A word from GO Labor

WHAT is that tired saying? The fish is caught through its bloody mouth.

In this February 9, 2008 reply to the Jan. 21 and Feb. 5 columns of Ducky Paredes, sacked agrarian reform secretary Heherson Alvarez only managed to nail his own coffin by confirming that the has everything to do with the lie that had been peddled to President Arroyo by his ally Christopher Carrion.

What lie is that? That he, Alvarez, had allegedly been appointed by the board of the Philippine Mining Development Corporation (PMDC) as its chief executive officer (CEO). Straight from the horse’s frothy mouth, Alvarez claimed in his letter to Malaya.

"My appointment as CEO has nothing to do with the loan."

Really? Let the minutes of meeting of the Nov.16 PMDC board meeting bear the truth that, contrary to the claim made by Alvarez in his letter-reply to Malaya and the claim made by Carrion in his Nov. 23 letter to the President, Alvarez was never appointed by the PMDC board as CEO.

Let us quote below a part of the minutes which should expose Carrion and Alvarez for what they are.

"It was the consensus of the board members in the executive sessions to respectfully seek/ request the guidance of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on this CEO issue…"

Alvarez can choose to split hairs or to hide behind semantics all he wants on the PMDC loan from the Development Bank of the Philippines for the Mt. Diwalwal mining project. But the fact remains that the loan was shelved by DBP until such time that the CEO mess had been threshed out.

The DBP had said that Alvarez acting as concurrent PMDC chair and CEO runs against "good corporate governance."

Interestingly, Alvarez had chosen to remain silent on his getting fired by the President as DENR chief in a manner that should have shamed him enough never to aspire for any government office.

The main issue about him is his incompetence, his self-interest and his heaping problems at the doorsteps of Malacañang. Clearly, Alvarez is clueless.

Obviously, President Arroyo dumped back PMDC to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) not wanting to have anything more to do with Alvarez. Now, it’s already the job of Environment Secretary Lito Atienza to weed him out of the PMDC before he destroys this agency. – ELEUTERIO TUAZON, GO Labor, President

‘The AFP remains solid’

THE AFP has focused on a renewed drive towards achieving peace in our time. It has proven time and again the sheer capability in repelling the enemies of peace. It has driven them back and defeated them battle after battle and it was always done with a clear objective with the highest good for the greatest number of Filipinos – its most vital consideration.

The present political conditions besetting our country today have not in any way agitated our soldiers. But this situation has made them aware of their role as soldiers. The AFP is solid and we don’t hold on to military adventurism.

I believed that there are groups who desperately want the seat of power and governance, there are those who continuously plot for the demise of the government using violent and extra-constitutional methods. Yet the military has stand firm in its commitment to strictly adhere to the mandate of the constitution and to the chain of command. Many of our soldiers have learned their lessons and would never allow themselves to be used or used again by any group and individuals to be an instrument of any politically motivated exercises and erroneous plan of overthrowing the present government.

The time is ripe to extend our hand in friendship and in brotherly understanding. All of us need not be divided by issues of faith and creed. All of us need not grow apart because of ideology and philosophy. There is enough room for diverse opinions and even crashing convictions in our society.

The present democratic space allows enough leeway for everyone to express one’s sentiments or aspirations –so long as they remain within the bounds of law and morality.

As soldiers, our commitment to our country is to strive harder to be the kind of men and women who can truly be entrusted with the defense and security of our nation and with the very lives of more than 70 million Filipinos. – MAJOR EUGENIO JULIO C OSIAS IV

Group Commander, 7th Civil Relations Group, Civil Relations Service, AFP Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo, Q.C., crg7_crsafp@yahoo.com.ph

Are the NPA hitmen back?

THERE has been a spate of killings attributed to the hit squad and armed elements of the New Peoples Army. In Compostela Province the NPAs strafed houses killing innocent civilians. In Davao City the NPA liquidation squad seemed to have resurfaced after a long hiatus following the rise of their mass base popularly known as Alsa Masa.

Most recently, the scion of the low profile Ferrazini family was liquidated by motorcycle hit squad which city hall authorities and police and military intelligence was the handiwork of the NPA "sparrows". There is not much noise coming from the militants and the religious sector but the Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte condemned the killing of civilians. The mayor who is known for his open-mindedness towards the leftist struggles is perceived to have a modus vivendi with the communists in that his understanding of their struggle will stay provided they will not resort to harming civilians or assault private installations. This means that while the military and police operatives are the NPA’s legitimate targets, the NPAs too will be considered the same way by the government forces.

The series of assaults and execution of civilians is an affront to Mayor Duterte. If we know the mayor he will not take this sitting down. While he has filed an irrevocable resignation as chairman of the Regional Peace and Order Council he still remains as head of the Peace and Order Council of Davao City. Even as he is on official leave, the mayor prompted to make a countermove against the NPAs. Already the mayor has hinted he will provide necessary logistics to make Task Force Davao operational again. We are certain that the mayor will take up the challenge should the NPAs make another try to gain foothold in the Davao City.

On the other hand it is foolhardy for the CPP-NPA to try their luck in Davao City anew. They must be reminded that they had been repulsed and uprooted in this city, not by the military, or the police or by the vigilantes, but by the might of their own mass base who became victims of oppression and sense less execution of the NPAs. If Mayor Duterte is mad, so too are his constituents. Together they tell the NPAs, "go fight our case elsewhere". – EDGAR PALMA, Kidapawan City, edpalma1960@yahoo.com

Sleeping with the enemy

There has been, of late, a clamor for change, and some people have looked towards mass actions and people power to vent such desires. But is this the right way to call for change? The nation lays claim to toppling corrupt regimes through two people power movements in the past but has it really brought us genuine reforms?

Those who might be heeding this call for change (especially our Church leaders who would be urging their parishioners to join), may well be advised to take a look at the personalities behind these moves against the present administration: the United Opposition, the Black and White Movement, the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, Bayan Muna, Anakpawis, Gabriela and Akbayan. Are these the types of people whom we are now trusting to advocate change for our country? Must we sleep with our erstwhile enemies just to attain the change that we all seek?

I believe that people power has lost its meaning. The people have grown tired of heeding such calls. No true change emanates anyway from such exercises so what’s the point? It’s high time that the people who join such movements realize that they only end up being used by those who wish to manipulate the situation for their own selfish ends. – MINA ACHAPERO, Paranaque City, minaachapero@gmail.com