Trinidad mall and bad bites

LETTERS FROM THE AGNO
March L. Fianza

Since when was the last time we saw laws that did not violate the equal protection of the law? Isn’t that what people entangled in court cases are fighting against – the feeling of being treated unjustly under a nation of laws?

Everywhere and every day we see violations. You do not have to go far. Along Session, Harrison, Mabini, General Luna roads or anywhere vehicles are parked where there is a “No Parking” sign, you see traffic cops removing identification plates of cars, but not all cars in that line have their plates removed – a common complaint by motorists of unfair treatment.

On Thursday, Pinoys woke up to the one-liner subtitle on TV that said PNoy’s EO No. 01 that created the Philippine Truth Commission is unconstitutional. It violates the equal protection clause of the Constitution, the news further said.

Immediately after the SC decision came out, it drew counter-statements from President Noy who told the SC “itigil na ang pagbulag bulagan.”

And since the SC said EO 01 unfairly focused only on the wrongdoings done during the one and one- half term of GMA, a Malacanang official replied that they might have to reword the executive order or palawakin the task of the Truth Commission.

In the reworded EO, it will now include investigating crimes committed by past administrations, to go back as far as the government of General and President Emilio Aguinaldo.

But, a friend sent me a text message saying he just hopes the SC decision is one that was originally drafted by the justices, not a copy of an earlier decision previously penned and owned by another legal luminary. No more plagiarism please, he said.

Among the cases that were supposed to be investigated by the Truth Commission is the $329-million telecommunications project or the national broadband network (NBN-ZTE) deal; the P728-million fertilizer fund scam, that accused former Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn "Jocjoc" Bolante of diverting the fertilizer fund to the 2004 election campaign kitty of GMA.

Another was the "Hello Garci" election scandal where it was alleged that GMA discussed with Comelec commissioner Virgilio Garcillano on the phone the 2004 election padding of votes and the 80.2km North Luzon Railway or Northrail project now worth $1.8 billion that according to a research work, violated the country’s procurement laws because the contract was awarded to the Chinese contractor without public bidding.

If every attempt by this administration to straighten things up in this country is thrown to the SC that decides against the good intentions of the proposed move, then it is time to stop dreaming of a change for a better government.

We Filipinos have no choice but to accept whatever decisions are brought down by a SC that we have today. As an ordinary citizen, I will simply have to understand that the court works that way and because of that, what has been is left unchecked.
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Fear for the unknown has come. Recent local news said the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples has issued a resolution giving Baguio City the authority to review ancestral land claim applications.

Pray, the powers in City Hall will not abuse such an authority by delaying the review of ancestral land claims, legit or not, while speeding up the processing of TSA applicants at the same time.

If that will be the case, then the Baguio migrant who has no ancestral land claim is lucky. He only has to look for a house lot and with the help of the powers in City Hall, have the lot released. That favor, of course, is not free.
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In La Trinidad, it has its own little – big scam. For certain councilors, the proposal to build a three-story business mall at the present parking area in the market will work favorably for the municipality.

Never mind that it failed to pass what is required by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), never mind that people in La Trinidad were never consulted.

And never mind that its construction will definitely make that area very crowded and that it goes against common sense that the area has to be decongested.

To them, what is important is private interest – the interest of the private mall operators and their private interests.

That is also the reason why an agreement was signed without the knowledge of a majority of Trinidad’s people because they were comfortably keeping warm in a cold December day and were preparing for the Christmas break.

For certain councilors, they think they can just do anything because they got high scores in the elections and that there is no need to consult the people. Balewala ti tao.

To me, it looked like the agreement was stealthily signed, just like the Jai Alai thing, although the dates and timing of the signing were different.

Those actions of signing agreements by the council while no one is looking are not free, of course. There has to be a price or something in exchange. What or how much? That is what we do not know.

But again, there is no one to blame for self-centered personalities in any council other than the people who placed them in office. For that, I feel that I am equally guilty. – marchfianza777@yahoo.com