Will the Filipinos be driven by Despair and Vote for Grace Poe as President of the Philippines?

Will the Filipinos be driven by Despair and Vote for Grace Poe
as President of the Philippines?
By Apolinario Villalobos

For the coming 2016 election, will Grace Poe serve as a floating log, a savior, for the desperate Filipinos who are perpetually left with no choice every time such political process is held, but just left to choose between the devil and deep blue sea?

When she ran for senator, she got an overwhelming number of votes, much more than what Noynoy Aquino who was vying for the presidency got. She had inadequate machinery, being a neophyte in the field, yet she was able to earn the confidence of the voting populace. The election returns that propelled Poe to Senate showed that, somehow, she had an awesome following that used its wise judgment.

The craftiness in Pnoy Aquino saw the glitter of opportunity in the person of Poe and tried his best to establish a connection by offering an option via his Liberal Party. This early, the poor senator could be confused considering that she also vowed during her senatorial campaign not to run for a higher position, plus her own admission of financial inadequacy and freshness in the field of politics. If Poe bites the bait being dangled by Aquino, however, she will be indebted to him and the Liberal Party, endangering the plan of the opposition to file charges against him (Aquino) and other Liberal Party members for committed grafts.

The situation before was much different from today, because before, even Pnoy was presumed to become a reliable president, that is why the Filipinos voted for him, but of late, he proved to be just the opposite. The coming presidential race presents a wary picture because Jejomar Binay the most interested party, has standing lawsuits for graft and corruption, and the rest of the interested ones are either viewed as having limp personality or soiled with dishonesty, too.

Perhaps, this early, what Poe can do first is decide to run as an independent candidate so that the voters will be guided accordingly as regards the support that she would need. As she presents an image that exudes with neutrality, she could seek the help of sitting lawmakers later on for support, especially, if during the campaign days, she will bring out her real agenda which will surely suit everyone. She should make use of her “clean image” advantage to the fullest, if only for the memory of her father whom she adored very much, in case she decides finally to run for president.

Ang Kababawan ni de LIma

Ang Kababawan ni de Lima
Ni Apolinario Villalobos

Pagkatapos ma-disable ng pamahalaan sina Enrile, Revilla at Estrada, sa pamamagitan ng mga patung-patong na kaso na ikinasadlak nila sa kulungan, heto si de Lima at titigil na raw sa pagsampa ng mga kaso sa iba pang mga tiwaling opisyal na nabistong mga kaalyado pala ng pangulo. Idinahilan ni de Lima ang marami pa daw niyang “priorities”kaya hindi na kaya ng schedule, lalo pa at siya ay magbibitiw na. Ganoon lang? Hindi ba mahalaga ang mga kasong may kinalaman sa pagnanakaw sa kaban ng bayan kaya nagkandahetot-hetot ang Pilipinas na lalong ikinasadlak ng mga Pilipino sa hirap at gutom?

Sa napakaagang pagkakataon ay ipinakita ni de Lima ang kanyang pagka-iresponsable bilang inaasahan sanang hepe ng isang mahalagang ahensiya na siyang aalalay sa mga Pilipino sa pakikipaglaban sa mga tiwaling opisyal upang makamit ang hustisya. Ano ang sinasabi niyang mga “priorities”?… ang pagbibiyahe upang magpakilala sa mga tao bilang isa sa mga kakandidato para sa senado? Kung yon ang dahilan, lalo siyang lumalabas na iresponsable at hindi maaasahan o mapagkakatiwalaan dahil hindi siya marunong magtimbang ng mga “priorities”.

Ang dapat sana niyang ginawa ay madaliin ang pag-file man lang mga mga kaso, upang maitala sa record ang pangalan ng mga taong sangkot at ang mga ibinibintang sa kanila ng Commission ng Audit. Kung hindi man umabot sa mga deadline dahil sa nalalapit na eleksiyon, saka na lang niya ipamana sa papalit sa kanya. Ang masama, nagpaka-obvious siya sa paghugas ng kamay dahil kaalyado ng kanyang boss ang mga taong dapat sana ay kakasuhan na.

Ang ginagawa kaya niya ay bahagi ng alituntunin ng boss niya sa pagtahak sa “tuwid na daan” daw?

The 6-month Freeze Period on Binay Assets should not be a cause for jubilation

The 6-month Freeze Period on Binay Assets
should not be a cause for jubilation
By Apolinario Villalobos

The media exploded the freezing of the Binay assets and those of their dummies that include bank deposits, securities and insurances for six months. The total amount involved is more than Php11B in 242 bank accounts. However, the aggrieved party was not notified formally about this and their lawyer failed to get a copy even from the office that issued the freeze order. Where is seriousness in all this process? Also, will the six months freeze period achieve its desired result? Who will stop the Binays from withdrawing their stashed wealth after six months?

The SOP in coordination was not observed when the office responsible for the freeze, did not bother to give a copy of the order to the concerned party. Meanwhile such negligence will surely give the aggrieved party a reason to use “technicalities” in asking a higher court for the lifting of the freeze. That is how dysfunctional the government and its agencies are!

On the other hand, the senator daughter, Nancy and their lawyer, a certain Certeza, vehemently denied such enormous amount because out of the total number of accounts in question, she says that only several are in the name of his father, the Vice-President. The problem with senator Binay is that she has been presuming that Filipinos are pea-brained, for what kind of fool will deposit embezzled money and assets in his own account? She forgot that there are people who are willing to be used as “conduit” or “dummy”. As a senator she should know this common scheme, as she was one of those who questioned Janet Lim Napoles during Senate hearings about scams involving pork barrel of lawmakers and ghost NGOs. To put an end to all the accusation, the family should bring out their dummies, especially, Limlingan, so that they can assume ownership to the said accounts.

What is incomprehensible is the short period of freezing, as if the ban has been slapped without seriousness. Six months is obviously not enough in view of the enormous amount involved and the gravity of the cases of graft and corruption against the Binays. Also, those who filed the request for the freeze are so naïve as not to perceive that the six months period is not enough to prevent the Binays from using their money for the forthcoming election in 2016, if this is their objective.

Along this line, the TRO issued by the court on the suspension of Junjun Binay as mayor of Makati, viewed to be unfair by many sectors as it will give the said mayor the opportunity to dispose documents related to his graft case, is still fresh in the mind of the Filipinos. Presumably, this time, the court could have granted the freeze request on the Php11B, but only for a “convenient” period of six months to the advantage of the Binays who can easily withdraw their money as soon as the ban is lifted. The court is obviously very careful…..especially, as some of the rogues in robe have been exposed lately. In Pilipino, the appropriate statement for this action is: “pinagbigyan lang, para walang masabi”.