MagPEACE scholar passes bar exams

SCHOLARLY THRIVING - Bar passer Atty. Faiza Gladys Karon-Tejero 
hugs Maguindanao Governor Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu to thank him
 for the scholarship grant. (Photo courtesy of PIO)

BULUAN, Maguindanao -- Maguindanao Governor Esmael Mangudadatu expressed last April 30 his pride and elation for a provincial government scholar who is among the 2017 Bar exams passers.

Faiza Gladys Karon-Tejero's success in passing the bar exams is an indication that the government's scholarship program has "paid off," Governor Mangudadatu said.

Karon-Tejero, 28, is among the  scholars of the Maguindanao Program on Education Assistance and Community Empowerment (MagPEACE) that Magudadatu launched a decade ago.

Mangudadatu said he was elated after receiving a text message from Karon-Tejero, telling him: “Praise the Lord. Governor, may lawyer na po kayo (You now have a lawyer).”

MagPEACE is a program aimed at helping Maguindanao's poor but deserving students to have access to education and serve their province-mates after finishing college.

“Thank you very much for your help,” Karon-Tejero said in another message.

She went out of her way to meet Mangudadatu in Davao City over the week-end (April 28) to personally convey her gratitude.

She urged fellow Moro students to take education seriously as this is one of the means that will bring them out of the bondage of poverty.

Karon-Tejero graduated Bachelor of Laws at the Ateneo de Davao University as one of MagPEACE grantees. The program has more than 1,000 scholars, Mangudadatu said.

Aside from Karon-Tejero, Bai Apiyah Haron of Maguindanao also graduated medicine at Ateneo de Davao. She, too, is MagPEACE grantee and vowed to serve her province-mates once she passes the medicine board examination.

Mangudadatu said the Karon-Tejero's success should serve as inspiration for the province's youths to "prefer education than resort to violence."

He added: “I believe education will bring out Maguindanao from poverty and violence and I urge all my people to pursue education and keep the fire burning.” (Edwin Fernandez, PNA - Cotabato)

The many unrealized attempts to change the Constitution

Former Presisdent oseph "Erap" Estrada. President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, former 
President Gloria Macapagal Aroyo

THERE were attempts to change the Constitution under every administration after Corazon Aquino's.

For some critics and pundits, the recent Pulse Asia survey revealing that six out of 10 Filipinos do not want charter change has cast some doubt on the feasibility of constitutional revision.

March Pulse poll nos. on Charter Change suggests President’s no pied piper when it comes to the topic, as his repeated advocacy has moved the awareness needle only slightly while support has diminished although his popularity remains high.

The Committee raises a point worth noting --- majority of Pinoys, per Pulse Asia, think the Constitutition should be amended. But clearly too, a majority also does not support amendments at this point in time.

President Rodrigo Duterte’s Consultative Committee, however, has since responded, questioning how the survey was framed and expressing confidence in a change in public perception once the proposed revisions have been presented.

The Duterte administration’s push for federalism is not the first charter change initiative endorsed by the head of state.

Aborted cha-cha from past administrations

1. ‘People’s Initiative’ under Ramos

The ’90s saw the rise of the People’s Initiative for Reform, Modernization and Action (PIRMA), an initiative to lift the one-term rule for presidents. Had it succeeded, the incumbent president during the time of the initiative Fidel Ramos would have been allowed to run for a second term.

Ramos was later criticized by former senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. for his continued support of the initiative.

How did that turn out? PIRMA’s cause was eventually brought down in the landmark Supreme Court ruling in Santiago v. the Commission on Elections (COMELEC).

The ruling went in favor of the initiative’s principal detractor, the late Miriam Defensor-Santiago. The high court held that Republic Act 6735 or the “Initiative and Referendum Act” was insufficient basis for the COMELEC to hold a plebiscite based on people’s initiative on the Constitution.

2. Concord under Estrada

Ramos’ successor Joseph Estrada also tried his hand at reshaping the Constitution.  Marketed as a solution to the country’s economic woes, Estrada’s Constitutional Correction for Development, or Concord contemplated the removal of constitutional restrictions on foreign ownership of land and key industries.

