Friday, January 04, 2008 Pangan: Red hot chili issues By Benjie R. Pangan At Close Range
ASIDE from the brouhaha concerning the alleged premature release of convicted former representative Romeo Jalosjos of Zamboanga del Norte, the issues blurting out of the 2008 news starters are the firecracker injuries and casualties and fired guns, the resurgence of cashiered former President Joseph Ejercito "Erap" Estrada, the still un-passed National Government budget of some P1.22 trillion for 2008 and the allocation by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of about P500 million for the English training of our teachers.
Okay, the buck passing between the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Bureau of Corrections (Bucor) on the oversight in the computation of the congressman's good conduct time allowance which allowed him, albeit temporarily, to roam around free, only to be rearrested later, shows partiality to prominent inmates who, despite incarceration for grave offenses, wield tremendous pressure and power even when cooped inside the national penitentiary.
Now the DOJ reportedly blamed the Bucor for deceiving the President who, upon recommendation of the Board of Pardons and Parole, commuted Jalosjos' two life terms to 16 years.
Whoever committed the computation error should be sent back to grade school to brush up on his arithmetic, with emphasis on addition and subtraction.
Meanwhile, the poor inmates who really reached the age of 70 without the aid of wrong computation marched out of their cells last year by virtue of correct presidential pardon. Whew!
Despite massive info dissemination on the danger of firecrackers, the stubborn revelers still went on with the indiscriminate lighting of pyrotechnics and accidents did visit some of them who never learned.
And now comes the flamboyant former president strutting around all over the place and while distributing goodies announced his intention to run for the presidency again in 2010, saying with a tongue in cheek that he may run if the opposition cannot unite in selecting a candidate to face the administration's standard bearer.
The septuagenarian former movie actor, oozing with unabashed optimism and misplaced confidence, was reported as saying that he would run in the 2010 national elections to give the opposition a sure win (for himself or for his sons, Jinggoy or JV?).
Buoyed by the nonchalance of probable Loren Legarda, Manuel Villar and Manuel "Mar" Roxas (or even Chiz Escudero?) and buffeted by the claims of his bastard son, San Juan Mayor JV Ejercito and the defiant Panfilo Lacson, the former president, who is still reportedly awash with cash despite the Sandiganbayan order to seize his assets and freeze the remaining ones, Erap thinks he can notch a win and reinstate his presidency which was cut short in January 2001.
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INSTEAD of May 2008, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered the holding of the national education congress this January in order to address swiftly the growing deficiency of teachers in English.
President Arroyo commented that the teachers, and not just the students (and pupils, for that matter, Madam President), sorely needed training in English and for this purpose had earmarked P500 million.
I suggest that the trainings should start in the home, move on to the nursery, kinder and prep classes and so on.
No matter how grandiose the plans are, if some sectors do not cooperate and directly participate in uplifting English proficiency, the huge amounts will needlessly go down the drain, instead of being used for other more useful projects.
There is no better substitute for the initial training at home.
Just remember how Rizal's mother taught him the rudiments of basic subjects and the obedient lad grew up to become precocious, studious and illustrious.
By analogy, how would the students learn good English from teachers who could not even distinguish syntax from sin tax and lexicon from leche con hielo? Ha, ha.
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I HAVE observed that member jeepney drivers belonging to the Clark Ecozone Jeepney Driver and Operator Association negotiate roads inside the freeport at breakneck speed in their rush to ferry passengers to their destinations.
May I ask if enough insurance coverage is provided the passengers just in case accidents do happen? I am not praying for one to happen though.
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MARCH 2008 is the expected opening of the SCTEx project and everyone is hoping the timetable would be met on time by the contractors.
The public should appreciate what the BCDA, headed by retired general Narciso Abaya, CDC steered by the hardworking Levy P. Laus, the Subic-Clark Area Development Council, chaired by the charismatic Ed Pamintuan and others have done for this grand infrastructure.
From what I read and learned, the toll operation will be jointly handled by a group including Tollways Management Corporation which, by the way, has proven it capable of handling similar operations through the North Luzon expressway management.
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LESS than a month before the town fiesta of Mabalacat which unfolds on February 2, chairman Diosdado "Deng" Pangilinan of the Fiesta Committee with the blessings and imprimatur of Mayor Boking Morales, is doing a yeoman's job of making calls and delivering solicitation letters to potential sponsors to, and of, the month-long activities.
I just hope that the intended sponsors will respond favorably and participate wholeheartedly in the celebrations.
