Facebook Instagram Linkedin X Youtube
Home Blog Page 12272

Nation at a Glance — (07/04/18)

News stories from across the nation. Visit www.bworldonline.com (section: The Nation) to read more national and regional news from the Philippines.

Gatchalian willing to wait before deciding on fuel excise freeze

SENATOR Sherwin T. Gatchalian said on Tuesday that he wants to wait another quarter before recommending any suspension of fuel excise taxes under the tax reform law.
In an interview with reporters, Mr. Gatchalian, who chairs the Senate committee on economic affairs, said the Senate will “have to (resort to) some drastic measures” if the inflation rate breaches the 4.5% forecast of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) for the full year.
“I would rather be conservative and wait one more quarter. One more quarter will give you a strong indication whether it’s prudent to sustain the current excise tax in 2019,” he told reporters when asked if it was plausible to suspend fuel excise taxes to curb inflation.
“The BSP’s new target is around 4.5%, from 4.1%. They increased the upper limit of the target. For example, if it breaches 4.5% and accelerates, then we (may need) some drastic measures,” he added.
Republic Act 10963 or the Tax Reform Aceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) law imposes excise taxes on gasoline and diesel of P7 per liter and P2.50 per liter, respectively. It contains a suspension provision for the scheduled increase of fuel excise taxes if the average Dubai crude oil price for three months prior to the scheduled increase reaches or exceeds $80 per barrel.
Mr. Gatchalian said the Senate may move to repeal the provisions on fuel excise taxes under the law if the inflation rate kept on rising.
“If inflation slows down, then that’ a good sign. If it accelerates then we will have to strongly recommend the suspension of excise tax (on fuel),” he said.
He also said he will continue to host briefings with economic managers regarding the inflationary effects of the TRAIN law and the status of its social mitigating measures as Congress resumes session in July.
Senators Grace S. Poe-Llamanzares, Joseph Victor G. Ejercito, and Paolo Benigno A. Aquino IV earlier called for the suspension of fuel excise taxes under the tax reform law due to the increasing prices of goods and services.
Mr. Aquino filed Senate Bill No. 1798 in May to introduce a mechanism that would suspend excise taxes on fuel when inflation breaches government’s quarterly targets. — Camille A. Aguinaldo

ADB approves technical assistance for flood risk management project

THE ASIAN Development Bank (ADB) on June 21 said it approved a technical assistance grant for the Integrated Flood Risk Management Sector Project covering various river basins across the Philippines.
The grant involves a $1-million technical assistance grant, co-financed with another $300,000 grant from the Cooperation Fund for Project Preparation in the Greater Mekong Subregion and in Other Specific Asian Countries.
The project is designed to reduce the vulnerability of families located near six of the country’s flood-prone river basins in Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao.
ADB will assist the government by improving flood risk management planning through strengthening data acquisition and data management, and improving flood protection asset management.
It will also aid the government in rehabilitating and constructing flood protection infrastructure; raising community awareness, and preparing and implementing disaster flood risk reduction and management plans.
The river basins in the project include the Apayao-Abulog river, the Abra river, the Jalaur river on Panay, and Mindanao’s Agus, Buayan-Malungon, and the Tagum-Libuganon rivers.
“The transaction technical assistance will help the government to prepare the ensuing project as well as develop a preliminary road map and a long-term investment program for flood risk management,” the ADB document read.
The lender said that the grant will also help fund feasibility studies, detailed engineering design, procurement, social and environment safeguard assessments.
“The poor are more vulnerable to disasters (flooding), which are exacerbated by climate change, as they have less means to cope with these events,” ADB said.
“The project will enhance their resilience to disasters by reducing flood risks, reducing vulnerability before, during, and after flooding events, improving early warning systems, rehabilitating flood protection infrastructure, incorporating flood risk in land-use planning and management, preparing disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) plans, and improving community awareness and preparedness,” it added.
The project will be executed by the Department of Public Works and Highways. — Elijah Joseph C. Tubayan

