Independence. That is one qualification of precedence prescribed by law, the RA 6770 or the Ombudsman Act of 1989, in considering appointments to the position of Ombudsman and the deputies. That law’s Section 5 insists on “persons of recognized probity and independence.”
Both Erwin and Ben are currently in a statistical tie in surveys on the top senatorial candidates for this coming May elections. Their populist followers are expected to dismiss talks of their fallibility. The argument is that after all, what is the present Senate but a group of impartiality-challenged stooges of their political patrons. That basest of senates is now tolerated – how do you explain Willie Revillame landing within the top six of current surveys? Erwin is poised to land No. 1 in the elections, his brother Ben not far behind.
What they (Makabayan Bloc) do know, however, is that the manifesto with the 1/3 signatures is being withheld until such time that there is concrete assurance of the Senate’s 2/3 vote. And that is what is being maneuvered during this Christmas break until Congress resumes on January 13.
Self-confessed hitman Arturo Lascañas was in the car with another DDS operative to drive Vitaliano Aguirre around town. Aguirre told Lascañas how to counter the breaking news about the human skeletal remains (in Laud quarry). His damage control was to lie: “Tell them the bones belong to World War II burials.”
Mark Taguba was convicted of a crime he did not commit. He is now 33 years old. He has already spent six years of his young life in jail.
The burning question of the day was -- who is Zuleika Lopez? There was an attempt by this writer to write about her in the recent past. Immediately after the article was published, friends from Davao city began messaging me. All pointed to one detail that I had not written – Zuleika was more than just a chief of staff.
The message was clear – Duterte is deathly afraid of getting his dozens of bank accounts exposed more than his fear of the International Criminal Court.
As Sara Duterte had left the helm of the Department of Education, Edward Fajarda and his wife Sunshine Charry also transitioned to the Office of the Vice President. They were not to be left on their own at the DepEd without her. They were to go wherever their boss goes. That was how indispensable they were to her.
It was the sign that Rodrigo Duterte had succeeded in outmatching (naisahan) the senators when he came to the Senate and brought it down to his level of gutter talk and bullying:
Nolasco Mempin retired January 28, 2023 as a major general in the Philippine Army. His last two assignments were interesting.
