Merry Christmas to all

We wish all our readers and friends a ‘Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.’ It is a beautiful tradition for families to hold reunions this season. And no matter how poor, we exchange Christmas gifts as we eat and partake of the Christmas dinner our mothers have prepared for us.

We feel grateful that we are finishing the year healthy and alive. Let us thank the Lord for all the blessings He has showered on us, as we look forward to a better life in the New Year.

Political ceasefire

Vice President Jejomar Binay has called for a suspension of political attacks and critical comments during the holidays.

President Benigno Aquino III has declared a 12-day holiday ceasefire with communist rebels, starting Dec. 23 until Jan. 3, 2016. The ceasefire will allow forces to hold mass assemblies and public demonstrations to mark Communist Party of the Philippines’ 47th anniversary.

Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has promised to tone down his language.

Meanwhile, relief operations to help victims of Typhoon Nona are in full speed. The government has provided P56.2 million in assistance to those affected by Typhoon Nona. Funds were distributed to victims in Cagayan Valley, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol and Central Visayas.

National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported 45 dead, and P2 billion in damage was caused by Nona.

The NDRRMC has prepared an estimated P674 million as standby funds, P111.5 million worth of food and non-food items and more than 204,000 food packs in its regional offices in Northern Mindanao, Davao, SOCCSKSARGEN and CARAGA as well as in its national operations center in Manila for those who need assistance, including those who were affected by Typhoon Onyok.

According to Malacañang, the recent ambush on a convoy delivering relief goods in Samar will not hamper government operations to help typhoon victims. The government security forces are coordinating with Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to ensure the safety of relief operations personnel.

Apply the law

“The Commission on Elections (Comelec) should resist all appeals to emotion and uphold the election laws on the disqualification cases filed against candidates in the 2016 elections,” Senate President Frank Drilon said last week during a Kapihan sa Senado.

Drilon was commenting on the statements made by former President Fidel Ramos to leave the disqualification cases against presidential aspirants Senator Grace Poe and Mayor Rodrigo Duterte in the hands of people to decide.

If we are to apply the let-the-people-decide philosophy against Poe and Duterte, then the Comelec should allow the 125 presidential candidates to run.

“If we just say that we let the people decide, then we must throw all the rules out of the window and let everybody run,” Drilon added.

Duterte backs down

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has backed down from a debate with administration presidential candidate Mar Roxas.

Duterte had issued a challenge to his rivals to engage him in a debate on “any matter under the sun.”

Roxas, in a television interview, took up Duterte’s challenge. But on Sunday, Duterte imposed a condition that Roxas should first improve his survey ratings, ranking to number 2, before he agrees to debate with him.

Meanwhile, Duterte announced he will ban the use of firecrackers nationwide if he is elected president. Firecrackers have been banned in Davao City for the last 10 years.

Road board anomalies

About P1.2 billion worth of projects approved by the Road Board and funded from Road User’s Tax collections last year were marred by various deficiencies and anomalies, according to a report of the Commission on Audit (COA).

Among the irregularities cited by COA in its 2014 report was the failure of the Road Board to ensure the utilization of P199 million worth of the Motor Vehicle Inspection System (MVIS) equipment.

A total of more than P60 billion has been collected from the Road User’s Tax.

P300,000 reward

Retired Judge Jesus Rodriguez Jr. is offering P300,000 to anyone who can give solid and credible information regarding the biological parents of Senator Grace Poe.

Rodriguez, 76, said he has not met Poe or Susan Roces. He said this is his last patriotic act before he dies. He clarified he has no political motive and that he is not even supporting Poe for presidency.

Rodriguez is hoping that the modest amount will generate enough interest for those who are reluctant to come out.

Tidbits

Business tycoons Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, Manuel V. Pangilinan and Edgar O. Chua of Philippine Shell Companies have pledged P42 million, to establish and operate the world’s first private disaster relief center. To be located in Clark, Pampanga province, with a satellite office at Shell House in Makati City, the Philippine Disaster Recovery Foundation-Disaster Operations Center (PDRF-DOC) will coordinate the efforts of private companies during calamities.

The PDRF is co-chaired by Archbishop Antonio Cardinal Tagle.

Congressman Albee Benitez resigned from the Liberal Party. He was the provincial chairman of Negros Occidental. Happy birthday greetings to Albee.

A National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) tower in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao was blown up.

Christmas greetings to Senator and Mrs. Manuel Villar, Oca Tibayan, William Gatchalian, Bing and Tita de Villa, Archbishop Diosdado Talamayan, Congressman Danilo Suarez and Joey Roxas.