Wasting the nation’s time

What a way to waste the precious time of the House of Representatives, by saddling it with an issue that is not at all of transcendental importance! What a way of cheapening the legislative process which, in the first place, should be devoted primarily to the crafting of noble laws for our Republic! But to some congressmen and other people, bastardizing the legislative mill seems to be of no moment.

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Rep. Oscar Moreno and his client, Ernesto Francisco, may not realize it, but they are definitely eroding the people’s faith in the House of Representatives. By focusing, day by day, on their impeachment charge against Ombudsman Aniano Desierto – a matter that, as of this moment, is of no consequence to most Filipinos – Moreno and Francisco are unmasking themselves as guys who are not really bent on pushing high the standards of the legislature. By resorting to all kinds of antics, just to put Desierto down, the two have actually lost a lot of ground insofar as winning public confidence is concerned.

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Enough is enough – that is clearly the message from concerned Filipinos. Tama na! Sobra na! Magtrabaho na para sa bayan! That, in a nutshell, which the great majority of people want and expect from their legislators. To fritter away the time of the legislative body from the more pressing and urgent concerns of the nation is tantamount to betrayal of the people’s trust.

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The House has already done too much of what it should do on matters of impeachment. Definitely, the time has come to put an end to what has become an aberration. House Speaker Jose de Venecia’s pronouncement that a vote will soon come – and it will be a conscience vote – will hopefully write finis to this ignoble and embarrassing chapter of legislative history, as initiated by Moreno.

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Dr. Maricor Arriola-Salazar, a former staff of Dr. Enrico Belen’s dental office and now a school dentist at La Salle Greenhills, sent an appeal in behalf of a co-worker at La Salle, Gisela Mujeres, who badly needs financial assistance for the medical treatment of her daughter Guina. Apparently, Gisela and Guina are going through harrowing, difficult times because of the daughter’s illness.

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Only 18 years of age, Guina was diagnosed to have Cholelithiasis or gall stones. She then underwent surgery for removal of gallstones at the Ospital ng Makati last December 27, 2001. Unfortunately, complications arose, prompting readmission. Infections have also set in requiring expensive intravenous antibiotics. And there is no certainty yet of the results of the coming treatment. To this time, Guina has undergone exploratory laparotomy three times and was scheduled for gall bladder bypass operation last January 31, 2002 at Cardinal Santos Medical Center.

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The Mujeres family has been moving heaven and earth to raise the money needed for Guina’s treatment. With the assistance of some friends, they have been able to pool together very limited resources for the initial treatment and hospitalization requirements. However, despite best efforts, the resources have grown far beyond what the Mujeres’ can afford. "It is in this regard that we wish to solicit the much-needed financial assistance in behalf of our daughter, who has certainly done her part in her struggle to get well once again and live a normal life. We believe that she deserves all the help we can offer," Gisela said.

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If there are Good Samaritans who can lend a helping hand, please contact Alex Dinoy of the Good Samaritan Foundation at telephone numbers 716-1399 and 716-1499. Better still, you can contact Gisela Mujeres at La Salle Greenhills Main Clinic (726-58-45) or Cardinal Santos Medical Center (727-0001, Room No. 230 B). Thanks, and God bless!

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Dr. David Murphy, who scans the Philippine newspapers on a daily basis, has some comments, first about the speeches of PLDT president and CEO Manuel Pangilinan that appeared in The STAR. "I’m encouraged to read of a responsible, successful and credible businessman who recognizes the ethical foundation of long-term success and the importance of positive attitude. That he thinks the future of business in the Philippines is bright means a lot more than that you and I think so. It’s unfortunate that his thoughts were confined to the business pages where many people will miss them," Dr. Murphy said.

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The second comment of Dr. Murphy refers to the validity of the charges raised against Ombudsman Aniano Desierto and Transportation Secretary Pantaleon Alvarez. "Are these just mere attempts to harass and distract honest public servants?," he asked. "For someone with no personal knowledge of the individuals involved, both accused and accusers and their particular agenda, it is impossible to distinguish between valid and false charges. That, of course, is what makes the Big Lie strategy so effective," Dr. Murphy opined.

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Dr. Murphy suggested that the vast majority of Filipinos, just like him, have no real basis for making that distinction and they tend to believe every negative accusation without discrimination. The end result is loss of credibility of all political figures and institutions, which leaves them vulnerable to the crooks and demagogues.

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"We need courageous, responsible journalists with long experience and knowledge of the real reputation and character of these public figures to write the truth, objectively. I realize that anyone can be fooled, but you and some of your colleagues in journalism have better access to the facts than the rest of us. Keep putting that sort of information out," he said.

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Thoughts For Today:

In life, there are three things
that can never be retrieved:
spoken words, time passed,
and neglected opportunities.
So, don’t miss them today.
Enjoy life God’s way.

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Where we walk today is just as important
as where we will be tomorrow.
Happiness not only awaits us in heaven.
There’s joy in life’s journey.

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My e-mail addresses: [email protected] and [email protected]