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Freeing Willie

“(T)he rating of the Wowowee program started to decline from 22-23% under his watch to a single digit with different trial hosts.”

by Ducky Paredes

His pleading in Civil Case No. 10-67770 begins thus: “Plaintiff has, for valid reasons, rescinded his contract with ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp. However, ABS-CBN publicly disputed the rescission and claimed it was the aggrieved party. So the public may know the truth as to who really is the aggrieved party, who truly is at fault, who has been insincere, who acted with evident bad faith, and who broke promises, plaintiff desires to have his rescission judicially confirmed.”

In his complaint against defendant ABS-CBN, Willie Revillame claims that the network suspended him without pay, unilaterally cancelled his TV program Wowowee and downgraded his TV appearances from three hours daily or 18 hours weekly to just one hour weekly, or 17 hours less.

ABS-CBN also placed him on probation without assurance of reinstatement, and also downgraded his appearance from a “live” to a “pre-recorded” program, which constitutes censorship and prior restraint. His contract provides for a live telecast.

Revillame is also deprived of his earning from “in-show” product endorsements, which has become part of his compensation package.

What Willie wants to know is why the giant entertainment network is going out of its way to destroy him. Is it because of politics? He openly backed Manny Villar, a personal friend, while ABS-CBN campaigned for Noynoy Aquino.

Why else the “deliberate sabotage” of his image by the company by airing “destructive pieces” against him instead of promoting him as its talent?

He said there is also an “abuse of right by ABS-CBN under a one-sided contract of adhesion, purposely intended to destroy his career and to humiliate him, which is not in keeping with good faith, usage and law.”

Why did the giant network refuse to bring him back, even when the rating of the Wowowee program started to decline from 22-23% under his watch to a single digit with different trial hosts?

For Willie to continue working under terms that include probation, censorship and prior restraint, he feels that this would already constitute involuntary servitude.

Revilame’s contract with ABS-CBN ties him to the network until its expiration on September 11, 2011, despite the fact that ABS-CBN already rescinded the same when it unilaterally cancelled Wowowee. ABS-CBN even went so far as to threaten with lawsuits any network who would employ Revillame.

Thus, his one hope is that the courts will give him judicial relief by ruling that Willie has the right to break an unfair and illegal contract. After all, if the contract means that the network does not have to give you work but can prevent others from hiring you. Isn’t that a clear violation of one’s rights? Doesn’t such a contract – that can prevent one from working and earning — reduce one to the status of a slave that has to serve a master even if he gives you nothing. A man is reduced to not working and no pay just to please ABS-CBN until September 10, 2011?

Since ABS-CBN had unilaterally cancelled Wowowee , Revillame said  “maghahanap-buhay naman ako para makapagbigay ligaya ako sa mga tao at sa aking mga fans.”  He said that he is willing to forgo his claim for damages if he and ABS-CBN can go their separate ways amicably.

Revillame says that he devoted all his time to making Wowowee succeed but that management seemed to have disregarded this when they cancelled the program.

“For five years and-a-half buhay ko ang ibinigay ko dyan. Nine o’clock in the morning hanggang gabi, ideas ko ibinigay ko sa kanila. Bakit ganyan ang trato nila sa akin?”

The contract with ABS-CBN had a term of three years, commencing on September 11, 2008, and ending on September 10, 201l.  In the nearly two years that Willie hosted the show, it moved to the top ranking of television shows, generating 22 to 23 percent of viewership.  After he stopped hosting the show, viewership dropped to just nine percent, indicating that the public sorely missed Willie on their noonday TV.

Willie’s problems began when on complaining to the management about the incessant personal attacks made against him by broadcaster Jobert Sucaldito, also of ABS-CBN, his complaints were ignored.  What was that all about? Why did Sucaldito launch a unilateral attack on Willie? Why did ABS-CBN allow it? Could politics have been the cause of all this?

* * *

On that hostage negotiation that turned bloody, the one lesson to be learned is that there should be only one man in charge who can restrict people’s movements and media coverage, have control over the police and the single negotiator. He should be in total control. The one goal should be to save all the hostages. Anything else – freedom of the press, arresting people, the rights of usiseros and families, etc. – should not interfere with that main purpose.

As it was, the live coverage of the arrest of the brother (who should have been prevented from going anywhere near the hostage-taker) set off the carnage. We should thank the negotiator for successfully saving the lives of those who were freed prior to the killing.

As to our police, they should go back to school to learn crowd control and how to arrest suspects without allowing them to make a scene. That arrest which started the carnage was very poor police work.

* * *

I received an e-mail with the picture of an old friend who has been away for some time now– Nitoy Escano, broadcaster, golfer and wise man.

It read simply: “Nestor Rafael Basa Escano, October 24, 1933 – August 16, 2010.”

It continues: “’What good is it for a man to gain the whole world yet forfeit his soul?’ Mark 8:36”

“Loving husband and father. He was a friend who sticks closer than a brother. He lived his life with great passion in accomplishing his goals.”

Good-bye, old friend. Prayers from devout readers are appreciated.

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hvp (08.25.10)

Readers who missed a column can access www.duckyparedes.com/blogs. This is updated daily. Your reactions are welcome at duckyparedes@yahoo.com

Ang Kawawang Pinoy

Deretsahan

 

ni Horacio Paredes

 

May sulat galing sa OFW: “Magandang araw po  sa inyo sampu ng inyong mambabasa sa Abante. Nakakalungkot po  yung eksena na hostage drama dahil marami ang nasawi, at katakot-takot na insulto ang inabot ng Pilipinas.

“Katunayan nga asar talo kami dito sa Fiji Island sa mga local nila dito at sa mga British nationals dito. Wala nalang kami kibo. Napakarami nagkamali sa akin pananaw. Una yung humawak ng sitwasyon sa hostage, lumusob sa gyera kulang sa bala. Walang magaling na negosyador na mapakalma yung nag-hostage.

