Thinking Christians overcome in the end

GOTCHA By Jarius Bondoc, The Philippine Star, Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Both the Senate and House versions of the reproductive health bill reject abortion. Sen. Panfilo Lacson states right off that abortion, being illegal, shall not be among the full range of family planning services to be granted couples. So does Rep. Edcel Lagman’s, with a qualifier that women suffering post-abortion complications shall be treated at once — a humane act. Throughout the text both stress the criminality of snuffing out the life of the unborn. So why do Catholic bishops deem the authors promoters of abortion?

To be sure, the bishops are against birth control. For the Church, sex should only be between married couples, as obligation, mainly to procreate and then be intimate. Anything that goes against that purpose of sex, say, withdrawal or masturbation is a sin (of Onan). To couples that do not wish pregnancy as yet, for a valid reason, the bishops prescribe abstinence, akin to chastity. They allow the Rhythm or Billings Method only because by natural odds the wife won’t conceive anyway even if the husband aims to procreate.

The bishops ban artificial means. Condoms, surgeries like vasectomy or tubal ligation, intrauterine devices, and injectable, topical or oral birth controls are immoral. It gets messier. For the bishops, all contraceptives are also abortifacients. It is not just out of fear that “once artificial methods are practiced, then legalizing abortion will not be far behind.” Anything that prevents the formation of a fetus is, for the bishops, killing the fetus itself.

Thinking Catholics find it illogical. Contraceptives counteract conception, that is, life, so how can it destroy life? Ah basta, the debate turns dogmatic, that is the moral law, and anyone who doubts or disobeys shall burn in the eternal fires of hell.

The Catholic laity is not as obstinate as their bishops. They try to see things from the clerical viewpoint, and review the Pill and IUD. IUDs may on rare occasion induce abortion, like if a user already is conceiving when trying it the first time. In such event, the tool does become abortifacient, though by accident. The lost fetus, more likely to go unnoticed, is one life too many, so out with IUDs. Chemical contraceptives could accidentally and unacceptably abort too. Say, if the active ingredient lingers in the body too long and fatally weakens a fetus. Out with Pills too.

But condoms and surgical birth-prevention cannot by any stretch of imagination abort. It’s absurd. Pray tell, faithful Catholics beg the bishops, how can soft latex or knotted passageways of human egg or semen kill an unborn babe that wasn’t formed?

The bishops’ line defies science. It doesn’t matter to them. They’ve always clung to unscientific notions versus empirical evidence. Earlier bishops had suppressed Copernicus, a monk who observed in the early 1500s that the Sun does not revolve around the Earth as they thought. It simply went against the view that Creation was centered on the human world. A century later Galileo and Kepler separately upheld Copernicus’ findings and boldly began to define the universe. Galileo was tried in Inquisition and Kepler excommunicated for suggesting that the world might only be a speck in the Divine scheme of things.

Science forged ahead despite priestly resistance. In the 1850s Darwin theorized Evolution, and was promptly banned by Catholic educators. Freud in the 1910s analyzed the many facets of the human mind, panicking clerics who felt he was debunking the concept of Soul. Then Einstein developed General Relativity, which Friedmann expounded into the Big Bang, and Hubble supported with proportions of planetary distances and velocities. Bishops branded them enemies of Creationism, forgetting that the trio continued to attribute to a Divine Master the order of the universe.

Following the footsteps of earlier thinkers who eventually prevailed, today’s family-planning advocates push on. Bishops’ threats of withholding from them Communion and other Sacraments, they fervently pray over to melt. They remain steadfast Catholics trying to reform the Church thinking. Those of them who are old enough have seen it all before. In the early ’60s bishops had called rock n’ roll the work of the devil, yet the new art form found its way into the Jazz Mass and bouncy Gospel music. Today’s bishops in the end will come around to accepting that spaced pregnancy is being pro-life as well as pro-quality of life. It saves mothers and infants from morbidity, and improves their families physically, financially and spiritually.

Before that happens, though, there might first be a breakdown of the Separation of Church and State. That principle was conceived not so much to prevent churchmen from involving in politics, than government setting up a state religion. Bishops understandably will try to influence politicians’ thinking on reproductive health. But what if state leaders acquiesce only to Catholic clergymen, ditching other Christians and religionists who want family planning services? Then things will get worse before they get better.

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E-mail: jariusbondoc@workmail.com

Araw aksayado sa ulat ni GMA

SAPOL Ni Jarius Bondoc, Pilipino Star Ngayon, Monday, July 28, 2008

NEGATIVE 38 percent ang performance rating ng madla kay Gloria Macapagal Arroyo nitong Hunyo, mas lumala pa kaysa negative 26 percent nu’ng Marso. Ito’y sa kabila ng pamimigay niya ng kung ano-anong limos na panakip-butas sa krisis: NFA rice na P18.50 per kilo, P500 kada pamilyang gumamit lang ng 50 kilowatt-hours na kuryente nu’ng Hunyo, P500 pa muli sa kada sertipikadong hikahos, at planong subsidy sa fertilizer at diesel.

Anang anak na Rep. Mikey Arroyo, bagsak ang rating ng ina dahil sa pagsipa ng presyo ng gasolina at bigas. Mali siya. Bagsak ang marka ni GMA dahil basag na ang tiwala sa kanya ng taumbayan. Aba’y 40 percent ang nagsasabing mambibilog na naman siya ng ulo sa araw na ito ng State of the Nation Address; 14 percent lang ang naniniwalang magpapakatotoo siya. Mas malala ito kaysa nakaraang SONA nu’ng 29 percent ang nagsabing magbubulaan siya at pareho lang na 13 percent ang palagay ang loob ng magsasabi siya ng totoo.

Milyong-piso ang gagastahin para sa seremoniyas ng SONA sa Kongreso: Bulaklak, dekorasyon at cocktails sa Batasan; parada ng mga sasakyan ng mataas na pinuno, at mobilisasyon ng pulis sa kalsada. Pero makikinig ang taumbayan para lang tuyain ang Pangulo. Alam nilang hindi naman niya haharapin ang mga bumabagabag na isyu:

• Pagsangkot ng kanyang asawa at iba pang kaanak at katoto sa bilyong-pisong katiwalian sa ZTE, Northrail at Southrail deals; Transco sale; fertilizer scam; swine scam; at marami pang iba. Aba’y malakas ang hugong na bumili na raw ang First Couple ng mansion sa Portugal, kung saan tatakbo matapos ang termino. Wala kasing extradition treaty ang Pilipinas sa bansang ‘yon, kaya makakalusot sila sa kasong plunder.

• Binali ni GMA ang batas at proseso para maluklok nu’ng 2004 at pagtakpan ang mga sumunod na pangu­ngulimbat.

• Nagtahimik habang pumatay ang militar ng 800 militante.

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Lumiham sa jariusbondoc@workmail.com

Today wasted on her fantasy

GOTCHA By Jarius Bondoc, The Philippine Star, Monday, July 28, 2008

Filipinos rated Gloria Arroyo’s performance negative-38 percent in June, much worse than her negative-26 in March. Three of every five (60 percent) were dissatisfied with her; only one in five (22 percent) cheered. She’s now decidedly the most disliked President since Marcos. That’s in spite of her crisis doles: discounted rice at P18.50 a kilo, P500 per family that burns less than 50 kilowatt-hours of electricity a month, another P500 per family that’s certified poor, still another P500 per needy senior citizen, discounted diesel, subsidized fertilizer, and whatever else gimmick.

Remnant loyalists claim that Arroyo’s popularity sagged due to price surges of rice and fuel. The implication is that outside forces beyond her control — OPEC cartel, Chinese-Indian food and fuel demand — marred her.

They’re wrong. Arroyo got failing marks because of broken public trust. Why, 40 percent expect her to lie through the teeth again today in her State of the Nation. Only 14 percent are giving her the benefit of the doubt in her annual report and initiatives. This credibility rating is again worse than last year’s 29 percent who anticipated her to fib, and statistically the same as the 13 percent who had hoped she wouldn’t.

If government were parliamentary, Arroyo’s admin would likely be dissolved by now in a no-confidence vote. Sadly it’s presidential, with not only a fixed term but also virtual control over the House of Reps’ purse. So the pliant congressmen will fete her today in a Batasan spruced up at the cost of P90 million, with P110 million more to come — from her. On top of that, they’ll be splurging millions more on decor, food and wine, fuel for the motorcade of sycophants to her speech, and mobilization of cops to keep citizens away.

All that money will be wasted. If Filipinos will listen to her address at all, it is only to prepare to refute her, They know she will skirt the real issues:

• Her involvement, and that of her kith and kin, in multibillion-peso scams in ZTE, Northrail, Southrail, Transco, fertilizers, swine, coal imports, telecom frequencies, oil exploration, smuggling, and more;

• Her breach of procedures and laws, first to rig the 2004 presidential polls and then cover it up; and

• Her silence over, or tacit consent to, the murder of 56 journalists and more than 800 militant dissenters by roving death squads.

* * *

On the road to the Batasan, take note of Metro Manila Development Authority chairman Bayani Fernando’s work. Many call it madness.

