Some priests, nuns, and a bishop helped get Manero out: He was evencalled 'hero'

I guess St. John the Evangelist was right. When Roman Governor Pontius Pilate called on the mob to choose between Christ and Barabbas (the hoodlum), the crowd chose Barabbas. (John xviii, 33-40). Jesus went on to be crucified.

Is this a case, though, where even the Church chose Barabbas? To be fair, the Church seems very much divided on the sudden conditional "pardon" of mad-dog killer Norberto Manero, Jr. While the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), which incidentally never loses any opportunity to bash Erap, is roundly condemning the President's "Christmas" pardoning and release of Manero, it turns out that ten priests, three nuns -- as confirmed by Monsignor Benedicto Arroyo (a member of the Board of Pardons and Parole) -- and even three lay ministers had strongly recommended the grant, not even of conditional, but absolute pardon to the convicted murderer of an Italian priest, Father Tullio Favali.

Did these "holy" people that plugged for Manero -- whose two brothers had joined in ripping the defenseless missionary's body apart with 22 bullets, stomping on his body, bashing his brains out, and then eating bits of them (what a disgusting crime, it makes you want to puke) -- realize what they were doing? Did they foolishly believe that when Jesus, dying on the Cross, prayed, "Father, forgive them -- for they know not what they do?", our Lord was referring to Manero and his bloodthirsty siblings? Surely, these trigger-happy and cannibalistic ghouls knew what they did. Twenty-two bullets and jumping up on the pathetic corpse of their victim do not indicate any remorse or second-thoughts.

Thank God, the wave of public revulsion against the President's unwitting release of Manero prevented the release of his two killer-brothers, Edilberto and Elpidio, who had secretly been granted "parole" last Tuesday. They, too, might have gotten away.

What have those "bleeding hearts" and ever-forgiving clerics and nuns done? Turned a murderer loose in our midst?

Why, a November 1992 letter addressed to former President Fidel V. Ramos by Cotabato clergymen even lauded this homicidal bully Manero as a "loyal and patriotic citizen" who had risked his life for 13 years fighting the Communist New People's Army and Moro insurgents as a member of the CHDF (Civilian Home Defense Force). Gaddamit! If this kind of armed hoodlum is a defender of democracy and Christianity against Communist atheists and Muslim rebels, then we'd better watch our vulnerable backs. Our "defenders" may be even worse and more treacherous than our enemies.

What's the next move: To canonize Manero and declare him a saint?

Now you know why so many of us are for the Death Penalty. If we don't get rid of these slimebags as soon as they're caught, tried, convicted, and sentenced (and exhaust all legal appeals), then they'll simply slip out someday to attack and threaten us again. Life imprisonment? That rascal barely spent 12 years in jail, and is now "home" in Cotabato, while his priest-victim, dead these past 15 years, will never see his "home" again.

What sort of justice is this? Surely not God's. Certainly not man's. President Estrada now knows what kind of people run our prisons systems and man our Board of Pardons and Parole.

Even his predecessor, General Tabako FVR, got tricked into reducing Manero's sentence by the same bunch. When a journalist got hold of Manero (he's probably bolted by now) out there in Mindanao, the killer hoodlum vowed that he'd rather "go back to the hills" than go back to prison. Of course, he will -- gun, homicidal instincts, and all.

Muntinlupa is not a reformatory, a rehabilitation center, or a convent school. It's a place where hardened criminals grow even more vicious. And Manero, already having tasted innocent blood, has become one of its "graduates."

Will he strike again? No need to ask.

I had a heart-to-heart talk with Finance Secretary Jose "Titoy" Pardo yesterday. He said that the bill lifting restrictions on the retail trade is close to being passed into law. When this landmark piece of legislation is forwarded by Congress to Malacañang and is signed into law by President Estrada, he pointed out, large international conglomerates -- with billions of dollars to invest -- are ready to come into the Philippines.

Among them, Pardo noted, is a large French supermarket chain with outlets all over France which is poised to buy out an existing chain here and expand it all over the country. Many major United States entities are also awaiting the "go" signal.

The Finance Secretary, who went over from his original Cabinet post as Secretary of Trade and Industry (DTI), a position now held by former House Majority leader Manuel "Mar" Roxas II (the Congressman from Capiz), disclosed that in 1999, during his "watch," Philippine exports soared to $35 billion, an unprecedented jump.

"True," Pardo remarked, "while a great deal of bad news continues to catch the public's attention, there are many items of good news which also have to be disseminated."

In response to the recommendations and complaints of businessmen operating here and prospective foreign investors, Pardo revealed, the President has just signed Executive Order No. 180 creating a "One-Stop Action Center" sweeping aside all bureaucratic snags and petty "requirements" so foreign investments can, at last, be facilitated and "speeded to approval" in trade, industry, tourism, agriculture, natural resources, transportation, communications and services.

What's more, Pardo underscored, the same Executive Order creates (in Section 2) an "Office of the Investment Ombudsman" who will operate under the supervision of the Chairman of the Board of Investments. This new officer, the "Investment Ombudsman," will be designated a Special Deputy of the Ombudsman. He will be assisted by a Director for the Complaints and Action Center for Investments and a Director for the Quick Response One-Stop Action Center for Investments, both to also be appointed shortly by the President. The Ombudsman will conduct speedy inquiries into "acts of omission of any public official or employee of the Government, or of any office, agency or instrumentality thereof concerned with the entry of local and foreign investments, including local government units and officials, which the Investment Ombudsman may consider to be (1) contrary to law or regulation; (2) unreasonable, unfair, oppressive, irregular or inconsistent with the general course of the operations of a public officer, employee, office or agency; (3) an error in the interpretation or application of law, rules or regulations, or a gross or palpable error in the appreciation of facts; (4) based on improper motives or corrupt considerations; (5) unclear or inadequately explained when reasons should have been revealed; (6) inefficiently performed or otherwise objectionable."

