‘Water crisis’: Magnates’ profit hunger, system’s failure

By Rigoberto D. Tiglao         October 30, 2019

THE so-called water crisis — the worsening of Metro Manila residents’ access to potable water — is yet another indication that there is something deeply wrong in our society and in our socioeconomic system.

To call it a “water crisis” is an understatement. The mark of civilization, even before the advent of electric power, is the capability of a society and its state to provide accessible, drinkable water to a population massing in cities — as demonstrated by the five great Mayan cities; by Istanbul with its Basilica Cistern, still an awe-inspiring tourist site; and of course, the Roman empire with its still existing, and usable, system of aqueducts.

My god, these were ancient cities, which provided potable water to their residents many centuries ago. Whatever excuses or rationalizations the water companies have been giving — and they are skilled in doing this with their hold on media — it is totally unacceptable that a water crisis has emerged in our prime metropolis where the two water services concessionaires, Manila Water Co. Inc. and Maynilad Water Services Inc., are mainly owned and controlled by the countries’ two biggest and richest oligarchs.

Manila Water is mainly owned and run by the Ayalas, the product of our Spanish and American colonization, with the brothers Augusto and Fernando among the country’s richest tycoons.

The two magnates ultimately calling the shots on water service in the metropolis. (Photos from First Pacific’s and Ayala Corp.’s 2018 annual reports.)

Maynilad is part of a relatively new foreign conglomerate which had its breakthrough during President Joseph “Erap” Estrada’s corrupt regime, when he allowed the foreign firm to take over PLDT, prohibited by the Constitution, to the extent of arm-twisting even an old elite, Alfonso Yuchengco. The former Securities and Exchange Commission chairman, Perfecto Yasay, alleged that Erap got P3 billion for it in a deal arranged by the late, notorious Mark Jimenez.

Perhaps even an insult to us is the fact that this new foreign firm wasn’t even a US or European conglomerate, but the Hong Kong-based company First Pacific, which is majority-owned by the Indonesian Anthoni Salim, the scion of strongman Suharto’s biggest crony, the late Liem Sioe Liong. (Salim’s face in the Philippines is his executive Manuel V. Pangilinan.)

The two companies have been extremely profitable for the Ayalas and Salim. “Based on our scrutiny of publicly available financial filings, we’ve gathered that Manila Water Co. Inc. and Maynilad Water Services Inc. raked in an aggregate of P138 billion in net profits from 2006 to June 2019,” Buhay party-list Rep. Lito Atienza disclosed in Congress.

Some P49 billions of these were released to their stockholders as dividends. A major part of such dividends were remitted abroad, in the case of Maynilad to its mother firm First Pacific and then to the firm’s main owner Anthoni Salim. In the case of Manila Water, part of it went to the Japanese-based Mitsubishi Corp., which is one of the major stockholders of its mother firm, Ayala Corp.

But not only that, both firms are listed in the stock market, which means that not just the country’s elite but the richest people in the world are profiting immensely from the two companies, even if they have been unable to provide the minimum required water services to residents of metro Manila.

Why wouldn’t the two companies be raking in so much money, when they are both monopolies, with their customers at the mercy of the sole water firm in their area. The Ayalas’ water firm covers the 23 cities and municipalities mostly in the eastern side of the metropolis, while the Salim firm, Maynilad, has the western side of the metropolis as well as parts of Cavite.

It was the second Yellow regime — the Fidel Ramos administration — that handed over the monopoly of water services in the metropolitan Manila and other public utilities to the oligarchs. The Lopezes who earlier owned the concession for Maynilad sold it for $248 million to the Salim group, which it needed to fend off the bankruptcy of its entire conglomerate.

While neoliberals have cheered Ramos’ “privatization” program as the victory of capitalism, its irrationality is uncontestable.

The services of public utilities are a right of every citizen. Why add a profit margin to the cost of such services, which are after all monopolies, which means they do not have the built-in competitive mechanism to improve their services? If the private sector is considered better than government bureaucrats, then why not simply hire private managers, tasked to make the state firms efficient at the least cost to consumers?

