Digong is making a martyr of Trillanes

I’m an all-out supporter of President Digong in his campaign to rid the country of the drug problem and corruption in government.

So much so that I’ve been accused by some quarters as a Duterte stooge; not that I mind since he’s my close friend.

But I beg to disagree with the President in ordering the arrest of his archcritic, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, on the grounds that the senator’s amnesty for taking part in the so-called Oakwood Mutiny in 2011 has been revoked.

The President claims that since Trillanes never applied for amnesty, granting him amnesty was never valid.

It seems Mr. Duterte got flawed counsel from his legal advisers.

A photo of Trillanes on the Inquirer’s Wednesday (Sept. 5) issue showed him presenting to reporters on June 5, 2011, his filled-out application form for amnesty filed in the Department of National Defense.

Please, Mr. President, don’t push your luck!

Trillanes may be an SOB, but he’s playing the role of opposition in a democratic society.

His lies about the President make one flinch, but that only makes him a clown in the eyes of people who know the truth.

But to order his arrest makes him a martyr, and for what?

Last I heard this is a democratic country.

Let me remind the President and his advisers by quoting the French philosopher Voltaire: “I don’t agree with what you say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it.”

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Even the President’s allies in the Senate have closed ranks to defend their colleague Trillanes.

Senate President Tito Sotto has given sanctuary to the maverick senator: As long as he is within the premises of the Senate, he cannot be arrested.

Sotto’s action, as well as those of other senators, has preserved the dignity and independence of the Senate as a coequal body of the executive department.

Arriba, Tito!

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Sen. Cynthia Villar is right: Public anger on food shortage might force Malacañang to sack Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol and National Food Authority’s top honcho Jason Aquino.

For mishandling the country’s food security, Piñol and Aquino should go; no ifs and buts about it.

I have suggested to the President earlier (in my Facebook pages and Twitter) to replace the agriculture secretary and NFA administrator with experts on food security.

The President may want to replace Piñol with former Candaba (Pampanga) Mayor Jerry Pelayo and Aquino with Nueva Ecija rice farmer Henry Limbonliong.

Pelayo won the presidential award for agriculture in 2008 for his radical but very effective methods of agriculture.

Pelayo’s brainchild, the Farm-Fresh 25, inside the Clark Economic Zone (“25” because the farm produce is sold at 25 percent less than outside) is managed by farmers and not traders. It’s been in existence for 14 years.

Pelayo organized the duck raisers cooperative in Candaba which has become the balut, salted and “century” eggs capital of the Philippines, 56,000 eggs a day to 1.5 million a day.

From 56,000 duck eggs daily, Candaba now produces 1.5 million eggs every day, thanks to Pelayo.

Limbonliong, on the other hand, introduced rice variety in his farm in Nueva Ecija, which resulted in bumper harvests. He is an exporter of high-quality rice.