Crushing the culture of impunity

regarding Degamo’s death.

FOLLOWING the government’s effort to modernize the jeepney industry, I recall how it all started with the legendary iconic jeepney, with all its features and trimmings being distinctly Filipino. Santa Banana!

Bangkok also has its prototype -- the “Tuk-tuk” —which is a four-seater tricycle which is more like our own tricycle, except that the Bangkok ``tuk-tuk” can seat four passengers.

Well, the iconic Filipino jeepneys began during the early fifties when the United States military dumped all their jeeps in vacant lots at Guam and the Marianas in the Pacific, and started selling them by lot, not per piece.

An enterprising businessman named Emilio Yap from Tacloban, Leyte started buying the surplus American jeeps and brought them all to the Philippines.

Envious Filipino businessmen soon enough accused him of smuggling those jeeps, not aware the enterprising businessman from Leyte, was also a visionary, having plans of making those surplus jeeps the kings of the road.

Yap had the vision he shared with a small Filipino car repair shop in Las Pinas, and converted those bare surplus jeeps into what we know as jeepneys with all their trimmings and decorations which are distinctly Filipino, complete with seating arrangements for 10 passengers facing each other.

I saw those first jeepneys and they became a big hit to commuters.

The country needs a permanent DA secretary since the President is already preoccupied with other problems of the nation

I, too, during my college days at the Padre Faura ruins of the old Ateneo, was a commuter.

Well, what could I do with only P1 as daily allowance -- 30 centavos fare via the jeepney to and from the Ateneo, and 70 centavos for a Ma Mon Luk siopao.

It was really a miracle at being an Ilocano how I could save enough for flowers and greeting cards that I used to send to my favorite Assumptionistas, Assumption College being separated only by a wall from the Ateneo.

As I said, that’s how it began with the distinctly Filipino jeepney which is now being phased out to give way to modernization.

Personally, I believe the efforts of the government to modernize the iconic jeepneys are ill-advised because these old iconic jeepneys are typically and distinctly Filipino, the only one of its kind in the world.

To make them roadworthy for the purpose of modernizing them is to not remove their distinctly Filipino features.

By modernization, all the government has to do is to check all their engines to make them roadworthy.

President Marcos Jr. would do well not to use the word “phase-out” in modernizing the iconic legendary jeepney.

Well, as I said earlier, as a young journalist at the time when Emilio Yap had to face a series of congressional hearings, it was the fault of envious businessmen when they saw an enterprising trader bringing in to the Philippines most of the surplus American jeeps and had them converted into passenger jeepneys.

As a young journalist at that time being the Business Editor of the now defunct Philippines Herald, the only mistake of Yap was he was a very good friend of then Speaker Daniel Romualdez, who had nothing to do at all with the beginnings of the iconic jeepney.

It would not be complete not to say that Emilio Yap later on was also the chairman of a bank, chairman of Philippine President Lines, and the owner of the Manila Bulletin, which he bought from Swiss national Hans Menzi when Menzi was the aide de camp of then President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. The rest is history as they say.

By Francois Becker

LAURA Poitras has made herself the conscience of the United States with groundbreaking films about the occupation of Iraq, tech surveillance, and now the opioid epidemic. She is proud to call herself a troublemaker.

“I think it’s so important to document histories of struggle,” the 59-year-old filmmaker told AFP during a visit to Paris to promote her latest film, “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed.”

The documentary, which won the Golden Bear in Venice and is up for an Oscar on Sunday, tells the story of renowned photographer Nan Goldin and her fight to shame the Sackler family who own the pharmaceutical firm behind painkiller Oxycontin, blamed for hun-

The country is fortunate, however, that we have a Vice President, Sara Duterte, former mayor of Davao City and a Senate President, Migz Zubiri, two high officials, from Mindanao.

It is for this reason, my gulay, to give and to do justice to past Mindanao and Visayan heroes who struggled against the Spanish and American colonial powers to make this rectification.

