DT_20190709

A4 COMMENTARY
Tuesday, 9 July 2019
Daily Tribune
Tribune
WITHOUT FEAR • WITHOUT FAVOR
“ Rody
had made
it clear that
the war on
drugs in his
final three
years
in office
will remain
relentless
despite the
calls for
international
intervention.
Daily
WITHOUT FEAR • WITHOUT FAVOR
Chito Lozada
Aldrin Cardona
Dinah Ventura
John Henry Dodson
Roy Pelovello
Larry Payawal
Komfie Manalo
Geraldine Datoy
Patricia Ramos
Board Chair
Willie Fernandez
Publisher and President
Executive Editor
Managing Editor
Associate Editor
Digital Editor
Central Desk Editor
Central Desk
Advertising
and Marketing
Serves
them right
The Philippine delegation to the 41st session of the United
Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, Switzerland
delivered the most effective message yet to the critics of the
war on drugs of President Rody Duterte when they walked out
in protest of the Iceland resolution.
Yellow liberal European leaders have banded behind the
call of Iceland for a probe of the war on drugs and what they
alleged as extrajudicial killings (EJK) resulting from the antinarcotics
campaign.
The numbers being cited in the UN meeting varied and go as
high as the 27,000 EJK deaths manufactured by chief Duterte
critic Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV.
The Iceland-led bloc sought a UN investigation into the EJK
allegations and demanded that the UN require the Philippines
to submit to the visit of Special Rapporteurs who all harbor a
grudge against Rody.
The New York-based Human Rights Watch which has strong
ties with the yellow mob and had long been instigating UNHRC
to meddle into the domestic affairs of the country is now
protesting against the actions taken by the Philippine delegates.
The show of protest was led by Undersecretary Severo Catura
who delivered a long, blistering attack against the resolution, in
which he accused Iceland and others of bullying the Philippines.
Catura in an interview with the Daily Tribune said the
Iceland resolution goes to a vote around 11 or 12 July.
Catura questioned the draft resolution’s intention, which he
said Iceland claims to be a progression from the joint statements
issued in previous HRC sessions.
“We heeded the concerns raised in the resolution by
informing the delegations on accountability mechanisms
in the Philippines. However, Iceland insists that it wants to
know the truth, but we do not know by which qualification,
given that efforts are made by the government to cross-verify
data and establish facts in its presentations. Iceland seems
to have its own version of ‘truth,’” Catura said.
In last year’s UNHRC assembly,
“The numbers
being cited
in the UN
meeting
varied and
go as high
as the 27,000
EJK deaths
manufactured
by chief
Duterte critic
Sen. Antonio
Trillanes IV.
the Philippines already protested the
“confrontational attitude” of the same
group.
The government panel offered to engage
with the countries “in a positive manner,
whether bilaterally or multilaterally in stark
contrast with the needlessly confrontational
attitude they have taken in (the Human
Rights) Council.”
The irony is that despite the incessant
attack on the Philippines and other
developing countries using the weaponized
human rights issues, it is in developing
countries where 80 percent of the world’s
refugees are hosted while developed
countries try to keep their eyes shut.
The point is that the problems being raised involving
rights which have been used since the start of the Duterte
administration appear always politically loaded.
With a working judiciary system, despite being imperfect to
a certain degree, respect for international rights obligations
is maintained.
Thus, the question that should be asked is, why the need
for concern over rights which are already fully protected in
the country?
The local delegation had complained against bullying from
the anti-Duterte group led by Iceland and the weaponization of
the EJK allegations to demonize the President and the country.
Among the allegations thrown in a cavalier fashion against
Rody is that he instigated the police killings, incited the
public’s response in urging the drug war killings and assured
law enforcement officers that those implicated in abuses will
have his protection.
Also cited was his promise to pardon police officers who
are convicted in the exercise of their duty in the anti-narcotics
campaign.
Rody had made it clear that the war on drugs in his final
three years in office will remain relentless despite the calls for
international intervention.
“Do not destroy my country for the three years that I am still
here,” Duterte said. “Do not produce drugs for our children to
eat and go crazy. I will really kill you,” he added.
The President’s spokesman Salvador Panelo called the UN
resolution an interference, saying other nations may have been
misled by “false news” on the drug war because the supposed
EJK were deaths caused by suspects resisting arrest.
The walkout of the Philippine delegation from such biased
UN meeting which caters to the yellow opponents of Rody
should have been done a lot sooner.
“That should
not be the
penalty.
They should
be charged
and detained,
just as
Morales and
her deputies
and
investigators
should be
charged and
convicted
for their
dereliction of
duty, while
convicting
the innocent
political foes
and freeing
the guilty
yellows.
