BY ATTY. BATAS MAURICIO


LIFE’S INSPIRATIONS: “…the one who perseveres to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the world as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come…” (Matthew 24:13-14, the Holy Bible).

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    PNOY CAN SELECT AND APPOINT NEW CHIEF OF COMELEC BY HIMSELF: I don’t agree with Sen. Peter Allan Cayetano that some kind of a search committee should be formed to select the new chairman of the Commission on Elections. Selecting and appointing the incoming chief of the poll body is an exclusive prerogative of President Aquino under the law, and it should remain that way.

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    BIR, CUSTOMS, SINCERE IN WEEDING OUT TAX EVADERS: The efforts of the Bureau of Internal Revenue and Bureau of Customs in prosecuting tax evaders, both in internal revenue taxes and customs taxes, should tell all of us that the government is sincere in going after tax evaders this time. The message should therefore be: pay your taxes properly, and avoid problems.

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    LOCAL GOV’T CODE, ANTI-POOR? In Quezon City and in many areas in the country, many so-called “informal settlers”---formerly, squatters---are seeking the repeal of a provision in the Local Government Code of 1991, authored by then Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr., allowing mayors to demolish their houses, even without any court order. This provision is anti-poor, and is subject to abuse especially against the political opponents of the mayors, squatters are saying.

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    CONNECTION BETWEEN ACOSTA AND VIZCONDE: What, really, is the law that should apply to Chief Public Attorney Persida Rueda Acosta---Civil Service regulations, or the law that created the Public Attorney’s Office, which allows even a non-career executive service officer to serve as PAO chief?

If you ask me, this is not too difficult a question, because the PAO law should really govern. The more difficult question is: does the Vizconde case have something to do with this brouhaha, especially because of Acosta’s active interest in the case?

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    VIOLENCE VS. CHRISTIANS PART OF TRIBULATION: Pope Benedict XVI and other Vatican officials should not be “stunned” at the violence many Christians around the world are being subjected to. I believe this is part of the “tribulation” that believers will undergo before the end of time will come, as prophesied by the Lord Jesus in Matthew 24:8-9 of the Holy Bible.

    “All these are the beginning of the labor pains. Then they will hand you over to persecution, and they will kill you. You will be hated by all nations because of my name. And then many will be led into sin; they will betray and hate one another,” Jesus says.

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    TROUBLE FOR LIGA NG MGA BARANGAY PRESIDENT ECHIVERRI: Caloocan City Vice Mayor Edgar Erice may have opened a can of worms that could prejudice the re-election bid of Mayor Recom Echiverri’s son, RJ, as president of the National Liga ng mga Barangay: in a letter to City Hall, Erice disclosed that many barangays in the city, supposed to be supporters of RJ, have not received their shares from real property tax payments since 2008, thereby depriving them of their “lifeblood”.

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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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Problema para sa hepe ng national barangay `Liga’?


    INSPIRASYON SA BUHAY: “…ang sinumang magiging tapat hanggang sa wakas ay siyang maliligtas. At ang mabuting balitang ito ng kaharian ay ipapangaral sa buong mundo, at doon pa lamang darating ang wakas…” (Mateo 24:13-14, Bibliya).

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    PNOY, SIYANG MAY KARAPATANG MAMILI NG BAGONG HEPE NG COMELEC: Tutol ako sa sinasabi ni Sen. Peter Allan Cayetano na dapat magtatag pa ng isang komite na siyang mamimili ng susunod na chairman ng Commission on Elections. Ang pagpili at pagnonombra ng papasok na hepe ng Comelec ay isang tanging karapatan ng Pangulong Aquino sa ilalim ng batas, at dapat itong igalang ng lahat.

                   
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    LOCAL GOV’T CODE, KONTRA MAHIHIRAP? Sa Quezon City at sa maraming lugar sa bansa, maraming mga “informal settlers” o mga squatters ang humihinging alisin ang isang probisyon ng Local Government Code of 1991 na nagbibigay-karapatan sa mga alkalde na gibain ang kanilang mga bahay, kahit walang court order. Ito ay kontra sa mahihirap at madalas abusuhin, lalo sa mga kalaban ng mga mayor, ayon sa mga squatters.

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    KONEKSIYON SA ISYU NI ACOSTA AT VIZCONDE: Ano ba talaga ang batas na nakakasakop kay Chief Public Attorney Persida Rueda Acosta---ang batas sa Serbisyo Sibil, o ang batas na naglalang sa Public Attorney’s Office na pumapayag maglingkod bilang PAO chief maging ang isang non-career executive service officer?

Kung ako ang sasagot, hindi naman mahirap ipaliwanag ito, sapagkat ang batas sa PAO ang dapat masunod. Ang mas mahirap na tanong: may kinalaman ba ang Vizconde case sa isyung ito, lalo na at aktibo si Acosta sa kaso?

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    KARAHASAN VS. MGA KRISTIYANO, SENYALES NG WAKAS: Hindi dapat nabibigla si Pope Benedict XVI at ang iba pang opisyales ng Vatican sa karahasang nararanasan ng mga Kristiyano sa buong mundo. Ito ay bahagi na ng “paghihirap” na susuungin ng mga mananampalataya bago matapos ang mundo, gaya ng sinabi ng Panginoong Jesus sa Mateo 24:8-9 ng Bibliya.

    “Ang lahat ng ito ay umpisa ng pasakit. Pagkatapos, uusigin nila kayo, at papatayin nila kayo. Kamumuhian kayo ng lahat ng mga bansa dahil sa aking pangalan. At marami ang mabubulid sa kasalanan; ipagkakanulo at kamumuhian nila ang bawat isa,” sabi ni Jesus.

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    PROBLEMA PARA KAY LIGA NG MGA BARANGAY PRESIDENT ECHIVERRI: May binuksan si Caloocan City Vice Mayor Edgar Erice na magdidiskaril sa kampanya ng anak ni Mayor Recom Echeverri, si RJ, upang muling mahalal na pangulo ng National Liga ng mga Barangay.

 Sa isang sulat, isiniwalat ni Erice na maraming mga barangay sa Caloocan na sumusuporta kay RJ ang hindi nabibigyan ng kanilang real property tax shares mula pa noong 2008, na nagpapahirap sa kanilang paglilingkod. Totoo ba ito, RJ?

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