Sun.Star Cebu

Last-minute revamp

- ANOL MONGAYA (politika20­13.wordpress.com)

CUSTOMS Commission­er Ruffy Biazon said the turnover of command as a result of his order to revamp district officials nationwide has already been carried out. But transition at the affected ports will be until Jan. 23, he tweeted over the weekend.

In a Twitter conversati­on, Commission­er Biazon confirmed that he kept the revamp secret. I gathered that the customs personnel order was announced Thursday during a seminar of customs officials participat­ed by district collectors in Tagaytay. This was carried out before the Comelec mandated the start of the election period, Jan. 13.

“I kept it under wraps. Announced it directly to them, handing out CPOs and certificat­es of assumption,” said the social media savvy commission­er.

CPO B-14-2013, dated Jan. 10, ordered the reassignme­nt of erstwhile Cebu District Collector Ronnie Silvestre as OIC of Clark Internatio­nal Airport. Clark Collector Edward dela Cuesta replaced Silvestre as Cebu port collector.

Collector Ma. Lourdes Mangaoang was reassigned from chief of the BOC X-Ray Project to district collector of the Port of Cagayan de Oro. She used to be district collector of Cebu. Collector Bobby Sacramento, who was assigned to Cebu several years ago and later transferre­d to the Ninoy Aquino Internatio­nal Airport, is now the OIC collector of the Port of Zamboanga.

The controvers­ial Collector Anju Castigador of Cagayan d Oro is now on floating status at the Office of the Commission­er.

*** Should suspended Gov. Gwen Garcia dance during the Sinulog parade this Sunday? I think she should. A vow to dance every year should take precedence over her current political situation at the Capitol.

Should Acting Gov. Agnes Magpale prevent Governor Gwen from returning after the parade? The move would place the former in a negative light.

Besides, Gwen had already made her point very strongly.

She can now opt not to go back and begin campaignin­g at the third district. I would understand a decision to stay on, however. This should be the feared use of Capitol resources for the LP campaign.

*** Nine sessions to go before the Lower House adjourns for the elections. Will those who fear the approval of the Freedom of Informatio­n (FOI) bill have their way?

A post at the PCIJ blog pointed out that the Senate already passed its version of the FOI bill on second reading (Dec. 11, 2012) and third reading (Dec. 17, 2012).

During a meeting here in Cebu last November, Sen. Greg Honasan described the bill as Pogi, or People’s Ownership of Government Informatio­n. He declared then that if everybody is serious, we should have an FOI law before Congress adjourns for the election campaign.

After the Senate did its part, we now await passage of the Lower House ver- sion before a bicameral conference can be convened. This will be convened to harmonize the provision between the Senate and House versions.

After the submission of a committee report to the House plenary, we now await the formal sponsorshi­p of the committee chairman Rep. Ben Evardone and the co-sponsorshi­p by its authors. The bill will then pass through interpella­tion and amendments before voting on second reading. If it passes second reading, it then needs another approval on third reading.

“A certificat­ion by the President to the necessity of its immediate enactment dispenses of the minimum three days of copy circulatio­n,” the PCIJ post pointed out.

I believe P-Noy could further lessen the approval process if he cracks the whip. The delay at the House had been attributed to foot-dragging by the committee chairman himself.

With only nine session days left, every minute counts. We in media can definitely help by writing or talking about this. The general public should also create social media noise in favor of the bill. Let’s discuss this on Facebook and Twitter. Let’s post in the President’s official FB page. If the President is serious in his “matuwid na daan” and not just in going against political opponents, the FOI should become law before Congress adjourns.

The problem is, however, obvious. Many P-Noy allies are not “matuwid na daan” advocates. They are corrupt politician­s who fear the public’s Freedom of Informatio­n. Makaykay ang anomaliya.

*** The ban on street parties along the Sinulog parade route or near it greatly benefits the Ely Buendia concert at the Cebu Coliseum. I just hope only Ely and his band will perform and not opportunis­tic politician­s who will only spoil the fun.

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