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Educational yet opinionated, informative yet persuasive JUNE 16-22, 2014 • VOL.4 NO.42

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ANTI-PEOPLE

By Miguel Raymundo Epira resulted in Filipinos paying for the most expensive electricity rates in Asia.

What was originally conceived to be propeople ended up as anti-people. This law was deliberately hijacked to protect the interests of big business, at the expense of struggling Filipino consumers.

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IS CARP EXTENSION PRO-LANDLORD? 10 6/13/14 11:44 PM

COVER STORY

EPIRA

Anti-People

By Miguel Raymundo In 2001, the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) became a law, promising every Filipino that power supply will be efficient and less costly. Thirteen years after, this year, and even in previous years, EPIRA has been proven to be anti-people and pro big money. This is one law that is proven to continually feed corporate greed.

Before EPIRA, the problem of electricity supply was getting worse every passing year. Many accused the former President Cory Aquino for causing, deliberate or not, the worsening power supply situation in the country.

The mother of President Benigno Aquino III, under a revolutionary government, shot down all plans and preparations by the former dictator Ferdinand Marcos in the power sector. The Bataan nuclear power plant never got off the ground, wasting billions of pesos in investments, including kickbacks to the former dictator and his agents.

EPIRA was supposed to be the answer and solution to the rising energy woes.

Senator Francis Escudero, though, thinks otherwise.

“Epira has become a misnomer to its purpose. Instead of reforming the business environment to better service and improve delivery of supply and lower rates,… it has caused the government to lose control of the power industry,” Escudero said.

He pointed out that the Philippines holds the record of having the costliest electricity in Asia. Cost of electricity in the Philippines is second highest in the world.

Why this has happened, that Epira resulted in Filipinos paying the most pricey cost of electricity in the world, did not come as an accident. This is a result of a deliberate plan of hijacking a law.

When the purpose of a law and the results in its implementation take different paths, this is not because the law is wrong, but because some powerful forces bend the law and get away with it. And these powerful forces think and act like they own the Philippines and the Filipinos.

So Epira, which was originally conceived as pro-people, ended up as antipeople. Every Filipino paying for the most

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expensive electricity is the victim of this hijacking of the law.

The sad part is, there is mechanism in our system that makes sure that the law is enforced so the people will truly benefit from its purpose. This mechanism is described as the oversight powers of congress. In the case of Epira, there is the Joint Congressional Power Commission (JCPC) co-chaired by Senator Sergio Osmeña and Rep. Reynaldo Umali.

JCPC was tasked to make sure that the law is followed and its intention served.

The law was crafted to make sure that power supply was more than ample and the people pay lowest cost, competition being driver to lower prices.

Osmena’s bias clearly pro-Meralco, investors The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) voided its approval last December of the P4.15 per kilowatt-hour rate increase in generation charge that Manila Electric Co. sought. No doubt, Sen. Serge Osmeña III found the decision “very unacceptable” because, according to him, it was “good politics but bad economics” as the power plant investors will lose its trust in the government and we will have real shortages decades ahead (“P-Noy a poor manager—Serge,” Front Page, 3/14/14).

Apparently, too, Osmeña was mad that President Aquino did not heed his call to have Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla fired for being not focused on solving the power supply problem.

We would like to assure the senator that for the 5.4 million Meralco consumers, the ERC decision came as a great relief from the unexplained, unjustifiable power rate increase. As the senator knows only too well (and this we assume with confidence), expensive electricity runs counter to one of the objectives of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (Epira). We therefore thank the ERC for doing its mandate in this instance.

Section 62 of the Epira enumerates the functions of the Joint Congressional Power Commission, which happens to be cochaired by Senator Osmeña with Rep. Rey Umali. Not one of those functions vests the cochairs, jointly or individually, with the authority to advise or compel the President of the Philippines to fire his energy secretary.

Neither is it the function of the cochairs to call an ERC decision that resulted in lower power rates “bad economics.”

What we find very clear is Senator Osmeña’s bias for Meralco and the power generators that have been adversely affected by the ERC decision. We also find presumptuous and arrogant his description of President Aquino and Secretary Petilla as “awful managers.”

—RONALD G. GOZUN, April 1, 2014 Reprinted from Inquirer.net

Thirteen years after, we see why the purpose of the law has not been served, its intention waylaid by people mandated to protect it.

Senator Serge Osmeña could be one reason there is abundant abuse by the power players in the power sector. The senator from Cebu is suspect to be protecting the power players instead of the consumers.

Political observers say that the Filipino is just paying the price for electing this Senator Osmeña to the senate. And the price comes in tens of pesos for every kilowatt hour we pay for electricity.

Individually and in tens of pesos, the price we pay for having Osmeña in the senate is not much. Add them up into some total of millions of Meralco subscribers and billions of kilowatt-hours we consume every month, and you end up making these power companies richer by hundreds of billions if not trillions by this time, after a decade.

Sources in the power sector explains that “Osmeña is the chief praetorian guard of the power generation companies that call themselves independent power producers.”

Senator Serge Osmeña is married to the daughter of Albertito Lopez, Betina Mejia Lopez. The Lopez family owns power generation companies and formerly controlled Meralco, the biggest power distributor in the Philippines.

Osmeña indeed is the power players’ praetorian guard in the protection of their corporate greed. That he is so, has been made obvious in the latest move by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).

In an unexpected move, everyone in the consumers’ advocacy groups was happily surprised, when ERC voided an earlier approved P4.15 per kilowatt-hour rate increase in generation charges. For the first time, ERC takes a stand that at least embarrassed the big power players and, at most, cut down their greed.

Immediately, Osmeña came out fighting for Meralco, expressing disappointment and displeasure to the President.

