Protesting sugar planters should've lobbied in congress

“That’s what mayors do. They lobby Congress to provide resources for their city.” Maxine Waters

By Alex P. Vidal

TRAFFIC gridlock is worsening in the Bonifacio Drive, City Proper due to the on-going road-widening construction project of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) from the foot of Forbes Bridge (the bridge that connects Iloilo City Proper to the districts of La Paz and Jaro across the Iloilo River).

Because it is a main street used by motorists going to the districts of La Paz and Jaro and those going to the City Proper, the gridlock results in monstrous traffic in the adjoining Gen. Luna and Iznart Streets.

Vehicles stopped on the bridge causing heavy inconvenience on the riding public.

Because they are late in their offices, schools and other transactions, programs and activities, people who take the Jaro Liko, Jaro CPU and La Paz passenger jeeps and cabs curse the city hall, the DPWH, including President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.

They also use expletives to describe their harrowing ordeal in the traffic.

And nobody disagrees with them.

The city’s traffic management should do something to solve the problem as soon as possible.

-o0o-

WHERE was the Jalasig Sugarcane Planters Association, a group composed of sugar industry leaders in central Iloilo, when congress was deliberating the Senate Bill No. 2400 or the Sugarcane Industry Development Act, which sought to make the sugarcane industry more competitive by consolidating small farms?

The measure also reiterated the exemption of refined sugar for export from value-added tax (VAT).

It sought to prepare the country’s industry for integration with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) economic community by the end of 2015.

The Iloilo sugar planters should have fought tongs and hammer during the committee deliberations to also exempt raw sugar from 12 percent VAT.

Their chances to be heard were great.

The measure was known in the Lower House as House Bill no. 4633, and one of the measure’s authors was Rep. Sharon Garin (AAMBIS-OWA party-list).

With some 40,000 members, Jalasig Sugarcane Planters Association, is a force to reckon with in the industry.

ILONGGO

Garin and another Ilonggo Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez (Negros Occidental, third district) would have given weight to their representation.  

The measure sought to consolidate farms smaller than five hectares into blocks to make management “more professionalized” and ensure better delivery of assistance.

It would institutionalize the Sugar Regulatory Administration’s (SRA) Block Farming Program, explained Senate agriculture committee chair Cynthia A. Villar.

In their rally in Zarraga, Iloilo on March 25, sugarcane farmers asked President Aquino and Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Commissioner Kim Henares to scrap the 12 percent VAT on raw sugar.

The government requires sugar cane planters to pay in advance the 12 percent VAT before the commodities are removed from refineries and distributed to customers.

Lifestyle check for provincial engineers

“You've got to think lucky. If you fall into a mudhole, check your back pocket - you might have caught a fish.”  Darrell Royal

By Alex P. Vidal

DO we prevent graft and corruption in government when we do a no non-sense check and balance?

A lifestyle check for those working in government should be done periodically and shouldn’t be a case only of ningas cogon for those implementing it.

Corrupt government employees and officials who don’t know how to conceal their wealth are usually the ones who end up wrestling with criminal and administrative raps filed against them before the Office of the Ombudsman.

When officials and employees in a certain government agency display ostentatious wealth, that agency becomes the red light for graft and corruption.

How they became instant rich and where they get their loot would be the hottest topic in every nook and cranny.

For instance, many provincial engineers have no qualms parading their luxury vehicles in public and have virtually transformed the capitol parking areas into an exhibit of expensive cars.

When a taxpayer visits the capitol, he will be horrified to find some luxury cars like MU-X Isuzu, Toyota Fortuner, Crosswind Isuzu, Isuzu D-Max pick-up, among the latest car models in parking spaces.

These are purportedly owned by engineers who acquired their wealth from "kickbacks" in various infra and road projects.

RICH

Some of these rich employees also reportedly connived with corrupt area engineers who sell diesel fuel distributed for use of capitol backhoes, loaders, bulldozers and dump trucks in project sites.

Each of the five areas reportedly gets 2,000 liters of fuel for a total of 10,000 liters of fuel distributed in five areas in the province.

For instance, if the tanker deposits 80 liters daily, the corrupt area engineer liquidates 120 liters.

“There is connivance between the tanker and the area engineer and everybody is happy,” sources said. “If the diesel fuel is P30 per liter, imagine how they laugh their way to the videoke bar.”

Sources added: “The sad part is that provincial engineer Gracianito Lucero appears to be unaware of this anomaly because he does not have close and regular dialogue with his men.”

The one who is calling most of the shots in the provincial engineer’s office is reportedly assistant engineer Romeo Andig, not Lucero.

Lucero was not available when we tried to reach him yesterday.

-o0o-

THE “Kampohan Sang Mga Biktima Sang Yolanda” romped off on February 16 and will last until February 20 outside the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) regional office 6 in Molo district, Iloilo City.

Led by the Paghugpong sang mga Mangunguma sa Panay kag Guimaras (Pamanggas), Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU)-Panay, Gabriela, Anakbayan, and Kadamay, an urban for alliance, the group called for the immediate full release of the financial shelter aid for victims of typhoon Yolanda and the scrapping of the Memorandum Circular No. 24 Series of 2014 or the guidelines on the implementation of Emergency Shelter Assistance (ESA) for Yolanda victims.