According to Estrada, Concord would have aligned the Philippines’ economic competency with the emergence of liberalized trade and globalization at the time.

Around the turn of the millennium, Estrada announced that he would permanently abandon Concord by May 2001 should it have failed to gain public acceptance by then.

Neither Estrada’s presidency nor Concord would live to see the deadline, as he was removed from power barely a month into the new year.

3. First attempt under Arroyo

The administration of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo also saw the discussion on charter change come to life anew, with the former chief executive herself promising amendments to the Constitution by the end of her term.

Former House of Representatives speaker Jose de Venecia, Jr. in 2005 claimed that there was an 85 percent chance a new constitution would be in place and that the Philippines would have transitioned to a parliamentary system by the end of Arroyo’s term.

De Venecia had earlier discussed five possible courses of action for Arroyo, should she continue with her vision of constitutional reform.

4. Second attempt under Arroyo

By 2006, another people’s initiative had sprung up.

The Sigaw ng Bayan and Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines pushed for a people’s initiative for the Philippines to shift to a unicameral parliamentary system.

The new initiative set its sights on the seemingly insurmountable task of getting the go-signal for a plebiscite by meeting the constitutional requirement of signatures of 12 percent of registered voters nation-wide, representing three percent of voters in each congressional district.

The initiative eventually came to a screeching halt, despite the initiative supposedly having collected enough signatures. In what would be another landmark case, the Supreme Court found that the initiative’s backers failed to attach a draft of the proposed changes when they collected citizens’ signatures. This blunder invalidated the signatures.

The tribunal also seemingly closed the door on the people’s initiative method of reforming the Constitution. People’s initiative, as the court’s interpretation goes, can only amend part of the current charter and cannot revise or radically change it.

The shift to a unicameral government, according to the court, was a form of “revision,” and therefore could not be allowed.

Why is cha-cha still unrealized?

Former University of the Philippines president and political scientist Jose Abueva, who sat as chairperson of the Consultative Constitutional Commission during the Arroyo administration wrote a column on The Bohol Times discussing why her initiative failed.

Abueva points to multiple factors as having contributed to the initiative’s defeat:

Arroyo’s general unpopularity with the masses,

The plurality of political agendas obscuring the course,

The lack of agreement on how charter change was to be achieved, and

Ignorance and apathy of some involved in the process. (Dan Manglinong, InterAksyon)

Employers' group condemns 'endo'

METRO MANILA --- Private companies may try to circumvent current laws on contractualization, but the Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP) promises to hold their members accountable.

ECOP president Donald Dee condemned last May 2 the end of contractualization or 'endo' scheme, particularly '555,' a practice where workers are released on their fifth month of service to prevent them from being entitled to regular benefits.

He said ECOP would run after its members who subscribed to this scheme.

"This I promise the President, and I tell you Congressman, if any of our members are violating the law, we will be the one to (hold them accountable)," Dee told CNN Philippines' The Source.

"Those people, we want them to be flushed out... You tell me the company, I can work," he added.

When asked about what specific sanctions ECOP would enforce, Dee said the confederation would hold the members liable to the law.

The ECOP is considered the umbrella organization for the Philippine business community. It gathers smaller organizations across the private sector, including the Chinese Filipino Business Club, Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines, and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, among others

Among ECOP's members are corporate giants like Jollibee Foods Corporation and SM Retail, Inc. The Labor Department ordered Jollibee to regularize thousands of workers in April.

New EO useless?

President Rodrigo Duterte signed last May 1 the executive order that regulates unlawful contracting and sub-contracting.

Some labor groups and lawmakers, including Akbayan Representative Tom Villarin, slammed it as a rehash of already existing laws. He co-authored House Bill 6908, which aims to amend the Labor Code and strengthen the security of tenure for workers.

Villarin told The Source that the order was probably released just to "appease the workers who have been meeting with him several times."

"I think the EO is useless, and the focus now is on the Senate to pass its version of the security of tenure bill," he said.

House Bill 6908 was approved by the lower chamber of Congress in January and it is pending at the Senate.

Dee disagreed with the congressman, saying the EO did have some bearing.

