Unsolicited Christmas wishes

The Associated Press (AP) reported a partial shutdown of the American federal government took hold early Saturday after Democrats refused to meet the demand of US President Donald Trump to provide funds for “$5 billion to start erecting his cherished Mexican border wall.”

The AP further reported the resulting gridlock between the White House and the US Congress effectively blocked the budget for several federal departments and will disrupt many government operations and the routines of 800,000 US federal employees.

Based from AP estimates, roughly 420,000 US federal government workers were deemed essential and will work unpaid just days before Christmas. While 380,000 of them will be furloughed, meaning they’ll stay home without pay, the AP said.

Fortunately, the Philippine government is in no danger of similar shutdown if no budget bill is approved due to any case of impasse between the Executive and Legislative branches. Our country’s 1987 Constitution provides an automatic appropriation of the existing budget for the year in case no new budget bill is approved into law before December 31.

Both chambers of our own 17th Congress adjourned for their Christmas break last December 14 without passing into law the 2019 budget bill because of questioned congressional “insertions.” Despite the failure of Congress to approve the proposed P3.7-trillion budget for 2019, the national government will operate under the re-enacted budget of the 2018 General Appropriations Act starting day one of January, 2019.           

While indeed government operations won’t be disrupted by this budget impasse, President Rodrigo Duterte suspended work in all state offices until January 2. This is because President Duterte approved the extra non-working days after Christmas and one more day after New Year’s Day in 2019.  

Thus, all government workers are enjoying very long paid holidays this Christmas and on New Year’s Day.

By authority of the President, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea issued the twin no work directives one after the other. Medialdea first issued last week Memorandum Circular (MC) 54 that suspended work on January 2 (Wednesday) in all government offices, including those in government owned and controlled corporations and government financial institutions and in state colleges and universities (SCUs). Then, last Friday, Medialdea signed MC 55 also suspending work in all these state agencies and offices on Dec. 26 (also falling on a Wednesday).

The Executive Secretary justified the suspension of work seeks to give government employees the “full opportunity to celebrate the holidays with their loved ones.” Both regular holidays, Christmas (December 25 and New Year’s Day (January 1) fall on a Tuesday.

Not covered by these extra no-working days are government workers in “agencies whose functions involve the delivery of basic and health services, preparedness/response to disasters and calamities, and/or performance of other vital services shall continue with their operations and render the necessary services.”

These extra non-working days in government were in addition to the official holidays enumerated under Proclamation 269 signed by President Duterte on July 17 last year. Included in the same Proclamation is Dec. 24 (Christmas eve) and December 31 (New Year’s eve) which both fall on Monday “as additional special (non-working) days throughout the country will strengthen family ties by providing more time for the traditional…and Christmas Day commemorative activities, and will promote domestic tourism as well.”

Suspension of work in independent commissions or bodies and private companies and offices on said dates was left to the  “sound discretion” of their respective heads or management.

This Wednesday, we will not also be having our regular Kapihan sa Manila Bay breakfast forum at Café Adriatico in Remedios Circle in Malate. We celebrated our Christmas party last week right after our regular breakfast forum with guests, Buhay party list Rep. Lito Atienza and lawyer Ferdinand Topacio.

For his closing remarks, Topacio—who happens to be a member of the Iglesia Ni Cristo—told us: “I would like to give my closing statement in the guise of a New Year’s wish because as you know, we don’t have Christmas.” His first wish is for the case of the SAF 44 to move forward. The Supreme Court in April this year, he cited, has granted their petition a temporary restraining order stopping the Ombudsman from proceeding in the downgraded graft charges to original charges of 44 counts of multiple homicide against all the accused officials led by former President Benigno Simeon “PNoy” Aquino III.

Topacio’s second wish is for the plunder case they filed against PNoy before the Ombudsman on the purchase of P3.4 billion worth of dengvaxia vaccine would also move forward.

For his part, Atienza directed his Christmas wish to President Duterte: “My wish for the President is for him to not waste time hitting the Catholic Church. He will only lose,” Atienza said. He belongs to Buhay party list that represents the group identified with Bro. Mike Velarde.

Atienza, however, supports the President in fighting druglords, continuing the drug war, and hopes the Chief Executive will focus in attending also to his campaign to protect the country’s environment in the remaining three years in office at Malacañang.

He frowns as “un-presidential” for the former Davao City Mayor to engage in word war with Catholic priests and bishops who publicly criticize him. “In that case, you’re being petty Mr. President,” he rued.

“He will not gain anything from hitting the Catholic Church, or the Iglesia ni Cristo, or Protestants for that matter. Wala kang panalo dyan. Ang kinakalaban mo ang mga taong mayroong pananampalataya, faith” he pointed out. “Forget it, concentrate all your time and effort in providing better life for all of us Filipinos, you’ll go down in history as one of the best presidents of our country,” he urged.

President Duterte has mastered his bully pulpit tactics. Atienza’s unsolicited Christmas wishes will remain wishes.

Merry Christmas to one and all.