Of the P9 billion approved for the aid of typhoon victims in Western Visayas, only P1.4 billion has been released according to DSWD-6 Regional Director Evelyn Macapobre.

Cris Chaves, Pamanggas secretary-general, said those with totally damaged houses were promised P30,000 each while partially damaged houses were promised P10,000 each.

Winnie Legriso of KMU decried the government’s snail-paced approach in the distribution of funds.

“Biktima ka na sang bagyo biktima ka pa gid sang pagka uyaya sang gobierno. Biktimahon ka pa gid sang corruption (the typhoon victims are also victims of government neglect and corruption),” he bewailed.

-o0o-

CITY administrator Norlito Bautista did not reveal the names of the four city hall casual employees reportedly caught forging the signatures of city officials in a bogus payroll they made and presented to a cellular phone company in order to avail a promo in the recent Dinagyang Festival.

But he confirmed that the four have been fired or their contracts will no longer be renewed.

They reportedly used the bogus payroll to make it appear that they get a salary of at least P10,000 a month, which is a requirement in order to avail of the promo.

We laud city hall’s decisiveness and quickness in dealing with the case of the four erring employees.

We hope city hall will also be quick to lower the boom on employees and officials who commit more than payroll forgery.

Councilor Penaredondo is ungrateful to the vendors

“Does not the gratitude of the dog put to shame any man who is ungrateful to his benefactors?” Saint Basil

By Alex P. Vidal

In Spanish and Hiligaynon, they call it “ingrato” or ingrate.

When Iloilo City Councilor Eduardo “Ed” Penaredondo was wooing the votes of the hoi polloi or the masa in the previous local elections, he frequented the public markets, shook hands with the vendors, as well as the market goers.

He smiled at everyone he met.

To show their goodwill, market vendors gave him overwhelming votes and all-out support, thus Penaredondo, a lawyer and former policeman, became a city councilor for several terms under four city mayors – Rodolfo “Roding” Ganzon, Mansueto “Mansing” Malabor, Jerry Trenas, and now the incumbent Jed Patrick Mabilog.

In fact, he holds the record of being the longest-serving city councilor since 1988.

Penaredondo has been an outstanding city councilor; perhaps, one of the sharpest minds to ever grace the Sangguniang Panlungsod in Iloilo City.

In all the years that we have covered the City Hall beat since the time of the late former Mayor Rodolfo “Roding” T. Ganzon, we considered Penaredondo as one of the towering figures in the local legislature along with now Rep. Jerry P. Trenas, the late German Gonzalez, Dr. Perla Zulueta, Atty. Cirilo Ganzon, Atty. Rolando Dabao (despite his drinking habits), Fiscal Jose Junio Jacela, Dr. Tongtong Plagata (despite his temper), to mention only a few.

Until now, we still hold Penaredondo in high esteem.

RESPECT

We respect the man; we respect his authority.

But when he called the vendors of the Iloilo Central Market as “shits” and agitated to “drive them away with scud missiles”, he shot from the hips and was out of the bounds.

He became ungrateful to the sector that supported him as a politician.

His actuation during the council’s regular session last December 9 was also conduct unbecoming.

Penaredondo’s boisterous attitude and recklessness leave a bad taste in the mouth.

By justifying the cuss remarks as “just a matter of using metaphors and hyperbole to strengthen my argument”, he added insult to injury.

“Shit”, a hyperbole, perhaps; but a metaphor, sir?

What Penaredondo needs is a civil tongue, or a language that is not bogged down in jargon, not puffed up with false dignity, not studded with trick phrases that have lost their meaning.

In other words, watch your language!

CALL

Councilor Plaridel Nava was right to call the attention of the most senior alderman that he was hitting the vendors south of the border, and his foul words should be stricken out of records.

We credit Vice Mayor Jose “Joe III” Espinosa III for agreeing with Nava, who is their fellow lawyer.

Penaredondo and some of his colleagues were apparently peeved at the vendors, led by Rex Donasco, for not supporting the terms of reference (TOP) on the proposed revitalization of the Iloilo Central Market.

The vendors earlier snubbed the public hearing arranged by the City Council inside the public market for the TOP.

We doubt if Penaredondo’s hostility towards the vendors would be the same if they were dealing with Calle Real businessmen in coat and tie.

We doubt if his indifference and loud mouth would be more pronounced if they were dealing with the church authorities and other powerful and influential sectors in society that disagreed with them like what the vendors had shown in the TOP fuss.   

Did Pericles, Julius Caesar also maintain ‘ghost employees’?

“When I saw corruption, I was forced to find truth on my own. I couldn't swallow the hypocrisy.” Barry White

By Alex P. Vidal

IF prostitution is the oldest profession, the issue of “ghost employees” could be the oldest form of graft and corruption among government officials.

Before Jesus Christ was born, history tells us there were already prostituted women and men. 

There were whores of antiquity providing sexual favors in exchange of money, goods and even food.

Before Christianity flourished, corruption was already prevalent in the Roman Empire.

