We can’t blame the President when he again accused journalists he tagged as ‘ACDC’ or those who “attack and collect money, defend and collect money,” as he merely repeating what he kept on saying then when he was still the mayor of the city. He may be telling the truth.
But the President should also consider that not all in the media are what he had in mind as there are still those who continued to live up by the principles and editorial policies of the newspapers they belonged, and one of them is the TIMES.
Although the TIMES has also its share of errors and libel suits from articles it publishes, this postwar newspaper continued to attain that degree of credibility and acceptability by the people until today now on its 73 years of service to the community because the staff members are dedicated to protect the profession. ‘Eternal vigilance is the price of freedom’ as their rallying point.
I remember our Publisher now, then TIMES editor Jess Dureza once said: “If Mindanao Times could be considered as a success story in the field of community journalism, it can only be attributed to the credibility of the newspaper and personal sacrifices of its staff members.”
Duterte said of the ACDC: “They accept (payment) from clients to (write) political attacks. You attack to get paid. So don’t believe that they are clients.”
The President’s recent attack with the media came after the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) released earlier report on the Duterte’s family unexplained wealth including an unregistered law firm, which both accusations he denied.
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The Bureau of Customs (BOC) destroyed fake shoes, six Rolex wristwatch and soaps worth P1.80 million. The smuggled items were part of the counterfeit products seized by the Bureau from various areas and ports as part of its continuing efforts to secure the country’s borders.
Sayang, why these items have to be destroyed instead of giving them to say, charity institutions as there are many poor people living there who readily accept these valued items?
Are they really the expensive ones the Bureau confiscated and reported destroyed, or replaced them with cheap but similar items and let the real ones go to the pockets of corrupt BOC officials?
Ewan ko if I am right in my suspicion but if ever there is truth to that, then even if we change hands every time we discovered anomaly in the Bureau, the BOC will forever retain its top position as corrupt collection agency in the government.
Now that the President himself admitted that he can’t solve illegal drugs in the country even if he still have three years of his term and despite the police effort in their relentless drive to curb the menace, is happy days at the BOC will continue be the same?
Paano kahit santo ang mapunta sa Bureau, paglabas nagiging demonyo!
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While Germany’s highest court is yet to begin hearing a case brought by terminally ill patients and doctors against a law banning professional assisted suicide services, whatever the court’s decision maybe may already be too late for us, the siblings of our 83-year-old matriarch who was terminally ill for 14 days then in a hospital in Manila, when we decided to cut off the apparatus that prolong her suffering.
We, the children will still maintain what we have done even if some uninformed people blamed us for being unchristian.
Whenever it is necessary to do it again, I will not hesitate to join these terminally ill patients and doctors who wanted to end life-ending medication of the sufferers because they more than know how it will be in that condition of being a living dead.
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Let us pray. “O gracious Master, infuse in our hearts the spotless light of Your Divine Wisdom and open the eyes of our mind that we may understand the teachings of Your Gospel. Instill in us also the fear of Your blessed commandments, so that having curbed all carnal desires, we may lead a spiritual life, both thinking and doing everything to please You. For You, O Christ, our God, are the enlightenment of our souls and bodies; and to You we render glory, together with Your eternal Father, and with Your all holy, life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and forever.” – Catholic.org