“Saka yung pamunuan ng Ombudsman, kaya lang tangalin sa pwesto eh yung mga pulis na mula kapitan pababa. Pero yung mga milyon dolyar ang ninakaw wala silang magawa, kaya yung Ombudsman head eh dapat tangalin na, wag ng hintayin na sya eh ma impeach pa.yung mga tao naiwan ng last administration  talaga mandarambong na mangugulo pa. Paalisin na yan mga tao nyan. Sa nangyari kasi ngayun eh lumalabas na baka wala nga na kasalanan yung Rambong parak na si Capt. Mendoza. Sana eh aksyunan kaagad ng gov’t yung may mga kaso pa na ganyan ng hindi na maulit.

“Kami dito eh ilang araw na nakalipas eh ini-insulto pa rin ng mga tiga dito.” — Solomon Aradian ng Pandi, Bulacan — Fiji Island

* * *

Tama ka; talagang napakalaki ng pagkukulang ng ating kapulisan. Pinakita nila sa buong mundo na wala tayong kakayanang humarap sa ganoong problema. Ang dapat sana ay nasalba ang lahat na hostage. Sa ngayon, napakaraming sisihan ang nangyayari.

Nahalata rin na hindi pala mahanap ang Pangulong Noynoy sa mga oras na nagsimula ang krisis dahil tinawagan siya ng pinuno ng Hongkong ngunit hindi siya mahanap. Kamalian ring mal.aki na ang pangulo ng isang bansa ay hindi matawagan sa dahilang hindi alam ng kaniyang mga staff sa Malakanyang kung nasaan siya.

Baket rin sinisisi ng pamahalaan ang media na ibinalita ang pinakamaliit na pangyayari sa panghohostage. Ang dapat tanungin ay kung baket pinabayaan nila na mag-cover ang media. Dapat sa isang sitwasyon ng hostage na mayroong isang binibigyan ng tungkulin at karapatan na walang mangyayari sa hostage-taking na wala niyang pahintulot. Ganito ang ginagawa sa ibang bansa at ganito rin ang dapat na ginagawa ng ating mga pulis.

Sa katotohanan kung hindi nakita ng nanghostage na hinuli ang kaniyang kapatid, baka hindi niya pinagbabaril ang mga hostage. Kaninong kaslanan ito – sa nanghuli (kahit maaari naman sanang hinulli ito pagkatapos na ng krisis) o sa media na ginagawa lang naman g ang kanilang karaniwang ginagawa kapag sila’y nag-kokober ng mga pangyayari.

Kailangang bumalik an gating mga pulis sa kindergarten at pag-aralan muli kung ano nga ba ang dapat na ginagawa ng mga awtoridad sa mga sitwasyonh hanito. Kawawa talaga tayong mga Pinoy!

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hvp (08.25.10)

 

Readers who missed a column can access www.duckyparedes.com/blogs. This is updated daily. Your reactions are welcome at duckyparedes@yahoo.com

The Ona Tax

“At some point in increasing the tax rate, no more taxes can be collected and violation makes more economic sense.”

by Ducky Paredes

 

Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Enrique Ona is pushing for an excise tax on cigarettes of P4.50 per stick or P90 per pack of 20s. One can’t blame the secretary; he worries about our health and he wants anything that contributes negatively to our national health out. He is talking taxes as a doctor, not as a taxman and not as an economist, which he is not.

Will Secretary Ona’s P90 peso tax work? Will it cut down smoking or will it at least raise more money for government to spend on making the country healthier. My guess is that the Ona tax will do neither. In fact, not only will it have no effect on cutting down the number of Pinoy smokers by making the habit more expensive; Dr. Ona’s tax may even increase the number of smokers. As for earning more money that government can spend on making the country healthier, absolutely not!

What may even happen is that the tax collected on cigarettes may drop to zero – no collections at all! Here is why: When the tax on anything becomes onerous, one increases the rewards of tax avoidance. A tax that is affordable and reasonable gives the smuggler no incentive since it is affordable and getting caught in violation is just not worth the trouble. In fact, it is plain stupid to smuggle when the tax rate is fair and reasonable. But a tax of P90 per pack is another matter.

The very high tax makes smuggling or tax avoidance worthwhile. At some point in increasing the tax rate, no more taxes can be collected and violation makes more economic sense.

While those who fear that a P90 per pack tax may kill the local legitimate tobacco industry could be right, it won’t kill the cigarette smuggling industry that gives nothing back to the country. As of now cigarette makers pay excise taxes ranging from P2.47 per pack for low-priced cigarettes to P27.16 per pack for premium cigarettes. 

According to a World Bank study, for every 10% increase in the price of cigarettes in developing countries (such as the Philippines), there is an 8% reduction in consumption. A side effect of this is that the price increase will force smokers to shift to lower-priced cigarettes on which a lower excise tax is levied. Not only does the government earn less, the effect on the national health of lower-quality lower-priced cigarettes may be a worse result.

If a smoker shifts from a high-priced brand on which he pays an excise tax of P27.16 to a low-priced brand on which P2.47 per pack excise tax is paid, the government loses P24.56 per pack. Will a smoker increase his consumption of cigarettes to accommodate the government? Are you crazy?

The experience in other countries is that drastically increased tax rates have found that these create major disruptions in the market and legitimate businesses and even governments suffer.  This is because there are unintended consequences such as a dramatic increase in the incidence of counterfeiting and smuggling, which means revenue losses for the government.

In Canada, the government had to lower excise taxes on cigarettes after increasing them, when it encountered the problem of increased cases of smuggling. Thus, despite significantly increased excise taxes results in loss of revenue.

            The present law (Republic Act 9334) provides for reasonable and predictable increases in excise taxes every two years, with the last increase happening last Jan. 2009. An excise tax increase is scheduled for 2011.

Only two products are regularly subject to tax increases every two years since 2005 — alcohol and tobacco products. Excise taxes on both products are a stable source of revenue for the government.