Safety rules not keeping up with waste-to-energy technology, expert says

By Victor V. Saulon, Sub-Editor
PHILIPPINE LAW has not kept pace with developments in waste-to-energy technology, leaving communities surrounding these projects at risk from the pollutants they generate, which may cause cancer and other health problems, an energy technology expert said.
“There are some safety issues with regard to the engineering of the technology itself,” said Jorge A. Emmanuel, Ph.D., energy technology specialist at Siliman University, in an interview.
“When I was studying many of the waste-to-energy technologies, I found many engineering issues. It’s the reason why many of them actually end up shutting down after several years,” he added.
A number of local government units (LGUs) are building plants that produce energy from waste, or are in the process of securing agreements, including financing.
“But our biggest concern has to do with the emissions that come out. We know that the waste-to-energy plants produce a host of pollutants, particulate matter, heavy metals, sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxide and then the most dangerous chemical we know in science — the chlorinated dioxins and furans,” said Mr. Emmanuel, an adjunct professor at Silliman University’s Institute of Environmental and Marine Sciences.
The pollutants are produced by the facilities at various levels, he said. The residue after burning waste to produce energy, whether ash or slag, also contains toxic materials.
Pollution-control equipment concentrates the materials from the air, making it a bit cleaner, and places them in filter containers. These materials even find their way into the wastewater that comes out, he added.
“All of these are a big concern because in the Philippines, we do not have regulations, for example, on what is our limit of dioxin in the ash or our limit of dioxin in the wastewater,” he said.
“And for the air, we only require, I think, one or two tests a year, and in the studies that I’ve looked at unless you measure the dioxins continuously, you’ll miss a lot of the high levels of dioxins that is created throughout the year,” he added.
Mr. Emmanuel said existing technologies are costly and may not be included in the solutions being sold by foreign entities to the Philippines to maximize their profit.
“That to me is sort of a double standard,” he said.
“We have as much a right to protect our people’s health and our environment,” he said, referring to the solutions being denied to the Philippines by the countries where these came from.
One project that Mr. Emmanuel evaluated is Davao City’s waste-to-energy project, which is expected to produce around 12 megawatts of electricity once completed in the next four years.
Davao City’s facility will be funded in part by a ¥5.013 billion (P2.5 billion) in official development assistance from the Japanese government, and in part from possible private sector investors.
He said he sent several pages of comments regarding the design of the equipment, the toxic materials that will be released, and how the facility will commit Davao City to having to provide a certain quantity of waste per day to produce energy.
“It will undermine whatever work they’re doing in trying to recycle, reduce, minimize their waste,” he said.
He said legislation to facilitate the entry of waste-to-energy plants would go against the spirit of Republic Act No. 8749 or the Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999, and RA 9003 or the law the provides for an ecological waste management program.
“The law to me seems to be quite clear and that is we can’t allow incinerators, which we defined as the burning of the waste that produces [noxious] and toxic fumes, and that’s exactly what these things do,” he said.
“My fear is that this will enable this vicious cycle of continuing to produce waste in our society instead of actually reducing it,” he said.
In contrast to some of Mr. Emmanuel’s views, a professor at the University of the Philippines downplayed the levels of dioxins and furans produced by waste-to-energy facilities.
Florencio C. Ballesteros, Jr., Ph.D., an associate professor at the university’s environmental engineering graduate program, said the temperatures involved in the incineration process addresses the concerns on pollutants.
“As long as you operate beyond 800 degrees centigrade, you don’t generate [those] dioxins and furans,” he said.
“And then there’s also the second process that can mitigate or can remove dioxins if ever it’s generated at all,” he added, referring to a redundant process after the combustion to produce energy from waste in which the resulting gases are treated.
“We should not have a blanket statement that all waste-to-energy things are bad,” he said, adding that the technology is proven and that many countries have embarked on these projects.

Duterte: Government to spend over P139 billion for rollout of PAF projects

By Arjay L. Balinbin, Reporter
On its 71st anniversary on Tuesday, July 3, President Rodrigo R. Duterte announced that there are 16 projects for the Philippine Air Force (PAF) worth over P139 billion as part of the Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Program.
“In order to further develop a modern, adequately equipped, modern security force, the government is currently working on the implementation of the second horizon of the revised AFP modernization program by 2022, with 16 projects for the PAF worth over P139 billion already in the pipeline,” Mr. Duterte said in his speech.
He added: “Just this year, the PAF completed the acquisition of air defense surveillance radars, utility aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles to complement our existing air assets.”
Mr. Duterte stressed that the government will continue “to face challenges” as it “realizes its shared vision of a stronger and safer Philippines.”
“It is therefore vital to innovate and invest in strategies and technologies that will allow our forces to perform their duties safely and effectively,” he said further.
The government, according to the President, is “expecting the delivery of additional equipment and machinery in the following years.”
He likewise reminded the PAF members that their chain of command does not end in him. “I therefore enjoin the men and women of the Philippine Air Force to remain vigilant as we intensify our fight against the current challenges of terrorism and external security,” he added.

