Hole of Justice: Political Swindling

Hole of Justice: Political Swindling: Hole of Justice by Peter G. Jimenea   Loyalty and Betrayal   The unification of political leaders in the province of Iloi...

Political Swindling

Hole of Justice

by Peter G. Jimenea

 

Loyalty and Betrayal

 

The unification of political leaders in the province of Iloilo under the umbrella of the Liberal Party is branded by critics a “feast of fools.” It is an assembly of the cheats and the cheated, swindler and the victim, and/or a gathering of political-hypocrites.

After the enthusiasm (ang pag into-anay) died down, only former governor Niel D. Tupas, Sr. was badly beaten by his looks. He expects to get the party’s nod for governor through the endorsement of Sen. Franklin Drilon but he failed.  The sad result has put his loyal and hopeful followers to the brink of insanity!

The former governor and patriarch of the Tupas clan is known for his loyalty to the Liberal Party ever since he joined politics. It is through this belief that he assured loyal leaders and followers that he’ll soon get the party’s blessings to be its candidate for governor.

It was only his misfortune that the party has learned the Mafia’s style of political maneuvering - that sometimes cooperation is more effective than competition. So Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr. who is a non-party member suddenly became the party’s standard bearer for 2013 elections.

Tupas’ leaders believed he was betrayed. The compounding problem is his patron Sen. Drilon who endorsed him and his son Cong. Junjun Tupas gave their consents to the party’s decision that a non-party member like Gov. Defensor, will lead the province’s political battle.

The ambition of DILG Sec. Mar Roxas to get the full support of provincial leaders in the 2016 presidential election seems the primary motive in this convention. This writer, however, believes that injustice done to the elder Tupas has chilling consequences unfavorable to the anointed one!

As of press time, the disgusted followers of the former governor seemed not amenable to the party’s plan for the elder Tupas to run for congressman of the Fourth District which was vacated by Cong. Ferj Biron. The latter is the standard bearer of the United Nationalists Alliance (UNA) for governor of the Iloilo Province.

The assurance of support by the Liberal Party to Tupas Sr. in case he runs for Congress is a mere pittance. This is what his angry followers’ claim hinted at. As gleaned, they are also unlikely to vote for Gov. Defensor Sr. Maybe it’s true, anger like fire dies only after leaving a path of destruction. This is not good for the heart of the blessed one.

Besides, Tupas Sr. not only lost his face to loyal followers due to the failed bid in getting the party’s blessing. He was may be ridiculed for his pompous bragging to be the anointed one. Now he may not admit it but deep inside him the betrayal is something feeding revenge. This gives Cong. Biron a slight advantageous position.

True, politics is dirty and contagious. I am sure the former governor subscribes to this. Despite the badly hurt feelings, Tupas can still play their game with cards close to his chest. His running for Congress is not what the supporters want. In fact the offer of support by the party to Tupas Sr. made them believed the old man is a victim of political swindle!

This issue is now water under the bridge. Lot of tears had been wasted by the family due to the dirty game of politics. But Niel Tupas Sr. is an astute politician. He may cry today but will smile tomorrow. So, as to contrition for what the party’s top leaders did, I don’t think apology can be easily accepted.

Political Swindling

Hole of Justice

by Peter G. Jimenea

 

Loyalty and Betrayal

 

The unification of political leaders in the province of Iloilo under the umbrella of the Liberal Party is branded by critics a “feast of fools.” It is an assembly of the cheats and the cheated, swindler and the victim, and/or a gathering of political-hypocrites.

After the enthusiasm (ang pag into-anay) died down, only former governor Niel D. Tupas, Sr. was badly beaten by his looks. He expects to get the party’s nod for governor through the endorsement of Sen. Franklin Drilon but he failed.  The sad result has put his loyal and hopeful followers to the brink of insanity!

The former governor and patriarch of the Tupas clan is known for his loyalty to the Liberal Party ever since he joined politics. It is through this belief that he assured loyal leaders and followers that he’ll soon get the party’s blessings to be its candidate for governor.

