A BILL banning the perpetuation of political dynasties is now being worked out in the Senate. In fact, the sponsors and other supporters of the bill in the Upper Chamber are already starting consultation activities with the various sectors of Philippine society. One of the senators who is actively involved is opposition Senator Riza Hontiveros.
This early, we already know which political families will be against the bill to the point of fighting it “tooth and nail.”
We know that after decades since the effectivity of the 1987 Constitution, where such is prominently provided, not a single legislator was known to have strongly come up with a bill that would have been an enabling legislation to make the Charter provision work.
Of course, we can understand. After all, most of those who are now dominating the two Houses of Congress are either some of the surviving delegates to the Constitutional convention, or their scions – sons and daughters, or even grandchildren.
With the anti-political dynasty bill emanating from the Senate, chances are it may be able to hurdle any opposition. Many are also hoping that the final Senate version of the bill will be what the majority of the Filipino people are hoping for.
Imagine, these days we have places where key elective positions are held by the grandparents, the sons and daughters, the grandchildren, the nephews and nieces, and even those still inside the womb are already designated to one day become mayor, congressman/woman, councilors, and even barangay captains!
Our fervent hope is that this bill subsequently becomes a law that is not mutilated and substituted with provisions that will suit the interests of incumbent politicians.
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We have it from reports in the national capital that a lawyer who gained popularity with his defense of suspects in high-profile crimes is filing with the Supreme Court a petition to declare Senate President Vicente Sotto III guilty of indirect contempt.
Yes, lawyer Ferdinand Topacio is petitioning the highest court to have the Senate President held in indirect contempt. His basis was Sotto’s criticism of the SC’s ruling declaring the impeachment case against the Vice President “unconstitutional” for having violated the Constitutional bar of filing more than one impeach rap within a one-year period.
Perhaps Topacio believes that Sotto’s negative reaction to the ruling can be taken as already a clear manifestation of his encouragement to the other Senators not to follow the Highest Court’s decision.
But we have heard and read several times the Senate President’s critical statement on the SC’s resolution. And nowhere in his statement tends to suggest that the Senate should not obey the same.
Perhaps Topacio might have thought that he was too bright a lawyer to have Sotto’s reaction as already an order to the Senators to ignore the ruling. But it was clearly a manifestation of his disagreement with the ruling. As simple as that.
Maybe the lawyer of the suspected massacre “brain” in Negros Oriental must have thought that the Constitutionally-guaranteed freedom of expression and speech is already dead, so Sotto is prohibited from manifesting.
If lawyers like Topacio can conveniently make their own interpretation of the Constitutional provision because they are known to be on the other side of the political fence with the Senate President, can any ordinary Filipino citizen still run to lawyers of similar status for defense in cases where he or she needs such a lawyer’s intervention?
Pray, tell us.
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The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region XI has reported that the Ma-a Flyover Project is 90 percent completed. So the ten percent remaining could possibly be just the finishing touches?
But how long will it take to finish the remaining ten percent? We have heard of projects where the 10 percent unaccomplished is the longest to be finally completed.
Take the case of that very short concrete bridge spanning the creek that divides Tacunan in the third district and Catalunan Grande in the first district of Davao City.
For several years now, starting during the early period of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been taking the route from our house in the rural area when we make visits to our residence in Catalunan Grande.
The span itself was completed shortly after the pandemic started. Lacking were the bridge approach from the Tacunan end and the connection of the Catalunan Grande approach to the main road.
Roughly, what remains to be done may be only about ten percent of the total bridge project. But lo and behold, it is already about seven years since the bridge’s main portion was finished. However, the approaches on one side have not been done, and the one at the Catalunan end has not been connected to the main road.
In other words, in that particular project, the ten percent or a little over has not been started yet after several years already. How much more for the ten percent of the Ma-a Flyover?
Of course, it is our take that since the flyover project is seen by motorists almost 24 hours a day, the possibility is that the DPWH XI will not put itself in an uncompromising situation.
