Clear case of human rights violation

I wonder why the Commission on Human Rights has not yet called a possible violation of human rights with the frequency of photo-accompanied “Notice to the Public” ads appearing in newspapers.

These notices warn readers the former employees have been terminated by the advertising/paying company and are no longer connected with the firm.

In which case, the same person whose photo appears should not transact business with the public, giving the impression such person had committed some malfeasance or some criminal activity.

Santa Banana, those notices to the public remind me so much of those posters we see in movies of criminals during the”Wild Wild West” in American movies of seeking out people “Wanted Dead or Alive” with either a $5000 or $1000 reward!

I know it is the right of companies or any organization to make the public aware of people who commit malfeasance or any criminal act so that people should not transact business with them.

But such is not the case in these public notices.

In my opinion, the published notice violates rights of people, with their photos placed in the pages of newspapers.

My gulay, such notices give the impression the person who appeared in those notices had committed some criminal act.

If they did, the right thing for companies or corpotrations to do is to sue them, not to have their photos plastered in newspaper pages.

I believe such Notices to the Public violate human rights or the inherent right of a person to be presumed innocent unless proven otherwise.

This is why the Commission on Human Rights should do something because such violation of human rights could even include the newspaper where those Notices to the Public appear.

Being a lawyer, I cannot help be impressed those persons whose photos appear in the pages of newspapers committed some wrongdoing so much so that the public is warned not to transact business with them.

It’s like having posters of wanted criminals, which to me is a clear violation of human rights.

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Senator Cynthia Villar bewails the rampant smuggling of food items like the pricey onions, sugar, rice, fish and meat products without a single smuggler going to jail.

I can understand the frustration of the senator as chairperson of the Senate Committee on Agriculture because there have been reported interceptions of smuggled agricultural products, but not a single person has been jailed.

I am also surprised at President Marcos Jr., as secretary of agriculture who knows full well the existence of the Mafia-like smuggling of agricultural products, since nobody thus far has been caught and jailed.

There have been reports that a Mafia-like syndicate operates in the smuggling of products much-needed in the market, and BBM has not gone after them since, /even though this constitutes a non-bailable offense of economic sabotage.

This continued smuggling of agricultural products has given the impression that Bongbong Marcos as agriculture secretary must be changed, Santa Banana!

I have been informed, and believe BBM knows this full well, that from the time the smuggled products are loaded in a shipment, the Mafia-like smuggling operation starts.

Usually , smuggled goods come from China and the Mafia-like operators know which ports the smuggled goods will be unloaded at.

Whether or not they pass through Customs and where they will be unloaded finally, are all under the control of these Mafia-like smugglers.

I have also been informed that when Customs people raid a warehouse, somewhere in Bulacan, Cavite and Batangas, it simply confirms that the bureau is part of the Mafia-like syndicate to give the impression that Customs people are up to their jobs and to fool the media.

What I am surprised about, Santa Banana, is that BBM is fully aware of the Mafia-like smuggling of agricultural products and yet has not done anything about it.

Senator Villar is right.

These constitute economic sabotage, a non-bailable offense.

It’s time BBM Marcos Jr. showed the people his zero-tolerance to the smuggling of agricultural products.

Mister President, stop once and for all the smuggling of agricultural products, if only to benefit local farmers and local producers.

What the people need is a display by the President of accountability behind the continued incidents of smuggling.

I have often said, if this Mafia-like smuggling syndicate can easily smuggle agricultural products, they also can easily smuggle illegal drugs.

This perhaps explains the continued seizure of illegal drugs across the country.

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At the continued House panel for the amendment of the 1987 Constitution, a former member of the Cory Constitution brought up the subject of political dynasties.

He said that it’s time political dynasties, which reportedly constitute about 80 percent of members of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, be banned as required by the charter.

The reason for this is self-interest.

I believe it is really self interest that’s behind all the political dynasties.

We can never expect Congress to enact a law implementing a ban on political dynasties.

But, I believe, considering all the pessimism that political dynasties will persist with the kind of politics we have, banning them will be next to impossible.

However, we can reduce political dynasties by limiting the number of those elected belonging to the same family to two, either re-elected or appointed.

This will effectively reduce the number of political dynasties.

This reduction of elected and appointed members belonging to the same family may at first be difficult to have.

But I believe it can be done with enough political will from our national leadership. Did I touch the nerves of members of political dynasties ?

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It’s great news the Philippines exceeded the target of 6.5 percent to 7.5 percent for our domestic growth rate for 2022.

Now, if only the country can sustain that growth for 2023, Santa Banana!

According to Socio-Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, the high GDP was the result of what he called “Revenge Spending,” with people spending so much on travels around the country and abroad, partying, going to beach resorts and shopping.

I can believe that because so many of my friends and relatives and their families are having reunions following the reported easing of COVID-19 restrictions.

I myself am aware of such “Revenge Spending,” with the easing of health protocols and restrictions.

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There appears to be a debate on whether or not the attendance of BBM at the annual World Economic Forum in the resort city of Davos, Switzerland was imperative considering that Marcos Jr. was even accompanied by most of the country’s tycoons and taipans.

I believe it was all worth it, if only for the fact that BBM showed to the world that the country is now open for business.