Miriam attack on JPE sad waste of privilege

HOW LOW?: Spewing fire just five meters from her target, Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago yesterday challenged Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile to a televised debate on some old issues, including the pork barrel plunder complaint against him.

Enrile just busied himself playing on his mini-tablet, generally ignoring Santiago’s accusation that he is the mastermind in the hijacking of P10-billion in pork barrel funds.

Standing briefly by way of response after Santiago left the chamber, Enrile said the records on the issues are open to the public. Let the people be the judge, he said.

With no evidence offered and with the charges generally ignored by the accused, it looked like an inconclusive non-battle on the floor. How the public watching in the gallery, on TV and the Internet is another thing.

But many taxpayers cannot help deploring how gutter-low senators could go while hiding under cover of parliamentary immunity.

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REHAB PRIORITY: Judging from the initial statements of former senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, the incoming post-Yolanda rehabilitation czar seems to be focused on preventing misuse of reconstruction funds and catching the crooks who had hijacked relief goods and donations.

We still have to see the executive order defining Lacson’s duties in relation to the total rebuilding efforts, but we believe it should recognize that rehab’s priority should be more constructive than punitive.

We understand the catch ‘em obsession of the former national police chief as, we assume, his direction runs along the straight path drawn by President Noynoy Aquino.

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SHOW THE PLAN: The urgent task at hand is to rebuild people’s lives and restart livelihoods fast. Then follow the staggering demands of physically reconstructing communities.

Only after having attended to that, we think, can the rehab czar give free rein to his police instincts and run after the crooks.

The long arm of the law will soon catch the thieves sooner or later anyway. But the needs of the sick and hungry children, the displaced families and entire communities praying for reconstruction cannot wait.

Lacson should lose no time spreading before the Yolanda victims, fund donors and the public his grand reconstruction plan, if any.

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WHY HESITANT?: Relief work can be continued by the social welfare department while anomalies can be investigated by the Commission on Audit and the police and investigative agencies already on the job.

That is, if Lacson will be the rehab czar as advertised.

If his assignment is mainly to expose and prosecute the crooks, which seems to be his obsession and direction, he should be appointed anti-corruption czar instead.

Why is President Aquino hesitant to unleash Lacson on the big-time crooks in his administration?

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ANOTHER PING: President Aquino may want to reconsider the appointment of Lacson and give the assignment to reconstruct and rehabilitate the ravaged area to another Ping.

With due respect to Lacson, a no-nonsense upright man, there are other managers who might be better prepared.

One such possibility is Ping de Jesus, who was in the Cabinet of then President Cory Aquino as secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways when Mt. Pinatubo erupted in 1991.

De Jesus introduced innovative engineering intervention, including “sabo” dams, to slow down the flow of lahar belched out by Pinatubo.

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DIVISION OF LABOR: Typhoon Yolanda slammed the Visayas for a day. Pinatubo’s deadly lahar surged day after day, burying people and structures, erasing from the map entire communities. The steaming flows eased only after 10 years.

De Jesus is not only honest. He is a tested big-ticket professional manager, serving as chef executive of such giants as the Manila North Tollways Corp. and the Manila Electric Co. before President Noynoy Aquino himself tapped him for the DoTC.

The two Pings can divide the work: Lacson going after the crooks, while De Jesus attending to post-Yolanda rehab.

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REPLACEMENTS: With the resignation of Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon after complaints were filed against him for malversation, direct bribery, graft and corrupt practices, the guessing game on his replacement has heated up.

We have seen no less than six names as likely successor. Most of them are old hands at Customs, but one outsider being mentioned in media seems to enjoy the advantages of closeness to the appointing power and familiarity with the Customs maze.

He is the younger brother of an airport official and a cousin of the President. He was in charge of Aquino’s security when he was still Tarlac congressman. When the boss went to the gun shop or the firing range, this aide arranged it.

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MEDIA NOTES: What do these individuals have in common — Abner San Pedro, Cris Icban, DY Caparas, Dik Pascual, Ed Aguilar, Felix Garcia, Fred de la Rosa, Fred Roxas, Fred Sangil, Jake Espino, Lino Sanchez, Max Sangil, Ner Dayrit, Ram Mercado, Rizal Policarpio, and Willie Capulong?

Each of them is at least 70 years old, has devoted no less than 40 of those years to media work, has made significant contributions to the uplift of their community, and is a Capampangan.

They were honored last Monday at the capitolio in San Fernando in a simple recognition program presided over by Pampanga Gov. Lilia G. Pineda.

Incidentally, what is the difference between a Capampangan and a Pampangueño? Director Robbie Tantingco of the JD Nepomuceno cultural/historical research center of Holy Angel University may disagree, but to me Pampangueños are all men of goodwill who reside in Pampanga, while Capampangans are those who — regardless of their parentage or where they live/work — carry the core Capampangan values and can converse in the Capampangan language.

Notice to CAMI members and guests: The traditional fellowship party of the nine-year-old Capampangan in Media Inc. will be held 11 a.m.-2 p.m. tomorrow at the Cherry Blossoms hotel at 550 Jorge Bocobo Ext., Ermita, Manila.

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