DURA LEX, SED LEX

By Bayawanon

Former Brazilian Catholic Archbishop Dom Elder Camara was famous in his words which I quote, " When I gave foods to the poor, I was called as a saint, but when I questioned the government why are these people remain poor, I was called as a communist". It seems like it is also happening now here in the Philippine Islands, for when someone questions the DRUG WAR of the president to be not consonant with the Constitution, he or she would be branded as an ADDICT for having sided with the drug users and pushers.

Such kind of an argument is so flimsy, illogical and an insult to the intelligence of an average mind, for questioning the government in its illicit ways in eliminating drugs is not immoral but in line with the moral duty of anyone to correct what is wrong.

I'm in favor of the DRUG WAR since drugs destroy the moral fiber of the society, but I'm not in favor the way it is being handled in the country right now. Why not fight drugs in line with the laws of the land? Why not combat drugs in congruence to the Constitution?

We are living in a government of laws and not of men, so why not laws and reasons reign over the perceptions of many which are not corollary to the laws of the land? Disrespecting the laws of the land is purely and simply a mockery of justice, hence DRUG WAR not in line with the laws of the state is a disrespect to the laws itself, and logically would constitute a mockery of justice.

Will we let our country be led by the mockers of justice or will we let the rule of law reign in our midst? As a concerned citizen of this country, you have all the faculties to discern what is good from evil, and you have the decision which you would prefer.

Laws were/are created so that there could be order in the society, why not the government authorities who are implementing the same cannot follow it? Are they simply ignorant of the law or are the simply intentionally, flagrantly violating it? They must follow the law, for "DURA LEX SED LEX", or THE LAW IS HARD, BUT IT IS THE LAW.

LET JUSTICE BE DONE THOUGH HEAVENS FALL

By Bayawanon

Why is it that the Blue Ribbon Committee does not make any step to call Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte to be investigated before the Senate Halls when his name is floating as one of the people involved in the 6.4 Billion peso shabu smuggling at the Bureau of Customs? Is it because Sen. Richard Gordon who was helped by Pres. Rodrigo Duterte to retake his Senate duties is heading the Blue Ribbon Committee?

In connection with the abovementioned propounded questions of mine, I am challenging the good Senator from Olongapo City and Zambales Province to be a man of principle, to be a good Filipino statesman by finding the truth, for the truth will set us free.

The truth in the matter of the 6.4 billion pesos worth of shabu being smuggled through the Bureau of Customs coming from China may be unearthed if the good Vice Mayor of Davao City would be investigated by the Blue Ribbon Committee. If the Vice Mayor is really innocent, his innocence would simply sprout by way of the Senate investigation. If he is really innocent, the truth will simply find its way and absolve him for no one can really put a good man down.

Let there be no sacred cows to be protected since every citizen is equal before the eyes of the law. If this present national leadership is really serious in its campaign against drugs, then let Davao Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte and the so-called Davao Group be investigated to shed light and to prove that the accusations against him/them are not true.

Let the interest of justice be served, let the weighing scale of that blind folded lady take its course, for no one is above the law and LET JUSTICE BE DONE THOUGH HEAVENS FALL. Amen.

LET US FASTEN OUR SEAT BELTS

By Bayawanon

Time will come that nothing will be left to the coffers of the government because of its FREE SOCIAL SERVICES. Free social services are now sprouting like mushrooms in our government, we have the conditional cash transfer or 4 Ps, the free WIFI, the free college education, the extension of the life span of driver's licenses, the extension of the life span of passports, the free hospitalization and free medication.

These social services are good for the people but not good for the government, for how can the government operate effectively if it has squandered the money intended for the operation of its existence?

The government has two functions, the governmental and the proprietary functions. The governmental function of the government is the function whereby the government purely serves the people in the name of PUBLIC SERVICE whereas, the proprietary function of the government is the function of the state whereby some government instrumentalities earn money/monies for its operation and that the money/monies derived from its operation shall be used for its further services.

Can the money/monies lost by way of the free social services of the government which should have been the gains of the proprietary functions be recovered somewhere? The answer would be a big NO. Where shall the government take the recoupment of the loss of money by the same? Of course, the government will hike the taxes so that the same may recover what it lost by way of its social services.

If the taxes will skyrocket probably next year to recoup the government's losses via its free social services, INFLATION at its biggest, highest and widest degree might happen in the Philippines and an ECONOMIC CRISIS is not remote.

Secondly, with the downward spiraling of our peace and order situation because of the extrajudicial killings, and the communist and Muslim insurgencies, the foreign investors might shy away from having business in the country and foreign tourists may also think twice about visiting the country. Because of these, the economy would weaken and a bleak economic future for us might be in the offing.

We may not feel the economic recession by now, but the long-term effect of the indecisions of the current administration would soon be felt by us in due time. We have no other recourse by then but to FASTEN OUR SEAT BELTS.

WHAT SHALL WE DO NOW?

By Bayawanon

Now that the Philippines is under the management of Duterte, is the Philippines better off compared to fourteen months ago? Has the economic condition of every Filipino improved? Has the minimum wage of every worker increased? Has the peso strengthened against the dollar? Have the prices of the basic goods and commodities of every common man steadied or lowered?

Has the drug problem of the Philippines been solved by the current national leadership in three to six months as promised by the presidential candidate Duterte before? Has the peace and order problems of the Philippines been remedied by the present national leadership as what as he pledged us in the presidential elections?

If the answer of anyone in the aforementioned questions would be in the negative, then I can safely say that the president is only good in extrajudicial killings and also of leaving the Philippine islets/islands lying in the West Philippine Sea to China, no more, no less.

Where is now the TRUE CHANGE that he has promised in his presidential campaign? Were the promises that he made in the elections only form part of his political strategy just to have the presidency? Does it mean that he only deceived the people?

Will the problems being enumerated and being asked above be remedied in his incumbency or will the same worsen in his term? If the economic, peace and order and territorial problems would worsen in the next few months what do you think would be the solution to such a dilemma? Will the resignation of Duterte be the answer to our problems?

If he cannot really deliver as a national leader and still he would not resign what shall we do as a people? The answer lies on you my friend, it is ONLY YOU together with the silent majority of the Filipinos who can solve the political disaster that we are facing now called DUTERTE.

DUTERTE AND COMPANY SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED

By Bayawanon

President Duterte, Secretary Lorenzana, General Ano and General Bato must be investigated regarding the Marawi crisis since they knew the fact that the composite group of Maute, ISIS, and Abu Sayyaf would attack Marawi basing on the interviews they had.

Duterte, Bato, Lorenzana, Ano, and company knew the fact that the ISIS, Maute and Abu Sayyaf would attack Marawi City by way of intelligence reports but they did not do anything that may possibly avert the looming security problem.

The quartet has underestimated the intelligence reports and even managed to go to Russia for the president's state visit in the said country. Such state visit was very inopportune for the same was done at the height of a treat to the Phillippines' state security.

President Duterte and company should have deferred the Russian state visit and should have prepared a grand military plan to avert the security threat to the City of Marawi. Such omission or failure to defend the Islamic City of Marawi can be considered as an incompetence on the part of the president and his National Security Cluster of his Cabinet which shall be investigated by the proper authorities.

If the people felt sad on what happened to the SAF 44 to the effect that they wanted PNOY to be investigated and prosecuted, then Duterte and company must be investigated too, since the damage being inflicted by the government in the matter of the Mamasapano massacre would just be a speck compared to the damage of the incompetence of Duterte, Lorenzana, Bato, Ano and company in the Marawi crisis.