Knee jerk reaction to deaths from field trip

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Rizal Philippines
February 21, 2017

Mga nasawi sa Tanay bus accident tour 15 na - ABS CBN news


After 15  deaths were reported in an outing accident in Tanay involving students of a college in Quezon City, the knee jerk reactions were:

     1.  To have a congressman conduct a dialogue with parents

     2. CHED orders schools to stop outing and all gimmicks

     3.  Sumasawsaw din ang LFTRB for schools to get clearance from them for outing

 Everybody knows that the outings are revenue generator for the school, and is necessary for the rapid learning of the students.  However, we must be aware of the risk.

I think it is best to stop the outings especially to places with steep grades (like in Mataas na Kahoy in Batangas, Sampaloc in Tanay and many more. The deaths could have been avoided.

But these are accidents and accidents do happen;  people die.  Let us stop the circus when peoples lives are lost if only to get media mileage and attention

SP03 Lascanas turns around, admits existence of Death Squad

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Rizal Philippines
February 20, 2017

From Rappler - Lascanas press conference

In a  turn around, SPO3 Arthur Lascanas, one of the closest policemen to Pres Duterte while still the mayor Davao city, admitted the existence of Davao City Death Squad.  He vehemently denied this while at the Senate hearing on committee on justice, which was headed then by Sen de Lima.  (Balimbing)

He claimed they were paid P30t P50t up to P100t for every kill;   They were even ordered to bomb a mosque.   He said that the was in involved in the murder of Jun Pala and journalist Barsabal and even in bombing of a mosque

Lascanas said this before a press conference called for by Sen Trillanes, and he was represented by a FLAG lawyer

What happens to the popularity of Pres. Duterte;   Is Lascanas now credible after denying before  Senate the existence of DDS?  But his declaration now validates the allegation of Matobato.     Kung totoo, what happens to Pres Du30?  Will he be impeached?  Or will he be lameduck?

Or will he declare martial law to stave off further opposition?

Duterte appeals to PMA alumni to to build a nation worthy of Filipinos

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Rizal Philippines
February 20, 2017

The Pres. Speech at PMA homecoming last February 19, 2017

In  a speech before the alumni homecoming of PMA last Saturday, has urged the alumni to make a nation worthy of Filipinos.  It is sort of vague, worthy of intepretation  by Palace communication secretaries.  I would like to think that the Generals especially and other senior officers eschew money power and glory vs duty honor and country.  Many senior officers have figured in anomalies, and that do not make a nation worthy of Filipinos.

It was the first time Du30 set foot at PMA after 8 months stint as President

I have seen and heard many generals own vast tract of land, buildings and other signs of opulence.  I have seen many junior officers who fly planes immediately leave their  service to join commercial airlines because they feel the salaries they get are pittance vs their abilities.  I have met some colonels invite me to bid for 5% remuneration, merely use our construction license.

We know that there are honest and officers who are true to duty honor, country.   But there are also who stray and give bad name to the institution.

Rough sailing for the DU30 administration

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Rizal Philippines
February 18, 2017

Well past the first 100 days of his Presidency, the present govt has faced many challenges and headaches:

1.  Personalities like the two senator allies D5 and 3llanes who are throwing brikbrats at the President;
2.  Failure of peace talks with CCP NPA
3.  The anomalies at the drug campaign at PNP (the tokhang kfr)
4.  Corruption allegation at BI, and doubts about the integrity of the cabinet member in charge of said Department  (mga brod ni Pres DU30 at college of law.

Will the President weather the storm?  We wish his government well.

As for VP Leni, is it true that her days as VP are numbered after the SC upheld Bong2 Marcos electoral protest?    SC gives green light for FMJr electoral protest   It was also rumored that the young Marcos will replace Sueno as DILG Secretary

In the government bureaucracy, frat rules

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Rizal Philippines
February 16, 2017

In one of my classes at business school, a senior executive resigned as a result of his conflict with his subordinates who belong to a different frat (although they are from the same school in Quezon City.  I thought of that as odd ie that the rule of frat prevails over the admin code and the vision and mission of the government. I also thought that the said exec was petty.

At the Senate hearing on BI scandal of bribery, the good chairman pointed out that most of the members of the agency are frat mates:  the underlings, and the commissioners being investigated.  Some are not frat members but are sons of frat members (brads).  The chairman of the committee thought that is rather dangerous (to have the department run under the rule of frats)  When that happens there is corruption  What is corruption anyway but a system being over run by a virus, or a system that does not work.

We can not come close to the meritocracy of Singapore where they get the best and the fittest.  We get only the brads and they could be not necessarily the best.

I thought that under the DU30 admin, there would be a change.  Sadly this would not come under his admin.  His cabinet is full of brads and mga taga Davao.   And they could not necessarily be the best.  Wala rin....

Sayang

Scandal at DOJ?

Is Philippines ready for a modern, ehmm bullet train system?

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Rizal Philippines
February 13, 2017

My brother told his story  while we rode that he just came from Japan.  And his memorable experience there was riding the bullet train.  The ticket pass cost him P13,000 and he could use it using the bullet train from north to south.  His guide was consulting for Japan for a bullet train proposal.

It is  a great idea and the lobby for the bus lines  shipping, and even airlines, which enrich so many operators, and shipping would lobby hard to have the project stopped.  It would take the wind out of their enriching sail.  But it would benefit many Filipinos.  Faster, cheaper travel from north to south

But do we have the money and the trained men who can operate this.  (Dapat PPP and BOT muna)

The Manila Clark bullet train  will whisk travellers between the two cities in 45 minutes.   It will cost
$3 billion to be sponsored by JICA.  Can it be done soon?

From Viral Hungry

Bullet Train to connect Luzon Visayas Mindanao under a 9.1 billion Euro aid to the Philippines

What do Pres Putin, Trump, DU30 and of North Korea have in common?

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Rizal Philippines
Feb 13, 2017

What do Trump, Putin and Duterte have in common?

From Quora - What do Putin, Trump and DU30 have in common?

At the risk of being hunted or being sued for libel, I will not go straight from the shoulder.  I guess all of you know and they are all
 
1.  Macho
2.  Have devil may care attitude,
3.  Loquacious
4.  Will shoot first and aim later
5.  Strong willed
6.  Gung ho

Xi of China should be included but he is quiet and calculated.

Is MM and residents along West Valley fault ready Big One (in case, knock on wood) it happens

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Rizal Philippines
February 13, 2017


From Inquirer - State of Emergency declared in Surigao due to Magnitude 6.7 earthquake destruction

From Business Mirror - are you ready for the Big One

Happy hearts day tomorrow.

Surigao was jolted by strong quake last Saturday rendering its airport inoperable.  Much of the runway was destroyed.  Initial estimate of damage placed the amount at P200 million.  The quake jolted MM residents, that the next big one could strike the area.  We had earthquake in Bohol and then in Surigao.  The next one could be just around the corner.  We do not know the hour of the day.

I belong to a group of developer  however ever since I heard and learned about the West Valley Fault, slowed down on the development.  I am risk averse to the permanent fault, like the volcano in Tagaytay, and then the West Valley Fault.  I listened to Punongbayan who predicted the rise of seas, due to ice melting that could imperil developments along shoreline.  In the end I lost out the real estate game.  And then avoided the high rise projects

I fear when a earthquake that hit us in 1991 could cause extensive damage. Our buildings are not earthquake resistant.  And MM could end up much like Kobe.

From ABS CBN - Earthquake in Surigao