Dandan’s lament
I told former Congressman Boy Jala about the problem in the
I told him about the great sacrifice of the passengers inside the “torture chamber” called the PPA terminal building and the cruel and inhuman treatment of passengers as they prepare to board the vessel – they are made to line up under the heat of the sun or rain amid the swirling and choking dust as cargoes make their way to the vowels of the vessel while the dogs undertake another “dog-screening” of luggages.
I told him about the amusing practice of subjecting the cargoes to a “dog-screening” after the same has already been subjected to an X-Ray screening.
Okay, okay, they feel the “dog-screening” is more reliable than the X-Ray screening. They think that the dog can perform better than the X-Ray machine.
No argument on that score, even if the personnel at the city airport are laughing over this practice.
But are they so dense and insensitive that they cannot think of ways to minimize the hardship on the part of the passengers?
Why not conduct the dog-sniffing gimmick inside the terminal while the passengers are still waiting for boarding time?
Why do they have to subject the passengers to unnecessary inconvenience?
* * *
Upon learning this, Boy Jala took his cellphone and tried to connect to the PPA in Jagna.
I don’t know if there was connection established but he promised to look into the problem.
I hope he can do something about it. As well all know, Boy Jala is also an Assistant Secretary of DOTC.
This problem in the Jagna port falls within his bureaucratic domain.
Longcuts also hopes Jagna Mayor Eksam Lloren can do something about this collection of P2 per passenger minus the official receipt pronto.
If this is continued, somebody will continue to malverse public funds.
* * *
When I narrated the dog-sniffing incident in Jagna port, an airport personnel who also “helps” in the screening of cargoes and luggages in the city airport could not believe it.
Why do they have to require passengers to line up under the heat of the sun when they can have the dog-sniffing at random and inside the passenger terminal building?
This was his initial reaction.
Anyway, I suppose the shipping company is wholly responsible for this.
Cebu Ferries may be extra-cautious when it comes to security but requiring the passengers to line up amidst the sun and dust just so the dog can sniff all the luggages clean is really too much.
The other shipping companies do not subject their passengers to this kind of “cruelty.”
Like when we depart Cagayan port on board Dona Rita of Gothong Lines on our way to Jagna, there was no lining up for the dog-sniffing session.
After the X-Ray, the passengers were allowed to proceed unmolested to the gangplank for immediate boarding.
Well, if this is company policy, we can do nothing about it save to complain to proper authorities.
In the meantime, why should we allow such practice to continue? And why should we continue patronizing callous and insensitive shipping companies?
* * *
While many are questioning the motive of Winston Garcia in his “take-over” bid of MERALCO, the fact remains that this “loud-mouthed” Cebuano uncovered a lot of highly questionable corporate shenanigans in the power utility firm.
Many power consumers would not have known that they were actually paying for a long time now for electricity that they did not use and which MERALCO calls systems loss.
This is power that is lost in the process of transmission or lost by electric pilferers.
Many power consumers would not have known about these “sweetheart deals” entered into by MERALCO with other Lopez-owned power distribution firms like First Gas.
Why “sweetheart deals?”
Because they are entered into by interlocking owners, presumably to maximize their profits.
For instance, records show that First Gas did not deliver the right generation supply amount of power, but charged this anyway, even as the power supply was sufficient. Meralco claimed that this was legitimate, since the independent power producers’ (IPP) contract allows this though the “take or pay” provision.
If First Gas is committed to deliver 1500 megawats to MERALCO, the latter pays even if it only consumes half of that. Or, even if First Gas delivers less because there is already sufficient power.
That’s the standard “take or pay” provision in the so-called “sweetheart deal” between MERALCO and First Gas, both owned and controlled by the Lopez family.
Yes, without Winston Garcia, nobody would have known that even the electric power consumption of MERALCO offices has been passed on to electric consumers and they are made to pay for it.
And we are talking here of billions of pesos in electric bills.
Indeed, these are onerous, lopsided contracts.
* * *
No wonder, Winston Garcia got a run-around when he asked for corporate documents.
Because these documents would have provided a paper trail that would crucify MERALCO. Garcia would have acquired clear documentary proof about these highly questionable corporate deals of MERALCO.
And MERALCO would have been caught with its dirty fingers inside the cookie jar.
Well for now, MERALCO is doing a strong offensive in explaining how they were able to justify the collections.
The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) allows it.
Legal yes, but highly immoral of course.
* * *
Another round of fuel increases took effect last Friday.
Pump price is now up by P1.50 per liter, both for gasoline and diesel. Even LPG prices are increased.
