With her P800-M ‘intel’ fund, I agree with Sara

By Alex P. Vidal

“National security always matters, obviously. But the reality is that if you have an open door in your software for the good guys, the bad guys get in there, too.”—Tim Cook

THE Marcos Jr. administration should give Vice President Sara Zimmerman Duterte-Carpio the benefit of the doubt when she recently opposed the proposed deployment of some 50,000 Afghan refugees to the Philippines prior to their relocation to the United States, as confirmed by the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Duterte-Carpio must have monitored something essential to the security of the country in advance that many of us didn’t and would never know.

If it does not concern or affect the Philippine sovereignty and threatens national security, the vice president wouldn’t make that noise and criticize something that was already reportedly approved in principle by the President.

Even if it would embarrass her political partner, President Bongbong Marcos, Jr., who had already discussed the matter with US Vice President Kamala Harris during Mr. Marcos Jr.’s recent visit in the White House, Mrs. Duterte-Carpio didn’t hesitate to express her sentiments, which, in effect,  “gave justice” to her exorbitant intel fund.

With her P800-million (P500 million from the Department of Education and P300 from the Office of the Vice President) intelligence fund, Mrs. Duterte-Carpio knows what she is saying.

In her letter dated April 20, 2023 to the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC), Mrs. Duterte-Carpio had reportedly raised “vehement objection and opposition to the proposal in its entirety.”

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The daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte was reportedly concerned about the possibility that students would be caught in a crossfire should local terrorists supporting the Taliban launch attacks against the Afghans brought into the country.

This was confirmed by Education Undersecretary Michael Wesley Poa, who reportedly told senators on June 16 at the opening of an inquiry into the controversial plan.

“We feel that this might have the risk of further exacerbating an already unstable situation as regards the local terrorist groups in some areas in the country,” Poa said as quoted by Philippine newspapers.

She may be losing her credibility as a public servant owing to her recent ugly spat with House Speaker Martin Romualdez, but many independent-thinking Filipinos appear to be supportive of Vice President Duterte-Carpio in this issue.

For his part, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. said he had asked the Department of Justice for a legal opinion to address the immigration issues and other legal aspects of bringing in foreigners without the mandated travel documents.

He shared Senator Imee Marcos’ concerns about the lack of capabilities of Philippine law enforcement authorities to conduct their own security check and vetting of the Afghans who would be entering the country.

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REACTING to reports that the Office of the Ombudsman has dismissed the criminal and administrative complaints filed against Iloilo City Mayor Geronimo “Jerry” Treñas, a retired Ilonggo lawyer said the complainants may have filed the complaints in the wrong office if they were for illegal dismissal.

The two criminal and administrative complaints were filed by former City Civil Registrar’s Office (CCRO) head Romeo Cesar Manikan and another filed by former City Health Office (CHO) chief Bernard Caspe.

“Woe to the complainants,” said the retired lawyer, formerly based in the United States, who requested this writer not to name him.

“Had they filed their appeal with Civil Service Commission for their illegal dismissal or suspension, the results would have been different.”

The retired lawyer, who formerly resided in Aklan and is now staying in Sta. Barbara, Iloilo, said, “Once, CSC ruled that their dismissal were illegal, then they have cause of action against the City Mayor before the Ombudsman. CSC decision itself becomes a proof of abuse of authority on the part of the Mayor in dismissing them.“

He cited the case of Antique Provincial General Services Office chief Antonio Dela Vega, who was reassigned by Governor Rhodora Cadiao in 2016 to a satellite office in Ajuy town, around 100 kilometers north of the provincial capital town of San Jose.

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“In the case of Dela Vega of the Province of Antique where he was re-assigned from Provincial Capitol to Culasi, he appealed his transfer before Civil Service Commission where it ruled that his transfer constitutes constructive dismissal thereby ordering the Governor to re-instate him to his position and pay him his back salaries,” explained the 85-year-old former lawyer.

“But, the Governor refused to implement the Order, thus, he filed a complaint before Ombudsman where she was found guilty of oppression and meted a penalty of fine equivalent to one year salary. Moreover, a criminal case of violation of Section 3(e) RA No. 3019 was filed against her before the Sandiganbayan where warrant of arrest was issued to the Governor.”

He said, “if the report is indeed true that there were pending motions for reconsideration filed by dismissed employees before the Office of the Mayor but were not acted until now, they should demand for actions thereon, otherwise, they should file a case against him for violation of Section 3(f) of RA. No. 3019. Read and study the case of People of the Philippines vs. Abalos, SB-16-CRM-0252, July 18, 2022. According to the retired lawyer, “for failure of the Municipal Mayor to act on his motion for reconsideration of an employee on his transfer to another unit upon demand, he was found guilty thereof and meted a penalty of six years to eight years of imprisonment.”

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)