DoLE issues ruling against Nutri-Asia labor contractor

THE Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) said it ordered AMPC, a contractor allegedly engaged in illegal contractualization practices with Nutri-Asia, Inc. (NAI), to cease its contracting activities.
“Based on the order issued by Director Zenaida Angara-Campita of the DoLE regional office 3 last June 25, AMPC has no capacity to procure its own equipment and machinery because it leases the said tools from NAI,” DoLE said in a press statement on Tuesday.
The Labor department added that it ordered AMPC “to cease and desist from further engaging in contracting activities.”
AMPC was found to be engaged in labor-only contracting arrangements with Nutri-Asia. DoLE said that its inspectors found that the contractor “did not solely exercise control and supervision on the performance of its workers under the job or work contracted out. They also noted that AMPC workers are engaged in quality control and research and development which are all directly related to NAI’s main business.”
DoLE added that it ordered NAI to regularize 80 workers after its labor-only engagements with AMPC were discovered.
On the other hand, NAI’s other contractors B-Mrik Multi-Purpose Cooperative (BMPC), Fast Services Corp., Bison Security and Investigative Agency, City Service Corporation, and Manchester Engineering are said to be “compliant with labor laws” according to DoLE.
NAI has yet to provide comment to BusinessWorld at deadline time. — Gillian M. Cortez

Palace signs law creating power co-op rehab fund

PRESIDENT Rodrigo R. Duterte has signed into law the bill creating the Electric Cooperatives Emergency and Resiliency Fund (ECERF), officials said.
House Majority Leader Rodolfo C. Fariñas distributed on Tuesday copies of the letter sent by Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea to Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez, confirming the law’s signing on June 29.
The law will go into the books as Republic Act 11039, ECERF Act. It aims to assist to Electric Cooperatives (ECs) affected by natural disasters to restore and rehabilitate damaged infrastructure.
The National Electrification Administration (NEA) will be tasked to coordinate with the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) in coming up with policies for the implementation of the law.
Under RA 11039, ECs will be required to submit comprehensive and integrated disaster management programs, which will be evaluated by the NEA and NDRRMC. These include Emergency Response Plans, Vulnerability and Risk Assessments, and Resiliency Compliance Plans, among others.
Based on these submissions, the NEA will produce its own National Electric Cooperatives Emergency and Resiliency Plan (NECERP) to be integrated with the NDRRMC Plan.
The law mandates that P750 million of NDRRMC funds be allocated for the initial implementation of the ECERF Act. The NEA may also receive “donations in the form of funds, materials or equipment, whether local or international, intended for the express purpose of restoring or rehabilitating” power facilities.
RA 11039 consolidates Senate Bill 1461 and House Bill 7054 and was approved by the Bicameral Conference Committee on March 7, 2018. — Charmaine A. Tadalan

Nickel miners claim planting program covers 2,000 hectares

THE Philippine Nickel Industry Association (PNIA) said its members have been planting trees to rehabilitate sites near their mines in northeastern Mindanao and Palawan.
In a statement on Tuesday, the association said seven nickel miners have so far planted around 4.2 million trees in the Caraga region and Palawan.
PNIA Executive Director Charmaine Olea-Capili said: “Our ‘green’ footprint is larger than our mining footprint in terms of area. Our aggregate reforestation effort comes up to a total of about 2,000 hectares (ha) planted to date,” she said.
The planting program includes calamansi, rambutan, cashew, jackfruit, and cacao, among others, which are expected to provide livelihoods to the host communities.
“Much effort has been poured into rehabilitation because what has been planted will outlast the mine itself,” Ms. Capili said.
Early this year, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources proposed to require miners to increase their reforestation efforts.
Ms. Capili said the planting activities have resulted in forest density of 2,100 trees per ha, higher than the National Greening Program’s goal of 1,000 trees per ha.
Through the NGP, the government hopes to reforest 1.2 million ha. by 2022. — Anna Gabriela A. Mogato