In fact, collections from alcohol and cigarettes have been steadily increasing. Tax collection from cigarettes January to June in 2009 and in 2010 shows an increase of 39.7 percent! The current system of smaller incremental increases works!

* * *

According to the Jubilee South Asia Pacific Movement on Debt and Development (JSAPMDD) and the Action for Economic Reforms (AER), increasing taxes on tobacco products “upholds tax justice.” The increase will “correct a public bad caused by cigarette smoking and generates revenue that will finance poverty reduction, including essential health services for the people.”

The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Alliance Philippines also backs Health Secretary Enrique Ona’s tax idea.

 Lidy Nacpil, JSAPMDD Coordinator, says the Ona tax idea “is an effective instrument to raise revenues for the government that is saddled with a budget deficit problem and will have difficulty pursuing its social goals of providing for the social protection programs on health and livelihood.”

According to Filomeno Sta. Ana, AER coordinator, revenues collected from increased tobacco taxes — including those imposed “on goods and services that are of no social value such as cigarettes” — will be enough “to replace revenues from the Value Added Tax imposed on essential goods and inputs for staple goods.” Not only that but higher tobacco taxes will also provide “a big revenue boost, which will avert a fiscal crisis and thus provide macro-economic stability. It will also be critical to the success of the new administration’s poverty reduction program, including President Aquino’s commitment to put in place universal health coverage.”

Recently, JSAPMDD and AER organized the Asian Seminar on Tax Justice in the Philippines to pursue national, regional and global campaigns on tax justice issues, including particularly tobacco taxes to improve public health.

Participants from the Philippines, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam also discussed the justice issues involved in progressive taxation, tax evasion and regressive taxation.

Nacpil says: “Raising tobacco taxes should not be unthinkable for the President because other countries are already doing so. Tax justice involves the review of our existing taxation policies that should encourage industries and practices that are beneficial to the people and discourage industries that produce goods and services that cause harm to people’s health and the environment.”

Fine words but Canada, for one, has already discovered that you can only increase taxes by so much; there comes a point when the money stops coming in and the habit – condemnable as it is – continues to grow!

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hvp (08.24.10)

Readers who missed a column can access www.duckyparedes.com/blogs. This is updated daily. Your reactions are welcome at duckyparedes@yahoo.com

The Wicked Witch of the WWW

“(T)hey parted ways on her instigation and left her former partners with nothing.”

by Ducky Paredes

I have written awful things about a fledgling company called MoAnima, Inc., which is in motion-picture animation and is run by several harmless nerds, among them Carlo Ryan Estrella, Ibrahim Bernardo, Grace Lacap-Bernardo, and Rina Ria Lacap-Esmundo.

For instance, I recently wrote that their offices had been raided by the NBI, which supposedly acted on, among other things,  the complaints of “the software company AutoDesk that during one of their random checks, they found out that all of their software that MoAnima was using were trial versions which are not viable for commercial use and which MoAnima had not purchased.”

The truth is that the NBI did raid MoAnima but found nothing amiss – no purloined or pirated software and absolutely nothing wrong or in anyway illegal in whatever MoAnima was doing or using. So, what was going on?

Apparently, there is a character who we will refer to as the Wicked Witch of the World-Wide Web WW of the WWW), who through the connections of her foreigner husband was able to get contracts from the motion picture company where he was working. He passed these on to his Pinay wife, the WW of the WWW, who had set up offices in the country where she was born. Unfortunately for our well-meaning and harmless nerds, they made the mistake of working with her.  They signed a contract that bound them to her and she to them — they could not work elsewhere and she could not hire others.

After several months, realizing that she no longer needed them and the wicked witch that she was, she set up her own company, using some of the people in the nerds’ organization to do the work. She then abandoned the nerds.

Left with about thirty high-salaried employees with no contracts, the nerds were saved by a businessman (who happens to be a relative) who helped them set up MoAnima.

According to Ibrahim Bernardo, MoAnima is not using any software that the WW of the WWW provided our nerds, as she has several times suggested in her complaints with the Intellectual Property Office, the NBI and whoever would listen to her. In fact, what qualifies this Pinay to be called the WW of the WWW is that since they parted ways on her instigation and left her former partners with nothing, and while MoAnima has only been trying to gain some headway in their business and are finding it tough going, she is doing everything to destroy them. Why she does this even as they have done nothing to do her any harm, qualifies her, in my book,  as a wicked witch.

For the benefit of non-techies, what MoAnima does is motion capture tracking or mocap, which is the process of recording movement and translating it onto a digital model. This technology has various applications in the medical field, and is also used in military exercises and sports training.  It is most commonly utilized however, in the entertainment industry for video games (a billion dollar industry) and when filmmakers create digital characters for computer animation.  Box-office hits such as Beowulf, A Christmas Carol, Polar Express, and most recently, Avatar, are prime examples of this.

The WW of the WWW  told the NBI that MoAnima was using proprietary technology that she allowed them to use (only while they were working for her) and was trying to take her existing clients from her.

This is simply not true – a total lie as the NBI found out from its raid.

* * *

Recently, the WW of the WWW tried to get the president of the Game Developers Association of the Philippines  (GDAP) out of the organization because he was someone who worked with MoAnima and represented the Philippines in the Game Developers Convention (GDC) in San Francisco.

Unfortunately for her, the GDAP stuck with its legally elected president and so did the Philippine Government. By adding the GDAP to her list of  her witchcraft’s victims, she is working against the interests of this country, just as she is when she bandies around on the Internet (the WWW) her false accusations against MoAnima.

What I hope to see is for MoAnima who are led by my fellow Ateneans who are primarily “men for others” to take the WW of the WWW to our Philippine courts and have her answer for the trouble that she has been causing them. Of course, knowing our courts, that may take a lifetime, which is actually how long it usually takes to free oneself from  the clutches of wicked witches.

