Berteni Cataluña Causing
P60-B cost of jury system vs P160-B savings from corruption
Running jury system costs Phils P60-billion but
saves P160 billion from corruption reduction
Privilege Spits (January 3 to January 9, 2011 issue of Dyaryo Magdalo)
By TOTO CAUSING
In my burning desire to change the country’s present fiscal-judge system of justice, I am now taking the liberty of analyzing the cost of maintaining a jury system similar to that of the United States of America (USA), know how it can reduce corruption that runs now in the Philippines at 20% of the national budget, and know how much can the country save from the thieves in the government.
I was prompted to go to this dissertation by a Facebook friend who insisted that the Philippines can never ever afford to have a jury system because it is very expensive.
I agreed that it was very expensive. However, I begged to disagree that being expensive does not mean it is not economical.
The result of my dissertation, as will be read hereunder, shows that the cost of running a jury system in the entire country reaches only to Php 60 billion and the additional jury education program entails only Php 20 billion.
The total cost of Php 80 billion is far lesser than the Php 160-billion savings that can be gotten from the reduction of corruption due to the jury system’s nature of being a far better rigid justice system that is too difficult to be manipulated by the racketeers, the thieves in the government, and the lords.
Thus, the cost: Php 80 billion. The savings: Php 160 billion.
My premises:
So, here is my dissertation on this matter of economics of the jury system.
Let me begin by saying that if the amount required to run the jury systems is "very expensive" as you describe, it does not automatically mean it is not economical.
Amongst us who are civil engineers, we may choose one option that demands triple expense when the lifespan is at least triple more than any of the other choices.
A better economic strategy I know chooses from what options that stimulate the more number of transactions in a given period of time; what ensure bigger returns from these transactions in terms of taxes paid to the government and in terms of incomes going to participants in the transactions; what attract more number of people participating in transactions in a given community; and what make the number and magnitude of transactions going and growing.
Eventually, good economic decisions must be founded on what result in most number of transactions with biggest number of taxes along with bigger number of persons involved. The more transactions, the more taxes to the government, the more and better services are given by the government to its people, and the more people are exchanging goods and services and monies, and the more people are employed or earning income.
One community for instance has a total of 100 million pesos if we sum up all monies in each person and in each entity (business unit such as a corporation, partnership, or sole proprietorship).
Assume that the government in this place is capitalism and not socialism that has more regulations about how the funds shall be controlled, or not communism that ensures each individual therein is as rich or as poor as each other.
Assume further that this capitalist place cannot compel individuals to spend because it believes in free market and as such it relies only on the willingness of each of the people to spend or invest as they wish.
Now, we know that transactions cannot happen without buyers or without those that are obliged to pay by reason of deals.
With these givens, if we want progress for all we prefer a system of government that brings about more people buying services and goods in a year so that: (1) more taxes (sales, evat, and income) are collected in one tax year; (2) more businesses have better chance to continue to live and grow consequently resulting in generation of more employment; (3) more chances that people are employed to make them acquire wealth in the form of incomes as fruits of their labor in order to empower them as having more buying capacity to, in turn, acquire goods, services, better education, etc; (4) more people becoming more creative in thinking what to do to make decent profits; and (5) more people continue behaving in the way what the laws want them to conduct in relation to each other and in relation to their government.
Assuming this government has achieved these desirable economic activities to happen, can this ideal economy continue without strict justice system that compels people to behave by the laws? I strongly believe it will not stay as ideal with a loose justice system that chooses to vow to those who are the wealthy and the influential.
Despite all these sought-after objectives to give real progress for all people, there are always things that go out of hand. This is because there all always people who “greed” for money or sex, “desire to seek glory” either in wealth or politics, err in the performance of duties and the exercise of rights, or commit improprieties simply because of intoxications like liquor that loosen the hold of morality over intoxicated persons, or fall on accidents and or else can we think of.
Co-existing with these negative matters that any society, rich or poor, cannot avoid, is the NATURAL DESIRE to avoid punishments.
And this natural motive among persons to evade liability breeds and grows a culture of corruption if only to escape the harshness of hell behind bars, if only to preserve reputation, or if only to escape paying out for liabilities incurred.
So that if the justice system can be bought or influenced, the situation in this place will deteriorate over time, sooner or later, into the culture of impunity bad as what Maguindanao has reached.
Thus, I argue: even if we begin to create a country with all citizens having One Million Pesos in their respective pockets but with loose justice system such as what we have for 110 years, we will still end up as one of the poorest and most chaotic countries in the world.
Before continuing, let one more truth be spoken: crimes are offenses against the state so that it should be the state’s obligation to ensure justice is served where it is due.
Where lies our country:
Now, take a scenario of the Philippines where, approximately, 10% of the people are holding 80% of the total country’s monetary wealth while 90% are fighting for shares of the remaining 20% of all monies.
Look at our country.
Our country is where the justice system for over a hundred years is composed of fiscals deciding as to who should be charged in court and the court with one judge. It has been modified over time that the Ombudsman now has the sole power to bring to court corruption cases and the Commission on Elections having exclusive power to bring to court election crime offenders.
Thus, you see Malacañang man Joc-joc Bolante not getting charged in court by the Ombudsman; or former Comelec commissioner Virgilio Garciliano not charged in court by the Comelec for vote rigging.
Our country is where over time we have seen decisions of trial courts overturned by higher courts and where higher courts give out decisions that amused the people.
Our country is where we often hear songs crying out for justice from inside our prison walls, as echoed by Freddie Aguilar’s “Katarungan.”
Our country is where one can hear countless of songs of freedom for these songs are born only where liberty is restrained and where injustices are aplenty.
Our country is where judgments are more based on opinions than evidence as proven by Hubert Webb case where they were convicted upon the opinion of the trial court only to be acquitted 15 years later by another opinion of the court, this time the Supreme Court's opinion.
Our country is where we have seen more and more economically-lower-classed citizens becoming more and more mistrusting in the justice system because their common experience point to the poor rarely getting the better end of justice.
Our country is where the poor and have-nots prefer to suffer the pain of injustice in silence than to fight lords who not only buy fiscals and judges but also kill more if only to ensure freedom to kill, to steal, to cheat in political contests, and to do what else.
Our country is where the poor absolutely have no fair chance at courts of law.
Name what you want and we are on the nadir of all the ebbs, of all the law tides.
Taking a deeper look at justice economics:
Thus, the question now is: JUST BECAUSE IT APPEARS THAT JURY SYSTEM IS EXPENSIVE, DO WE HAVE TO DISCARD IT BECAUSE OF THE GIVEN CIRCUMSTANCES WE HAVE AS STATED ABOVE?
On what scale should we measure to choose a justice system to use given the circumstances the Filipinos are in?
Shall we have a “cheap” court with one judge and one fiscal deciding almost everything, for or against the accused, depending on the availability of funds, just because of the circumstances the Filipinos are in?
Shall we continue with this “cheap” fiscal-judge justice system where the supposed “learned” (pronounced as “learn-ed”) in law have, as is normal nowadays, been taking advantage of the citizens’ ignorance of the law, just because of the circumstances the Filipinos are in?
Shall we keep the “cheap” status quo even though we have heard so many people complaining of injustice and inability to obtain fair game in law, just because of the circumstances the Filipinos are in?
Shall we prefer to resign to this “cheap” status quo just because of the circumstances the Filipinos are in?
Shall we continue to argue that “it is not in the system but the people in the system” even though we know that it is actually more of the system because we cannot avoid the people who are prone to fall to dishonesty, greed and worldly desires, just because of the circumstances the Filipinos are in?
This is my appeal: Please look deeper as to what can this big expense give us in return.
Haven’t we thought that by using the jury system we are employing more people and that this will remedy the yearly problem of millions of college graduates from every private and state colleges and universities found now in every province and that problem is how to find jobs? And in so doing, more people are empowered to buy to add taxes to the government and income to others to generate more employment.
Haven’t we thought that by using the jury system it is doubly stricter and doubly rigid against influence and money such that more and more people would think they cannot fool the jury (grand and trial juries) so they tend to think it is better to behave well and refrain from fooling, stealing, and harming others?
Haven’t we thought that with strict and rigid justice system the number and magnitude of corruption incidents may likely reduce by as much as 90%?
Can we not blame extremely-high corruption incidences and magnitudes in the Philippines on the lax justice system for a century and a decade?
The cost of corruption:
Look at these reports about our dear country as posted athttp://www.11.be/11/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=103158&Itemid=112:
“The Philippines has been ranked as among the world's most corrupt by, among others, the Berlin-based non-governmental organization Transparency International. Corruption has become so widespread here that that scandals coming out one after the other dominate the news. Worse, many of these scandals are linked to Malacañang Palace and the first family. President Gloria Arroyo was perceived as the most corrupt in Philippine history in a survey done by Pulse Asia in 2007.
“Corruption has diverted away whatever meager resources that could have been extremely helpful to alleviate the lives of poor Filipinos. The Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC), a government body tasked to investigate and hear administrative cases and complaints against erring presidential appointees, has revealed that in the Philippines, an average of 20 percent of the country's annual budget goes to corruption.
“In 2008, the national budget was PhP 1.227 trillion (USD 26 billion). The budget for 2009 is pegged at an all-time high of PhP 1.415 trillion (USD 30 billion) as the government wants to boost spending to shield the economy from a global slump. A provision in the bill requiring reporting transparency was recently taken out by the government despite congressional and media protests.
“PAGC chairperson Teresita Baltazar says the money lost to corruption "could have been a lot to fund spending for social services like education, healthcare, housing and livelihood capital, and infrastructure."
Looking at the average 20% of the national budget, it means that based on the 2011 national budget of Php1.6 trillion the cost of corruption necessarily goes around Php 320 billion.
The projected savings from corruption through jury system:
So that if the implementation of the jury system reduces corruption by only 50%, does it mean a savings of Php 160 billion?
Based on the nature that it is a far more rigid system of justice, the jury system will cause a reduction of corruption incidences by at least half the present number in the Philippines where the latest national budget approved by President PNoy is at Php 1.6 trillion.
This is guaranteed and supported by the experience of countries with jury systems. There in the US, corruption is an exception; decency in government service is the rule.
In the US alone, you can see plenty of state and federal senators and congressmen getting charged and convicted by the grand jury and trial jury. You saw then President Richard Nixon compelled to resign because of the grand jury investigation. You saw then President Bill Clinton vowing to get investigated for oral sex scandal in the Oval Office by the grand jury and getting impeached in the US Congress.
In the Philippines, jail time comes to a senator only when he rebels as in Senator Gringo Honasan and Senator Antonio Trillanes IV; like Senator Panfilo Lacson had been charged only because he was ganged up by the then incumbent administration's men but he is wise enough to seek cover.
In the Philippines, you see ex-President Joseph Estrada getting charged and jailed just because the President's men ganged up on him.
In the Philippines, the whole of the Ampatuan lords in Maguindanao were charged all because Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was compelled by the world outrage over the killing of 58 persons including 33 journalists. But if she chose to ignore these outpouring of outrage, nothing would happen. Even now that the Ampatuans are held, only one of them is facing trial yet while the rest have succeeded in forestalling the reading of the charges: what with Php 2 billion a year looted from the coffers of the Province of Maguindanao as reflected in the very recent report of the Commission on Audit. Under the Philippine jurisdiction, one cannot be convicted if he has not yet been read of the charges in court.
Thus, in the Philippines, it all depends if the President desires to help you in order to have a good fight at the prosecution offices or the courts. And if the President does not know you, say "Goodbye, justice."
The projected expense of running jury systems:
Now, imagine how much is needed to run a jury system in a province. Assume that in each province we have one grand jury consisting of 23 jurors and 2 alternates.
If each is paid Php 1,000 a day, they get Php 20,000 a month. Multiply this by 25, we spend Php 500,000 a month in salaries. Add to this Php100,000 more a month for the maintenance of the staff and offices so we spend Php 600,000 a month. Multiply this by 13 months in one year (13th month pay law), we need to spend Php 7.3 million in one year for each province or urbanized city for the maintenance of the grand jury, the body whose members hidden from the public shall decide who should be tried in court or not. By the way, grand jurors' name and faces are hidden to ensure they are independent and not afraid of deciding who to bring to court or not.
