longcuts archives

Tomorrow, the President will deliver her state of the nation address before the members of Congress.
But a lot of people do not really care what she will announce tomorrow.
Many people believe the SONA tomorrow will just be a rehash of trash and a pack of lies.

The Former Senior Government Officials (FSGO), composed of former cabinet officials, listed 7 curses symbolizing the 7 year-reign of PGMA.
The first is the curse of a country unable to feed its own people, due to gross neglect of agriculture and rural development.
The second is the curse of worsening poverty and increasing disparity between rich and poor, due to economic mismanagement that ignores the needs of the many to serve the interests of the few.
The third is the curse of deteriorating basic social services essential to the survival and welfare of the people, due to callous disregard of the public good.
The fourth is the curse of a national government gripped by a metastatic cancer of corruption.
This corruption is fed by and feeds from the fifth curse, which is the curse of wanton abuse of presidential prerogatives.
Many of these curses are linked to the sixth curse, which is the curse of an illegitimate president.
Finally, the seventh curse is the curse of a nation robbed of its dignity, unity and future. This combines the malignant effects of the first six curses.
I don’t know if you’ll agree with the observation of the FSGO. But I’m sure some of these observations are easily observable and verifiable.


The long line of people buying rice for example.
Because of rice shortage, the people have to line up for several hours just to buy 5 kilos of NFA rice.
And there are talks that the NFA will reduce it further to 3 kilos maximum.
Certainly, this is one of PGMAs “outstanding” records - people are standing outside to buy rice.

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The war against poverty is her favorite byline. But the great divide has not been addressed.
The rift is even wider now. The resources are concentrated on a few. The rest are left to fend for their survival.
Describing PGMA, the FSGO said “The person pretending to tell us about the dire state of our nation is the very same person who has done the most to destroy the very foundations of our nation, sell its future to its exploiters and abusers, and consign the poor and middle class to deeper poverty and worse despair.”
Very apt description indeed.


The third curse talks about deteriorating basic social services essential to the survival and welfare of the people, due to callous disregard of the public good.
So we have hospitals without medicines, nurses and doctors and other basic equipment. Or schools that lack classrooms, teachers and teaching aids, among others.
And this contagion is fast spreading that even some Bohol officials have acquired this so-called callous disregard of the public good.
The members of the provincial board have callously misappropriated 10.8 million pesos, not for the public good but for their own personal comfort.
They can afford to splurge on new service vehicles when a lot of Boholanos are having terribly difficult time buying rice.
And they have become manhid too.
Despite the strong opposition and condemnation, they are steadfastly clinging to their wanton desire to have new service vehicles.


The fourth curse talks about unmitigated corruption.
Of course, even without FSGO, we can readily observe the extent of corruption prevailing in the country.
But the FSGO has a very fitting description of this terminal malady.
By committing crimes without punishment, abusing power without restraint, and violating rules with impunity yet suffering no adverse consequence, the FSGO said, PGMA has turned our most valued principle of ‘public office is a public trust’ into a perversion: ‘Public office is a key to whatever you can get away with.”
The list of PGMA allies linked to corruption is growing. And they are enjoying what Miley Cyrus sings as “the best of both worlds.”


The fifth curse talks about abuse of presidential prerogatives.
On top of appointing retired military officials to government positions of choice, PGMA also has a penchant for appointing political spoils or those who lost in an election.
The FSGO says the appointment to government of others already rejected by the electorate in 2007 will further darken the complexion of her Cabinet.
Referring to Mike Defensor, Tito Sotto and Ralph Recto, the FSGO says PGMAs appointees had no pretense of serving the nation, just the President, or were former politicians who eat scandals for breakfast and have acquired callousness to controversy, or bureaucrats who see this administration as an opportunity for one more feeding at the public trough before retirement and obscurity.
The recent appointment of Romulo Neri as incoming Social Security System administrator is another example of abuse of presidential prerogative.
Romulo Neri, the FSGO said, became one of the keepers of evil secrets, protected by the talisman of ‘executive privilege’ as long as he remains in a Cabinet position.