Stopping Meralco from collecting huge profits, Osmeña described, “was good politics, but bad economics.”

In a fit of rage, he accused the Department of Energy head as an “awful manager”. He promised to block the DOE secretary’s confirmation in the Commission of Appointments. And Osmeña keeps his promise.

The act of ERC in stopping Meralco from collecting those huge profits was in accordance to its mandate, written in the Epira.

This senator is a little confused, or are we? Escudero wants to amend the Epira.

But Osmeña says Epira is a good law.

However, when ERC followed the law, Osmeña raises hell.

That Epira has lost its reason and purpose for the people cannot be more evident by the growing call for its abolition and the rising demand to nationalize power generation and distribution.

“This is a heartless government. There is massive poverty, 75% of the Filipinos live below the poverty line, yet cost of electricity is most expensive in the world,” lawyer Rey Cardeno, a consumer advocate, said.

According to Cardeno, when cost of electricity is high, everything else becomes very expensive. The time has come to nationalize the power sector and all basic services and utilities.

Privatization has not worked for the people’s good. Privatization has served only to create ten more billionaires and tens of millions more hungrier Filipinos.

Cardeno and his groups will push for the abolition of Epira as being anti-people and pro corporate greed.

WE TAKE A STAND

6/13/14 11:44 PM

Nation

News from Where You Stand

(Excerpts of the speech of Senate President Franklin M. Drilon Adjournment Sine Die of the 1st Regular Session of the 16th Congress June 11, 2014)

S In the Face of Adversity

ince we opened the 16th Congress in July last year, it has been a difficult and challenging journey for the Senate. I would like to thank the members of this august chamber for remaining composed and focused on our mandate despite the barrage of harsh and relentless criticisms directed at our beloved institution when the PDAF controversy surfaced last year.

The openness in which we have allowed media to report on this matter and the trust we have for our legal processes show how strong we have built our democratic foundations to withstand political turmoil.

However, we cannot deny that the PDAF controversy has cast a long, dark shadow over the institution. And we completely understand the people’s outrage. Thus, the members of this august chamber collectively sought ways to address the issue.

We abolished the PDAF even before the Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional. We conducted our own investigation on the alleged misuse of the pork barrel funds.

By undertaking these measures, we are telling our people that the Senate is listening to their pleas and clamors for reforms. We are sending a clear and strong message that their Senate is sensitive to their grievances and concerns.

Amid these spirit-breaking challenges, I am certain that each one of us only has the nation’s and institution’s best interest at heart. We might be going through turbulent times right now, but I am confident that, in time, we will be able to restore the people’s respect and trust in the Senate.

Glory and Honor

We must not lose sight of our ultimate goal, which is to provide a better life for each Filipino; a life that is not wanting in choices and opportunities.

Neither should we forget that the Senate, a bastion of democracy, has a glorious beginning and a history of honor in

public service. And we shall endeavor to bring back that glory and honor.

Even if the PDAF scandal was constantly hogging the headlines and trending in the social media for months, and despite the severe public beating, the Senate continues to work around the clock, deliberating on bills and crafting measures that would significantly improve the life of our countrymen.

Despite the controversies and political intrigues that incessantly plague the institution, we have persevered and continue to discharge our duties to the Republic and to the people.

The First Regular Session of the 16th Congress has afforded us the opportunity to prove the stability of our institution in the face of adversity. This august chamber, which has traditionally reveled in the confidence of the electorate and consistently maintained its prominence, has been battered by, perhaps, the gravest crisis to have ever crossed its path. In my 16 years in the Senate, never before have I witnessed this kind of turmoil.

As we continue to brave through the unforgiving blizzard of scandals and controversies, our commitments and vows to the people serve as our guiding light on the road to recovery and redemption.

Against Doubts

While we defend our institution against doubts to its integrity, our constituents are faced with a tougher fight – a fight for survival as natural disasters hitting the nation in recent years are evolving with terrifying intensity and frequency.

In 2013, one of the strongest typhoons ever recorded ripped through the Visayas and left a trail of devastation of epic proportions, from which residents of the region are still staggering to recover.

In this light, we worked for the timely enactment of measures to enable our people to quickly get back on their feet.

Among these measures is RA 10633, which was enacted in record time and established the national budget for 2014 at P2.265 trillion. Since calamity-stricken Turn to page 14

QUOTES OF THE WEEK “We do not need someone who is good at reading scripts, dancing or singing…”

— President Aquino, referring to some lawmakers tagged in the P10 billion pork barrel ‘scam’ who resorted to showbiz tactics.

“Everybody knows that a lawyer who represents himself is a fool.”

— Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, pointing to Senator

Juan Ponce Enrile who expressed intent to represent himself as lawyer in his coming trial for alleged involvement in the pork scam.

Santiago

“Preventing the company from proceeding with its bid severely limits government’s options on how it can maximize benefits from this project.”

— San Miguel Corp.

(SMC), reacting to a Department of Public Works and Highways decision rejecting its bid for the P35.4 billion Cavite-Laguna Expressway.

“I am appealing to everyone, especially

the parents, to see how you raise your children, see how in your relationship with them, seeds of corruption are already being sown.”

— Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle.

“The booming Philippine auto market will also be an additional source of growth for parts suppliers.”

—Toyota Group.

“There is no such thing as the fabled P6.6-billion damage sustained by PagIBIG… There are no ghosts or fictitious buyers, but only defaulting buyers whose borrowings were approved and processed by PagIBIG itself.”

—Detained real estate businessman Delfin Lee. ”Public vigilance would be a key component of restoring

honor and rebuilding respect to both houses of Congress.”

— Senate President Franklin Drilon, while admitting that the pork barrel scam affected the image of the grafttainted institution.