Having just done that, the oil companies like Shell and Caltex also hinted of another 4 rounds more of price hikes in the coming days.
Their justification – to cover up for their losses because of the ever increasing prices of oil in the world market.
So this is the naked truth – every time they have the itch to increase, they do so. And fast.
The increase is automatic, no need to wait for discussions or dialogues. Thanks to El Tabako’s oil deregulation law.
But when it comes to salary increases, there is a need for a thorough discussion before a paltry increase is implemented.
This is the great imbalance of the times.
* * *
The country celebrated its Flag Day last May 28.
Accordingly, the justification goes like this - “the reverence and respect for the accepted symbol of national solidarity are indicative of true patriotism and love of country. In order to develop and consecrate such sublime virtues and inculcate in the minds of our people a just pride in their native land.”
So what happened?
The capital region was bedecked with Philippine flags of all sizes. But these flags are different from the Philippine Flag that we regularly know.
Why?
Because these “flags” have strange markings that are not found in what we know since grade school as the Philippine Flag that is hoisted and lowered every day.
Under Section 34 of Republic Act 8491 (the Philippine Flag Law), it is prohibited “to add any word, figure, mark, picture, design, drawings, advertisement, or imprint of any nature on the flag;”
And what is the penalty for violation?
The same law provides that “any person or juridical entity which violates any of the provisions of this Act shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not less than Five thousand pesos (P5,000) nor more than Twenty thousand pesos (P20,000), or by imprisonment for not more than one (1) year, or both such fine and imprisonment, at the discretion of the court: Provided, That for any second and additional offenses, both fine and imprisonment shall always be imposed: Provided, further, That in case the violation is committed by a juridical person, its President or Chief Executive Officer thereof shall be liable.”
I wonder who will get axed for this blatant violation of the flag law.
If at all.
* * *
During the PPI national press forum at the Diamond Hotel in Malate, two lawyers were presented as resource speakers – lawyers Harry Roque and Joel Botuyan of the Roque and Botuyan Law Office.
Botuyan spoke about the Marlene Esperat case now pending before the Cebu RTC while Roque talked about the case of a journalist who is imprisoned at the Davao Penal Colony for the “burlesk king” case involving Speaker Prospero Nograles.
In the Esperat case, the accused-mastermind is questioning the propriety of hearing the case in Cebu when the crime occurred in
Because of this legal question now pending before the Court of Appeals, the case has dragged on for several years now.
Which, by the way, is a typical example of how cases “get lost” in the higher courts in
In the case of the journalist, there are already two release orders from the court after bail was posted and after the journalist has been imprisoned for more than a year already.
But the jail warden, who is not even a lawyer, refused to release him because in his opinion, the court order was wrong.
Amusing, yeah, but take note that the complainant in this case is House Speaker Prospero Nograles, in one case and a “married woman” in the other case. This married woman was reported to be with Nograles in the “burlesk king” scandal in one of the hotels in
What got the Davao-based journalist into trouble was when he repeated what the national dailies have printed about the incident. Nograles must have been terribly embarrassed that he had to summon all his powers and influences and hit it full force against the local journalist.
* * *
Good thing that city kagawad Dandan Bantugan opted to take the “higher road” in the privilege speech scandal that was about to erupt the other week.
He also bewailed the barrage of text messages he received as well as the media attacks from colleagues.
He, he, I hope he didn’t count my previous column as an attack against him.
If it was an attack, it was an attack about what he did, and not against his person.
As to the text messages, well, what can you expect, it is very easy nowadays to send and receive text messages because almost everybody has a cellphone. And besides, there are always two kinds of reactions, positive and negative. When you do something as a public official like Dandan, you win some supporters, and you lose some. Those who disliked what you did would try to get back at you.
It is common knowledge that a public official or a public figure is always an easy target to texters.
Dandan should not complain.
* * *
I hope I heard it wrong.
But radio reports say the Vice Governor has reportedly promised city mayor Dan Lim that what board member Ae Damalerio did would never happen again.
Does it mean he disapproved of what Damalerio did? And that if he were present during that session, Damalerio could not have made that privilege speech?
Meaning, that speech happened only because he was not the one presiding?
The vice governor puts high premium on inter-sanggunian courtesy. That’s admirable of course.
Anyway, I hope the letter and the assurance of the vice governor will put an end to the issue. Never mind if deep inside Dandan and Ae, there is a seething beast just waiting to be released. Let’s just wait for 2010, okay guys? More when we return, stay tuned for more. Comments, suggestions, write to salvadiputado@yahoo.com
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