"We're now working together to kill endo...  How can it be useless when you are doing something, you're going to eradicate [it]. And we will eradicate [it], I tell you," he said.

However, he also expressed concern over "two or three" provisions where decisions still reverted to the Labor Secretary.

"I wanted sana it be totally rule-based... para malinaw [so it's clear]," said Dee. (CNN Philippines Staff)

Endless ‘endo’: An EO prohibiting what is prohibited and a likely alternative

No end in sight for 'endo' contractualization

WHILE Malacañang views the signing of an executive order to end contractualization on May 1 as a “gift” to workers, some of the workers felt they were deceived.

One of the main campaign promises of President Rodrigo Duterte was to put an end to the normalized contractualization of workers, popularly known as “endo,” short for a temporary employee’s “end of contract.”

Endo or end of contract is the practice of giving an initial six-month contract before making a new employee into a regular one with benefits.

On May 1 as the laborers gather in protest against perceived government inaction, the chief executive signed Executive Order 51 that supposedly assures the workers’ security of tenure.

The move, however, did not put to a halt grievances of labor groups who saw “nothing new” with the EO. They said it only gives “false hope” to workers.

Some Filipinos also echoed this sentiment on social media.

Others recall the pending Senate Bill 1392 authored by Senator Joel Villanueva seen as a definitive way to end the short-term contracting of low-income Filipino workers. Villanueva was the former director-general of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority or TESDA.

       

The Senate bill, once passed into law, will revise the National Apprenticeship Program to be implemented by the TESDA.

More questions over Duterte’s EO

There are those who took the time to explain that the president simply reiterated what was written in the Labor Code.

“Illegal contracting or labor only contracting has always been prohibited by law; legitimate job contracting has always been allowed by law. No executive order can overturn that,” one Twitter user posted.

According to the Partidong Manggagawa, the President did not consult with the draft they had sent to the Office of the President last April 13.

“If President Digong wanted to fulfill his promise of ending ‘endo,’ he should have signed the 5th draft of the workers’ EO that would make direct hiring of workers to principal employers a norm,” PM chairperson Rene Magtubo said.

Improved apprenticeship: An alternative to ‘endo’?

The proposed bill, known as the Apprenticeship Training System Act of 2017, will “establish an apprenticeship program” of at least six months — the same period of time a casual worker is hired under contract.

Based on Section 3 of the act, the legislation will help a student meet the demands or the criteria of employers to have the “best-fit, competitive and trained human resource” in the future.

After passing the six-month training period, the apprentice will “graduate” and will be given a national certificate that is equivalent to the unit credits of undergraduate studies.

This will help employers see their value to the company, agree to hire them for a regular position, and avoid resorting to “endo” schemes. It will also allow employees to skip the six-month probationary period required for regularization. (Catalina Ricci Madaran, InterAksyon)

SSB conducts election peace covenant signing

COVENANT signing to secure the May 14 elections in Sultan Sa Barongis. 

THE municipality of Sultan sa Barongis (SSB), headed by Mayor Ramdatu M. Angas, conducted a Peace Covenant Signing last April 30 among candidates for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections in a ceremony held at the municipal gymnasium.

The covenant signing was spearheaded Municipal Election Officer Tahir O. Abo and Municipal Local Government Operations Officer Jabbar M. Musa.

Among those who witnessed the signing were SSB Chief of Police Inspector Abubakar N. Pantasan, 40th IB commanding officer Col. Edgar Catu, and 1st Mechanized Infantry Battalion commanding officer Col. Lauro Oliveros.

Abo said the covenant aims to ensure that all candidates, barangay and SK aspirants, follow the rules and regulations of the Commission on Elections.

“We enjoin everyone to submit their selves and  sign the peace covenant to avoid any untoward incident during the campaign period up to May 14, 2018 polls. Further, we want to ensure the so-called peaceful, honest, and orderly election this coming May 14, 2018, polls,” Abo emphasized on the intent of the covenant signing.

On the other hand, the two commanding officers, Col. Catu and Col. Oliveros, also committed to secure and support the election mandates... “That no one violates the rules and regulations of the Commission on Elections.”