“I’m sure that’s a fake… it’s a violation of Anti-Voyeurism Law.” — Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, referring to insinuations of a fake sex video allegedly featuring her.

We TAKe A STAnD

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OPINION

Publisher’s Notes

By Ray L. Junia

Who needs PDAF kickback?

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Osmena’s Hidden Agenda It’s a seesaw game for a senator from Cebu who defended the EPIRA to his last breath. The people’s temper has changed the playing field. The court and the regulatory bodies are now bent to supporting people’s interests.

That Senator Serge Osmena III is pressing for drastic changes in the 12-year-old Electric Power Industry Reform Act (Epira) betrays what could be his hidden agenda in protecting the interests of his billion pesos clients – the electricity companies.

The recent spate of Supreme Court ruling barring Meralco from jacking up its rates to historic highs must have spurred him to take a look anew at Epira, the power reform bill he ironically sponsored in the Senate as chair of its energy committee.

A major piece of reform meant to address the nation’ persistent electricity woes, that legislation appears to have disappointed power suppliers as it became a stumbling block to their obsession to rake in more profits.

With the Supreme Court actively taking a propeople stance in the face of surging power rates, electricity companies – including Senator Osmena himself – are certainly mulling over ways on how to amend the law by plugging its gaping loopholes that had given rise to lawsuits lodged before the Supreme Court.

Undoubtedly, Meralco fell short of its profit forecasts in the wake of the High Court’s freezing of what could have amounted to a grand deception in style of gullible consumers.

This is despite that for decades and even prior to Epira’s enactment into law in 2001, Meralco and other money-driven utilities – had been wallowing in profits – all at the expense of the poor consumers.

Where lies the fault? For Osmena, it’s certainly back to the drawing board.

Apparently, Osmena must be wracking his brains and definitely, like any astute politician, he won’t stop at anything not even in the face of a snowballing campaign by well-meaning business groups, both foreign and local, calling for respect – and enough time – to allow the sanctity of the law to gain headway in a democratic setting.

The Commission on Appointments (CA) is one body that every lawmaker wants to get into. Every senator or congressman jockeys to get to this body.

In many reports, CA is described as “the powerful committee.” Many are really confused and baffled why a body tasked to screen the President’s choice for sensitive positions in government could be that powerful.

Not until the wringer Department of Environment and Natural Resources Sec. Ramon Paje went through after four years of waiting to be confirmed by the CA had many understood the powers of members of the CA. The grilling of Department of Justice Secretary Leila De Lima likewise opened the eyes of many why only the most favored senators and congressmen get to this body. Seats in the CA are distributed to leading political parties in both houses.

Secretary Paje passed the course only after the majority in the CA decided to call for a vote and Senator Sergio Osmena was out-voted to the Cebuano senator’s consternation.

Osmena insulted Paje several times in the hearing for his permanent appointment, calling him a liar and a cheat. The senator felt strongly bad about a DM Consunji mining project that leveled a moun-

PUBLIC PULSE ON HENRY SY BEING $1B RICHER IN THREE MONTHS Pasalamat sya kay Cory kasi nung Kay Marcos bantay ang smuggle at low class na gamit na galing china kahit walang permit

Rex GM

Mga yumaman yan sa ating mga pinoy & pinoy OFW, mga sakim sa pera

Noel A. Perales

Henry Sy started from scratch just like most of us now he made it as one of the world’s richest.

And all you do is hate and bash him for being rich. Crab mentality just kicked in much lang ba mga kabayan? Get a life.

Ike Heredia

Masa nagpayaman sa kanila..... wag natin tangkilikin mga negosyo nyan,tingnan natin kun san pupulutin yan.

Aztie Muneh

OpinYon is published weekly by Opinyon Media Services, with business office at Rm 202, ECRD Condominium, Barangka Drive cor Talumpong, Mandaluyong City.

Editorial: 214-0766 Business & Circulation: 9412189

RAY L. JUNIA Publisher ALFONSO LABITA Executive Editor FREDERICK FABIAN Acting Managing Editor

ATTY. RICKY RIBO Legal Counsel

ISSN 2094-7372

Opinyon442.indd 4

OpinYon

Jonil Gallardo Puracana

Mga kapitalista lang nakaramdam ng 7.7% GDP samantalang ang mamamayan 7.7% more na nagutom

Jonil Gallardo Puracan

ON REPORTED 85,000 THAT WILL LOSE JOBS DUE TO K-12 I feel sad for these teachers, but who could blame them?... indeed a “matuwid na daan” of noynoy will lead us into emptiness

Robby Orerog

Programang kakulangan sa guro lalong magkukulang.. dahil may kulang din sa pagiisip ang namumuno.

Christian Esmero Villondo

Yan pala yung accomplishment sinasabi ng mga noytard, at saka iyong paggiging crab mentallity accomplishment daw yun. Eh kung hindi naging presidente si aquino hindi nagmahal yung bawang at walang k12!

Bakit kaya wala pang nakakaisip ng kudeta?

Marvin Maligz

ATTY. SALVADOR PANELO Ombudsman RAY L. JUNIA President

Case of the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer!!

Mhatyng Ramos

JOJO VALENCIA Layout Artist

DISCLAIMER Letters to the Editor and unsolicited manuscripts are welcome. The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher, editors and staff of Opinyon. We reserve the right to edit articles based on our editorial standards.

june 16-22, 2014

Arvin Angeles

CARLOS RAJAMIRA Creative Director

website: www.opinyon.com.ph

4

Silipin nyo ang taxation ng mga yan at ang sistema ng pagtratrabaho sa kumpanya nya.

DAVE DIWA Opinion Editor

Email: opinyon.2010@ gmail.com

tain and opened a sea port.

