‘The shares are falling! The shares are falling!’

“Run for your lives! The sky is falling” yelled Chicken Little and soon the entire town was convinced that the sky was indeed about to fall on them! Hardly anyone stopped to challenge the claim, instead everybody was busy spreading the “news” and scaring the living daylights out of everybody else. Only much later did they stopped to catch their breath, and only after someone said “nonsense,” did they settle down and realize that the sky remained as high as it always has.

The Chicken Little story can be funny at times both as a fairy tale and as an animated movie adaptation. But when the same storyline happens in real life and plays out during the day’s trading at the Philippine Stock Market causing panic and disturbing investor confidence, only to be straightened out by a simple text message of authority, then you have to wonder just how sensible and mature the traders, investors and we as a people really are.

Imagine that! An employee of the International Monetary Fund writes a report last April or approximately 3 months ago about large conglomerates who over borrow from banks and could default. Sorry but that’s not news, it happens all over the world. What would be news is, if officials from the BSP or Department of Finance confirmed the findings, identified the conglomerates or made major pronouncements of concern or pre-emptive action, then I would be worried. Three months later the report becomes column material for Bobby Tiglao and within hours investors start screaming: “ my shares are falling, my shares are falling.”

What I find disturbing is that it took at least half a day for the wildfire to spread and for someone to essentially throw water at the brokers and investors who were effectively committing economic self-immolation without checking or verifying the facts or contents of the IMF report or the company whose stocks they purchased. Only after business reporters texted the conglomerate’s CEO did the panic stop and later leading to even more sales of that company’s stocks. Considering all the work, the millions of pesos and the frayed nerves that go into one trading day, I wonder how much money was wasted by the Chicken Little’s’ screaming: “My stocks are falling! My stocks are falling.” That was so grown up people, really!

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Is it karma or is she being challenged by the Mafia? For the nth time, Justice Secretary Leila De Lima once again finds herself standing on the curb with mud splashed all over her.

Ever since she became DOJ Secretary, De Lima has had to deal with very public and unbelievable escapes of high value suspects, very public executions and very public humiliation of her department. This month her department is once again deprived of investigating two highly priced members of the Ozamiz robbery and kidnap gang because dead suspects don’t talk. Somehow, Secretary De Lima has bad luck whenever the case involves members of the PNP or graduates of the PMA. I wonder why? Is it really coincidence or is there more to it?

Some would suggest that it might be karma for the few instances were people felt that she threw her weight around or pushed the limits of law to arrest, convict or remove political enemies of the administration. For what it’s worth, I think Secretary De Lima is and always has been a “good soldier” of President Noynoy Aquino. And like many women who’ve faced difficult tests especially in public life, it becomes natural for her to be tough and determined.

As far as karma is concerned, the many affronts to De Lima have been too consistent to be called karma. The rubouts, the escapes and blatant disregard for the law simply confirm that many law enforcers have become the most lawless groups of people in the land. Whether they are under the DOJ or the DILG, whether they come from the PMA or the PNPA is not the issue.

While I believe in Secretary De Lima’s competence as a lawyer and member of cabinet, “Desperate times require desperate measures.” The current situation reminds me of the times of Elliot Ness and “The Untouchables” as well as the gangsters and the Mafia. They had to deal not only with criminals, but also overcome police corruption, and what we have here are “mini me” versions where corrupt politicians and corrupt law enforcers are now “mini Mafias” running illegal gambling, prostitution, human trafficking, drugs, carnapping, extortion and even contract killings. These are the real enemies of the P-Noy administration and not the members of other political parties.

Secretary De Lima will have to think outside the box and form her own “Untouchables” team under a presidential mandate to investigate, identify and arrest these mini me Mafiosi before they run her out of town.

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A friend asked where I stood on the ongoing issue regarding the 2 water concessionaires being given by MWSS unusually favorable terms and conditions as well as all the ugly things being said and suggested.

To be quite honest, I am a happy customer of Manila Water and this would not be the first time I say so. When I moved to Barrio Kapitolyo in Pasig, all my neighbors had several drums, water tanks or cisterns in order to be able to stock up on water which came in trickles especially during high demand hours. We also needed water pumps and pressure tanks to enjoy showers etc. All that ate up so much space, cost a lot in electricity.

When Manila Water came in, we had ample supply of water 24 hours. I was able to remove two pressure pumps, two pressure tanks and two huge ugly plastic tanks. The savings on electricity alone pays for my water bill.

If concessions have become an issue it’s primarily social activists making an issue of what was NOT an issue back then. People wanted water and wanted government to do something about it and they did. They got business to borrow and advance the money, build the projects, and solve the problem. With no money, the government then, also gave an advance in the form of favorable terms. Whether we like it or not, the real issue is about water coming out of our faucets not debates and popularity on radio and TV. 

It is always those who use the most, waste the most, and don’t have the money to pay for it that complain the most!

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