Binay against political Cha-cha

At the 31st death anniversary rites of former Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1, Vice President Jejomar Binay, in the strongest terms, warned that Philippine democracy would be in danger if the Supreme Court (SC) powers are clipped.

Previously, VP Binay had declared his opposition to any attempt to change the Charter’s political provisions, including the lifting of the six-year term limit of the country’s President.

VP Binay reminded the people that the system of checks and balances are the foundation of a democracy; that the Constitution granted powers to judiciary in order to make sure that another dictatorship would not occur.

The Constitution’s intent is for all three branches of government to balance each other out to avoid grave abuse of power by either of them — Executive and Legislative departments.

According to constitutional law experts, the Philippine president is more powerful than the president of the United States (SC). Clipping the present powers of the SC will make the President even more powerful for he will not be subject to checks by the Supreme Court.

It would establish a de facto dictatorship.

Binay urged those who fought against the Marcos dictatorship to fight any changes in the constitutional provisions to help preserve the legacy of Ninoy and Cory.

P-Noy must be reminded that it wasn’t the SC who elevated the cases against the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), but the public themselves. It was the High Tribunal who decided that parts of the program were illegal.

Senate President Franklin Drilon and House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., P-Noy’s principal allies, have not come out to endorse political Cha-cha.

Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, the presumptive standard bearer of the Liberal Party (LP) in the 2016 presidential elections, reiterated his proposal to lift the term limits of President Aquino and allow him to run for a second term.

Roxas clarified that he is not for an automatic term extension, but he was seeking to allow the President to run for reelection.

Liberal Party (LP) Congressman Alfredo Benitez (Negros Occidental) opposed the Cha-cha to lift term limits as it is self-serving if incumbent officials would benefit from it.

Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor of the LP said removing the constitutional provision prohibiting reelection of a President would be contrary to what the President’s parents, Ninoy Aquino and the late President Aquino, would have wanted.

Uncles for Binay

Agapito “Butz” Aquino, a former senator and brother of the assassinated Ninoy Aquino, declared yesterday during the wreath-laying ceremonies at the NAIA that he and two other uncles support Vice President Binay in the 2016 elections.

The 75-year-old younger brother of Ninoy was referring to Jose “Peping” Cojuangco Jr., and his brother Paul, father of Sen. Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV.

Recall that Butz Aquino and VP Binay were together as leaders in EDSA 1 that ousted the military-backed Marcos dictatorship, which installed Cory Aquino to the presidency.

They have been friends since their marching days when the August Twenty-One Movement (Atom) led the anti-Marcos demonstrations after Ninoy’s assassination.

Binay also supported Butz Aquino’s candidacy as congressman of Makati.

But Butz said the Aquino family still had to decide which presidential candidate to support in 2016.

“When the family meets, that will be discussed. Whoever the majority wants to support, everyone should support. Those opposed should just shut up,” he said.

COA orders Bongbong

The Commission on Audit (COA) has disapproved for being illegal and irregular the P10 million allocated from the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to a livelihood program at Nakar town in Quezon province, through a bogus non-governmental organization (NGO) headed by whistle-blower Benhur Luy.

The COA issued a notice of disallowance to Nakar Mayor Leovegildo Ruzol, ordering the return of Marcos’ P10 million allocation to Luy’s Social Development Program for Farmers Foundation, Inc. (SDPFFI) for the implementation of a project called organic farming for high value crops.

SDPFFI is one of the bogus foundations associated with the alleged pork barrel mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles.

Marcos allocated P65 million from his 2012 PDAF earmarked for six towns besides Nakar, namely Balungao, Sual, and Calasiao, Pangasinan; Bulakan, Bulacan; San Antonio, Nueva Ecija, and Pilar, Bataan.

Marcos denied any involvement in Napoles’ activities saying he has never met her nor having endorsed any Napoles foundation as a recipient of his pork barrel funds.

Tidbits

Makati City Administrator Eleno Mendoza said that cakes given for senior citizens cost P306.75 only, not P1,000 as claimed by Atty. Renato Bondal. The city government gives the cakes to its senior citizens on their birthdays and also during silver wedding anniversaries of senior couples.

The Ebola virus death toll has reached 1,350.

Tuguegarao residents report rampant killings in their city.

Msgr. Daniel Tansip, chaplain of the Presidential Security Group (PSG), called for President Aquino’s extension of term.

Happy birthday to Philippine Amusement Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) Chairman Cristino “Bong” Naguiat Jr.

Greetings to readers Congressman Gus Tambunting, Pete Henson, Louie Morales, Danny Tan, and Danny Co.