Trillanes vs Enrile

Senator Antonio Trillanes announced that he has lost his confidence in Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and resigned from the majority. Senate President Enrile revealed Trillanes was asking for a bigger budget for his oversight committee which he disapproved.

Enrile read into the Senate records notes of Ambassador Sonia Brady on her meetings with Senator Trillanes on the Scarborough issue. Enrile revealed that Sen Trillanes said DFA Sec. Albert del Rosario is a traitor and should be replaced by Mar Roxas.

 Senator Trillanes walked out while Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile was talking.

Will Trillanes be able to trigger the ouster of Senate President Enrile?

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UNDEREMPLOYMENT NOW 8.5 MILLION . . NEDA Director General Arsenio Balisacan predicted a 6% GDP growth for the country in 2012 during the Philippine Economic Briefing at the PICC last Monday.

He cites as main factors: BPO outsourcing, increase in tourism arrivals and 5.4% increase in OFW remittances.

However, the manufacturing sector remains weak, and we are still below the 7-8th% GDP growth needed for improvement to reach the poor segments of our population.

The government is still holding back. Its budget for public works this year is still below P200 billion. UP, ADB and IMF experts suggest it should be at least P500-700 billion to pump prime the economy and provide jobs. The Philippines has the highest unemployment rate of 7% in Southeast Asia.

There is an estimated 2.9 million unemployed and a 6-year-high 8.5 million underemployed Filipinos. In the 2012 SONA, President Aquino reported only 1.1 million jobs were created in 2011. He needs to program the creation of 3 million jobs a year.

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A TRULY GOOD GUY . . I had the rare privelege of being Romy Capulong’s team mate in the Laban Campaign in 1978. Since then, we became close friends, including several years when we were struggling practicing lawyers in New York.

He was always willing to help anyone who approached him for assistance. He was deeply committed to the opposition to Marcos and in the fight for freedom and democracy. He was a dedicated human rights lawyer handling cases pro bono.

He was certainly a perfect gentleman and a sincere humble friend.

We shall miss you, Romy. Rest in peace.

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NO TRANSPARENCY . . The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) opened its interview of applicants for Chief Justice to the public. But now, it has retreated by refusing to release the result of psychiatric tests of the applicants. Why not? It looks like it is to protect the release of Chief Justice Lourdes Sereno’s low ratings.

Justice Arturo Brion wants his test results released. It is good that the Supreme Court ordered the release of everybody’s results.

 The public has a right to know.

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CRIME REPORT . . In a special report of the Daily Tribune, according to the Philippine Children’s Foundation, there are 20,000 children held in prison for petty crimes. What is sad is that most of them are held together with adults in over crowded cells resulting in many cases of abuse.

The same report said that according to the Center for Women’s Resources (CWR), violence against women continues with 14,291 cases of rape according also to WCC PC, with 54% of the victims from 11-20 years old.

According to the latest United Nations World Drug Report, the Philippines has the highest rate of shabu users in Asia. Metro Manila has become a carjacking capital.

Yes, the crime rate is soaring. Together with the number of policemen charged with criminal acts is also soaring.

The DILG, PNP, NBI, PDEA and other law enforcement agencies are falling on the job.

What happened to the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC)? Sleeping on the job? Yes indeed.

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FINALLY . . The Department of Justice has finally decided to file cases of plunder, malversation of public funds, and anti graft and corruption against former Pagcor Chairman Ephraim Genuino and 24 others.

The DOJ found findings of probable cause which it will endorse to the Ombudsman for prosecution and review.

Why did it take 2 years again to finish the investigation of these cases?

The charges include the use of Pagcor funds totalling to P30 million for the production of the movie “Baler”, the misuse of a rice donation from Japan and the misuse of Pagcor funds for the Batang Iwas Droga (BIDA) foundation.

Still pending is the over pricing on coffee purchases by Pagcor.

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ACTIVE MINDANAO NGO . . The Mindanao Commission on Women (MCW) was established in 2001 by Muslim, Christian and indigenous women leaders of Mindanao as a vehicle to influence public policy and public opinion about peace and development. MCW has become a significant voice in articulating a Mindanao peace and development agenda from a women’s perspective.

MCW has mobilized, educated, persuaded, and lobbied to make women’s issues central to the decisions about peace, believing that no peace agreement can be implemented or can peace be sustained without the leadership and participation of women. To help in the building of peaceful and prosperous communities for our families, the MCW chose three inter-linked areas of work, namely, peace and multiculturalism, poverty reduction, and politics and governance.

The commission’s board of directors is composed of 11 women leaders who have many years of experience in peace and development programs in Mindanao. Eight members of the board represent 21 Area Core Group (ACG) geographic clusters composed of women leaders and renowned experts in each of the program areas. Three members are directors-at-large. Collectively, the ACGs engage in Mindanao-wide campaigns. The Mothers for Peace movement forms the mass base of the Commission.

Key strategies

• Advocating for social justice, gender equality and human rights

• Engaging “key people” (decision-makers and opinion leaders) and mobilizing “more people

• Linking efforts from the grass roots to the macro policy environment.

The MCW board of Trustees are Chairwoman Margie Moran Floirendo; Vice-Chairw. Melchora J. Ambalong, M.D; Secretary Clarita P.Galagala; Treasurer Bai Farida M. Pendatun.

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Happy birthday to Don Emilio Yap, Chairman of the Manila Bulletin.