There is something deeply wrong in our economic system, which allows profit-hungry oligarchs to run public utilities. I was at a loss for words when my driver asked me as we were passing South Luzon Expressway, also operated by Salim: “Why do we taxpayers have to pay to use these roads, when we are giving money to government to build roads?”

The two oligarch-owned water companies have been blaming government for not undertaking fast enough projects that would add to the water supply, which they distribute.

But weren’t they in the best position to pressure government to complete such projects, especially as the oligarchs who owned them had much influence on ruling administrations, especially in the case of the Ayalas who were very close to President Benigno Aquino 3rd under whose term the water-supply projects should have been completed?

Have Ayala and Salim, or even just the latter’s executive Pangilinan, ever apologized for the misery of some 10 million metro residents unable to get the water they need?

While Duterte has led this nation further than any previous president, he has not scratched the surface to correct the fundamental flaws of our economic system. We hope in his remaining three years, he sees the colossal failures of this system, and at least takes the initial steps to correct them. Or else, we will never really take off from Third World to First World status.

Email: tiglao.manilatimes@gmail.com

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https://www.manilatimes.net/2019/10/30/opinion/columnists/topanalysis/water-crisis-magnates-profit-hunger-systems-failure/651942/

Duterte should ignore Leni Robredo because Filipinos APPROVE of his War on Drugs

October 28, 2019By ilda Crime

It seems Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is allowing himself to be trolled by “vice president” Leni Robredo. In a recent shocking statement, he announced that he is ceding command over the Philippine Police to Robredo for six months!

I will surrender my powers to enforce the law, ibigay ko sa Vice President. Ibigay ko sa kanya ng 6 months. Sya ang magdala. Tignan natin kung anong mangyari. Hindi ako makialam. Sige, gusto mo? Mas bright ka? Sige, ikaw subukan mo.

Recall that Robredo had earlier chided Duterte on what she claims is a failed effort to make good on his campaign promise to rid the Philippines of its drug scourge. Robredo went as far as inviting the United Nations to “investigate” and possibly put a stop to Duterte’s “failed” war on drugs.

Duterte shouldn’t allow Leni’s bitching to affect him. He knows she is a moron. The fact that she doesn’t have the grace to stop criticising the government she is a part of is proof of this. Duterte should keep soldiering on as his constituents expect him to, continue doing his job, and simply block the Taglish noise coming from Robredo’s mouth.

Otherwise, Duterte is effectively reneging on his promise by ceding command of his war on drugs to Robredo who has made no secret of her desire to shut it all down if she could. Duterte’s promise to effect a ruthless and bloody crackdown on drug crime is a cornerstone of his election campaign and a source of morale for the Philippines’ men and women in uniform. Indeed, survey after survey since 2016 when Duterte took office exhibited consistent strong public approval for his approach.

Duterte should be reminded that the recent survey already confirmed that majority of Filipinos approve of his drug war. He should not listen to Robredo who does not have data to back up any of her talk. Giving Leni the authority to change things will just muck it up. The police require consistent support and a stable command to stay the course. Such an outlandish stunt as the one Duterte proposes will ruin all that.

Giving this important work to a lame leader like Robredo is political suicide. Robredo for her part will not be doing herself nor her party any favours accepting the challenge either seeing that she cannot even manage herself out of a paper bag.

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In life, things are not always what they seem.

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Luke 13: 31-35 | Melchior d’Hondecoeter| As a hen gathers her brood under her wings

