By Rey O. Arcilla
EVERY time I pass by the DFA building on Roxas Boulevard, I notice that the national flag and the Asean emblem fly side by side at the same height.
That’s wrong!
Section 12 of Republic Act No. 8491 of 12 February 1998 states:
“Section 12. When the Philippine flag is flown with another flag, the flags, if both are national flags, must be flown on separate staffs of the same height and shall be of equal size. The Philippine flag shall be hoisted first and lowered last.
“If the other flag is not a national flag, it may be flown in the same lineyard (sic) as the Philippine flag but below the latter and it cannot be of greater size than the Philippine flag.”
In correcting the mistake, I believe the DFA should at the same time verify, if it hasn’t yet, whether the foreign ministries of the other Asean members also display the Association’s emblem in their premises… then act accordingly.
And to restore the dignity of the DFA premises, that giant smiley in its main entrance should be removed. It has no place at all in a foreign office… unless it was placed there to sort of counter the sad mien of its top habitue.
According to a high-ranking DFA official, the smiley also poses a problem to the security guards in the lobby. It partially blocks their view of people entering the premises and causes visitors to invariably make the mistake of entering through the exit door as well.
For security reason alone, that freaking juvenile display should never have been put there in the first place!
***
The Triple Action Plan (TAP) that Foreign Secretary Albert “Super Amboy” del Rosario tried to launch in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar over the weekend, predictably, did not fly.
The Joint Communique of the 47th Asean Ministerial Meeting issued on 8 August simply referred to TAP, thus:
“155. We noted the paper on the Triple Action Plan introduced by the Philippines and other proposals on Article 5 of the DOC raised by other ASEAN Foreign Ministers on the South China Sea.” (Noted? That’s it? They didn’t even discuss it?)
To begin with, there was nothing new at all in the plan.
The first step called for a moratorium of all provocative activities by China in the South China Sea/West Philippine Sea (SCS/WPS), an original US idea adopted by Del Rosario. That fact alone made it a non-starter. Anything the US says about the SCS/WPS issue is anathema to the Chinese. Unsurprisingly, TAP was rejected by the Chinese even before the meeting in Nay Pyi Taw. And, as though for emphasis, China even announced the putting up of lighthouses in five of the contested isles.
The second step was supposed to be the implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the SCS and the crafting of a Code of Conduct. Both subjects have been discussed numerous times before with no concrete results.
The third step in the TAP is resort to arbitration as we have done in filing a petition before the International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea (ITLOS). Apart from brushing aside our move, China also said she will not abide by any ITLOS decision on the issue.
But the most important reason TAP did not fly is the fact that there is no consensus among all the Asean members themselves. Malaysia, for instance, one of the claimant-countries, did not expressly support it as Brunei, Indonesia and Vietnam have done. Malaysia has made it plain from the very beginning that she was not ready to antagonize China by associating herself with any proposal that would not sit well with the latter. TAP, therefore, did not have a chance of succeeding from the very start.
Even the US call on China to stop activities that would change the status quo in the disputed areas fell on deaf ears. Asean itself did not even discuss it.
Interestingly, the US stressed at the same time that she “is not looking for a showdown” with the Chinese since the issue “is not a superpower battle”. That was a clear indication she is not prepared to go all the way in “convincing” China to desist from any more action designed to change the status quo.
As US Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel said, “China as a large and powerful nation has a special responsibility to show restraint. There is a big footprint that comes with military strength and it warrants setting your foot very, very carefully and treading very gingerly when you are in a sensitive area.” (China must be wondering if the US considered that when she invaded Iraq in 2003.)
And so, we’re back to square one.
What to do now? I believe it is time to take China to the General Assembly of the United Nations to make the entire international community aware of her ludicrous claim that she owns 90 percent of the SCS. Her aggressive and provocative acts in the SCS are also contrary to her responsibility, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, to promote and preserve international peace and security
How? Well, isn’t that the reason we have a permanent representative to the UN? Ask him.
***
Government employees will not be receiving any pay increase this year, nor will they next year. They were promised one in 2016 which, as someone pointed out, happens to be an election year.
“Incidentally”, said thick-skinned budget secretary Florencio Abad. “Nang-asar pa! May araw din siya,” said a dejected government employee.
Coincidentally, I received information that the GSIS employees’ union asked the pension fund’s board of trustees for a salary increase this year. Malacañang denied it saying there is no money for it. Someone said the money was most probably thrown into the DAP barrel.
