Bans and banned? (Part 2)

ONCE again nature went back at us. The mining tragedy in Antique points to us once again our duty to Mother nature. Capitalists have been blamed for the degradation of our natural resources. However looking at our passivity and non-action, Mother Nature has once again unleashed her forces and has claimed 5 lives of workers in the mining site in Panay. An insider told me that the company is fortunate that when the collapse came, it was break time for most of the miners. The country has seen the different tragedies related to mining, yet the mouths of our legislators have been very noisy these past few weeks courting the votes of the people for another term of graft and corruption. This, I believe, will become a very big issue for the campaigning senatoriables. They will feast on the administration’s inability to put fangs in its laws and policies. The tragedy will be a point of political gimmick for many senatoriables and even the local candidates. If the good ones who had been in the Senate and Congress had done something in the past mining accidents could have been avoided.

When will we learn? Shall we still allow ourselves to be blinded by the best billboards and political ads? Shall we not vote for people who could really help us and lead us? These queries lead me to the next topic which is hot today and derails the real issues at hand. Political ads ban is being thoroughly implemented by COMELEC headed by the shining Brillantes’ team. The team is really on its way to vigilantly implement the election rules of the country. The political ads ban has been in effect but no COMELEC official has really put justice into this law. It is often said but never implemented (done). I have never heard of any candidate (national) who had been charges of violating this law. The premature campaign rule has never been implemented. We often hear of complaints but they fall on deaf ears. Today, Philippine media has filed a petition to stop the implementation of the ban. If the Supreme Court (SC) will adhere to the request, then here is a “go-signal” for everyone not to adhere to any law but only to question it in the SC. No law shall be implemented well, if SC continues to question all the laws being passed by our dear legislators.

When shall we have a law that is constitutional at the very start? When shall we have a law that will give us justice, charity and common welfare? When shall we have a law that will really protect the Filipino people? When can we have a law that could be equally implemented? These are some questions that would bring me top ask why is it hard for Congress to pass the Anti-political dynasty bill?

This had been pending in Congress for quite a long time already. I guess there are those legislators who are guilty of “dynastying” our government? Our president is and had been a violator of this political dynasty. His mother was in position when he ran for a local post in their place. Look at the Arroyo clan in government. It seems that the gatherings during the time of GMA was more of a family affair and not a political affair. There are still a lot of dynasties in our Houses. Why can’t we see this? The dynasty is hurting us much. No matter how good the politician is, when his family members are in the government, this will destroy the principles and the political will of the one. Take the case of the RH Law in the Senate, it passed very easy for the bill had already an immediate vote from the Senate’s siblings. This is a great injustice to everyone.

However, one forgets that the other was elected earlier than the other. What have they done to the nation?

The whole nation is drugged and intoxicated. The Dangerous Drugs Act has been in effect for more than a decade. Teams and barkadas had been created here and there, yet we still lose many teenagers to dangerous drugs. Every time I see a young mentally-deranged person, I would usually attribute the defect to dangerous drugs. Many of the young people are destroyed because of the inability of the government to put a big STOP to the drugs that come into our nation. The penalty is so low that it seems too easy for the criminals to do away with. A professor of mine once explained to me that the low penalty is a “shame strategy” that would touch the conscience of the criminal. I disagreed with him and got a lower grade for my disagreement.

I pity the future generation. This government and the past governments cannot even implement a very simple “No smoking” ordinance, yet it dreams of implementing greater bans. What a shame. I am ashamed.

St. Ezekiel Moreno, St. Lorenzo Ruiz, St. Pedro Calungsod, Blessed John Paul II, and Sir Faraon Lopez, pray for us.