Public servants living in palatial homes?

At least the Joint Session in Congress, despite the sparks flying on the debate of whether there is actual rebellion going on in Maguindanao enough to declare Martial Law did not result in the revocation of Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s proclamation no. 1959. Thanks to a Congress that cannot get its acts together despite the hatred that most Senators and Congressmen have for the President. But like it or not, the majority in Congress still support the President despite the election season.

While the Joint Session was historic, as it was the first time Martial Law was declared in this country since Sept.21, 1972, Pres. Arroyo chose not to attend the session sending only Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Justice Secretary Agnes Devenadera and military officials to answer questions in Congress. The Congressional session ended without any resolution as of yet. I’m sure it is not the end of the debate!

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) continues to uncover cache of arms and the latest one hidden in one of the Ampatuan warehouses contained missiles and ammunition that isn’t supposed to be issued or “loaned” to Civilian Volunteer Officers (CVO). So why does the Ampatuan family need thousands of high-powered firearms and rocket-propelled grenades and missiles enough to supply two battalions of soldiers? A million rounds of ammunition cost a lot of money. How could the Ampatuans amass such a huge fortune?

Indeed as we read in the news, Maguindanao is considered the 3rd poorest Province in the Philippines, yet its “public servants” live in numerous palatial homes, not just in Maguindanao, but also in Davao and even in Metro Manila! I’m sure that if the Ampatuans have a bank account (that’s if they do not own a bank) they must have millions, if not billions stashed in those banks. This should be the focus of another investigation on how they were able to amass this kind of money while the people there remain poor?

This is what I’ve been writing in the past, that this country maintains a “double standard” in the application of our laws. One for those who obey the law and those that do not care to obey them because they are rich and powerful. A case in point is the Commission on Audit (CoA) that here in Cebu are very strict and demanding as if they are practically running City Hall! Yet if the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) is part and parcel of the Philippine government, surely they must have their assigned CoA officials there? We must find who is the CoA in ARMM and haul that person to court for collusion with the Ampatuans.

Since we’ve been attending many Christmas parties, I’ve been asking our friends whether they believe that Martial Law is the right approach in solving the problem in Maguindanao. Most, if not all the people I have talked to, fully support and concur with it. With another beheading of a kidnapped victim in Basilan, I say they should be next!

* * *

If you think that the Philippines is only getting bad news from abroad, that’s not really true. The Philippines recently won “The Best Offshoring Destination of the Year Award” in the United Kingdom during the 6th Annual National Outsourcing Association Awards held at the Park Plaza Riverbank Hotel in Central London last Oct.15. This is the second time that the Philippines bagged this award as we also won it way back in 2007 where we bested, Egypt, Russia, Malaysia and Sri-Lanka.

This proves that despite all the negative reports we are getting in the international media, there are still several advantages with the Philippines, which is very appealing to UK-based companies on the Information Technology sector. A few months back, we printed the story from Tholons that Cebu had maintained our position as the top “Emerging BPO Destination” in the world. With news like this, it brings hope that the Philippines is on the right track with regards our IT Industry. We should do more to attract more foreign investors to our shores.

The Philippine Outsourcing Industry offers an impressive range of services that includes the traditional voice (Call Centers), IT and BPO services, which now includes other high value services like architectural and design, engineering, finance, and accounting services. What we need to do is make sure that our schools and the academe continue to churn out quality graduates that need less retraining when they enter the job market. Call it our niche market, but at least the whole world has taken notice that the Philippines is a destination for foreign investors. When they come to our shores, it means jobs right here at home for our people who won’t have to find these jobs abroad and away from their families.