“Our role here is to secure and protect those who are in dire need of our services and to fight against criminalities. We are going to run after these violators.” Col. Catu said.

SSB Mayor Angas, in his message, said: “I will never let aspiring barangay and SK officials in the seven contested barangays to do their political exercises un-clean. I want everyone of you to maintain a peaceful, clean, honest, and orderly election this coming May 14 political exercise.”

Of the 12 barangays in  Sultan sa Barongis, five are un-opposed --- Poblacion Barurao, Kulambog, Gadungan, Bulod, and Angkayamat. 

The remaining seven are contested --- Darampua, Masulot, Papakan,

Tukanakuden, Langgapanan, Tugal, and Paldong --- with 127 candidates aspiring for barangay chairmanship and council seats and for SK president and members. (Anne Acosta/Mindanao Expose’)

Datu Salibo’s 2 more barangays now ‘drug-cleared’

DRUG CLEARING --- Mayor Norodin Salasal of Datu Salibo addresses 
stakeholders in the drive against illegal drugs in his municipality. To his 
left are MLGOO Monina Guialudin, PDEA-ARMM Operations Division chief
 Marlon Santos, and 1Lt. John S. Apaling of the 57th IB. (Anne Acosta)  

DATU SALIBO, Maguindanao --- The municipal government of this town is determined to drive away illegal drug activities following pronouncement of two more barangays as “drug-cleared” by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PDEA-ARMM).

The two more barangays declared last May 2 as “drug-cleared” are Butilen under Chairwoman Faidza O. Sandigan and Andavit under Chairman Muktar Tulino.

Months ago, the PDEA-ARMM declared 10 out of 17 barangays in Datu Salibo municipality as “drug-free.” Later, after thorough validation and assessment, the agency  declared three more as “drug-cleared” out of seven remaining undeclared barangays.

And now finally, two more additional barangays are part in the list in the campaign for “drug-cleared” category. However, the two remaining undeclared barangays --- Tee and Sambolawan --- are still subject of thorough validation following reports on the presence of illegal drug personalities in these areas.

“We are hopeful that these two barangays will be counted as zero in illegal drug activities so this town can be declared as a drug-cleared municipality,” PDEA-ARMM agent Marlon P. Santos said. 

In an exclusive interview by this paper, Mayor Norodin Salasal mentioned his utmost desire for “law abiding citizenship” in his town.

The mayor said his municipal administration supports the pronounced mandates of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte in weeding out illegal drugs, extremism, and terrorism.

“I strongly support the development plans and programs of our Philippine government,” he stressed.

Datu Salibo is composed of 17 barangays, 10 of them declared as drug-free and five as drug-cleared.

The PDEA, Integrated Provincial Health Office, Department of Social Welfare and Development, and Department of the Interior and Local Government in the ARMM conduct further validation and assessment of two other barangays. (Anne Acosta/Mindanao Expose’)

Kabuntalan holds MPOC meeting, covenant signing

PEACE DRIVE --- Kabuntalan-Mother  Mayor Salaban G. Diocolano reports on the state of security in his municipality during the holding of the MPOC meeting last May 3 and the signing of peace covenant for the May 14 polls. (Anne Acosta)

THE municipal government of Kabuntalan-Mother in Maguindanao held last May 3 its Peace and Order Council (MPOC) meeting with the signing of a peace covenant for a peaceful and clean barangay elections.

Held at the Municipal Hall building, the covenant signing was spearheaded by the Commission on Elections led  by Election Officer Mayryanne Marohomsar.  

Along with the COMELEC-initiated covenant signing, were Municipal Local Government Operations Officer (MLGOO) Leilalie Limba, Kabuntalan South District Education Supervisor Farida Badal, representatives from the 11th Special Forces, and Kabuntalan Chief of Police Inspector Harold Manampan.

Barangay candidate-signatories, whether unopposed or contested, signed the agreement for an honest, clean, and orderly election as they, too, agreed or pledged to  abide with the election rules and regulations.

Of the 17 barangays in Kabuntalan-Mother, 15 chairmanship seats are un-opposed while two are contested - Dadtumeg with two aspiring candidates for barangay chairman and Puned with three aspirants.

