names in those mediocre projects if it were their money. Alas, they are using the money collected from the resident taxpayers, which now makes them doubly shameless and corrupt. Of course, they got that cue from then Mayor Belmonte for it was he who initiated the blasphemous practice of personality cult despite him not yet being canonized as saint.
- rodkap@yahoo.com.ph
CAJO
CROSSINGS
Butch Junia
4/25-5/1/2011
Cajo is Catherine Joy. She is our first-born. She is my constant friend; the girl to dote on.
Gentle critic, sought-after fan, trusted confidante, tireless cheerleader, inspiration, reality check, morality police, TV censor and editor, Cajo celebrates her birthday today.
In case you missed it, Cajo is a combination of the first syllables of her first names. Feeling creative and angling for the unique, I coined that name for her, but before she even turned one year old, I resigned my job in Cebu, we moved back to Manila and Cajo became Cathy.
Today I still get a jolt when Brods from the Sigma Rho who were also in Cebu at that time - Jimmy Sarte, Emil Librea, Tony Jalaguena and my ka-batch Estoy Estorninos - ask about Cajo, a name only they and my former colleagues at the National Manpower and Youth Council (NMYC) still remember.
“Cajo” stirs up memories of those years when we would bring Cathy to NMYC in a basket, when our student boarders (who are now dentists) would take turns looking after her, and Cutie would leave Cathy occupied and distracted by the fluttering diapers on the indoor clothesline over her crib.
I doubt if Cathy would have memories of Cebu, because we moved before she was even one year old, but I will not forget those first smiles, the all-around crawl, the cutest yawns, the infant tantrums, the first bite of junk food and fries, the da da that I insisted sounded like “daddy”, and of course, ma ma.
Cathy would always be around her Mommy. A licensed medical technologist, Cutie resigned her teaching position at Southwestern University when Cathy was born, to be a full-time Mom. From there on, our girls got the full-time attention of a stickler for proper table, toilet and bed manners, a strict dietician and a demanding tutor who would check all homework, verify grades and talk to the teachers. On hindsight, it was best for Cathy and Tinie, as they each went their way through grade school to college.
Just as quickly, Cathy was also growing up to be a Daddy’s girl. She grew up with the Hello Kitty generation, and it would be our daily ritual to add something to her collection. It was a good thing the Hello Kitty collectibles came in small items and were not as tough on the pocket.
When she was barely five or six, Cathy was my censor. Times that we would watch TV, when the commercials, especially the White Castle plugs came on, she would ask me to look away from the set.
We also had our “stand by me” moments in Tacloban City, when we came in on a late night flight, found out that my brother had already moved to another place, did not have any ride, were stranded at the outskirts of the City, and had to walk in unfamiliar roads in the dead of night. Cathy was very brave and very trusting of her Dad, without knowing how scared I was for her.
Frank Sinatra had this popular ditty about how daughters can make us feel like fathers, and that is exactly how Cathy made me feel at that time.
For Cathy, prep, grade and high school were at Maryknoll, before it became Miriam College. Expectedly, she had her share of juvenile mischief but there were also the Honors’ Assemblies, Recognition Day and Family Days. Up until finishing high school, Cathy was under the very close watch of Mom and Dad.
College at the University of the Philippines opened up a new world for Cathy. And I know now, on hindsight, it worked best for her.
Guy Lombardo once said a man wishes he were strong enough to tear a telephone book in half, especially if he has a teenage daughter. There were many times I felt like that, but as things stand now, everything still turned out well and right for Cathy.
When she turned 18, for instance, she had her party at our garden, at home. Friends from college and high school and her sorority, which as it happens is my sister sorority, were around. We actually knew most of them very well, especially the high school friends, but still I needed some adjusting to the tequila and scotch on the tables.
If there were a phone book on hand, I would have torn it in half, but as it turned out, my worries were misplaced. Cathy can hold her drink, and so could her friends.
Since Cathy was a toddler, she has always made me feel as the “World’s Greatest and/or Number One Dad.” From her and Tinie, I have a wide collection of those T-shirts, desk pieces, posters, desk clock, etc.
Best surprise they gave me, though, was a McDonald’s cowboys and Indians Birthday Party on my 47th year. They planned, organized and executed it so well that I did not even know that they had called friends from media and from work. In fact I remember giving Cathy a dressing down for coming home late and driving along EDSA (our agreement was that she could only drive from our place to UP) not knowing that she had to get a charcoal portrait for the surprise party. She took it with composure.
According to Greek philosopher Euripides, to a father growing old, nothing is dearer than a daughter. This grown-old father has had the benefit of endearment from two daughters, and I am therefore blessed twice over.
The wisdom of the Greeks, from thousands of years ago, are still relevant and appreciated to this day.
Finally, in a keepsake book for parents and children, “Dear Mom and Dad”, among many child admonitions to parents, one item caught my eye: “Don’t ever suggest that you are perfect or infallible. It gives me too great a shock when I discover that you are neither,” the book said.
Whether we raised the bar too high or just high enough, reckoning from what Cathy and Tinie have achieved so far and what they have made of their young lives, I would hope there were not that many shockers.
