Road users pork barrel & ARMM poll postponement


BY ATTY. BATAS MAURICIO


LIFE’S INSPIRATIONS: “…As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him…” (Psalm 103:13, the Holy Bible). 

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CONNECTION BETWEEN PORK BARREL AND ARMM POLL POSTPONEMENT: Will the Road Board, whose members are appointed by the President, give away billions of pesos it has collected as road users tax as additional pork barrel for senators, congressmen and governors, on its own, and then risk being charged with plunder or graft and corruption later?

We must remember, as Sen. Panfilo Lacson said, road users tax collections are intended by law to be used for repairs and improvement of roads, and not as pork barrels of lawmakers or local government officials. Using the tax for some other purposes, as what was admittedly done here, constitutes a crime.

 So, when did the Road Board get the courage to divert the road users tax from its original usage?  When it was time to vote on the postponement of the August 2011 elections at the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) by our senators? Is that the connection between this road users pork barrel and the ARMM poll postponement?

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WHO ARE WE TO BELIEVE---CARANDANG OR DE JESUS? So, who are to believe on the issue of whether or not Malacanang was asked by former Transportation and Communications Secretary Jose De Jesus to reprimand Land Transportation Office chief Virginia Torres---De Jesus or Communications Secretary Ricky Carandang?

Carandang says Malacanang is not aware of any memorandum by De Jesus recommending administrative sanctions against Torres, but then De Jesus has produced that memorandum, giving copies thereof to media to back up his claims.

Clearly, Carandang either does not know what he is talking about, which is a sign of gross incompetence, or that he is simply pulling the wool over our eyes to hide his incompetence, or the incompetence or, worse, the criminal maneuverings, of some other Malacanang officials who maybe in cahoots with the corrupt and the greedy.

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OFFICIALS MUST BE SLAVES OF ALL: As a reminder to those who are in positions of power, we are reproducing here a discussion by the Lord Jesus with His disciples led by John and James on how a leader should conduct himself in office. This is how Mark 10: 35-45 describes this important discussion:

“Jesus called them together and said, `You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.

“ `Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many,’ ” Jesus said. For officials reading this, it is time to follow what Jesus said here.


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Pork barrel at ARMM poll postponement


INSPIRASYON SA BUHAY: “…Gaya ng pagkakaroon ng pagmamahal ng isang ama sa kanyang mga anak, ganoon din ang pagkakaroon ng pagmamahal ng Diyos sa mga may takot sa Kanya…” (Mga Awit 103:13, Bibliya).

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KONEKSIYON NG ROAD USERS PORK BARREL AT ARMM POLL POSTPONEMENT: Pangangahasan ba ng mga opisyales ng Road Board (na ang Pangulo ang nagluklok) na ipamigay, batay sa sariling desisyon lamang nila, ang bilyon-bilyong pisong kanilang nakolekta bilang road users tax sa mga senador, kongresista at mga gobernador, bagamat maaari silang mademanda ng pandarambong o korapsiyon sa hinaharap?

Huwag nating kalilimutan, gaya ng sinabi ni Sen. Panfilo Lacson, na ang koleksiyon bilang road users tax ay inilalaan ng batas para sa pagsasa-ayos at pagpapabuti ng mga kalsada, at hindi bilang pork barrel ng mga mambabatas at mga lokal na opisyales. Ang paggamit sa road users tax sa ibang kaparaanan, gaya ng ginawa dito, ay isang krimen.

So, ang tanong: kelan pa nakakuha ng tapang ang Road Board upang ilihis ang road users tax mula sa nakalaang paggagamitan nito? Noong kailangan ng pagbotohan ng mga senador kung ipo-postpone ang halalan sa Agosto 2011 sa Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)? Ito ba ang koneksiyon sa pagitan ng road users pork barrel at pagpapaliban sa ARMM elections?

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SINO ANG PANINIWALAAN---CARANDANG O DE JESUS? Sino nga ba ang dapat paniwalaan sa isyu ng kung ang Malacanang ay nahilingan ni dating Transportation and Communications Secretary Jose De Jesus na kastiguhin si Land Transportation Office chief Virginia Torres---si De Jesus ba o si Communications Secretary Ricky Carandang?

Ayon kay Carandang, hindi alam ng Malacanang kung may memorandum nga bang ipinadala si De Jesus na nagpapanukala ng mga kaparusahan laban kay Torres, pero, bilang sagot, naglabas na ng kopya ng nasabing memorandum si De Jesus upang patotohanan ang kanyang pahayag.

Maliwanag na hindi alam ni Carandang kung ano ang kanyang sinasabi, na katibayan ng kawalan ng kakayahan sa trabaho. O di kaya naman, nilalansi lamang niya ang sambayanan upang itago ang kanyang kahinaan, o ang kahinaan o di kaya ay ang tiwaling maniobra, ng ibang opisyales ng Malacanang na maaaring may sabwatan sa mga tiwali at korap.

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OPISYALES, DAPAT MAGING ALIPIN NG LAHAT: Bilang paalala sa mga nakaluklok sa posisyon at kapangyarihan, ilalabas natin ngayon ang pag-uusap ng Panginoong Jesus at ng Kanyang mga alagad sa pangunguna nina Juan at Santiago sa isyu ng kung papaano ba dapat kumikilos ang isang lider. Isinasalarawan ito ng Marcos 10:35-45:

 “Tinawag ni Jesus ang kanyang mga alagad at sinabi, `Alam ninyong ang mga itinuturing na pinuno ng mga Hentil ay naghahari-harian sa kanila, at ang matataas nilang mga opisyales ang siyang nakakapamayani sa kanila.

“ `Ngunit hindi ito nararapat sa inyo. Sa halip, sinuman sa inyo ang nagnanais maging pinuno ay siyang dapat maglingkod, at sinumang nais na maging una ay dapat maging alipin ng lahat. Sapagkat maging ang Anak ng Tao ay naparito hindi upang pagsilbihan kundi upang magsilbi, at ibigay ang kanyang buhay bilang kabayaran sa marami,’ ” dagdag ni Jesus. Sa mga opisyales na nagbabasa nito, panahon na upang sumunod kay Jesus.