BY ATTY. BATAS MAURICIO

LIFE’S INSPIRATIONS: “…The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them. My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only he will release my feet from the snare...” (Psalm 25:14-15, the Holy Bible).

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WORD WAR GETS UGLIER BY THE DAY: The word war between Malacanang and the Supreme Court is getting worse by the day. Now, Court Administrator and Spokesman Jose Midas Marquez has become bolder, saying that what President Aquino is actually getting from his advisers are mere “sanitized summaries”, and not the full issues, about the judiciary’s budget.

Then, Marquez has also stepped up tirades against the President’s spokesmen, Edwin Lacierda and Abigail Valte, saying that they are lawyers who had not been doing their assignment and who had not been researching properly on the issue of fiscal autonomy of the judiciary. Wow!!!

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STRICTER MONITORING OF 20% DISCOUNT FOR ELDERLY SOUGHT: I hope the Department of Trade and Industry and even the Department of Health can conduct a more strict monitoring of the compliance by drug stores in Metro Manila with the law requiring the giving of 20 percent discount to the elderly. 

Reports reaching me indicate that many drug stores in the National Capital Region have found many ways to circumvent the law, and thus avoid giving the 20% discount to senior citizens or people 60 years old and above, literally depriving them of life-saving medicines.

One case that was brought to my attention was this: sales personnel of a nationwide drug store chain in Novaliches, Quezon City are refusing to give the 20% discount to senior citizens, just because they were using an old prescription form previously issued to them by their doctors, even if the total number of capsules or tablets indicated in the prescription form had not been fully purchased yet (principally because of lack of money).

I was told that the sales personnel of this drug store chain have been insisting that the senior citizens go back to their doctors and get a newer prescription, for the same medicine, something that is more expensive because going back to the doctor would mean another consultation, and therefore, additional consultation fees. This is terrible, DTI and DOH!

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PIMENTEL’S ELECTORAL FRAUD CASES FULFILMENT OF HIS PROMISE: Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III could not have done it otherwise---I mean, the filing of electoral fraud cases against former President Arroyo, former First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, former Chairman Ben Abalos of the Commission on Elections and others who are now being implicated in the cheating in the 2007 elections.

He was the first ever senatorial candidate whose electoral protest succeeded, and this was done on the basis of evidence that cheating was really carried out against him in 2007. If Pimentel did not file the cases against the Arroyos, he would have turned his back on a promise he made before he was proclaimed senator.

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THE LONELINESS OF SERVING GOD: The killing of Italian Catholic priest, Fr. Faustino Tentorio, showed once more the loneliness of serving God: as the priest was being peppered with bullets, people were merely watching by, helplessly witnessing his murder, even if all his 30 years or so as a worker of God were spent with them. How sad, indeed, but I am sure Tentorio is now happy in God’s presence.

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20% medicine discount, winawalanghiya

INSPIRASYON SA BUHAY: “… Nagpapahayag ang Panginoon sa mga may takot sa kanya; ipinakikilala Niya ang Kanyang pakikipag-kasundo sa kanila. Ang aking mga mata ay lagi ng nakatuon sa Panginoon, sapagkat Siya lamang ang magliligtas sa akin mula sa bitag…” (Awit 25:14-15, Bibliya).

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BANATAN NG MALACANANG AT SC, SUMASAMA LALO: Lalo pang sumasama, sa pagdaraan ng mga araw, ang banatan ng Malacanang at ng Korte Suprema. Ngayon, mas matapang na si Court Administrator at Spokesman Jose Midas Marquez, na nagsasabing tanging mga “nilinis na ulat”, hindi ang buong mga isyu, ang ipinaparating ng mga tagapayo ni Pangulong Aquino sa kanya, ukol sa gastusin ng hudikatura.

Tapos, mas matatalim na birada na rin ang ibinabato ni Marquez sa dalawang Presidential spokesmen, sina Edwin Lacierda at Abigail Valte. Ayon kay Marquez, ang dalawa ay mga abogadong hindi nag-aral at hindi nagsaliksik ng tama sa isyu ng kalayaan ng hudikatura sa kanyang mga gastusin. Wow!!!

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MAS MAHIGPIT NA MONITORING NG 20% DISCOUNT SA MEDISINA: Sana naman ay lalo pang paigtingin ng Department of Trade and Industry at ng Department of Health ang pagpapatupad sa hanay ng mga botika at mga drug stores sa Metro Manila ng batas na nag-aatas ng pagbibigay ng 20 porsiyentong diskuwento sa mga matatanda.

Batay sa mga ulat na nakakarating sa akin, maraming drug stores sa National Capital Region ang nakasumpong na ng maraming kaparaanan upang hindi masunod ang batas, at, dahil diyan, ay makaiwas sa pagbibigay ng 20% diskuwento sa mga senior citizens o mga taong may edad na 60 anyos pataas, daan upang mapagkaitan ang mga ito ng mga gamot na pandugtong-buhay.

Eto ang isang halimbawa: ang mga tindero at tindera ng isang pambansang botika sa Novaliches, Quezon City, ay hindi nagbibigay ng 20 % diskuwento sa mga matatanda kung ang gamit ng mga ito sa pagbili ng gamot ay mga lumang reseta na nauna ng ibinigay sa kanila ng kanilang mga duktor, bagamat ang kabuuang bilang ng mga kapsula at tabletang nakasulat sa lumang reseta ay di pa naman nabibili lahat, dahil sa kawalan ng pera.

Ayon sa mga nakausap ko, ang mga tindero at tindera ng drug store chain na ito ay nag-uutos sa mga senior citizens na bumalik sa kanilang mga duktor at humingi ng mas bagong reseta. Ang problema, magiging mas mahal ito kasi pagbalik sa duktor, mangangahulugan ito ng bagong konsultasyon, at, siyempre, bagong consultation fee. Grabe ito, DTI at DOH!

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KASO NI PIMENTEL VS. ARROYO, ET. AL, KAILANGANG ISAMPA: Wala naman talagang magagawa si Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III kundi isampa ang kasong electoral fraud laban kina dating Pangulong Arroyo, dating First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, dating Chairman Ben Abalos ng Commission on Elections at iba pa na isinasangkot sa pandaraya sa 2007 elections.

Si Pimentel ang kauna-unahang kandidatong senador na nagtagumpay sa kanyang protesta, at ang panalong ito ay batay pa mandin sa mga katibayang nagpakita ng pandaraya laban sa kanya noong 2007. Kung hindi nagsampa ng kaso si Pimentel, masasabing tumalikod siya sa kanyang mga pangako bago pa siya naging senador.

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KALUNGKUTANG DULOT NG PAGSISILBI SA DIYOS: Ang kamatayan ni Italian Catholic priest, Fr. Faustino Tentorio, ay nagpapatunay na napakalungkot magsilbi sa Diyos: habang pinagbabaril si Tentorio, nakatingin lamang ang mga tao sa paligid at tahimik na sinasaksihan ang krimen, bagamat ang 30-taong ipinaglingkod niya bilang pari ay para sa mga taong ito. Nakakalungkot, pero sigurado akong maligaya na si Tentorio sa piling ng Diyos.