Duterte signs national feeding program law

By Arjay L. Balinbin, Reporter
Malacañang on Tuesday, July 3, announced that President Rodrigo R. Duterte has signed into law Republic Act (R.A.) No. 11037, which institutionalizes the national feeding program for undernourished children nationwide.
The new law covers the undernourished children in public day care, kindergarten and elementary schools to combat hunger and undernutrition among Filipino children.
In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Harry L. Roque, Jr. said the signing of R.A. No. 11037, otherwise known as the Masustansyang Pagkain para sa Batang Pilipino Act, “is a clear proof of the President’s dedication to afford every Filipino child of the right to proper healthcare and nutrition benefits.”
He added: “It is a testament that the Duterte administration recognizes the importance of good nutrition to our children’s ability to develop into physically and mentally healthy individuals… We therefore welcome the passage of this law to safeguard [children] from the ill effects of undernourishment and subsequently enhance their learning capacities.”
Section 11 of the new law states that “the amount necessary to carry out its initial implementation shall be sourced from the current appropriations of the national government agencies (NGAs). Thereafter, such sums as may be necessary for the continuous implementation of the law shall be included in the annual general appropriations act (GAA) under the respective budgets of the NGAs.”
The new law, which is a consolidation of Senate Bill No. 1279 and House Bill No. 5269, was passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on March 20 this year. Mr. Duterte signed it into law last June 20.

PhilSys: One card to rule them all

It is only a matter of time before President Duterte signs into law the bill that will put citizens and aliens under a National Identification System, to be known as Philippine Identification System or PhilSys.
This upgrades the Unified Multi-purpose ID or UMID. This card, although optional, are issued to members of the Social Security System (SSS), Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), and the Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG Fund). But as it is optional, not all members have availed of UMID mainly because the inconvenience of getting one is not worth the benefits. As such, UMID’s coverage is quite small, at only about 20% of the population.
Transacting with the government is often characterized as a difficult challenge. Verifying one’s identity alone through repetitive collection of data by different government agencies is not only taxing but a waste of resources.
As PhilSys is aimed at promoting seamless delivery of service and enhancing administrative governance, the single identification system might just be the solution to improve efficiency and at the same time reduce the cost of public services.
With PhilSys, any government agency would be able to almost immediately identify a citizen or resident alien. PhilSys would somehow serve as the gateway to a number of public services.

That being said, the question on the quantum of public services that government can provide citizens and resident aliens deserves a separate discussion. After all, proof of identity is not necessary proof of eligibility.
With a number of contentious and pressing governance issues, is a national ID system absolutely necessary? Do the benefits it seeks to provide outweigh the risks?
To start with, any data collection initiative poses privacy concerns, so far the main argument against the adoption of a national ID. Will the safeguards enshrined in the bill and existing law suffice to protect citizens from unlawful disclosure of information?
While the information to be collected are said to be merely demographic data, such as full name, sex, date and place of birth, and address, privacy concerns cannot be downplayed. The breach incident dubbed “Comeleaks” saw a lot of data compromised by a group of hackers. The incident indeed served as a wakeup call for the government to undertake steps to beef up its cybersecurity efforts via a cyber resilient program.
At the age of digitization, when everyday transactions pass through digital channels, a leak or any unauthorized disclosure of any information — even seemingly minor ones — could very well lead to security and financial consequences.
For PhilSys to succeed, the government must first and foremost establish and enhance the trust and security among its citizens.
As initial funding, some P2 billion was allotted for the Philippine Statistics Authority to undertake activities in support of PhilSys rollout. These include the creation of a Project Management Office, the creation of work streams for the identification of technical specifications for National ID System Design, the publication of the Implementing Rules and Regulations; and the registration of one million household heads, among others.
If successfully implemented, the PhilSys will directly benefit the most productive sectors of the population and open the country to the best tech solutions in the world. This can potentially dramatically ease the way we transact business, eventually laying the foundation of the country’s digital transformation.
 
Katrina Clemente-Lua is the Executive Director and Policy Lead for ICT, Stratbase ADR Institute