Meanwhile, the Regional State Prosecutor reversed last week the decision of the City Prosecution Office of Tagbilaran charging city kagawad Edgar Lo Kapirig of Grave Slander but dismissing the charge of Libel filed by businessman Mario Uy, also known as deputy mayor.
Regional State Prosecutor Fernando Gubalane, in effect, cleared Kapirig of any criminal liability arising from his comments against Mario Uy.
In local lingo, wa ka-ek si Mario Uy ni Kapirig.


Mario Uy anchored his complaint on the testimony of his niece Maria Cecilia Fernan who testified that Kapirig told her and Dr. Alodiza Sepe inside the service vehicle of Kapirig that he does not believe that Mario Uy did not get money from the donations to the Botica sa Katawhan, especially that there are dollar donations.
Mario Uy administers the Botica sa Katawhan which is created under a city ordinance.
Claiming to be maligned by Kapirig, Mario Uy filed his complaint for Libel and Grave Slander before the City Prosecution Office of Tagbilaran.
In its resolution, the City Prosecution Office dismissed the Libel charge but recommended the filing of Grave Slander against Kapirig. The motion for reconsideration was denied so Kapirig elevated his appeal to the regional state prosecutor in Cebu.

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Gubalane agreed with Kapirig that the discussion was private in nature and the statement was a mere expression of an opinion.
He said the statement falls within the realm of fair comment.
Gubalane also demolished the argument of Mario Uy that Kapirig’s statement did not fall under privileged communication.
For all intents and purposes, he said, Mario Uy is a public official not only because he claimed to be the founder of the Botica sa Katawhan but also because he claims to be the deputy mayor of Tagbilaran.
Naturally, Mario Uy cannot deny this.
Sometimes, I feel that he relishes the idea of hearing people call him deputy mayor.
A “deputy mayor” cannot be a private person.


Regional State Prosecutor Gubalane also noted the fact that only Mario Uy’s niece has testified for him.
Dr. Alodiza Sepe did not testify in favor of Mario Uy when she was supposedly present during that fateful incident.
Gubalane said either the statements were never really made at all or that its context was not really slanderous as depicted by Mario Uy.
Ouch!
He added that since Dr. Sepe was also connected with the Botica sa Katawhan, she could have easily corroborated the testimony of Mario Uy’s niece.
It goes without saying that the corroborative testimony of Dr. Sepe was crucial to the case of Mario Uy.
So the question on many people’s lips is - why did Dr. Sepe not testify for Mario Uy when she was connected with the Botica sa Katawhan and Mario Uy was supposedly her immediate superior?
By not testifying, Dr. Sepe, in effect, allied herself with Edgar Kapirig.
If I were a “judge,” I would say Edgar Kapirig clearly won the battle, if any.


Considering that Mario Uy is a public personality, criticisms against him relative to the management of funds cannot be considered as libelous or slanderous per se.
Gubalane explained that the conduct or acts of public officers like Mario Uy, also known as deputy mayor of Tagbilaran, which are related to the discharge of their official functions are matters of public interest.
And a matter of public interest is a common property, he said, hence, anybody may express an opinion.


I called up Mario Uy and he expressed surprise upon hearing of the dismissal.
He told me he has not yet received a copy of the resolution. His lawyer has not informed him about it either.
He said he did not know what to do and he would consult his lawyer.
When I called his lawyer last night, the lawyer told me he has not received his copy of the resolution either.
He said he would recommend to Mario Uy for the elevation of the case to higher authorities.
He also said they would question the finding that the statement of Kapirig falls within the ambit of privileged communication.


No wonder the mayors in Bohol are protesting the latest caper of the DILG in reshuffling MLGOOs in the province.
Some of these newly-reshuffled MLGOOs do not know anything about protocol. A source told me yesterday the new MLGOO in their town ignored the traditional courtesy visit to the mayor and proceeded to the office as if he owns the place. When some kagawads met him and expressed the usual greetings, they were met with deathly silence with nary a smile on the face of the stranger. Fuming mad, the mayor withdrew the computer units and peripherals and all other equipment inside the office, leaving it bare. Latest info said the idiot is contemplating of leasing an office space somewhere. Comments, suggestions, write to salvadiputado@yahoo.com