Luke 13: 31-35 As a hen gathers her brood under her wings

Hens and her Brood, a Peacock, all disturbed by the arrival of a Falcon,  Painted by Melchior d’Hondecoeter (1636-1695), Executed late 17th century, Oil on canvas © Sotheby’s Sale, 4 December 2013, lot 37 Some Pharisees came up to Jesus. ‘Go away’ they said. ‘Leave this place, because Herod means to kill you.’ He replied, ‘You may go and give that fox this message: Learn that today and tomorrow I cast out devils and on the third day attain my end. But for today and tomorrow and the next day I must go on, since it would not be right for a prophet to die outside Jerusalem. ‘Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you that kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often have I longed to gather your children, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you refused! So be it! Your house will be left to you. Yes, I promise you, you shall not see me till the time comes when you say: ‘Blessings on him who comes in the name of the Lord!’ READ MORE Reflection on the Painting Melchior de Hondecoeter was a Dutch painter who specialised in depicting birds of all types. Here we see, apart from the central figure of the peacock, a hen protecting her brood at the arrival of a falcon which comes flying in. The little chicks are scared and run off in all directions. The words in today’s Gospel ‘as a hen gathers her brood under her wings’, reminded me of this painting. Look how protective the hen is towards her little ones, all under the watchful eye of the peacock. Early Christians adopted the symbol of the peacock to represent eternal life, as an ancient legend told that the flesh of the peacock did not decay. It is also directly linked with the resurrection of Christ because the birds sheds it old feathers every year and grows, newer, brighter ones each year... Anyway, back to our hens for now... The quote regarding the hens, has to be put in context first. Jesus has just returned to Jerusalem for the last time, in the realisation that He is to be arrested and crucified. Jesus wants to gather the people in Jerusalem into His love and protection - ‘under his wing’, just like a hen does with her brood. It is this ‘sheltering’ love that Jesus wants to convey here. Come close to Him and He will protect you. In our painting we see the little chicks playing without a care in the world, but the falcon (cunning ‘fox-like’ Herod as Jesus calls him in our reading) comes flying in and the hen is seen immediately wanting to protect her brood. So it goes with Jesus, He wants to protect us, to shelter us, to care for us… But it is ultimately only we who can decide wether we want to live under His protection or not… it is us who decide wether we want to be under His sacred care in every aspect of our lives… by Patrick van der Vorst

Leni Robredo proved that the Opposition has no plan for the Philippines

October 31, 2019By benign0 Crime, Politics

It’s now obvious that the Philippine Opposition led by the Yellowtards offer no solutions nor alternatives to the Filipino people. Given the chance by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to lead the charge against drug crime, “vice president” Leni Robredo could only respond with the usual lame vindictiveness that the Yellowtards have become renowned for.

Robredo’s camp seem to think being an Opposition is all about just heckling the incumbent government. Turns out this is just good for earning media mileage. Walking the talk, however, is where the rubber hits the road. And what better chance to hit Duterte where it hurts than taking charge of what had been the cornerstone of Duterte’s promise to his countrymen.

In failing to step up, Robredo had proven that she is no good even to her own supporters, many of whom want nothing more than to be back in power and back at the top of the political narrative. Their biggest mistake was pinning their hopes on yet another necropolitician. They never learn indeed.

The fact is, a real Opposition, one that deserves the respect and admiration of Filipino voters, both (1) provides an alternative vision and (2) shares an aspiration for a better Philippines with the incumbent. Unfortunately the Yellowtard camp does neither and this stunted approach to taking such an important role in a healthy democracy is embodied in Leni Robredo.

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Duterte exposes Leni Robredo for what she is: ALL TALK and no substance

October 31, 2019By ilda Crime, Politics

The fact that “vice president” Leni Robredo and supporters think Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s offer to her to be the Drug Czar is a “trap” means two things: 1) they were not prepared to take on the task they claim Duterte is failing on 2) they do not have an alternative solution to the problem. They just love to criticise.

The Yellows used to insist that there is no drug problem and that Duterte only exaggerated the issue so he can get elected. Now they are saying his drug war is failing. They can’t make up their minds. No wonder they always lose. They lose the debates and then lose the elections.

Seriously, why is Robredo always so negative? Surely there are some things Duterte is doing right even if she doesn’t agree with his drug war. But why doesn’t she highlight some good things for a change? She’s always trying to bring the govt down even though she’s part of it. We all know, of course, that Leni and her group just love to contradict those not from their clique.

The great modern day philosopher and Senate President is right on the nail. Those who are only good at talking crap should just zip it.

