Screening charity donors
It is good that the Catholic Church has decided to screen donors of its charity works in the aftermath of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) fund controversy.
Many unscrupulous personalities like gambling and drug lords would donate before because some church leaders didn’t bother to look into the source of the gifts.
With Archbishop Jose Palma at the helm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, many are looking forward to reforms like the screening of donors.
Since Archbishop Palma made it clear that the church will continue to collaborate with the government in many of its works, he should caution other bishops against calling for the resignation of the President only after a year of service just because they got a vehicle from the previous administration.
Bishops and priests should be prudent about making anti-government statements. They can undermine the stability of the government. I know the government is not perfect so let’s work together to make it near perfect instead of seeking its downfall.
The resignation or ouster of President Aquino will not help solve the problems confronting the country.
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Article continues after this advertisementMayor Michael Rama is correct in his plan to reblock roads in fire-damaged barangays in Cebu City. This will prevent having firemen again failing to penetrate fire zones for lack of access roads.
Illegal settlers already occupy every open space and have contributed to flooding during the rainy season. If one passes through the narrow road to a certain private hospital in Cebu City one can see what I am talking about. Settlers have practically eaten up the sidewalk to extend their houses unmindful that they are blocking the road that ambulances and vehicles carrying patients go through.
It is good that Mayor Rama, instead of allowing fire victims to immediately rebuild their homes, is taking this preventive step against big fires in the future by widening roads.
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Many thought the conflict between the Durano brothers in Danao City was over. Unfortunately the recall proceeding that Vice Mayor Nito and the City Council filed against Mayor Boy Durano is in progress. The mayor in turn has filed cases against the vice mayor and the councilors.
While they are fighting, the people of Danao City are suffering the absence of basic services because both parties block each other’s initiatives.
I hope the conflict will not lead to violence and will be resolved by cooler heads. Filing cases at the Ombudsman will be futile. The office usually takes some time to decide on a case.
Take as examples the 2003 Girl Scouts funds case involving former Congresswoman Clavel Asas Martinez and the 2005 expose of overpriced computers in Lapu-Lapu City that businessman Efrain Pelaez Jr. filed against former mayor Boy Radaza.
The decisions in these cases by the Office of the Ombudsman were released this month after hibernating for more than two years . The public officials in question are no longer in office.
The decisions are anti-climactic.
Cases in the Office of the Ombudsman should be resolved quickly so that the government’s anti-corruption advocacy of the government will not be hampered.
