BY ATTY. BATAS MAURICIO


LIFE’S INSPIRATIONS: “…Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth…” (1 John 3:18, the Holy Bible).

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CONG. PEPING’S SHOW OF FORCE: It was a show of force alright, and there was no mistaking that that was what former Tarlac Rep. Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr. intended to do when he launched the book principally authored by him, “Laban His Story”, last Friday, February 25, 2011, in time for the 25th anniversary celebration of the EDSA People Power I Revolution.

A show of force, to notify all the world that Cong. Peping and his group from Laban, the political party he organized for Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. in 1978 and which exists up to now, stands fully behind President Noynoy Aquino in his quest for righteous and good governance.

A show of force, to warn those who will try to derail President Noynoy’s government for their own personal agenda and vested interests, that there is a big group led no less by Peping watching their every move and would be ready to correct things. 

Peping told the big crowd that gathered at the ancestral house of his parents in Makati City to witness the book launching that everyone must now aspire to help empower Noynoy’s government to deliver on its promises to the people “as this is the one last chance of bringing this country forward and making it succeed”.

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WHAT, THE AFP HAS NO FUNDS FOR RETIREES? I was amused reading the appeal of AFP Chief Gen. Ricardo David Jr. for Congress to allocate more funds in the government’s annual budget to pay the unpaid  pension benefits of retired military officers and men which, by now has reached about P20 billion. 

Why, if only AFP generals would not be dipping their fingers on military funds as being reported every now and then, then the funds needed to pay the benefits could easily be found. As it is, because of the millions that are reported to be diverted by the generals themselves, the AFP is experiencing fund lack even for its active soldiers.

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PRAYERS FOR NEW GSIS CHIEF: Let us pray that the new president/general manager of the Government Service Insurance System, Robert Vergara, will be able to find a fast solution to the computerization problem of the GSIS which is being blamed for the inability of the agency to pay benefits and other emoluments of its members, retirees and pensioners.

By the last reckoning, the reason why members, retirees and pensioners are not being paid their benefits for several years now is that GSIS records went awry when its computers conked out despite efforts of IBM to make the system work, so GSIS was left totally in the dark whom to pay and how much to pay.

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QUO VADIS, KHADAFFI? With the US saying he should leave, and Britain and other countries freezing his assets and those of his family members, it would seem there is no other way out for Libyan leader Col. Moamar Khadaffi but to relinquish his post. Unless, of course, his motto would remain to be “no retreat no surrender” and death would be a more honorable exit for him.


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Cong. Peping, nagpakita ng puwersa


INSPIRASYON SA BUHAY: “…Mga minamahal na anak, huwag kayong magmahal sa salita o talumpati lamang, kundi sa gawa at katotohanan…” (1 Juan 3:18, Bibliya).

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CONG. PEPING, NAGPAKITA NG PUWERSA: Tunay na pagpapakita ng puwersa (o show of 
force), at hindi maitatatwang ito ang naging layunin ni dating Tarlac Rep. Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr.  noong isinapubliko niya ang librong prinsipal niyang ini-akda, ang “Laban His Story”, noong Biyernes, Pebrero 25, 2011, kaalinsabay ng ika-25 taong pagdiriwang ng EDSA People Power Revolution 1.

Isang show of force, upang mapagsabihan ang buong mundo na si Cong. Peping at ang kanyang grupo sa Laban, ang partido politikal na itinayo niya para kay Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. noong 1978 at nanatiling buo hanggang ngayon, ay matatag na nasa likod ni Pangulong Noynoy Aquino sa pagsusumikap nitong magkaroon ng  matuwid na pamamahala.

Isang pagpapakita ng puwersa, upang bigyang-babala ang mga sisira sa gobyerno ng Pangulong Noynoy para sa kanilang pansariling mga layunin, na mayroong malaking grupong pinangungunahan ni Peping na nakatingin sa bawat pagkilos at nakahandang kumilos upang iwasto ang mga pangyayari.

Ipinaliwanag ni Peping sa malaking bilang ng mga taong nagtungo sa lumang bahay ng kanyang mga magulang sa Makati City upang saksihan ang paglulunsad ng kanyang libro na ang lahat ay dapat ngayong magsumikap tulungan ang gobyerno ni Noynoy upang maging matagumpay na ng tuluyan ang bansa.

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WALANG PONDO ANG AFP PARA SA RETIREES? Nangiti ako noong mabasa ko ang apela ni AFP Chief Gen. Ricardo David Jr. para sa Kongreso na magbigay ito ng mas maraming pondo sa taunang gastusin ng gobyerno upang mabayaran ang mga pension benefits ng mga retiradong opisyales at sundalo ng militar, na sa ngayon ay umaabot na sa P20 bilyon.

Bakit? Kasi, kung hindi lamang sana pinakikialaman ng mga heneral ang pondo ng militar, gaya ng naiuulat sa ngayon, magkakaroon ang AFP ng pondo para mabayaran ang mga benepisyo. Sa ngayon, dahil milyong pondo ang iniuulat na ibinubulsa ng mga heneral, nawawalan nga ng pondo ang AFP para magbayad.

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PANALANGIN PARA SA BAGONG GSIS CHIEF: Ipanalangin natin si Robert Vergara, ang bagong president/general manager ng Government Service Insurance System, upang makakita siya ng agarang solusyon sa problema sa computers ng GSIS, na siya ngayong sinisisi kung bakit di mabayaran ng ahensiyang ito ang mga benepisyo ng kanyang mga miyembro at mga pensiyonado.

Sa huling pagtaya, ipinakikitang hindi nakakabayad ang GSIS ng mga benepisyo dahil nagkagulo-gulo ang mga records nito matapos magkandasira ang kanyang mga computers kahit na inaayos na ng IBM, kaya naman bulag talaga ang ahensiyakung sino ang babayaran at magkano ang ibabayad.

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QUO VADIS, KHADAFFI? Ngayong sinasabi na ng Estados Unidos na umalis na siya, at kinokontrol na ng Britanya at iba pang mga bansa ang kanyang yaman pati na ng kanyang pamilya, tila wala na ngang ibang dapat gawin pa si Libyan leader Col. Moamar Khadaffi kundi umalis na sa puwesto. Puwera na lamang kung nais pa rin niya ng “no retreat no surrender” at tanging kamatayan ang paraan upang siya ay mapaalis.