In short, "upon complaint of any investor" the President and the full force of the Government will jump on any bureaucrat, official, or big shot who harasses, blackmails, puts unreasonable obstacles in the path of and extorts money or benefits from any prospective investor. If these clauses are implemented ruthlessly and relentlessly, obviously we'll see results. Let's hope this clears the air.

An official of "America-On-line", the powerful AOL Internet group which is so influential and cash-rich that it just took over the equally potent "TIME-Warner" group, another media giant, in one of the gigantic mergers of the new Millennium -- recently complained to me: "It's terribly difficult to do business with Filipino officials and bureaucrats!"

Now that's as direct an accusation and complaint as you can get. I hope that the new Presidential Order will send the fear of Erap, if not of God, into the ranks of the crooks, extortionists, swindlers, and cretins lurking in the warp and woof of our bureaucratic morass. Only then will the playing field not just be level -- but cleared for action.

Former DILG Secretary Ronaldo Puno did the right thing yesterday when he announced at a press conference that he has asked the President to withdraw his nomination as permanent Philippine Representative (Ambassador) to the United Nations.

Puno stated he was going to devote his "full energies" to clearing his name of the various charges leveled against him.

This gets the President out of the "difficult" position having to help Puno hurdle an anticipated tough grilling in the Commission on Appointments as well as send him to the United Nations in New York and thus risk a possible rebuff there.

Does this turn of events mean that Ambassador Philip Mabilangan, our present UN envoy, will keep his job -- or aspire to transfer to Washington, DC if and when our current Ambassador to the US, former Senate President and STAR columnist Ernie Maceda decides he wants to come home to make another run for the Senate? The problem is that Ernie can't make plans until and unless he successfully delivers on the long-delayed move to get President Estrada a formal "invitation" to make an official or "state visit" to Washington, DC. American Ambassador Tom Hubbard has just returned to Manila from the American capital, but he hasn't made any announcements yet -- pro or con -- even when he was feted at dinner the other day by Senator Franklin Drilon.

Is the much-touted US trip on -- or off? The longer the answer to that question remains hanging in the air, the more embarrassing for Erap. He already said he was "going" too many times. If you ask me, what does it matter? If the Americans don't want our Chief Executive to go there, so be it. They won't be able to deliver anyway on the "lollipops" they've been dangling, so temptingly, in front of our dazzled eyes. The Republican-dominated Congress isn't in any mood to cooperate with the Democrats' Bill Clinton.

It's an election year. John McCain, the hero and idealist, has just trounced George W. Bush in the New Hampshire primaries. (An upset, and a quantum boost to McCain's image -- but no guarantee Bush's Money Machine won't steamroller him in the end to clinch Bush the Republican nomination. Vice President Al Gore has also overcome his rival Bill Bradley, whose irregular heartbeat provoked misgivings about his health. To be an American President, you've got to show you're strong as a bull, and flush with cash, even if you're short in the brain cell department).

With all these exciting things going on, who cares about a visiting Philippine President? If they're still reluctant, Erap might do better to stay home. There's homework to be done and battles to be fought. And reforms to be made.

When will the next Cabinet revamp occur? It's coming. That's what Alikabok says. Further affiant sayeth not.

THE ROVING EYE . . . This is our final but happy dispatch from the Battlefield of North Greenhills. The shouting is practically over. This Sunday there will be a real, honest-to-goodness election. According to the Chairman of the North Greenhills Association "Oversight Committee," Mrs. Pat Ejercito-de Guzman, the special election this Sunday, February 6, 2000, will be attended by Atty. Roberto C. Abrajano, the Homeowners Association Franchising and Adjudication Department Manager. Chairman Harriet Demetriou of the Commission on Elections has authorized Atty. Jovencio G. Balinquit, Election Officer IV for District I and 2 of Quezon City, to attend this election as an observer. She has authorized the NGA COMELEC, composed of Atty. Don Alviar, Atty. Ed Oliva and Ms. Julie Maningat, to retrieve the two ballot boxes, issued earlier, for use in this Sunday's election from the NGA Administration Office. Atty. Oliva is coordinating this with Atty. Esmeralda Ladra, Head Executive Assistant of Justice Demetriou. The "Reform Group" which has been going from house-to-house has already collected 190 signatures and proxies supporting the Sunday election and ten or 12 more signatures have been pledged to be delivered today. With 319 registered voter-members in North Greenhills, this already represents two-thirds of the vote. Security and order will be safeguarded by the village's security force backed up by a police group personally supervised by Police Chief Supt. (General) Rowland Albano, director of the Eastern Police district. This is an example of how active, responsible, and aroused residents can resolutely join hands in electing good and responsible leadership in their subdivision. The great Irish statesman, Edmund Burke (1729-1797), once warned: "All that is needed for the forces of evil to triumph in this world is for enough good men to sit back and do nothing." The North Greenhillers didn't sit back. They got up and did something!