LEDAC result

The 2nd LEDAC meeting called by President Aquino in Malacañang Monday with leaders of Congress produced the following results:

1. Of the 13 bills given priority, the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill was still not included;

2. The Reproductive Health (RH) bill was included but renamed Responsible Parenthood Bill;

3. There was no consensus on the Enrile-Belmonte proposal to amend the economic provisions of the Constitution; Why?

4. A bill restructuring the sin tax on tobacco and liquor products was prioritized; Good.

5. Also included was an Act Protecting Personal Data in Information and Communication Systems;

6. A consumer protection bill.

The debate over the proposed Cha-cha on economic provisions has started. Advocates are led by Misamis Occidental Rep. Loreto Leo Ocampos, Majority Floorleader Boyet Gonzales and Ang Kasangga Party-list Rep. Ted Haresco. Arguing against is Gabriela Party list Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan.

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BREAKDOWN (3). . . The ambush of the convoy of Maguindanao Governor Toto Mangudadatu in Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat with Provincial Board Member Datu Rossman Sinsuat and one other dead and six wounded confirms once again the breakdown of peace and order in the country.

Our fellow columnist Domini M. Torrevillas reported that there have been 44 murders and homicide in once peaceful Dumaguete City in 2010-2011 with the latest, the brazen murder of lawyer Archer Martinez, IBP vice president, shot dead right inside his law office.

Another lawyer, Leonardo Jimenez Jr. was shot dead inside his house in Aguilar, Pangasinan.

In Nueva Viscaya, Arlene Fernandez, budget officer of the Nueva Viscaya State University was killed by suspected gun for hire assassins as she rode a tricycle on the way to her office.

In Tanauan City, market vendor Marilyn Napa, 45 and son Jobel, 20, were shot dead by a lone gunman inside the city public market.

Erwin Perez, 31, was killed and Joel Moreno, 17 was seriously wounded when three gunmen fired at them at Batasan Hills, QC.

Carjacking continues unabated in Metro Manila with Alexander Quinto and wife, Jayme Rose losing a 2010 Montero Sport with a laptop inside to a carjacker near their house in Caloocan City.

The carjack/murder suspects of Venson Evangelista, Emerson Lozano and Teresita Teaño have not been arrested causing the PNP Highway Patrol Group to offer a P1l-million reward.

Pablito Reyes, 23, a vendor was shot dead near his house in Baras, Rizal.

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KOKO BEGINS WORKING . . . Senator Koko Pimentel started working as Senator, Monday. In his initial statements, he bared a program of proposing electoral reforms, strenghtening of local governments and OFW concerns.

Sen. Koko Pimentel is a No. 1 bar topnotcher, a practicing lawyer and has demonstrated his eloquence. We predict that he will be an effective lawmaker. We hope he will join the ranks of fiscalizers in the upper chamber like Sen. Joker Arroyo.

The committees chaired by former Senator Migz Zubiri should be given to Koko.

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INCREDIBLE . . . Rep. Iggy Arroyo has again come forward to claim that he, not his brother Mike leased the five Robinson helicopters from Lion Air, Inc. As they say in show business, “bumenta na yan”, since Iggy came forward before that he was Jose Pidal, not Mike, who had bank accounts in San Francisco.

The bottom line question: who owns the five choppers, Archibald Po of Lion Air or FG Mike Arroyo. The five choppers cost $1,565,395 or roughly P86 million. FG Mike Arroyo can certainly afford that. Archibald Po or Lion Air does not have that much money.

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1,910 MISSING CONTAINERS . . . Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas has revealed a report that at least half of the 2,000 missing containers smuggled out of the Port of Manila and Manila International Container Port (MICP) were delivered to a Puregold warehouse, the retail chain owned by Lucio Co, a name prominent in Customs for the last 30 years. For such a gigantic importation, certainly Lucio Co has the financial capacity to fund the project. Puregold has come out with newspaper ads denying the same.

Chinatown observers say that Lucio Co is now almost as rich as Lucio Tan. Lucio Co is well connected to the Aquino Administration with his close friend Odette Ong now a Presidential Assistant in Malacañang.

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MORE QUESTIONS ON CCT. One disturbing report: gambling lords who have personnel taking bets in the barangays are advancing cash to CCT recipients at a 10-20 percent discount – 20 percent of P21.2 billion is P4.24 billion. That’s easy profit. How do you prevent this? Again, you need a lot of personnel to make sure the CCT funds do not go to the pockets of 5/6 operators or jueteng lords.

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TIDBITS . . . Dengue cases have doubled in Metro Manila, especially Quezon City, Manila, Malabon, Valenzuela, Muntinlupa and Rizal. A state of calamity has been declared in Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte and La Union. The DOH looks helpless.

DFA has advised 17,000 OFWs in Syria to leave. 90 percent of them are domestic helpers.

President Arroyo got an advance of almost P100 million from the Presidential Social Fund one month before she stepped down on June 30. On June 29th, five foreign mining companies’ application were also approved.

Tourism Sec. Alberto Lim now admits that there is a “different culture” in government service from that in the private sector.

The Philippines wants Hong Kong to lift its travel ban to the Philippines. But after the Aug. 23, 2010 Luneta hostage fiasco, Malacañang promised compensation for the victims. Up to now, no compensation has been paid.

Greetings to retired RTC Judge Zosimo Escaño of Parañaque, stockbroker Peter Roxas and son, Joey Roxas.

Also to hardworking Congresswomen Susan Yap, who authored the bill prohibiting corporal punishment for children, Marilyn P. Agabas, Gina de Venecia and Kimi Cojuangco.