The 10-day caesura in Congress might just be the blessing this country needs at the moment. With all the elemental problems in Congress still hanging by a thread, the Davide impeachment, according to our ear-spies, is a problem a majority of the public would rather do without, especially during election season. Not because they are taking sides, mind you, but because it’s giving the impression that some members of the civilian leadership are screwing up the country for the sake of partisan interests.
Our ear-spies overheard that some radical members of the armed forces are intensely monitoring the outcome of the Davide case, looking for holes and hints of power struggles within. Rumor has it that if another People Power takes place, some radicals in fatigues will be forced to take power if only to arrest another attempt at anarchy. For some sectors of society, it seems People Power has lost the blessing of Davide, transforming itself through the years as an uncontrollable and ungodly Goliath.
This congressman from the south, a known advocate of tobacco interests, allegedly bellowed that any additional budget increase for military modernization is a "waste of precious resources." Considering that the peace and order condition is one of the main complaints of foreign investors and local residents, the usually sensible congressman should probably reconsider getting a new batch of advisers. According to our ear-spies, he could’ve been more creative if he tried to find a way to utilize part of the tobacco revenues to finance the AFP’s badly-delayed modernization program. That way, he keeps everybody happy. That means tobacco farmers, soldiers, smokers, and the people in general. RP has one of the lowest defense budgets in the region, and since there’s a direct correlation between defense spending and foreign investments, it would be wise to find every possible way to improve our arsenal against terrorism and criminality. Perhaps, the congressman’s son, who’s a banker, could give his father a lesson or two in political economy.
Speaking of defense modernization, at least, Secretary Eduardo Ermita is doing something to improve the performance of the Defense Department. His first step? Hold a procession in and around the Defense Department Building and get a geomancer to lead it. At best, the feng shui resulted in some furniture changes in the office of the Secretary. All in all, the geomancer’s assessment is that the spirit of divisiveness and confusion pervades in the building, and if any changes were to be expected, unity must first take a foothold in the Department. Sad part is, the defense staff was hoping to hear something new.
| Legislative Trysts At Connecticut |
Annapolis Whilshire residents are going ga-ga over legislative trysts in their Connecticut Street building. According to the residents, one congressman regularly visits his independently wealthy paramour who maintains a unit there. Our ear-spies also overheard that a well-known senator, who allegedly maintains two units, also frequents the place – one as an office, the other allegedly as a love nest. According to our ear-spies, some unit owners are saying that this solon just can’t stray from doing his supposed shenanigans near his alma mater, La Salle Greenhills. Word that’s going around is that this solon allegedly swiped a jewelry set from his wife and gave it as a love token to his inamorata. The world certainly makes way for a man who knows what he wants and where he wants to go. In this case, possible political extinction.
If for humans life begins at 40, for ships, it ends at 15. At least, this is what the Marina Memorandum Circular No. 25-D or so-called Revised Age and Tonnage Limitations and Classification Requirement of Various Vessel Type for Inter-island Use memo says. Notwithstanding the rule, still the Marina Industry Authority allegedly granted pioneer status to this very old vessel, the M/V Manila Bay, giving it such privileges as "protection of investment (i.e. moratorium on the entry of new operator) and deregulated rates." According to our ear-spies, the 30-year-old vessel should not have been given "floating rights" in the first place because it runs counter to a number of memoranda of the MIA. As such, a number of key players in the maritime industry are raising an uproar because of this decision. Our ear-spies overheard some industry players will move heaven and earth – perhaps even the sea – to get to the bottom of this allegedly shady deal.
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