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The
President’s Independence Day appeal for national unity
and for all Filipinos to help in the resolution of our
country’s nagging problems is a call from the heart.
She
pledged to prioritize the welfare of the Filipino as the
linchpin of her programs for the next three years,
acknowledging the fact that her successes in the
economic field will only be appreciated on the ground
when the fruits of her labors flow down toward the
common man. No one can belittle the breakthroughs her
economic programs made in the last three years and one
can discern her sincerity in placing the Filipino on top
of her agenda.
She has
placed much faith in the Filipino and in more ways than
we can imagine. The Filipino is rising to the challenge.
Some may be skeptical about her intentions as what the
media has reported in the last few days, but it would be
wise for everyone to give her programs a push.
****
We read
in a recent news report that the Philippines, together
with Israel, ranks high in trusting the United States in
acting responsibly and should continue to lead the world
in solving global problems, according to an
international survey.
It also
appears that majority of Filipinos do not believe that
the US is playing world policeman too much. The survey
reveals our trust in our American allies and our faith
in its commitment to put things right in the world.
I hope
that we have not misplaced our trust and that the US
will respect its commitments to play big brother to its
biggest ally in
Asia.
****
The
President commuted the sentence of former congressman
Romeo Jalosjos, who, as a result, will walk free in
2010.
It
cannot be denied that many felt that Jalosjos’ two-life
sentences was too harsh for the crime attributed to him,
but there are contributing factors that demanded that
the sentence be reduced.
Although
the girl was only 11 years old at the time she came to
Jalosjos, she was already a pro in the flesh game,
having been trafficked by her guardian to many men. To
add to the miseries of the former congressman, the
promise of sex was never accomplished.
****
Everyone
loves a shortcut because it facilitates things in the
shortest possible time and in the most gratifying
manner.
Even in
politics, there are those who sought shortcuts to a seat
in Congress for a consideration of from P100,000 to so
much millions, which we decried in our previous
writings.
The
facilitation fees are quiet exorbitant. But not to
worry, they were promised by smooth operators inside the
election commission of a hassle-free deal.
And so
they paid through the nose, and they were given
accreditation by that body. Alas, among those who opted
for the shortcut, not one won. And the operators? They
are nowhere to be found. Sometimes, victims of swindlers
are themselves asking for it.
****
What a
great relief for the Arroyo government and the Filipino
people to have finally paid off the principal loan on
the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant.
Imagine
to be freed from paying some US$300,000-a-day interest
alone without making a dent on the principal.
But the
real bonus is the plant itself. When it was completed in
1984, everything was readied for operation including the
nuclear fuel, and if allowed to operate by the Aquino
administration, it could have saved us from the
crippling brownouts and blackouts that ensued.
We all
know what happened during those days and who made a
killing on what. Still, we are pressed to look at the
viability and sensibility of exploiting nuclear power
for our increasing insatiability for electricity.
Nuclear power is environment-friendly and cheap.
We
simply have to understand that electricity from
generators powered by diesel and other fossil fuels are
becoming obsolete and continue to shame us before the
world community.
****
A news
item caught my eye the other day about a senator who was
telling Malacañang to cease and desist the practice of
rescheduling legal holidays and which described the
senator as “dismayed” over the President’s “holiday
economics.”
Many
powerful men in ancient times have been described to
have vent their ire on forces they cannot change, and
cartoons depicting the fallacies of “thinkers” who
envision themselves as sages mouthing hollow rhetoric.
There was this actor who thought that the world was his
stage.
****
It is
true that a Third World country’s capacity to produce
its transport and farm-machine needs is its ticket to
becoming a newly industrialized country.
In the
’80s we were on the verge of producing our very own
people’s car but politics got in the way and the program
died in the back burner.
Today,
local auto-parts makers banded together to build a
prototype of a Philippine Utility Vehicle (PhUV), a
product of Filipino ingenuity. The only imported
component is the engine, which for now is being imported
from China.
The
locally made cars, produced by Dreamco and Francisco
Motors, are priced 25 percent lower than the imported
brands. The group is seeking government assistance to
keep the project viable through tax holidays, excise-tax
exemptions and duty-free importation of capital
equipment.
With the
biofuels project and the flexible fuel vehicle of Ford
Motors, the Philippines is fast becoming an innovation
center for the automobile industry in the near future.
****
Two
foreign-trained terrorists were tagged by the military
as those who drove the car filled with explosives to
Surallah, South Cotabato, last week with a force capable
of devastating a whole poblacion and killing hundreds of
people.
One was
identified as one-armed Edris Sabal, who was behind the
bombing of Tacurong City Public Market in May. The other
is Basit Usman, who is said to be responsible for the
bombings in Makilala, Cotabato, and in the cities of
General Santos and Kidapawan in January.
Terrorists respect only their cause, regardless of how
vague it is, and has no respect for the democratic
process or for human life. We can only pray that our
military will he able to stunt the growth of terrorist
cells and relieve the country from constant fear. They
draw attention to their causes through coercion and
threats disrupting the lives of those who only wish to
live and stroll in shopping malls in peace. Terrorists
are for real and they kill. |