Commonwealth Avenue is supposed to be the country’s widest, with eight lanes on each side, and sidewalks and a median with shady trees and flowering shrubs. The shades and flowers have been ditched. BF spent the money instead to cut three-lane U-turns where unneeded. This constricted the national road not to five lanes but only three, because adjacent to the U-turn slots are BF’s pink-colored, fenced-off jeepney stops.

The outermost of three U-turn lanes have been eliminated, cemented with shin-high perimeters. They’re unnecessary anyway, according to BF, because U-turning jeepneys and buses need to eat into the second or third lane. Engineer BF forgets that the extra-wide turning radius is because the old vehicles from Japan are unsafe because retrofitted with inapt gearboxes. His job as metropolitan chief is to weed out such rolling coffins.

The dead lanes have been gathering rainwater, breeding ponds for dengue mosquitoes. BF had a swift solution. He ordered gravel and soil poured in. If talk was true, he might have spent last weekend prettifying the mess with greens for today’s SONA, but later will just cement them all over.

BF justifies his U-turn slots as necessary traffic chokers. Because Commonwealth is so wide, drivers tend to over-speed; at least one pedestrian or motorist is killed everyday, more maimed. BF’s ingenious answer was the hazardous cemented barriers astride fenced jeepney lanes. Cars must now suddenly swerve or screech to rolling stops. The last time people heard, the sane engineering solutions would have been to paint lane markers, build more pedestrian overpasses, and arrest speedsters.

The public works office spent P800 million to widen Commonwealth, Rep. Roilo Golez laments, only to have BF destroy it. USec. Ramon Aquino swore they never gave BF permission to pave the U-turn slots, yet he did anyway. The House oversight committee is girding to condemn him for it and similar damage on Ninoy Aquino Road fronting Manila International Airport in Parañaque.

“We heard that BF has told off the MRT builders on Commonwealth to not touch his U-turn slots,” Golez says. “Designs had to be redrawn and additional costs will be incurred, just to preserve his folly.”

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E-mail: jariusbondoc@workmail.com

Salitang pulitiko, salitang nanloloko

SAPOL Ni Jarius Bondoc, Pilipino Star Ngayon, Friday, July 25, 2008

MATALINONG tao raw si Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. Kaya nagtataka ako kung bakit niya ito pinambungad sa isang talumpati (isinalin sa Pilipino): “Mga kaibigan, nakatira tayo sa pinaka-dakilang bansa sa kasaysayan ng daigdig. Halina’t samahan ninyo ako sa pag­sisikap na baguhin ito.”

Hello, Barack? E kung “pinaka-dakila” na pala, e bakit mo pa babaguhin, at nag-aanyaya ka pa ng iba? Hindi mo pa ba narinig ang kasabihang “kung hindi sira, huwag ayusin”? O baka naman nadadala ka lang sa sarili mong mabubulaklak na salita — mga salita ng pulitikong nanliligaw ng boto, mga salitang nanloloko?

Dumako tayo sa Pilipinas, kung saan magsasagawa si Presidente Gloria Arroyo sa Lunes ng ikawalong State of the Nation Address. Asahan nating wala na namang laman ang ulat na ito.

Nang sumumpa si Arroyo bilang Presidente nu’ng Enero Enero 20, 2001, araw na pinatalsik si Joseph Estra­da, aniya: “Simple lang ang ipangangako ko sa inyo. Ako ay magiging mabuting Presidente.”

Mula noon, lumala ang kahirapan, katiwalian at kagu­luhan.

Kahirapan. Nu’ng una, 3.1 milyong pamilya ang nag­sasabing gutom sila; dumami ito sa 3.4 milyon, 3.7 milyon, at ngayon’y 4 milyon na. Parami nang parami ang OFWs — 9 milyon — dahil walang trabaho sa bansa. Limang milyon pa ang walang trabaho at 14 milyon ang kapos ang sahod.

Katiwalian. Dalawang araw pa lang sa puwesto, ina­prubahan ni noo’y-Justice Sec. Nani Perez ang maano­mal­yang kontratang kuryente sa IMPSA, na may $17 mil­yong kickback, ayon kay Sen. Ping Lacson. Sa kalalabas na talambuhay ni dating VP Tito Guingona, inamin umano ni Perez sa kanya na pinilit lang siya ni Arroyo aprubahan ang IMPSA deal.

Kaguluhan. Sa tala ng National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, 56 na ang napapatay na mamamahayag sa loob ng pitong taon ni Arroyo sa puwesto; 33 ang pinatay nu’ng Marcos martial law. Patuloy ang pagpatay at pagdukot sa mga militante, huwes at piskal sa kanayunan.

SC may be wrong but can we defy it?

GOTCHA By Jarius Bondoc , The Philippine Star, Friday, July 25, 2008

Juan Ponce Enrile avers the Supreme Court is wrong. Like many others, he disagrees with its ban on importing used cars. But unlike them, he defies the ban by abetting importations by his kin in his Cagayan turf.

Where lies the difference? Is it because Enrile is a senator and lawyer; former congressman and assemblyman; minister of defense, of finance and of justice; and commissioner of insurance and of Customs — while most are not as blessed? Is it because they’re them, and Enrile is Enrile?

Enrile must deem the Supreme Court right in upholding Romy Neri’s executive privilege. Many others don’t think so. They fear that the Tribunal legitimized the coverup of crime by letting Neri clam up on the ZTE scam. Neri had refused to tell the Senate what Gloria Arroyo did after he reported a P200-million bribe to endorse the deal. To muzzle him, Malacañang had invoked unspecified, unsupported security and diplomatic reasons, which Enrile echoed in Senate hearings. Dissenters cry that the High Court verdict goes against transparency in government dealings. But they do not ask for Neri’s arrest and wringing by the Senate to flout the ruling. At worst, they grumble among themselves about which justices consistently vote pro-Malacañang. One lawyers’ group even zero in on that one who has failed to explain past minority decisions, in violation of the Constitution. But they generally, though grudgingly, accept the ruling.

Not Enrile in the case of used car importations. He is as passionate with his beliefs on that business issue, as others are about the political and criminal implications of the Neri decision. He cites tax revenues and other economic benefits, just as those against Neri allude to presidential abuse. Most importantly, to demonstrate his point, Enrile does exactly what the Supreme Court prohibits. Others just meekly conform.

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STILL ON CTPL. Illicit Compulsory Third Party Liability insurers do cheat car registrants with fake policies and the government by tax evasion. Some do not report CTPLs to the Insurance Commission and simply pocket the 40-percent fund they must put up to cover indemnities. And the claim that 60,000 people will lose jobs with the GSIS takeover of CTPLs misleads to elicit pity. With these Reymar Mansilungan agrees, as member in 2005 of the IC task force on CTPL. But he adds three points in a long reaction to my piece last Monday:

• “The Insurance Code vests big clout on an insurance commissioner. The commissioner may close down or put under a conservator any insurer for violation of even the most minor order. He can even bar an insurer from issuing CTPLs simply by ordering the IT provider from authenticating the policies. So a commissioner could have solved or minimized the CTPL mess if he wanted to. But a succession of three past commissioners did nothing. Failure to enforce the 40-percent indemnity fund constituted ineptitude. More so since, through computer network, they had capability to verify in real time how many CTPLs any insurer has sold and at what premiums.

• “Was there a hidden agenda? One commissioner prodded non-life insurers to form a consortium to solely handle all CTPLs. It was supposedly to parcel equitably all the business premiums and losses. Like today, small insurers then howled against the entry of big ones who never sold CTPLs before. But the commissioner wanted an information technology firm of his choice to manage the consortium for a fee of 35 percent of CTPL premiums. It would have been a cool billion pesos then. Are you now thinking what I’m thinking?

• “I’m not entirely against the GSIS takeover, if it will really solve the CTPL mess. But we must have rule of law. The Dept. of Transportation and Communication has no power to assign any insurer as sole CTPL provider for private motor vehicles. The Insurance Code vests that authority only on the insurance commissioner. There’s a dictum: a delegated authority cannot be re-delegated. The Code further provides three modes of complying with third party coverage: insurance, surety bond, or cash deposit. The DOTC order removed all these. The Code penalizes insurers who refuse to issue CTPLs. DOTC ignored this. In effect amending the Code, DOTC usurped the power of Congress to legislate and of the commissioner to regulate. It can cure this by going to Congress.”

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Quick, go to YouTube and search for “Christian the Lion — the full story (in HQ).” It’s an incredible story of kinship between a ferocious beast and two men who had cared for it.

After viewing, go to www.snopes.com, the website that verifies tales and exposés hoaxes or urban legends. The entry on “Christian the Lion” not only authenticates the video, but is even more amazing.

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E-mail: jariusbondoc@workmail.com

Must cops be forced to bring own guns?

GOTCHA By Jarius Bondoc, The Philippine Star, Wednesday, July 23, 2008

It is one of the ironies of lawmen’s life. The Philippine National Police makes hundreds of millions of pesos a year from licensing private firearms. Yet 20,000 cops do not have guns.

That 16 percent of the 125,000-strong PNP is gun-less shows how society has neglected the police that it also depends on so much. People expect cops to straighten out everything from traffic to domestic violence, thefts to coups d’état. And yet they’re given only about P2 billion a year, or P16,000 per head, to guard 18 million homes spread over 298,170 sq. km of land. That budget has to be stretched 90 percent for regional operations and ten for headquarters administrative, crime lab, and investigation work.