The ease of doing business act cuts red tape further

Bureaucracy teaches us two things: to wait and to execute everything in triplicate.
“Red tape” has since evolved from the practice of Charles V, King of Spain and Holy Roman Emperor, of using red ribbon to identify important state documents.
Now, it describes a system of regulations and official actions which restrict or deny access to swift and quality government services. The problem of red tape has proven to be perennial unlike the empires from which it began.
Like all modern political regimes, the Philippines is no stranger to red tape.
Back in 2007, Republic Act No. 9485, or The Anti-Red Tape Act (ARTA), was passed to combat red tape and promote transparency and efficiency in the delivery of government services. Fast-forward to 2018, the Philippines has fallen nine spots down the IMD World Competitiveness Ranking and ranks 113th out of 190 countries in World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Index.
In a much needed effort to address the problem of red tape, Pres. Rodrigo Duterte signed into law Republic Act No. 11032, or The Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018 (RA 11032), amending the ARTA by strengthening it and giving it teeth.
With RA 11032 now in full force and effect, its more prominent features deserve to be highlighted.
The Citizen’s Charter. The public still has the benefit of relying on the Citizen’s Charter ushered in by the ARTA for the updated service standards of a government agency. RA11032 adds to the ARTA by explicitly requiring government agencies to provide a comprehensive and uniform checklist of requirements for each type of application or request. This removes the uncertainties faced by business establishments when applying for regulatory permits which are, most often than not, at the mercy of government officials who impose new or different requirements. Demands for additional requirements not specified under the Citizen’s Charter are now illegal and expose the accountable government official to administrative and criminal liability.
Shortened Lead Time for Processing of Applications. RA 11032 further limits the time for government agencies to act on an application. Simple transactions are required to be acted upon within three (3) working days and complex transactions within seven (7) working days from the date of receipt of the complete application or request. These periods may be extended only once for the same number of days. Government agencies are required to give proper notice in writing of the reason for the extension and the final date of the action on the application or request.
Automatic Approval of New Applications and Automatic Extension of Licenses. RA 11032 maintains the provision of the ARTA on automatic extension of licenses and permits should a government agency fail to act on an application for their renewal within the prescribed processing time. RA 11032 goes further by granting automatic approval status to original applications for the issuance of license, clearance, permit, certification, or authorization which remain unacted upon by the government agency after the lapse of the prescribed processing time. This closes the lacuna under the ARTA on new permit applications stuck in bureaucratic limbo.
Use of Technology to Further Expedite Procedure. In keeping with the Zero-Contact Policy, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is mandated to develop a web-based software for business registration and infrastructure for interconnection between government agencies, among other technological innovations, to ensure access to fast and easy public services. The public should expect the rollout of these technologies in the coming years.
Creation of Monitoring and Policy Bodies. Recognizing the need to be abreast with the dynamic needs of the public, RA 11032 establishes key government agencies to monitor compliance with the law and review policy considerations for future implementation. These agencies are the Anti-Red Tape Unit in the Civil Service Commission, the Anti-Red Tape Authority, and the Ease of Doing Business and Anti-Red Tape Advisory Council.
While Congress did not reinvent the wheel with RA 11032, it certainly provided much needed oil and grease to a bureaucracy laden with woes of inefficiency and frustration. Time will tell if RA 11032 lives up to its avowed policies but it is a welcome step towards achieving quality government services that the Filipinos deserve
This article is for general informational and educational purposes only and not offered as and does not constitute legal advice or legal opinion.
 
Noel Christian O. Luciano is an Associate of the Litigation and Dispute Resolution Department (LDRD) of the Angara Abello Concepcion Regala & Cruz Law Offices (ACCRALAW).
noluciano@accralaw.com
(02) 830-8000

