Bonus and the RH bill

ALTHOUGH the filing of the certificates of candidacy will be in October this year yet, the body language of those raring to run for public office in the May 2013 polls has made it appear like the election campaign period has already started.

At the Capitol, even if December is still several months away, Provincial Government employees will already receive their bonuses to the envy of other local government workers. But the early release of the bonus may not serve its intended purpose. The elections are still far off.

While Capitol employees have every reason to cheer, workers hired by the Danao City Council have to file a court action against Danao City Mayor Ramon “Boy” Durano Jr. so they could collect their salaries.

They also filed graft charges against Mayor Durano, Budget Officer Teresa Almacin, and Human Resource Manager Galacito Camaongay, Jr. before the Office of the Ombudsman for alleged grave abuse of authority, violation of human rights and others.

Gov. Gwen Garcia, who is running for a senator under the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), announced the giving of incentives based on its collective negotiation agreement (CNA). This is on the occasion of Cebu Province’s 443rd founding anniversary celebration.

The governor said good work will be rewarded. She said an employee who gets a very satisfactory rating will receive P15,000 and an employee who gets a satisfactory rating will get P10,000.

I don’t know what happened to the employee at the then district hospital in Mandaue City that the governor lambasted when she overheard her asking for higher bonus than from then Provincial Board (PB) Member Weng Gakit.

The governor should not be selective in distributing the bonus. She should be pragmatic this time since she is running for senator. She needs more friends than enemies.

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Even before the House of Representatives could vote on the reproductive health (RH) bill, some politicians have already succumbed to the threat by the Catholic Church to blacklist congressmen who will push for the measure’s approval.

Those running in the 2013 polls, like Rep. Tomas Osmeña, suddenly became mum after the church hierarchy threatened to campaign against pro-RH bill candidates.

The threat of the Catholic Church is not new. With due respect to our friends in the Catholic hierarchy, the issuance of a threat against politicians who will support the RH bill is against the tenets of the Christian faith. Di ba usa ka sala ang pagpanghulga?

The other religions that embrace Christianity have not been as vocal and confrontational as the Catholic Church on the RH bill. This puts to question the true direction of Catholic clerics in opposing the RH bill.

Besides, unlike the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC), the Catholic Church is not known to wield a voting bloc in any political exercise in the country. Perhaps pro-RH bill politicians are just afraid that their names will be announced every Sunday mass.

Abortion is considered illegal in the RH bill and is a crime in our Revised Penal Code. But in Italy, where the Vatican is located, abortion on demand is legal through the third month of pregnancy.

Abortion in Italy became legal in May 1978. After a long battle between secular forces and the Church, voters upheld the law in a 1981 referendum (Wikipedia).

I am not saying that since abortion is legal in Italy it should also be legalized here. I am against abortion. But the RH Bill is not about abortion and it is not anti-life. It provides the couple a better choice in life and women proper health care.

(elespinoza53@yahoo.com)