Dir. Gen. Avelino Razon can only make do. Before dreaming to buy new firearms, he first had to inventory what’s left every precinct armory. Handguns issued to scene-of-crime investigators, chaplains and medics were recalled and given to patrolmen who needed them round-the-clock. And then he discovered they were still 20,000 short. A good portion who had were bringing personal firearms to work.

Licensing guns is the PNP’s top revenue task, more than certifying vehicles or security guards. It has been raking in a record P335 million a year under Firearms and Explosives Chief Supt. Florencio Caccam Jr. A year’s collection is enough to cover the firearms shortage, But the money goes straight to the national coffers. Nothing is left for the force to buy its own guns, unless awarded funds for it. Caccam strives to raise his take by flushing out unregistered weapons, in the hope that Congress will plow back enough for them to fully arm. If not, then our cops might have to start carrying guns seized from criminals.

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The environment department says the deaths and destruction from floods and landslides of recent storms were acts of God. For one, two months of rain from Typhoon Frank fell on Iloilo province in just 12 hours. Compounded by high tide, rivers overflowed into homes.

But the department shouldn’t blame nature alone. Its own Bureau of Mines and Geodetic Sciences has studied that most poblacions are built in fens prone to slides and flooding. This is because of traditional Filipino reverence for their dead, whom they bury in the town’s choicest, safest high ground. Environment officials must show the maps to local officials who can then relocate endangered folk. Speaking of which, the local officials too shouldn’t allow homebuilding just anywhere, unless verified secure from yearly, thus predictable, calamities.

The department must also take note of what Iloilo Vice Gov. Rolex Suplico saw, because it’s happening everywhere else. Sawed logs and rocks slid down mountainsides with mud since illegal tree cutting and quarrying go on. In most provinces, small charcoals makers are picking off what’s left of denuded forests. Gravel makers, usually related to town mayors, also quarry public or private lands with impunity, in disregard of environment laws.

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Reader Jose E.J. Flores shares a sad experience with “that CTPL racket” (Gotcha, 21 July 2008):

“You hit another mega issue. In Oct. 1992 my father was struck dead by a ten-wheeler truck. We received neither condolence note nor flowers from the trucker. Following up the compulsory P50,000 indemnity, I learned that he owns a sister-insurance company that issued the CTPL coverage. To this day we have yet to receive that P50,000. There is urgent need to review if not totally abolish that useless law on CTPL. I also believe GSIS will make good in this ‘racket’ — for its members’ benefit.”

Gibet Buenaventura narrates a similar case:

“My soldier-brother broke his left leg last year when hit by a jeepney (plate number TVD 102), which was then out of route. The Manila fiscal dismissed our case, and owner Juanita Germar sold the vehicle. We spent P300,000 for surgery, but got nothing from that CTPL.”

Lastly, this comment from Manuel Espaldon of Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa City:

“I was never for GSIS taking over the CTPL business because I do not relish the idea of doing business with it. It will be inefficient. But it was silly of the insurance industry to say that 60,000 people will lose their jobs. That many, just for CTPLs? So that’s why the coverage is so expensive. It is not the responsibility of motorists to support the livelihood of those 60,000. They are appealing to our sense of charity and yet the 60,000 fleece us. If the GSIS can handle the CTPL sans the 60,000, maybe I will change my mind. That is the consensus among us neighbors.”

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E-mail: jariusbondoc@workmail.com

Dungo sa pulitiko

SAPOL Ni Jarius Bondoc, Pilipino Star Ngayon, Tuesday, July 22, 2008

NANG dakipin ng pulis ang mag-amang Mayor Alvarez Isnaji at Haider Isnaji ng Indanan, Sulu, sa umano’y pagkidnap kay Ces Drilon, tila nag-iba ang pagkatao ng dati’y matapang na Justice Sec. Raul Gonzalez. Aniya, maaring magkaroon ng malagim na kahinatnan ang pagkaso sa mag-ama. “Nakokomplika ang sitwasyon sa Mindanao,” dagdag niya, kasi kung sa pakiramdam nila ay inaapi sila, hindi natin alam kung ano ang maaring gawin ng mga tauhan nila.” At tila nais pa niyang iabsuwelto agad ang mag-ama: “Mga VIP sila (sa Sulu). Respetado. Kaya maaring ‘yon ang rason kaya ginamit silang negotiators ng mga tunay na kumidnap.”

Napaulat nang husto ang animo’y pagkadungo ni Gonzalez. Sa ABS-CBN News Online nu’ng Hunyo 21, ang headline ay “Isnaji, son, charged; Gonzalez warns they may be repercussions”. Malayo ito sa dating ugali ni Gonzalez na pagsalitaan nang mapait at matapang ang mga kaaway ng Arroyo admin.

Ilang araw lang bago ang balita tungkol kay Gonzalez, merong isang kasinglungkot na ulat ukol sa PNP. Umano, 542 na officers na nais ma-promote sa full colonel o one, two at three-star general ay kumuha ng Police Executive Service Exam nu’ng Mayo. Aba’y 149 lang, o 27 percent, ang pumasa; 393 ang lumagpak sa buong bansa.

Karamihan ng bumagsak ay mali-mali ang sagot sa mga tanong tungkol sa dapat na desisyon sa harap ng nakikitang kilos ng civilian authorities. Naunahan sila ng emosyon at pamumulitika kaysa tungkulin.

Ehemplo ng tanong: “Kapag hinirang kang provincial director, wawasakin mo ba ang ilegal ng pasugalang jueteng? E paano kung pigilan ka ng regional director? At paano kung nakapatong sa sindikato ang gobernador o mas matataas pang opisyales?”

Bumagsak ang 73 percent na nagsabing aatras sila sa labanan sa jueteng kapag ‘yon ang nais ng regional commander o ng gobernador o ng Malacañang. Kumbaga, kakalimutan nila ang tungkulin at uunahin ang politika. Hindi ba’t ganoon din ang tono ng pananalita ni Gonzalez? Kung ganyan ang Secretary of Justice at pinaka-matataas ng opisyales mismo sa PNP, e paano na lalabanan ang krimen at itataguyod ang katarungan?

Finally, a solution to CTPL racket

GOTCHA By Jarius Bondoc, The Philippine Star, Monday, July 21, 2008

One group of insurers opposes unifying the Compulsory Third Party Liability insurance under the GSIS. They claim that if GSIS monopolizes the coverage of motor vehicles against bodily harm, at least 60,000 workers will lose jobs.

Upon reading that, I asked myself, is that how many — 60,000 people — in the CTPL racket? I call it a racket because many CTPL sellers are fly-by-night. With no permanent offices, they just hang out at Land Transport Office (LTO) branches, then disappear at sundown. You can’t find them when you need to indemnify a person hurt or killed by your vehicle.

But before all that, why is there CTPL? The government in the ’70s required that all cars, jeepneys, buses, trucks and tricycles be covered by such insurance upon registration. It assured that if a vehicle accidentally hurts or kills a person (other than its own driver or passengers), cover of up to P50,000 can be paid. Good objective: the vehicle owner will have a ready source to recompense the victims.

I bet you, though, that in all these years you’ve been driving, with several bumps and scrapes to your name, you’ve never run over a person. You haven’t used your annually renewed CTPL policy. You can only praise God for it. CTPL racketeers thank luck that nobody has noticed them — till now.

For, the question arises: where does the more than P1,000-CTPL paid each year for each of the 5.5 million registered vehicles go?

Before answering that, let’s make this clear: a CTPL costs only P950. You must be wondering why you’ve been paying P1,100-P1,300 each year. That’s because the CTPL sellers, mostly unregulated, tack on all sorts of unauthorized fees to the basic charge. More on that later.

The total take of the insurance trade was P26.05 billion in 2006, based on Insurance Commission (IC) records. Of that, 6.3 percent, or P1.64 billion, came from CTPL. By law, insurance firms must deposit part of the funds in escrow for indemnities. But the CTPL racketeers don’t do that. They simply pocket the payments from unsuspecting vehicle registrants, then disappear.

Most of the CTPL certificates of coverage (COCs) are in fact fake. Comparing LTO and IC records, it appears that CTPL racketeers do not even report the COCs. From GSIS studies, there are more missing COCs than reported ones:

	2004	2005	2006
Registered vehicles (LTO)	4,760,593	5,059,753	5,530,055
Reported COCs (IC)	1,616,689	2,265,040	2,561,806
Unreported/missing COCs	3,143,904	2,794,713	2,769,768

But back to the claim that 60,000 CTPL-dependent employees will go hungry when GSIS takes over the system, figures are available too. The IC 2006 annual report states that there were 10,837 licensed insurance agents and 275 general insurers, all registered as intermediaries. That year about P6.27 billion in commissions were paid out to intermediaries. Of the total, 2.6 percent, or P164.3 million, were commissions from CTPL sales. Distributing the P164.3 million among the roughly 11,000 intermediaries means that they each earned P14,433 that year, or P1,244 a month. That amount was barely enough for transportation costs of a CTPL agent to service the needs of his clients. More telling, that amount could never be called a job. The 60,000 workers, if there really are that many of them, never had decent jobs to lose, to begin with.

