Trouble at the Comelec

Insiders at the Commission on Elections confirm all is not well within the poll body, with commissioner Rowena “Bing” Guanzon continuing her verbal salvo against Comelec chairman Andy Bautista. The trouble started when Guanzon filed a comment before the Supreme Court on behalf of the poll body regarding the disqualification cases against Senator Grace Poe – which Bautista said was unauthorized because he and the rest of the commissioners had not read it first.

Bautista subsequently issued a memo requiring Guanzon to explain her actions – something that did not sit well with the latter who proceeded to declare she is “not a subordinate or employee” of the Comelec chair, adding Bautista has “no administrative supervision or control” over her.

Comelec insiders said they were aghast at how things are turning out, saying Bautista as chairman, and therefore the head, is considered “primus inter pares” in the poll body. His position that the comment should have been read by him first and the rest of the commissioners is not unreasonable, the insider said. “Otherwise, if we go by (commissioner) Guanzon’s assertion the chair has no jurisdiction or administrative supervision, then it will be chaotic with everyone doing what he feels like doing,” the source opined.

Bautista, who is a “straight shooter” but is also known for being cool, denied reports of a shouting match between him and the female commissioner, refusing to comment about Guanzon’s statement that he has no supervision over her.

Sources allege that Guanzon – a former mayor of Capiz in Negros Occidental – is “mataray.” The Comelec commissioner was previously appointed by President Aquino to the Commission on Audit in 2013 but she was rejected by the Commission on Appointments. In 2014, she was one of the nominees for the position vacated by Supreme Court Associate Justice Roberto Abad – which eventually went to Francis Jardeleza.

In March last year, Guanzon’s name was also floated as the possible replacement of former Comelec chair Sixto Brillantes, with many saying she was a strong contender reportedly owing to her strong links with the Liberal Party, in particular Senate President Frank Drilon who belongs to Sigma Rho, the counterpart fraternity of the Delta Lambda Sigma sorority to which Guanzon belongs. However, the President ended up appointing Andy Bautista.

Unconfirmed reports from insiders claim Guanzon is probably eyeing a higher position in the next administration, which is why she has been figuring in the media limelight lately, sources commented.

Learning from India and China

Last year, the World Health Organization named New Delhi as the world’s most polluted city, while 12 other cities also in India were ranked among the 20 considered as the most polluted. According to reports, air pollution is responsible for over 600,000 deaths in India per year – an alarming situation that has prompted the Indian government to announce an odd-even car scheme from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. to reduce air pollution levels in the Indian capital.

Cars with plates ending in odd numbers will only be able to ply the streets on “odd days” (Monday, Wednesday and Friday) while cars with even plates will be allowed on the streets on even days (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday). The plan, which was implemented on Jan. 1, aims to reduce the number of cars on the roads by at least a million and encourage people to take public transportation.

However, the plan came under fire after a top Delhi official announced that top politicians, judges, officials from the police and military as well as women and the sick are exempted from the alternating ban, adding that if the plan proves to be inconvenient, it will be scrapped. Critics also said the scheme does not seem to be making any dent as far as improving air quality is concerned.

Like India, China is also suffering from air pollution with several of its cities also known for having the worst air quality. Just recently, Beijing announced 2,500 small businesses, including restaurants, hotels, car workshops and bath houses considered as environmental hazards, would be closed down by the end of 2016 as part of the government’s efforts to curb the worsening air pollution.

China, which has been named as the world’s number one carbon emitter by the European Commission and Netherlands Environment Assessment Agency, relies heavily on coal to supply 60 percent of its energy requirements to keep industries running. Despite drastic efforts, China has yet to see air pollution levels reach accepted standards. Last year, over $28 million in fines were slapped on violators of anti-pollution laws in Beijing – almost twice the amount of fines collected for the same period in 2014.

Aside from coal, a major source of pollution in China are the millions of vehicles emitting toxic fumes, especially with the traffic congestion also experienced on the streets. Last year, Beijing experimented by banning 5 million cars from plying the streets on alternating days for two weeks and shutting down some 40,000 construction sites prior to the Victory Parade that celebrated the 70th anniversary of Japan’s defeat in World War II. This resulted in a temporary clearing of the skies – but the bad air came back again immediately after the two-week moratorium ended. The continuing air pollution is challenging car manufacturing companies to come out with fuel-efficient cars to mitigate the smog and pollution in China, with electric car sales experiencing a surge.

The situation in the Philippines, particularly in Metro Manila, is not far from China and India if the traffic congestion is not resolved soon. The next administration has to hit the ground running and make sure that an efficient mass transportation system is put into place. Otherwise, more people will die from lung related illnesses because of the continuing air pollution.

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