While we completely understand that judges are just mere mortals, I, however, would like to know what does the Supreme Court (SC) do to judges like Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Luisito Cortez of Branch 84 who refused to handle the multiple murder case filed against Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. because of fears for his family’s safety. From the way it looks, it sounds like the judge has already prejudged this case.
Mind you, this is not the first time judges refused to handle cases because of their fears. A case in point is the case of Dinagat, Surigao Mayor Ruben Ecleo Jr. whose case has already dragged on for many years without any hope for a resolution. Perhaps the SC should ordain certain measures as to what judges can refuse and what they must accept. It isn’t really nice to hear that the judges in this country are running scared of people who run afoul of the law.
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I fully agree with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to remove those candidates who are running for office for the sake of running (especially the ones running for the funds of it). What really caught us by surprise is that former Cebu Gov. Emilio “Lito” Osmeña was also stricken off that list of aspiring senatorial candidates because of their lack of capability to wage a national campaign. Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim was also stricken off the list, which makes us wonder why wasn’t Sen. Antonio Trillanes stricken off the senatorial list when he ran in the last elections.
When I read this news I sent a text message to Comelec spokesman James Jimenez asking him why the Comelec removed Lito Osmeña when in fact he already ran for vice president under President Fidel V. Ramos in 1998. If Lito could wage a national campaign, then surely he could wage a campaign for senator. Jimenez texted me back asking me to let Lito Osmeña file a motion for reconsideration. The next question is, who asked the Comelec to strike out the name of Lito Osmeña from the Comelec list? All eyes are focused on his own cousin, former Sen. Serge Osmeña III, who is also running for senator, and Lito’s senatorial bid is detrimental to his candidacy.
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I was in Dubai a month ago just when the news broke out that Dubai World was seeking a halt to its payments until about May next year. This report sent jitters in the financial community; after all, Dubai is one city that has experienced phenomenal growth through the construction of world-class projects like the famous palm islands and “The World,” not to mention the Burj Dubai, the world’s tallest skyscraper. They have more skyscrapers on a per-square kilometer than Manhattan Island!
I was in Dubai was last Sept. 9, when they formally opened their Metro Rail with a big bash. But you couldn’t help but notice the number of unfinished buildings, all skyscrapers with their cranes hanging lazily on their sides. Indeed, construction activities have already grounded to a halt on the skyscrapers since last January.
So when the news broke about Dubai World’s financial troubles, this sent fears not only in the world’s financial markets, but also to our overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who feared the loss of their jobs or at the very least, cuts in their pay slips. But in truth, Dubai’s financial woes didn’t just happen now, it happened more than a year ago at the height of the global financial crisis that plagued most of the Western world.
In fact last March 2009, the Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS) predicted that the Dubai population would decline by at least eight percent in 2009 because construction workers would be going home. The UBS report said that a third of the Dubai population works in the construction business and that the exodus of jobless workers already started at the beginning of 2009.
One place I like to hang out in Dubai is the CityLand Shopping Center where they have a Carrefour outlet. I had my snack and later my dinner at the food court where OFWs outnumbered all ethnic groups. The Filipinos were there for shopping to their heart’s content. However, I never felt that they were alarmed or anything.
If at all, the fear of OFWs in Dubai is merely fear of fear itself. Sure, there will always be people who are in some kind of debt. So perhaps what we can do is ask our people who have relatives there not to expect so much in gifts or pasalubong as our way of helping our OFWs. This Christmas time, we exhort airport officials not to ask the arriving OFWs for Christmas gifts. They should be welcomed back to our shores and not treated unfairly.
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For e-mail responses to this article, write to vsbobita@mozcom.com or vsbobita@gmail.com. Avila’s columns can be accessed through www.philstar.com.