PEOPLE are talking about...
* WHO ANSWERS FOR TALISAY. Police cast a wide net of blame on Talisay City officials. But no names and specifics were mentioned regarding the widespread use of illegal drugs in the city. And city officials have no real supervision and control of the police. What the elected leaders may be guilty of is silence, inaction: why did they not complain about the state of things in the city? The executions that made Talisay some killing field. They have been complicit to the illegality and the vice -- and the consequent murders. An omission whose charge may not stick in court but is difficult to shake away when judged by their constituents.
* SHREWD, 'MINARO' EXPLANATION. Earlier, the presidential spokesman, Salvador Panelo, said newly designated Supreme Court Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin has longer service in the judiciary than Antonio Carpio because he joined the government service earlier than Carpio. Panelo knows only too well the count on seniority is the associate justice's stint in the SC, not in the judiciary. President Duterte's explanation was equally "clever" and lame. He said he thought Carpio didn't want to be chief justice. Duterte must know Carpio changed his mind from the fact that his name was submitted by the Judicial and Bar Council to the president. JBC wouldn't have included Carpio in the list had he stuck to his original position not to profit from the ouster of Ma. Lourdes Sereno. Besides, Duterte knew the developments and could've checked if he didn't.
From salaries, new CJ said
When then Supreme Court Associate Justice Lucas Bersamin was publicly interviewed by the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) last August 16, he was questioned about the increase in his wealth.
According to his 2016 statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN), his net worth is P41.29 million. In 2017, he was the third highest paid SC justice, with salaries and allowances worth P6.81 million. At the time, the 2017 SALN was not yet released.
It was JBC member (representing Integrated Bar of the Philippines) Milagros Fernan-Cayosa, daughter of the late SC chief justice Marcelo Fernan, who asked Bersamin about his "remarkable increase of assets."
As pointed out by Cebu native Fernan-Cayosa, the increases in Bersamin's assets: 2013-2014, P5 million; 2014-2015, P2 million; P2015-P2016, P8 million; 2016-2017, P3 million. His explanation, according to an August 16 Rappler story: his salaries and allowances as member of the Presidential Electoral Tribunal and the Senate Electoral Tribunal and as chairman of the bar exams in 2017.
He said that in 2017, he earned P976,000 and P925,000 from PET and SET, respectively, or less than P2 million. Even with fees as chairman of the bar exams in 2017, could they cover the increases, which ranged from P2 million to P8 million in the past four years? The JBC must have seen nothing wrong as it included him in the shortlist of nominees for chief justice and CJ he became.
No rules on 'delicadeza'
In the same interview, JBC private sector representative retired judge Toribio Ilao asked Bersamin about "delicadeza." Bersamin's answer, an ABS-CBN news story on that day said:
"Ang problema po sa delikadeza, wala pong definite rules po dyan. Kahit po sumali ako sa issue ng quo warranto... kong ano ang dapat na mag-inhibit ditto sa application na ito, dapan din mag-inhibit yung pumabor kay Melilou Sereno... unfortunately walang sumali ngayon na pumabor kay Sereno... I don't have to dignify that with a longer answer."
***
Tell us about it.
[paseares@gmail.com]