In fact, the commission from individual CTPL sales is so small. From private cars and public utility vehicles, which represent 47 percent of total registered units, the commission is only P49 per policy. For tricycles and motorcycles, 48 percent of vehicles, it’s a lower P19 per COC.

Legit insurers consider selling CTPLs an “indispensable nuisance.” They profit so little from it, compared to clerical and administrative costs of CTPL policies. But they must service the clients just the same because the CTPL is required when the latter take out comprehensive insurance policies for motor vehicles, property and marine equipment.

GSIS president Winston Garcia says they will not really monopolize the CTPL business. The agency will still reinsure the policies with private firms, which is why another group of insurers avidly supports putting it under one roof.

The only remaining issue is how GSIS will service CTPL indemnity claims. That’s easy, Garcia says. GSIS has a nationwide network of 48 branches and 78 field offices, a 24/7 call center to all major cities, and accredited hospitals and clinics.

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E-mail: jariusbondoc@workmail.com

Ayusin na ang sistemang CTPL

SAPOL Ni Jarius Bondoc, Pilipinos Star Ngayon, Monday, July 21, 2008

TUTOL ang isang grupo ng insurance companies sa pag-iisa ng pagkuha ng Compulsory Third Party Liability insurance sa ilalim ng GSIS. Anila sa print ad, kapag minonopolyo ng GSIS ang pag-insure ng sasakyang lupa sa pagpinsala sa tao, 60,000 na empleyado ang mawawalan ng trabaho.

Naisip ko agad, gan’un ba karami — 60,000 katao — ang rumaraket sa CTPL? Sinasabi kong raket itong CTPL kasi marami sa mga nagbebenta nito ay fly-by-night. Wala silang permanenteng opisina; naka-istambay lang sa gilid ng mga LTO branches, pero nawawala sa gabi. At lalong hindi mo mahanap kapag kailangan mo sila magbayad sa nasaktan o napatay ng sasakyan mo sa sagasa o banggaan.

Bago ang lahat. bakit ba may CTPL? Inutos ng gobyerno nu’ng dekada-70 na lahat ng kotse, tricycle, jeepney, bus at trak ay may insurance bago sirehistro. Ito’y para kung, bukod sa sariling driver at pasahero, may masaktan o masawing ibang tao, halimbawa naglalakad o lulan ng ibang sasakyan, babayaran ito nang hanggang P50,000. Maganda ang pakay: Insured agad ang may-ari ng sasakyan kung maka-aksidente sa tao.

Pupusta ako, sa ilang taon na kayo nagmamaneho, at ilang sagi at gasgas na ang naranasan niyo, ni minsan ay hindi pa kayo nakasakit ng iba. Hindi pa ninyo nagamit ang CTPL niyo. Lilitaw ang tanong: saan napupunta ang mahigit P1,000 CTPL na ibinabayad natin taon-taon para sa 5.5 milyong sasakyan?

Dapat, ayon sa Insurance Law, nakatabi sa bangko ang bahagi ng P1.64 bilyon taunang CTPL, para pambayad sa bene­ficiaries. Pero batay sa records ng Land Transportation Commission (IC) at LTO, karamihan ng CTPL certificates of cover (C.O.C.) ay peke, kaya ibinubulsa lang ng fly-by-night insurer ang pondo. Suriin ang table:

	2004	2005	2006
Registered vehicles (LTO)	4,760,593	5,059,753	5,530,055
Reported COCs (IC)	1,616,689	2,265,040	2,561,806
Unreported/missing COCs	3,143,904	2,794,713	2,769,768

Anwar facing rerun of political stalking

GOTCHA By Jarius Bondoc. The Philippine Star, Friday, July 18, 2008

When I called my diplomat-friend Fernando Tuesday afternoon, my question for him was for a simple yes or no answer. So his reply came unexpected: “I’m in Kuala Lumpur right now and sitting beside Anwar Ibrahim. Good you called. Talk to him.”

Before I could say anything, the would-be prime minister of Malaysia was on the other end, asking me how the weather was in Manila. “Stormy as ever,” I said, gazing out the car window into the second day of Tropical Depression Helen. “But not as bad as it is there, from what I read,” I added upon recalling the news about Malaysian police roadblocking Parliament to prevent a rally of his supporters.

“Yes, it’s not too good here,” Anwar understated.

Malaysia is sitting on a political powder keg. Street protests are about to burst for Anwar, like in 1998. In a sour rerun of ten years ago, police are foisting on the opposition leader 20 years in jail allegedly for sodomizing an aide. Family and friends decry the charge as harassment. For it comes in the midst of Anwar’s backroom talks with past associates in the ruling Nation Front to topple the government that has ruled since the 1950s. In an election upset last March, Anwar’s People’s Alliance shook up the Front’s traditional three-fourths hold on the 222-seat Parliament, leaving it with an edge of only 30 members. His wife and daughter handily won seats in districts held by beefy Cabinet ministers, a sign of Malaysian discontent with their rulers. At least 21 ruling MPs were being rumored to defect to Anwar, and Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi was mulling abdication — and then popped up the sex charge.

“I am scheduled to go to the police at 2 p.m. tomorrow, Wednesday,” Anwar explained to me the deadline for him to answer the allegation. “But we were surprised earlier today, when they issued a warrant of arrest. I think that means, when I meet them tomorrow, they will arrest me. From there, I don’t know what will happen.”

Anwar’s voice was calm in the face of uncertainty. He had seen it all before. In 1998 he was finance and deputy prime minister slated to inherit the top post when suddenly unseated for a policy tiff with Prime Minister. Mahathir Mohamad. The aging boss perhaps thought his chosen heir could mess up his envisioned legacy, and so turned insecure and wanted him out. Anwar was accused of sodomizing a driver, booted out of Parliament, and jailed. As followers took to the streets, the government sent out riot squads. The Supreme Court eventually overturned the charge in 2004. But by then he had already overstayed six years for a less serious rap of abuse of power.

Sir, are you sure you should even go (meet the police), I pressed? “I have to” was Anwar’s quick reply, “I have to prove that I am innocent and the charge is malevolent.”

When the new sex rap was filed in June, Anwar dashed to the house of the Turkish ambassador to Kuala Lumpur for sanctuary. A discomfited government assured the diplomatic community of fair treatment to induce Anwar back out. He reemerged into the arms of adoring fans.

The government reneged. On Wednesday, an hour before Anwar was to drive to his 2 p.m. conference with prosecutors, police swooped in and brought him to jail. Nobody would explain the reason for the arrest before the deadline lapsed. Lawyer Ainiah Kamaruzaman only said the authorities could hold Anwar for a maximum 14 days before allowing bail. “That’s what they did in 1998,” she recalled, “and they tortured him on the first four days.” Another aide said the jailors had wanted Anwar to submit to a DNA test. It would have been fine with their charismatic leader, but he distrusted the police and so preferred a court order for it.

At press time yesterday, the jailors had relented and accepted bail. Resting at home, Anwar received calls from worried friends in Manila. Among them was Joseph Estrada, who as Vice President in 1992-1998 had often met deputy premier Anwar as counterpart second-in-command. They see parallels in their common experience of being deposed, jailed and eventually freed.

Anwar is also close to Lakas leaders: founder Fidel Ramos, president Joe de Venecia, and ideologist Joe Almonte. Over dinner recently at de Venecia’s house, with Ramos, Almonte, Senate President Manny Villar and congresswoman-wife Cynthia, he thanked his Filipino friends for their trust and succor. The man who might soon be Prime Minister restated his vision for closer ties between the two lands that owe nationalist beginnings to the great Jose Rizal. Anwar while in prison read Rizal’s novels and biography twice. He has so imbibed the hero’s traits, even the little-known ones, that he now also dunks his bread in his coffee.

* * *

E-mail: jariusbondoc@workmail

Kamatayan ipinaliwanag

SAPOL Ni Jarius Bondoc, Pilipino Star Ngayon, Friday, July 18, 2008

MALALIM ang tingin ng malalang pasyente sa doctor, na papa-alis na sana sa examination room. “Doc, takot akong mamatay,” aniya. “Sabihin mo sa akin, ano ba ang nasa kabilang buhay?”

Marahan tumugon ang doktor, “Hindi ko alam.”

“Hindi mo alam?” usisa ng pasyente. “Kristiyano kang tao, pero hindi mo alam kung ano ang nasa kabilang buhay?”

Nakahawak ang doktor sa door knob; akmang pipihitin na niya ito. Sa kabila ng pinto narinig niya ang kaluskos at atungal. Pagkabukas niya ng pinto, sumu­ngaw ang aso at tumingkayad sa doktor upang ipakita baga ang labis na pagkatuwa.

Bumaling ang doktor sa pasyente at nagwika: “Na­pansin mo ba ang gawi ng aso ko? Ni minsan hindi pa siya nakaka­pasok sa kuwartong ito. Hindi niya alam kung ano ang nasa kuwarto. Ang alam lang niya ay nasa loob ang amo niya. At nang bumukas ang pintuan, lumukso siya papasok nang walang takot...

“Hindi ko talaga alam kung ano ang nasa kabila ng ka­matayan. Pero ito tiyak ko: Naroon ang aking Pangi­noon, at sapat na ‘yon para sa akin.”