* * *

While it is only proper for our legislature (the Congress and the Senate) to look into the huge salaries of executives of the Government Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCC), why I would like to know is why it took the front page story of a newspaper for our senators and congressmen to know about this.

Don’t they have yearly budget hearings on what the government spends and will spend? Why couldn’t anyone of the more than 250 legislators or anyone on their staffs find this out beforehand? Why did they notice this only when they (and us) read about it in a newspaper? What do they look at in those yearly budget hearings, if they do not notice items like what these political appointees are making?

Right now, something that I wish they would look at is what first-time congressman Ben Evardone has been talking about – why after Epira, that allowed the National Power Corporation to sell its assets in order to extinguish its debts (the main cause of our extremely high power rates), and after most of the assets have been sold, the NPC’s debts have not been paid, our power rates are even higher and NPC is borrowing more money? Isn’t that more important than finding out why the GOCCs are paying so much to their managers?

After all, all that P’Noy has to do is tell these managers to take a cut and that problem is solved.

For the failure of Epira and our constantly increasing power rates, we need a solution that only congress can provide. They ought to be looking at what Epira has brought us.

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hvp (08.23.10)

Readers who missed a column can access www.duckyparedes.com/blogs. This is updated daily. Your reactions are welcome at duckyparedes@yahoo.com

Palpak Na Naman Kaya?

Deretsahan

 

ni Horacio Paredes

 

 Di kaya palpak na naman ang ginawang pasiklab nina Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima at Customs Commissioner Angelito Alvarez?

Ang unang pasiklab  na ginawa ng pamahalaang P’Noy ay iyong pag-file ng kaso laban sa may-ari ng ilang sanlaan na sinabing may pag-aaring Lamborghini, isang uri ng kotse na mamahalin na wala raw binayarang buwis sa kaniyang negosyo. Parang maganda ngunit para ring hindi pinag-aralan dahil lumilitaw rin na matagal na niyang binenta ang kaniyang mga sanglaan. Marahil, kung ganito nga ang sitwasyon, sa pagdating ng kasong ito sa korte, matatalo ang pamahalaang P’Noy.

Ngayon naman, itong kasong laban sa isang maliit na kumpaniya na nagpapasok sa bansa ng mga tinatawag na luxury cars, ang Viking Haulers, Inc. ay baka ganoon rin ang mangyayari. Ayon sa balita, nagpasok raw ang Viking ng sampung sasakyan – tatlong (3) Lamborghini, tatlong (3) Mercedez Benz, tatlong (3) Porsche at isang (1) Masserati Quadropette mula Enero at Mayo sa ngayong taon at ang binayaran ay P17,400,000 lamang, kulang sa dapat na binayaran, na umaabot sa P85,800,000.

Pang-gulat ang balita, shocking! Ngunit, sa dami ng mga importer ng mamahaling sasakyan – Prestige Cars, Cats, PGA Cars, Jaguar Philippines, Lexus Philippines, at iba pa – bakit ang isa sa pinakamaliit na dealer ang pinunteriya.

Sa akin kasing pananaw, parang hindi naman gaanong nagkakalayo ang mga presyo ng mga sasakayan sa mga importer ng luxury car kaya parang pare-parehio lamang ang binabayarang tax ng mga dealer. Hindi kaya na pare-pareho silang binabayarang buwis sa pagpasok ng mga sasakayan sa bansa? Baka ito ang unang dapat na tinignan ni Commissioner Angelito Alvarez, imbes na parang ang Viking lamang ang kaniyang pinupunteriya at hindi ang kabutihan ng industriya ng sasakyan ang tinatanw niya.

Sa pag-import ng sasakayan, papaano ba nalalaman kung magkano ang dapat na babayaran sa pagdating ng sasakyan sa daungan? Hindi ba’t merong mga tauhan sa Bureau of Customs na sila ang nagtutuos kung magkano ang dapat na bayaran? Tapos, meron ring maraming pumipirma sa computation bago tinatanggap ang bayad at pakakawalan ang sasakyan.

Hindi naman ang nagpasok ng sasakyan ang gumagawa ng komputayon kundi ang Bureau of Customs, di ba? Tapos, upang ma-rehistro ang sasakyan, inaalam rin ng LTO kung magkano ang binayaran at dapat na merong pinapakitang certification galing sa BOC na binayaran ang tamang buwis sa naturang sasakyan.

Sa ganitong paraan, papanong masisisi ng BOC ang taong nagpasok ng sasakyan? Papaano nila patutunayan ang bintang na kulang ang binayarang buwis sa korte kung saan tiyak na patungo ang kasong ito. Meron kayang taga-customs na haharap sa korte at magpapatunay na minali nila ang babayarang tax ng importer na nagpasok ng sasakayan? Papaano rin kung mapatunayan ng Viking na mas mataas pa nga ang kanyang binayaran kesa sa ibang mas malalaking nagpapasok rin ng luxury vehicle sa Pinas? Di kaya lalo lang lalaki ang sunog?

Baka imbes na gumanda ang negosyo ay lalo itong mawala? Di kaya matatakot na ang lahat na mga importer imbes na matuwa sa ginagawang pagbabago ng pamahalaang P’Noy?

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hvp (08.23.10)

 

Readers who missed a column can access www.duckyparedes.com/blogs. This is updated daily. Your reactions are welcome at duckyparedes@yahoo.com

Ang Pangako ni P’Noy

Deretsahan

ni Horacio Paredes

Sumulat si Flor Manabat: “Nakakalungkot, pero unti-unti nang nagkakatotoo ang espekulasyon ng ilan na bahagi lamang ng kampanya ang ilan sa ipinangako ni Pangulong Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino III partikular ang usapin sa buwis.

“Kung matatandaan, marami ang humanga kay Aquino at posibleng naging dahilan kaya’t nakahamig ito ng maraming boto nang ipangako niya sa kasagsagan ng kampanya na kapag siya ang naluklok na Pangulo ay walang karagdagang buwis na ipatutupad dahil nauunawaan nito ang paghihirap ng sambayanang Filipino.

