On the fourth day after flash floods killed over 1,000 people, President Aquino visited Cagayan de Oro (CDO), Iligan and Dumaguete. He said the right things and did the right actions, he wore black but, the fact remains that national government officials failed to prevent the tragedy. The President admitted: “I know we could have done more.”
He created two committees to investigate the cause of the tragedy, he released P62 million to Cagayan de Oro, he personally handed out relief goods at Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City. He announced he is declaring a state of national calamity. He pledged P150 million for core housing, including an initial 1,000 houses for CDO from NHA. VP Binay has announced a plan to build 2,000 houses at a cost of P400 million.
Yes, what happened is a national calamity. Everyone is affected. It has dampened the Christmas spirit. Farmers who are victims of typhoons Ondoy, Pepeng, Pedring and Reming have not been fully assisted to resume their livelihood.
As usual, President Aquino, CDO Archbishop Antonio Ledesma, Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes and many others pointed to illegal logging and illegal mining. President Aquino issued Executive Order 23 banning logging countrywide. It has not been followed. As pointed out so many times, there is illegal logging going on in ARMM, Caraga, Cagayan Valley and several areas of Mindanao. Again, we see no follow through on Presidential decisions. It’s business as usual. Nothing has changed.
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THINGS MUST CHANGE. . . As the “Sendong” tragedy has again shown, government must reinvent and reorganize itself to get things in proper order and working efficiently in 2012.
There’s good reason for a Cabinet revamp. The performance of DILG, DSWD, DENR, DND, Pagasa and PNP in the wake of the Sendong tragedy must be seriously reviewed. Rethinking of priorities has to be improved.
Certainly, the oft repeated relocation of informal settlers in danger zones must be implemented soonest. Local governments must do their job.
Something’s gotta give. And let’s stop the political infighting.
There’s no daang matuwid in the forests. It’s a national calamity that government officials do not implement the President’s orders. It’s a national calamity that what happened could have been prevented. And we have 66 provinces in danger of suffering a similar tragedy. Bigger floods are coming.
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PRE-SEASON. . . The parties are starting to line up their senatorial bets for 2013. The Liberal Party has Deputy Speaker Erin Tañada, DOJ Sec. Leila de Lima, DBM Sec. Butch Abad, Ex Sen. now Cong. Rodolfo Biazon and Ex Cong. Nereo Acosta.
In the PDP-Laban-PMP coalition, probables are Senators Chiz Escudero, Koko Pimentel, Gringo Honasan, Alan Peter Cayetano, Loren Legarda, Congressmen J.V. Ejercito, Sonny Angara and Jackie Ponce Enrile.
Also preparing are Cong. Mitos Magsaysay, Teddy Casiño and Gov. Imee Marcos.
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HEARTWARMING. . . Donations have poured into ABS-CBN, Red Cross, Philippine STAR’s Operation Damayan and other fund raising agencies.
Pampanga Mayors donated 500 coffins now on the way to Iligan and CDO aboard BRP Dagupan. Vice President Jojo Binay, Kris Aquino, Angel Locsin, Anne Curtis, Vice Ganda and other ABS-CBN stars flew to CDO to distribute relief goods.
Rep. Ted Haresco distributed thousands of boiled eggs. Vice Gov. Joe Zubiri sent Bukidnon firetrucks to help provide water. AFP soldiers donated one day’s subsistence allowance raising P3 million.
Congressmen donated P20,000 each from their salaries. Local Chinoy businessmen and fire volunteers in CDO and Iligan City immediately responded. Bert Lina sent portalets.
Caloocan City Mayor Recom Echiverri donated P1 million. The Philippine Basketball Association also donated P1 million. Butuan Mayor Ferdinand Amante sent relief goods. Teachers cancelled Christmas parties.
God bless all of you who have given food, drinks and clothes to the little ones.
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SUPREME COURT UPDATE. . . Another case was decided in the Supreme Court after 15 years. The Supreme Court takes in 6,000 cases every year, but only decides about 1,000 a year, thus the big backlog. This output has to be improved if the Supreme Court is to regain lost prestige. It should decide at least 5 big cases every Tuesday en banc session.
The Supreme Court must now publicly report all expenditures of the Judiciary Fiduciary Fund. The US Supreme Court puts all its expenses on its website. That should be done here, too.
Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio told friends he voted against the ARMM bill of President Aquino.
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TIDBITS . . . Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban celebrated his 75th birthday with a musical presentation called Ageless Passion at the Meralco Theatre, Tuesday night. Heading the guests were VP Jejomar Binay, President and Mrs. Joseph Estrada, President and Mrs. Fidel Ramos, Sec. Albert del Rosario and Justices of the Supreme Court. The musical was Panganiban’s life story set to music.
Siay Vice Mayor Carlito Bayawa was shot dead and his wife Susan was wounded as they stepped out of a bank in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay.
The casualty list in Negros Oriental has reached 39; Cagayan de Oro registered 650 dead, Iligan 283. Vice President Jojo Binay is visiting Dumaguete, Amlan, Sibulan and Tanjay in Negros Oriental to distribute relief goods.
The Malolos RTC issued a warrant of arrest for Major General Jovito Palparan (Ret.) for the kidnapping of 2 UP coeds in Hagonoy, Bulacan.
Thank you to Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. and Cong. Gina de Venecia, Cong. Rachel Arenas and her mom Baby, CSC Chairman Francisco Duque, Jr., Cong. J.V. Ejercito, Cong. Danny Suarez, George Yang, Bong and Ditas Ignacio and Dr. Renato Cheng for their Christmas greetings.
Greetings to avid readers too, Maria Asuncion Azcuna, Consul Fortune Ledesma, Atty. Romela Bengzon, Marilyn Pardo, Loida Nicolas Lewis and brother, Pastor Francis Nicolas, Mike Toledo and Leo M. Pruna.