Drinker's pit

Malacañang is usually described as a snake pit because of the infighting among top officials holding office there. Well, you can now call it a drinking pit with many of its occupants heavy drinkers. The Executive Secretary who was reportedly seen drunk at a 5-star Makati Hotel is a whiskey drinker, the 3-headed hydra at the communications office prefer brandy, and now to complete the cast, we have the President’s speechwriter as a wine connoisseur.

What is unfolding is a fun loving, easy going, intellectually lazy set of top aides of the President. They are encouraged by the fact that the President is not minded to fire anyone of them whatever they do or say.

Prime examples of recipients of the President’s protection are DILG Usec Rico E. Puno, PNP Director General Jesus Verzosa (allowed to retire early), OPAPP Sec. Teresita Deles and the latest, Assistant Secretary Maria Corazon Mislang, the wine and men connoisseur. The President immediately came to their defense and said they wouldn’t be fired.

The best anti-corruption deterrent for a government official is fear of being fired. Remove that and you will find inefficiency and corruption lurking in the shadows.

For the record, P-Noy did fire Prisco Nilo as Pagasa Director. But he was a GMA appointee.

A new President brings hope to citizens of the country. Just like the case of popular US Barack Obama, that feeling of hope can easily turn to a feeling of frustration and anger once no reform is seen. The Republicans just won control of the US House of Representatives. Americans are angry at their Democratic Party government and voted for the opposition.

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ALCOHOL MORE LETHAL . . .A new study commissioned by the British Center for Crime and Justice studies has found that “alcohol is more dangerous than illegal drugs such as heroin and cocaine”.

The study reported:  

“Heroin, crack cocaine and methamphetamine, or crystal meth, were the most lethal to individuals. When considering their wider social effects, alcohol, heroin and crack cocaine were the deadliest.”

“Overall, however, alcohol outranked all other substances, followed by heroin and crack cocaine. Marijuana, Ecstacy and LSD scored far lower.”

“Experts said alcohol scored so high because it is so widely used and has devastating consequences not only for drinkers but for those around them.”

“When drunk in excess, alcohol damages nearly all organ systems. It is also connected to higher death rates and is involved in a greater percentage of crime than most other drugs, including heroin.”

Add to that finding the fact that in this country, a lot of fatal motor vehicle accidents are due to drunk drivers. That you can also imagine can happen to drunk executive officials. To be fair, you have heavy drinkers in the Senate and in the Judiciary for that matter. Also, among military and police top brass.

The President only drinks Coke.

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TIME TO ACT . . . Australia and UK governments, Canada, New Zealand and the United States have again issued travel alerts against travel to the Philippines. This time, however, the advisories project not only terrorist attacks but also a high incidence of “serious crime”, and specifically including Manila.

Now you understand why we have been calling attention to headline crimes especially killings happening day after day all over the country. Now you know why we have been calling on P-Noy to focus on this problem, and even suggesting the creation of a Presidential Anti Crime Commission.

The latest victims: Reelected Barangay Chairman Vicente Lacbayug of Barangay Dayhagan was shot dead in Aroroy, Masbate. Another Chairman was shot dead in Misamis Occidental. PO2 Loreto Grandeo was killed by a drunken man in Lucena City.

On All Saints day, a woman 7 months pregnant was found naked and dead in a cemetery in Iloilo. A 17-year-old boy was stabbed to death at the Manila North Cemetery on Sunday. Vice Mayor Ocol Talumpa, 46, of Lambangan, Zamboanga del Sur was ambushed Tuesday, and seriously wounded in the heart of Manila, at Leon Guinto St., in Ermita by another motorcycle riding gunman. . .OFW Alexander Maliwanag, 63, a seaman was killed by motorcycle riding robbers who grabbed his gold bracelet again in the heart of Manila at Bilibid Viejo St., Quiapo. . .

In Abra, the NPAs scored another victory when they killed 3 soldiers and wounded 5 other soldiers in an ambush. The dead soldiers are PFCs Philip Balongay, Onfore Boca and Joel Suria. The NPAs carted all their firearms and ammo. The AFP and the PNP are not gaining any headway against both Muslim and NPA rebels.

It’s time to act on the deteriorating crime situation, Mr. President.

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TIDBITS. . .We spent the All Saint’s day weekend in Osaka, Japan. The Kansai airport was impressive, with so many immigration counters. We cleared Immigration and Customs in 5 minutes. The railway and subway systems were super efficient. From the airport it took 25 minutes to downtown Osaka by train. Osaka has Disneyland and Universal studios for kids. The cities of Kyoto, Nara and Kobe are just within one hour train travel. Take advantage of the cheap airline promo fares now offered . . . Food in Osaka is cheaper than Hongkong.  

Police Inspector Rex Dingon confessed he received P15,000 from Mayor Datu Andal Ampatuan Jr. to set up the checkpoint that stopped the Mangudadatu convoy. . .

 There were 4,311 motorcycle accidents in 2009. It’s more dangerous in Metro Manila than Ho Chi Minh Ms. Mislang . . . More than 87,000 motorcycles are not even registered with LTO . . . 37 UP professors signed a manifesto denouncing plagiarism by SC Justice Mariano del Castillo. How about 37 Professors denouncing the Malacañang action on the Aug. 23rd Luneta hostage taking fiasco? How about 37 Professors denouncing the continuing corruption in government? The huge pork barrel increase? . . . Readers Digest report that a Taiwan study shows that tea drinkers have the highest bone density.

Condolences to the family of Mayor “Boy Daku” Plaza of Butuan City who died from cancer . . . Our heartfelt sympathies to Atty. Howard M. Calleja and wife, Dr. Marla Ticzon Calleja on the untimely death of their eldest child “Minty”, 5 years old. She lies in state at the Santuario de San Antonio in Forbes Park.  Interment will be on Saturday.