NOW, consider trial juries in all six branches of RTCs and about six MTCs, assuming that all courts will have 600 cases to be tried each year by a jury of 12 ordinary Filipinos and 2 alternates. As the long and rich experiences in other countries show that jury trials last in one to two weeks in the average, assume P30,000 cost for each juror to answer for hotel and security escorts. Multiplying, we get 30 x 14 = P420,000.00 for each trial. Multiply this by 600 cases we get: Php420,000 x 600 = P252 million a year.
With these budgetary estimates, in one province we need to spend Php 7.3 milion + P252 million = Php 259.2 million.
In Maguindanao alone, one of the poorest provinces in the country, the Commission on Audit found that the Ampatuans stole Php 2 billion or Php 2,000 million a year. This means that even the poorest province can finance the cost of running a jury system unit.
Let us look at a larger scale.
We have 79 provinces. Add 33 highly-urbanized cities to be considered having own separate jury system and we get a total number of 112 jury system units.
To know how much would be spent for one year in the entire country, we compute: 112 jury system units x 259.2 million expense for each unit = Php 29.0304 billion in cost.
Now add to this 20% buffer fund to answer for unexpected costs and yearly infrastructure constructions. We get around Php 35 billion in total cost to be spent for the jury system.
Compare this cost to the savings that will be earned from reduction of corruption: Php 160 billion in savings from corruption vs Php 35 billion in cost of running the whole jury systems.
Now, to ensure better understanding of the system among all tribes, use Php 20 billion each year in jury education projects for every province. Yet we have too plenty of money to spare.
Now, consider also the fact that in civil cases, it is the losing party that will pay for the jury costs.
Do we see a trend of civil suits reducing sharply just because those who know they have no defenses or evidence to prove their claims are afraid to shoulder the cost of the jury?
Yes, it will because the civil case litigants will tend to save the most and they can do so by resorting to compromise agreements or settlements to reduce the dockets of the courts instead of opting for a jury trial.
Looking at these hard facts, can we now turn a blind eye to jury systems for Filipinos?
Consider these, my friends.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Monday, November 8, 2010
Lee Kuan Yew- It's Stupid to be afraid
Lee Kuan Yew- It's Stupid to be afraid
SPIEGEL Interview with Singapore 's Lee Kuan Yew
"It's Stupid to be Afraid"
Singapore's first-ever prime minister, long-time government head and current political mentor Lee Kuan Yew talks about Asia's rise to economic power, China's ambitions and the West's chances of staying competitive.
DPA
The elder statesman Lee: "We run a meritocracy."
SPIEGEL : The political and economic center of gravity is moving from the West towards the East. Is Asia becoming the dominant political and economic force in this century?
Mr. Lee: I wouldn't say it's the dominant force. What is gradually happening is the restoration of the world balance to what it was in the early 19th century or late
18th century when China and India together were responsible for more than 40 percent of world GDP. With those two countries becoming part of the globalized
Trading world, they are going to go back to approximately the level of world GDP that they previously occupied. But that doesn't make them the superpowers of the world.
SPIEGEL: Their leading politicians have publicly discussed the so-called "Asian Century".
Mr. Lee: Yes, economically, there will be a shift to the Pacific from the Atlantic Ocean and you can already see that in the shipping volumes of Chinese ports.
Every shipping line is trying to get into association with a Chinese container port. India is slower because their infrastructure is still to be completed.
But I think they will join in the race, build roads, bridges, airports, container ports and they'll become a manufacturing hub. Raw materials go in, finished goods go out.
SPIEGEL: You've been the leader of a very successful state for a long time. Returning from your time in China , are you afraid for Singapore 's future?
Mr. Lee: I saw it coming from the late 1980s. Deng Xiaoping started this in 1978. He visited Bangkok , Kuala Lumpur and Singapore in November 1978.
I think that visit shocked him because he expected three backward cities. Instead he saw three modern cities and he knew that communism -- the politics of the
iron rice bowl -- did not work. So, at the end of December, he announced his open door policy. He started free trade zones and from there, they extended it and extended it.
Now they have joined the WTO and the whole country is a free trade zone.
SPIEGEL: But has China 's success not become dangerous for Singapore ?
Mr. Lee: We have watched this transformation and the speed at which it is happening. As many of my people tell me, it's scary. They learn so fast. Our people set up businesses in Shanghai or Suzhou and they employ Chinese at lower wages than Singapore Chinese. After three years, they say: "Look, I can do that work, I want the same pay." So it is a very serious challenge for us to move aside and not collide with them. We have to move to areas where they cannot move.
SPIEGEL: Such as?
Mr. Lee: Such as where the rule of law, intellectual property and security of production systems are required, because for them to establish that, it will take 20 to 30 years. We are concentrating on bio medicine, pharmaceuticals and all products requiring protection of intellectual property rights. No pharmaceutical company is going to go have its precious patents disclosed. So that is why they are here in Singapore and not in China .
SPIEGEL: But the Chinese are moving too. They bought parts of IBM and are trying to take over the American oil company Unocal.
Mr. Lee: They are learning. They have learnt takeovers and mergers from the Americans. They know that if they try to sell their computers with a Chinese brand it will take them decades in America , but if they buy IBM, they can inject their technology and low cost into IBM's brand name, and they will gain access to the market much faster.
SPIEGEL: But how afraid should the West be?
Mr. Lee: It's stupid to be afraid. It's going to happen. I console myself this way. Suppose, China had never gone communist in 1949, suppose the Nationalist government had worked with the Americans -- China would be the great power in Asia -- not Japan , not Korea , not Hong Kong, not Singapore . Because China isolated itself, development took place on the periphery of Asia first.
SPIEGEL: Such a consolation won't be enough for the future.
Mr. Lee: Right. In 50 years I see China , Korea and Japan at the high-tech end of the value chain. Look at the numbers and quality of the engineers and scientists they produce and you know that this is where the R&D will be done. The Chinese have a space programme, they're going to put a man on the Moon and nobody sold them that technology. We have to face that. But you should not be afraid of that. You are leading in many fields which they cannot catch up with for many years, many decades. In pharmaceuticals, I don't see them catching up with the Germans for a long time.
SPIEGEL: That wouldn't feed anybody who works for Opel, would it?
Mr. Lee: A motor car is a commodity -- four wheels, a chassis, a motor. You can have modifications up and down, but it remains a commodity, and the Chinese can do commodities.
SPIEGEL: When you look to Western Europe , do you see a possible collapse of the society because of the overwhelming forces of globalization?
Mr. Lee: No. I see ten bitter years. In the end, the workers, whether they like it or not, will realize, that the cosy European world which they created after the war has come to an end.
SPIEGEL: How so?
Mr. Lee: The social contract that led to workers sitting on the boards of companies and everybody being happy rested on this condition: I work hard, I restore Germany 's prosperity, and you, the state, you have to look after me. I'm entitled to go to Baden Baden for spa recuperation one month every year. This old system was gone in the blink of an eye when two to three billion people joined the race -- one billion in China , one billion in India and over half-a-billion in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union .
SPIEGEL: The question is: How do you answer that challenge?
Mr. Lee: Chancellor Kohl tried to do it. He did it halfway then he had to pause. Schroeder tried to do it, now he's in a jam and has called an election. Merkel will go in
and push, then she will get hammered before she can finish the job, but each time, they will push the restructuring a bit forward.
SPIEGEL: You think it's too slow?
Mr. Lee: It is painful because it is so slow. If your workers were rational they would say, yes, this is going to happen anyway, let's do the necessary things in one go.
Instead of one month at the spa, take one week at the spa, work harder and longer for the same pay, compete with the East Europeans, invent in new technology, put more money into your R&D, keep ahead of the Chinese and the Indians.
SPIEGEL: You have seen yourself how hard it is to implement such strategies.
Mr. Lee: I faced this problem myself. Every year, our unions and the Labour Department subsidize trips to China and India . We tell the participants:
Don't just look at the Great Wall but go to the factories and ask, "What are you paid?" What hours do you work?" And they come back shell-shocked.
The Chinese had perestroika first, then glasnost. That's where the Russians made their mistake.
SPIEGEL: The Chinese Government is promoting the peaceful rise of China . Do you believe them?
Mr. Lee: Yes, I do, with one reservation. I think they have calculated that they need 30 to 40 -- maybe 50 years of peace and quiet to catch up, to build up their system,
change it from the communist system to the market system. They must avoid the mistakes made by Germany and Japan . Their competition for power, influence
and resources led in the last century to two terrible wars.
SPIEGEL: What should the Chinese do differently?
Mr. Lee: They will trade, they will not demand, "This is my sphere of influence, you keep out". America goes to South America and they also go to South America .
Brazil has now put aside an area as big as the state of Massachusetts to grow soya beans for China . They are going to Sudan and Venezuela for oil because the Venezuelan President doesn't like America . They are going to Iran for oil and gas. So, they are not asking for a military contest for power, but for an economic competition.
SPIEGEL: But would anybody take them really seriously without military power?
Mr. Lee: About eight years ago, I met Liu Huaqing, the man who built the Chinese Navy. Mao personally sent him to Leningrad to learn to build ships. I said to him, "The Russians made very rough, crude weapons". He replied, "You are wrong. They made first-class weapons, equal to the Americans." The Russian mistake was that they put so much
into military expenditure and so little into civilian technology. So their economy collapsed. I believe the Chinese leadership have learnt: If you compete with America in armaments, you will lose. You will bankrupt yourself. So, avoid it, keep your head down, and smile, for 40 or 50 years.
SPIEGEL: What are your reservations
Mr. Lee: I don't know whether the next generation will stay on this course. After 15 or 20 years they may feel their muscles are very powerful. We know the mind of
the leaders but the mood of the people on the ground is another matter. Because there's no more communist ideology to hold the people together, the ground is now galvanised by Chinese patriotism and nationalism. Look at the anti-Japanese demonstrations.
SPIEGEL: How do you explain that China is spending billions on military modernisation right now?
Mr. Lee: Their modernisation is just a drop in the ocean. Their objective is to raise the level of damage they can deliver to the Americans if they intervene in Taiwan .
Their objective is not to defeat the Americans, which they cannot do. They know they will be defeated. They want to weaken the American resolve to intervene.
That is their objective, but they do not want to attack Taiwan .
SPIEGEL: Really? They have just passed the aggressive anti-secession law and a general has threatened to use the nuclear bomb.
Mr. Lee: I think they have put themselves into a position internationally that if Taiwan declares independence, they must react and if Beijing 's leadership doesn't, they would be finished, they would be a paper tiger and they know that. So, they passed the anti-secession law to tell the Taiwanese and the Americans and the Japanese, "I do not want to fight, but if you allow Taiwan to go for independence, I will have to fight." I think the anti-secession law is a law to preserve the status quo.
SPIEGEL: Another critical point in Asia is the growing rivalry between China and Japan .
Mr. Lee: It's been dormant all this while, right? But I think several things happened that upped the ante. They possibly coincide with the policy of Japanese
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. There is this return to "we want to be a normal country." They are sending ships to Afghanistan to support the Americans, they sent a battalion to Iraq , they reclaimed the Senkaku islands, and most recently, they joined the Americans in declaring that Taiwan is a strategic interest of Japan and America .
That raises all the historical memories of the Japanese taking away Taiwan in 1895. Then they're applying to be a permanent member of the Security Council. So, I think the Chinese decided that this is too much. So, they have openly said they will object to Japan becoming a member of the Security Council.
SPIEGEL: Well, the United States said the same to Germany .
Mr. Lee: Exactly. So, the whole process is trying to define the position for the next round, maybe in 10 to 15 years, by which time the world will be a different place.
SPIEGEL: Can the Chinese convince their North Korean ally Kim Jong-Il to get rid of his nuclear program?Mr. Lee: North Korea is a riddle wrapped up in an enigma. The leaders in North Korea believe that their survival depends upon having a bomb -- at least one nuclear bomb.