“Pero bakit wala pang isandaang araw sa kapangya rihan ay ang pagpapataw na ng karagdagang buwis ang isa sa pangunahing target ng kanyang administrasyon?

“Hindi ba naalala ni Pangulong Aquino na bago mawala sa kapangyarihan si dating Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ay makailang beses na tinangkang ilusot ang Expanded Value Added Tax (EVAT) sa toll fee, pero hindi nagtagumpay.

“Sa ilalim ng bagong administrasyon ay tinarget unahin ang EVAT sa toll fee, minalas nga lamang dahil hinarang ito ng Korte Suprema kaya’t isinantabi ang dapat ay pango ngolekta ng buwis sa toll fee sa halip ay karagdagang singil na katumbas ng 250% sa kasalukuyang singilin ang ipinatupad.

“Pagkatapos ng pagharang na ito ng SC, sana ay maging mabusisi na ang Palasyo sa bawat kautusang ipalalabas dahil hindi magandang imahe ang hatid nito sa publiko na posibleng maging daan para unti-unting mabawasan ang pagtitiwala sa kasalukuyang gobyerno na inaasahan nating lahat na magiging daan sa inaasam nating pagbabago.”

* * *

Ang nakalulungkot ay marami sa mga inilagay ni P’Noy sa pwesto ay hindi naman talaga pareho ang pag-iisip sa ating inihalal na Pangulo. Kung sila’y naniniwala kay Noynoy, papaano nila hindi nalalalamn na nangako si P’Noy ng “No New Taxes”?

Ang dapat nating alamin ay kung nadinig ba nila ang isa pang pangako ng ating Presidente: “Walang mahirap kung walang kurakot.” Palagay ko’y hindi nila dinidinig si P’Noy dahil na rin sa hindi sila naniniwala sa kaniya at hindi nila nirerespeto ang pagkapanalo ni Noynoy. Gusto lamang nilang makapuwesto sa pamahalaan upang magawa nila para sa kanilang mga tunay na amo ang kagustohan ng mga ito.

Ang isa pa ngang lumilitaw ay ang pahayag ng ilan sa mga ito na handa raw ang Pangulo na mawala ang kaniyang popularidad o ang suporta natin, maitupad lamang ang kagustohan ng mga taong nakapaligid sa kaniya. E, ano pala si P’Noy, tau-tauhan?

Ingat po kayo, Mr. President!

* * *

“Gusto ko lang sana ipaalam ang kapabayaan ng Hagonoy Fire Brigade sa naganap na sunog kahapon ng gabi sa Hagonoy Market sa bayan mismo ng Hagonoy. Ang nasabing sunog ay tumagal ng 2 1/2 hours. Kung iyong iisipin bakit tumagal ng halos ganong oras samantalang napakalapit lang mismo nito sa Hagonoy Fire Station na mismong nasa bayan din at katabi ng munisipyo ng Hagonoy na halos 100 meter lang ang layo sa nasunog na wet market.

“Ang siste kasi ay wala daw battery ang kanilang truck at nakakapagtaka lang diba at ito pa walang kargang tubig din. Bakit ganon? Anong silbi nila kapag ka ganoon lang lagi. Hindi na ito bago sa Hagonoy dati din ay nagkaroon ng sunog sa likod lang ng nasabing fire station at halos ganon din ang nangyari kaya may nagbuwis pa ng isang buhay sa naganap na sunog dati.

“Kaya ang ginawa ng mga taong bayan ay itinulak na lang ang fire truck at kumuha nalang ng tubig sa water district na halos ilang metro lang din ang layo sa nasabing sunog. Kung laging ganyan ang sistema ng fire station ng Hagonoy ay tiyak tupok na ang lahat bago sila makadating at lagi silang mauunahan ng mga galling pa sa napakalayong lugar na siyang nauuna pang dumating.”

* * *

Sana’y mabasa ito ni Jesse Robredo ang namamahala sa DILG, pulis at bombero. Baket po ganito tayo, sir!

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hvp (08.20.10)

 

Readers who missed a column can access www.duckyparedes.com/blogs. This is updated daily. Your reactions are welcome at duckyparedes@yahoo.com

Ben Evardone’s Crusade

 “If the assets were sold but the money did not go to paying off the NPC’s debts, where could they have gone?”

by Ducky Paredes

Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone is doing a good job in trying to get to the bottom of why our power rates are so high. As he explains, the Epira Law gave the go-signal to the National Power Corporation to sell its assets so that Napocor would pay off its loans that were causing the high power rates.

Ben says that the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM), which the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (Epira) of 2001 created to sell Napocor, has already sold 91.8 percent of the power firm’s assets.

 “A total of $10.6 billion was generated from the proceeds of privatization. This amount includes $3.394 billion from the sale of 25 generating plants and $3.950 billion for the concession for its transmission facilities,” he said.

PSALM also took out $2.8 billion in new loans.

Ben Evardone wants to know: “PSALM has generated $10.6 billion from privatization and $2.8 billion in new loans for a total of $13.4 billion, but it has paid only $1.3 billion of Napocor’s indebtedness. Where did the $12.1 billion go?”

Apparently, the NPC is not talking.

Says the congressman: “They have refused to tell the ERC where the privatization and loan proceeds went, supposedly because this information is confidential. I think that disclosing this information could lead to a lot of irregularities being exposed.”

 This is something that needs to be looked into. If the assets were sold but the money did not go to paying off the NPC’s debts, where could they have gone? Weren’t there any provisions in the Epira law that made sure that the money raised would go towards extinguishing the NPC’s debts? Why are the debts still unpaid even as most of the assets have already been sold?

In 2001, when Epira was enacted, Napocor’s debts stood at $9.3 billion.