“But we have the highest paid government official. How ironic,” laments one GSIS employee. (Please see Reminders [for Noynoy] portion below.
***
A Fil-Chinese acquaintance impishly asked me why the crew members of a Chinese fishing vessel that ran aground last year on national heritage site Tubbataha Reef have been tried and convicted here, whereas none of the crew members of a US minesweeper that also ran aground in the Reef a couple of months before the Chinese vessel did was even arrested.
All I could do in response was shrug my shoulder, coupled with a sheepish grin. I think he knew the answer to his question and just wanted me to feel awkward. The bastard!
***
Noynoy’s lackeys in the lower house of Congress have begun their hatchet job on justices of the Supreme Court. Malacañang denies it has something to do with it. Yeah, right… just like telling Noynoy’s bosses that the crow is white.
The high court ruled Noynoy’s Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) unconstitutional. It is retribution time.
Noynoy’s hatchetmen are now threatening the Chief Justice with impeachment for allegedly committing the same offense attributed to Noynoy on the DAP, i.e., using savings for unauthorized expenditures. They also threaten to abolish the Judiciary Development Fund which they called the Supreme Court’s pork barrel. The Bureau of Internal Revenue has also asked the justices to submit their SALNs.
It would be interesting to see how this titanic battle between two co-equal branches of the government plays out. I think the Supreme Court has an edge. The people have more trust in it, especially after it declared the PDAF and DAP unconstitutional.
***
Reminders (for Noynoy):
1) Filing of charges against officials of the National Food Authority (NFA) during Arroyo’s illegitimate regime. Noynoy himself said on several occasions that there is documentary evidence to prove the venalities in the past in that agency.
That was four long years ago.
(Ironically, one of the biggest scandals to hit President Noynoy Aquino’s administration is the alleged corruption in the NFA and the pork barrel scam in the Department of Agriculture headed by Proceso Alcala who is still sticking like a leech to his post notwithstanding the appointment of former senator Francis “Mr. Noted” Pangilinan as his virtual replacement. Noynoy’s first appointee to head the NFA is also reportedly about to be charged, along with others, for alleged graft and corruption during his tenure in the agency.)
2) Investigation of reported anomalies in the GSIS during the watch of Winston Garcia and order his successor, Robert “Pretty Boy” Vergara, to file the proper charges, if warranted, against the former.
Noynoy should also order Vergara to report to him on COA’s findings that:
(a) He received the obscenely excessive compensation of P16.36 million in 2012 making him the highest paid government servant then. The latest COA report also has Vergara as the highest paid for 2013 with P12.09 million; and
(b) That over a year ago, at least P4.13 billion in contributions and loan payments made by 12 government offices to the GSIS had not been credited to the offices as of Dec. 31, 2011.
COA also said at the time that the amount of unrecorded remittances could go much higher because only 36 agencies have so far responded out of the 186 that were sent confirmation requests by government auditors. Of the 36, 27 confirmed “discrepancies” in their premium and loan payments ledgers when compared with those of the GSIS.
There are three questions being raised when remittances, or parts thereof, of government agencies are not recorded by the GSIS on time: a) Where are these huge sums “parked” in the meantime?; b) Do they earn interest?; and c) To where (whom?) does the interest, if any, go?
Pray tell, Mr. Vergara, what is the present status of these funds, including those that may have been remitted since and not yet recorded by the GSIS?
I believe it is time for COA to follow up on what Vergara has done on the above findings so that affected GSIS members would know the status of their contributions!
In this connection, I would like to address this question to Mesdames Grace Pulido Tan and newly CA-confirmed Heidi Mendoza of COA: “Is GSIS head Robert “Pretty Boy” Vergara one of the sacred cows in Noynoy’s coterie whom you are afraid to investigate?”
***
Today is the 109th day of the eighth year of Jonas Burgos’ disappearance.
Fifteen weeks ago, Jonas’ mother, Edita, reminded Noynoy in a letter of his promise to conduct a “dedicated and exhaustive investigation” on her son’s enforced disappearance.
“Our hope was anchored on your promise to do what you could ‘on the basis of evidence’ when I personally pleaded for your help. This was almost four years ago, May 2010,” she wrote.
Mr. President, Sir?
***
From an internet friend:
Global Facts About Sex
At any given moment:
- 58,000,000 are kissing.
- 37,000,000 are relaxing after having sex.
- 1 old person is reading this.
You hang in there, Sunshine!
***
Email: roacrosshairs@outlook.com
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