Otherwise, sooner or later, they will collapse and the leaders will be put on trial like Milosevic for all the crimes that they have committed. And they have no intention of letting that happen.
SPIEGEL: Who can stop them? The Americans?
Mr. Lee: Yes, but at a price, a heavy price.
SPIEGEL: Could the Chinese do it?
Mr. Lee: Possibly. By denying food, denying fuel, so they would implode. But will the Chinese benefit from an imploded North Korea ? That brings the South into the North. That brings the Americans to the Yalu River . So, the North Koreans have also done their calculations and know that there are limits.
SPIEGEL: So Kim is in a strong position?
Mr. Lee: If I were Kim I would freeze the programme, tell the Americans you can inspect, but if you attack me, I will use it. That leaves the Americans with the problem
of checking and verifying and intercepting ships, aircraft, endless problems.
SPIEGEL: Would that save Kim's regime?
Mr. Lee: In the long run I think they will implode sooner or later because their system cannot survive. They can see China , they can see Russia and Vietnam , all opening up. If they open up, their system of control of the people will break down. So they must go.
SPIEGEL: If the six party talks fail, do you foresee an arms race in Eastern Asia ?
Mr. Lee: If the nuclear program is frozen, there won't be an arms race. Eventually, it is not in China 's interests to have an erratic Korea nuclear-armed and a Japan nuclear-armed.
That reduces China 's position.
SPIEGEL: Many Americans fear that China and the US are bound to become strategic rivals. Will this become the great rivalry of the 21st century?
Mr. Lee: Rivals, yes, but not necessarily enemies. The Chinese have spent a lot of energy and time to make sure that their periphery is friendly to them. So, they settled with Russia , they have settled with India . They're going to have a free trade agreement with India -- they're learning from each other. Instead of quarrelling with the Philippines and the Vietnamese over oil in the South China Sea , they have agreed on joint exploration and sharing. They've agreed on a strategic agreement with Indonesia for bilateral trade and technology.
SPIEGEL: But the Americans are trying to encircle China . They have won new bases in Central Asia .
Mr. Lee: The Chinese are very conscious of being encircled by allies of America . But they are very good in countering those moves. South Korea today has the largest number of foreign students in China. They see their future in China. So, the only country that's openly on America 's side is Japan . All the others are either neutral or friendly to China.
SPIEGEL: During your career, you have kept your distance from Western style democracy. Are you still convinced that an authoritarian system is the future for Asia ?
Mr. Lee: Why should I be against democracy? The British came here, never gave me democracy, except when they were about to leave. But I cannot run my system based on their rules. I have to amend it to fit my people's position. In multiracial societies, you don't vote in accordance with your economic interests and social interests, you vote in accordance with race and religion. Supposing I'd run their system here, Malays would vote for Muslims, Indians would vote for Indians, Chinese would vote for Chinese. I would have a constant clash in my Parliament which cannot be resolved because the Chinese majority would always overrule them. So I found a formula that changes that...
SPIEGEL: ... and that turned Singapore de facto into a one party state. Critics say that Singapore resembles a Lee Family Enterprise. Your son is the Prime Minister, your daughter-in-law heads the powerful Development Agency...
Mr. Lee: ... and my other son is CEO of Singapore Telecoms, my daughter is head of the National Institute for Neurology. This is a very small community of 4 million people.
We run a meritocracy. If the Lee Family set an example of nepotism, that system would collapse. If I were not the prime minister, my son could have become Prime Minister several years earlier. It is against my interest to allow any family member who's incompetent to hold an important job because that would be a disaster for Singapore and my legacy. That cannot be allowed.
The interview was conducted by editors Hans Hoyng and Andreas Lorenz.
Translated from the German by Christoper Sultan
SPIEGEL Interview with Singapore 's Lee Kuan Yew
"It's Stupid to be Afraid"
Singapore's first-ever prime minister, long-time government head and current political mentor Lee Kuan Yew talks about Asia's rise to economic power, China's ambitions and the West's chances of staying competitive.
DPA
The elder statesman Lee: "We run a meritocracy."
SPIEGEL : The political and economic center of gravity is moving from the West towards the East. Is Asia becoming the dominant political and economic force in this century?
Mr. Lee: I wouldn't say it's the dominant force. What is gradually happening is the restoration of the world balance to what it was in the early 19th century or late
18th century when China and India together were responsible for more than 40 percent of world GDP. With those two countries becoming part of the globalized
Trading world, they are going to go back to approximately the level of world GDP that they previously occupied. But that doesn't make them the superpowers of the world.
SPIEGEL: Their leading politicians have publicly discussed the so-called "Asian Century".
Mr. Lee: Yes, economically, there will be a shift to the Pacific from the Atlantic Ocean and you can already see that in the shipping volumes of Chinese ports.
Every shipping line is trying to get into association with a Chinese container port. India is slower because their infrastructure is still to be completed.
But I think they will join in the race, build roads, bridges, airports, container ports and they'll become a manufacturing hub. Raw materials go in, finished goods go out.
SPIEGEL: You've been the leader of a very successful state for a long time. Returning from your time in China , are you afraid for Singapore 's future?
Mr. Lee: I saw it coming from the late 1980s. Deng Xiaoping started this in 1978. He visited Bangkok , Kuala Lumpur and Singapore in November 1978.
I think that visit shocked him because he expected three backward cities. Instead he saw three modern cities and he knew that communism -- the politics of the
iron rice bowl -- did not work. So, at the end of December, he announced his open door policy. He started free trade zones and from there, they extended it and extended it.
Now they have joined the WTO and the whole country is a free trade zone.
SPIEGEL: But has China 's success not become dangerous for Singapore ?
Mr. Lee: We have watched this transformation and the speed at which it is happening. As many of my people tell me, it's scary. They learn so fast. Our people set up businesses in Shanghai or Suzhou and they employ Chinese at lower wages than Singapore Chinese. After three years, they say: "Look, I can do that work, I want the same pay." So it is a very serious challenge for us to move aside and not collide with them. We have to move to areas where they cannot move.
SPIEGEL: Such as?
Mr. Lee: Such as where the rule of law, intellectual property and security of production systems are required, because for them to establish that, it will take 20 to 30 years. We are concentrating on bio medicine, pharmaceuticals and all products requiring protection of intellectual property rights. No pharmaceutical company is going to go have its precious patents disclosed. So that is why they are here in Singapore and not in China .
SPIEGEL: But the Chinese are moving too. They bought parts of IBM and are trying to take over the American oil company Unocal.
Mr. Lee: They are learning. They have learnt takeovers and mergers from the Americans. They know that if they try to sell their computers with a Chinese brand it will take them decades in America , but if they buy IBM, they can inject their technology and low cost into IBM's brand name, and they will gain access to the market much faster.
SPIEGEL: But how afraid should the West be?
Mr. Lee: It's stupid to be afraid. It's going to happen. I console myself this way. Suppose, China had never gone communist in 1949, suppose the Nationalist government had worked with the Americans -- China would be the great power in Asia -- not Japan , not Korea , not Hong Kong, not Singapore . Because China isolated itself, development took place on the periphery of Asia first.
SPIEGEL: Such a consolation won't be enough for the future.
Mr. Lee: Right. In 50 years I see China , Korea and Japan at the high-tech end of the value chain. Look at the numbers and quality of the engineers and scientists they produce and you know that this is where the R&D will be done. The Chinese have a space programme, they're going to put a man on the Moon and nobody sold them that technology. We have to face that. But you should not be afraid of that. You are leading in many fields which they cannot catch up with for many years, many decades. In pharmaceuticals, I don't see them catching up with the Germans for a long time.
SPIEGEL: That wouldn't feed anybody who works for Opel, would it?
Mr. Lee: A motor car is a commodity -- four wheels, a chassis, a motor. You can have modifications up and down, but it remains a commodity, and the Chinese can do commodities.
SPIEGEL: When you look to Western Europe , do you see a possible collapse of the society because of the overwhelming forces of globalization?
Mr. Lee: No. I see ten bitter years. In the end, the workers, whether they like it or not, will realize, that the cosy European world which they created after the war has come to an end.
SPIEGEL: How so?
Mr. Lee: The social contract that led to workers sitting on the boards of companies and everybody being happy rested on this condition: I work hard, I restore Germany 's prosperity, and you, the state, you have to look after me. I'm entitled to go to Baden Baden for spa recuperation one month every year. This old system was gone in the blink of an eye when two to three billion people joined the race -- one billion in China , one billion in India and over half-a-billion in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union .
SPIEGEL: The question is: How do you answer that challenge?
Mr. Lee: Chancellor Kohl tried to do it. He did it halfway then he had to pause. Schroeder tried to do it, now he's in a jam and has called an election. Merkel will go in
and push, then she will get hammered before she can finish the job, but each time, they will push the restructuring a bit forward.
SPIEGEL: You think it's too slow?
Mr. Lee: It is painful because it is so slow. If your workers were rational they would say, yes, this is going to happen anyway, let's do the necessary things in one go.
Instead of one month at the spa, take one week at the spa, work harder and longer for the same pay, compete with the East Europeans, invent in new technology, put more money into your R&D, keep ahead of the Chinese and the Indians.
SPIEGEL: You have seen yourself how hard it is to implement such strategies.
Mr. Lee: I faced this problem myself. Every year, our unions and the Labour Department subsidize trips to China and India . We tell the participants:
Don't just look at the Great Wall but go to the factories and ask, "What are you paid?" What hours do you work?" And they come back shell-shocked.
The Chinese had perestroika first, then glasnost. That's where the Russians made their mistake.
SPIEGEL: The Chinese Government is promoting the peaceful rise of China . Do you believe them?
Mr. Lee: Yes, I do, with one reservation. I think they have calculated that they need 30 to 40 -- maybe 50 years of peace and quiet to catch up, to build up their system,
change it from the communist system to the market system. They must avoid the mistakes made by Germany and Japan . Their competition for power, influence
and resources led in the last century to two terrible wars.
SPIEGEL: What should the Chinese do differently?
Mr. Lee: They will trade, they will not demand, "This is my sphere of influence, you keep out". America goes to South America and they also go to South America .
Brazil has now put aside an area as big as the state of Massachusetts to grow soya beans for China . They are going to Sudan and Venezuela for oil because the Venezuelan President doesn't like America . They are going to Iran for oil and gas. So, they are not asking for a military contest for power, but for an economic competition.
SPIEGEL: But would anybody take them really seriously without military power?
Mr. Lee: About eight years ago, I met Liu Huaqing, the man who built the Chinese Navy. Mao personally sent him to Leningrad to learn to build ships. I said to him, "The Russians made very rough, crude weapons". He replied, "You are wrong. They made first-class weapons, equal to the Americans." The Russian mistake was that they put so much
into military expenditure and so little into civilian technology. So their economy collapsed. I believe the Chinese leadership have learnt: If you compete with America in armaments, you will lose. You will bankrupt yourself. So, avoid it, keep your head down, and smile, for 40 or 50 years.
SPIEGEL: What are your reservations
Mr. Lee: I don't know whether the next generation will stay on this course. After 15 or 20 years they may feel their muscles are very powerful. We know the mind of
the leaders but the mood of the people on the ground is another matter. Because there's no more communist ideology to hold the people together, the ground is now galvanised by Chinese patriotism and nationalism. Look at the anti-Japanese demonstrations.
SPIEGEL: How do you explain that China is spending billions on military modernisation right now?
Mr. Lee: Their modernisation is just a drop in the ocean. Their objective is to raise the level of damage they can deliver to the Americans if they intervene in Taiwan .
Their objective is not to defeat the Americans, which they cannot do. They know they will be defeated. They want to weaken the American resolve to intervene.
That is their objective, but they do not want to attack Taiwan .
SPIEGEL: Really? They have just passed the aggressive anti-secession law and a general has threatened to use the nuclear bomb.