Predecessors of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) already rolled down their curtains on the Romans. 

"Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's" Matthew (22:21).

Imperial taxes were probably stolen by a one-man dictator in a regime that did not have the media to conduct the check and balance.

The hiring of “ghost employees” probably began even before civil service became an official edict in government.

Was the practice of hiring “ghost employees” by corrupt government officials already rampant during the glory that was Greece and the grandeur that was Rome?

Did Athene's Pericles and the emperors of Rome hire "ghost employees" like their modern counterparts?

TURMOIL

In every graft and corruption turmoil or swapping of graft and corruption charges, the hiring of “ghost employees” would almost always surface.

Rhoderick Paulete, among other comedians and showbiz characters who joined the government, was indicted for allegedly pocketing at least P100,000 a month representing the salaries of his “ghost employees” during his term as councilor of Quezon City.

City hall and capitol are the favorite employment centers of “ghosts” or non-existing workers.

Corrupt mayors, vice mayors, governors, vice governors and members of the city and provincial legislatures make a pile from this nefarious scheme, aside from their kickbacks in various projects.

There is a saying that if you want to make a quick money in government hire “ghost employees.”

In this method, everybody is reportedly happy. As long as nobody will rat against the group, and as long as everyone’s lips are sealed.    

When government officials wash their dirty linens in public, they swap charges ranging from receiving regular payola from illegal activities, anomalies in overtime and cash advances, and hiring “ghost employees.”

 -o0o-

POLITICS has destroyed relationships.

Your friends today are your enemies tomorrow and vice versa.

Board Member Manny Gallar and Maasin Mayor Mariano Malones used to be political allies.

Both were loyal supporters of Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Sr. except in the 2013 elections when Malones turned his back from Defensor to support former Iloilo fourth district Rep. Ferjenel Biron who lost to Defensor.

Like a father to a prodigal son, Defensor “reunited” with Malones after the elections.

Gallar, who was vanquished by Malones in the previous elections for board member in the third district of Iloilo, avenged the setback last year by edging Malones’ son.

Since then, their relationship has developed from bad to worse.

Malones rapped Gallar for allegedly maintaining “ghost employees” and questioned his other sources of income.

SALARY

Malones, a prominent figure in the local printing industry, believed that Gallar could not have bought a house and lot, a car and sent his children to private schools on a salary of P40,000 a month.

Their word war was actually the offshoot of the administrative complaints for oppression, misconduct in office, dishonesty and abuse of authority, among others, that Malones faces in the Provincial Board for dismissing Elsa Maternal as the town’s assistant human resource management officer in 2002.

Malones suspected that Gallar was trying to influence his peers to decide against the mayor’s favor.

The board member from Cabatuan, Iloilo denied Malones’ charges and did not wish to further engage the mayor in a verbal shootout related to the issue of “ghost employees.”

On September 9, the Iloilo Sangguniang Panlalawigan (Provincial Board) will render a verdict whether to suspend Malones.

City hall, capitol millionaires

“There are people who have money and people who are rich.” Coco Chanel

By Alex P. Vidal

We beg to disagree with the claims of some politicians that public service will only make them poor if they are already rich, or will make them poorer if they enter politics as poor.

We also don’t buy it hook, line and sinker that most of them run for public office during the elections because they are motivated by a robust philanthropic desire and commitment that “we sincerely want to serve the people and are willing to make sacrifices to ensure that our constituents get the kind of service that they deserve.”

The opposite is what is actually happening.

In fact, most of them became rich while in public office. The poor became rich and the rich became richer in their ranks. Their statements of assets and liabilities (SAL) show their wealth has increased by leaps and bounds while in public office.

Their sudden transformation from rags to riches has become eye-catching and head-turning.

BUSINESSES

Unless they have other businesses or huge sources of income other than their salary in government, it’s mind-boggling how many of them became millionaires overnight.

Many aspirants for public office, in fact, were adamant to pursue a career in politics for fear that they would only end up as milking cows of their poor constituents who will badger them with cash assistance for funeral, hospitalization, barangay basketball tournaments, among other forms of solicitations and financial requests.

They feared that their salary in government would be no match or not enough to sustain these gargantuan financial needs of their poor constituents on a daily basis, thus many of them shied away from public service.

We know a lot of elected and appointed officials in government whose lifestyles have changed dramatically while enjoying the pelf and privileges that go with their positions in both local and national offices.

EXPENSIVE

Their expensive and sophisticated lifestyles and hobbies are far cry from the ones when they were not yet in government. Even the way they laugh in public has alarmingly changed, the tone of their voices is now smeared with arrogance, pomposity and conceit.

Their egos bloated, power and money have intoxicated many of them. Their feet are no longer planted on the ground that even ordinary members of the hoi polloi can no longer reach them or sit alongside with them for a brief tete-a-tete.

And they call themselves “public servants.”

There is a famous saying that if we want to know a person, let’s give him power. Once they have tasted fame and glory and their whims and caprices have been satisfactorily taken care of, they will cling to political power like leeches.

They will become regular clients in every electoral exercise mesmerizing gullible voters and taking them for a ride. Old habits die hard. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely, so goes a popular adage.