It was only his misfortune that the party has learned the Mafia’s style of political maneuvering - that sometimes cooperation is more effective than competition. So Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr. who is a non-party member suddenly became the party’s standard bearer for 2013 elections.

Tupas’ leaders believed he was betrayed. The compounding problem is his patron Sen. Drilon who endorsed him and his son Cong. Junjun Tupas gave their consents to the party’s decision that a non-party member like Gov. Defensor, will lead the province’s political battle.

The ambition of DILG Sec. Mar Roxas to get the full support of provincial leaders in the 2016 presidential election seems the primary motive in this convention. This writer, however, believes that injustice done to the elder Tupas has chilling consequences unfavorable to the anointed one!

As of press time, the disgusted followers of the former governor seemed not amenable to the party’s plan for the elder Tupas to run for congressman of the Fourth District which was vacated by Cong. Ferj Biron. The latter is the standard bearer of the United Nationalists Alliance (UNA) for governor of the Iloilo Province.

The assurance of support by the Liberal Party to Tupas Sr. in case he runs for Congress is a mere pittance. This is what his angry followers’ claim hinted at. As gleaned, they are also unlikely to vote for Gov. Defensor Sr. Maybe it’s true, anger like fire dies only after leaving a path of destruction. This is not good for the heart of the blessed one.

Besides, Tupas Sr. not only lost his face to loyal followers due to the failed bid in getting the party’s blessing. He was may be ridiculed for his pompous bragging to be the anointed one. Now he may not admit it but deep inside him the betrayal is something feeding revenge. This gives Cong. Biron a slight advantageous position.

True, politics is dirty and contagious. I am sure the former governor subscribes to this. Despite the badly hurt feelings, Tupas can still play their game with cards close to his chest. His running for Congress is not what the supporters want. In fact the offer of support by the party to Tupas Sr. made them believed the old man is a victim of political swindle!

This issue is now water under the bridge. Lot of tears had been wasted by the family due to the dirty game of politics. But Niel Tupas Sr. is an astute politician. He may cry today but will smile tomorrow. So, as to contrition for what the party’s top leaders did, I don’t think apology can be easily accepted.

Political Swindling

Hole of Justice

by Peter G. Jimenea

 

Loyalty and Betrayal

 

The unification of political leaders in the province of Iloilo under the umbrella of the Liberal Party is branded by critics a “feast of fools.” It is an assembly of the cheats and the cheated, swindler and the victim, and/or a gathering of political-hypocrites.

After the enthusiasm (ang pag into-anay) died down, only former governor Niel D. Tupas, Sr. was badly beaten by his looks. He expects to get the party’s nod for governor through the endorsement of Sen. Franklin Drilon but he failed.  The sad result has put his loyal and hopeful followers to the brink of insanity!

The former governor and patriarch of the Tupas clan is known for his loyalty to the Liberal Party ever since he joined politics. It is through this belief that he assured loyal leaders and followers that he’ll soon get the party’s blessings to be its candidate for governor.

It was only his misfortune that the party has learned the Mafia’s style of political maneuvering - that sometimes cooperation is more effective than competition. So Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr. who is a non-party member suddenly became the party’s standard bearer for 2013 elections.

Tupas’ leaders believed he was betrayed. The compounding problem is his patron Sen. Drilon who endorsed him and his son Cong. Junjun Tupas gave their consents to the party’s decision that a non-party member like Gov. Defensor, will lead the province’s political battle.

The ambition of DILG Sec. Mar Roxas to get the full support of provincial leaders in the 2016 presidential election seems the primary motive in this convention. This writer, however, believes that injustice done to the elder Tupas has chilling consequences unfavorable to the anointed one!

As of press time, the disgusted followers of the former governor seemed not amenable to the party’s plan for the elder Tupas to run for congressman of the Fourth District which was vacated by Cong. Ferj Biron. The latter is the standard bearer of the United Nationalists Alliance (UNA) for governor of the Iloilo Province.