Though there are two contested barangays, Municipal Mayor Salaban G. Diocolano expressed high hope that the barangay election will be clean, honest, orderly election in his area of responsibility “with the presence and cooperation of our Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines... I’m pretty sure that this coming May 14 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan polls will be credible.”

Following the covenant signing, Mayor Diocolano, who also chairs the Municipal Anti-drug Advisory Council, presided over the MPOC meeting.

Among those present were MLGOO Limba, Election Officer Marohomsar, Kabuntalan Chief of Police Inspector Harold Manampan, 11th SF representative, Municipal Social Welfare and Development head Ligaya Dumamba, and DepEd District Supervisor Badal.

The main agenda centered on the May 14 Barangay  and SK elections with security measures put into place.

“We don’t want anybody to be harmed during the campaign period and Election Day and its aftermath,” the mayor said.

The chief of police reported that for the past few months, no untoward incident or even criminality, not even petty crimes, happened in the municipality.

“I proudly say that everyone is very cooperative in attaining the peace and order in our locality. In addition, because of that, we are now rated ‘zero criminality’ for the past few months. And we do hope to maintain this record all throughout the year,” Manampan said.

Ligaya Dumamba of DSWD-ARMM submitted  reports and findings on 4Ps fake beneficiaries. “These validated personalities are not really indigents but pretentious to be on that state in order to avail of the financial support from the government.”

She said this problem has become perennial not only in the localities  but nation-wide. “But rest assured, all of these problems that have been brought out and reported to us are the subject of thorough validation. And I will also bring this out to our regional secretary for  immediate action.” (Anne Acosta/Mindanao Expose’)

Editorial

Heat index reaches ‘dangerous’ levels

Complaining about the hot weather? If only we are that rich to be able to install air conditioners to keep us cool and comfortable. In distant past years, weather was not this “heaty.” Today, it is almost unbearable that some become irritant like boiling heat. Be careful of your blood pressure and respiratory organ.

In the past weeks, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration recorded high temperatures with heat index breaching 44 degrees Celsius (°C) in some provinces, including Cotabato City at 43.

At one time, a heat index of 48.2°C was recorded in Dagupan City in Pangasinan.

PAGASA said heat index refers to the actual feel of temperature, opposed to the temperature measured by a thermometer. The high air temperatures and high relative humidity are the factors considered in heat index.

Heat indices of 41°C to 54°C are considered “dangerous” as this could cause heat cramps and heat exhaustion  with probability of  heat stroke in continued activity.

A heat index of 45°C was recorded over Ambulong, Batangas; Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija; and Cuyo, Palawan last week. The heat index over Sangley Point in Cavite was recorded at 44.6°C.

The hottest temperature in the country last April 26 was recorded in Dagupan City at 36.9°C.

It is not only in the Philippines that high temperatures are torturous. Unexpectedly, Australia is now experiencing “unreasonable” warm weather.

Indicatively, the world is now experiencing “bizarre, uncharacteristic, and oftentimes consequential changes” in weather patterns. Environmentalists have long warned that these are the direct result of GLOBAL WARMING.

When it is too warm, heat indices rise. When it rains, these downpours are heavy that flooding and landslides do occur, creating havoc to agriculture, properties, and even human lives… signs of GLOBAL WARMING. Extreme heat melts the glaciers resulting to high sea levels and, thus, inundating lands. Environmentalists have warned that in years to come heat index could reach 50 degrees Celsius… Could you imagine how this would affect us? Now it is already more than 40.

Dare to seek habitat in the north or South Pole for cooler temperature? If that would give us convenience, why not?  But we cannot just migrate in “gusto.”

What can we do? Well, as specialists say, take the cue from Mother Nature and start changing ways “before it’s too late.” Heed to advisories in caring and loving our Mother Earth in our simplest way.

For the moment, let us not expose ourselves to extreme hot weather to prevent it’s effects invading our dear bodies… “Prevention is better than cure.”  My doctor teased me of prescribing an air conditioner. It is not the cost of the unit but defraying the high cost of electricity.

Read more: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/985757/heat-index-reaches-dangerous-levels-in-parts-of-ph-pagasa#ixzz5Dqsngaz9
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