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Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Ledesma: What happened to anti-terror bill?
By Jun Ledesma
Sunbursts
THE principle is warped and the logic is hamstrung with egotistical belief that they are the only people who could be right and the rest of us unable to discern the depths of their principles and politics. I am talking here of some of our honorable senators and the proposed anti-terror bill which had been gathering barnacles in the upper chamber.
Senators Nene Pimentel and Serge Osmeña are standing in the way of the approval of the anti-terror bill all because of their bias against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and their perception that the murder of militants and media persons are the works of the police and the military.
The indictment itself is serious. And Pimentel uses this as basis for his stoic position against the passage of the anti-terror law, which he alleges will just be used against dissenters to the Arroyo government and the political opposition.
Pimentel and Osmeña seemed to have conveniently forgotten that the principal authors of the anti-terrorism bill in the upper and lower chamber of congress are members of the opposition. The bill was considered urgent and good enough for them until they joined the clandestine moves to oust Arroyo instead. The attempts failed because the people are not in accord.
In retaliation the opposition stood their ground and defeated every agenda that they suspect would enhance the image of Arroyo and her administration. Never mind if the proposed legislation is meant to secure the people from mayhem and mass murder wrought by terrorists of whatever variety.
Pimentel, rigidly in a state of denial, think that it's the Arroyo government that terrorizes. On the contrary, the perception is that it's the Senate that acts like one. If there is any one valid argument for Charter change is the inutility of the Senate.
The once respectable institution has dedicated itself to impeding measures that the members perceive to favor the Arroyo government. The spectacular achievements of the Senate under the Presidency of Franklin Drilon are all but five pieces of legislations.
The rest of the Senate life was dedicated to grandstanding and inquisitions that have yet to see a piece of a draft bill. So far it is all sound and fury. I do not know whether the maverick and brand new Senate President Manny Villar will make a difference.
I don't know whether he has the moral suasion and political will to ask his colleague to pass the anti-terror bill given the backdrop of the ever threatening presence of terrorists in our backyard.
Presently, nothing seems to convince Pimentel and Osmeña that terrorism is real and that it takes new police and military strategies and parallel piece of legislation to combat it. All that matters for them is their personal political agenda. Nothing else, no matter how exigent, is more important than that.
* * * * *
For our readers in Visayas and Luzon and in the US who reads this corner in the Sun Star website, you still can catch up with Kadayawan Festival celebration.
The best part of the week-long event is on the 19th and the 20th when the colorful tribal street dancing and floral parade complimented with other ethnic shows that never fail to enchant visitors to Davao City.
Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has seen to it that you see the most spectacular event in the Philippines. At this time of the year too, fruits of various kinds are already abundant.
For our media friends in Beijing, you can log on to Sun Star for other details. Or e-mail me at: scledesmajr@yahoo.com.
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (August 16, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
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