Corruption, corruption, corruption
THROWBACK 1: Napoles camp to file 'pork' raps vs 120 lawmakers.
That was the banner of a national paper sometime in 2017. The twists of fate, Janet Napoles was jailed and none of the 120 members of the House of Representatives was indicted. It is an indicative of partial justice. Yesterday and today, it’s the same banana. Now the headlines are about former Undersecretary Lloyd Christopher Lao reportedly a former aide of Senator Bong Go. Lao was with the procure
ment service of the Department of Budget and Management. Seemingly, based on the ongoing hearing at the senate, Lao took charge in purchasing face masks and face shields.(kaya pala pinagpipilitan tayong magsuot ng face shields kahit hindi kailangan). In his Facebook wall Lao denied all accusations. Another corruption
issue which was one of the most talked about topics on public affairs programs on television and radio is the unexplained hundreds of million appropriation of the Presidential Communication Office and flagged by the Commission on Audit. Every accusation aired what follows are denials after denials.
The number of lawmakers with sticky fingers is so high and if we count other government officials from Malacanang, department agencies and down to the local government units (LGUs) we need a calculator. However there’s the 11th COMMANDMENT-Two friends talking over bottles of light beers: 'Pare kunwari nahuli ka ni kumare na may kasamang babae sa kwarto at pareho kayong hubad at ginagawa ninyo ang alam mo na, paano mo ito lulusutan? His friend quick reply: Pare huwag mong kalimutan ang 11th commandment. Thou shall not admit! Huwag umamin, sabihin mo nabasa ka sa ulan at naghubad ka at nadulas ka lang. He he he. End of conversation.
THROWBACK 2: One newspaper said ' lawmakers are all riled up over reports linking them to the pork barrel scam'. Suddenly they don't know Janet Lim Napoles, the alleged pork barrel scam mastermind. They don't know her, never met her, never made deals with her. Functionaries in Malacanang during the previous administration said they don't know her, when people in the know are saying in whispers that many of them were frequent guests on the lavish parties Napoles hosted.
The old man is a fox. Juan Ponce Enrile is a survivor, because he knows how to navigate his way through stormy weathers in his life. In this long running scandal he is silent, don't issue statements, refused press interviews and just play candy crush. Remember when the late Lady Miriam Santiago was castigating him in a privilege speech in the senate? The fox was unmoved, just focused on his I-pad. Lalong napikon si late Senator Miriam. Enrile’s chief of staff Gigi Reyes wasn’t lucky. She got a jail term.
According to CDC-Communications Division Manager Eric Jimenez, the disinfection of the said buildings is a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of its em p l o yees.
Last week, CDC also closed down the Sanitation Section of its Health and Sanitation Division for sanitation on August 16. The office has reopened the next day.
CDC has earlier imposed health and safety protocols including the set up of COVID19 control points at the SCTEx North and South entrances to Clark; only government employees, Clark Freeport workers, locators, suppliers, and persons doing business in Clark are allowed to enter; and fully-vaccinated individuals with vaccination cards.
Tourists and visitors coming from Enhanced Community Quarantine areas are required to have negative antigen or RT-PCR results taken at least 48 hours prior.
Motorists who do not have test results shall be referred to the nearest health facility and have an antigen test before they can enter any establishment or go to any public place in Clark.
CDC also imposed a 50 percent seating capacity to restaurants inside the freeport. Wearing of face masks, non-observance of social distancing, and groupings in public places is also strictly implemented.