One too many
 By + Oscar V. Cruz D. D.
On one hand, there is the national leadership who long since has been proudly and loudly pronouncing its resolve to clean the government it leads from the infamous graft and corruption that have become its expertise. Sometime last year or so, the same holder of the national executive office committed no less than 2 billion pesos precisely to fund its avowed crusade against graft and corruption in government. And there is even the public entity specifically identified as the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC) and categorically established to uproot grafters from the present administration.
On the other hand, PAGC said the following rather revealing facts: First, it has in fact submitted no less than some 90 graft cases to the Office of the President for pursuant action. Second, it said the same highest office in the land had done nothing on the said cases except in conjunction with 2 or 3 of them. Third, it pointed out that some PAGC lawyers are in fact contemplating of leaving the Commission precisely on account of their perceived waste of time and effort in working on the cases which after all are but nonchalantly treated by the Presidential Office. One thing is certain: Even but a single graft case in government is already one too many, one could just wonder what some 90 graft cases really mean and actually imply.
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Filed under Opinion, Viewpoints by Sunday Punch.
Jose Ceralde
30 Aug 2007
Posters surely had calculated their exposure in the internet. Being honest is good advice but it does not mean giving the long haired guy an easy work of your health, financial, and driving records. Federal laws in privacy were enacted for a reason.
Encryption is big business concerning privacy and in certain parts of the world. Those who collect personal information are responsible for their legal use and safeguard.
The former Veterans Administration director found out that quickly when he had to resign under fire. Valerie’s case had a lot of political fog but at least someone got convicted of something.
Surely the outlaws are always lurking ready to take on the opportunities presented by some of you posters who do not shred your trash, engage in publishing, readily give up your SSS number, and your medical profile, and do not respect self protection.
So if you already gave up and concede that you do not need protection then remove your anti-spy ware and anti-virus and see how fast they could really work.
So if you are the guardians of personal profiles be responsible because the big guy or God is watching to ensure you at least did what a common person would do in your positions.
Filed under Punch Forum by Sunday Punch.
Edener Benitez Fabella
29 Aug 2007
I’ve often wondered how it would be like facing St. Peter on judgment day. I thought of the variables but no matter how I try squeezing time to soften the inevitable, it isn’t a pretty sight wheelin’ and dealin’.
What to do? I demanded equal opportunity reminding St. Peter he need not act like some cabinet secretary I know? St. Peter allowed some slack asked what it is I wish before deciding letting me fly upwards or sent packing to the barbeque pits below.
I said I would like to speak to 2 people responsible in turning Filipinos into OFW’s (Of Filipinos Wretchedness).
Mr. Marcos, what were you thinking creating agencies such as Sandiganbayan, Sangguniang Bayan, Barangay, DILG, MMDA, Ombudsman, SolGen, PNP and many other craps? Can’t you see instead of improving the lives of Filipinos with the additional layers of freeloading bureaucrats, it screwed their lives even more? Do you know some of these officials care for nothing but costly projects for even more fat commissions leaving the poor taxpayers living under bridges eating packaged noodles? Where else in the world can you find a general in cushy offices in metro Manila overseeing a celebrated case in Mindanao? You and your PNP creation.
What more can be so offensive than hearing another general in the military saying ‘Soldier’s lives will not go to waste!’ Was he referring to a soldier’s life being mere garbage material? What I am saying is you and Imelda should have left things alone.
Tita Cory, My question for you is, what were you really trying to tell Filipinos when you started wearing your signature yellow color? Was it meant to be some kind of a fashion statement, or were you telling the Filipinos to feel like one? Their rights are being trampled on a daily basis and feeling outraged isn’t a priority? Look like you succeeded in your goal and you must be happy.
Finally, I saw my passport stamped ‘undesirable’ No entry to heaven!
Filed under Punch Forum by Sunday Punch.
Filed under News by Sunday Punch.
Eduardo Pontaoe
29 Aug 2007
Ms. Heidi: Whoever drafted the - Psychologically Incapacitated Law - is not what you assumed he is, but brilliant bordering on genius. It’s not against women. It cut both ways.
This law gives the leeway for individuals not to get married. Why get married when this contract is written to be broken?
Anyway, it encourages the idea why swim when you can walk. It could be economically detrimental to the clergy. It could put the church out of business.
Filed under Punch Forum by Sunday Punch.
Eduardo Pontaoe
29 Aug 2007
M-L-Q . . . Most Laughable Quote?