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October 31, 2019By ilda Crime, Politics
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Luke 13: 22-30 | Doug Hall | The last shall be first and the first last

Luke 13: 22-30   The last shall be first and the first last

Neither First nor Last,  Cartoon by Doug Hall,  Executed in 1984, © Doug Hall cartoons Through towns and villages Jesus went teaching, making his way to Jerusalem. Someone said to him, ‘Sir, will there be only a few saved?’ He said to them, ‘Try your best to enter by the narrow door, because, I tell you, many will try to enter and will not succeed. ‘Once the master of the house has got up and locked the door, you may find yourself knocking on the door, saying, “Lord, open to us” but he will answer, “I do not know where you come from.” Then you will find yourself saying, “We once ate and drank in your company; you taught in our streets” but he will reply, “I do not know where you come from. Away from me, all you wicked men!” ‘Then there will be weeping and grinding of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves turned outside. And men from east and west, from north and south, will come to take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. ‘Yes, there are those now last who will be first, and those now first who will be last.’   READ MORE     Reflection on the Cartoon As I mentioned before, cartoons are as legitimate an art form as any of the other disciplines within the arts. This cartoon sums up the attitude of many of us. We don’t want to be first or last, we are happy to wallow somewhere in the middle… We don’t want to engage enough with our faith as it requires effort and commitment; but we don’t want to completely disengage, just in case… So we are happy to hover in the middle. I think we can safely say that nowadays most people think that they are going to Heaven when they die; and they think that most other people around them will go to Heaven as well, as in general they are good people (or at least they aren’t bad), have a bit of faith, might believe somewhat in Jesus etc… So it seems with that frame of mind that the road to Heaven must be broad, and the gates to heaven must be very wide… ready to welcome vast numbers of people, all on their way to salvation… Jesus warns us today that this is completely wrong! The doors of Heaven are narrow; the path is narrow. Those of us who think we may be first walking through those Heavenly doors, will be last or even never get there… Jesus’ message is a warning for those who think themselves secure and warns us against being presumptuous about salvation. We too can all too often feel over-comfortable in the belief that God is somehow obliged to save us. What does count for Jesus is to being with Him at all times, all throughout our lives. In that sense being with Christ is not just a random, casual, see-how-it-goes relationship with Him or a pick-and-chose acceptance of His teaching. No, it involves true discipleship where we commit to Him by word, action and example. by Patrick van der Vorst

Luke 13: 18-21 | Our Father Prayer card | The kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast

Luke 13: 18-21   The kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast

Our Father Who Art In Heaven,  Engraved by A. Hoen & Co Engravers, Baltimore,  Printed in 1876, M. Crider Publishers Jesus said, ‘What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it with? It is like a mustard seed which a man took and threw into his garden: it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air sheltered in its branches.’ Another thing he said, ‘What shall I compare the kingdom of God with? It is like the yeast a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour till it was leavened all through.’   READ MORE     Reflection on the Our Father Prayer Card The circulation of prayer cards, such as today’s card is an important part of popular devotions in our Church. This beautifully engraved card was published to spread the Our Father and help people to pray. The beauty of the card promotes and celebrates the beauty of the prayer. Jesus shares in today’s reading that the Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast in bread. And of course bread is central in the Our Father and eucharist as well. So let’s look a little closer at why bread was so important in Jesus’ time. Not sure if you have ever made a loaf of bread, but if you have, then you would realise the massive difference that yeast makes. When flour, water, a splash of oil and salt get kneaded together, without yeast, the bread would just be like a hard brick coming out of the oven. So the yeast softens the bread; it ads air to the bread; it makes it eatable, it makes the bread enjoyable and above all… it makes the bread increase in size dramatically. Jesus understood this and thus he uses the image of yeast to convey the point that even with a tiny amount of yeast, the whole bread can be saved, improved, increased in size: a small addition, results in a huge difference! Especially after our reading from yesterday, where we saw how Jesus chose the Twelve apostles, we understand better what Christ means. The Kingdom of God begins as small and from there it grows to become large and beautiful. So bread has become one of the most powerful symbols in Christianity, as it symbolises growth. Even when found in the Our Father (Give us this day our daily bread) we ask God to provide us with both actual and also spiritual food to help us grow in our love for God, and in our love for each other. All throughout the Bible many more references to bread occur (multiplication of loaves, the Last supper, Moses and the food from Heaven, etc…), all pointing towards our dependence on God’s provision for our human and spiritual survival today. Bread ultimately points to Jesus Himself. He IS the bread we must all take in if we truly seek physical, spiritual, and… eternal life. by Patrick van der Vorst