The funny part is the DMCI mining project is nothing to the gold mining operations of the group of Manny V. Pangilinan that have not only leveled mountains but also destroyed rivers and reportedly poisoned lakes and communities.

MVP’s company was even asked to pay millions of pesos in fines. Why was Sec. Paje not asked by Sen. Osmena on the violations by the MVP mining operations that caused communities to fear for their lives and livelihood.

What’s special with MVP that Osmena would not touch him with a ten foot pole? Is it because MVP owns Meralco and the leader in the power generation business?

Senator Osmena is trying very hard to create that image of fiscalizer. His PR stories tell of exposes he has championed in the name of clean government.

Will somebody in the COA and finance tell how much the government has lost in taxes and how much have Filipinos paid with their blood to feed greed of giant companies, suspected to be clients of lawmakers.

The cost to government and the people of corporate greed run to hundreds of billions a year. Who needs PDAF commissions when a small percentage from the hundreds of billions in greed by big business dwarfs all the billions allegedly stolen by alleged Napolist senators.

An anti-graft crusader and pro-people solon?

Tell that to the marines.

Scan this QR Code with your mobile device to read OpinYon Digital Edition on the go.

Kung gusto natin sumunod sa international education standards DAPAT handa lahat ng aspekto mula libro,curriculums, teachers hanggang classroom...dapat handa lahat!!!!!

Vico U. Led Odnum

Mabuti siguro mam, issue na lang kayo ng visa sa lahat ng filipinoo gusto magtrabaho

sa labas ng bansa, tutal yan na man ang ginagawa niyo ngayon sa lahat ng mga empleyedo, pina force retire nyo kami, especially mga state workers

Carmerita Tan Oyao

Palakpakan ang mahal na pangulo

Kowboy Santos

Bobo kasi karamihan ang nakaupo sa gobyerno, masyado minadali ang K12 n yan. Walang preparasyon

Chris Santos

Bakit kasi d ito napagusapan sa kongreso habang binabalangkas pa lamang ang K12. Kung kelan naisabatas na saka palang mag coconsultation?

Stephen Roy Argosino

Lose job??? bakt kala ko umunlad na ang pinas kaya marami na daw ang trabho dito sa pinas... kalokohan ata 2

Sicnarf Werdna Sy

Changing an existing system must lead to an improvement and not will result to a more complicated problem at the end. Puro na lang tayo paurong.

Masisira ang ulo ng Pinoy henyo sa kasalukuyan pamamahala ng gobyerno natin ngayon. Sa dating bilang ng taon ng pag-aaral marami na ang drop-out at out of school youth sa hirap ng buhay ,ngayon nadagdagan pa ng taon at lalong mas mahirap ang buhay ngayon pa lang ,dagdag pa ng mga problema sa pagbabago sa sistema at problema sa facilities.

Paano pa ang mga susunod na panahon. Wala namang bumababa sa halaga ng pagpapa-aral puro pataas. Lalong dadami ang sacadas o trabahador sa tubuhan at azucarera niyan.

Cojuangco’s sa Tarlac, do you all get my point?

Rafael Galang

Courtesy of Showbiz Government Facebook group

We TAKe A STAnD

6/13/14 11:44 PM

Opinion

The Viewpoints and outlook of the well-informed

Weep Fest

PNoy turns Independence Day celebration into nostalgia show President Benigno Aquino III used the Independence Day celebration in Naga City to lash out against critics and those who accused him of politicizing the prosecution process.

The choice to hold the national event in Naga City, Camarines Sur was seen by many as the President’s way of avoiding the torrent of protests in Manila. It should be noted that Naga City mayor John Bongat is a Liberal Party colleague, as well as most of the city councilors.

The reason that Naga City was selected as this year’s venue, supposedly, was as a tribute to the fi fteen Bicolano martyrs who became victims of the atrocities of Spanish forces during the revolutionary movement.

Whether that is the real reason or not, or whether it was done for more explicit reasons, let the public judge for themselves.

He told the guests that due process is being followed in the prosecution of the pork barrel scam.

“Napapanahon naman pong balikan ang mga pangyayaring ito, lalo pa ngayong tinatahak na natin ang landas ng reporma at tunay na hustisya. Alam naman po natin ang isa sa mga pinakamainit na isyu ngayon: May ilang prominenteng personalidad nang sinampahan ng kaso ng Ombudsman ukol sa isyu ng pagkamkam ng pork barrel. Ang kanilang sinasabi: pinupulitika lamang raw sila. Ipaalala lang po natin: panahon ng eleksiyon noong 2013 nang unang lumutang ang balita tungkol sa illegal detention kay Benhur Luy, pati na ang tungkol sa mga pekeng NGO at pambubulsa sa pondo ng bayan,” he said.

“Ang ibinilin ko po kay Secretary Leila De Lima, huwag gagawa ng akusasyon hangga’t walang karampatang patunay. Sinunod natin ang tamang proseso: nagsagawa ng imbestigasyon, nangalap ng mga

ebidensiya, at ngayon ay nagsampa ng kaso. Puwede naman itong ginawa noon nang mabilisan at walang matibay na basehan upang masira ang pangalan ng mga kandidatong dawit sa kontrobersiya, pero idinaan natin sa tamang sistema ang pagpapalabas ng katotohanan. Pagkatapos tayo pa ngayon ang sinasabihan na namumulitika? Kayo na hong bahalang magpasya kung sino ang papanigan niyo sa usaping ito,” the President added.

The other part of his speech consisted less of topics relevant to independence and more about how his family’s rights were violated.

He segued into how the rights of his father, Senator Ninoy Aquino, were violated during the martial law regime.