Mr. Lee: I think they have put themselves into a position internationally that if Taiwan declares independence, they must react and if Beijing 's leadership doesn't, they would be finished, they would be a paper tiger and they know that. So, they passed the anti-secession law to tell the Taiwanese and the Americans and the Japanese, "I do not want to fight, but if you allow Taiwan to go for independence, I will have to fight." I think the anti-secession law is a law to preserve the status quo.
SPIEGEL: Another critical point in Asia is the growing rivalry between China and Japan .
Mr. Lee: It's been dormant all this while, right? But I think several things happened that upped the ante. They possibly coincide with the policy of Japanese
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. There is this return to "we want to be a normal country." They are sending ships to Afghanistan to support the Americans, they sent a battalion to Iraq , they reclaimed the Senkaku islands, and most recently, they joined the Americans in declaring that Taiwan is a strategic interest of Japan and America .
That raises all the historical memories of the Japanese taking away Taiwan in 1895. Then they're applying to be a permanent member of the Security Council. So, I think the Chinese decided that this is too much. So, they have openly said they will object to Japan becoming a member of the Security Council.
SPIEGEL: Well, the United States said the same to Germany .
Mr. Lee: Exactly. So, the whole process is trying to define the position for the next round, maybe in 10 to 15 years, by which time the world will be a different place.
SPIEGEL: Can the Chinese convince their North Korean ally Kim Jong-Il to get rid of his nuclear program?Mr. Lee: North Korea is a riddle wrapped up in an enigma. The leaders in North Korea believe that their survival depends upon having a bomb -- at least one nuclear bomb.
Otherwise, sooner or later, they will collapse and the leaders will be put on trial like Milosevic for all the crimes that they have committed. And they have no intention of letting that happen.
SPIEGEL: Who can stop them? The Americans?
Mr. Lee: Yes, but at a price, a heavy price.
SPIEGEL: Could the Chinese do it?
Mr. Lee: Possibly. By denying food, denying fuel, so they would implode. But will the Chinese benefit from an imploded North Korea ? That brings the South into the North. That brings the Americans to the Yalu River . So, the North Koreans have also done their calculations and know that there are limits.
SPIEGEL: So Kim is in a strong position?
Mr. Lee: If I were Kim I would freeze the programme, tell the Americans you can inspect, but if you attack me, I will use it. That leaves the Americans with the problem
of checking and verifying and intercepting ships, aircraft, endless problems.
SPIEGEL: Would that save Kim's regime?
Mr. Lee: In the long run I think they will implode sooner or later because their system cannot survive. They can see China , they can see Russia and Vietnam , all opening up. If they open up, their system of control of the people will break down. So they must go.
SPIEGEL: If the six party talks fail, do you foresee an arms race in Eastern Asia ?
Mr. Lee: If the nuclear program is frozen, there won't be an arms race. Eventually, it is not in China 's interests to have an erratic Korea nuclear-armed and a Japan nuclear-armed.
That reduces China 's position.
SPIEGEL: Many Americans fear that China and the US are bound to become strategic rivals. Will this become the great rivalry of the 21st century?
Mr. Lee: Rivals, yes, but not necessarily enemies. The Chinese have spent a lot of energy and time to make sure that their periphery is friendly to them. So, they settled with Russia , they have settled with India . They're going to have a free trade agreement with India -- they're learning from each other. Instead of quarrelling with the Philippines and the Vietnamese over oil in the South China Sea , they have agreed on joint exploration and sharing. They've agreed on a strategic agreement with Indonesia for bilateral trade and technology.
SPIEGEL: But the Americans are trying to encircle China . They have won new bases in Central Asia .
Mr. Lee: The Chinese are very conscious of being encircled by allies of America . But they are very good in countering those moves. South Korea today has the largest number of foreign students in China. They see their future in China. So, the only country that's openly on America 's side is Japan . All the others are either neutral or friendly to China.
SPIEGEL: During your career, you have kept your distance from Western style democracy. Are you still convinced that an authoritarian system is the future for Asia ?
Mr. Lee: Why should I be against democracy? The British came here, never gave me democracy, except when they were about to leave. But I cannot run my system based on their rules. I have to amend it to fit my people's position. In multiracial societies, you don't vote in accordance with your economic interests and social interests, you vote in accordance with race and religion. Supposing I'd run their system here, Malays would vote for Muslims, Indians would vote for Indians, Chinese would vote for Chinese. I would have a constant clash in my Parliament which cannot be resolved because the Chinese majority would always overrule them. So I found a formula that changes that...
SPIEGEL: ... and that turned Singapore de facto into a one party state. Critics say that Singapore resembles a Lee Family Enterprise. Your son is the Prime Minister, your daughter-in-law heads the powerful Development Agency...
Mr. Lee: ... and my other son is CEO of Singapore Telecoms, my daughter is head of the National Institute for Neurology. This is a very small community of 4 million people.
We run a meritocracy. If the Lee Family set an example of nepotism, that system would collapse. If I were not the prime minister, my son could have become Prime Minister several years earlier. It is against my interest to allow any family member who's incompetent to hold an important job because that would be a disaster for Singapore and my legacy. That cannot be allowed.
The interview was conducted by editors Hans Hoyng and Andreas Lorenz.
Translated from the German by Christoper Sultan
Friday, October 15, 2010
Aquino Grants Amnesty to Trillanes and other Soldiers
Aquino grants amnesty to Trillanes and other soldiers who rebelled against Arroyo
Posted: 11 Oct 2010 07:26 PM PDT
President Aquino grants amnesty to Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and all the other soldiers charged for standing up to Gloria Arroyo.
Concurrence of both houses of Congress is expected to follow in the coming days. Some 160 members of the House of Representatives and 17 senators have earlier signed separate resolutions urging the President to grant amnesty to the rebel soldiers. They are expected to concur with the proclamation.
The proclamation also approves the re-integration of the service of enlisted men. Officers are not covered by the re-integration.
Proclamation No. 50:
MALACAÑAN PALACE
MANILA
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES
PROCLAMATION NO. 50
GRANTING AMNESTY TO ACTIVE AND FORMER PERSONNEL OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE PHILIPPINES AND THEIR SUPPORTERS WHO MAY HAVE COMMITTED ACTS OR OMISSIONS PUNISHABLE UNDER THE REVISED PENAL CODE, THE ARTICLES OF WAR OR OTHER SPECIAL LAWS COMMITTED IN CONNECTION WITH THE OAKWOOD MUTINY, THE MARINES STAND-OFF AND THE MANILA PEN INCIDENT AND RELATED INCIDENTS
WHEREAS, it is recognized that certain active and former personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and their supporters have or may have committed acts or omissions which may be punishable under the Revised Penal Code, the Articles of War and other laws in connection with July 27, 2003 Oakwood Mutiny, the February 2006 Marines Stand-Off and the November 29, 2007 Manila Pen Incident and related incidents;
WHEREAS, there is a clamor from certain sectors of society urging the President to extend amnesty to said AFP personnel;
WHEREAS, Section 19, Article VII of the Constitution expressly vests the power to grant amnesty upon the President;
WHEREAS, in order to promote an atmosphere conducive to the attainment of a just, comprehensive and enduring peace and in line with the Government’s peace and reconciliation initiatives, there is a need to declare amnesty in favor of the said active and former personnel of the AFP and their supporters;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BENIGNO S. AQUINO III, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by Section 19, Article VII of the Philippine Constitution, do hereby DECLARE and PROCLAIM:
SECTION 1. Grant of Amnesty. – Amnesty is hereby granted to all active and former personnel of the AFP as well as their supporters who shall apply therefor and who have or may have committed acts or omissions punishable under the Revised Penal Code, the Articles of War or other special laws in connection with, in relation or incident to the July 27, 2003 Oakwood Mutiny, the February 2006 Marines Stand-Off and/or the November 29, 2007 Manila Pen Incident and related incidents; Provided that amnesty shall not cover crimes against chastity and other crimes committed for personal ends.
SECTION 2. Where to Apply. – The concerned AFP personnel and their supporters may apply for amnesty under this Proclamation with the Department of National Defense (DND). The DND is hereby tasked with the functions and duties of receiving and processing applications for amnesty under this proclamation and determining whether the applicants are covered by amnesty under this Proclamation. The final decisions or determination of the DND shall be appealable to the Office of the President.
SECTION 3. Period of Application. – Applications for the grant of amnesty under this Proclamation shall be filed under oath with the DND within a period of ninety (90) days following the date of the publication of this Proclamation in two (2) newspapers of general circulation. The DND shall forthwith act on the same with dispatch.
SECTION 4. Effects. –
(a) Amnesty under this proclamation shall extinguish any criminal liability for acts committed in relation to, in connection with or incident to the July 27, 2003 Oakwood Mutiny, the February 2006 Marines Stand-Off and the November 29, 2007 Manila Pen Incident without prejudice to the grantee’s civil liability for injuries or damages caused to private persons.
(b) The grant of amnesty shall also effect the restoration of civil and political rights or entitlement that may have been suspended, lost or adversely affected by virtue of ant executive action and/or administrative criminal action or proceedings lodged against the grantee in connection with the subject incidents, including criminal conviction or any form, if any.
(c) All enlisted personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines whose applications for amnesty would be approved shall be entitled to reintegration or reinstatement, subject to existing laws and regulations. Officers of the AFP on the other hand shall not be entitled to reintegration or reinstatement into the service.
(d) The amnesty shall reinstate the right of AFP personnel to retirement and separation benefits, if so qualified under existing laws and regulations at the same time of the commission of the acts for which the amnesty is extended.
SECTION 5. Effectivity. – This Proclamation shall take effect immediately upon the signing thereof.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the Republic of the Philippines to be affixed.
DONE in the City of Manila, 11th day of October in the year of our Lord, Two Thousand and Ten.
(Sgd.) BENIGNO S. AQUINO III
By the President:
(Sgd.) PAQUITO N. OCHOA, JR.
Executive Secretary
Posted: 11 Oct 2010 07:26 PM PDT
President Aquino grants amnesty to Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and all the other soldiers charged for standing up to Gloria Arroyo.
Concurrence of both houses of Congress is expected to follow in the coming days. Some 160 members of the House of Representatives and 17 senators have earlier signed separate resolutions urging the President to grant amnesty to the rebel soldiers. They are expected to concur with the proclamation.
The proclamation also approves the re-integration of the service of enlisted men. Officers are not covered by the re-integration.
Proclamation No. 50:
MALACAÑAN PALACE
MANILA
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES
PROCLAMATION NO. 50
GRANTING AMNESTY TO ACTIVE AND FORMER PERSONNEL OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE PHILIPPINES AND THEIR SUPPORTERS WHO MAY HAVE COMMITTED ACTS OR OMISSIONS PUNISHABLE UNDER THE REVISED PENAL CODE, THE ARTICLES OF WAR OR OTHER SPECIAL LAWS COMMITTED IN CONNECTION WITH THE OAKWOOD MUTINY, THE MARINES STAND-OFF AND THE MANILA PEN INCIDENT AND RELATED INCIDENTS
WHEREAS, it is recognized that certain active and former personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and their supporters have or may have committed acts or omissions which may be punishable under the Revised Penal Code, the Articles of War and other laws in connection with July 27, 2003 Oakwood Mutiny, the February 2006 Marines Stand-Off and the November 29, 2007 Manila Pen Incident and related incidents;
WHEREAS, there is a clamor from certain sectors of society urging the President to extend amnesty to said AFP personnel;
WHEREAS, Section 19, Article VII of the Constitution expressly vests the power to grant amnesty upon the President;
WHEREAS, in order to promote an atmosphere conducive to the attainment of a just, comprehensive and enduring peace and in line with the Government’s peace and reconciliation initiatives, there is a need to declare amnesty in favor of the said active and former personnel of the AFP and their supporters;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BENIGNO S. AQUINO III, President of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by Section 19, Article VII of the Philippine Constitution, do hereby DECLARE and PROCLAIM:
SECTION 1. Grant of Amnesty. – Amnesty is hereby granted to all active and former personnel of the AFP as well as their supporters who shall apply therefor and who have or may have committed acts or omissions punishable under the Revised Penal Code, the Articles of War or other special laws in connection with, in relation or incident to the July 27, 2003 Oakwood Mutiny, the February 2006 Marines Stand-Off and/or the November 29, 2007 Manila Pen Incident and related incidents; Provided that amnesty shall not cover crimes against chastity and other crimes committed for personal ends.