* * *

Nasa edad ako kung saan marami akong kaibigan at kamag-anak na nasa balag na ng kamatayan. Mas madalas na nga ako makiramay sa burol at bumisita sa nasa ospital kaysa dumalo sa inuman. Malimit, sa lamay, sapat na ang mahigpit na pagyakap sa naiwan ng yumao para ipaabot ang taos-pusong pagdadalamhati. Sa pagbisita, sapat na ang salubong ng mga mata sa may­sakit upang ipaalam ang pakikiisa sa maselang kalagayan.

Paluhang bumubulong ang mga naiwan ng yumao na “nasa langit na siya.” Nagdarasal namang taimtim ang malubhang maysakit na sa langit mapunta. Pero may agam-agam sa sasapitin, tulad ng kaba ng mga naiwan na sapitin ang dinanas ng yumao. Takot sila — ako, tayo — sa kamatayan. Kung anu-ano ang naiisip natin dito: Madilim, malungkot, mahirap. Na­kakalimutan natin na sasalubungin nga pala tayo ng Diyos.

* * *

Lumiham sa jariusbondoc@workmail.com

Plot to control power sector unraveling

GOTCHA By Jarius Bondoc, The Philippine Star, Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Sadly, the maker of home insecticides loaded in sunken m/v Princess of the Stars is keeping quiet about it. Although its tons of toxic chemicals can harm salvors and fish, the company prefers that authorities discover first before it talks. The insecticides consist of liquids in aerosol tins and plastic pails, and mosquito coils (katol) wrapped in paper and cardboard. The tins and plastic covers could be leaking deadly contents by now; too it takes only a few days for paper to disintegrate in seawater. Aerosols carry more than 50 percent LPG, which can explode if torch cutters are used to get to the cargo hold.

Del Monte has come clean about its poisonous endosulfan pesticide in steel barrels. Bayer Crop Science too admitted to loading into the passenger ship a few samples of farm insecticides. A spokeswoman said the niclosamide, methamidophos, carbefuran and propineb already could have been diluted by seawater. The Coast Guard and foreign salvors have considered the presence of the poisons in plans to either re-float or drag the ship to shore to recover trapped bodies and cargo.

The third chemical shipper thinks silence can save it from liability for its transfluthrin, tetramethrin, d-allethrin and permethrin. But irate employees might squeal — not only about the reckless cargo but also the sweatshops where these were made.

* * *

The truth is unraveling, slowly but surely. A clique in the Arroyo admin is capturing the energy sector for kickbacks.

First, there was a sudden flurry to amend the Electric Power Industry Reform Act. Rep. Mikey Arroyo, the presidential son who chairs the House committee on energy, said it was necessary to bring down consumer rates. His congressmen-brother Dato and uncle Iggy assented as committee members. It turns out, however, that the main amendment is to advance the start of open access from the time 70 percent of Napocor generators are privatized to only 50 percent. While speeding up open access is fine on paper, since it will allow big users to pick their own electric retailer earlier, it would be unfair in practice. State-owned Napocor will still control half the power plants, so there won’t be true competition. Worse, the Napocor mafia will continue to dictate, for multimillion-dollar kickbacks, imports of coal to fuel the plants, whether sold or not.

Then, Gloria Arroyo appointed amiga Zenaida Ducut as Energy Regulatory Board chief. Aside from Ducut being the town mate from whom Mikey inherited his congressional seat in 2004, they have a common friend, the oft-named jueteng lord Bong Pineda. Ducut’s posting jolted the industry because of a recent Napocor scam. The state firm last Feb. awarded to a four-month-old, undercapitalized and flighty broker a P956.4-million coal import from Indonesia. There must have been P258-million overprice, since the bid price was $109.50 per ton, although the Indonesian posted rate then was only $77 (at P40.418:$1 for three shiploads of 65,000 tons each).

Among the listed incorporators of broker Transpacific Consolidated Resources Inc. are Leslie and Ressie Ducut, but Zenaida disclaims kinship. Still, there are many inconsistencies. Napocor faxed the bid invitation two weeks prior to TCRI’s only known address then, the nearby Danarra Hotel’s business center, closed since Christmas. Now Napocor insists it awarded the deal when TCRI moved into a real office — in two short weeks. Paid-up capital was only P62,500, but Napocor says “so what?”, in disregard of the Public Bidding Act that requires congruity of capital with contract price. Ducut says the scam does not matter since, as ERC chair, she will have nothing to do with Napocor operations. But Napocor spokesman admits that the ERC, aside from the energy department and NEDA, needs to approve coal imports.

The capture of the electricity sector is complete — from the executive and legislative branches to the quasi-judicial ERC. From there the clique can move to other energy sectors — say, oil exploration — if it has not already.

* * *

Vice Gov. Rolex Suplico laments the Supreme Court’s basis for declaring as moot his petition to cancel as unconstitutional the ZTE deal. The Tribunal ruled that President Arroyo already scrapped the deal, as reported in October, so there was no need for judicial action. But Suplico says it should have sought official Malacañang verification of the cancellation, instead of just relying on Arroyo’s word. He recalled that Arroyo declared in Dec. 2002 that she would not run for President, but did just the same. So there.

* * *

E-mail: jariusbondoc@workmail.com

Dela Paz: Bantayan, pera ninyo sa SSS

SAPOL Ni Jarius Bondoc, Pilipino Star Ngayon
Tuesday, July 15, 2008

AYAW umamin si Cora dela Paz kung bakit tila paspasan siyang inalis ng Malacañang bilang presidente ng SSS. Pero tiniyak niyang may kinalaman ang pulitika. At nang mag-press con siya para batiin ang kapalit na Romy Neri, nanawagan din siya sa 27 milyong kasapi: bantayan ninyo ang halos P250 bilyong pera ninyo sa SSS.

Makahulugan ang babala ni Dela Paz. Kasing tindi ‘yon ng batikos nina Sen. Chiz Escudero, Mar Roxas, Ping Lacson at Nene Pimentel na hindi dapat ang kontrobersiyal na si Neri ang ipinalit kay Dela Paz. Lalo na’t, sa pagtatakip nito sa ZTE scam, napatunayang mas itataguyod ni Neri ang interes ng amo na si Presidente Gloria Arroyo imbis na publiko.

Napatunayan sa kasaysayan na ginagamit ng mga Presidente ang kapangyarihang magtalaga ng SSS CEO para sa sarili. Merong gumigimik na papogi at itinataas ang pensiyon miski hindi ito kayang bayaran ng SSS; merong tahasang kumi-kickback mula sa stock market transactions ng SSS, na pumapalo nang P200 milyon araw-araw. (Naaalala n’yo ang sapilitang pagpapautang ng SSS sa mga nasalanta ng bagyo, na hindi nabayaran? E ‘yung BW Resources stock market scandal nu’ng panahon ni Erap?)

Sa pagka-ganid sa kurakot ng administrasyong Arroyo, hindi nakakagulat kung pag-interesan ng mga buwitre ang private mutual provident fund na pinangangasiwaan ng gobyerno.

Tatlo ang rason kung bakit sinibak si Dela Paz, ayon sa hugung-hugong sa SSS:

• Tinutulan niya ang kagustuhan ng Arroyo economic advisers na bumili ang SSS nang marami pang Meralco shares (pambambo sa Lopezes);

• Tinanggihan niya ang pagtustos ng SSS sa universal ID system; at

• Hinarang niya ang balak ng isang stock broker na malapit sa Malacañang na maging solong trader ng P200 milyon araw-araw ng SSS.

Magbantay tayo, para hindi tayo maisahan sa termino ni Neri.

* * *

Lumiham sa jariusbondoc@workmail.com

Sobrang pabaya na sa edukasyon

SAPOL Ni Jarius Bondoc, Pilipino Star Ngayon, Tuesday, July 29, 2008

DALAWANG dekada nang lumulubog ang sistemang edukasyon. Lagpak ang mga Pilipino sa international tests sa Math at Science, at pumupurol na sa English. Naghahabol ang gobyerno sa paglimbag ng textbooks, pag-recruit at pag-train ng mga guro, at pagtayo ng classrooms.

Palpak ang lahat. Sa paggawa ng school buildings, may malalang kakulangan na: mga kubeta. Halos lahat ng 43,000 na public elementary at high schools sa kapuluan ay walang palikuran: gripo para paghugasan ng kamay at kagamitan, at inodoro. At 24,000 sa halos 80,000 na gusali sa 43,000 schools na ito ay tutumba na sa kalumaan at kapabayaan.

Anang Alliance of Concerned Teachers, meron lang isang kubeta para sa kada 51 elementary pupils, at isa kada 102 high school students sa bansa. Pinaka-malala sa Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao: 1:171 sa elementary, at 1:250 sa high school. Miski sa Metro Manila ay kapos: 1:114 sa elementary, at 1:143 sa high school.

Obvious ang masamang epekto nito. Nalalapit sa sakit ang mag-aaral, at tinuturuan sila ng maling asal sa kalinisan at kalusugan. Inaamin ni Education Sec. Jesli Lapus ang kakulangan. Pera ang suliranin. Ang budget nila ay para lang pampatayo ng classroom, hindi kasama ang kubeta. Iniaasa nila ‘yon sa local government units o sa mayayamang kumpanya at indibidwal sa purok.

