New law on SK prevents political dynasties

President Aquino recently signed into law Republic Act 10742 that clearly indicates that Sanggunian Kabataan (SK) officials must not be related within the second civil degree of consanguinity or affinity to any incumbent elected national, regional, provincial, city, municipal or barangay official in any locality where he or she is seeking elections. Well,praise the Lord that finally, P-Noy came up with a positive political legacy.

While I have batted for the abolition of the SK program as it is a sheer waste of public funds… at least this law has taken steps to ensure that current elected politicos cannot use their children to ran as SK officials. However, before we go overboard showering praises to the President, it must be noted that we Filipinos are great in enacting good laws, but we are nearly zero in implementing these laws. But this is a good start. So allow me to praise the President for his courage in putting a cap on political dynasties at least from the SK level. Someday this should be a part of the general law!

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Last Tuesday P-Noy came to Cebu unannounced in order to pay his last respects to the late Labor Leader Atty. Democrito “Kito” Mendoza whose wake was held at the Mariner’s Court outside the Fort San Pedro. From their Facebook accounts, I learned that many members of the Cebu media got sore that the President refused to grant any interviews during his visit at the wake of Atty. Mendoza.

A Freeman news report quoted Trade Union Congress Party-list Rep. Raymond Mendoza, one of the 14 children of the late labor leader saying that their family was thankful for the President’s visit, but it was a personal visit and there was no talk of politics during his 30-minute stay at the wake.

Listening to the comments over AM radio, pundits reminded their listeners that almost exactly a year ago, after the Mamasapano massacre, P-Noy could not even go to the Villamor Air Base to meet with the 44 fallen Special Action Force (SAF) troopers but he could fly to Cebu for the wake of a labor leader.

I guess it was easy for radio broadcasters to link the President’s visit to what happened during the Mamasapano debacle because of the headline news that former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile (JPE) has new evidence that would pin the responsibility of Oplan Exodus to the President’s lap!  Of course the Rasputins inside Malacañang Palace are busy downgrading this news report, denying the accusations of JPE that the President was directly involved with Oplan Exodus and did nothing to help the beleaguered SAF troops when they were being slaughtered.

At this point, we wait with bated breath for the Jan. 27 Senate investigation. For the decades that we have known JPE, we have literally caught him lying to the public, especially the fake ambush that he created in order to force Pres. Ferdinand Marcos to declare Martial Law. But he wrote a different story in his last book, which is why no one bought his yarn. So let him come to the Senate and we’ll really know if he is selling another yarn to the Filipino people or this time around he is telling the Filipino people the truth!

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A week ago, while I was in Japan, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) that it is not a treaty but an executive agreement between the US and the Philippines. However I found it was quite surprising to know that our Philippine Senators are divided on this issue. Perhaps we should remind our Senators of that fateful Sept.16, 1991 or 25 years ago when 12 Philippine Senators thumbed their noses at the Americans and rejected their proposed treaty, which would have allowed the US military to keep their bases in Philippine soil for the next 10-years.

Of course it must be said that Mt. Pinatubo beat the Philippine Senate in removing the US military from their bases when it erupted on June 12 and 15, 1991 when its plume of volcanic ash rose into the stratosphere. I was one of the lucky ones who were driving from Dagupan on June 15th when I witnessed Mt. Pinatubo’s biggest eruption. It was 3:00 PM as we were approaching Angeles City…but it looked like 7:00 PM and it was raining mud and ash.

Fast forward to the Philippines today. We’ve had 25-years for our political leadership to strengthen our Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) without the help of the US Military… even if we still had a treaty with them. Alas under the Aquino Regime, he has brought the Philippines back to the past where our AFP have become so reliant on the US Military rather than become a truly independent nation.  Call it an Aquino legacy that the US Military can once again use their old military bases thanks to EDCA!

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