The assurance of support by the Liberal Party to Tupas Sr. in case he runs for Congress is a mere pittance. This is what his angry followers’ claim hinted at. As gleaned, they are also unlikely to vote for Gov. Defensor Sr. Maybe it’s true, anger like fire dies only after leaving a path of destruction. This is not good for the heart of the blessed one.

Besides, Tupas Sr. not only lost his face to loyal followers due to the failed bid in getting the party’s blessing. He was may be ridiculed for his pompous bragging to be the anointed one. Now he may not admit it but deep inside him the betrayal is something feeding revenge. This gives Cong. Biron a slight advantageous position.

True, politics is dirty and contagious. I am sure the former governor subscribes to this. Despite the badly hurt feelings, Tupas can still play their game with cards close to his chest. His running for Congress is not what the supporters want. In fact the offer of support by the party to Tupas Sr. made them believed the old man is a victim of political swindle!

This issue is now water under the bridge. Lot of tears had been wasted by the family due to the dirty game of politics. But Niel Tupas Sr. is an astute politician. He may cry today but will smile tomorrow. So, as to contrition for what the party’s top leaders did, I don’t think apology can be easily accepted.

The Road Not Taken

Hole of Justice

By Peter G. Jimenea

The Road Not Taken

The governor was very mad when he entered the office of the lady auditor at the Provincial Capitol. Upon seeing her, he asked the lady with a reprimanding voice; “Why did you leak the information? Look at this newspaper, how did he know about it?”

That was 2008 when Gov. Niel Tupas is still ruling the kingdom by the River. The auditor is Mrs. Haydee Pasuelo of the Commission on Audit (COA), who latter become a recipient of multi-national awards for dedicated public service.

The expose’ is all about the overpriced autoclave sterilizing machine purchased by the province for one of the twelve hospitals being subsidized by the Iloilo Provincial government. In fairness to the governor, the deal was consummated while he is out of office on official business.

It was a handiwork of the two underlings he had been tapping, his tailor and the provincial administrator. But the governor who is already in the pot jumped into the fire to defend his stooges. He doesn’t have the faintest idea that it is hard to defend errant clients.

The lady auditor who is innocent of the issue stood pat in denying she has no idea who leaked the information to the print media. But everyone with access to the Bids and Awards Committee’s (BAC) office suddenly panicked for fear to become a suspect of the governor about the leakage of the information.

In eagerness to discover how the autoclave machine became a Capitol mess, auditor Pasuelo, with the help of the publisher, found her way to get in touch with me. But other than telling her that if there is smoke there is fire, I told her it came from one of the people in the governor’s circle.

Gov. Tupas gives his trust and confidence to stooges in all business transactions that I never run out of issues against them up to the end of his term.  His cases keep coming in and out of courts because of culpa in vigilando - negligence in supervision of employees.

The overriding objective of criticism is to direct the transformation of Capitol transactions into a transparent governance and dispersal of available funds into useful projects or services. The governor should not resent this unfriendly space as it doesn’t dwell on personal matters.

Taking all the equities of this issue into consideration, I’m sure the trusted aides of the governor must have been whirled into believing their covert undertaking will not be questioned and contested by the auditor or by the recipient hospital.

COA auditors are not mere barking dogs of the government that do not bite.  As they always refused to heed that acquisition should be actual, material, direct and immediate, not contingent or expectant, she gave them the taste of what it takes if the push comes to shove. Well, Injuria non praesumitur - a wrong is not presumed.

As guidelines and rulings contrary hereto or inconsistent therewith had been ignored, the acquisition of the autoclave sterilizing machine began to reek with domino theory, transaction here and there but almost if not all are tainted with controversy.

COA is an entity against whom local government units like the province, city and barangay cannot enforce authority. If COA and the Ombudsman work sincerely hand in hand, maybe only then we can say that “matuwid na daan” is in this country!

