"I did not ever imagine we would come to this."
"I did not ever imagine we would come to this."
President Duterte’s appointment of Associate Justice Lucas Bersamin as the new chief justice is a testament that he cannot tolerate criticism or dissent, never mind if it is valid.
This is not to say Bersamin is not qualified. Like Justice Antonio Carpio, he has probity, integrity and independence.
Bersamin is from Abra. He was a cousin of my later brother in law, lawyer Alfredo Bersamin Feraren.
Truth to tell, Carpio already was prepared for the inevitable. He said he was ready to not be appointed by the President.
What is sad is that Carpio’s criticism of the administration’s handling of the South Chine Sea dispute is valid.
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Doesn’t President Duterte realize the implications of what he calls the Duterte Death Squads? These are civilians roaming around the country in search of Red Sparrows. We will have killing fields here in our midst!
It’s bad enough that the war on illegal drugs has resulted in so many deaths already, most of them from the poor. This has created a climate of impunity. Are killings the new normal, my gulay?
The President has said civilian death squads would be sent to transport terminals, restaurants, malls and other places to kill suspected rebels and even loiterers and junkies. Must they all now be terminated with extreme prejudice?
I am all for the continued war against the New People’s Army. I am also for the termination of peace talks between the government and the Reds. Jose Ma. Sison and Luis Jalandoni no longer have control over the members of the NPA. They are just enjoying the perks of their self-exile.
But civilian death squads are another thing. This just means that the President no longer has confidence in our security forces—the military and the police—in fighting the enemies of the state.
In effect, President will create undisciplined and untrained civilians with firearms licensed to kill alleged enemies of the state. This will be like the Wild Wild West where the one with the fastest gun was king.
Critics of the President should be alarmed. They could be assassinated by these death squads!
I never dreamed we would ever see this: Civilians killing one another in the name of ridding the country of enemies of the state.
I thought the dark days of martial law were over.
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With the upcoming 2019 elections, we will be presented with self-serving poll surveys that say this or that candidate was in the Magic 12.
I was involved in poll surveys myself, when I was public affairs manager of the Kanlaon Broadcasting System of Robert Benedicto. I know that surveys can be manipulated depending on what questions are asked.
This is what happens when survey results don’t eventually come true. It all ends in disaster, since in the Philippines there are only two kinds of candidates: The winners, and those who say they were cheated.
I am not necessarily against poll surveys. They can be used in selling brands and other products. They are essential to candidates because they get an idea where they are: If they are trailing behind, or if they should campaign harder and where.
However in our kind of elections, poll surveys tend to create a bandwagon effect. Voters go for the candidate who is leading in the survey. This is where moneyed administration candidates enjoy their advantage. They have the money and power to distribute sample ballots.
Statistics show that the average voter only write down names of only seven or eight candidates.
In the US, surveys count for a lot. In the US and other developed countries, voters are educated enough on what and whom to vote for. Americans only have to choose between Republicans and Democrats.
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The Comelec may as well do away with what it calls “election period” when candidates can start campaigning.
Here, the moment a candidate files a certificate of candidacy, he or she already starts campaigning.
The best example is the President’s favorite candidate, Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go. He makes a mockery of the election period. The President himself has been heard as endorsing Go as being good for the Senate.
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Mislatel, a consortium of Davao-based billionaire Dennis Uy who was a contributor to the Duterte campaign in 2016 and China Telecom, has been named as the third player in the telecommunications industry to break the duopoly of Smart and Globe.
Mislatel is promising a lot of things like fast Internet.
But what worries many people is that China Telecom is government-owned. This would make the Chinese government breach our national security.
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There are two things I don’t like debating—religion and politics. President Duterte is not the first to attack the Catholic church and its leaders. So, I will not debate him on the issue.
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