Explains Evardone” “Under Epira, taxpayers, through the national government, immediately absorbed P200 billion or about $4 billion of those debts, leaving a balance of $5.3 billion.”

Evardone explains that if PSALM paid the balance of Napocor’s indebtedness using the $10.6 billion generated from the sale of its assets, the government would still be left with a surplus of $5.3 billion.

Ben continues: “But there is no surplus. They even contracted new loans. To make things worse, they want consumers to pay more than P500 billion over 17 years for so-called stranded debts of Napocor and independent power producers.

“I think our people will not accept new rounds of increases in electricity rates unless they are informed of and satisfied with where billions of dollars in privatization proceeds and new loans went.”

What we know is that the NPC retired all of its officials and rehired all of them the very next day. Did all that money from the sale of its assets go to the NPC officers? So, why is no one but Evardone looking into this?

* * *

What is Rear Admiral Feliciano Angue complaining about? Gloria Arroyo appointed him to the post of Commander of the National Capital Region Command, a posting that requires the rank of a three-star general, while Angue’s rank was the equivalent only of a one-star general. While in that post, he was promoted to the equivalent rank of a two-star general. Now that he is given a post that is right for his present rank, he complains?

Those who say that Angue should not be ignored and that his complaints should be looked into must want our military to get even more spoiled than it already is. Angue belonged to the class that adopted the former President, which could be the main reason why he was favored and spoiled rotten by her.

The AFP should investigate him for his behavior. In fact, why even give him any assignment at all?

* * *

It seems that every once in a while, the topic of when school should start comes up again. Didn’t we talk about that ten years ago and five years ago and, maybe, even just two years ago? Why can’t we decide on this once and for all and put closure on this topic? Can we have a final discussion on it and never bring it up again. There must be more important matters to discuss other than when to start the school year!

Heck, does it even matter? Other countries start their school year in January or May or September. In our case, the truth is that no matter when the school year begins, because it takes up ten months of the year’s twelve, we will have typhoons during the school year. There is no avoiding the typhoon season, which has no real reliable schedule. In fact, the important part of education is not when the school year begins and ends but what is taught and how this is taught.

* * *

* * *

We have a letter from a long time reader and old, old friend: “I am still alive.  I was in Manila for three months.  I stayed at Rockwell Hoya condo in Makati.   I didn’t vote as I transferred to Mindoro.

 “ Anyway, I am fine.  Back in Mindoro for a month now.  I read no papers.  Only in the Internet.  Sometimes, I can’t get you at the Malaya.  When I was at Rockwell, I had the laptop of my niece but sometimes I hardly knew the mechanics.  I met some people at Rockwell at the elevators like Neri, Carangdang,  Ces Drilon, Karen Davila at the Mall and some movie stars.  I was able to talk to Neri.

   “So far so good Noynoy’s’ work except Kris who is always on TV.”  — Nay Trining (Mrs. Trinidad Gomez)

* * *

Excerpts from the privilege speech of Senator Jinggoy Estrada: “I have no doubt that President Aquino had nothing but the noblest motive in mind when he first thought of naming Mr. Davide to that position. Obviously, the President was acting in the honest belief that he was choosing an eminently qualified man for that all-important post.”

 “To you who will be listening to my speech with prejudice I say this: if you cannot listen with open hearts, at least listen with open minds. For sometimes it is the most esteemed men who act as if they were above the law, as Davide has.”

“Davide participated in the conspiracy of EDSA Dos when he accepted then vice president Gloria Arroyo’s letter to administer her oath of office as president of the Philippines even if he knew that the letter was based on the misrepresentation, the lie that President Estrada was permanently incapacitated – even if he was not.”

 “The irony of Davide as head of the Truth Commission is not only obvious, it is glaring. With Davide as head of the Truth Commission against Arroyo, we might as well ask Benjamin Abalos to investigate the NBN-ZTE deal or have Jocjoc Bolante investigate the fertilizer fund scam or even ask Virgilio Garcillano to investigate the ‘Hello, Garci’ scandal.”

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hvp 08.18.10

 

Readers who missed a column can access www.duckyparedes.com/blogs. This is updated daily. Your reactions are welcome at duckyparedes@yahoo.com

OMB – Oh, My Bokia?

Deretsahan

 

 

ni Horacio Paredes

 

  Sa mga sumusubaybay sa pamamalakad ng Optical Media Board (OMB) sa pamumuno ni Chairman Ronnie Ricketts, iisa daw ang bumubuga sa kanilang mga bibig — Oh My, Bokya!

 Dahilan nila ay mula nang umupo si Ricketts siyam na buwang nakaraan bilang pinuno ng ahensiya, malaking bokya ang kanyang record sa panghuhuli o pagsampa ng kaso sa mga tao o grupong lumalabag sa batas, nagpapalaganap at nagbebenta ng optical media materials.  Siyam na buwan?  Aba, sapat na panahon na iyan para manganak na ang OMB ng mga accomplishment na maari niyang ipagmalaki sa bagong pamahalaan, lalo na’t nais na nga siyang palitan ni Pangulong Noynoy.

 May mga nagtatanong kung totoo ang balita na gumagawa naman ng raid ang pangkat ni Ricketts sa mga lugar na garapalan ang paglalako ng mga pekeng DVD subalit kadalasan daw, konti lang ang mga nasasakote at maliliit na tindero lamang ang napagdidiskitahan ng mga raider.  Sa mga ganitong okasyon, basta’t may kasamang taga-media, narioroon daw si Ricketts at astang action star, panay ang pormang nagmamando sa kanyang pangkat. Subalit may mga pagkakataon daw na kapag umalis na ang mga taga- media, nawawala o pinawawalan na rin daw ang mga inaresto.  

