Never-ending ‘cleansing’ appeal

“The police are not here to create disorder, they're here to preserve disorder.”
--Richard J. Daley

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- When will the final cleansing in the Philippine National Police (PNP) end?
In the first place, is there an ongoing and protracted cleansing process?
Every time a PNP director general will retire and a new successor will take over, the battle cry of incoming PNP chief has always been, “We will cleanse the PNP with scalawags and bad eggs”; “We will reform the PNP”; “We will dismiss the rotten apples”, etcetera.
Since the PNP was formed on January 29, 1991, Chief Supt. Cesar P. Nazareno, the first PNP big boss since the Integrated National Police and the Philippine Constabulary were merged pursuant to Republic Act 6975 of 1990, was already parroting “reforms” and promising to kick out from service undesirable policemen.

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“My first instruction to incoming PNP chief Oscar Albayalde is to go after PNP personnel who are a disgrace to their uniform, especially those who are AWOL, sleeping, non-performing, and drinking on the job. All of them should be dismissed from the service,” Interior and Local Government officer-in-charge Eduardo Año said over the weekend.
After 27 years, the PNP wasn’t yet reformed?
Scoundrels in uniform weren’t yet terminated?
Año added: “I told General Albayalde to cleanse the police ranks of bad eggs in order to make the DILG the best department in government. The PNP leadership should conduct more of the surprise inspections so that we can weed out the non-performing police officer.”
It seems the PNP is the only organization in the world permanently embroiled in a long-lasting appeal for “internal cleansing” and “reforms.”

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Tourism officials in nearby provinces should come up with master plans to promote their respective tourist destinations and take advantage of the six-month closure order imposed by President Duterte on Boracay Island in Caticlan, Aklan effective April 26.
Some tourists who have canceled their reservations in Boracay might be interested to explore in neighboring Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, and Negros where there are prestine beaches, waterfalls, and world class resorts like Boracay, aside from their magnificent parks and islands, especially this summer.
Now is the right time to mobilize their resources and show to the world that Boracay is not the end-all and be-all of tourism wonders in Panay Island.
They may take a cue from the recent announcement of Iloilo Governor Arthur “Art” Defensor Sr. to establish a Northern Iloilo Tourism Authority (NITA).
Defensor probably intends to attract those who have been tantalized by Boracay’s beauty to take a closer look at Sicogon Island in Carles, among other beaches with potentials in world tourism in the coastal territories of northern Iloilo.

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Was President Duterte wrong to fire Undersecretary Maia Chiara Halmen Valdez of the Office of the Cabinet Secretary exactly a year ago?
Valdez was fired because she was supposedly seeking to overturn the denial of rice importation. National Food Authority (NFA) Administrator Jason Aquino had been pushing for more rice imports.
The President has ordered Aquino to proceed with rice importation amid the dwindling supply of government-subsidized grain, exactly a year after giving Valdez the boot.

Rice shortage or common sense shortage?

“Rice is great if you're really hungry and want to eat two thousand of something.”
--Mitch Hedberg

By Alex P. Vidal

NEWARK, New Jersey -- Unless it can show a scientific data, we don’t buy the National Food Authority (NFA)’s claim that there is a rice shortage in the Philippines.
In the last quarter of 2017, for instance, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) confirmed that the Filipinos’ rice self-sufficiency ratio in 2016 had already improved to 95.01 percent from 88.93 percent in the previous year.
It could only mean one thing: local production accounted for 95.01 percent of the total rice supply in the local market.
If there’s a reduction in the Philippines’ dependence on rice imports in 2016 to 4.99 percent of total supply from 11.07 in 2015, as revealed by the PSA report, how can the Filipinos incur a shortage of rice which is a major agricultural and food commodity?
Sen. Cynthia Villar was right when she scolded the NFA for creating panic over rice “shortage” which was not entirely true.
Instead of rice shortage, it seems there is a shortage of common sense somewhere.

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When they joined President Duterte during the latter’s recent visit to Dingle, Iloilo, Reps. Ferjenel “Ferj” Biron and Arthur “Toto” Defensor Jr., both rumored gubernatorial aspirants in Iloilo province in 2019, were seen sitting together with Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr., Rep. Toto’s father.
Curious Ilonggos waiting to see Biron and the Defensor father and son snub each other went home empty handed as the politicians proved to all and sundry they were not only civil to each other but they were also good friends.
When Biron and Defensor Jr. clash for the top capitol post in 2019 their campaign is expected to focus on their respective platforms and what should be done to further improve the lives of people in Iloilo province.
Because of their good demeanor and the jolly faces they display when caught by camera in public together, they will be ashamed to throw mud at each other when the campaign period goes in full blast.

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Mayor Jose “Joe III” Espinosa III has all the reason to be alarmed by the P10-million heist inside a pawnshop in Gaisano Iloilo over the week.
Aside from the resurgence of burglary that victimizes downtown, City Proper establishments which may be attributed to failure of police intelligence and peace and order, the mayor’s family owns several pawnshops near the area or blocks away in Guanco Street.
Espinosa’s pawnshop formerly located in front of SM Delgado also was robbed in broad daylight years back.