Clamping of vehicles

Tinuod gyud nga angayang i- clamp ang mga nag- park sa daplin sa dalan kay maglisod ang mga driver sa jeepney nga moagi unya naay pasahero nga manaog kay anha na ang sakyanan manaog sa tunga sa dalan. Labina gyud diri sa Duterte St. sa Banawa kay puno ang mga kilid sa dalan sa nagpark nga mga auto.

Hinaut nga maka- roving ang mga traffic enforcers diri sa may banawa sugod sa mga alas- 8 sa buntag ug mga alas- 6:30 kada gabii.-- 09231616995

Pro bono conference

Last week, lawyer Cathy Alvarez, my wife Lourdes, and I attended a 3-day 6th Asia Pro Bono Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We represented the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) Cebu. Around fifteen (15) other Filipino lawyers from Metro Manila attended the conference with other delegates from thirty (30) countries.

The event which was hosted by Malaysian lawyers, was the 6th Asia Pro Bono Conference to discuss various strategies in extending free legal services and to develop a pro bono movement and culture in one’s country. The first conference was held in Laos in 2012, followed by Vietnam, Singapore, Myanmar and in Bali, Indonesia, last year.

The 6th Asia Pro Bono Conference in Malaysia was attended by more than five hundred (500) delegates from thirty (30) countries not only from the ASEAN region but also from U.K, Australia, France, Canada, and from the U.S.A. (where the Director of the Pro Bono Conference, lawyer Bruce A. Lasky hails).

In some workshops, I had occasion to discuss the Philippine situation in the context of human rights and our experience with the summary killings of thousands of drug suspects.

A lawyer from Jakarta, Indonesia, explained that the Indonesian government metes death penalty to drug traffickers but only after giving the accused due process. There are no extra-judicial killings of suspects in Indonesia unlike in our country.

This is also true of Malaysia and Singapore which strictly enforce capital punishment on drug trafficking but only after trial and conviction. Both neighboring countries do not engage in extra judicial killings or summary executions of suspects.

During workshops, candid exchange of views on a number of issues confronting the countries involved were made regarding the future of democracy and the rule of law especially in the developing countries, and the need to extend free legal services to the marginalized in the society.

It is refreshing to note that despite diversity in culture, historical background and differences in legal systems, various countries have achieved solidarity to link their efforts to enhance the rule of law and strengthen democratic institutions.-- Democrito C. Barcenas

PNP should help

President Duterte has given the task of going after people linked to illegal drugs to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA). But the Philippine National Police should help.

Gamay ra baya kaayo ang mga members sa PDEA. How can they cope?-- Marian Delsing