Happy Birthday, Cathy, and I hope you don’t disown me for sharing these remembrances with OpinYon’s millions of readers. We love you, Cajo!
Butch Junia
4/25-5/1/2011
Cajo is Catherine Joy. She is our first-born. She is my constant friend; the girl to dote on.
Gentle critic, sought-after fan, trusted confidante, tireless cheerleader, inspiration, reality check, morality police, TV censor and editor, Cajo celebrates her birthday today.
In case you missed it, Cajo is a combination of the first syllables of her first names. Feeling creative and angling for the unique, I coined that name for her, but before she even turned one year old, I resigned my job in Cebu, we moved back to Manila and Cajo became Cathy.
Today I still get a jolt when Brods from the Sigma Rho who were also in Cebu at that time - Jimmy Sarte, Emil Librea, Tony Jalaguena and my ka-batch Estoy Estorninos - ask about Cajo, a name only they and my former colleagues at the National Manpower and Youth Council (NMYC) still remember.
“Cajo” stirs up memories of those years when we would bring Cathy to NMYC in a basket, when our student boarders (who are now dentists) would take turns looking after her, and Cutie would leave Cathy occupied and distracted by the fluttering diapers on the indoor clothesline over her crib.
I doubt if Cathy would have memories of Cebu, because we moved before she was even one year old, but I will not forget those first smiles, the all-around crawl, the cutest yawns, the infant tantrums, the first bite of junk food and fries, the da da that I insisted sounded like “daddy”, and of course, ma ma.
Cathy would always be around her Mommy. A licensed medical technologist, Cutie resigned her teaching position at Southwestern University when Cathy was born, to be a full-time Mom. From there on, our girls got the full-time attention of a stickler for proper table, toilet and bed manners, a strict dietician and a demanding tutor who would check all homework, verify grades and talk to the teachers. On hindsight, it was best for Cathy and Tinie, as they each went their way through grade school to college.
Just as quickly, Cathy was also growing up to be a Daddy’s girl. She grew up with the Hello Kitty generation, and it would be our daily ritual to add something to her collection. It was a good thing the Hello Kitty collectibles came in small items and were not as tough on the pocket.
When she was barely five or six, Cathy was my censor. Times that we would watch TV, when the commercials, especially the White Castle plugs came on, she would ask me to look away from the set.
We also had our “stand by me” moments in Tacloban City, when we came in on a late night flight, found out that my brother had already moved to another place, did not have any ride, were stranded at the outskirts of the City, and had to walk in unfamiliar roads in the dead of night. Cathy was very brave and very trusting of her Dad, without knowing how scared I was for her.
Frank Sinatra had this popular ditty about how daughters can make us feel like fathers, and that is exactly how Cathy made me feel at that time.
For Cathy, prep, grade and high school were at Maryknoll, before it became Miriam College. Expectedly, she had her share of juvenile mischief but there were also the Honors’ Assemblies, Recognition Day and Family Days. Up until finishing high school, Cathy was under the very close watch of Mom and Dad.
College at the University of the Philippines opened up a new world for Cathy. And I know now, on hindsight, it worked best for her.
Guy Lombardo once said a man wishes he were strong enough to tear a telephone book in half, especially if he has a teenage daughter. There were many times I felt like that, but as things stand now, everything still turned out well and right for Cathy.
When she turned 18, for instance, she had her party at our garden, at home. Friends from college and high school and her sorority, which as it happens is my sister sorority, were around. We actually knew most of them very well, especially the high school friends, but still I needed some adjusting to the tequila and scotch on the tables.
If there were a phone book on hand, I would have torn it in half, but as it turned out, my worries were misplaced. Cathy can hold her drink, and so could her friends.
Since Cathy was a toddler, she has always made me feel as the “World’s Greatest and/or Number One Dad.” From her and Tinie, I have a wide collection of those T-shirts, desk pieces, posters, desk clock, etc.
Best surprise they gave me, though, was a McDonald’s cowboys and Indians Birthday Party on my 47th year. They planned, organized and executed it so well that I did not even know that they had called friends from media and from work. In fact I remember giving Cathy a dressing down for coming home late and driving along EDSA (our agreement was that she could only drive from our place to UP) not knowing that she had to get a charcoal portrait for the surprise party. She took it with composure.
According to Greek philosopher Euripides, to a father growing old, nothing is dearer than a daughter. This grown-old father has had the benefit of endearment from two daughters, and I am therefore blessed twice over.
The wisdom of the Greeks, from thousands of years ago, are still relevant and appreciated to this day.
Finally, in a keepsake book for parents and children, “Dear Mom and Dad”, among many child admonitions to parents, one item caught my eye: “Don’t ever suggest that you are perfect or infallible. It gives me too great a shock when I discover that you are neither,” the book said.
Whether we raised the bar too high or just high enough, reckoning from what Cathy and Tinie have achieved so far and what they have made of their young lives, I would hope there were not that many shockers.
Happy Birthday, Cathy, and I hope you don’t disown me for sharing these remembrances with OpinYon’s millions of readers. We love you, Cajo!
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