Gerald Celente Trends Blog: ISRAEL Preparing to Strike IRAN Now ?

Gerald Celente Trends Blog: ISRAEL Preparing to Strike IRAN Now ?
The pompous military exercise by US,Britain and Israel is overtly professing their covert undertaking. Why resent the nuclear progeam of Iran when Israel have already developedits own a long time ago? This provoking action of these superpowers with large propensity to get what they want by force should not be allowed to continue unabated. Iran can give them the taste of what it takes if the push cimes to shove. I believe this provocation initiated by the US and its allies will eventuall.yr redound into WWIII. It is said though, that he who offends when drunk shall be punished when sober. I think the US is the most despised country this universe ever ha.

Gerald Celente Trends Blog: ISRAEL Preparing to Strike IRAN Now ?

Gerald Celente Trends Blog: ISRAEL Preparing to Strike IRAN Now ?
The pompous military exercise by US,Britain and Israel is overtly professing their covert undertaking. Why resent the nuclear progeam of Iran when Israel have already developedits own a long time ago? This provoking action of these superpowers with large propensity to get what they want by force should not be allowed to continue unabated. Iran can give them the taste of what it takes if the push cimes to shove. I believe this provocation initiated by the US and its allies will eventuall.yr redound into WWIII. It is said though, that he who offends when drunk shall be punished when sober. I think the US is the most despised country this universe ever ha.

Hole of Justice: Hole of Justice: Selective Prosecution

Hole of Justice: Hole of Justice: Selective Prosecution: Hole of Justice: Selective Prosecution : Hole of Justice By Peter G. Jimenea Selective Prosecution In 2006, two government auditors...

The Unwanted Kids

Hole of Justice

by Peter G. Jimenea

 

The Unwanted Kids

There are plenty of reported crimes committed by young people today, most of whom are children of poor families in squatter areas. They are products of the consenting wives who can do nothing against the will of the husbands despite their unwillingness to have another child.

 

Less-educated mothers resented their coming into this world not because they are physically or mentally handicap but being considered unwanted children. Their parents can now do nothing but to hope against hope that they will not become future problems of society.

 

By growing without the proper parental guidance, they are more burdensome to parents than mongoloid kids who just stay at home. This mental handicap among children was discovered by experts on Human Genetics. The children are called mongoloids but to be more humane, they call them victims of “down syndrome.”

 

This mental condition that affects one in every six-hundred-fifty children all over the world is resented by many parents who failed in their expectation of a normal child. Thus, in most cases, these kids who badly need parental care and attention turned out to be the most neglected.

 

A doctor who discovered this mental handicap of children advised parents to love them as they are created from the image of God. They may act differently from the other normal children but still, as he asserts, they overflow with love and affection towards their parents

 

The problem of poor parents is by having nobody to take care of their mentally handicapped child just in case they go. Thus, in Europe, the discovery of child’s defect while still in mother’s womb forced some parents to resort into abortion than to allow it to live and suffer a sad fate in this world.

 

In Catholic Church abortion is a mortal sin. But this is not what is being debated in Congress about the Reproductive Health Bill (RHB). The use of contraceptives is the epicenter of the issue.  It may have some consequences to the user but this issue belongs to women as a right on what to do to their bodies.

 

Reported mortality rate among Asian women during pregnancy or childbirth is alarming. It is also noted that abortion performed by illegal abortionists had took its among women with unwanted pregnancy. This is not from fear of having a mongoloid kid but from having an additional member of the family.

 

RH Bill deals more on helpful information for women about healthcare during pregnancy and also of the fetus inside their womb. Lacking capacity to provide adequate food, clothing, health care and education to the already big number of children at home, RHB can be of help to avoid unwanted kids.

 

Look at the widening economic gap of the rich and the poor.  Unemployment is a big problem for parents with many children. For most of them, the “K plus 12” program of DepEd is anti-poor. They can hardly support the need of their school children what’s more for the added two years to finish high school?