SECTION 2. Where to Apply. – The concerned AFP personnel and their supporters may apply for amnesty under this Proclamation with the Department of National Defense (DND). The DND is hereby tasked with the functions and duties of receiving and processing applications for amnesty under this proclamation and determining whether the applicants are covered by amnesty under this Proclamation. The final decisions or determination of the DND shall be appealable to the Office of the President.
SECTION 3. Period of Application. – Applications for the grant of amnesty under this Proclamation shall be filed under oath with the DND within a period of ninety (90) days following the date of the publication of this Proclamation in two (2) newspapers of general circulation. The DND shall forthwith act on the same with dispatch.
SECTION 4. Effects. –
(a) Amnesty under this proclamation shall extinguish any criminal liability for acts committed in relation to, in connection with or incident to the July 27, 2003 Oakwood Mutiny, the February 2006 Marines Stand-Off and the November 29, 2007 Manila Pen Incident without prejudice to the grantee’s civil liability for injuries or damages caused to private persons.
(b) The grant of amnesty shall also effect the restoration of civil and political rights or entitlement that may have been suspended, lost or adversely affected by virtue of ant executive action and/or administrative criminal action or proceedings lodged against the grantee in connection with the subject incidents, including criminal conviction or any form, if any.
(c) All enlisted personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines whose applications for amnesty would be approved shall be entitled to reintegration or reinstatement, subject to existing laws and regulations. Officers of the AFP on the other hand shall not be entitled to reintegration or reinstatement into the service.
(d) The amnesty shall reinstate the right of AFP personnel to retirement and separation benefits, if so qualified under existing laws and regulations at the same time of the commission of the acts for which the amnesty is extended.
SECTION 5. Effectivity. – This Proclamation shall take effect immediately upon the signing thereof.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the Republic of the Philippines to be affixed.
DONE in the City of Manila, 11th day of October in the year of our Lord, Two Thousand and Ten.
(Sgd.) BENIGNO S. AQUINO III
By the President:
(Sgd.) PAQUITO N. OCHOA, JR.
Executive Secretary
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Straight from the Heart
Abs Damahan
The elected Executive Officers of Golden Crescent Peace Center
Group of professionals who are advocating for peace are formally elected into office last Saturday, August 7, 2010 at around 3:00PM at the Peace Advocates Office, SLSI Building, San Jose Street, Zamboanga City.
The elected founding and Executive Officers will hold office from 2010 to 2012 are the followings: Chairman- Professor Ali T. Yacub, Al-Hj., Vice Chairman (Internal)- Prof. Eddie M. Ladja, Vice Chairman (external)- Hja. Rahma Sakaluran-Mohammad, Secretary General- Habib Alkhaulan Hashim, Asst. Sec. Gen- Mr. Aldrin Abdurahim, Treasurer Dr. Lea U. Laput, and Auditor- Engr. Yashier Ibba.
Straight from the heart Columnist- Abduljaman ‘Abs’ A. Damahan elected Director for Public Relation and Media Affairs and the rest officers will be elected in the next session after the month of Ramadan and will be published the same in my column.
Golden Crescent Peace Center member of consortium civil society in the sector of an Interreligious Solidarity Movement for Peace contributing more on research and development (R & D) focus on peace builders for Mindanao area, as well supporting the national government agenda of PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT.
This new professional’s organized group can be partners and tapped by the National Government and new Commission for technical works and writings of their various programs- The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) in some selected departments namely: 1. Muslim Economic Affairs, 2. Muslim Cultural Affairs, 3. Muslim Settlement, and 4. Peace and Conflict Resolution.
Compromising the peace with a serious intent, I don’t think so, we cannot succeed in the quest for Mindanaoan to achieve the genuine and lasting peace of all the regions of Mindanao affected in the long overdue internal conflicts- The Moro conflicts.
The perceptions of Mindanaoan on the stalled peace process- The reasons behind the failures are the insincerity of both parties GRP and Moro resistance group.
We are committed to supports in all legal and acceptable parameters on the on-going peaceful agreements between the government and the Moro resistance group.
For comments, reactions and suggestions please e-mail at abs_damahan@yahoo.com or call to tel No. 062-926-9418 or text Cell. No. 09283147761 Blog: http://absdamahan.wordpress.com
The elected Executive Officers of Golden Crescent Peace Center
Group of professionals who are advocating for peace are formally elected into office last Saturday, August 7, 2010 at around 3:00PM at the Peace Advocates Office, SLSI Building, San Jose Street, Zamboanga City.
The elected founding and Executive Officers will hold office from 2010 to 2012 are the followings: Chairman- Professor Ali T. Yacub, Al-Hj., Vice Chairman (Internal)- Prof. Eddie M. Ladja, Vice Chairman (external)- Hja. Rahma Sakaluran-Mohammad, Secretary General- Habib Alkhaulan Hashim, Asst. Sec. Gen- Mr. Aldrin Abdurahim, Treasurer Dr. Lea U. Laput, and Auditor- Engr. Yashier Ibba.
Straight from the heart Columnist- Abduljaman ‘Abs’ A. Damahan elected Director for Public Relation and Media Affairs and the rest officers will be elected in the next session after the month of Ramadan and will be published the same in my column.
Golden Crescent Peace Center member of consortium civil society in the sector of an Interreligious Solidarity Movement for Peace contributing more on research and development (R & D) focus on peace builders for Mindanao area, as well supporting the national government agenda of PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT.
This new professional’s organized group can be partners and tapped by the National Government and new Commission for technical works and writings of their various programs- The National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) in some selected departments namely: 1. Muslim Economic Affairs, 2. Muslim Cultural Affairs, 3. Muslim Settlement, and 4. Peace and Conflict Resolution.
Compromising the peace with a serious intent, I don’t think so, we cannot succeed in the quest for Mindanaoan to achieve the genuine and lasting peace of all the regions of Mindanao affected in the long overdue internal conflicts- The Moro conflicts.
The perceptions of Mindanaoan on the stalled peace process- The reasons behind the failures are the insincerity of both parties GRP and Moro resistance group.
We are committed to supports in all legal and acceptable parameters on the on-going peaceful agreements between the government and the Moro resistance group.
For comments, reactions and suggestions please e-mail at abs_damahan@yahoo.com or call to tel No. 062-926-9418 or text Cell. No. 09283147761 Blog: http://absdamahan.wordpress.com
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Straight from the Heart
Abs Damahan
Zamboanga International Airport Blast
Zamboanga City experienced horrible trauma when bomb exploded at 6:20 PM Thursday, August 5, 2010, at the passenger arrival area of Zamboanga International Airport two confirm dead and more than 20 wounded including Jolo Sulu Governor Abdulsakur Tan are now confined in different hospitals of the city. The SOCO Team found two IDs: 1. SSS ID Card and Zamcelco ID with the bearing name Reynaldo Apilado resided at Bragy. Maasin, Zamboanga City. According to the investigators team fixed ID picture in the ID card is matched to the de-capacitated body found in the ground of bombing site which the alleged one of the suspect to this kind of horrendous dastardly and cowardly act to victimized the innocence civilians of Zamboanga City and adjacent provinces of Western Mindanao.
In the latest update Sulu Governor Tan insisted the bomb is intended for his life and this is for second attempt, first was at Provincial Capitol of Jolo on May 2009 in a planted Motorcycle Bomb. Governor said, he is lucky enough to escape from an instant death which the Governor is only one meter away from the impact of the blast.
If this bomb is intended for the Governor what benefits are we going to achieve? From the point of view, we gain nothing; this is unacceptable cowardly act of political cultures of violence and dead-wrong activities of dastardly kind of politics. Re-thinks the dark behind the motives,this is a condemnable acts a negative impact for the whole interest of Mindanaoan. I think for those who are not delighted to be enlightened ,this is start of a wake-up calls for all Mindanaoan to protect our leaders if still has the same motive to eliminate our elected leaders from power. stop the atrocities in our homeland preserve the value and dignity that we inherited from our fore-fathers.
For the benefits who follow this column, I was touched when I attended the lectures conducted by the Philippines Council for Islam and Democracy (PCID) at the Western Mindanao State University (WMSU) College of Law Auditorium yesterday August 2, 1010. The presentor is no less than Ms. Amina Rasul. In her clippings presentation. ‘The factors that led to decline the resources of the Moro Provinces during Martial Law’, and to include present practices of the National policy planners, triggered Causes: 1. Destruction of Infrastructures, 2. Capital flights, and 3. Brain drain.
In simple analysis this is a true fact why ARMM provinces are so poor Local Government Units (LGUs). While Mindanao is one economic hub of our republic, as a whole is number 5 in GDP, but in the actual data funds releases actually a big pie are focus to CARAGA provinces and cities and include Zamboanga City for Mindanao. For the ARMM provinces and cities is with a limited shares of funds. So therefore, ‘there would be an imbalance of an economic discrepancy of our democracy in one republic for the minority rights’.
For comments, reactions and suggestions please e-mail at abs_damahan@yahoo.com or call to tel No. 062-926-9418 or text Cell. No. 09283147761 Blog: http://absdamahan.wordpress.com
Zamboanga International Airport Blast
Zamboanga City experienced horrible trauma when bomb exploded at 6:20 PM Thursday, August 5, 2010, at the passenger arrival area of Zamboanga International Airport two confirm dead and more than 20 wounded including Jolo Sulu Governor Abdulsakur Tan are now confined in different hospitals of the city. The SOCO Team found two IDs: 1. SSS ID Card and Zamcelco ID with the bearing name Reynaldo Apilado resided at Bragy. Maasin, Zamboanga City. According to the investigators team fixed ID picture in the ID card is matched to the de-capacitated body found in the ground of bombing site which the alleged one of the suspect to this kind of horrendous dastardly and cowardly act to victimized the innocence civilians of Zamboanga City and adjacent provinces of Western Mindanao.
In the latest update Sulu Governor Tan insisted the bomb is intended for his life and this is for second attempt, first was at Provincial Capitol of Jolo on May 2009 in a planted Motorcycle Bomb. Governor said, he is lucky enough to escape from an instant death which the Governor is only one meter away from the impact of the blast.
If this bomb is intended for the Governor what benefits are we going to achieve? From the point of view, we gain nothing; this is unacceptable cowardly act of political cultures of violence and dead-wrong activities of dastardly kind of politics. Re-thinks the dark behind the motives,this is a condemnable acts a negative impact for the whole interest of Mindanaoan. I think for those who are not delighted to be enlightened ,this is start of a wake-up calls for all Mindanaoan to protect our leaders if still has the same motive to eliminate our elected leaders from power. stop the atrocities in our homeland preserve the value and dignity that we inherited from our fore-fathers.
For the benefits who follow this column, I was touched when I attended the lectures conducted by the Philippines Council for Islam and Democracy (PCID) at the Western Mindanao State University (WMSU) College of Law Auditorium yesterday August 2, 1010. The presentor is no less than Ms. Amina Rasul. In her clippings presentation. ‘The factors that led to decline the resources of the Moro Provinces during Martial Law’, and to include present practices of the National policy planners, triggered Causes: 1. Destruction of Infrastructures, 2. Capital flights, and 3. Brain drain.
In simple analysis this is a true fact why ARMM provinces are so poor Local Government Units (LGUs). While Mindanao is one economic hub of our republic, as a whole is number 5 in GDP, but in the actual data funds releases actually a big pie are focus to CARAGA provinces and cities and include Zamboanga City for Mindanao. For the ARMM provinces and cities is with a limited shares of funds. So therefore, ‘there would be an imbalance of an economic discrepancy of our democracy in one republic for the minority rights’.