Sa isang Metro Manila public school 2,031 bata ang naghahalinhinan sa kaisa-isang gumaganang inodoro. Kung lahat sila ay gagamit nang miski tig-2 minuto lang, maghihintay nang 65 oras ang huling bata sa pila para makagamit. Samantala, pinagkukumisyonan ng mga opisyales ang pork barrel na P200 milyon kada senator at P70 milyon kada congressman, at kinukulimbat ng mga taga-executive ang public contracts.

Malimit sabihin na kabataan ang pag-asa ng kinabukasan. Seryoso ba ‘yan, o sabi-sabi lang sa mga pinabayaang mag-aaral?

* * *

Lumiham sa jariusbondoc@workmail.com

CHEd nagpapabaya sa review centers

SAPOL Ni Jarius Bondoc, Pilipino Star Ngayon, Friday, July 11, 2008

NAKIPAGBULUNGAN ako sa taga-Commission on Higher Education. Inusisa ko kung ano ang naging desisyon ng en banc session kamakailan tungkol sa extension ng deadline hanggang Nobyembre 2008 ng review centers para magpa-accredit. Hiniling kasi ng 800 miyembro ng Review Centers Association of the Philippines na i-extend muli ang deadline — pangatlong beses na — para makipag-tie-up sa kolehiyo bago ma-accredit ng CHEd. Pero kinontra ito ng 30 miyembro ng Federation of Accredited Review Centers of the Philippines, na nagsabing delikado ang extension dahil mawawalan ng protek- siyon ang mga reviewers.

Ginawang obligado ang pag-tie-up ng review centers sa pinaka-malapit na accredited din na kolehiyo dahil sa dayaan sa nursing board exams nu’ng Hunyo 2006. Nakita ng CHEd noon na mabisa ang tie-up para pahu­sayin ang pagtuturo sa review centers. Nagbabala pa nga ang CHEd ilang beses na, kasabay ng pag-expire ng mga dating deadlines, na ipasasara nila ang review centers na hindi tutupad sa bagong patakaran.

Aba, nakapagtataka ang desisyon ng CHEd en banc kamakailan. Kesyo hindi raw sila kumbinsido na mainam nga ang patakarang pag-tie-up — na sila mismo ang umakda nu’ng Nobyembre 2006 at inamiyendahan nu’ng Mayo 2007. Ang pahiwatig ng desisyon ay ito: Hindi na kailangan ang tie-up sa kolehiyo.

Umaalma ang 30 kasapi ng FARCP. Bakit sila ay sumunod sa utos na nakipag-tie-up, kaya na-accredit mula pa 2007, pero ngayon ay magiging maluwag ang CHEd sa mga hindi makatupad na 800? Nasaan ang katarungan sa paghihigpit ng CHEd sa mga masunuring review centers, pero pabaya sa mga maraming suwail?

Lumalakas tuloy ang alingasaw na bumaha ng pera nu’ng Abril kaya in-extend ang deadline na Mayo 2008 hanggang Nobyembre 2008. Nagkaperahan man o hindi, biktima ng pagpapabaya ng CHEd ang libu-libong reviewers sa board exams ng nursing, midwifery, at iba pang kurso. Sinisingil sila nang P80,000 para sa review ng centers na walang batas.

Subsidize fertilizers, not cereal imports

GOTCHA By Jarius Bondoc, The Philippine Star, Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Rice prices are falling. The agriculture office’s flooding of marts with subsidized stocks has cut retail rates by P2 per kilo. And that’s significant, Sec. Arthur Yap cheers, because it’s happening during the lean months of June to September, when farmers are still into the second palay cropping of the year.

That’s good for consumers, but bad for farmers.

Most admin moves since rice prices surged in April have in fact been bad for farmers. It upped the National Food Authority buying price of palay all right, to induce private traders to try to outbid the government. But then it also raided for alleged hoarding private warehouses with big stockpiles, thus dampening private buying during the April harvest. It launched a drive for Filipinos to not waste rice on dinner tables. But it also appended a loopy tagline that farmers are having a hard time feeding the nation, clouding the fact that the more rice Filipinos eat or waste, the better for farmers. Worst, the admin imported 2.3 million tons of rice at $700-$1,300 per ton, also during the harvest. The prospect of competing with almighty government stocks further discouraged private grains buyers. Only farmers from other lands benefited from the imports.

The imported rice was what the admin used to satiate Filipinos with seven million 50-kilo sacks a month more than the usual. NFA chief Jessup Navarro boasts that by saturating 350,000 tons per month, they tripled the stocks on retail daily to 14,000 tons from the usual 3,000.

The admin has been importing at least 200,000 tons of rice since it grabbed power in 2001. It has been pointed out: there are huge kickbacks in rice imports — from the overseas rice sellers, the favored ship owners, and even the jute sack makers. Corruption is habit forming.

At least $600 million a year had been spent on rice imports in seven years. This year the bill will hit $2 billion. Imagine how far that money would have gone if poured into tools and facilities to increase rice yields. These include farm credit, irrigation, dryers, farm-to-market roads and, most important, fertilizers.

Fertilizers have proved to be the single biggest increaser of harvests. Research shows that applying four bags (two of ammonium phosphate and two of urea) per hectare results to 70-80 cavans of palay. Upping the dosage leads to higher yields: five bags (3 + 2) makes 80-90 cavans, six bags (3 + 3) makes 90-100 cavans, and the optimum seven bags (5 + 2) makes 100-120 cavans.

Mostly small farmers cultivate the 1.46 million hectares of irrigated plots and 1.36 million hectares of rain-fed lands. On their own or with local government aid, they use the minimum of four bags (2 + 2) per hectare. But that was before fertilizer prices zoomed. As oil prices spiked from $50 per barrel in 2007 to $140-plus at present, so did fertilizer production costs. So the end products, which used to sell at P700-P800 per bag, now burdens farmers with P1,800-P2,000 per bag.

Malacañang made a lot of noise recently about planning to give farmers P1,500 for fertilizers per hectare. But in the ensuing guidelines, it turned out that local governments were supposed to provide the dole. So provincial governors and town mayors howled where they’d get the money when the Palace hasn’t even remitted their rightful shares of tax collections.

And even if there was money, P1,500 is not enough, given that farmers need P7,200-P8,000 per hectare at the present market rates of fertilizers. In Silago, Southern Leyte, farmers aided by the municipio bought only 1,000 bags this cropping season, instead of the usual 5,000. The penny-pinching is going on nationwide.

Clearly, the effect of fertilizer aid would be felt in just one planting season. Conversely, a rice shortage can be expected with the present drop in fertilizer use.

But the admin is busy gloating over its pyrrhic feat of bringing down rice retail prices, which had tripled in April from P11 to P35 per kilo, by a measly P2 today. It rests its little laurels on rice imports, when the strategy should be to fertilize rice lands.

* * *

Reacting to my piece Monday on national and local officials fleecing foreign investors they have lured in, reader Michael Sola likens them thus:

“They’re no different from extortionate cops inside the airports and hijackers of tourist vans outside. Victimized foreigners are provoked to tell the world to shun the Philippines. Because of our bad name abroad, we lose investors and tourists who can otherwise boost the economy. The big officials and little cops and common criminals are to blame for our poverty.”

* * *

E-mail: jariusbondoc@workmail.com

Pinagbintangan lahat maliban ang sarili

SAPOL Ni Jarius Bondoc, Pilipino Star Ngayon,
Tuesday, July 8, 2008

KUMUKULO ang dugo ng mga sumusubaybay sa Marine Inquiry sa pagbalentong at paglubog ng M/V Princess of the Stars. Kasi naman, lahat na lang ay sinisi ng may-aring Sulpicio Lines Inc., maliban sa sarili, sa pagkamatay ng 200 pasahero at crew at pagkawala ng 600 pa. Kesyo raw tadhana ang sakuna, isang “act of God”. Kinabukasan, kesyo judgment call daw ng kapitan ng barko — na hangga ngayon ay hindi makita — ang paglayag mula Maynila patungong Cebu miski masama ang panahon. Tapos, idedemanda raw ng kompanya ang weather bureau dahil hindi umano sila inabisuhan na dadaan ang Typhoon Frank sa ruta ng barko.

Sulpicio ang may sala sa naganap. Kung tutuusin, sumunod lang ang kapitan sa mga patakaran ng kompanya — na labag sa pandaigdigang safety rules. Ikalawa, isang radyo lang ang komunikasyon ng barko sa pampang, na hindi minamanmanan 24 oras, kaya hindi narinig ng crew ang babala na papalapit ang bagyo sa ruta nila. Ikatlo, hindi balansiyado ang barko; nagkarga ng mabibigat ng cargo pero hindi pinuno ng tubig ang ballast tanks para tumatag ang lakbay; sa halip naging mabuway ito.

Sa kabila ng ganitong mga sala ng Sulpicio, mapanlinlang pa ang mga kilos. Itinago nila sa Coast Guard na may karga pala silang restricted chemicals — nakalalasong endosulfan pesticide — na bawal isakay sa pampasaherong barko. Napahamak tuloy ang buhay ng divers na nagsisikap makapagligtas ng survivors sa pinaglubugan. Buti na lang at inamin ng Del Monte sa awtoridad na may gan’ung kargamento sila. Nag-ikot din ang bise presidente ng Sulpicio para magpapirma ng quit claim sa bawat biktimang inabutan niya ng P200,000, gayong ‘yun pala ang pinaka-mababang halaga na dapat nilang ipagkaloob, batay sa batas.

