MY wife lost the claim stub receipt of our National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) clearance application last April. We were told to return in a number of days because, in our first visit to the NBI Cebu office, a check with the computer showed that my wife had the same name as another person with a criminal record.
When we came back we decided to bring her government identification cards as proof of my wife’s identity, thinking we could already claim her needed NBI clearance. To our surprise, we were told to secure an affidavit of loss for the claim stub so they could release the said clearance.
We argued that the government ID is a valid proof of the owner’s application and thus it is a must for them to release our documents. But the staff reasoned out that they needed the code generated by our online application to be able to search and locate its status.
What? Was this some kind of a stupid joke? How did the NBI personnel come out with the rule that if an NBI clearance applicant loses his receipt as a claim stub, he/she must secure an affidavit of loss so that NBI can release the clearance?
They said they needed the code in our online application, but an affidavit of loss does not have that code written there. So this means that even without the code they can still release the clearance.
But they won’t accept government identification cards, only an affidavit of loss. Does this mean the NBI does not trust government identification cards? Isn’t it against the law not to accept government IDs as proof of someone’s identity?
If the NBI says that IDs can be faked, isn’t it stupid? Because faking an ID is more costly than securing an affidavit of loss. See the logic now?
I hope this stupid and illogical rule is changed as soon as possible. Most of the applicants for NBI clearance invest their time and money on job hunting, and the NBI wants them to pay for an affidavit of loss when can they simply can present their government ID’s if they lost their claim stub?
Not even a signage in the NBI office warns us that if we lose our claim stub we must secure an affidavit of loss. Of course, this must be because the rule is simply stupid. Whoever thought of this rule must explain to the Office of the Governor, or to the Civil Service Commission can act on this. --Andrew Hernandez of Talamban, Cebu City
Who will win?
Results of recent surveys conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) and Pulse Asia reveal that Sen Grace Poe has taken the lead from Vice President Jejomar Binay, who is now being followed by Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and, sharing fourth place, DILG Secretary Mar Roxas and former president Joseph Estrada.
If we look back at the previous surveys, Roxas consistently remained a cellar-dweller and a long shot. The question is, will he make it or fail? Let us assess things logically using the “one plus one” rule.
--Poe, who led the recent survey, doesn’t have political machinery to back-up her candidacy, to reach the grassroots, e.g. in the provinces, municipalities and barangays, and to do the labor and till the soil;
--Binay is known for his allegedly corrupt activities while his political dynasty is also suffering from his graft-linked reputation and unexplained wealth.
--Duterte, a crime buster who possesses a mouth filled with expletives, is popular in his hometown but this is not necessarily applicable to the national scene.
He has no political influence to bankroll his national aspirations;
--Roxas, the administration’s presumptive standard bearer, ranks low in the surveys. But remember that majority of those polled came from Luzon, particularly the National Capital Region and the suburban areas.
We all know that Manila is not the Philippines. What about the Visayas and Mindanao, where the political machinery of the administration has undoubtedly penetrated through the local government units?
The extension of power and influence is well-embedded; the use and mobilization of facilities when needed could not be ignored. Simply put, the inherent power of the incumbent is a stark reality.
Now, who will win in the 2016 presidential election according to the “one plus one” rule? Your guess is as good as mine. --Sonny A. Rivera of Ward II, Minglanilla, Cebu