I have expressed my support for President Duterte on many issues. Examples are his war on illegal drugs, criminality and corruption and his declaration of martial law. I believe this is necessary to prevent the terrorist threat from spreading to the rest of Mindanao and the rest of the country.
I have also said that he was a strong and committed leader. Rightly or wrongly, this President wants to make our country a safe place to live in.
In the process, however, he creates unintended problems like violation of human rights and extra-judicial killings. He has gotten flak for this, both domestically and internationally.
As President, Mr. Duterte must realize that you can’t have it all. There are always constraints.
Let us take the case of his threat to abolish the Commission on Human Rights. The Constitution mandates the CHR to investigate on its own or on the complaint by any party, all forms of human rights violations involving civil and political rights.
President Duterte wants the abolition of the CHR because, according to him, it only investigates military and police who discharge his orders but ignores the abuses committed by criminals.
President Duterte also warned the CHR that as commander in chief of the Armed Forces and top cop of the Philippine National Police, he will not allow his men to be investigated.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and Police Chief Ronald dela Rosa echoed the President’s threat to the CHR. They know their vows, they say.
The CHR was created more as a protection against state abuses than anything else. Criminals can easily be brought to justice through courts of law.
In other words, the President cannot abolish the CHR without amending the 1987 Constitution.
Mr. Duterte must be more circumspect in uttering his thoughts.
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Despite all the chest-thumping of Representatives Pantaleon Alvarez, Rodolfo Fariñas and Johnny Pimentel, the Ilocos Six were eventually released. We should remember this is about Fariñas’ quest for the governorship of Ilocos Norte. This, however, became a national and constitutional issue.
Clearly, incumbent Gov. Imee Marcos won after the provincial capitol employees were released. The controversy simply showed what kind of legislators people elect into office. They are petty tyrants!
The question now is whether or not Fariñas would stop persecuting Imee. Your guess is as good as mine.
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Another petty politician using his office to further his interest is Speaker Alvarez. His pet bill will allow the dissolution of marriage if both husband and wife agree to do so.
This is a veiled divorce bill. He claims this is constitutional because the charter protects the sanctity of marriage. More and more, Alvarez is sinking into a hole of his own making.
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Did we read it right that the Communist Party of the Philippines’ founder, Jose Ma. Sison, defended the New People’s Army’s attack on President Duterte’s convoy? There was no ceasefire, he said, no permission for the other side to be on the spot, and no clearance.
My gulay, where did Sison get the idea that the President must have a clearance from the NPA to be at a certain place? Do the insurgents now have their own territory?
Sison’s remarks betray the mentality of the people the government is dealing with. As I have said so many times before, it all boils down to sincerity and trust. President Duterte must now realize the communists cannot be trusted.
It is also clear that while Sison claims he no longer has control over what the NPAs on the ground are doing, he still defends their deeds.
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The government should look into the fact that there is a cockpit arena in every town or city in the country.
The masses look at this as some kind of entertainment. A bet of just a few pesos can bring you a few hundreds in return.
Some aficionados, however, raise the stakes and expect a payout in millions.
Cockpits are ordinarily licensed by local government units. With the advent of the Internet, betting for cockfighting has also gone online. This is why I believe that some national agency, like the Games and Amusements Board, must regulate cockfighting—and bring in some government revenue besides.
Legend tells us that cockfighting started in the Philippines and was soon brought to Mexico and Spain through the galleon trade. I think it’s a cultural sport. Cockfighting is legendary and Filipinos are often seen holding a rooster while smoking a cigar.
As such, the government can step in and regulate it.