Huling nangyari daw ang milagrong ito noong nakaraang Mayo nang nagsagawa ng raid ang OMB sa isang warehouse sa Quiapo, Maynila.  Doon, nahuli nila ang tatlong intsik sa gitna ng maraming kahon na naglalaman ng halos dalawang daang libong pekeng compact disc na tinatago sa nasabing warehouse. Subalit matapos magsialisan ang mga taga-media, sa hindi maliwanag na dahilan, inutusan daw ni Ricketts ang kanyang mga tao na palayain ang tatlong intsik.

Kung ganito ang kanyang pamamalakad sa ahensiya, hindi nakapagtataka na bokya ang record ni Ricketts sa panghuhuli at pagsampa ng kaso sa mga pirata ng optical media materials.

Subalit sa harap ng ganitong pagpapatakbo ng OMB, tigas-ulo pa rin si Ricketts na manatili sa kanyang posisyon dahil aniya, hindi naman siya midnight appointee ni dating Pangulong Gloria, at ang termino niya ay hanggang tatlong taon.  Tiyak, isa pa itong bagay na makakabawas sa buhok ni P-Noy. Pero hindi dapat maging kargante si Ricketts dahil ayon sa mga dalubhasa sa batas na lumikha ng OMB, may probislyon sa Republic Act 9239 kung saan pwedeng alisin o patalsikin ng pangulo ang pinuno ng OMB.  Sa madaling salita, ang termino ng tatlong taon ay hindi nakataga sa bato.

Ang payo ko kay Ricketts, sa halip na siya’y magkapit-tuko sa kanyang puwesto, magpakitang gilas na lang siya at baka matuwa pa sa kanya si P-Noy kapag napatunayan niyang siya’y “O, May ‘Bubuga” pala.

 

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hvp (08.18.10)

 

Readers who missed a column can access www.duckyparedes.com/blogs. This is updated daily. Your reactions are welcome at duckyparedes@yahoo.com

DepEd, DOST and the Megumi

 “We don’t have to re-invent the wheel or the Kindle or the Megumi. The solution to our lack of books and improved teaching aids is already with us.”

 

 

by Ducky Paredes

 

On July 24, 2008, my column in Malaya was on the Megumi Reader. For those who still need an introduction to this concept, here is that column:

“The harsh realities of Philippine education is that we have a lot of students and an inadequate number of teachers, books, and classrooms. There are 17 million students and 2 million new Grade One pupils every year.

“The results are not promising. Literacy rates need improvement. Most of our graduates –  even those who finish college — use bad grammar and have poor pronunciation of English words.

“Why is this? Government funding is a perennial problem and 70% of 420,000 teachers feel that they are not proficient enough in the English language.

“One solution to this may be the Megumi Reader, a  joint International Service Project of three Rotary Clubs — R.C. Los Altos Sunset of District 5170 in California,  R.C. Makati Bonifacio of District 3830 and R.C. Pasig of District 3800.

“The Megumi Reader is an electronic reader using the latest in  information technology. The Megumi is portable, durable, programmable, dynamic for various Grade levels and relatively inexpensive.

“The technical specifications are: Off-the-shelf device, originally intended as a Multimedia Player; CPU: Intel PXA255; Display: 3.8 touch screen LCD; Flash: 32MB; RAM: 32MB; I/O: 2 mini-USB, 2 Audio ports; Expansion: Compact Flash Slot; Power: AC/DC 9V with rechargeable battery pack (life is 2 hrs. when fully charged).

“The Megumi Reader is a special electronic book that is intended to be a sophisticated teaching tool. It is designed to contain all of the text books needed for elementary education of a child from kindergarten to Grade 6, and possibly even up to high school.

“The prototype was developed by a Philippine team over a short period of just a few months. A special concern of the prototype team was to make sure that the reader could not be converted by some nascent evil genius to use as a play station. It is, however, still an very interesting device.

“Oral parts of the lessons may be heard through earphones or amplified speakers.

“The Megumi would contain all texts required from Grades I to VI. With all these in the Megumi, the student can find anything by using the easy references of the page and word index. Lessons would be presented in form, structure and sequence as prescribed by the DepEd with exercises and tests included.

“The Megumi would be bi-lingual (English, Pilipino and even other dialects). It would have graphically illustrated stories and would also have an AM/FM radio.

“Press the caption Book Reading, and an illustrated short story will appear. Through the earphone, the child will hear the story read slowly, with every word enhanced or underlined as it is read.  The plan is to have many short stories using words that the child is trying to learn. Children’s songs and humorous anecdotes will appear in this section and will be heard through the earphone.

“Story Telling is started by pressing on its caption, and the story of Ibong Adarna appears.

“Press the title, and the story begins, narrated through the headphones in Filipino.

“Press the English button, and the narration in English will be heard. The story may be heard by the child in either language as many times as he or she may want.                                             

“Megumi Reader stories will show respect for social values in everyday settings as well as teach vocabulary and good conduct.

“Click on Word Pronunciation and Megumi Reader shows all the letters in the alphabet. By tapping on a letter, samples of pictures with the correct pronunciation of the object is illustrated.

“It will also have Arithmetic lessons. The child is presented with an illustrated problem: 4 pineapples plus 1 pineapple equal how many pineapples?

“If the child chooses the wrong answer, the reader will show what the answer should have been.

“What is expected is that the child will recognize letters and numbers, read and correctly pronounce words, understand simple sentences in English and Pilipino and be able to do simple addition and subtraction

“Other significant benefits include the possibility of parents and elder siblings supervising learning with the Megumi at home, thereby supporting and enhancing classroom learning.

“The Megumi Reader will also relieve teachers of tiresome chores like preparing test questions, correcting papers, and talking continuously.”

Why is this relevant today? News is that the secretaries of Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and the Department of Education (DepEd) have got together to design a Kindle-like device for the use of our schoolchildren.

Sen. Richard Gordon, during the presidential campaign talked about giving every school child a Kindle in his campaign for the presidency. The Megumi reader was developed right here in this country by a Filipino company headed by a De La Salle alumnus. If, finally, the DepEd is serious about doins a portable e-reader for everyone, by now, all that the Megumi needs is the money to go into full production.