“Nilitis lang ang aking ama nang ipasailalim na ni Ginoong Marcos ang bansa sa Martial Law. Iniharap sa court martial ang aking ama, kung saan ang militar ang lilitis sa isang sibilyan. Sa hukumang binubuo ng mga mahistrado, abugado at mga testigong itinalaga ng mismong nagsampa ng kaso na si Ginoong Marcos, pilit na binaluktot ng diktadurya ang katarungan. Sa madaling salita po, si Ginoong Marcos ang nag-akusa, siya rin ang naglitis, at siya pa rin ang may kapangyarihang magdesisyon sa apela. Kitang-kita po dito kung paanong binaluktot ng diktador ang sistema ng hustisya upang makuha ang gusto niya,” he said.

He pointed out that the experiences of his family has taught him that rule of law should always be observed in the prosecution of cases.

“Ang karanasan nga po ng aming pamilya ang nagturo sa akin ng kahalagahan ng pakikipaglaban para sa pagkakapantay-pantay upang mawakasan ang siklo ng kawalang katarungan,” he added.

Black and White of NGO’s

A

t this morning’s Tuesday Club fellowship of top level media practitioners at Edsa Shangri-la Hotel in Mandaluyong City, the talk is how genius scammers are using NGO’s to siphon government funds by conniving with corrupt government functionaries. The talk is how some NGO leaders connived in toppling governments of Marcos, Estrada and Arroyo and becoming cabinet secretaries as success fees.

These NGO’s (non-government organization) and PO(people’s organization) rally the people in disguise as for social change.

They have perfected the infi ltration at the grassroot level.

One example was the CODE NGO where some of its leaders were behind the so called Hyatt 10 which almost ousted former President Gloria Arroyo.

Up to now there’s no accounting of the P35 billion that was supposed to be returned to the government coffers.

Ka Maning Almario, a veteran editor, mailed me some information about NGO’s. Sam Vaknin site was his source of information. To quote- “NGO’s arrival portends rising local prices and a culture shock. Many of them live in plush apartments, or five star hotels, drive SUV’s, sport $3000 laptops and PDA’s. They earn a two figure multiple of the local average wage. They are busybodies, preachers, critics, do-gooders, and professional altruists.

They are parasites who feed off natural and manmade disasters, mismanagement, conflict, and

strife. Always self-appointed, they answer to no constituency.

Though unelected and ignorant of local realities, they confront the democratically chosen and those who voted them into office.

A few of them are enmeshed in crime and corruption. They are the non-governmental organizations, or NGOs.” Some NGOs - like Oxfam, Human Rights Watch, Medecins Sans Frontieres, or Amnesty - genuinely contribute to enhancing welfare, to the mitigation of hunger, the furtherance of human and civil rights, or the curbing of disease.

Others - usually in the guise of think tanks and lobby groups are sometimes ideologically biased, or religiously-committed and, often, at the service of special interests.

NGOs - such as the International Crisis Group - have openly interfered on behalf of the opposition in several parliamentary elections in Macedonia. Other NGOs have done so in Belarus and Ukraine, Zimbabwe and Israel, Nigeria and Thailand, Slovakia and Hungary - and even in Western, rich, countries including the USA, Canada, Germany, and Belgium.

The encroachment on state sovereignty of international law - enshrined in numerous treaties and conventions - allows NGOs to get involved in hitherto strictly domestic affairs like corruption, civil rights, the composition of the media, the penal and civil codes, environmental policies, or the allocation of economic resources and of natural endowments, such

WHISTLE BLOWER Erick San Juan as land and water. No field of government activity is now exempt from the glare of NGOs. They serve as self-appointed witnesses, judges, jury and executioner rolled into one. Regardless of their persuasion or modus operandi, all NGOs are top heavy with entrenched, well-remunerated, extravagantly-perked bureaucracies. Opacity is typical of NGOs. Amnesty’s rules prevent its officials from publicly discussing the inner workings of the organization - proposals, debates, opinions - until they have become officially voted into its Mandate.

Thus, dissenting views rarely get an open hearing.

Contrary to their teachings, the fi nancing of NGOs is invariably obscure and their sponsors unknown. There’s lack of transparency.

All NGOs claim to be not for profit - yet, many of them possess sizable equity portfolios and abuse their position to increase the market share of fi rms they own. Confl icts of interest and unethical behavior abound.

According to the Red Cross, more goes through NGOs than through the World Bank. Their iron grip on food, medicine, and

funds rendered them an alternative government - sometimes as venal and graft-stricken as the one they replace.

As “think tanks”, NGOs issue partisan and biased reports. The International Crisis Group published a rabid attack on the then incumbent government of Macedonia, days before an election, relegating the rampant corruption of its predecessors - whom it seemed to be tacitly supporting - to a few footnotes. On at least two occasions - in its reports regarding Bosnia and Zimbabwe - ICG has recommended confrontation, the imposition of sanctions, and, if all else fails, the use of force. Though the most vocal and visible, it is far from being the only NGO that advocates “just” wars.

NGO activists have joined the armed - though mostly peaceful - rebels of the Chiapas region in Mexico. Norwegian NGOs sent members to forcibly board whaling ships. In the USA, anti-abortion activists have murdered doctors. In Britain, animal rights zealots have both assassinated experimental scientists and wrecked property.

Birth control NGOs carry out mass sterilizations in poor countries, fi nanced by rich country governments in a bid to stem immigration. NGOs buy slaves in Sudan thus encouraging the practice of slave hunting throughout sub-Saharan Africa. Other NGOs actively collaborate with ‘rebel’ armies - a euphemism for terrorists.

