Miracle workers in a time of disasters

HAS the Prez considered joining or leading the nation in prayer to solve any problem or to deal with a disaster? One on God’s side is a majority, said Wendell Phillips. But, the Prez has Pastor Quiboloy on his side, miraculously stopping quakes at his command, the Appointed Son of God himself reportedly brags. Do we realize how lucky we are? Is there a need for a “drug czarina”? The Prez promised to solve the drug problem in six months. It has been 41 months. After admitting his failure, he now wants to give the seemingly mission impossible to one he and his minions belittle and distrust and who does not have much fixed power under the Constitution. Of course to continue Digong’s messy bloody campaign won’t succeed; it has not succeeded anywhere else. Veep Leni, as Drug Czarina, will be programmed to fail if only because success will have implications for 2022; then, Digong would understandably want to be succeeded by a friendly Prez. Cheap partisan politics, but human nature. She will lead Bantay Salakay Pulis Patolas used to be headed by one who may not have been given a fair chance to air his side. Lawyers have a role to play in a police stationhouse but reduced to part of the furniture in Congress where the Bill of Rights is checked at the door.

Bong Go as drug czar

Why not Bong Go as Drug Czar then in whom the Prez has boundless trust and confidence? When he speaks, it would be the Prez speaking, not a betenoire. He is the most heavily advertised giver. I cannot recall anyone getting more publicity as a Good Samaritan. Contrast it with the legendary passion for anonymity of FPJ, said to donate in another’s name to calamity victims. Would Bong visit the Correctional inmates in Mandaluyong from whom I have just received a thoughtful letter?

If Bong declines and doesn’t GOGOGO! as drug czar, the arguable obvious choice as a southern star to trump the north star that is Leni Robredo from Bicol, should be Pastor Quiboloy. From where I sit, Leni was asked to walk into a Thucydides Trap of sorts, when an ageing ailing power, a killer, that is, a lady killer (Digong, again, marry nasi Honeylet), believes to be threatened by a rising manysplendored star from up north. She won’t be allowed to succeed in any manner, shape or form and harm Bongbong’s ambition.

Super- alalay Bong Go’s resources seem to be unlimited, for one who reported “only” P15,508,370 as of June 30, 2019 in assets in his latest SALN. Not much today. Any lower middle-income family with a house and lot and a vehicle in Metro Manila would be a similar multi-millionaire.

Miitarizing bureaucracy

Bong may resign and be named, not as drug czar, but as head of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DWSD). Today, he is a one-man Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office the press somehow reports on almost daily, along with his continuing to be a go-fer of the Prez. The General Wassisname who heads the DWSD should be at the frontline when calamities occur. But, MIA (Missing in Action) he is, oddly replaced by the Defense Secretary.

Wassisname may bring up the rear in Mindanao while he is looking for the comfort room of a department that should be headed by a civilian with a bona fide social work background. Militarizing the bureaucracy disturbs and may not be the way to go. Not in social work, anyway, from where I sit.

It is our traffic, which may require muscle, another area Digong has been a total failure in. Along with the lack of water, as we are short of it even during this rainy season. Instead, having nuclear power is being pushed in the Cabinet. Weird.

I remain concerned about building a nuke power plant given our puede-na mentality. For technologically sophisticated Germany, no more nukes in 2022; and Sweden, 2040. Italy, no nukes at all. Tayopapo? How will we deal with disasters, staring Murphy’s Law in the face? If anything can go wrong, it will. So, NIMBY, Not In My Back Yard, baby.

Messy, bloody policy

I see that the god in Malacañang, candidly admitting his failure to solve our drug menace with a messy, bloody policy, is also unable to deal with serial quakes in Mindanao, and has urged our people to pray. We

all should; it refreshes that he may have realized how pointless it is to disrespect the God millions respect. Time to recall Cory’s, “I work with all my might, I pray with all my heart, and the rest, I leave to God.”

Mrs. Soledad Duterte fought for Cory and re-democratization. The sight of Digong honoring his deceased parents suggests that there is hope in him; he needs and deserves our support, given the suffering of our countrymen in Mindanao, even as we pray to be spared the Big One here in Metro Manila or anywhere else, for that matter. Would Pastor Quiboloy be the point man?

That Digong continues to honor his deceased parents reassures. I myself was lucky to march shoulder- to- shoulder with his courageous Mom who led the Yellow Friday Movement in Davao after Ninoy was “salvaged,” a contranym martial law introduced into our human rights vocabulary by a gross human rights violating and kleptocratic family, headed by Macoy. In his hands was the blood of the 20,000 killed on Feb. 7 and 8, 1974 when Jolo was mercilessly bombarded and razed to the ground by our military. A Jolo-Caust, thanks to Macoy and the SundalongPutik.

Digong wants Bongbong to succeed him? Diyosnamahabagin…

But maybe, Pastor Quiboloy, as disaster-stopper, can be of assistance here. Veep Leni, I am afraid, is programmed to fail, unless the Pastor commands the malefactors to stop.

I have erred often in my life. Here’s hoping I am again wrong and that the Prez, Veep and all concerned will review and recalibrate the bloody controversial program in all good faith. We should look at Portugal and the UN General Assembly special session on drugs in our search for an effective, compassionate and humane formula for dealing with a health, not a law-and-order, issue.

Corruption has been with mankind for 4,000 years but extrajudicial killing is not the answer. The failed policy must go.