For comments, reactions and suggestions please e-mail at abs_damahan@yahoo.com or call to tel No. 062-926-9418 or text Cell. No. 09283147761 Blog: http://absdamahan.wordpress.com
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Straight from the Heart
Abs Damahan
Controversial Bill proposal of Congresswoman GMA and son Congressman Dado Arroyo for the expansion of ARMM coverage area.
I am now the subject of controversy when recently posted to my facebook account quote ‘Rep-GMA and Rep Dato Arroyo I was one hardcore opposition to your administration, now, ‘I will declare to support your Bills on this very laudable proposal to expand more ARMM provinces and Cities. As I even propose to re-write the ARMM Organic Act to resolve genuinely and peacefully the Moro problems. A high notes of this proposal for the 15th new set-up Congress’...
For public discourse I was one staunched hard-hitting opposition to the public policy of former President GMA from the start of her presidency until she exit from power. they way she ran the ship of our republic. It made public in some of my strong worded opinion thread and posted comments in fb account focus of the alleged controversial messed in the Palace. To make known to the public my articles and bloggers remain an independent taught direct from the heart. Whoever individual and group did the right works for the whole an inclusive for all human dignity and general welfare of the people will surely get the honorable praised from this column. And the same token whoever individual and group did mistake or malpractices in his/her leadership and career will surely get a strong words of criticism and condemnation from this column.
In the case of Representative GMA in her proposed bill for the expansion of ARMM coverage area to City of Zamboanga and Saranggani Province I think, this one of very laudable proposal in her representation for the Moro problems of over 40 years internal conflicts. That why, I praised her ‘she is now the part of solution not a part of the problem’. Let us give her chance to defend the proposed bill in the house of congress on her view in the affirmative side and the rest critiquing the bill on the negative side. We are in the process of lively debates and healthy democratic process majority opinions are superb rather over the minority opinion in a free market of idea.
For the past wrong doing of former President in her 9 years inside the Palace, if proven by the ‘Truth Commission’, Legal Court proceeding and Judiciary system of our republic , ‘she should answerable to the mess she has done wrong during her term if any, on the basis of due process of law’.
For comments, reactions and suggestions please e-mail at abs_damahan@yahoo.com or call to tel No. 062-926-9418 or text Cell. No. 09283147761 Blog: http://absdamahan.wordpress.com
Controversial Bill proposal of Congresswoman GMA and son Congressman Dado Arroyo for the expansion of ARMM coverage area.
I am now the subject of controversy when recently posted to my facebook account quote ‘Rep-GMA and Rep Dato Arroyo I was one hardcore opposition to your administration, now, ‘I will declare to support your Bills on this very laudable proposal to expand more ARMM provinces and Cities. As I even propose to re-write the ARMM Organic Act to resolve genuinely and peacefully the Moro problems. A high notes of this proposal for the 15th new set-up Congress’...
For public discourse I was one staunched hard-hitting opposition to the public policy of former President GMA from the start of her presidency until she exit from power. they way she ran the ship of our republic. It made public in some of my strong worded opinion thread and posted comments in fb account focus of the alleged controversial messed in the Palace. To make known to the public my articles and bloggers remain an independent taught direct from the heart. Whoever individual and group did the right works for the whole an inclusive for all human dignity and general welfare of the people will surely get the honorable praised from this column. And the same token whoever individual and group did mistake or malpractices in his/her leadership and career will surely get a strong words of criticism and condemnation from this column.
In the case of Representative GMA in her proposed bill for the expansion of ARMM coverage area to City of Zamboanga and Saranggani Province I think, this one of very laudable proposal in her representation for the Moro problems of over 40 years internal conflicts. That why, I praised her ‘she is now the part of solution not a part of the problem’. Let us give her chance to defend the proposed bill in the house of congress on her view in the affirmative side and the rest critiquing the bill on the negative side. We are in the process of lively debates and healthy democratic process majority opinions are superb rather over the minority opinion in a free market of idea.
For the past wrong doing of former President in her 9 years inside the Palace, if proven by the ‘Truth Commission’, Legal Court proceeding and Judiciary system of our republic , ‘she should answerable to the mess she has done wrong during her term if any, on the basis of due process of law’.
For comments, reactions and suggestions please e-mail at abs_damahan@yahoo.com or call to tel No. 062-926-9418 or text Cell. No. 09283147761 Blog: http://absdamahan.wordpress.com
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Straight from the Heart
Abs Damahan
Zamboanga City Water District is inefficient serving consumer public.
Since the El-Nino season up to now rainy season Zamboanga City Water District still inefficient serving the household imagine for almost a year since the summer season my home has not provided enough water supply. What happen to the management of Zamboanga City Water District? Are they capable to run the operation of water concessioners? Or in the midst of mismanagement crisis like the fate of ZAMCELCO in the past months almost felt the same in a financial melt-down.
From this column I calls upon you we need sufficient power and water supplies reach every household within the perimeter homes and including the residence inside post-subdivision area. Light and water are those parts of basic necessities for human lives needs really to be upgraded and improved the quality of service by ZAMCELCO and Water District Concessioners.
Light and water is really the negative disturbing factors for the daily activities and routines of every-one of us living the urban city without the two basic necessities we are not so comport to deal and transact with friends, acquaintances and our contacts.
Pouring of enough resources to Cooperative and the water concessioners would means improving the quality of service for consumers’ public. At least Zamboangenos are not hesitant to pay their bills on due date time.
For comments, reactions and suggestions please e-mail at abs_damahan@yahoo.com or call to tel No. 062-926-9418 or text Cell. No. 09283147761 Blog: http://absdamahan.wordpress.com
Zamboanga City Water District is inefficient serving consumer public.
Since the El-Nino season up to now rainy season Zamboanga City Water District still inefficient serving the household imagine for almost a year since the summer season my home has not provided enough water supply. What happen to the management of Zamboanga City Water District? Are they capable to run the operation of water concessioners? Or in the midst of mismanagement crisis like the fate of ZAMCELCO in the past months almost felt the same in a financial melt-down.
From this column I calls upon you we need sufficient power and water supplies reach every household within the perimeter homes and including the residence inside post-subdivision area. Light and water are those parts of basic necessities for human lives needs really to be upgraded and improved the quality of service by ZAMCELCO and Water District Concessioners.
Light and water is really the negative disturbing factors for the daily activities and routines of every-one of us living the urban city without the two basic necessities we are not so comport to deal and transact with friends, acquaintances and our contacts.
Pouring of enough resources to Cooperative and the water concessioners would means improving the quality of service for consumers’ public. At least Zamboangenos are not hesitant to pay their bills on due date time.
For comments, reactions and suggestions please e-mail at abs_damahan@yahoo.com or call to tel No. 062-926-9418 or text Cell. No. 09283147761 Blog: http://absdamahan.wordpress.com
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Straight from the Heart
Abs Damahan
Is P.NOY really Pro-people President?
While I am listening to P.Noy first SONA his message is look likely a pro-people president of our republic. But, I am still in doubting in his motives, if he really a pro-poor president. He made mentioned many controversies transactions of the PGMA administration specifically the fast depleted of our national budget, NFA over-stocks of rice are now rotten inside government Warehouses of the Metropolis, The huge budget allocation for the district-II of Pampanga Lubao where GMA got her fresh mandate as elected representative to the House of Representatives and many other issues in that SONA, I should not fully detailed in this articles because of limited space.
Upon reading the transcript of the first SONA of P.NOY was sent to me from a good friend in Manila through email. I think, there are still lacking in the over all summary of the SONA likes: 1. Economic policy, 2. Domestic and Foreign Policy, 3. Land Reform, 4. Workers benefits, 5. Health benefits, 6. Road-map strategies of development under P.Noy Administration, and 7. The very important the alternatives solution of the problems in your SONA message.
Land reform is so important national issue above the rest, would be the number one question mark, and how the sincerity of P.NOY that his administration is pro-poor government is maybe his political adviser mislook to include these long contentious issues between the landlord and the rural farmer’s folks. This is a long decade’s problem of the republic has not given a permanent, genuine, final and lasting solution for our national unity.
The right, center, left and MORO resistance of Mindanao, if you are sincere enough perceive for the first time as clean, boldly and honest president of the republic, there is no reason in six years of your administration One Philippines, perhaps is no longer called sick man in Asia and Banana republic. After your term ended. I shall be called true Pinoy with pride and dignify by our neighbors and the rest of the global community.
Pahabol: Congratulations to Congresswoman Maria Isabelle ‘Beng’ Climaco-Salazar as officially elected Deputy Speaker for Mindanao in the new set-up of 15th Congress.
For comments, reactions and suggestions please e-mail at abs_damahan@yahoo.com or call to tel No. 062-926-9418 or text Cell. No. 09283147761 Blog: http://absdamahan.wordpress.com
Is P.NOY really Pro-people President?
While I am listening to P.Noy first SONA his message is look likely a pro-people president of our republic. But, I am still in doubting in his motives, if he really a pro-poor president. He made mentioned many controversies transactions of the PGMA administration specifically the fast depleted of our national budget, NFA over-stocks of rice are now rotten inside government Warehouses of the Metropolis, The huge budget allocation for the district-II of Pampanga Lubao where GMA got her fresh mandate as elected representative to the House of Representatives and many other issues in that SONA, I should not fully detailed in this articles because of limited space.
Upon reading the transcript of the first SONA of P.NOY was sent to me from a good friend in Manila through email. I think, there are still lacking in the over all summary of the SONA likes: 1. Economic policy, 2. Domestic and Foreign Policy, 3. Land Reform, 4. Workers benefits, 5. Health benefits, 6. Road-map strategies of development under P.Noy Administration, and 7. The very important the alternatives solution of the problems in your SONA message.
Land reform is so important national issue above the rest, would be the number one question mark, and how the sincerity of P.NOY that his administration is pro-poor government is maybe his political adviser mislook to include these long contentious issues between the landlord and the rural farmer’s folks. This is a long decade’s problem of the republic has not given a permanent, genuine, final and lasting solution for our national unity.
The right, center, left and MORO resistance of Mindanao, if you are sincere enough perceive for the first time as clean, boldly and honest president of the republic, there is no reason in six years of your administration One Philippines, perhaps is no longer called sick man in Asia and Banana republic. After your term ended. I shall be called true Pinoy with pride and dignify by our neighbors and the rest of the global community.
Pahabol: Congratulations to Congresswoman Maria Isabelle ‘Beng’ Climaco-Salazar as officially elected Deputy Speaker for Mindanao in the new set-up of 15th Congress.
For comments, reactions and suggestions please e-mail at abs_damahan@yahoo.com or call to tel No. 062-926-9418 or text Cell. No. 09283147761 Blog: http://absdamahan.wordpress.com
Straight from the Heart
Abs Damahan
Dou Philanthropists’ assisted 535 Basilan schoolchildren
Philam Chair Jose Cuisia handed out worth of PhP1.5M pesos checks to PBSP Chair Manuel V. Pangilinan to fund the program of 9th year Aid for Basilan Children or ABC project being implemented by PBSP (Philippine Business for Social Progress) In Basilan Island.
The ABC helps 535 schoolchildren with scholarship assistance, books, and school supplies to prevent them from dropping of school due to poverty and disruption in community life. Aid for Basilan Children Projects assists conflict-affected children in the aftermath of the siege of Lamitan town in 2001.
As I have posted in my facebook account ‘If only not thru education I might be a dreaded commander of the lawless elements of my province-Basilan in the 70s and 80s’. But because of education all my life and family becomes a good citizen of the republic to obey law and order of the state.
I still remember the privilege speech of the late Congressman Wahab M. Akbar in the 14th Congress before he was killed in car-bombed at the ground floor of the Batasan Complex, he said ‘Instead of sending more military troops to my province why not sending more financial aids, more government funds, livelihood assistance and government projects to the LGUs –Basilan’, which I think, this is likely a correct approach and strategies of the national government to resolve a long decades of an internal conflicts that cannot find a genuine, permanent, lasting and peaceful resolution of over 40 years Mindanao conflicts.