‘Stop the killings’? Yes, here’s what we can do

By Rigoberto D. Tiglao         October 28, 2019

IF Vice President Robredo, the Yellows, Reds and bleeding-heart liberals are really concerned about the value of Filipino lives, which they allegedly claim are being wasted in Duterte’s war against illegal drugs, there are many things they could do rather than blabbering day in and day out, emoting such clichés as “the killings continue.”

How can Robredo ask Duterte to end the anti-drug war when it is his duty to enforce our laws, in this case, so trampled upon by illegal drug gangs?

They should drop their political partisanship and recognize the reality that there is no state policy to exterminate those involved in the illegal drugs trade. Even if Duterte used hyperbolic “kill-them” street talk, we have an entire body of laws, regulations, and manuals that prohibit the killing of a suspect as a strict policy, except in self-defense, which the president cannot repeal.

Yet unjust killings by the police continue to happen. But not just here in the Philippines but in the entire world, from Austria to the US to Angola, which is the phenomenon called police brutality. The US has had worse killings of innocent young black men than say, the killing of the 17-year-old Kian de los Santos by Caloocan police. On April 22, 2015 William Chapman 2nd, an 18-year-old shoplifting suspect, was shot in a Walmart parking lot by Portsmouth, Virginia police officer Stephen Rankin. Did the US press run front-page photos of his dead body, and claim that Obama’s was a “presidency bathed in blood”?

It is not “extrajudicial killings” (EJKs) that is our problem, it is “old-fashioned” police brutality. The term EJK in fact is a highfalutin, politically loaded term invented by US and European NGOs to make any case of police brutality as one sanctioned by the state (usually a Third World one), which should therefore be overthrown — with the help of the US.

“Old fashioned” in the sense that the nature of the police itself anywhere in any culture bears the seeds of cruelty and unnecessary use of force against one’s fellowmen. While you’d have noble policemen so often depicted in movies (i.e., Mel Gibson in “Lethal Weapon”), there are rogue, psychopathic cops (Denzel Washington in “Training Day”).

Saints and sinners

Every government organization will have its share of saints and sinners. The big problem in the case of the police is that the sinner would be armed, and could kill people. And, as so many studies have shown, the police recruit a bigger share of sociopaths, attracted by the power (and arms) given to them. One unique situation a policeman also confronts everyday is that he is a target of criminals, especially when they are being arrested, and in many cases it is in matter of a moment that he has to decide whether he is to kill or be killed.

Until the entire police force reaches a level of moral and intellectual sophistication, or achieves the highest level of control of themselves in life-and-death situations, we will always be confronted by the prospect of police brutality.

In the meantime, here are the things those so outraged by the police killings in the wake of Duterte’s anti-drug war, can do:

1. Organize or fund researchers and lawyers who will investigate actual cases of killings by the police, and prosecute those responsible for it. This is not impossible. Even during martial law, young lawyers organized a Free Legal Aid Group (FLAG), which was effective in mitigating military abuses until it metamorphosed into a primarily political group opposing the Marcos dictatorship. Have you heard of Robredo devoting a drop of the P2 billion funding she has received for her office, to pay a lawyer to represent relatives of victims of police brutality?

2. Document every instance of a killing by the police, including the actual names of the policemen who were involved, and their supervisors. With their official explanation, convince newspapers to publish these. The Philippine Daily Inquirer or the internet news site Rappler, I’m sure, will be happy to do this. Both foreign and local photographers boast how good their work have been with their dramatic photos of corpses killed in Duterte’s anti-drug war. I haven’t seen a single photo of the policemen who did the shooting, with a caption identifying him and his precinct.

