After rh, pogi and divorce laws

By ERWIN TULFO

After a 13-8 vote with no one chickening out, the Senate passed the controversial Reproductive Health Bill on third and final reading last Monday.

Also, after gathering dust and cobwebs, the Senate also gave a thumbs up to POGI, or Senate Bill 3208, also known as the People’s Ownership of Government Information. Under POGI, government agencies cannot be Suplado sa Personal. Automatically, they are required to provide information involving documents, projects, transactions and records pertaining to the interest of Joe Public, and these must be made well, public, by posting the info on government websites and, preferably, translated into major Filipino dialects for better public understanding. Upon request, they are expected to act and provide information required by the public within 15 days. Deadma may cause possible penalties and an explanation to the court. Of course, the FOI bill does not cover matters of national security, foreign policy and other uber sensitive topics. 

Nice on paper, question is, can this be implemented properly? This early, I raise my doubts. Last I heard, the right to reply provision on this bill being insisted on by one lawmaker allegedly cost him his slot in the ruling party ticket. Tough luck,

As if lumalagare, House Speaker Sonny Belmonte recently lit another IED sure to ignite the ire of the religious. Belmonte said next on the agenda of the Lower House is the Divorce Bill, which he personally is in favor of, but due to the midterm elections next year, this will have to wait until the next Congress opens. 

I read somewhere that aside from the Vatican, we are the only country where divorce is not allowed. Napag-iwanan o Nakikiuso lang?

I have no beef with RH, FOI and this bill about divorce. My question is—Are we leaving some important bills by the wayside in favor of these controversial legislations? In the Senate, bills favoring the decriminalization of libel, Security of Tenure for Casual/Contractual Employees of the Government, anti drunk and drugged driving bill and even making college entrance exams free of charge among others, are gathering heaps of dust. 

In the lower house, timely bills such as making hoarding of rice and corn during calamities tantamount to economic sabotage, the establishment of a comprehensive national loan program for college education, the bill requiring business establishments to employ differently abled persons and the panukala that will go heavy on penalty for crimes relating to firearms and light weapons have become the playing ground of spiders building their webs, overtaken by bills that will give more face time and sound bytes to Mr. Pulitiko.

Since it appears the Speaker Belmonte is more pre-occupied with divorce more than other worthy bills in his turf, is it time voters of the 4th district of Quezon City also entertain the thought of divorcing him as their representative this May? Just asking. 

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Today, December 21, 2012 is supposedly The End of the World according to some Mayan believers and experts.

They say this is the last day in the Mayan calendar, therefore, there is no more tomorrow.

Even some religious groups or sects here and abroad have been preparing for this day, supposedly the second coming of Jesus Christ, the savior, who will judge us all and separate the bad from the good ones.

Well, hold on to your horses, folks . . . THE WORLD WILL NOT AND IS NOT GOING TO END TODAY. 

etulfo2011@yahoo.com