For the good deeds of philanthropists’ works of Chair Cuisa and Chair Pangilinan this should sustain not only in Basilan, but the rest provinces of conflict-affected areas in Mindanao and elsewhere provinces of the Philippines who needed most financial assistance for most valued education of the rural children, who cannot afford for higher education. My good friend Armand Dean Nucom has also the same programs for child in the conflict-affected area books launching intended for young’s-armed resistance.
For comments, reactions and suggestions please e-mail at abs_damahan@yahoo.com or call to tel No. 062-926-9418 or text Cell. No. 09283147761 Blog: http://absdamahan.wordpress.com
Dou Philanthropists’ assisted 535 Basilan schoolchildren
Philam Chair Jose Cuisia handed out worth of PhP1.5M pesos checks to PBSP Chair Manuel V. Pangilinan to fund the program of 9th year Aid for Basilan Children or ABC project being implemented by PBSP (Philippine Business for Social Progress) In Basilan Island.
The ABC helps 535 schoolchildren with scholarship assistance, books, and school supplies to prevent them from dropping of school due to poverty and disruption in community life. Aid for Basilan Children Projects assists conflict-affected children in the aftermath of the siege of Lamitan town in 2001.
As I have posted in my facebook account ‘If only not thru education I might be a dreaded commander of the lawless elements of my province-Basilan in the 70s and 80s’. But because of education all my life and family becomes a good citizen of the republic to obey law and order of the state.
I still remember the privilege speech of the late Congressman Wahab M. Akbar in the 14th Congress before he was killed in car-bombed at the ground floor of the Batasan Complex, he said ‘Instead of sending more military troops to my province why not sending more financial aids, more government funds, livelihood assistance and government projects to the LGUs –Basilan’, which I think, this is likely a correct approach and strategies of the national government to resolve a long decades of an internal conflicts that cannot find a genuine, permanent, lasting and peaceful resolution of over 40 years Mindanao conflicts.
For the good deeds of philanthropists’ works of Chair Cuisa and Chair Pangilinan this should sustain not only in Basilan, but the rest provinces of conflict-affected areas in Mindanao and elsewhere provinces of the Philippines who needed most financial assistance for most valued education of the rural children, who cannot afford for higher education. My good friend Armand Dean Nucom has also the same programs for child in the conflict-affected area books launching intended for young’s-armed resistance.
For comments, reactions and suggestions please e-mail at abs_damahan@yahoo.com or call to tel No. 062-926-9418 or text Cell. No. 09283147761 Blog: http://absdamahan.wordpress.com
Monday, July 26, 2010
Straight from the Heart
Abs Damahan
First SONA of P.NOY
Realistic government programs to make sure Aquino administration will not fail in his campaign promises to people in the concluded first automated national election on May 10, 2010. I would expect the first SONA of P.NOY would tempt to tell the nation the true financial conditions of our current national coffers, he would touch the issue of massive grafts and corruptions in our bureaucracy, good governance, transparency, peace and security, development strategy, domestic and foreign policy, social and political and economy.
I am expecting and very optimistic the first SONA would come-up with positive notes delivered by the president. Lay down and setting-up the fundamental structures for a total reform of our government institutions. This will bring about change and renewal of our public governance.
With his pronouncement in the inaugural address ‘Kayo ang boss ko’ you are the boss this would translate he would be a real pro-people president of the republic and should listen to the voice of the people base on strong public opinions under feedbacks mechanism directly relay to him for whatever decisions he made of his administrative duties and functions.
The first SONA of the nation perhaps would not fails 97 millions Pinoy majorities of us would attentively listen to P.Noy for every word and every message he pronounced and delivered today on the joint session of Philippines Senate and House of Representatives in the opening sessions of 15th Congress at 3:00PM at the Batasan Hills, Batasan Complex, Quezon City.
For comments, reactions and suggestions please e-mail at abs_damahan@yahoo.com or call to tel No. 062-926-9418 or text Cell. No. 09283147761 Blog: http://absdamahan.wordpress.com
First SONA of P.NOY
Realistic government programs to make sure Aquino administration will not fail in his campaign promises to people in the concluded first automated national election on May 10, 2010. I would expect the first SONA of P.NOY would tempt to tell the nation the true financial conditions of our current national coffers, he would touch the issue of massive grafts and corruptions in our bureaucracy, good governance, transparency, peace and security, development strategy, domestic and foreign policy, social and political and economy.
I am expecting and very optimistic the first SONA would come-up with positive notes delivered by the president. Lay down and setting-up the fundamental structures for a total reform of our government institutions. This will bring about change and renewal of our public governance.
With his pronouncement in the inaugural address ‘Kayo ang boss ko’ you are the boss this would translate he would be a real pro-people president of the republic and should listen to the voice of the people base on strong public opinions under feedbacks mechanism directly relay to him for whatever decisions he made of his administrative duties and functions.
The first SONA of the nation perhaps would not fails 97 millions Pinoy majorities of us would attentively listen to P.Noy for every word and every message he pronounced and delivered today on the joint session of Philippines Senate and House of Representatives in the opening sessions of 15th Congress at 3:00PM at the Batasan Hills, Batasan Complex, Quezon City.
For comments, reactions and suggestions please e-mail at abs_damahan@yahoo.com or call to tel No. 062-926-9418 or text Cell. No. 09283147761 Blog: http://absdamahan.wordpress.com
Friday, July 23, 2010
Straight from the Heart
Abs Damahan
Philippine Marine Peace Corps General Benjamin Mohammad Dolorfino of Wesmincom
In every body preaching peace through out Mindanao regions I think there is no reason without achieving peaceful transition towards genuine peaceful co-existence living side-by-side in one home of over 40 years of Mindanao conflicts under the banner headlines ‘PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT AGENDA’.
The good General has started in Basilan-Dolorfino sets United Front for Peace, Development and Security in Basilan for the full implementation of E.O. 773 creating the Provincial Internal Security Coordinating Center (PISCC).
There are points is so relevant in the quest for Basilan peace agenda, the role of the armed forces, the role of the local government and the role of the people. If you try to analyze in a broader terms for a wider scopes, it sounds this is the real government could change into meaningful genuine reform of public governance that majority are incline to be a part of government institutions. But the question To Whom It May Concern general, the monthly billions of the Internal Revenue Allotments (IRA) for the whole province of LGUs-Basilan where it goes? Are the people benefited from it? And how it implemented and delivered to the stakeholders? By this column I need a point of clarification, so that genuine peace is achievable to my beloved province once I served with utmost dedicated service boldly and honestly with out too much benefiting from it for my personal gain.
The purpose of this column, I wanted a genuine transformation towards boldly and honest reform and renewal for Basilan LGUs. I call it a ‘government of performance’.
Another problem could hamper peace effort of the province, the rampant of the loose fire arms in the province in the hands of an unauthorized authority meaning in civilians hand government should be seriously enough to re-study how to control loose fire arms all over the Philippines. This is considering a menace problem of the national government if not control the continued ploorification of loose fire arms into the civilian hands.
For comments, reactions and suggestions please e-mail at abs_damahan@yahoo.com or call to tel No. 062-926-9418 or text Cell. No. 09283147761 Blog: http://absdamahan.wordpress.com
Philippine Marine Peace Corps General Benjamin Mohammad Dolorfino of Wesmincom
In every body preaching peace through out Mindanao regions I think there is no reason without achieving peaceful transition towards genuine peaceful co-existence living side-by-side in one home of over 40 years of Mindanao conflicts under the banner headlines ‘PEACE AND DEVELOPMENT AGENDA’.
The good General has started in Basilan-Dolorfino sets United Front for Peace, Development and Security in Basilan for the full implementation of E.O. 773 creating the Provincial Internal Security Coordinating Center (PISCC).
There are points is so relevant in the quest for Basilan peace agenda, the role of the armed forces, the role of the local government and the role of the people. If you try to analyze in a broader terms for a wider scopes, it sounds this is the real government could change into meaningful genuine reform of public governance that majority are incline to be a part of government institutions. But the question To Whom It May Concern general, the monthly billions of the Internal Revenue Allotments (IRA) for the whole province of LGUs-Basilan where it goes? Are the people benefited from it? And how it implemented and delivered to the stakeholders? By this column I need a point of clarification, so that genuine peace is achievable to my beloved province once I served with utmost dedicated service boldly and honestly with out too much benefiting from it for my personal gain.
The purpose of this column, I wanted a genuine transformation towards boldly and honest reform and renewal for Basilan LGUs. I call it a ‘government of performance’.
Another problem could hamper peace effort of the province, the rampant of the loose fire arms in the province in the hands of an unauthorized authority meaning in civilians hand government should be seriously enough to re-study how to control loose fire arms all over the Philippines. This is considering a menace problem of the national government if not control the continued ploorification of loose fire arms into the civilian hands.
For comments, reactions and suggestions please e-mail at abs_damahan@yahoo.com or call to tel No. 062-926-9418 or text Cell. No. 09283147761 Blog: http://absdamahan.wordpress.com
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Straight from the Heart
Abs Damahan
Combines plateless motorist with the rampant of loose fire arms is really a dangerous city.
News report of Zambopen Journal Lhesy Monroy issued on July 17, 2010 is alarming for our Asia’s Latin City. Imagine Zamboanga City has a total 5,000 Motorcycles ferrying the city proper without carrying Plate Nos. for God sake dirty minds with dirty hearts can be an easy prey for criminal activities. No wonders the crime rate of Zamboanga City is increasing by 10% according to the City PNP Desk reports.
My question to Land Transportation Office (LTO) of the City and Region-IX, why this allow to happens for so long period of times? From this column urging the newly appointed Department Secretary of Transportation and Communication Ping de Jesus must look into this kind of plate shortages for Western Mindanao. According to LTO-9 Zamboanga Peninsula has a total of 7,000 motorists are plate less.
This is not normal proportion when you analyzed the whole data of national crimes statistic more often victims killed and wounded mostly from the Motorcycle riding men dou (Angkas) assassin.
Data presented by our City Police Director Edwin de Ocampo during the National Ulama Conference of the Philippines on July 17, 2010 at Amil’s Tower involving 69 shooting incidents with 42 dead and 27 wounded is an alarming proportion for whole of residents of Zamboanga City. Some resident of the City even afraid to go out from their homes because of these killing incidents.
With the abnormality of peace and order situation of Zamboanga City PNP crime prevention need to improve, must have security measures and full implementation of law and order. Stop all this kind of atrocities peace should be reign in our heart and mind condemn all those motives of violence that would create division between Christians and Muslims from the permanent residents of Zamboanga City.
For comments, reactions and suggestions please e-mail at abs_damahan@yahoo.com or call to tel No. 062-926-9418 or text Cell. No. 09283147761 Blog: http://absdamahan.wordpress.com
Combines plateless motorist with the rampant of loose fire arms is really a dangerous city.
News report of Zambopen Journal Lhesy Monroy issued on July 17, 2010 is alarming for our Asia’s Latin City. Imagine Zamboanga City has a total 5,000 Motorcycles ferrying the city proper without carrying Plate Nos. for God sake dirty minds with dirty hearts can be an easy prey for criminal activities. No wonders the crime rate of Zamboanga City is increasing by 10% according to the City PNP Desk reports.
My question to Land Transportation Office (LTO) of the City and Region-IX, why this allow to happens for so long period of times? From this column urging the newly appointed Department Secretary of Transportation and Communication Ping de Jesus must look into this kind of plate shortages for Western Mindanao. According to LTO-9 Zamboanga Peninsula has a total of 7,000 motorists are plate less.
This is not normal proportion when you analyzed the whole data of national crimes statistic more often victims killed and wounded mostly from the Motorcycle riding men dou (Angkas) assassin.
Data presented by our City Police Director Edwin de Ocampo during the National Ulama Conference of the Philippines on July 17, 2010 at Amil’s Tower involving 69 shooting incidents with 42 dead and 27 wounded is an alarming proportion for whole of residents of Zamboanga City. Some resident of the City even afraid to go out from their homes because of these killing incidents.