I’m not a Visayan or Mindanaoan, but an Ilocano, and I would appreciate Visayan and Mindanao historians also to make an effort to make this historical correction for the sake of truth because the only historical figure in Philippine history from the Visayas I can think of was Lapu-lapu, the chieftain of Mactan, who killed Magellan.

Unfortunately, the only thing we can remember of Lapu Lapu is the fish lapu lapu, who I believe richly deserves a better remembrance in Philippine history. *** *** ***

We have the Senate findings on that unfortunate and embarrassing international incident last January

1, New Year’s Day, when our airspace went zero because our navigational, communication and security systems didn’t function, leaving some 6,500 passengers at NAIA stranded and some 315 flights in and out of the international gateway cancelled.

It was an international embarrassment to say the least.

And yet, all Senator Grace Poe, the Senate chairman of Public Service, after a series of Senate inquiries by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, could say was it was due to incompetence and negligence.

However, there are no findings of accountability by the Civil Aviation Authority since people had expected some heads rolling.

My gulay, no accountability ?

What kind of a Senate do we have, and what kind of a senator is Grace Poe when it is clear it was incompetence and negligence that brought about that fiasco.

However, at a later date, Senator Grace Poe said those responsible must be held accountable.

Sure, the system under the watch of the CAAP is old and antiquated that brought about that fiasco, and we can only blame past and present air transport people, especially the one directly responsible, particular;yu the CAAP officials.

Shall the Senate just leave things at that without establishing accountability?

Is there a guarantee a fiasco which was an international embarrassment will not happen again?

So, what can be done, my gulay?

Replace the system with a new and better system.

But, the Senate finding cleared the CAAP officials that it was all because of incompetence and negligence and that there is nothing that can be done.

Santa Banana, replace the system with a new and better system, that’s what!

It does not take too much matter between the ears to see the need for it, Santa Banana! *** *** ***

President Marcos Jr. has been in Malacanang for eight months now, and still we do not have a secretary of health, only an officer-in-charge of the Department of Health.

Since Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergiere appears to be doing well as DOH officer- in-charge, it would do well for BBM to name her DOH secretary.

More importantly, President Marcos Jr. has been acting secretary of the Department of Agriculture.

Why can’t he name a permanent DA secretary? For the last eight months that BBM has been acting as DA secretary, I am sure he knows the problems of the department and the need for updating the agriculture department to attain food self-sufficiency.

More immediately, BBM should crack down on the food prices cartel that has been responsible for the smuggling of products that caused the surge in prices.

That cartel operates like a Mafia-led syndicate and is responsible for too much smuggling and hoarding of agricultural products ,giving rise to high prices.

The country needs a permanent DA secretary since the President is already pre-occupied with other problems of the nation, not only those that threaten development but also national security.

I believe that eight months as head of the DA is long enough for anybody to know the problem of food security.

What BBM did with the presidential communications office by having former LTFRB head Atty.

Cheloy Garafil as the head of the Presidential Communications Office was well thought of and having a press briefer is also a good idea, but Santa Banana, eight months for the President to be a temporary secretary of a department is long enough.

THE other day, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered security authorities to create a joint task force to gear up law enforcement operations in Negros in the Visayas, where a provincial executive and eight other civilians were slain 10 days ago.

Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo, 56, was shot dead just outside their family residence compound while attending an event for 4Ps beneficiaries, with suspects immediately fleeing the scene aboard two SUVs. We are heartened by the statement of PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo the joint special task force is nearing the resolution of the case.

“With the pieces of evidence at hand, the special task force believes we are nearing the solution of these cases. We are just fine-tuning and finalizing some of the evidence at hand, including material revelation and pieces of evidence like evidence collected by the Forensic Group of the PNP,” she said.

“The STF is really confident that in the coming days, we can unmask already the people behind this heinous crime,” she added.

