Does he really think that just because of his position in the GSIS, he represents all government employees? Has he tried to get their opinion? He is gambling with these employees’ future. The pension fund is not his alone. He is just its caretaker.

He will soon be out of office as soon as his bosses in Malacañang are either booted out or their terms expire. What will he do then? In my opinion, Mr Garcia might be diverting attention from his management of the pension fund altogether. His strategy seems to be to go after his neighbor’s trash so that his own trash won’t be looked at.

The Senate should start looking at the management of the pension fund. I’m not saying they’ll find anything there, but it’s worth it to take a cursory look at how it’s being managed being that it affects all past, present, and future government employees. Look at how the money is being invested, look at the balance sheets. It’s only fair we take a look at Mr Garcia’s backyard as well, not just the Lopezes. I’ll bet there are unwanted weeds and trash in his backyard that’ll need cleaning up or may lead to the eviction of its occupants.

– Bong Dignadice, Fontana, California (via e-mail)

Is it not already a given that these three co-equal bodies of the government should be working together for the good of the people? Pinag-aralan na namin ito noong araw sa elementarya, ah! Ang hilig kasi natin sa photo ops at pa-pogi points kaya hangang front page na lang ang accomplishments ng Pinoy!

– Anton del Rosario, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada (via e-mail)

FILIPINO patriots went for a swim Monday morning, the 21st of April, to cool down and relax in the crystal clear waters of Manila Bay. Well, not exactly! They dived into the swim-at-your-own-risk waters of Manila Bay to protest against the ratification of the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA). Pro-JPEPA senators will be feeling the heat from Filipinos who believe that the government has once again outdone itself when it comes to pimping our motherland to other countries.

According to the swimmers who braved the waters of Manila Bay, the treaty will allow large and high-tech Japanese fishing vessels to sweep our waters and get all the fish they want. But the government says that we don’t have to worry about any shortage in fish supply. Keep in mind that this is the same government who’s also telling us not to worry about the shortage in rice supply. So I guess it’s okay for Japan to catch all the fish they want because our government says it’s alright.

Greenpeace has also protested against JPEPA saying that it will allow Japan to ship toxic waste to the Philippines. “It’s okay,” the Philippine government says, “we don’t have to revise the treaty because ‘notes’ have already been exchanged between Philippine Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo and Japan Foreign Minister Taro Aso.” They now have a “gentleman’s agreement” that toxic waste will not be dumped in our country. I would like to believe the foreign ministers and I am sure they are men of their words. But the thing is, I can’t forget what happened in August 1999 when toxic waste from Japan was found in 92 (yes, 92!) 40-foot container vans. They were marked as recyclables but they contained used diapers, used syringes, incinerator ash, radioactive waste, and other disgusting things we should never speak of again.

If you still insist that it’s okay to be the trash can of a rich country because they will help our economy by providing jobs and by allowing our exports to enter their country with no tax, then you may join the ranks of our Politicos In Mama Pilipina, PIMPs for short! Join them as they try to convince the nation that JPEPA is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Join them as they say: “Let’s take in all of Japan’s toxic waste and let’s give all our fish to Japan so that they will give us jobs and economic aid.”

O Inang Bayan, patawarin mo po kami.

Also posted in www.lestercavestany.com

Prosecute POEA and OWWA employees involved in the corruption unearthed by COA. Refund to OFWs or start a Foundation for OFW Benefits with whatever money that can be recovered. Make OWWA membership voluntary instead of compulsory.

– Elmer Fabros, Jubail Industrial City, Saudi Arabia (via e-mail)

How could he express fear for our overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and let the government’s ineffectiveness to maintain support systems, especially for our OFWs working in places like Iraq, go unchecked ? How could he justify his concerns when the corrupt immigrations people at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport suck the blood out of the very same people trying to earn a decent living and not partake of the corruption that has plagued the government?

Has Migrante forgotten the cause of its very existence?

– Jun Bauzon Odono, Kabul, Afghanistan (via e-mail)

Some places in the Philippines are observed to be a giant trash pit and because of individual habit and the “don’t care” attitude, more money is being used when calamities such as floods come. Furthermore, it’s a huge health issue which concerns everyone and costs the government millions.

Educate! Educate! Educate! Educate the masses. Provide social (barangay) seminars in all levels of society.

– Al Hinahon, Universal City, Texas (via e-mail)

I can only observe with distress why nothing ever gets resolved in this country. Malacañang says they will not attend Senate hearings unless the Senate publishes the rules.

How many debates will we have over radio and television? How many statements to the press will we hear? How many bombastic and self-righteous remarks are we away from resolving this?

Maybe I just have a simple mind, but if the rules are already there, then just publish it so we can get moving on these investigations. Isn’t that the simplest, most direct step to take? Can these supposedly learned and principled men for once just do things right?

Just publish the damn rules and get it over with! What is so difficult with that?

– Gus Cosio, Quezon City, Philippines (via e-mail)

First of all, as a law dean he should refrain from making comments unless he speaks for the whole San Beda law school. As a priest, he should reserve his comments to himself unless he wants to go into politics. As a regular reactor to news publications, he should do so but not under the cloak as a priest or as a dean. Then I will welcome his comments.

Please don’t mock your school name or your students. And calling the senators childish reminds me of my teachers in grade school. Yes, we deserved then to be called childish but calling the senators at this time childish for doing their jobs is a behavior that this priest dean has not overcome yet, his being at one time a grade school teacher. If you want to be a regular critic for or against political issues, unless you want to compromise your position as dean, then stop addressing yourself as priest dean.

Meanwhile, the reaction of the senators to the Supreme Court decision is normal since the Senate is a co-equal body under our Constitution. The SC decision drew a lot of reactions from the public as well as private sector. What I have learned from my political science professors is that the SC ’s role is merely to interpret the law and to keep in mind that the rationale behind such law is to protect the Constitution and to protect the interest of all and not one person who in this case is the appellant. The SC decision unless reversed will send signals from hereon that it’s all right to report a crime and then cover it up by invoking executive privilege.

Under our present laws, if you deliberately engage in a cover-up of a crime then you are equally liable for it even though you did not commit it. I rest my case and I hope this priest dean would do the same.

– Franklin Ysaac, Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City, Philippines (via e-mail)

Dapat ‘wag na nating pakawalan pa ang Sabah.

– Amando Respicio Boncales, Illinois, US (via e-mail)

There are so many [forms of] alternative medicine now that [could] cure colon cancer. A friend was diagnosed with colon cancer and was given only three months to live. She didn’t go for surgery [but] instead changed her diet to vegetables and fruits on top of daily exercises. She’s still alive after almost twenty years.

Mrs. Aquino’s faith is so strong, she will overcome this crisis. There is a herbal medicine found in Thailand called “Peking Grass” which claims to be a cure to all kinds of cancer. There is no harm in trying… it’s herbal. If anyone can pass this on to the family of Mrs. Aquino, it might save her life.

– Arlene Rafiq, Pathumthani, Thailand (via e-mail)