“Corrupt
policemen
operating
in Pasig
City have
been
reported
to extort
money from
motorists
caught
unwittingly
violating
the “oddeven”
restriction.
Back to College of Law, yellows
Even if one — or
any yellow — tries to
portray Ombudsman
Samuel Martires’
withdrawal of
the earlier case
filed before the
Sandiganbayan
against former
President Benigno
“Noynoy” on claims of
his holding a grudge
against him, the fact
is that the weak
charges of usurpation filed earlier
by his yellow protector, former
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-
Morales, were intended for her
yellow political patron to walk free
immediately with the court quickly
dismissing the charges.
On the grudge Martires
reportedly holds against Aquino,
it was mainly on the decision
of the Second Division, where
Martires served, to uphold the
plea bargain deal sought by former
army comptroller Carlos Garcia,
which caused the downgrading of
the criminal charges against the
accused from P300-million plunder
and money laundering, to indirect
bribery and facilitating money
laundering.
So what is wrong with approving
a plea bargain, as this is part of the
justice system to shorten the time
in deciding court cases?
But with the vindictive Aquino,
anyone who goes against him is a
foe — judicial or political.
What is more probable is that
it is Aquino who continues to
FRONTLINE
Ninez Cacho-Olivares
The new mayors of
Pasig City, Manila and
Quezon City, are in the
news.
Vico Sotto, the young
and charismatic new
Pasig City Mayor has
lived up to his campaign
promise to do away with
the unfair, arbitrary
“odd-even” vehicle
use restriction policy
dictated on the people of
Pasig by his predecessor,
Mayor Robert Eusebio. Last 1 July, Sotto
suspended the unpopular “odd-even”
scheme in his first executive order as
the new city mayor.
Approved by the Pasig City
Council in 2016, the “odd-even” rule,
euphemistically called by Eusebio’s
stooges in the city council as the
“modified vehicular volume reduction
scheme,” prohibits four-wheeled motor
vehicles from using certain streets of
the city on Mondays, Wednesdays and
Fridays, or on Tuesdays, Thursdays
and Saturdays, depending on the last
digit of a vehicle’s license plates.
Sotto was the solitary city councilor
who voted against the “odd-even”
restriction. One of his campaign
pledges in the last election is the
abolition of the restriction.
Motorists traversing the Pasig City
roads complained that the “odd-even”
scheme conflicted with the number
coding restriction currently being
enforced by the Metropolitan Manila
Development Authority. It created an
undue restriction on motorists who
needed to use the city’s roads to get
to destinations other than Pasig City.
Corrupt policemen operating in
Pasig City have been reported to
extort money from motorists caught
unwittingly violating the “odd-even”
restriction. Motorists also lament that
hold a grudge against
Martires, not the other
way around.
Besides, yellow
or not, it can hardly
be denied that the
charges the yellow
Ombudsman filed
against her political
patron were definitely
deliberately patterned
for the court’s
dismissal.
Even non-lawyers
could see that the charges filed by
Caprio-Morales were made for this.
But it’s a different Ombudsman
today and he is moreover not
beholden to the former president.
Besides, he does know his law.
Martires has, however, opened
the door for the filing of criminal
charges against the former
president.
It is clear that Martires is open
to his pursuing homicide charges
against the former president, even
when Morales junked the homicide
complaints filed earlier by private
citizens. Instead, she came up with
charges against her yellow patron
which ensured their dismissal
by the court, as those charges of
usurpation and graft raps were
without merit.
And to think that Carpio-Morales
is a former senior associate justice
of the Supreme Court! One would
have expected her to know that
the charges she filed were much
too weak and clearly intended to
be easily dismissed by the courts,
which would mean the yellow
president’s
instant
acquittal.
Usurpation
and graft criminal
charges were filed
against former President
Aquino over the deaths of
the 44 Special Action Force
(SAF) police commandos in
2015 during an anti-terrorism
operation against a wanted
international terrorist
Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan, in
Mamasapano.
Armed Muslim rebels, especially
the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
secessionists and the Bangsamoro
Islamic Freedom Fighters came to
the fore and started to massacre
the SAF commandos, all 44 of
them who pleaded for help with air
power from Aquino, who however
did nothing to save his brave SAF
men whom he knew, in real time,
were being massacred by the very
Muslims who were in peace talks
with the yellow president.
He did
nothing
because he
believed he would
city officials and
favored employees
are exempted from
the “odd-even”
restriction.
The Eusebio
political dynasty,
which controlled the
city for 27 years, lost
its 27-year control of
the city upon being
defeated in the May
2019 election.
