Zero casualty unattained

NDRRMC Executive Director Benito Ramos kept talking about zero casualty target. Typhoon Pablo swept through Mindanao and causing more than 200 casualties in Davao Oriental, Compostela Valley, Surigao del Sur and Davao del Norte.

Most of the deaths were caused by flash floods and falling trees.

Again, the preparation efforts for typhoon Pablo have to be reviewed to explain why there were so many casualties.

Gov. Johnny Pimentel of Surigao del Sur, Gov. Sol Matugas of Surigao and Mayor Vicente Emano did a good job in preventing casualties as they evacuated thousands early.

Gov. Corazon Malanyaon of Davao Oriental and Gov. Arturo Uy of Compostela Valley worked hard to reduce casualties.

SUPERIOR . . Gov. Amado Espino Jr. has devoted P500 million of his Pangasinan budget to health and hospital services. He has upgraded the services and facilities of the Provincial Hospital, 6 district hospitals, and 7 community hospitals.

On Tuesday, Gov. Espino Jr. together with Vice Gov. Ferdinand Calimlim and Provincial Board Members Alfonso Bince Jr., Ranjit Ramos Shahani and Salvador Perez II distributed 5,000 PhilHealth cards to indigents in Sta. Maria, Natividad, San Nicolas and Asingan towns.

The province also has an efficient anti-dengue campaign. The province is also well prepared for typhoons.

PERFORMING OFFICIALS . . As the year ends, it’s award giving time. Our nominees for outstanding government officials for 2012:

1. Foreign Affairs Sec. Albert del Rosario

2. DepEd Sec. Armin Luistro

3. Vice President Jejomar Binay

4. Tourism Sec. Ramon Jimenez

5. Agriculture Sec. Proceso Alcala

6. GSIS CEO Robert Vergara

7. Executive Sec. Jojo Ochoa

8. NEDA Director General Arsenio Balisacan

9. BIR Comm. Kim Henares

10. Pagcor Chairman Cristino Naguiat

11. PCSO Chairman Margarita Juico

12. Pag-IBIG President Darlene Berberabe

REINSTATE . . Local government officials are asking the President to reinstate the farm to market roads program of the Department of Agriculture.

We strongly suggest that the projects be implemented by local government units.

Despite the increased activity by the DPWH, Sec. Rogelio Singson has concentrated on building concrete national highways.

We suggest that 1st and 2nd class provinces be given a P100 million lump sum for farm to market roads and P50 million to 3rd, 4th, and 5th class provinces to start with.

Farmers have to be fully assisted if agriculture productivity is to go up.

UNBELIEVABLE . . Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno stands accused of issuing an en banc resolution which was never approved by the Supreme Court en banc.

She was found to have issued an en banc resolution on her own, creating the Regional Court Administration Office (RCAO) for Region 7 (Cebu).

She avoided a confrontation with fellow Supreme Court Justices by calling in sick last Tuesday when the Supreme Court had a scheduled en banc meeting.

Pursuant to the previous resolution, Sereno appointed Judge Geraldine Faith Econg as RCAO Region 7 officer-in-charge.

There are calls for Chief Justice Sereno to resign.

CLOSE VOTE . . The first test vote on the RH bill saw the pro RH solons defeating the anti RH bill bloc 99-91. The motion was to stop Palawan Rep. Dennis Socrates from delivering a privilege speech questioning the Nov. 26 decision to adopt a compromised version authored by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr.

Presenting amendments was Rep. Pablo Garcia and Rep. Rufus Rodriguez but they are only on page 2 of the 27-page bill.

Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales III said that the bill would pass thru the eye of a needle but would pass by a slim margin.

The Senate is also in the period of amendments. In a test vote, a proposed amendments proposed by Senate President Enrile was defeated by a 11-6 vote.

Enrile has not finished presenting amendments. Waiting for their turn to present amendments are Senators Tito Sotto and Ralph Recto.

KEEN . . The Senate is keen to approve its own version of the Freedom of Information Act. Pushing the bill are Senators Gregorio Honasan, Loren Legarda and Alan Peter Cayetano.

Malacañang concerns on national security and executive privilege have been included in the Senate version.

The House, however, has been slow to act on the measure. The committee report of the House committee on information is still being finalized.

PARTY-LIST DEBATE . . The Comelec continues to disqualify party-list groups with more than 80 so far disapproved. Several disqualified groups have appealed to the Supreme Court.

The debate will continue until Congress passes a new law that clearly defines “marginalized” and “under represented” groups.

In the meantime, the Supreme Court appears to be in no hurry to decide the matter.

One thing sure, reducing the number of accredited party-list groups will reduce the size of the ballot.

TIDBITS . . . The Development Bank of Singapore (DBS) projects a 6.2% GDP for the Philippines in 2012 and 5.3% in 2013.

PAL announced the schedule of flights to Toronto, Canada. There are an estimated 200,000 Filipinos in Canada.

Two more FEU students were shot dead near the FEU campus at Morayta, Manila. Another was wounded. A fraternity war is the suspected cause.

The 2013 General Appropriations Act or National Budget has been approved by the bicameral conference committee.

Greetings to avid readers: Justice Aurora Lagman, Commissioner Mercedes Lacap, Mrs. Petrona Lim, Gen. Thompson Lantion, Gen. Edgardo Aglipay, Mayor Teddy Ramos, Engr. Manolo Cortez and Cesar de Leon of Sta. Maria, Pangasinan.

Condolence to the family of former Pangasinan Governor Cipriano “Tito” Primicias Jr., brother of Marietta Primicias Goco.