By Herbert Vego
BY taking up the cudgels for Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Mark Villar, President Rodrigo Duterte made himself unconvincing. Let us recall how he defended Villar in Monday’s Cabinet meeting:
“Si Villar, mayaman. Maraming pera. Hindi niya kailangang mangurakot. Ang problema, sa baba. Malakas pa rin hanggang ngayon. Sa mga projects sa baba, ‘yon ang laro diyan.”
It was an unbelievable attempt to spare the top DPWH boss at the expense of the underlings who are in no better position to deal under the table with politicians, contractors and constructors. In a government bureaucracy, it’s the big bosses who are in the best position to enrich themselves in office.
It would be a flawed logic to say that the rich have no desire to get richer. The obvious fact is that they covet much greater amount of money than the ordinary people. Given the opportunity, a millionaire would strive to be a billionaire.
Assuming that Mark does no hanky-panky despite his “juicy position,” there is still that question of delicadeza to overcome. That’s what he obviously lacks amid the family business as backdrop. Everybody knows that he is a son of a former senator and an incumbent senator who are engaged in “buy and sell”; they buy rice farms and convert them into expensive subdivisions accessible by public roads. Their assets are said to have hit P250 billion.
It is public knowledge that politicians and bureaucratic heads in the Philippines inevitably catapult themselves from rags to riches.
The DPWH is believed to be one of the most graft-ridden agencies of the government. According to presidential spokesman Harry Roque, Duterte would go after the corrupt DPWH officials in his remaining two years in office.
Mayro’n pa bang mahirap na politiko ngayon?
One in a million ‘guro?
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‘TERMITE’ CONGRESSMAN RUNS OUT OF LUCK
Translating English into Ilonggo and back to English could turn a sad story into a funny one. It really made me laugh when Ed Sumaculub — a broadcaster and an incumbent Sangguniang Bayan member of Hamtic, Antique – translated into Ilonggo for his Facebook page a newspaper report written by Stephen L. Checa.
The story was about the “former congressman” (as written by Checa) or “anay congressman” (by Sumaculub) and “termite congressman” (by Facebook computer) who has been pronounced “guilty” by the Regional Trial Court (Branch 10) in San Jose, Antique for violation of a provision in the Omnibus Election Code.
Sumaculub correctly translated “former” into “anay” while FB translated “anay” into “termite.” That is not really surprising because “anay” has two English translations, namely “former” and “termite”.
But the serious part of the matter is that the ex-congressman of Antique, Exequiel “Boy Ex” Javier is in real trouble. Unless reversed by a higher court, the decision would jail him for a maximum of three years.
Judge Ernesto Abijay Jr. convicted Javier over the suspension of Mayor Mary Joyce Roquero of Valderrma, Antique within the election campaign period in 2013 – hence a violation of Section 261 of the Omnibus Election Code].
Javier may still file a motion for consideration within 15 days and bide for more time later with further appeals before the Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court.
It is not for this corner to discuss the merits of the case. Suffice it to say that Javier’s luck may have run out. Panapanahon lang talaga ang pagkakataon. He had served either as congressman or governor of Antique in three decades.
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IMEE TO THE RESCUE?
Senator Imee Marcos sees difficulties for Filipinos here and abroad in their financial transactions if the country does nothing to curb money laundering.
Marcos, who chairs the Senate committee on economic affairs, wants Congress to heed President Duterte’s call to amend the country’s Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA) at once, or before the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF) completes its review of the Philippines this month.
“Overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and the business and banking communities will bear the brunt of international sanctions, if the FATF calls out the country as a money laundering hotspot,” Marcos said.
International banks may decide to require more identity checks and paperwork or even impose higher transaction rates on Filipino remittances, causing delays in money transfers and making them more costly.
The FATF has warned that the Philippines is fully compliant with only eight of its 40 recommended amendments to the AMLA, largely compliant with 20, partially with 11, and non-compliant with one.
Marcos has sought to amend the AMLA through Senate Bill 1545 which seeks to avert the country’s inclusion in the dreaded Grey List of countries at high-risk for misuse of the international financial system.
This corner agrees that the Anti-Money Laundering Council be empowered to use investigative and surveillance techniques, subpoena suspects, conduct search and seizure, freeze assets and order their forfeiture.
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MORE CAPITAL EXPENDITURE FROM MORE POWER
MORE Electric and Power Corp. (MORE Power) originally earmarked P1.7 billion in the next three years to modernize the electricity distribution facilities in Iloilo City.
But MORE Power President Roel Castro recently said the amount had been raised to P1.9 billion to ensure the distribution utility’s reliability and safety.
MORE has sought expropriated the aging distribution network of expired franchisee Panay Electric Co. (PECO) in accordance with Republic Act 11212.