Operating in the countries

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of Southeast Asia, some NGO’s are funded by USAID which many believe is associated with US intelligence agencies which often have close contact to local radicals and opposition. Despite the declared humanitarian nature of their activities, they actively influence the political situation in several nations including street protests.

The ‘Arab Spring’ in the Middle East was instigated through NGO’s. Protests in Thailand, in Venezuela and in Ukraine according to several news reports were inspired by PO’s and NGO’s. These NGO’s have been successful in using the internet through the Twitter, You Tube and Facebook to spread anti-government propaganda, disinformation, etc. These social networks were used to mold public opinion in the process.

Foreign funded NGO’s are regulated in several countries like China, Laos and Cambodia allegedly due to perceived shady fi nancial assistance to the local opposition and to neutralize governments that cannot be dictated by big foreign powers.

Our National Security Council should study this concept or safety valve if the government really wants to move on without fear or favor. If other nations have the political will and understanding and wary of these facts, why not us? Lets take the necessary measures to monitor and restrict their activities that contradict our national interests. Especially now that our nation is on the verge of turbulence due to too much corruption being exposed.

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Food Security & Sustainability

Agriculture DAR, CARP EXTENSION:

Pro-landlord, Anti-Farmer

A

quino’s fi nal approval on the extension of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) confi rms his prolandlord stance, and that he has no genuine interest in pursuing genuine land reform in favor of landless farmers.

Peasant groups Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) and the Katipunan ng mga Samahang Magbubukid sa Timog Katagalugan (Kasama-TK) condemned President Aquino for certifying the bill as urgent, insisting that the program did not lead to genuine land distribution and in fact, it increased the number of leasehold farmers nationwide.

Landless farmers mostly from Southern Tagalog island provinces say that they have been involved in CARP-related disputes in pushing for an end to the program.

KMP Chairman Rafael Mariano says that Aquino’s certification as urgent of House Bill (HB) 4296 is the landlord President’s belated attempt to push for the bill’s implementation for his fellow landlords in Congress.

HB 4296 looks to extend CARP for another two years by allowing the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to issue notices of coverage (NOC) up to June 30, 2016.

Anakpawis Partylist Rep. Fernando Hicap

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though says that continuing CARP will be a “grand disservice and betrayal to landless Filipino farmers who are demanding for a new and genuine agrarian [reform],” For the past 26 years, CARP allowed the concentration of vast areas of lands to big landowners and as a result, deprived millions of farmers of lands of their own to till.

“CARP as amended by CARPER law was a total failure in emancipating landless peasants from the bondage of the soil they till.” Hicap added.

It is apparent that CARP, along with other pro-foreign and pro-landlord policies upheld by the previous and current administrations has resulted to the continuing underdevelopment of local agriculture and impoverishment of farmers.

It also raises to question DAR’s motives for the anti-farmer policy, and if it does in fact, have a pro-landlord agenda.

DAR Secretary Gil Delos Reyes says that he supported CARP’s extension because it would be impossible to issue NOCs even on privately held lands.

It is well worth noting though that Delos Reyes is an appointee and ally of President Aquino, and the positive praises heard about him on the news generally come from Aquino’s supporters and cronies in government, media and academia

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OPINION In the Face of Adversity From page 3

areas necessitate prompt delivery of basic services, social services received bulk of the allocation at P841.8 billion, representing 37.2% of the national budget.

This measure also introduced the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Program, which apportioned P20 billion to empower the victims of the most tragic natural and man-made calamities in the past year, specifically, the typhoons Yolanda, Santi, Odette, Pablo, Sendong, Vinta, Labuyo, the 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Bohol, and the Zamboanga City siege.

Aside from measures capacitating our people to pull through in the face of successive mishaps, we enacted RA 10635, which established the MARINA as a single and central maritime administration to comply with international standards, and therefore averted the possible employment ban against 80,000 Filipino seafarers in the European Union.

Resilience to Calamities

Among these bills is HB 353 which forms part of the government’s continuing mission to boost our country’s resilience to calamities by mandating telecommunications service providers to send free mobile alerts in the event of natural and manmade disasters.

Under the bill, the alerts shall consist of updated information from the relevant agencies, and shall be sent directly to the mobile phone subscribers located near and within the affected areas.

Also on the list is the proposed Graphic Health Warning Law, which seeks to increase the awareness of the public especially among the youth on the harmful and deadly effects of smoking.

Under the bill, graphic health warnings in full color shall be printed on at least 50%

of the principal display surface of tobacco packages sold in the market.

We believe that the passage of this proposed measure will bring us closer to our goal of protecting the present and future generations from the devastating health, social, environmental and economic consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke.

On the other hand, also awaiting the President’s approval is our proposed amendments to the Act Liberalizing the Scope and Entry of Operations of Foreign Banks. This bill aims to expand the participation of qualified foreign banks in our fi nancial sector in preparation for the forthcoming ASEAN economic integration.

Under this measure, reputable and financially sound foreign banks shall be allowed to acquire up to 100% of the voting stocks of domestic banks. We are confident that, with greater foreign participation in our banking sector, we shall have access to a bigger pool of financial resources in order to support various infrastructure projects and other development initiatives.

Resolve to Fulfill Duty

Another priority measure that hurdled both houses of Congress is the bill extending the corporate life of the Philippine National Railways as its charter is set to expire this month.

Recognizing the importance of PNR’s uninterrupted service to the riding public, both houses worked intently to ensure this measure’s swift passage in their respective domains.

The Senate has shown a strong resolve to fulfill its duty to the nation, with fervor and determination. Never have we neglected our obligation to the people, despite our present difficulties. Even as we take a respite, we shall endeavor to recover the people’s faith in the Senate as a democratic institution.

Thank you very much.

Helping Pinoy...