 

Scientists say you can send a cow to a far-away-place inside the bottle. True, by artificial insemination they had created an embryo – a living thing developed by the inter-action of male’s egg penetrating inside the female womb. In human beings, contraceptives prevent the development of embryo. This belies abortion as what the earlier claim of those opposed to the RH Bill hinted at. For how can we kill a non-living matter?

 

Let us empower our women’s right to choose what is best for them. They knew much better than us men on what to do with their bodies. Any motive for us men to stand up against the RHB is hypocrisy of the highest order. It is a women’s cause and they knew that the prize at stake in this war is worthy of the battle they are fighting for!

 

Hole of Justice: Selective Prosecution

Hole of Justice: Selective Prosecution: Hole of Justice By Peter G. Jimenea Selective Prosecution In 2006, two government auditors from the Commission on Audit (COA), ...

Selective Prosecution

Hole of Justice

By Peter G. Jimenea

Selective Prosecution

In 2006, two government auditors from the Commission on Audit (COA), filed a case for alleged tampering of receipts against four Bacolod City Hall employees. The amount involved was less than P100,000 but all the four respondents were dismissed by the Ombudsman.

Perhaps, the evidence of guilt is strong against the four employees on why the Ombudsman dismissed them all. But three of these employees cried injustice, Budget Officer Luzviminda Treyes, Asst. City Treasurer Lilia Ursos and Project Development Officer Leo Villanueva.

The same fate happened to a provincial collection officer of Negros Occ. with a P16,000 cash shortage. This she can easily settle but the Ombudsman slapped her with a stiff penalty. This inquisitor should know that extreme enforcement of law may lead to injustice. (Berico vs. CA, 225 SCRA 562).

Justice of the Ombudsman seems to have two faces. Look at the COA’s report on the Property, Plant and Equipment (PPE) of the Iloilo City government in 2009 (last term of Mayor Jerry Trenas) and compare it to the cases of the lowly Negros Occ. government employees.

I don’t think this is our justice system under the Aquino administration. But as noted, justice today seems to have two faces. One side is in favor of the rich and the other is frowning for the blatant disregard to equal justice deserving to the poor!

Look, the Iloilo City government under then Mayor Trenas has P1.305B fund in 2009. But after the December audit, P821M cannot be reconciled due to lack of supporting papers or have no documents at all. On why COA has suddenly kept mum after reporting the mess, only God knows. But the P821M people’s money seemed to have disappeared in the course of time!

It does not end there. Under his administration, the city government has also a failed Housing Project, the construction of 413 units of houses for the poor city hall employees. It started in 2001 with P137M budget but sad to say, it ended in 2009, without a unit that can be seen standing and completed. 

Thus, graft cases were filed at the Office of the Ombudsman against then Mayor Trenas and cohorts in 2004. To date, however, the Ombudsman is still groping in the dark for probable cause to indict the mayor. My God, what a blatant display of stupidity!

Probable cause needs only to rest on evidence showing that more likely than not, a crime has been committed. Here any prudent and reasonably discreet man will easily believe the unlawful spending of the P137M is embraced in RA 3019, so who are they kidding?

 

Although there is no formula or fixed rule for the determination of probable cause, it depends solely to a large degree on the finding or opinion of the one judging it. Now it redounds to an investigation-in-eternity, widely believed in exchange for – you know what!

 

Sec. 26 of RA 6770 (Inquiries) The Ombudsman shall act promptly on the complaint filed by anyone in any form and in any manner. If he finds the same baseless, he shall dismiss the case and inform the complainant of such dismissal.

 

Then what keeps the graft case of Trenas in suspended animation for nine years? If there is no probable cause, why not dismiss the case? Jurisprudence says, culpa lata dolo a equiparatur – gross negligence is equivalent to malice or intentional wrong. (Balatbat vs. CA, 261 SCRA 128). It is written though, he who offends when drunk shall be punished when sober!