With the abnormality of peace and order situation of Zamboanga City PNP crime prevention need to improve, must have security measures and full implementation of law and order. Stop all this kind of atrocities peace should be reign in our heart and mind condemn all those motives of violence that would create division between Christians and Muslims from the permanent residents of Zamboanga City.
For comments, reactions and suggestions please e-mail at abs_damahan@yahoo.com or call to tel No. 062-926-9418 or text Cell. No. 09283147761 Blog: http://absdamahan.wordpress.com
Friday, July 16, 2010
Straight from the Heart
Abs Damahan
National Ulama Conference of the Philippines
ZamBaSulta Region
With their Theme: Multi-Stakeholders Consultation Meetings “Finding Common Ground for Peace, is our Religious Duty”. In more than one year’s internal community conflicts affecting three Barangays: Arena Blanco, Mampang and Talon-Talon I am not fully convinced on the part of Local Government Units (LGUs) and the Police authority are in control of the situation per police presentation data matrix reports of 69 shootings incidents with 42 dead and 27 wounded is a complete laxity security measures by our local authority of Zamboanga City. By mere the essence of time and the prolong lapses of days, months and over one year of family feuds this really contribute to aggravate the peace and order situation of these three barangays and including the whole of Zamboanga City proper.
In my long years of experienced helping global community of short and concise write-up for conflicts Resolution, City Peace and Order Council and Police authority is out of control in handling, maintaining and containing this family feuds (RIDO) or whatever conflicts we may attributes of this non-stop killings spree. In reality, we must admitted, this really create fears and havoc for the peace loving people of Zamboanga City
By the impact of rural migration caused of over 40 years Mindanao conflicts Zamboanga City is the only city part of Western Mindanao is becomes the center point of rural migrant destination from the adjacent affected conflict area provinces likes: Basilan, Tawi-Tawi and Jolo Sulu from the time of the declaration of Martial Law in the 70s. Multi-Tribes of Tausog, Sama and Yakan many of us becomes a permanent residents of Zamboanga City in almost all barangays of the city and post subdivisions developed in Kilometer radius within the city.
In summary after the open forum every-body agreed by all multi-sectoral group who are participated from the religious point of view and perspective, Local Authority, Philippines National Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Non-Government Organization (NGOs) Peace Advocates, Civil Society and the Media Organization concluded with the declaration to be adopted by the National Ulama Conference of the Philippines (NUCP) ‘That this Local Conflicts is a not a Religious Conflicts’.
For comments, reactions and suggestions please e-mail at abs_damahan@yahoo.com or call to tel No. 062-926-9418 or text Cell. No. 09283147761 Blog: http://absdamahan.wordpress.com
National Ulama Conference of the Philippines
ZamBaSulta Region
With their Theme: Multi-Stakeholders Consultation Meetings “Finding Common Ground for Peace, is our Religious Duty”. In more than one year’s internal community conflicts affecting three Barangays: Arena Blanco, Mampang and Talon-Talon I am not fully convinced on the part of Local Government Units (LGUs) and the Police authority are in control of the situation per police presentation data matrix reports of 69 shootings incidents with 42 dead and 27 wounded is a complete laxity security measures by our local authority of Zamboanga City. By mere the essence of time and the prolong lapses of days, months and over one year of family feuds this really contribute to aggravate the peace and order situation of these three barangays and including the whole of Zamboanga City proper.
In my long years of experienced helping global community of short and concise write-up for conflicts Resolution, City Peace and Order Council and Police authority is out of control in handling, maintaining and containing this family feuds (RIDO) or whatever conflicts we may attributes of this non-stop killings spree. In reality, we must admitted, this really create fears and havoc for the peace loving people of Zamboanga City
By the impact of rural migration caused of over 40 years Mindanao conflicts Zamboanga City is the only city part of Western Mindanao is becomes the center point of rural migrant destination from the adjacent affected conflict area provinces likes: Basilan, Tawi-Tawi and Jolo Sulu from the time of the declaration of Martial Law in the 70s. Multi-Tribes of Tausog, Sama and Yakan many of us becomes a permanent residents of Zamboanga City in almost all barangays of the city and post subdivisions developed in Kilometer radius within the city.
In summary after the open forum every-body agreed by all multi-sectoral group who are participated from the religious point of view and perspective, Local Authority, Philippines National Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Non-Government Organization (NGOs) Peace Advocates, Civil Society and the Media Organization concluded with the declaration to be adopted by the National Ulama Conference of the Philippines (NUCP) ‘That this Local Conflicts is a not a Religious Conflicts’.
For comments, reactions and suggestions please e-mail at abs_damahan@yahoo.com or call to tel No. 062-926-9418 or text Cell. No. 09283147761 Blog: http://absdamahan.wordpress.com
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Straight from the Heart
Abs Damahan
Is Zamboanga City breaking down of Peace and Order?
One foreigner asked me in my Facebook thread- how Zamboanga City is safe for travel? I answered him frank and candidly with true reality of Zamboanga City now, I said, Zamboanga City is not safe place for tourist travel and visiting. In fact we are a dangerous place part Western Mindanao in wave and series kidnapping cases and break down for almost daily shootings incidence of Three (3) Barangays: Manpang, Arena Blanco and Talon-Talon. After so many exchanged of threads and postings with foreigner one or three members of fb joined our group I should not names them in this column inter-act with harshly words question me, why I should destroyed the image of Zamboanga City. I said no, I should tell the whole world boldly and honestly what really transpired and real happening of the Asia’s Latin City so that foreign tourists who visited us be aware on our present situation particular Zamboanga City and adjacent provinces of Western Mindanao- Basilan, Tawi-Tawi and Jolo Sulu.
Broad day-light shooting at the back of City Hall and ambuscades in the main thoroughfare streets of Zamboanga City I think Zamboanga City is not a safety place to live from both foreign visitors and local residents who stayed in post barangays and post subdivisions of the only Asia’s Latin City.
With the rampant of loose Fire-Arms in the hands of the un-authorized civilians reside in the city. Naturally, common crimes will surely rise un-curved by the police authority liked what happen now in Barangay Mampang police authority is out of control for the non-stop family feud killings spree between the alleged Estrada family and Amping clan continued to create fears and havoc to the majority peaceful residence of that area. City Local officials, the City Peace and Order Council, the City Crisis Management Committee and the Police Authority too much in laxity for handling this on-going family feuds. The City Ordinance and the State Gun control laws if any must be reviewed, if not I will calls for urgency of the City Council must pass law for the measures to regulate civilians who possessed guns.
For comments, reactions and suggestions please e-mail at abs_damahan@yahoo.com or call to tel No. 062-926-9418 or text Cell. No. 09283147761 Blog: http://absdamahan.wordpress.com
Is Zamboanga City breaking down of Peace and Order?
One foreigner asked me in my Facebook thread- how Zamboanga City is safe for travel? I answered him frank and candidly with true reality of Zamboanga City now, I said, Zamboanga City is not safe place for tourist travel and visiting. In fact we are a dangerous place part Western Mindanao in wave and series kidnapping cases and break down for almost daily shootings incidence of Three (3) Barangays: Manpang, Arena Blanco and Talon-Talon. After so many exchanged of threads and postings with foreigner one or three members of fb joined our group I should not names them in this column inter-act with harshly words question me, why I should destroyed the image of Zamboanga City. I said no, I should tell the whole world boldly and honestly what really transpired and real happening of the Asia’s Latin City so that foreign tourists who visited us be aware on our present situation particular Zamboanga City and adjacent provinces of Western Mindanao- Basilan, Tawi-Tawi and Jolo Sulu.
Broad day-light shooting at the back of City Hall and ambuscades in the main thoroughfare streets of Zamboanga City I think Zamboanga City is not a safety place to live from both foreign visitors and local residents who stayed in post barangays and post subdivisions of the only Asia’s Latin City.
With the rampant of loose Fire-Arms in the hands of the un-authorized civilians reside in the city. Naturally, common crimes will surely rise un-curved by the police authority liked what happen now in Barangay Mampang police authority is out of control for the non-stop family feud killings spree between the alleged Estrada family and Amping clan continued to create fears and havoc to the majority peaceful residence of that area. City Local officials, the City Peace and Order Council, the City Crisis Management Committee and the Police Authority too much in laxity for handling this on-going family feuds. The City Ordinance and the State Gun control laws if any must be reviewed, if not I will calls for urgency of the City Council must pass law for the measures to regulate civilians who possessed guns.
For comments, reactions and suggestions please e-mail at abs_damahan@yahoo.com or call to tel No. 062-926-9418 or text Cell. No. 09283147761 Blog: http://absdamahan.wordpress.com
Monday, July 12, 2010
Straight from the Heart
Abs Damahan
Is ZAMCELCO going for bankruptcy?
After reading the Financial Reports of ZAMCELCO for the year 2009, the accumulated deficit or losses amounting to P 100,789,943 and their combined huge loan for almost billion of pesos to banks, creditors and suppliers. As member and consumer of the electric cooperative I have the privilege rights to question the top level management of the cooperative even in my column. How the Head Departments does can purchase luxury cars-KIA- when in fact the Cooperative Financial standing position is in heavy losses? The reason why I should question Zamcelco because rendered of bad services to consumers public and frequent black-out in the past months and up- to the present two hours interrupted brown-out in also daily basis.
So therefore, direct to the point, who are behind the mess if any responsible officials for the mishandling of the Cooperative funds? This query needs an upfront response from the Finance Officers of the Cooperative with the details figures explanation to make clear for the public consumption.
Going back to luxury cars I think, this is not the time for the Head Departments to acquire those cars even the mode of loan packages by the Financing firm, still consider heavy burden for the Cooperatives and the member consumers of the Cooperative. In simple layman term, it’s really affects the financial capability of Zamcelco finance’s operation. As a matter of fact Zamboanga City experienced power shortages for the past couple months.
For GM Reinerio Ramos I don’t mean to hurt you, but an advice for the benefits of all, light and water are basic services part for human lives, this is for our comport, we needs an excellence, appropriate and efficient service from Zamcelco. Find ways to improve and rehab Zamcelco operations it’s really a trouble for the household family with-out sufficient power supplies to every residence of Zamboanga City.
For comments, reactions and suggestions please e-mail at abs_damahan@yahoo.com or call to tel No. 062-926-9418 or text Cell. No. 09283147761 Blog: http://absdamahan.wordpress.com
Is ZAMCELCO going for bankruptcy?
After reading the Financial Reports of ZAMCELCO for the year 2009, the accumulated deficit or losses amounting to P 100,789,943 and their combined huge loan for almost billion of pesos to banks, creditors and suppliers. As member and consumer of the electric cooperative I have the privilege rights to question the top level management of the cooperative even in my column. How the Head Departments does can purchase luxury cars-KIA- when in fact the Cooperative Financial standing position is in heavy losses? The reason why I should question Zamcelco because rendered of bad services to consumers public and frequent black-out in the past months and up- to the present two hours interrupted brown-out in also daily basis.
So therefore, direct to the point, who are behind the mess if any responsible officials for the mishandling of the Cooperative funds? This query needs an upfront response from the Finance Officers of the Cooperative with the details figures explanation to make clear for the public consumption.
Going back to luxury cars I think, this is not the time for the Head Departments to acquire those cars even the mode of loan packages by the Financing firm, still consider heavy burden for the Cooperatives and the member consumers of the Cooperative. In simple layman term, it’s really affects the financial capability of Zamcelco finance’s operation. As a matter of fact Zamboanga City experienced power shortages for the past couple months.
For GM Reinerio Ramos I don’t mean to hurt you, but an advice for the benefits of all, light and water are basic services part for human lives, this is for our comport, we needs an excellence, appropriate and efficient service from Zamcelco. Find ways to improve and rehab Zamcelco operations it’s really a trouble for the household family with-out sufficient power supplies to every residence of Zamboanga City.
For comments, reactions and suggestions please e-mail at abs_damahan@yahoo.com or call to tel No. 062-926-9418 or text Cell. No. 09283147761 Blog: http://absdamahan.wordpress.com
Friday, July 9, 2010
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