We don’t have to re-invent the wheel or the Kindle or the Megumi. The solution to our lack of books and improved teaching aids is already with us. All that needs to happen is for all the parties to get together and work together for the good of our children and our schools. The tool that the DOST and the DepEd secretaries agreed to build is already a reality. All that needs doing is for everyone to get together on this project.

* * *

 “Education is the key to national progress and personal development, and literacy is the needed first step to education. Yet millions of children in many places are allowed to grow to adulthood without that equipment they need to live a full life. The Megumi Reader is being developed to help them get their rightful share of life.” — M.A.T. Caparas, President, Rotary International 1986-1987 and prime-mover of the Rotary Megumi Reader Project.

 

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hvp 08.16710

 

Readers who missed a column can access www.duckyparedes.com/blogs. This is updated daily. Your reactions are welcome at duckyparedes@yahoo.com

Lito Atienza’s Electoral Protest

 “Former Manila City Mayor Lito Atienza’s basis for his protest against Mayor Alfredo Lim is the reported results of the Random Manual Audit (RMA), conducted by the Commission on Elections through RMA chair Henrietta de Villa.”

by Ducky Paredes

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) Resolution No. 8804 dated March 22, 2010 (In re: Comelec rules of procedure on disputes in an automated election system in connection with the may 10, 2010 elections) reads as follows:

“Section 3. Compensation of the members of the Recount Committee. - The Commission shall fix the compensation of the members of the Committee including the fees for supplies and materials at One Thousand Five Hundred Pesos (1,500) per clustered precinct. . .”

What Lito Atienza cannot understand is why, despite the very clear wording of the pertinent Comelec resolution, he was told to pay P9,979,500.00 for the 6,6653 established precincts even when there are only 1,441 clustered precincts and thus, according to the rules as stated by the pertinent Comelec resolution, he should be paying only P2,161,500.00 (1,441 clustered precincts x P1,500).

At any rate, because he wants to know the real results of the election for mayor in Manila, he was wiling to put up (under protest) the almost P10 million that the Comelec required before they would start the manual recount of the votes from 1,441 clustered precincts.

(Under election regulations, a candidate for mayor in Manila is allowed to spend only P3.00 per voter. It seems very strange then that what the Comelec asks the candidate to spend for a recount is much more than what he was allowed to spend for his candidacy. What Atienza was told to pay amounts to  P14.42 per voter for the 692,183 who voted for mayor in the 2010 election.)

What does this buy? Ten chairmen for the ten committees that will do the actual counting, several recorders, typists and ballot box custodians in each committees. These are Comelc personnel who will be making much, much more than what they usually make. Chairmen will take home P345,956.00 monthly; the rest (recorders, typists and custodians) P159,672 monthly for the duration of the manual count!

Former Manila City Mayor Lito Atienza’s basis for his protest against Mayor Alfredo Lim is the reported results of the Random Manual Audit (RMA), conducted by the Commission on Elections through RMA chair Henrietta de Villa.

According to Atienza, the reports showed that the RMA noted “large variances for the Manila mayoral race that were allegedly due to voting-machine error” and specifically pointed to Manila mayoral race that “showed problems in the counting.”

The RMA validation team “could not identify the reason for the large variances, even after the retrieval and opening of the ballot boxes,” according to Atienza.

Atienza earlier also asked the Comelec to expedite the release of the order for the immediate retrieval of the ballot boxes containing the ballots of his protested precincts in order to start the revision and recount of the ballots.

Atienza complained: “The preliminary conference was conducted by the Comelec’s First Division on June 28 where the parties submitted their respective positions on how to expedite the resolution of this protest. And during the said conference, the Comelec assured us that the appropriate order to collect the ballot boxes and create revision committees will be issued accordingly. However, after more than one month of waiting, the Comelec has not yet issued the said order to my damage and prejudice since it is now causing undue delay in the resolution of my protest.

 “My lawyers and supporters have also complained about the presence of armed men who terrorized and threatened our watchers guarding the ballot boxes, which are presently deposited at the Museong Pambata. I am afraid that the integrity of these ballot boxes might be endangered or compromised because our watchers have observed that some unauthorized people were given access to the Museong Pambata without giving the same privilege to our watchers.”

The recount is expected to take at least two months. Whether or not Atienza can overturn Lim’s margin of  214,816 votes after he garnered 181,094 votes against Lim’s 395,910, the protest will validate either the stated fears of losing politicians that the results of the first computerized elections were compromised or it will prove that our first computerized polls was a triumphant success.

In the case of Atienza, he is finding support from friends and associates who have contributed to the close to P10 million that Atienza paid Comelec to get to the truth of what really happened on May 10, 2010 in the City of Manila.

* * *

Suggestions to what other things Commissioner Kim Henares can apply the e-vat besides the tolls on NLEX and SLEX:

The cedula (Residence Certificate), Driver’s License, Vehicle Registration, Birth Certificates, Marriage Licenses, School Enrollment Fees, Land taxes, Boy Scout contributions, passport fees, land titles and so on.

After all, these toll fees are actually taxes that the government collects to pay the BOT proponent for the road that he built for the government. If this government can collect e-vat on the taxes that we pay when we use the toll road, why should Kim not collect e-vat for everything else that the government does for us.

If the Aquino government is wondering why Gloria Arroyo did not push through with collecting the e-vat on the toll roads, it was probably because she was smart enough not to do as the proponent (probably the DOF) suggested because she had the good instinct to realize that this would not play well at all and that she would have opposition in the Senate, the House, the Courts and the general public.

The present President is not being served well if he has no people around him who can give him contrary advice that will save him from ignominy. Don’t surround yourself only with yes-men. In the end, it is they who will destroy you.

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hvp 08.16.10

 

Readers who missed a column can access www.duckyparedes.com/blogs. This is updated daily. Your reactions are welcome at duckyparedes@yahoo.com