Four suspects are now in the custody of law enforcement authorities, while a fifth was killed in what authorities described as an encounter, hours after Degamo was killed. We also add our voice to the call of House Speaker Martin Romualdez on Rep. Arnolfo ‘Arnie’ Teves Jr., implicated in the brazen killing, to return to the Philippines since his travel clearance to America had expired. According to Romualdez, Teves should use this opportunity to answer allegations

The Spirit of all seasons

DURING his first Lenten sermon in 2023, Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, O.F.M. Cap., the Preacher of the Papal Household, spoke about the importance of the newness of the Spirit and the need for constant renewal and conversion, both at the individual and Church level.

He emphasized the problem is not the novelty itself, but how we handle it.

According to the Cardinal, the Holy Spirit is the Church’s unfailing guide towards a path of life and enlightenment.

He emphasized the Lenten series for this year aims to promote the integration of the Holy Spirit into the Church’s overall existence, particularly in the ongoing synod.

The Cardinal suggested that the Church should seek guidance from the Spirit, just as the early Christian community did in all aspects of their lives.

He emphasized the Second Vatican Council’s efforts to revitalize the Church’s teachings, particularly with regard to the participation of lay people.

Additionally, he acknowledged that synods or decrees alone cannot solve Church issues, as the acceptance of these teachings often involves finding a balance between a desire for continuity and a desire for innovation.

Biblical history demonstrates the important role of the Holy Spirit in the formation and expansion of the early church, contributing significantly in various ways.

Firstly, the Holy Spirit empowered believers during Pentecost, enabling them to preach the gospel with courage and speak in tongues.

The Holy Spirit continued to empower believers to perform miracles, heal the sick, and even raise the dead throughout the book of Acts.

Secondly, the Holy Spirit provided guidance to the early church in important decisions such as choosing leaders and accepting Gentiles into the church.

Acts 15 highlights the council at Jerusalem where the Holy Spirit guided the apostles and elders in making a critical decision that would shape the future of the church.

Thirdly, the Holy Spirit comforted and strengthened early Christians, especially during times of persecution and adversity.

Acts records instances where the Holy Spirit provided encouragement and comfort to believers experiencing challenging circumstances. Finally, the Holy Spirit unified the early church by bringing together people from different cultures and backgrounds.

The Holy Spirit facilitated understanding among people speaking diverse languages during the Pentecost gathering.

In summary, the Holy Spirit played an indispensable role in the development and advancement of the early church, by empowering, guiding, comforting, and unifying believers across language and cultural barriers.

Cardinal Cantalamessa emphasized the significance of the Holy Spirit in steering the early Christian community’s actions, particularly in making communal decisions.

“It’s better for Cong. Arnie to come home so that he can face allegations against his family related to the death of Gov. Roel Degamo,” Romualdez said.

Teves Jr. has denied any involvement in the killing, saying someone is trying to pin the blame on him, adding he had expected he and his brother, Henry Teves, would be implicated in the death of Degamo, their political rival.

We know the authorities are using a fine-tooth comb to resolve the case to help crush the culture of impunity.

It’s not yet clear how strong the shock waves would be if the solon would have his stay overseas extended.

At best, we know two of the suspects revealed they have a video conversation with the person who ordered the killing, but none could say who the person was.

Four arrested suspects in the case and are staying at the National Bureau of Investigation detention center in Manila – Joric Garido Labrador, Joven Calibjo Javier, Benjie Buladola Rodriguez, and Osmundo Rojas Rivero.

The suspects, from different places outside Negros, including Mindanao, told investigators they had been shadowing Degamo as early as December last year.

They were briefed in a safe house and waited for an “opportune time” to carry out the hit.

However, Cardinal Cantalamessa noted that issues in the Church are not resolved solely by synods or decrees, but by the reception of those teachings.

The teachings of the Church need to be received and embraced by the faithful, which sometimes requires compromises between a desire for continuity and a desire for novelty.

