Countdown to Pope’s visit

The countdown for the visit of Pope Francis, who will bring a message of “Mercy and Compassion” to 11 different venues in the Archdioceses of Manila and Palo, has started, with 28 days to go before he arrives on June 15.

Despite the Pope’s request for simplicity and no extravagant preparations, the government is spending hundreds of millions to prepare the Quirino grandstand; the Tacloban airport, which will cost P96.63 million for a six-hour visit to Tacloban City and Palo town in typhoon-devastated Leyte province on Jan. 17.

The P6.44-million cost of improving the road to the Archbishop’s Residence in Palo will be shouldered by private sector.

Earlier, the government had announced to make a custom-built  bulletproof popemobile for Pope Francis in coordination with Vatican security to protect him from unspecific threats.

But the Holiness preferred to ride an open-top car rather than the Vatican’s bulletproof “popemobile” used by previous pontiffs to travel around Manila and Tacloban City.

The Pope is expected to draw a crowd of 200,000 at the Tacloban airport in January 17 and 5 to 6 million at the Luneta.

Humility, simplicity, compassion and mercy are the themes of Pope Francis’ visit.

He will have lunch in Palo, Leyte, with 25 victims of Yolanda, including 5 survivors of the Bohol earthquake.

Political pot boiling

With two weeks to go before 2015, the political pot will start to boil come January.

Vice-President Jejomar Binay, Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, and Senator Grace Poe are the most probable candidates running for the presidency in 2016.

Former president and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, in a presscon Monday at City Hall, has reiterated his plan to retire after he finishes his term as Mayor in 2016. He has pledged his support for Vice Mayor Isko Moreno for the mayorship. 

School children massacred

A hundred and forty-five students and nine staff members were killed in an attack by members of Pakistan Taliban, a coalition of terrorist groups formed in 2007 and linked to Al Qaeda, in Peshawar, Pakistan. A  hundred and twenty-one children were injured and more than 300 were taken hostage.

In 2012, the group was also responsible for the shooting of the teenager Malala Yousafzai, who won the Nobel Peace Prize.

Now, their latest attack was a retaliation for the Pakistan Army’s current campaign against them in North and South Waziristan as described by the Taliban.

Terrible and horrific tragedy is all we can say to condemn this act of terror.

The six main attackers were killed, but a bigger group took the 300 children hostage. Three of the terrorists executed suicide attacks.

Over in Sydney, 3 people including the attacker were killed in a 16-hour café siege by a lone Iranian refugee, Man Haron Monis, who was killed by Australian police.

Ex-military gunman Bradley Stone, killed six members of his ex- wife’s family, including his former wife in Pennsylvania.

In our country, the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) continues to inflict casualties on government troops in Basilan and Sulu. The same with New People’s Army (NPA) who are actively attacking government forces in Surigao del Sur, Compostela Valley, Davao Oriental, Albay, Camarines Sur, Sorsogon, and Quezon.

After four and half years, President Aquino has failed to defeat the Muslim rebels and the NPA rebels due, in some way, to the corruption in the AFP and PNP personnel.

Bucayu should go

The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) joins the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Bureau of Customs (BOC), the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) as the flagships of corruption in the Aquino administration.

There have been 3 directors of the BuCor. But it is certain that  officers-in-charge have allowed high profile criminals live a life of luxury, such as having air conditioners, flat-screen televisions, jacuzzis, king-size beds, refrigerators and other amenities; and allowing them to conduct their drug trade inside the national prison.

 Senators Sergio Osmeña III called for the immediate removal from office officials of BuCor, saying heads must roll in order to show the sincerity of the government to rectify the anomalous activities inside the national penitentiary.

Bucor Director Franklin Bucayu should go.

President Aquino has expressed his concern on the guns confiscated from drug lords at the New Bilibid Prison (NBD). Certainly, this a major violation of prison rules.

Explain recusal

Congressmen Rufus Rodriguez and Rodito Albano have asked Sandiganbayan Fifth Division Associate Justices Roland Jurado, Alexander Gesmundo and Ma. Theresa Dolores Gomez-Estoesta to explain their sudden turnabout to inhibit themselves from hearing  the plunder case against detained Senator Jinggoy Estrada.

It is the “first time” in the history of the anti-graft court that all three justices chose to inhibit from hearing a case.

“It is unfair to the public, to the prosecutors, to Jinggoy,” Rodriguez said.

Albano said they should resign if they refuse to explain because the cases were raffled off and it’s their job to decide the case whether or not it is popular with the public.

Jinggoy Estrada cannot help but to think that this is another product of political maneuverings from “outside forces” that want to influence the outcome of the trial. But he still hopes that the justices’ recusal will not adversely affect his case.

The Supreme Court (SC) should step in and force them to explain their reasons.

The three justices should also explain who is exerting pressure on them.

Tidbits

The Ebola death toll now is 6,606.

Health Secretary Enrique Ona has started to pack up his personal belongings at his office.

Happy birthday greetings to Neng Juliano of Cotabato City.

Christmas greetings to Gina Benitez, Father Manny Flores of the of the Society of Jesus, and Chairman Francis Tolentino.