BY ATTY. BATAS MAURICIO

LIFE’S INSPIRATIONS: “Your sons and daughters will be given to another nation, and you will wear out your eyes watching for them day after day, powerless to lift a hand…” (Deuteronomy 28:32, the Holy Bible).

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    DFA SHOWS NO CONCERN FOR OFW: Do you want proof of how the Department of Foreign Affairs-Office of Migrant Workers Affairs (DFA-OMWA) could brashly ignore dire calls for help of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who are in danger of being murdered, raped or maimed? Dig up the case of Merlita Flores Villanueva of Aramaywan, Narra, Palawan.

    Last week, a Noli Acosta wrote to me via Facebook frantically seeking help for Merlita, who is now a domestic helper for one Omar Tajmouati in Fes Aqdal, Morocco. Merlita somehow managed to report that she is being brutally beaten regularly, and that she wanted to seek help so she could go home and escape further harm, or even death.

    So my office called the DFA-OMWA, but a Feliciano Crox, an assistant of Undersecretary Esteban Conejos, told us there is really nothing they could do, and that, if Merlita’s relatives in Palawan wanted to help her, they should come to Manila and file a complaint which they will then send to Libya (we were told we did not have an office in Morocco). Wow! And the hapless OFW is supposed to be in danger.
   
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    ONLY CON-CON CAN CHANGE THE CHARTER-PHILCONSA: Any attempt to change, revise or amend the 1987 Constitution must be coursed through a constitutional convention composed of delegates elected by the people, the Philippine Constitution Association, or PHILCONSA, said the other day.

    In a circular issued to all its members nationwide, PHILCONSA, through its  President Manuel M. Lazaro, intoned: “This is the only vehicle in order that the Constitution can be considered as the product of the pristine will of the people.”

So, this appears to be on a collision course with what some of our lawmakers are proposing---that only our legislators could carry out the changes, revision or amendments to the Charter. Who will prevail? Abangan!!!

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LTFRB DECISION VS. CLAIRE VIOLATES THE CONSTITUTION: The decision of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board to suspend the franchise as a public vehicle operator of singer-businesswoman Claire Dela Fuente and two other bus operators on account of a transport strike last November 15 is downright silly and illegal.

Fact is, the LTFRB cannot even say with certainty whether Claire’s bus company, as well as the other suspended bus operators, joined that strike. All that the LTFRB is saying is that Claire did not deny her company was part of the strike (so she must be guilty?), while the others were suspended because they failed to prove they did not join that strike.

Since when can an individual in this country be punished for not denying participation in a crime, or for failing to prove he did not commit the crime? Wow! I did not know that the Constitutional presumption of innocence, which says a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty, has already been set aside here.

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REACTIONS? FREE ADVICE? Call me at 0917 984 24 68 or 0922 833 43 96, or email me at batasmauricio@yahoo.com.

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DFA, walang paki sa OFW



    INSPIRASYON SA BUHAY: “Kitang-kita ninyong ang inyong mga anak ay ibibigay sa ibang bansa, at mamumuti ang inyong mga mata sa pagbabantay sa kanila, at wala kayong kapangyarihang sila ay saklolohan…” (Deuteronomio 28:32, Bibliya).

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    DFA, WALANG PAKIALAM SA OFW: Nais ba ninyo ng katibayan kung papaanong binabalewala ng Department of Foreign Affairs ang mga overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) na nasa bingit ng kamatayan, panggagahasa o pambubugbog? Tingnan ninyo ang kaso ni Merlita Flores Villanueva ng Aramaywan, Narra, Palawan.

    Noong isang linggo, sumulat sa akin sa Facebook si Noli Acosta upang humingi ng tulong para kay Merlita, na isang domestic helper para sa isang Omar Tajmouati sa Fes Aqdal, Morocco. Naiulat ni Merlita na siya ay brutal na palagiang binubogbog, at nais niyang makauwi na at makaiwas sa mas marami  pang pananakit o tiyak na kamatayan.

    Kaya, tumawag kami sa DFA-OMWA, pero ayon kay Feliciano Crox, isang assistant ni Undersecretary Esteban Conejos, wala daw silang maibibigay na tulong, at kung nais ng mga kaanak ni Merlita mula sa Palawan na tumulong, magtungo sila sa Maynila at magreklamo, at saka pa lamang ipadadala ang reklamo sa Libya (wala pala tayong opisina sa Morocco). Wow! Kung tutuusin, nasa bingit na ng panganib si Merlita.
   
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    TANGING CON-CON LAMANG PARA SA CHARTER CHANGE-PHILCONSA: Anumang pagbabago o pag-amiyenda sa Saligang Batas ng 1987 ay dapat idaan sa isang constitutional convention na kinabibilangan ng mga delegadong inihalal ng sambayanan, ayon sa Philippine Constitution Association, o PHILCONSA, noong isang araw.

    Sa isang circular na ikinalat sa lahat ng kanyang mga kasapi sa buong bansa, sinabi ng PHILCONSA, sa pamamagitan ng kanyang pangulong si Atty. Manuel M. Lazaro: “ito lamang ang tanging paraan upang maituring na produkto nga ng kalooban ng sambayanan ang binagong Saligang Batas.”

Pero ito ay bumabangga sa naisin naman ng ilan nating mga mambabatas na sila lamang sa Kongreso at Senado ang siyang may karapatang magbago ng Konstitusyon. Sino ang mananaig? Abangan!!!

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SUSPENSION NG LTFRB  VS. CLAIRE, LABAG SA KONSTITUSYON: Ang pagkakasuspendi ng Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board sa prangkisa bilang public vehicle operator ng singer-businesswoman na si Claire Dela Fuente at ng dalawang iba pang operator dahil sa transport strike noong Nobyembre 15 ay tunay namang labag sa batas.

Sa totoo lang, ni hindi nga masabi ng LTFRB kung kasama nga ang kompanya ni Claire, at ang kompanya ng dalawang iba pa, sa nasabing strike. Ang sinasabi lamang ng LTFRB ay, hindi itinanggi ni Claire na kasama nga sila sa strike, samantalang sinuspendi naman yung dalawang iba pa dahil hindi nila napatunayang hindi sila kasama sa strike.

Kelan pa ba nangyayaring ang isang tao ay pinarurusahan dahil hindi niya itinanggi ang krimen, o dahil hindi niya napatunayang wala siyang kasalanan? Wow! Hindi ko alam na nabalewala na pala ang karapatan sa ilalim ng Konstitusyon na ituring na walang kasalanan ang isang tao hanggang hindi pa napapatunayan ang kanyang kasalanan.

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REAKSIYON? LIBRENG PAYO? Tumawag po sa 0917 984 24 68 o 0922 833 43 96, o mag-email sa batasmauricio@yahoo.com.