I won’t say that, but the implications are prophetic. Quezon’s, ” A Filipino MIGHT be improved”, was his anxiety . . . his worry on what he envisioned couldn’t be achieved. What a foresight! How he got into MIGHT, an auxiliary verb to express the possibility of getting rained out after independence, was cunning.
He knew his countrymen pretty well. The political inner workings of the Pinoy brain. . . it’s up to no good. Quezon got his dream on a platter. He wouldn’t be turning in his grave.
Filed under Punch Forum by Sunday Punch.
Eduardo Pontaoe
29 Aug 2007
Jazzy Fernandez or Garcia – take your pick - in the Olympics does not get any jazzier than that. He lied thru his teeth, lied thru the Road Race . . . got caught . . . and anyone who’ll try to give respect and resurrect him from the garbage dump of the Olympics, is naiveté at its most debased.
It’s unfortunate to say the least, that this individual is totally blind. His idea of anything short of a gold medal is an achievement you can flaunt and mesmerize people is utterly preposterous.
Like what was said before, “In any athletic competition there’s no second best, number one or nothing”. Anything deficient of that is an agony of defeat.
Jazzy Fernandez’s Olympic charade came to the surface . . . as everybody now knew . . . when he tried to wiggle his way on the records. That his participation in the Olympics could be construed as a success and it turned out was one of the most cockamamie assertions.
Now, this colorful person parallel Jazzy Garcia’s with his beloved Philippines which there’s no future past and present, mired in malfeasance . . . injustice . . . and thievery. What a comparison!
Filed under Punch Forum by Sunday Punch.
Heidi
28 Aug 2007
Whoever drafted this “Psychologically incapacitated law” is the one who is as such. Whoever approved/voted for this to become a law is sick in the head. They are the ones who should be locked up in a mental facility.
This is unacceptable as the only reason for a man or a woman to get out of a failed union. Something is really wrong here.
May mga utak ba ang mga “lawmakers” sa Pilipinas? O baka naman sa sobrang talino ay hindi na makapag-isip ng matino?
Which is which??
Filed under Punch Forum by Sunday Punch.
Jeremias Andrade Carrera
28 Aug 2007
Surfing the net and privacy:
You are absolutely right Mr. Pontaoe. Even Valerie Plame and those deep cover spies are not assured of privacy, so let us not make a joke of ourselves about preserving our privacy.
For a few dollars, one can search most of the personal information about a person. Most public information is free-just google it.
For example, one prolific poster is the son of an attorney who pass the bar in 1952 and graduated from Mapua Institute of Technology as a mechanical engineer and a member of a Filipino Technical Professional Association and Binalonan Association abroad, lost money in an investment fund, among many other detailed information available free and can be verified easily.
Remember how Ruffa Gutierrez Bektas marriage in USA was discovered? As “M” said: We do function in your absence 007 and “Tanaka” said: We have our sources Bond-san just like you.
Google Earth can show where you live, what car you drive, your house, among other things. If you are using webcam, someone might be lucky to see you in your underwear if you are not careful.
Does anyone still want that false sense of privacy? You must be joking.
Filed under Punch Forum by Sunday Punch.
Edener Benitez Fabella
28 Aug 2007
What more can anyone add to an issue distinguished forum contributors already articulated on with preciosity except to recommend joining Tibetan monks if preservation of privacy is an overriding concern?
You make a mistake of sharing your SSS data these days and in seconds, the whole world knows the many times you’d been to Bogart’s, Morton’s, Ghirardelli Square, what you owed on your R350, Countrywide, Macy’s and Aling Guring’s Ihaw-Ijaw. General Custer on his to Big Horn probably was happy he didn’t have to deal with AMEX he decided to leave home without it.
My personal opinion on the matter over one’s preference using first name basis or in full have nothing to do how you want to keep the rest of you private. Rather, it falls on the adage ‘different strokes for different folks’ as simple as that.
Few may still argue it isn’t so and insist on beating the dead horse to pulps. For the rest of us who willingly gave up few inches in exchange for 10 minutes of fame, it’s damn the torpedoes onward to the Alamo and blitzkrieg march to VietQuoc tet. Dig and be dug.
Better yet, for those still learning the ropes, why not just join Gloria Arrovo Pidal’s exercise club? It’s known in the country as DDD’s (deny, deceive, deflect) and your privacy is guaranteed like a secret account in Germany and Switzerland.
Holly Cow! Watch out for those Lipo Suction gangs they are not to be trusted with your privates. They are known experts in hitting below the belt!
Filed under Punch Forum by Sunday Punch.
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