If Customs Commissioner John Philip Sevilla is sincere in his commitment against rampant smuggling, he should visit Divisoria and Greenhills. He should see for himself how rampant smuggling from China has become.
In both places, he will find all sorts of imported items, ranging from designer bags, shoes, clothing, even toys and ornaments. These are all sold at very low prices.
So how did these items pass through Customs?
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I consider myself blessed by God. At 87 years, my mind is still clear. All the data from my 60 years as a lawyer-journalist are intact in my head.
Sure, I have aches and pains that go with old age. But through this column, I can still afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted.
Many people my age are suffering from some kind of ailment, Alzheimer’s, or are wheelchair-bound. In fact, out of 21 members of our class, Batch 1950-Bachelor of Arts at the ruins of Padre Faura, I think only four of us are still around. There is our summa cum laude, Sixto Roxas, former Vice President Teofisto Guingona, retired Court of Appeals Justice Jimmy Lantin, and myself.
My biggest blessing was in 1970 during the Philippine visit of the late Pope Paul VI, who recently was beatified by Pope Francis. I still don’t know why and how I was chosen to represent media among the 30 men and women to receive Holy Communion from him.
I was living at Philamlife Homes in Quezon City at that time, and together with my wife and children, we walked all the way to the Quezon Memorial Circle where Pope Paul VI celebrated Mass.
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Back to unsaintly events. If the Senate Yellow Ribbon Committee chaired by President Aquino’s ally, Senator TG Guingona, has the will to do what should be done, he should convene the committee motu proprio to investigate the alleged overprice in the construction of the P488-million Iloilo Convention Center. The issue involves no less than Senate President Frank Drilon, Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson and Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez.
The issue of overpricing of a public building is the same one hurled against Vice President Jojo Binay. The contractor, Hilmarc, is the same.
Actually, there’s no need for any resolution for the Yellow Ribbon Committee to investigate since the rules of the Senate authorize Guingona to conduct an investigation on its own accord.
Guingona has been challenged by his fellow senators, notably Jinggoy Estrada, who is now facing plunder charges before the Sandiganbayan, Senator Chiz Escudero, an ally of Malacañang, and Senator Koko Pimentel, also the President’s ally. So, my gulay, why is Guingona hesitant to do what should be done?
The answer is quite obvious. Like his master’s voice, when it comes to the President and all his allies and friends, Guingona also believes, they cannot do anything wrong.
Daang Matuwid,” my foot! That’s President Aquino’s style of reform.
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The headline of the Manila Standard Today yesterday, “4 Top Execs Owe Gov’t P10 billion—COA” no longer shocked me.
It was reported that President Aquino’s top executives, including Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, and Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala had P10.14 billion in cash advances which have not been liquidated.
Based on the 2013 Annual Financial Report submitted to Congress in October, COA found that the cash advances represented “expenses on local and foreign travels and for special purpose time-bound undertaking.”
Read this and weep to know where your money is going:
The Commission on Elections has P3.214 billion in unliquidated advances, the biggest among 10 departments, or 31.75 percent of the total unliquidated amount.
The second is the Department of Education with P2.23 billion in unliquidated advances.
Mar Roxas’ DILG came third with P1.1 billion in unliquidated cash advances; Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin ranked fourth at P685.62 million De Lima came fifth at P617.44 million; Dinky Soliman at No. 6 with P462.55 million unliquidated cash advances; and Alcala at No. 7 with P354.50 million.
Santa Banana, President Aquino ranked No. 8 with unliquidated cash advances amounting to P340.87 million. But this comes as no surprise considering how Malacañang and Budget Secretary Butch Abad have been fooling around with the people’s money.
State Universities and Colleges also had P160.27 million unliquidated cash advances, and other departments also had P676.51 million.
As Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo, a Liberal Party member said, under the Revised Penal Code, if a public officer had been advanced cash and if he or she failed to account for the money, it is presumed that the money had been pocketed or put to personal use.
The misuse of public funds by administration officials is a clear malversation of public funds and no amount of excuses will erase the offense. This is graft and corruption in any language.
If the Cabinet members were in the private sector, they would have been fired, pronto. But, not with the Aquino administration where the President also committed the same offense.
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This coming Saturday marks the first anniversary of the super typhoon Yolanda that wrecked havoc in Eastern Visayas, notably Samar and Leyte, particularly Tacloban City, which suffered the most.
The tragedy that struck Tacloban City was bad enough. It becomes doubly tragic when we consider that relief and rehabilitation have not come to thousands of Taclobanons, still living in tents and in danger zones.
We have a so-called “Rehabilitation Czar” in the person of former Senator Ping Lacson, who submitted an alleged “Master Plan” for rehabilitation. While the President has signed it, it’s still in limbo because it has no specifics.
One year on, and the people are still waiting.
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