From page 16

and receive a payment within two hours after it is sent. PayPal takes two weeks in the Philippines to set up. The freelancers bill clients by simply sending a link, and clients then log onto Qwikwire to pay.

The money is then deposited in the freelancer’s bank account. If the freelancer doesn’t have one, an on-location pickup option will be made available.

The bank account is optional, although users are still required to present their identification documents and a transaction code generated by Qwikwire, in accordance with local money laundering regulations.

Utilizing search engine data and social media results, Qwikwire’s system validates user

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identification right away, giving them access to a merchant account in their target market far more quickly than can be done through traditional channels.

Being a fi nancial analyst also helps Refundo determine what works best for users of Qwikwire, whether freelancer or paying client. He holds a degree in Finance and Economics from San Jose State University in California.

His experience in doing finance-related work, such as tax preparation and market research taught him what to do and not to do with his present business ventures.

Refundo looks forward to a time when more options will be open to Filipino freelancers, as he helps develop more technologies to enable faster and more efficient transfer of payment from

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In the end, it’s all about empowering Filipino freelancers and giving them more freedom and choices in doing online business. Local professionals who fi nd the typical office job too limiting now have an option to make a livelihood by getting into the global market.

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Politics

The Voices of Change

THE INDEPENDENCE DAY PROTESTS:

An Eyewitness Account

By jose Paulo Gaborni

June 12, 2014 was a day of angst by people yearning for freedom against corrupt bureaucrats and against a system that protects them.

Most of these protesters marched from the US Embassy up to Liwasang Bonifacio, and eventually to Mendiola, and some raised posters featuring pictures of senators Enrile, Revilla, Estrada, as well as secretaries Abad and Alcala.

With their latest chants like “Noynoy Aquino, Pork Barrel King!” and “Pork Barrel tanggalin, Noynoy patalsikin!”, protesters from different organizations also called for Aquino’s ouster, citing his negligence in running state affairs, coddling corrupt bureaucrats with the latest Pork Barrel scam, and in failing to implement agrarian reform in Hacienda Luisita and other estates owned by the ruling classes.

The protest march includes an effigy of a pig reminiscent of the golden calf, paraded to the amusement of onlookers. It was fi rst shown in last year’s antipork demonstration in Makati’s Ayala triangle.

Other than BAYAN, groups like Victims Against Crime and Corruption, as well as individuals like Bishop Oscar Cruz, NBN-ZTE Whistleblower Jun Lozada, Mae

“Juana Change” Paner, and Blogger Tonyo Cruz expressed disgust against the present administration and the slow handling of justice against Napoles and corrupt bureaucrats.

Other than Pork Barrel, issues like the Scarborough Shoal and West Philippine sea were being discussed, stressing Philippine sovereignty over the contested rocks, shoals, and isles west of Palawan, as former Congressman Teddy Casiño said that BAYAN rejects “incursions of China in our Exclusive Economic Zone.” He opposed a new agreement that will allow US troops to establish facilities inside Philippine military bases.

“All these are threats to our independence and sovereignty and we are here to defend them,” he said.

And prior to the march towards Liwasan, a group of protesters, dressed as Katipuneros, led the way in marching with the rest after a near-scuffle with the cops at the US Embassy, with the latter confiscating some of the props like wooden guns and bolos.

The protest near the US Embassy was about the agreements that protesters described as unequal and one sided, such as the Visiting Forces Agreement, Mutual Logistics Support Agreement, and the latest Enhanced

Defense Cooperation Agreement.

People may misunderstand, if not altogether disregard the protests regardless of the topics discussed. Oftentimes, there are those trying to describe those protesters subjectively as ‘proChinese’.

After the country celebrated its day of freedom against colonizers, the following questions are begging to be asked: What is independence if it means relying on a bigger country, rather than standing up on your own?

What is freedom if it means acting like a mendicant, aside from having a system that is indeed corrupt, with officials siphoning off money from the people?

Save for those who actually care about national concerns, do the people really care about national consciousness save for Pacquiao’s boxing rematches and the occasional beauty contests?

Vietnam had similar problems with China but it resisted its northern neighbor on its own.

The struggle continues, as age-old problems continue to persist. Protests will still continue, as peasants still have no land, workers keep asking for their bread, and as people wish an end to all corruption, and for as long as this nation is still yearning for a just and lasting peace.

PNoy Has Learned How to Fool Us!

B

y next week, June 30, 2014, PNoy will be a four year old President.

He will be two thirds through his six year Presidency. Instead of a Bumbling Fool that he was when he entered Malacanang on June 30, 2010, he will be an accomplished and experienced “Manloloko”. By then, he would have made fools of us several times over. How many more times will he be able to do that to us before he steps down?

Four years ago, PNoy was standing tall on top of PCOS. PCOS had proclaimed him as the winner of the May 2010 Presidential Elections. According to PCOS, he had thirty per cent of the votes of the registered voters.

According to PCOS, he was short of a majority, but had won with a respectable plurality. Still according to PCOS, he had beaten Joseph “Erap” Ejercito Estrada 3 to 2 and Manny “Villarroyo” Villar 3 to 1. These were leads of five and ten million votes.

As a matter of comparison, GMA officially beat FPJ by a mere million “Hello Garci” votes in 2004. Fidel Valdez Ramos officially beat Miriam Defensor Santiago by less than a million votes in 1992 in a seven (FVR, MDS, Cojuangco, Mitra, Salonga, Marcos and Laurel) cornered fight.

Again, Carlos P. Garcia beat Jose Yulo by less than a million

- 800,000 votes - in 1957 in a four (CPG, JY, Manuel Manahan and Claro Mayo Recto) cornered fight.