Iglesia ni Duterte

It should now be clear to those who have to deal with him that President Rodrigo Duterte is not inclined to listen to anybody but himself. Even his own daughter, Mayor Sara Duterte of Davao City has advised people not to pay too much attention to what her father says about religion and God.
On her Instagram account, the younger Duterte cautioned, “Please do not listen to him interpret the Bible or Quran, he is not a priest, a pastor or an imam. He is the President, listen only when he speaks about his work.”
I frankly agree with her.
If it were only possible, mainstream media and religious leaders should completely ignore anything that Duterte says, especially with respect to things he knows little about, like God or foreign affairs or the economy.
But then again, Duterte’s blustering and ranting are so outrageous that they make for sensational headlines — and we know, of course, that sensational headlines translate into newspaper sales and broadcast ratings which, in turn, translate into advertising revenues.
How did this controversy with the Catholic Church start?
When Duterte began counting dead bodies in the course of his war on drugs, the church felt compelled to condemn him for his human rights abuses.
Now, that’s just the sort of thing that gets Duterte’s goat. He doesn’t like to be criticized, believing as he does that he is all-knowing and all-righteous. He also has cheering squads in the Senate and the House of Representatives, as well as the horde of DDS (Dedicated Duterte Supporters) and online trolls. Their unquestioning approval of his actions, as well as his bluster and profanity, serve to encourage him to commit even more outrageous acts.
That, in turn, has caused the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) to rally the faithful against Duterte. Thinking that the CBCP has been excoriating him in the name of God. Duterte’s response, has been to turn against God Himself, and not just the church.
When Duterte starts talking, his mouth has no brakes and he rants even when his brain is not yet in gear. His logic is also the kind that kanto boys use after swigging bottles of marka demonyo.
He called the Good Lord stupid for creating imperfect human beings in Adam and Eve and questioned the idea of all mankind bearing an original sin caused by the couple’s transgression in the Garden of Eden.
“How can anybody sin even before being born? Duterte asked to the cheers of his fans,
Maybe Duterte will find more logic in a baby being destined to get sick even before being born. It’s called a genetic disorder (but then, that could unduly strain Duterte’s capacity for comprehension).
At any rate, Duterte did walk back a bit on his blasphemous remarks by clarifying that he himself has a “personal God” who, conceivably, is not stupid. Otherwise, it appears that everyone else’s God is stupid.
For reasons only the allegedly fearless Duterte can explain, he stopped short of insulting Islam but poured his venom on the Catholic Church. Duterte probably thinks that the God of the Christians is different from Allah of Islam. He has also probably heard that Christians do more barking than biting when people blaspheme God, but Muslims react more violently, sometimes issuing a fatwa.
Maybe somebody should explain to Duterte that the God of the Christians and Allah, the God of the Muslims, are the same Divine Being, and calling one stupid means calling the other stupid, too.
At any rate, because Duterte seems to have some very strong ideas about religion, I think that he should put up his own church. An Iglesia ni Duterte. That way, he can say anything about it and he will only have himself to answer to.
Duterte should not lack in templates for his church, There is his good friend and political supporter, Apollo Quiboloy, executive pastor of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. Quiboloy could tell Duterte that putting up one’s own church can be as lucrative as running for public office (of course, not as lucrative as being president).
Duterte and Quiboloy could have a minor conflict of billing (a motion picture issue about whose name comes first in the credits) because the latter already claims that he is the “Appointed Son of God.”
Of course, Duterte, whose religion could designate him as god, can either deny or confirm Quiboloy’s appointment.
In the US, Duterte can always use as template David Koresh’s Branch Davidian sect or Jim Jones’ People’s Temple. Either one would be just right for Duterte considering his penchant for getting people dead.
Koresh’s cult members perished in a standoff with federal agents in Waco, Texas and Jones caused his members to commit mass suicide in Guyana.
However, there is some doubt that all of the DDS will willingly commit mass suicide if Duterte orders them to. But there should be a significant number who will give the classic response when ordered to jump out the window of a building: “What floor, sir?”
There is no truth to the rumor that presidential spokesman Harry Roque is the one most likely to ask “which floor, sir?” but it is not beyond belief that Duterte can designate Roque as the “rock” — or at least the roque — on which he will build his church.
The other possibility is for Foreign Affairs Secretary Cayetano to be designated as the personification of the foundation of the Iglesia ni Duterte, his name being Alan Peter.
Duterte already has ready-made apostles for his church, specifically a Pastor (Boy Saycon) and a former priest, cabinet secretary Leoncio Evasco.
At the risk of seeming irreverent, I not only fully endorse the idea of an Iglesia ni Duterte, I am even proposing an official prayer for his church, as follows:
“Amo namin, sumasalungat ka. (Our boss, you contradict them)
Sampalin ang kalaban mo (Slap your enemies)
Mapasa-amin ang kaharian mo (Thy kingdom be ours)
Sundin ang loob mo (Thy will be done)
Dito sa Pilipinas, para nang sa Davao (Here in the Philippines, just as in Davao).
Bigyan mo kami ngayon ng aming kakanin sa araw-araw (Give us this day our daily bread)
At patawarin mo ang aming mga utang (And forgive us our debts)
Tulad ng pagpapatawad mo sa mga nagnanakaw sa bayan (As you forgive those who steal from the country)
Ayos lang na ipahintulot mo kami sa tukso (It’s okay to lead us into temptation)
At hatian mo kami sa lahat ng weather-weather (But give us our share of weather-weather)
Amen.
 
Greg B. Macabenta is an advertising and communications man shuttling between San Francisco and Manila and providing unique insights on issues from both perspectives.
gregmacabenta@hotmail.com

1...12,27112,27212,273...14,169Page 12,272 of 14,169
© 2024 BusinessWorld Publishing.
All rights reserved.
Read our privacy guidelines
Facebook Instagram Linkedin X Youtube