After suspending
the “odd-even” scheme, Sotto happily
announced that “Everyone is now
welcome in Pasig.”
Over in the City of Manila, Francisco
“Isko Moreno” Domagoso announced
that the 2.1-hectare Arroceros Forest
Park along the south bank of the
Pasig River, a stone’s throw away
from city hall, will be preserved for
public enjoyment. Environmentalists
call the forest park “as the last lung
of the city.”
Past city mayors wanted to demolish
the forest park and replace it with a
city building. Analysts say that corrupt
politicians often resort to construction
projects to profit from them.
During his time, Mayor Joselito
Atienza tore down 200 trees,
or approximately one-third of the
population of trees in the forest park, to
make way for a building. The park’s thick
canopy of shade trees was obliterated
almost overnight.
Mayor Atienza also ordered the
demolition of the iconic and historic
Jai-Alai Building along Taft Avenue near
Rizal Park. The building was a showcase
of art-deco architecture pre-war Manila
was known for. A high-rise building now
stands on the site.
Domagoso’s decision to preserve
the Arroceros Forest Park distinguishes
himself from his predecessors.
win the Nobel Peace Prize for his
pact with these murderous Muslims.
The selective and partisan
Ombudsman Carpio-Morales knew
just what went on, as the media
faithfully reported on these and there
was also a Senate hearing, where, if
one harks back to the time of the
probe on the Mamasapano massacre
of the 44 SAF and where the yellows
and their allies, especially the chair
of the investigating panel, cleared
their yellow idol Aquino of charges.
One remembers that then
Justice chief now detained
senator, Leila de Lima, defended
her yellow president, even saying
that Aquino is blameless since he is
not the commander in chief of the
Philippine National Police (PNP).
Going by the present
Ombudsman’s statements, any
justice would be stupid to convict
Aquino on usurpation, or for that
matter, which justice chief would
indict Aquino on such charges, or
even buy the brainless defense of
De Lima that her yellow patron
was not the commander in chief
of the PNP when the Constitution
states this clearly and therefore he
is innocent.
As Martires
put it before the
court where he
once served as
Sandiganbayan
justice: “This
court knows my
grudge against
the former
President, but I
have to set aside
my personal
differences
with respect to my job. No President
of Republic of the Philippines will
ever be liable for usurpation.
Anyone who would think otherwise
should go back to the College of
Law.”
Defending his stand, Martires
stressed that there is no president
that can usurp any official order
and that the 3019 provision on
persuasion, won’t fly either since
the president can call any civilian
to assist and help him.
But there is a case of
disagreement I have with
Ombudsman Martires. Morales
and others like her who bowed in
obeisance to the yellow president
and dumping the law should
not get off by going back to the
college of Law.
That should not be the penalty.
They should be charged and
detained, just as Morales and
her deputies and investigators
should be charged and convicted
for their dereliction of duty,
while convicting the innocent
political foes and freeing the
guilty yellows.
More: For perjury and passing
off fake bank documents as real.
The new Pasig, Manila and QC mayors
THE SCRUTINIZER
Victor Avecilla
“With the
vindictive
Aquino,
anyone who
goes against
him is a
foe — judicial
or political.
Over in Quezon City, the new
mayor, Joy Belmonte, looks forward
to a wonderful time at city hall. She
is a member of the Belmonte political
dynasty which held power in the city
since 2001.
Last week, the news media reported
that Belmonte will have at her
disposal P26.27-billion in the city’s
treasury. That’s a lot of money. In fact,
it’s the biggest treasury fund among the
cities of Metropolitan Manila.
Despite all that money in the treasury,
Quezon City residents are asking why the
Quezon City government still increased
real estate taxes by a whopping 5 times
more than the current rate. The city
intends to collect the higher real estate
taxes before year’s end.
Actually,
the higher real
“Domagoso’s
decision to
preserve the
Arroceros
Forest Park
distinguishes
himself from his
predecessors.
estate taxes
were supposed
to be collected
earlier this
year but Mayor
Herbert Bautista
suspended the
collection in
the meantime.
Collecting the
higher real
estate taxes in the months prior to the
May 2019 election would have created
bad political publicity for Belmonte, who
was the Bautista’s anointed successor.
Belmonte cannot deny her role in the
increase in real estate taxes. As the vice
mayor, she was the presiding officer of
the Quezon City Council which ordained
the higher real estate taxes.
Despite the city government’s
overflowing treasury chest, will
Belmonte do a Bautista by selling
more of the city’s valuable real estate
to private real estate developers? This
column will be monitoring developments
at city hall.
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