Brain drain

Four Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) weather forecasters have resigned, bringing to 33 weather personnel who left for jobs abroad.

Part of their complaint — their hazard pay is 6 months delayed.

Four Air Traffic Control Officers (ATCOs) have also resigned to accept jobs in the Middle East.

Teachers of Math and English are leaving for jobs in the United States (US) and United Kingdom (UK). Teachers are restless because they are getting a low monthly salary pay of P18,000. Teachers are seeking for a monthly increase to P25,000. Doctors and engineers are also leaving.

President Aquino passed the buck to Congress to grant salary increases because prices of prime commodities, gasoline, electricity, and water bills have gone up. There is a good basis to ask for salary increase for government employees/professionals.

The ordinary government professional has noticed that government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCC) and government financial institutions (GFI) executives are receiving millions in bonuses and allowances.

President Aquino must press for salary increases of public school teachers and government employees. Job order and casual employees get as low as P250/day. Volunteer teachers are getting only P6,000/month.

Big shortage

Leyte local government officials continue to complain that they need 6,000 more classrooms to be built.

Bohol officials say they need 1,000 classrooms. The same with Zamboanga City.

Department of Education (DepEd) officials admit they need 66,000 more schoolrooms.

Congress must attend to this problem. The Constitution provides for highest priority to education.

DepEd is also short of teachers, school desks and instructional materials.

Napoles to return commissions

The lawyer of Janet Lim-Napoles said she is willing to return the commissions she received from her Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) transactions.

How much? 30% of the P10 billion? It is at least P3 billion. Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales should take note of this Napoles offer. But it must be a reasonable amount, not the small amount of P40 million returned by Ruby Tuason, and the P120 million returned by General Carlos Garcia.  

Even Benhur Luy must return the commissions he received.

Top-performing officials

As 2014 comes to a June ending, the following are the top-performing officials:

1. Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Albert del Rosario

2. Vice President and Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) Chair Jejomar “Jojo” Binay

3. Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Francis Tolentino

4. Education (DepEd) Secretary Armin Luistro

5. Justice Secretary Leila de Lima

6. Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Rogelio Singson

7. Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez

8. Press Secretary Herminio Coloma

9. Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) President Robert Vergara

10. Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada

Abby denies white paper

Three-term Makati Rep. Mar-Len Abigail Binay- Campos denied the charges mentioned in the “white paper,” claiming she had misused her pork barrel funds in 2007-2009.

She stated that it was one of the smear operations against her father; and by a group holding office at Bonifacio Global City that was funded by 2 brothers who have interests in politics and mining. She also claimed the people whom she had considered as friends and colleagues who have their own personal agenda have been attacking her family to demolish her father’s presidential candidacy in 2016.

In a statement by United Nationalist Alliance secretary general Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco, the said smear campaign appears to have been perpetrated by political rival of the Vice President Binay who is apparently leading in the presidential race.

Press Secretary Herminio Coloma, nonetheless, denied that Aquino or his Liberal Party (LP) mates had anything to do with the demolition campaign against the Binays. Coloma also claimed ignorance over a report that the tripartite Interagency Anti-Graft Coordinating Council (IAGCC) had been doing, in discreet, an investigation on the pork barrel disbursement of Rep. Binay in Makati.

Rep. Binay pointed out that she was not a member of Congress in May 2007, and no elections were held in 2008-2009 that would require undertaking of their political allegations. In addition, she said that her PDAF allocations could never reach P340 million as declared in the white paper that can be diverted by or used for her father’s benefit.

Rep. Tiangco said the so-called “investigative report” is devoid of any material evidence, and facts were deliberately twisted to make the story appear credible.

Miriam quits ICC

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago has resigned her post as judge of the International Criminal Court (ICC) due to poor health. She is suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome.

 Santiago, however, will still support the procedures of the Assembly of State Parties this year, so that a replacement judge can be duly elected.

No recall

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Sixto Brillantes would have to thumb down their Constitutional duty to execute any recall petitions this year, for the governorship of Bulacan and Palawan, due to lack of funds. Brillantes is asking for P321 million to cover the recalls in 2015.

The recall petition can be entertained only before May 2015 or one year before the 2016 elections.

Call for Abad’s resignation

Calls are mounting for the resignation of Department of Budget and Management (DBM) Secretary Butch Abad.

Abad was included in the latest Napoles affidavit by alleged scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles in her list of politicians who had allegedly transacted with her involving their Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).

Napoles, in her expanded affidavit, alleged that Abad, while he was Batanes representative, was the one who had taught her the ins and outs of the bureaucracy in order to cash in on projects.

He has also been criticized for having 11 relatives in government.