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OPINION
Leyte Samar Daily Express
Friday, 26 July 2013
Leyte Samar
DAILY EXPRESS POSITIVE * FAIR * FREE
Dalmacio C. Grafil Publisher Ven S. Labro Editor-in-Chief Alma M. Grafil Business Manager The Leyte Samar Daily Express is published daily with editorial and business offices at G/F Knights of Columbus Bldg., 187 P. Zamora St. Tacloban City CONTACT Tel. Nos. 321-4833/ 523-7373 Fax. (053) 321-5591 WEBSITE leytesamardaily.net EMAIL ADDRESS EDITORIAL lsdaily2@yahoo.com ADVERTISING lsdaily_ads@yahoo.com All rights reserved. Except as permitted by law, no part of Leyte Samar Daily Express may be re-produced or distributed in any form or by any means stored in a database or retrieval system without its prior written permission from the publisher. Commentaries from readers whose identities they prefer to remain anonymous can be accommodated as ‘‘blind items’’. It will be our editorial prerogative, however, to verify the veracity of such commentaries before publication. Letters should be as brief as possible, and sent with the writer’s name,signature address and phone numbers (if any) to: ‘‘Letters to the Editor’’, Leyte Samar Daily Express, They may be edited for length and clarity.
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EDITORIAL
Customary
W
orkers at the customs bureau may have been used to what to them is normal insofar as collection of revenues on dutiable goods is concerned. The estimated loss of P 200-billion going elsewhere and not into government coffers is revolting. While every poor Filipino is forced to shed hard-earned income in terms of direct and indirect taxes, unscrupulous individuals at the Bureau of Customs are reportedly in cahoots with smugglers in their nefarious trade. Dutiable goods that are supposed to rake revenues for the country are slipped through various ports of entry to evade customs duties. The marching orders from the President had been to ensure payment of customs duties and stop the entry of contrabands. But some crooks working in the bureau are allowing the entry of smuggled good, letting them pass under their noses or purposely looking the other way when such dutiable goods are slipped into the country. Aside
from lost income that government suffers, the smuggled goods flood the local market, sweeping away goods that are locally produced products and goods, chiefly from the agriculture sector. Slowly being strangled by high prices of farm inputs, local producers of our basic foods are drowned by low-cost meat and other food products that are smuggled into the country. The resultant effect is the death of a vital livelihood among our impoverished workers in the agriculture sector. The same is true in the manufacturing and industry sectors. The high cost of production could not compete with smuggled goods and agriculture products being slipped into our country carrying low prices and reaching local markets and meatshops. A top-to-bottom surgery is what is needed if government is serious in reforming an agency like the customs bureau. People believe that there are a few good men that could to page 6
Neophyte politician worthy of imitation Eye for eye and tooth for tooth. Love your neighbors and hate your enemy. It is unusual to see a politician who instead of fighting back the person who may have offended him during election period did the opposite. Instead of the ancient Israelites way of dealing enemies, a new politico in this city follow the teaching of Christ. It is written in the Book of Matthew, Chapter 5, Verses 38-39: “‘You heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.’ However, I say to you: ‘Do not resist him that is wicked, but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other also to him.’” From the same Book in Verses 43 to 45: “‘You
heard that it was said, ‘You must love your neighbors and hate your enemies.’ However, I say to you: Continue to love your enemies and to pray for those persecuting you, that you may prove yourselves sons of your Father who is in the heavens, since he makes his
sun rise upon wicked people and good and makes it rain upon righteous people and unrighteous.’” Yes, neophyte City Mayor Edward “Ondo” Codilla is following the Christ teachings, instead of the ancient Israelites’. Neophyte City Council-
or Vincent Rama is reported to have informed Mayor Codilla that Congresswoman Lucy Torres-Gomez will put up projects in the city. The reply of the mayor is there is no problem for him, as long as without tarpaulin with her name written in it. Rama is a party -mate of the congresswoman along with the other five councilors and the vice mayor composing majority in the Sangguniang Panlungsod. They are from the Liberal Party. While the mayor run as independent candidate, who reasoned the government projects are funded
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