The Church must balance the need for continuity with the need for renewal, ensuring that it remains faithful to its traditions while adapting to the changing needs of the times.

In essence, the Cardinal emphasized the importance of the Holy Spirit in guiding the Church’s decisions and the need for constant renewal and conversion.

He suggested that the Church should embrace the teachings of the Second Vatican Council and strive to integrate them fully into its life and mission.

He also emphasized the need for the faithful to receive and embrace the teachings of the Church, recognizing that compromise and balance are necessary to achieve this.

The early Christians put their trust in the Holy Spirit to direct them in every aspect of their lives, including settling conflicts and reaching crucial verdicts like admitting gentiles into the Church.

The Cardinal recommended that the contemporary Church should similarly seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit to make significant ecclesial decisions.

The Cardinal also praised the Second Vatican Council’s efforts to renew the Church’s teachings, particularly regarding the role of lay people.

The Council emphasized the importance of the participation of lay people in the life and mission of the Church, recognizing their unique role as baptized members of the Church.

The Council’s teachings opened up new possibilities for lay people to participate in the life of the Church, including in areas such as liturgy, evangelization, and social justice.

Laura Poitras: ‘Good journalism is trouble-making’

dreds of thousands of deaths.

From the Oscar-winning “Citizenfour” about whistle-blower Edward Snowden, to “Risk” about Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, and “My Country, My Country” about the US occupation of Iraq, she sees all her films as “an indictment of US power and the US government.”

In the case of her new film, “we have a company and a family that have been promoting a drug that is getting people addicted and causing mass overdoses, and (the government) did nothing, and there was evidence going back two decades that it was killing people,” she said.

Though she was nervous about sharing the most intimate details of Goldin’s traumatic life, it was naturally a less terrifying process than her work on “Citizenfour.”

Though protected by her status as a journalist, she has faced harassment—placed on a watchlist following the release of 2006’s ‘My Country, My Country’

“This was more of a collaboration than my relationship with Edward Snowden,” she said.

“In both cases there was a huge responsibility... but with Edward Snowden I literally had his life in my hands. If I made a mistake he could be imprisoned or worse.”

‘Outrageous’

Born into a wealthy family in Boston, it was the aftermath of the attacks of September 11, 2001 that catalysed Poitras’s career.

“Watching this kind of global dominance and occupation and torture and ‘black sites’— these things were outrageous and I guess I felt I needed to respond to that,” she said.

“Good journalism should be troublemaking. Bad journalism is about getting access to power... those people aren’t really troublemakers.”

Although her portrait of Assange in 2017’s “Risk” was far from entirely positive, she says the efforts to extradite him to the United States as “the biggest threat to journalism today.”

He recalled the role of St. Peter in mediating between competing concerns in the early Church, a role that is continued by the Popes as Peter’s successors.

In conclusion, Cardinal Cantalamessa emphasized the importance of kindness and being good to others while being strict with oneself.

He proposed looking at issues from other people’s points of view as a remedy to polarization and division in the Church.

The Cardinal suggested that instead of judging others with condemnation, we should remove the poison from our judgment and turn it into an act of love, thanks to the gift of the Spirit.

He concluded his sermon with the prayer “Make me an instrument of your peace,” sometimes ascribed to St. Francis of Assisi. This Lent, and in all seasons, let us listen to the Holy Spirit.

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“I’m guilty of violating the Espionage Act. If you’re going to target Julian then you’re targeting anyone who’s done national security reporting and exposed documents.

“People have been so silent (on Assange’s case). Europe should step in and provide asylum,” she added.

Though protected by her status as a journalist, she has faced harassment— placed on a watchlist following the release of 2006’s “My Country, My Country,” leading to frequent detentions for questioning at airports.

“I think I hit a nerve, but I’m proud that I hit the nerve,” she said.

Does she think the Biden administration is still watching her?

“That’s a question for the government,” she said with a smile. AFP