Deport nun — repatriate ‘terrorist’

In all 62 years of my life I don’t remember meeting, hearing about or reading anything about an Australian nun named Sister Patricia Fox. But thanks to the concerted effort of DOJ, BI and Malacañang, Sister Patricia Fox got more publicity and national recognition at the expense of the Duterte administration after some bright boys decided to punish her with deportation proceedings. Do you guys have nothing better to do than embarrass yourselves and make the administration look bad by picking on a little old nun?

According to a spokesperson, the “Madre’s” sin was taking part in political activities, which is a form of meddling or interfering in the internal affairs of a sovereign state. She was not a terrorist like the NPA, she does not qualify as a “harsh critic like Rappler,” or an “investigator” from the EU. She’s none of the above but by picking on her, the DOJ and BI have made the government look petty, unprofessional and irrational. I am not defending Fox, nor supporting her on religious grounds. I am commenting on how the DOJ and the BI wasted pogi points or public relations mileage especially the BI for picking on Fox. Don’t throw away political goodwill by petty decisions.

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People in the Supreme Court are in such a hurry to kick Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno out of office, that a “decision” or opinion is rumored to have been penned even before the court could formally deliberate on the merits of the Quo Warranto complaint against Sereno. The question is who is in a hurry? Is it the “Uninhibited 5” Justices who openly hold grudges, testified against Sereno in Congress and don’t have the judicial decency to inhibit themselves from the proceedings, or is it really the Duterte group who wants to mock and insult former President Noynoy Aquino for leaving Sereno to cover his back in the Supreme Court?

Whoever may have the itch to scratch, the Justices of the Supreme Court might want to seriously reflect on whatever they decide to do. If Sereno ends up staying in the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice is duty bound to protect and defend the confidentiality, dignity and sanctity of the Supreme Court. A failed Quo Warranto will serve the SC well and discourage future political attacks using that instrument. On the other hand, if Sereno is booted out of office “illegally” by Quo Warranto, two things are destined to take place: Sereno having been removed unceremoniously would have no love lost for the “Uninhibited 5” and whoever else votes against her.

As such there is nothing to stop her from taking them down with her, and from what I have come to know, the polite magistrate has a list of stories and inventory of dirty linen belonging to her harshest of critics as well as associates. The worst and probably most damaging thing Sereno could come out with is a tell-all book about the “Pagan Gods of Padre Faura” or “How I Was bullied inside the Supreme Court.” That would undoubtedly be the year’s best-seller!                                             

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The broken promise called “END of ENDO” or the promised prohibition of “casualization” is once again a topic of debate. At the rate those election promises are being broken, I can promise you one thing, it won’t be an easy win for the administration candidates once the Liberals comes out with “Lists” similar to Facebook. But in this case it will be a list of un-kept or broken promises on ENDO, Tax Reform, Anti-Corruption, etc.

As far as “ENDO” is concerned, there are people in business who are intentionally confusing or complicating the issue by highlighting businesses that need to hire seasonal casuals such as in tourism, retail, etc during peak season such as Holy Week, Christmas and declaring those businesses will go bust without the casuals.

The issue is not about “hiring seasonal casuals,” it is about “intentionally circumventing labor laws” by using creative strategies such as third party labor-only providers or hiring talents such as in TV and radio where most people either have a one-sided contract or are classified as “Talents” who get no government mandated benefits such as SSS, PhilHealth or Pag-IBIG, not even a 13th month or Christmas bonus!

If the government can’t END ENDO, why not force employers to pay the price and convenience of using ENDO. Make them pay SSS/Pag-IBIG/PhilHealth or else! If our laws provide double compensation for working on holidays, why not require higher compensation for short term contractual or casual employees. If employers benefit from not having long term or permanent employees, they should allocate part of the benefit back to the salaries of contractual or casual employees.

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Last but not the least an announcement from the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP):

The Public Management Development Program (PMDP) being implemented by the DAP is now accepting nominations for Middle Managers Class Batch 18 which is set to open on May 28.

The Middle Managers Class is designed for high performing, high potential section and division chiefs in the Philippine bureaucracy, salary grade 20-24, 50 years and below and in good health.  

PMDP is the national government’s career executive service development program which hopes to produce the new breed of peak-performing, development-oriented, ethical and committed government leaders. It is intensive, holistic and multi-modal in design with residential sessions in DAP Tagaytay. It brings together an eminent faculty and participants with a diverse academic, agency and regional background in a unique and powerful experience.

Accepted applicants will receive a scholarship from the national government and awarded academic equivalencies for achievement of program milestones up to a master’s degree.

While slots are still available, reach the PMDP Secretariat at tel nos. 6312128; 6310921 loc 125  or email [email protected] for more information.   

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Email: [email protected]