"The rackets at the national penitentiary attest to the Filipino’s ingenuity in making money."
"The rackets at the national penitentiary attest to the Filipino’s ingenuity in making money."
The controversy over the Good Conduct Time Allowance racket at the Bureau of Corrections has refused to die down even after the firing of Director Nicanor Faeldon. Aside from this scheme, hospital passes good for one week are also for sale, as was revealed in a Senate inquiry. This attests to Filipino’s ingenuity in making money.
One building, according to a prisons official was converted into a virtual casino with women hired for P30,000 to “perform.” Don’t ask me what kind of performance they do, just use your imagination.
In a new development, the Office of the Ombudsman also wants to find out the role of former BuCor director, former Philippine National Police chief, and now Senator Ronald dela Rosa.
In a TV interview, an incensed Dela Rosa denied any insinuation that he had been involved in the GCTA racket, claiming he was only at the helm of BuCor for a short time before he ran for the Senate.
Adding fuel to the fire, another administration senator, Christopher “Bong” Go, suggested that a killer must be appointed as BuCor director. Isn’t it enough that human rights groups are alleging extra-judicial killings in police operations against illegal drug traffickers?
If Bong Go means the BuCor chief must be a killer in that he will be the one to pull the electric chair switch or release the poison pellets for lethal injection of death convicts, then I’m all for it as an advocate of the death penalty’s return.
I’m a firm believer that the death penalty would put the fear of God among those who commit heinous crimes such as rape with murder and kidnapping with murder, never mind what the do-gooders and human rights advocates say. Any suspect in such dastardly crimes after all is given a fair trial to prove his innocence. There is also the right to an appeal.
I suggest that our legislators rethink this archaic ban on capital punishment. The United States with its civil libertarians would probably criticize the Philippines if it restores the death penalty. But many states in America like Utah have the death penalty like musketry or death by firing squad. In some cases, there is the electric chair and lethal injection.
Game changer
On a less grave topic, we welcome the resignation of Gilas and national basketball team head coach Yeng Guiao. It is the only honorable thing to do when your team did not win even a single game in the recent FIBA championships.
Perhaps it’s time to name someone like Tim Cone or Norman Black as national team coach. Other countries have foreigners as experienced team coach and they are doing better than the Philippines. African and Middle Eastern teams with foreign coaches are doing better now than this basketball-crazy nation. We can probably do better in such other sports like tennis, swimming and soccer where height is not a decisive factor.
Honasan as DICT chief
Former Senator Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan has been confirmed by the Commission on Appointments as the new secretary of the Deparment of Information and Communications Technology.
The bicameral CA confirmed Honasan the DICT Cabinet portfolio as elementary courtesy to a former colleague. Honasan should be able to do a good job in a field that is presently undergoing challenges. A third telecommunications carrier seeks to break the duopoly of Smart and Globe with their inefficient and costly service.