As far as I can remember, in 1998, 1953, 1939 and 1935, Erap, Ramon Magsaysay and Manuel L. Quezon won by big landslides, while in 1986, 1969, 1965, 1961, 1949 and 1946, Ferdinand E. Marcos, Diosdado Macapagal, Elpidio Quirino and Manuel Roxas beat their opponents and won in close and tightly contested electoral fights. If Marcos had not declared and implemented Martial Law in September 21 – 23, 1972, the November 1973 Elections would have been a bloody and close fight.

Coming back to more recent history, a year ago, from March to June of 2013, the most exotic if not the biggest scandal under the Aquino Administration, the so called Ten Billion Peso Janet Lim Napoles PDAF/Pork Barrel Scam had not yet been exposed.

The “Daang Matuwid/Walang Mahirap Pag Walang Kurakot” Aquino Administration was playing blind to it but had at least two fi ngers – both Balay and Samar – in it.

No one in the Aquino Administration was properly carrying out intelligence gathering, investigation, prosecution or even media preliminary bombardment (leaks and trial balloons), regarding the biggest

YESTERDAY, TODAY & TOMORROW Linggoy Alcuaz and widest burglary and plunder of the people’s money. This included Aquino appointed heads and members of Constitutional Bodies like the Commission on Audit and the Ombudsman.

However, many Aquino officials were involved in perpetuating traditional Pork Schemes – PDAF and Congressional Insertions. Some were even inventing new ones like Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).

The latter was extensively used in the bribery of Congressmen in the Impeachment and Senators in the Conviction of Chief Justice Renato Coronado Corona.

The future Imbroglio was still at the level of a Serious Illegal Detention (of Benhur Lim Luy) case fi led by the NBI on March 23 against JLN and her brother, Reynald “Jojo” Lim. At least two Extortion attempts on the part of Atty. Levito Baligod on the accused JLN and RJL had failed in meetings on March 25 and 27

with Atty. Villamor and JLN. JLN wrote President Aquino on April 17 for assistance against the extortion attempts. JLN’s lawyer in the preliminary investigation of the case was Atty. Jean Paul Acut of the MOST (the O representing Ochoa as in Executive Secretary Jojo Ochoa) Law Firm.

On May 28, Atty. Alfredo L. Villamor accompanied by Atty.

Plaridel Bohol met with NBI Director Nonnatus Roxas. On June 10, 2013, the DOJ came out with a Resolution dismissing the Serious Illegal Detention case for lack of Probable Cause. On July 2 and 5, the private complainants and the NBI fi led Motions for Reconsideration. On Aug 6 without additional arguments, basis and/or evidence, the MR’s were granted and the fi nding of Lack of Probable Cause was reversed in a DOJ Review Resolution. On Sept 2, NBI Director Nonnatus Roxas resigned irrevocably.

What had caused the “Daang Di Na Matuwid” to enjoy a little straightening was the July 12-15, 2013 Philippine daily inquirer four part series on the P 10 Billion Janet Lim Napoles PDAF/ Pork Scam. On April 28, 2013 Benhur’s parents Gertrudis Lim and Arturo Luy, accompanied by their children and his siblings, Arthur and Annabel, went to the PDI office. They sought the PDI’s assistance for Benhur’s expose of JLN’s scam. They brought Ben-

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hur’s computer hard drive with JLN fi nancial records (20,103 fi les in 2,156 folders.) from 2002 to 2012. The PDI made a copy of all of these. These was the basis not only for the July 12-15, 2013 series but also for the more recent and more numerous front page articles on the JLN Scam.

Had the Luys not gone to the Inquirer, the past year would have been quite different. The March 25 and 27 Negotiations cum Extortion between Baligod and Villamor and JLN probably failed because the amount demanded grew from 38 million pesos in the fi rst meeting to 250 to 300 million pesos plus one and a half million dollars plus 30 million pesos plus Canadian visas for the Luy family. Most probably, JLN would have agreed to the 38 million pesos.

However, when the amount grew to about 400 million pesos, she may have considered cheaper options. She may have thought that the better alternative was to fi x the case with the investigators and prosecutors. Thus, Sandra Cam claims that 150 million was given to the DOJ and NBI for the June Resolution including the suppression of media leaks.

Sandra also claims that 30 of the 150 million went to NBI Director Roxas and that that is the reason why he resigned irrevocably without a public explanation.

To be continued ...

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SECTIONS NATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 OPINION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 BUSINESS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 HEALTH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 AGRICULTURE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 FOREIGN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

GameChanger RAY REFUNDO

Helping Pinoy Freelancers Go Global

T

he right time to do what is right is always now,” says Ray Edison Refundo, co-founder and CEO of Qwikwire, a company designed to help simplify selling and billing for freelancers and Qwikwire merchants.

As a company specializing in cross-border e-commerce, Qwikwire provides people with no bank accounts or credit cards a solution in accepting payments for online transactions. The company’s goal is help Filipino freelancers participate in global e-commerce.

Refundo knows that being a freelancer in the Philippines can be frustrating. Filipino freelancers often use US-based services like Freelancer and oDesk. Based on his personal experience working on an online project, he had a hard time receiving payment online as he did not have a bank account and a credit card. International payment site PayPal requires those two item in order to receive payments.

Based on recent figures, only around 2.5 million people in the Philippines own either a Visa credit, debit, or prepaid card — under ten percent of the 38 million in the 25 to 54 age range. Seeing an opportunity, Ray called on his friends Scott Yu and Jason Foldi from the US, and together with another friend, Bing Tan, they set out to create a company that would enable more freelancers to reach the global marketplace.

Refundo and his partners envisioned Qwikwire to operate this way: service providers could sign-up in minutes Turn to page 14

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