Ayon sa Lloyds Maritime Industry Union report, malala ang safety record ng Sulpicio. Mula 1980 hanggang 2008, limang barko nito ang lumubog, 15 ang sumadsad sa lupa, anim ang nakipag-bundulan sa laot, apat ang nagkasunog, at tatlo ang tumirik sa laot na may pasahero at mahigit tatlong araw.

Isang salita, nais ng mga dayuhan

SAPOL Ni Jarius Bondoc, Pilipino Star Ngayon, Monday, July 7, 2008

HABANG binabagyo ni “Frank” ang Pilipinas, binagyo rin nina President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo at 73 senador, kongresista at taga-Gabinete ang America nu’ng nakaraang linggo. Sa bawat hintuan ipinagmalaki ni GMA ang 7% lundag ng ekonomiya nu’ng 2007. Sa $5,000-kada-platong kainan sa New York ibinida niya sa mga negosyanteng Amerikano ang paggawa niya ng infrastructures, at pagsa-pribado ng mga korporasyon ng estado.

Pero tila hindi kapani-paniwala. Dalawang linggo lang na nauna, kabaliktaran ang ipinakita ng mga punong kaalyado ni GMA sa Senado. Ipinaharap sa hearing ng committee on energy nu’ng Hunyo 6 ang mga pinuno ng mga negosyanteng taga-America, Canada, Europe, Japan, Korea, at Australia-New Zealand upang usisain tungkol sa liham nila kay GMA kontra sa pag-amyenda sa Electric Power Industry Reform Act. Halinhinan sila binulyawan nina Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile at Joker Arroyo, at hindi man lang sila ipinagtanggol ng nagpatawag na chairwoman Miriam Santiago (kasama bumiyahe sa America). Hindi na nakapagsalita ang mga dayuhan dahil sa pambu-bully ng mga maka-GMA. “Para niyong awa, umalis kayo sa bansa namin kung ayaw niyo makisama,” ismid ni Enrile. At dagdag pa ni Santiago: “Hindi kayo maaring sumagot. Hindi kayo ang magpapasya kung ano ang maari niyong sabihin. Ako ang magpapasya.”

Di tulad ni GMA, malalim ang pagsusuri ng mga negos­ yanteng dayuhan sa Pilipinas sa pagkamahal ng kuryente. Anila napakataas ng royalty ng gobyerno sa natural gas mula sa Palawan, na pangningas sa 55% ng power plants sa Luzon. Sa ibang bansa, ni walang royalty sa langis kapag pansariling konsumo, pero dito 40% ang cut ng gobyerno. Kung alisin ito, maibababa nang hanggang 20% ang presyo ng kuryente.

Dagdag pa ng mga dayuhan, dapat isa-pribado na ang Napocor power plants, sang-ayon sa EPIRA. Sa gay’on, masi­simulan na rin ang pagpili ng malalaking pabrika, instalasyon at ospital ng pinaka-murang supplier ng kur­yente. Ang solusyon ay nasa pagpapatupad ng batas, hindi sa pag-amyenda. Nais ng dayuhan na tumupad sa usapan ang gobyerno.

Wooing investors for more bilking?

GOTCHA By Jarius Bondoc, The Philippine Star. Monday, July 7, 2008

As Typhoon Frank last month battered the Philippines, President Gloria Arroyo took America by storm. To impress, at least $1.5 million was spent on her official train of 73 cabineteers and legislators, and the same amount on personal coterie of 20 maids and bodyguards. At every stop she boasted that the RP economy is soaring, as shown by the 7-percent growth last year. During a $5,000-a-plate dinner in New York she wooed investors with an upbeat presentation on privatization and infrastructure binge.

It all sounded empty to her countrymen, though. More so since, only two weeks before, her top allies in the Senate were singing a different tune. Summoned to the June 6 hearing of the Senate energy committee, the heads of the Joint Foreign Chambers of Commerce were rebuked. Chairwoman Miriam Santiago made sure the investors from the US, Canada, Europe, Japan, Korea, and Australia-New Zealand felt unwelcome. Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile had demanded that they explain why they wrote the President instead of them about their objections to his amendments to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act. When the French spokesman tried to speak, he cut him off repeatedly. “Get out of this country if you can’t live with us,” Enrile snarled. To which Santiago (who later joined the Arroyo entourage) added: “You (foreigners) may not continue. You do not determine what you can say or not say. I determine.” Joker Arroyo punctuated the incident with, “they deserved it.”

The Foreign Chambers’ point would have been easy to grasp, had the senators cared to listen. There was no need to amend the EPIRA in order to bring down electricity costs. All government had to do was implement the law, particularly the provision on open access. That would let big users to buy power from the cheapest retailer of their choice. For that to happen, the state-owned Napocor power producer needs to privatize at least 70 percent of its generators. In fact, it already has sold 48 percent — with “tremendous success and still gaining momentum,” according to multinationals in the Foreign Chambers.

Yet, one of the proposed amendments is to start open access even with only 50-percent privatization. That would leave most of the coal plants, which crank up 32 percent of Luzon’s electricity, still in Napocor hands. Meaning, the Napocor Mafia, coddled by Malacañang and certain congressmen, would continue to take kickbacks from overpriced coal purchases. That certainly is no way to entice foreigners.

The Foreign Chambers, which includes overseas power contractors, would have pointed out another incongruity in the energy sector. The government takes an excessive 40-percent royalty from natural gas and geothermal steam, which fuel 47 percent of electricity needs. Other countries do not tax indigenous fuels used for domestic consumption, but only when exported. If the Philippines follows suit and scraps the royalty, electricity rates could go down by 25 percent.

Supposedly the Foreign Chambers wrote Arroyo and not the Senate because she has been lending them an ear. Maybe so, at least for show. “We don’t sell hype, no quick bucks, no false gains.Just strong fundamentals, good economic stewardship and excellent returns on your investment,” she pitched before the US-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Business Council in Washington. “We are the smart, prudent place to place your money.”

That too rang hollow for Manila observers. Only four weeks before, Korea’s largest ship maker Hanjin Corp. pulled out from what should have been a $2-billion shipyard in Mindanao. The mayors of the two towns on which the 441-hectare facility would be built, Arroyo allies both, reportedly had been extorting money. Scolded by Arroyo, the two claimed it was the firm’s fault, for attempting to bribe them P400 million in construction subcontracts in exchange for environmental clearances. Malacañang had a police general investigate, that is, whitewash, with a report of no evidence of either extortion or bribery. Hanjin pulled out just the same, and Filipinos lost 40,000 new jobs. Unexplained to this day, though, is why the Koreans and the mayors were bickering over environment permits, when such papers were not yet needed since the area was still being cleared and no structure was rising. Filipinos will never know the whole truth because Malacañang is hiding the news. But they know it’s one of those frequent incidents of foreign investors disillusioned at not getting the fair treatment promised them.

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For the record. In the period 1980-2008, five Sulpicio Lines ships sank, six collided with other vessels, four caught fire, 15 ran aground, and three stalled at sea with passengers for more than three days.

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E-mail: jariusbondoc@workmail.com

Tito Guingona’s fight for Filipinos

GOTCHA By Jarius Bondoc, The Philippine Star, Friday, July 4, 2008

Everyone cherishes stories from their grandfathers. That’s why they’ll relish a story of the Philippines of the past eight decades as told by grand old statesman Tito Guingona. And he narrates the way grandpas do: in colorful detail all the hilarity and drama and blood and gore, but careful language of the venerable.

Fight for the Filipino is actually an autobiography. Guingona recounts his formative years; stints in the Constitutional Convention, political prison and government; and present role as national critic. But at each stage in life he situates himself with the country’s times. Birth on the 4th of July 1928 for early taste of American rule, on the run as a teenager in Mindanao jungles during the War, Ateneo studies during Liberation, social reformism as a young lawyer, struggle against martial law and for democratic restoration, and serving in the Cabinet, Senate and Vice Presidency. The ebbs and tides of the nation shaped him, as he endeavored to influence its destiny. Guingona writes of giving back to the Filipino what the country bestowed him.

The famous and notorious marked Guingona’s story and RP history. He played in grade school in San Juan with future political pals and foes, like fellow-senator Bobby Tañada and Joseph Estrada, whom he would help depose as President. High school initiated him to social issues with chums Terry Barcelon who became a Jesuit civic worker, Totoy Dans the transport minister, and Ting Roxas the banker-economist. Campus-theater took up much of college life, with Ateneo thespians Vic Silayan, Totoy Avellana and Vic Diaz, under the direction of dramatist Fr. James Reuter and classicist Fr. Henry Irwin. Law school professor Raul Manglapus pulled him into politics as campaigner for Ramon Magsaysay. From there he observed and met more movers and shakers: Jose P. Laurel, Carlos P. Garcia, Claro M. Recto, Lorenzo Tañada, Jose W. Diokno, Joker Arroyo, Emmanuel Pelaez, Fernando Lopez, Gerardo Roxas. He learnt of high crime by Harry Stonehill, prosecuted drug lord Alfredo Tiongco and child rapist Romeo Jalosjos, and tussled with police-military generals, some still in the service today. He joined the campaign of and served under Diosdado Macapagal, fought Ferdinand Marcos who then imprisoned him, marched for freedom with and later joined the Cabinet of Cory Aquino, left the Senate to become Fidel Ramos’s executive secretary, bared Estrada’s jueteng connection, and teamed up with but later broke from Gloria Arroyo.

