To be kidnapped for ransom once is horrifying enough. But to be kidnapped twice is a nightmare no one should go through. This is what happened to Ka Kuen Chua who recounted his ordeal before a Senate committee hearing on safety and public order.
Chua was kidnapped and released after his family paid ransom. Although he was rescued by police after he was abducted again, Chua’s harrowing experience showed the extent of the rampant criminality in this country.
The Senate hearing presided over by Senator Grace Poe was held in aid of legislation to modernize the PNP and improve police efficiency by increasing its budget allocation.
Philippine National Police Chief Alan Purisima found himself in an unfamiliar situation when he was grilled by Senators Poe, Serge Osmeña, and Antonio Trillanes .
Anti-kidnapping crusaders Teresita Ang See and Dante Jimenez of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption testified how suspended policemen involved in crimes managed to stay in the service and even get promoted.
A slew of charges including plunder, bribery and unexplained wealth has been filed against Purisima arising from his huge house in Nueva Ecija, his official “White House” residence in Camp Crame built by contractor friends, a poultry farm and two luxury vehicles. Police officials are undergoing a lifestyle check after reports of rogue cops involved in robbery, kidnapping and car thefts.
The Nueva Ecija house with a swimming pool listed in Purisima’s Statement of Assets and Liabilities was declared at P4 million. Assessors believe, however, that it is worth much more, according to the complaint filed with the Office of the Ombudsman. Under Poe’s persistent questioning, Purisima admitted he got a big discount on a Toyota Prado SUV which is priced at P4 million but which the dealer sold him for only P1.5 million.
“Should you not have wondered why the dealer gave you such a big discount, that perhaps he wants a big favor from you?“ asked Poe. This was the same question Senator Osmena posed to Purisima on why he accepted an P11-million residence for the PNP chief built by private contractors.
“You should have exercised propriety and good judgment. The PNP chief’s residence could have been built with government funds,” lectured Osmeña when Purisima said the house was built by contractor friends because the area was flooded during rainy days. He said the San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija house is only 204 square meters and a bullet-proof car was lent by friends
Senator Osmeña suggested Purisima should resign for impropriety in accepting gifts and favors from friends. Still supported by President Aquino, Purisima said he would not quit.
“Nine on a scale of one to 10,” was how Purisima rated his performance as PNP chief when asked by Poe to grade himself in view of the surging criminality when citizens no longer feel safe in their cars or inside their homes.
Hong Kong as Tiananmen
The whole world is watching the denouement of the week-long pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong that have the makings of another Tiananmen. The massacre of students in 1989 on Beijing’s famous square comes to mind as the world’s second superpower marks its 65th anniversary of communist party rule.
Beijing cannot back down or it will encourage protests in mainland China’s other restive provinces like Xinjiang and Tibet. The Chinese leadership is in a dilemma on how to deal with the Hong Kong civil disobedience. China cannot lose Hong Kong, a financial global
Center, even as it grooms Shanghai and Guangzhou to replace the former British Crown Colony as a source of hard foreign currency.
The protest in Hong Kong has been called the “umbrella revolution” and Occupy Central (HK’s main business district) because the protesters used umbrellas to shield themselves from the rain and tear gas fired by the local police.
How long will Beijing allow the Hong Kong protest to continue before it sends in regular People’s Liberation Army troops to quell the pro-democracy demonstration? The protesters demand the resignation of Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying and for Beijing to allow Hong Kong to elect candidates for the post in 2017 other than the ones nominated by the ruling communist politburo.
How long the protesters can last is also a concern even if they are able to shut down Hong Kong which is dependent on water, electricity and food supply from the Mainland.
‘Selfie’ new word in our lexicon
“Selfie” has been accepted as a new word in our lexicon. The continuously evolving English language took cognizance of the widely used word after people with cell phone cameras caught the craze of taking instant photos of themselves and their friends.
But there’s another word akin to Filipinos which took runner-up spot after “selfie.” This is the much dreaded word “endo” or end of contract. Among contractual workers in department stores and in the service sector, this means being laid off after five months before they can be made regular employees.
“Endo” is the onerous practice of business establishments to avoid paying workers benefits such as health insurance, 13th month pay, SSS remittance and severance pay. Why the Department of Labor tolerates this practice and why our legislators have not fully addressed the problem is reprehensible.
Most of the employees of these business establishments are drawn from recruitment agencies which are paid a hefty sum without any regard for workers’ welfare. This is the reason many are forced to find employment overseas even in countries with hostile work environment.
No comments:
Post a Comment