"President Duterte should discuss the ruling of The Hague with the Chinese president."
"President Duterte should discuss the ruling of The Hague with the Chinese president."
In my tribute to media icons yesterday, and in my hurry to meet my deadline, I missed out on important names. Mea culpa.
There was Doroy Valencia, my mentor when I was business editor of the Philippines Herald.
There was also Joe Guevarra, whose columns and one-liners made people smile.
There are veteran journalists Vergel Santos and Ninez Cacho Olivarez. They contribute to what the Philippine press is today.
In broadcast, there are Noli de Castro, Ted Failon, Tony Velasquez, Tina Monzon Palma, Mile Enriquez and Jessica Soho.
May their tribe increase.
* * *
I am glad that President Duterte has confirmed his one-on-one with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this month. Duterte will invoke the 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. The decision said that China’s nine-dash line was illegal.
It’s about time, I say. China’s bullying has gone on for a while, and President Duterte has just been so tolerant and accommodating of the Chinese in the wake of aid, grants, loans and investments.
I do not know how Xi will react. China has refused to recognize the PCA’s jurisdiction over it.
I am sure that the international community will hail President Duterte if he does bring the matter up.
* * *
Santa Banana, the tangled web of corruption at the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office is getting worse!
I have always said that so long as transactions allow for human discretion and intervention, corruption cannot be eliminated.
Take the case of the grant of franchises for small-town lottery. This is supposed to take over the illegal numbers game jueteng, prevalent nationwide.
If some PCSO officials and board members are involved, they should be exposed and thrown in jail.
Sandra Cam’s claim that certain board members are involved in corruption can only be the tip of the iceberg.
* * *
In the United States, the lack of efficient and effective gun-control laws has contributed to the many shooting incidents and fatalities across the country. Meanwhile, here at home, loose firearms are proliferating, contributing to criminality. The police is aware of it.
Those who are called “nanlaban” in the war on illegal drugs are a testament that there are many loose firearms.
Most of them, however, are in the possession of private armies and syndicated criminals and terrorists.
In Mindanao, we know too well that a Moro would rather sleep with his gun than with his wife. Guns bring power to Moros.
Santa Banana, I don’t know if the decommissioning of firearms of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, with the implementation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, will soon take effect. I know, however, that private armies should be a great concern for the administration.
* * *
In his State of the Nation Address, President Rodrigo Duterte may have not mentioned charter change. But many lawmakers are still thinking about it.
In fact, I believe House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez when he says that charter change is still a priority among members of Congress.
They recognize the need to amend the restrictive provisions of the 1987 Constitution. This is very important to the business community.
* * *
I cannot understand the insistence of the Metro Manila Development Authority to continue the planned ban on provincial buses along Edsa, despite a court injunction.
A study said that traffic on Edsa has worsened due to increase in car ownership.
If the Quezon City court cites the MMDA for contempt, MMDA officials certainly had it coming.
Banning provincial buses creates more traffic problems. Why can’t the MMDA realize this?
www.emiljurado.weebly.com
