‘We would have to choose between a Filipino family and an Asean ally. That is a no-win situation for us. Better to let them sort it out themselves – Muslim to Muslim.’
WE shouldn’t just identify Mary Grace Llamanzares as the “daughter” of Fernando Poe Jr., without any explanation. Everyone knows that Ronnie and his wife Susan Roces never had any children. If Mary Grace was adopted, there is nothing wrong in that. But as a possible future senator of the land, we have a right to know who her real parents were. By sticking to what has to be an outright lie, she is unconvincing as a candidate of a president who treads the Daang Matuwid.
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It is wrong for Senator Antonio Trillanes IV to insist that the government come up with a Sabah policy and announce this to the world. What good would that do? Wouldn’t our government only get itself embroiled in a sticky situation with a neighboring Asean ally?
The government has, so far, not involved itself with the Kirams’ claims on Sabah and it really should not do so now, except to protect Filipino lives that may be in danger because of the situation in Sabah.
Let the Kirams solve their problem. They apparently have a just claim on Sabah because even up to now, Malaysia is paying rent on the island to the Kirams, the same amount that the English were paying the family when they were the original occupiers of Sabah.
Why would Malaysia pay the Kirams rent if Malaysia owns Sabah? As far as the Philippines is concerned, the best position to take is non-involvement. By declaring any position on the matter, the Philippines will only further complicate the situation.
We would have to choose between a Filipino family and an Asean ally. That is a no-win situation for us. Better to let them sort it out themselves – Muslim to Muslim.
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The New People’s Army (NPA) apparently tried to enter the Del Monte Phils. compound, also known as Camp Philips. They killed one security guard, wounded two other persons — another security guard and a civilian. At least 30 men arrived in two trucks and entered the compound where three parked trucks were set on fire.
The attack did not affect the operations of the firm that has its plantation in Bukidnon and its canning plant in Cagayan de Oro.
The company came up with this announcement: “The incident is truly unfortunate and Del Monte management is unaware of the reasons why the rebels committed such acts of violence.
“Del Monte has been operating in Bukidnon for the last 87 years, and it has provided gainful employment to over 20,000 people across 10 municipalities.”
The New People’s Army, once a unit admired by the people. has become a bandit gang that attacks commercial establishments that refuse to pay them what they call “revolutionary taxes.”
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I actually agree that polling organizations such as Social Weather Stations and Pulse Asia should be stopped from conducting senatorial preference surveys, before the campaign period begins and even during the campaign period. Knowing how our electorate chooses their preferred candidates from among those perceived as “winners,” these polls can affect the outcome of our elections; and who knows that these so-called results are not doctored to favor those who pay for them.
An independent candidate for Senators asked a court to stop SWS and Pulse Asia from taking their popularity readings and has been sued by the two firms for P1.4-million.
SWS and Pulse Asia objected to the demand of lawyer Samson Alcantara, a senatorial candidate of the Social Justice Society, that he first be provided with the list of questions that would be posed to respondents in the surveys.
In separate replies to Alcantara’s suit filed with the court, Pulse Asia counsel Jose Manuel Diokno and SWS lawyer F. Albert Bacungan said granting the senatorial candidate’s demand would be tantamount to prior restraint on free speech.
“Pulse Asia has no legal obligation to notify plaintiff Alcantara, give him copies of survey questions to be propounded to the respondents, and data regarding respondents. [His] demand for such notice and information has no legal basis,” Diokno said.
Of course, the Pulse Asia lawyer is correct.
What ought to be done is to make into law a prohibition for these polling organizations and news media telling everyone what they found out from their survey so as not to influence the voters into who are the winners whose names they should write in (or check) if they want to vote only for the winners.
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The Philippine Airlines Interclub seniors’ golf tournament now going on simultaneously at the Cebu Country Club and Mactan course has a record 100 teams, including 53 from abroad, in the four-day, five-to-play event.
Unlike in previous years, when the contest was between Canlubang and Luisita, because the main players in both teams –Tommy Manotoc and Iggy Clavecilla — have been sidelined due to health problems, the senior competition may come up with surprises.
The Canlubang Sugar Barons will be without Manotoc who has been instrumental in all of their six championships while Luisita will miss the prolific Iggy Clavecilla.
Manotoc, who won the individual title last year at the age of 63, has not played 18 holes for months due to health problems.
Clavecilla, another former individual winner, has yet to fully recover from a freak accident last year in South Korea.
This year, the PAL Interclub is sponsored by the Department of Tourism, 105.1 Crossover, Solar Sports, Plantation Bay Resort and Spa, 92.3 FM Radyo 5, Araneta Coliseum and AXN. Major sponsors are Airbus, Manila Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine Broadcasting Network, People Asia, Radio Mindanao Network, Business Mirror and ABS-CBN The Filipino Channel (TFC).
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