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Saturday, September 24, 2005
Espinoza: Deserving of the trip
By Elias L. Espinoza
CHARGE. Personnel of the Operation Second Chance Center (OSCC), including the guards, who abused their wards should be charged accordingly and not just reassigned or transferred.
Offenses were committed and laws were violated. Those responsible should suffer the consequences of their wrongful acts. Our laws were crafted for orderly conduct and not for keeps.
The precept that nobody is above the law seems to be only a fallacy after all. I thought reassigning personnel is only practiced in the PNP or military.
According to the five alleged victims who complained to management, they were subjected to physical and mental abuse, like being made to kneel or being slapped by the same people who are supposed to help in their rehabilitation and reformation.
Reports show that this is the second instance that the center’s personnel are being accused of abuses and maltreatment of children.
What is so unthinkable is the fact that instead of helping the children, the personnel are bewildering their already confused minds.
There is something wrong with the composition of the people running the OSCC. If reports were true, these personnel have personality problems and are therefore not fit to work in the center.
Management should hire and put in the right people. From my understanding, OSCC was created to give young offenders the opportunity to reform and so they can rejoin society as productive individuals.
INCONSISTENT. The road at the South Reclamation Project (SRP) is, after all, safe. The Cebu City Government recently opened the SRP road to ease traffic at the so-called south expressway because of the fiesta in Pardo.
This only shows the inconsistency of the tenants at the Cebu City Hall. When the SRP road was closed, they told us it was not safe because the road is not yet finished and there are muggers.
Truth to tell, the closure of the SRP road was caused by the city mayor’s ire against the city officials of Talisay for staking a claim over a portion of the reclamation lots and not because the stretch is unsafe.
The delay in the titling of the lots at the SRP allegedly also resulted in the loss of opportunity for the City Government to make money. At the moment, the Cebu City Government is in dire straits of funds to pay off its large loan with foreign banks.
In fact, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña vetoed a council resolution appropriating funds for the cooperative month celebration because it has to save money for its gargantuan monthly amortization for the SRP loan.
Mayor Osmeña blamed the City’s current financial woes on Talisay City officials for claiming a right over a portion of the SRP that allegedly belongs to its territorial jurisdiction.
REACTION. Rep. Raul del Mar (Cebu City, north) called me up the other day in reaction to this corner about their trip to the United Nations in New York City, together with President Arroyo. He told me it was not in his place to ask the other officials if they paid for their trip. His trip was official, he said.
According to Congressman Del Mar, in his five terms as congressman, he has been a regular observer in the United Nations. He said it was only fitting that he was part of the President’s delegation.
Of course, I did not say the congressman lied. His inclusion to the entourage was well justified, especially that he is now the deputy speaker for the Visayas in Congress.
Also accompanying the President in an official capacity were Rep. Antonio Cuenco (Cebu City, south), Rep. Nerissa Ruiz (Cebu, 6th district), Speaker Jose de Venecia and Senate President Franklin Drilon.
Whatever the administration does, the opposition always has a ready criticism. That’s why it would have been unusual if the opposition kept mum on this matter.
If indeed the other legislators shouldered their own expense, then they should be commended and not condemned. In these times of need, it would have been a valiant act for the legislators who joined the President at the United Nations if they did just that.
(September 24, 2005 issue)
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