The Senate should pick its battles

Now that the Senate has won the legal and moral argument over EO 464, at least for now, it must pick its battles carefully so as not to alienate the public and prove the administration right over its alleged politicking. The worse thing that could happen is for the Senate to go out there with all guns blazing… with half a dozen or more high profile investigations going on at the same time.

While I see the need to establish the truth beyond reasonable doubt on the fertilizer scam even if it means forcing JocJoc Bolante to tell all or else, any move by the Senate to delay the implementation of a vital infrastructure project like the North Rail would not be taken kindly by the public. Nothing would prove the accusation of the Senate as a politically-motivated institution that is blocking progress than an investigation that would delay the North Rail and similar badly needed projects.

Even if we accept the assumption that there are anomalies in the project, a public that is weary of political skirmishes at the expense of progress would prefer letting the project get done and we can settle criminal liabilities later. A cynical public thinks that any project where government is involved is inherently corrupt anyway, so let us just get things going so the country’s progress is not held hostage by never ending debates and investigations.

In the case of the North Rail project, it is largely a development assistance project of the Chinese government, with funding provided on concessional terms, as is typical for foreign-assisted undertakings. The string attached, in terms of the requirement to use a Chinese engineering firm, is typical as well. Japan, the US and European countries grant aid on similar basis. Provided that the Chinese firm doing the project is capable, and it has been proven that it is, there should be no problem.

Any harassment of the North Rail project will also impact on the rehabilitation of the South Rail project, this time by the Koreans. And there are other similar infrastructure projects in the pipeline that would be affected by any serious delays in the North Rail that is traceable to political bickering.

The other good reason for the Senate to behave and pick its battles is the cha cha debate. Even with the decline in the quality of the Senate’s membership with the election of showbiz personalities with no clear abilities in legislation or even to express themselves clearly, I still think that we need the Senate as a means of assuring quality legislation. The House will pass anything provided they get the right incentives from the Executive branch. The Senate really discusses and fine tunes legislative proposals from the House to make them worthy of our statute books.

Our senators must make themselves very sensitive to the public’s weariness of the never ending political fracas. Our senators must make sure they will not be misinterpreted when they start to invoke the Supreme Court’s decision that declared Ate Glue’s EO 464 unconstitutional. The Senate must carefully choose its battles or else prove Ate Glue right about their ceaseless politicking that made her issue EO 464, in the first place.

West Wing

Speaking of showbiz types becoming politicians, I read of a heartwarming story about Martin Sheen, the actor who portrays the role of a US President in the television series, West Wing. Mr. Sheen was offered an opportunity to see how his character’s appeal would play in a real-life campaign and he declined it.

Not long ago, according to the New York Times, he was approached by Democratic Party representatives from his native state, Ohio, to see if he would be interested in running for the United States Senate after he left the show. Though he would have had little trouble drafting a campaign platform – he is a fierce opponent of nuclear power and the war in Iraq, and a champion of human rights – he turned them down.

"I’m just not qualified," he said. "You’re mistaking celebrity for credibility."

Wow!!! Can you imagine showbiz types in the Senate like Lito Lapid, Bong Revilla and Jinggoy Estrada saying the same thing? Actually, our showbiz senators seem less qualified to be senators than Mr. Sheen, who has actively participated in various public fora and expressed intelligent opinions.

Now that the West Wing series is over, what will Mr. Sheen do with his life if he isn’t going to inflict himself on the Senate?

At 65, the NYT reports, he has decided to make good on a promise he made to himself long ago: to enroll, for the first time, in college. A graduate, though just barely, of Chaminade High School in Dayton, Ohio, nearly five decades ago, he will begin taking classes next fall – in English literature, philosophy and, he hopes, oceanography – at National University of Ireland in Galway, in the country where his mother was born.

In describing how much he relished retreating to an ivory tower, Mr. Sheen, the NYT reports, sounded a lot like a former president after two terms in office, even if his term of office was spent in a fictional White House.

English

Got this e-mail from Adrian Anthony F. Arceo, a Pinoy working in Hangzhou, China.

Greetings. I just read your article regarding English speakers in China. I have been working in China for quite some time now and I believe they have a long way to go with regards to English proficiency. They still lack exposure to English TV programs and movies. Books are available but it does not compare with listening and watching English TV programs and movies.

There are some English speakers in the company I work for but comprehension can be a problem. My colleagues do speak English but unfortunately, it takes some time to understand them.

English is not compulsory in schools here but in college, if one chooses to do so, you can take a course in English. The Chinese are definitely trying though.

The decline of English in the Philippines is very troubling. The amount of new contact centers setting up shop in the business districts is good for the thousands of new graduates, but sadly, only a handful of applicants are hired because most cannot speak a decent amount of English to get them employed. I was once employed in a contact center and it seems that year after year, the number of applicants that can speak fluent English diminish.

I am a firm believer in the contact center industry and how it can help with the unemployment problem. As your statistics show, there is a rapid decline. Soon the contact center job market will be saturated and the thriving contact centers now may opt to move their business someplace where a good number of English speakers can be found. China or maybe Vietnam are viable options. Hopefully this can be resolved soon, if not by the government, at least by the remaining concerned educators. More power to you and your column.

Professionals both

Here’s Dr. Ernie E.

A doctor and his wife were sunbathing on a beach when a beautiful young woman in a tight-fitting bikini strolled past.

The woman looked at the doctor, smiled, and said in a sexy voice, "Hi there handsome, how ya doing?" before wiggling her backside and walking off.

"Who was that?" demanded the doctor’s wife.

"Oh, just a woman I met professionally," replied the doctor.

"Oh, yeah!" snarled his wife, "In whose profession? Yours or hers!"

Boo Chanco’s e-mail address is [email protected]