Sharp at 80 — the book launches today, his birthday — Guingona remembers intriguing and instructive twists of his and RP’s advance. At one point, show biz pals nearly convinced him to join the movies; he muses if it would have aided him later in politics as celebrity does now for many. President Manuel Quezon, fleeing from Bataan to Australia, had dropped by Lanao to give Guingona’s father, then-Mindanao Commissioner, final instructions and entrust two chests, one full of playing cards, the other with four million pesos. As Chamber of Commerce head in the ’60s, Guingona defied the Cold War and led a trade delegation to Moscow, where he encountered tall, handsome Russian Colonel Lansang, son of Huk leader Teodosio Lansang whom the American Liberation forces had hounded to exile. When President Arroyo unceremoniously sacked Vice President Guingona as foreign secretary, a man broached to him a plan to assassinate her, but was dismissed as vile. Guingona in the ’50s was a friend and fan of Fernando Poe Sr., whose son FPJ tapped him as presidential campaign strategist in 2004.

A third of the book dwells on 2001 to present — the Arroyo regime. He saw in it at first a chance to cure the dysfunctions of Philippine society, but later realized it was a worsening of traditional politics. Devotion to national interest and readiness to serve fellowmen characterized the pre-War years. Survival to the point of collaboration with Japanese invaders made Filipinos wary even of their neighbors. Post-War politics divided instead of healed and rebuilt the land. Greed began to taint the highest levels of power. The government that succeeded the one Guingona helped oust for corruption turned out to be blacker. He recounts Arroyo’s spineless foreign policy, bribery in the Impsa and ZTE deals, sellouts of Sabah and Spratlys, and killings of dissenters. He also shares behind-the-scenes vignettes of anti-graft and anti-abuse fights he led, like the Commission for Truth and his role in the “Pen Siege”. Chief Justice Reynato Puno opens the book with a foreword that Guingona uses titles — Sen., Sec., Amb., E.S., V.P. — not as ends but as means to win his life’s battle. Guingona closes it with a rededication to fight for his oppressed countrymen.

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E-mail: jariusbondoc@workmail.com

Nag-e-expire ba talaga ang gamot?

SAPOL Ni Jarius Bondoc, Pilipino Star Ngayon, Friday, July 4, 2008

TOTOO ba ang expiration date sa bote ng gamot? Kapag, sabi sa bote na expired na nu’ng July 2006, at July 2008, iinumin mo pa ba? Wala na ba talagang bisa ‘yon? O gimik lang ‘yon ng mga pabrika ng gamot para bili tayo nang bili? Sinaliksik ni Richard Altschuler ang isyu nu’ng Sept. 2002. Kinumpirma ni columnist Dr. Thomas M. Kramer na totoo ang isinulat.

Nakita ni Altschuler ang biyenan na umiinom ng lumang Tylenol, at di siya pinakinggan nito nang sitahin niya. Uminom pa rin ng dalawang tableta miski walong buwan nang expired. Nang mawala ang sakit ng ulo, akala pa nga ni Altschuler ay placebo effect (guniguni) lang.

Pero tama ang biyenan. Sa batas pala sa paglagay ng expi-ration date, hinahayaan ng gobyerno ang gumawa kung hang­gang kailan sa palagay nito ang buong bisa o safety ng gamot — nang walang opisyal na testing. Karamihan nga ng doktor ay naniniwalang may bisa at safe pa ang mga gamot miski ayon sa bote ay expired na — maliban sa bihirang ehemplo.

Sa unofficial lab tests, nakita na maaring humina nang 5% hanggang 50% ang bisa pag luma na, pero marami ring sapat pa ang bisa miski 10 taon na. Kaya sentido-komon na lang na kung nakasalalay ang buhay mo sa 100% bisa ng gamot, mabuti pang sunurin mo ang expiration date. Pero kung hindi naman gan’un kalala ang sitwasyon — halimbawa sakit ng ngipin o menstrual cramps — puwede nang magsapalaran.

Isa sa pinaka-malaking pruweba ni Altschuler ang nang­yari sa U.S. military nu’ng 1987 (ayon sa Wall Street Journal, Mar. 29, 2000). Nakaligtaan ang halos $1 bilyong bodega ng gamot at nagkuli ang pamunuan kung sisirain na lang ito, tapos magpapalit muli tuwing dalawa o tatlong taon. Kaya pina-testing sa U.S. Food and Drugs Administration ang mahigit 100 uri ng gamot, pawang prescription at over-the-counter. At nakitang 90% ay mabisa at safe pa miski 15 taon na. Kadalasan, naninigurado lang pala ang manufacturer sa pag-isip ng expiration date.

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Lumiham sa jariusbondoc@workmail.com

Hanjin has quit Misamis for good

GOTCHA By Jarius Bondoc, The Philippine Star, Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Two locally made electric jeepneys staged inaugural runs yesterday in Makati City as public utility vehicles. Ridden by Mayor Jejomar Binay and Land Transport Office chief Alberto Suansing, the e-jeepneys scooted around the financial district with no nauseous smoke and no imported gas. Top speed: a safe 50 kph, just right for congested cities.

Using batteries charged the night before at only P150 each, the new units joined two Chinese makes that test-ran last year. Local assembler was the Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturers Association of the Philippines. Each battery charging will last the vehicle 100 to 120 km, or two to three days, according to e-jeepney innovator Green Renewable Independent Power Producer. This means huge savings in an era of $143-per-barrel crude and P53-per-liter noxious diesel.

Councilor Edwin Binay said city hall is contemplating buying some units to serve as barangay official vehicles. He also praised GRIPP’s plan to sell directly to jeepney drivers at soft financing terms, to encourage a shift to clean and cheap public transport.

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If, on a trip in your car, you come upon a road sign to “Proceed with Caution,” but tell your driver to speed on and, during the bumpy ride, your passengers get hurt and your vehicle conks out, whom will you blame? The driver? Fate? Whoever planted the sign? Everyone else but yourself?

That’s what Sulpicio Lines is doing in the wake of the capsizing of its ship Princess of the Stars at the height of last weekend’s typhoon, in which 700-plus passengers and crewmen were lost at sea. It first blamed its missing shipmaster for following spotty safety procedures and sailing off into bad weather. Then it said the tragedy was “an act of God.” After that, it sued the weatherman for damages in failing to forecast the crossing of the typhoon’s erratic path with the ship’s route.

No apology was heard from Sulpicio for its crew’s lack of disaster preparedness. Or for inadequate provisions in lifeboats. Or for loading proscribed chemicals in a passenger vessel.

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Malacañang is trying to black out the news. But Korea’s Hanjin Corp. has pulled out for good from its planned shipyard in Misamis Oriental. The last word from the Palace — obfuscation as usual — was that the wrangling between the company and two town mayors had been settled. In truth, Hanjin in late May hauled off all its equipment and personnel from what should have been a 441-hectare $2-billion (P90-billion) facility.

Not a single nail or brick was left behind at the bulldozed phases and workers’ barracks — to show Hanjin’s disgust. The hauling crane and crew made sure of it. For the issues were never resolved. The giant ship maker-repairer’s biggest investment outside Korea would have employed 40,000 locals. But the mayors of Tagoloan and Villanueva reportedly made it feel unwelcome.

Whichever side one takes, it’s all messy. The first hint of trouble came via a newsbreak in early May: policemen allegedly were harassing Hanjin engineers on orders of the mayors. When Gloria Arroyo happened to visit the locale, the company also cried extortion in its application for environment clearances from her political allies, the mayors. It was no way to treat a top investor that earlier had plunked $1 billion into Subic — and wangled a permit to build two high-rise condos questionably at the edge of a forest. Confronted by a fuming President, the mayors claimed that their cops stopped the bulldozing precisely because Hanjin still had no environment permit. Too, that they, as party mates against corruption, were incensed by Hanjin’s bribe offer of P400 million in personal contracts for earthmoving.

Malacañang directed a police general no less to investigate. At the same time, it announced it would patch up the quarrel of its friends. The toady general naturally took that to mean he should whitewash, which he did. In an instant report, he said there was no proof of either extortion or bribery. He also recommended relief of the harassing policemen, but with no charges either. Nothing was mentioned of the fact that an environment clearance was not yet needed for ground clearing but only when erection of an edifice started. Nothing too was said of the mayors alleging bribery to newsmen but later clamming up.

This is apparently another episode of immoderate greed. One side wanted more than the law would allow; the other haggled for too high a price to grant it. Both thought they could get away with it since they were only following the sleazy example at the top.

In the ensuing confrontation, one side had to give. Then, the other side’s chances to make a quick buck faded. The big loser is the Filipino people, from 40,000 jobs and support businesses.

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E-mail: jariusbondoc@workmail.com