A real working democracy

If the spirit of the Supreme Court ruling on the presidential and congressional pork barrel is followed to the letter, there will be:

Less corrupt politicians who will run for the Senate or House of Representatives because it will no longer be a profitable career for them.

Not another Janet Lim-Napoles who allegedly diverted congressional funds meant for the poor and calamity victims to her bank accounts into the pockets of some politicians.

No more presidential control over the Senate and House of Representatives through the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), Development Assistance Program (DAP), Malampaya Fund and Presidential Social Fund.

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The high court, voting 14-0, deprived the President of the power to use multibillion-peso oil revenues from the Malampaya Fund and the Presidential Social Fund from casino earnings.

It also said the PDAF—or pork barrel—is unconstitutional as it violated the principle of separation of powers between the executive branch, represented by Malacañang, and the legislature, represented by the Senate and House of Representatives.

The high court intimated that Malacañang controlled both houses of Congress through pork barrel disbursements.

The Palace has been accused of having its way with Congress by dangling money from the pork barrel before senators and representatives.

The most serious accusation against President Noy was getting impeached Chief Justice Renato Corona convicted by reportedly bribing senators who voted for his conviction.

The high court ruling has practically made P-Noy a lame duck president. He no longer has power over both houses of Congress, which should be the case.

And the Supreme Court, because of its recent ruling on the pork barrel, has shown its independence.

Henceforth, the country will have a true working democracy, with the powers of government shared equally among the executive, the legislature and the judiciary.

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Even before the reconstruction of Tacloban City and other places in Leyte and Samar provinces has yet to start, business conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC) is sending 50 pieces of  heavy equipment to the  Eastern Visayas soon.

“Our problem is finding a place to convert into a depot for our heavy equipment,” said Ramon S. Ang, SMC president and CEO.

The giant corporation’s 50 tractors, backhoes, bulldozers and dump trucks will be in  the first batch to be sent to the devastated Visayas region.

“We’ll send more as the need arises,” the SMC chief executive officer said.

Apart from the heavy equipment, the SMC will also put up two mobile water purifying machines capable of turning out 4,000 liters of clean water every hour.

Ang said the portable water purifiers will be in two 20-foot containers.

The water purifying machines will be in Tacloban City within two weeks, said Ang.

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The impostor “Ramon Tulfo” has struck again, with columnist Ellen Tordesillas as his victim.

It seems Tordesillas has been blaming me because she and her friends were gypped of P35,000 by the impostor.

I have warned the public many times about this impostor in this column and on my radio program.

Is it my fault that Tordesillas and her friends are gullible?