Duterte to commute daily

Presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte, speaking at a gathering of the Masons of the Philippines in Paco, Manila, declared that if elected President, he will commute daily to Davao and Manila.

He said he will not sleep in Malacañang, which is the customary residence of the President, but in his own bed in his Davao home.

Duterte said he will borrow the private jet of Davao-based religious leader Pastor Apollo Quiboloy as to spare the government from the added expenses. He said he will leave Davao before breakfast, fly to Manila, and after office hours in Manila fly back to Davao City for the night. Why not transfer his bed to Malacañang?

He said that official visits at government expense and trips abroad will be kept to a minimum. He said that on official trips, only five people will compose the presidential party.

Duterte added “there will be no expensive banquet because how can you have expensive banquets when you live in a nipa hut?”

He said he is not accepting campaign donations from businessmen who have transactions with the government.

Let’s wait and see if he can keep his word, especially on commuting daily.

The better solution is to transfer the Office of the President to Davao City. Former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo put up an office in Cebu City.

JPE questions US role

At the Senate hearing on the Mamasapano clash, Senator Juan Ponce Enrile said the government should explain why it allowed United States (US) operatives in the Special Action Force mission, ‘Oplan Exodus,’ which he said was a domestic police operation.

Senator Enrile pointed out that the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) covered only military cooperation between the Philippines and the US and it did not cover law enforcement, which involved criminal laws.

But Senate President Franklin Drilon said the US role in  ‘Oplan Exodus’ did not violate any agreements between the Philippines and the United States.

In a broadcast interview, US Ambassador Philip Goldberg, who was kicked out as US ambassador to Bolivia for interfering in country’s internal affairs, claimed that US participants were operating within the bounds of the law, and acted upon a consensual agreement between Washington and Manila and acted on the request of the Aquino government. He also stressed that the US is working closely with the Philippine National Police (PNP), particulary SAF, on international terrorism.

Having admitted it on live television, this is a serious charge that implies culpable violation of the Constitution on President Benigno Aquino’s part, according to international law expert Harry Roque, noting there was no treaty that allowed foreigners to join police operations, not even the VFA.

Roque was accusing President Aquino of being bribed by the US with the $5 million bounty over Marwan.

Before the latest US-RP treaty, the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), was approved or after the Mamasapano carnage took place, Roque warned that with its  (EDCA) approval, he fears of another “remorseless carnage” with the US involvement.

Former SAF chief, Director Getulio Napeñas said the US, through the Zamboanga-based Joint Task Force Philippines trained the 84th Special Action Company, provided real-time intelligence information, helped to evacuate the dead and wounded after the clash and conducted DNA identification of the slain terrorist Marwan.

Sources say at least two Americans were killed during the Mamasapano operation.

Napeñas maintained that President Aquino is liable for the carnage of 44 SAF commandos.

But Drilon asserted that it was Napeñas who deliberately disregarded the President’s instruction to coordinate with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) that led to the deaths of the 44 SAF personnel. He compartmentalized the operation to himself and then suspended PNP Chief Alan Purisima.

Drilon noted that Enrile failed to present any evidence that President Aquino had a direct hand in the conduct of the mission.

Enrile challenged President Aquino to debate on the Mamasapano massacre.

Enrile lashed out at Aquino as having shown his incompetence in insisting to have a direct hand in ‘Operation Plan Exodus’ and having the mission restricted to himself and suspended PNP Chief Purisima.

So many corrupt officials

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales said that a “super number” of corrupt government officials can still be found throughout the bureaucracy.

Morales said her office had received thousands of complaints about graft and corruption. Most of the new cases filed in 2015 involved local officials numbering 1,062 and police officers more than 600 cases.

Other officials facing cases include those from the military, agriculture, education, finance, natural resources and justice departments, state colleges and universities, and the fire protection and jail management bureaus, as well as the Bureau of Corrections.

Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for 2015 reported the Philippines dropped ten notches to 95th place, from 85th in 2014.

The President has been criticized for not firing corrupt department heads, particularly Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) and Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

Confirmed lameduck

Malacañang has accepted that the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) is dead in Congress.

The President directed Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Deles to consult with concerned parties on sustaining the peace initiative beyond his term.

Deles was told to come up with an action plan for the next administration to consider.

Also dead are the Freedom of Information (FOI) and anti-political dynasty bills for lack of quorum.