The Chief Justiceship is the most important appointment President Noynoy Aquino would make. Doubtless he knows. His pick would mold the rest of his term, and his legacy. For, the expectation, after the last CJ’s ouster, is for an alternate who will transform the Judiciary, to match Aquino’s socio-economic changes.
The Judicial and Bar Council vetted 20 candidates for competence, integrity, probity, and independence. Carefully Aquino must select who among the eight short-listed finalists would be the ablest reformer. This, in terms of vision, experience, speed, resolve, and acceptability. There will be the usual carping about any choice Aquino makes. But in the end, it is his call.
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So far the Senate inquiry into the supposed P500-million rice smuggling at Subic Freeport has yielded no solid evidence. Two hearings bared only he-said-she-said claims and negations. Plus, the unauthorized but tantalizing disclosure that it was President Noynoy Aquino no less who had tipped off Customs about the shipment. But nothing proves yet that the 420,000 sacks of rice from India were to be sneaked out of the free port for retail nationwide.
Quite the reverse, the Indian shipper waves papers to show regularity. That is, that the shipment initially was intended for Jakarta but rejected for lateness, as shown by the original bill of lading and communications between the Indian and the Indonesian importer. Too, that it was rerouted to Subic for warehousing while the Indian looked for another buyer, as shown by frenzied inquiries and applications. Then, that the rice arrived last April 4 in a vessel, not in the container vans that the Customs brass are claiming, as shown by Customs-Subic boarding and inspection reports of the same day. Then, that the rice was unloaded on April 20, as shown by Subic supervisors’ reports again on the same day. Finally, that the Customs brass seized the cargo on May 15, earlier than the 30-day deadline (starting April 20 on landing) for the Indian to secure import papers for the option to sell in the Philippines. The documents are verifiable.
This should not turn out like the Acsa Ramirez fiasco that arose from presidential subordinates’ showboating. Ramirez was the state bank assistant cashier who in 2002 reported to superiors her branch manager’s P430-million embezzlement. The NBI presented her to then-President Gloria Arroyo who, before live TV news cameras, mistakenly lumped her together with the crooks. The NBI bothered not to correct the Chief on air or afterwards, preferring to bask in the klieg lights. Ramirez faced charges before the Ombudsman and ultimately was cleared twice, but only after the public shaming and personal agony. Arroyo apologized to her only a year later.
Back to Subic, if the Indian’s story checks out, Subic’s and Customs’ images would be tarnished. He is denouncing the agencies’ brass for grandstanding at his expense. He says he never intended to sell to the Philippines, and so did not apply with the National Food Authority for import permit. He only used Subic for transshipment, possibly to the Middle East or back to home. Thus, he is demanding the release of his confiscated rice .It would have been so different had the Customs waited for the shipper to actually sneak out the cargo from Subic. They would have caught him and cohorts in flagrante. And the government would be P500-million richer.
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In November 2011 five farmers in India broke the old world record in rice harvest of 380 cavans per hectare. The best of the five, Sumant Kumar, set the new world record: 448 cavans per hectare. The Philippine national average is only 80 cavans. All five who broke the old world record used the same method of growing rice: the System of Rice Intensification (SRI).
SRI is not a variety, but a set of principles and practices for growing rice. It was discovered in the 1980s by Fr. Henri de Laulanie, a French Catholic priest. Requiring only a few simple changes in the way the rice is grown, SRI brings many benefits to rice farmers: it improves yield; it cuts costs; it helps farmers avoid poisons; it makes rice plants more resilient to typhoons, floods and other climate change impacts; and it reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
SRI is now spreading like wildfire to nearly 50 countries, with government support in some. If you want to know more about it, search the Web for “system of rice intensification”. Check out the SRI Homepage of the Cornell University.
Here’s a simple way to improve the incomes and lives of our rice farmers, but many don’t know about it. What a pity! There’s a simple solution: let us all contact the rice farmers we know, and tell them.
There is an SRI Pilipinas to guide rice farmers about SRI, so that they will try it and see for themselves. SRI Pilipinas gives away free primers, and conducts free one-day trainings. It set up SRI Hotlines (0939-1178999; 0917-8117747), where farmers can text in their name and address. SRI Pilipinas then mails them the free SRI Primer, sends them free text lessons, and guides them through their first SRI trial. Scientist Roberto “Ka Obet” Verzola coordinates SRI Pilipinas’ works.
But it is hard to reach rice farmers. They are not on the Internet. They seldom read newspapers. We might reach them through television or radio ads, but ads are expensive.
You probably know some rice farmers. Distant relatives, former classmates, or families of household help. Perhaps you come from a family of farmers yourself.
If you do, please convince them to text their name and address to the SRI Hotlines (0939-1178999; 0917-8117747), and Ka Obet’s team will do the rest. You can also download from the Web the SRI Primer in Pilipino (search “SRI Pilipinas Primer”) or the SRI video made by the World Bank Institute (search “SRI video World Bank”). Then you can give away copies yourself.
If each of us helps the rice farmer we know, we will together be helping all rice farmers.
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Catch Sapol radio show, Saturdays, 8-10 a.m., DWIZ (882-AM).
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E-mail: jariusbondoc@gmail.com.