Rigorous training

3. Lobby for the enactment of a law that would require policemen to undergo more rigorous training — for example, the 130 weeks for the German police or even just the US’ 19 weeks. In these courses, police are put under simulated extreme pressure situations where they are taught that reaching for a gun may not be the best move, and are taught many alternatives to gun violence, like pepper spray and batons. Honestly, how would you react if in some dark alley, the supposed suspect in an operation suddenly appears with something in his hand? These are the kind of the situations which more rigorous police training would result in less unnecessary deaths.

4. Lobby for the enactment of a body independent of the Philippine National Police tasked to investigate accusations against the police, such as the killing of suspects under custody or in arrest operations. Right now, there is such an organization created under the “PNP Reform and Reorganization Act of 1998” (Republic Act 8551) called the Internal Affairs Service, headed supposedly by the Inspector General who under that law is required to be a civilian.

But who has heard of Alfegar Triambulo, the Inspector General since December 2016, even with the flood of accusations — even from overseas — of police killings here? But at least he was quoted in media recently: “The current set-up of the IAS, being under the PNP, defeats the real intention of why it was created. The Internal Affairs in other countries are independent, they can remove chiefs of police and that is the reason why their independence is really strong,” Triambulo said.

There is in fact a bill filed in Congress by Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta party-list representative Koko Nograles seeking to amend the 1998 RA 8551 to create an internal affairs unit apart from the PNP structure. Have you heard Robredo, and all of these Red,Yellow and Church blabbermouths condemning “EJKs” to the high heavens talk about Nograles’ bill, which if it becomes law could strike fear in the hearts of rogue, murderous policemen?

But of course this kind of work will not help to paint a picture of Duterte as a “president bathed in blood,” with its press muzzled out of fear, will they?

Email: tiglao.manilatimes@gmail.com

Facebook: Rigoberto Tiglao

Twitter: @bobitiglao

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https://www.manilatimes.net/2019/10/28/opinion/columnists/topanalysis/stop-the-killings-yes-heres-what-we-can-do/651525/

Luke 6: 12-16 | Jacopo Bellini | Jesus picks the Twelve Apostles

Luke 6: 12-16   Jesus picks the Twelve Apostles

The Twelve Apostles,  Drawing by Jacopo Bellini (1400-1470),  Drawn circa 1440-1470, Lead pencil and brown wash on paper © British Museum, London, nr 1855,0811.87 Jesus went out into the hills to pray; and he spent the whole night in prayer to God. When day came he summoned his disciples and picked out twelve of them; he called them ‘apostles’: Simon whom he called Peter, and his brother Andrew; James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon called the Zealot, Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot who became a traitor.   READ MORE     Reflection on the Old Master Drawing Jesus, soon after starting His ministry, realised that His own human voice could not physically reach everyone. His voice would not reach all the villages, all the towns, all the regions. So he knew he had to appoint and train some people to actively help Him and involve them very closely during His three year ministry. So our Gospel reading of today is the start of a new organisation which would serve the Kingdom of God under Jesus and for Jesus. This is the beginning of the Christian Church in its simplest and purest form. The twelve men Jesus chose were going to be his ‘support’ team; they were going to be apprentices, travel companions, witnesses, healers, baptisers, preachers, teachers, some writers, martyrs, etc… We can see that the decision to chose these twelve apostles was an enormously important decision. How does Jesus take this decision? In prayer! The reading of today starts off with Jesus praying…. A whole night. He sought guidance and counsel from His Father before picking His twelve disciples. Because of who Jesus was we could easily think that He didn’t need to pray for any length of time about anything, but that is clearly not the case… The drawing by Jacopo Bellini we are looking at reflects this ‘formation’ of the early Church;  where Jesus shaped His Church by drawing in the twelve apostles; we see the artist here equally at work, drawing, forming, shaping a composition. By the 1430’s Bellini became Venice’s most celebrated painter, where he introduced the principles of Florentine early Renaissance to the city. We see the twelve apostles depicted in a barrel vaulted passage. Usually the twelve apostles are always drawn or painted with Jesus in their midst, but this is a rare drawing where only the apostles themselves take centre stage… The drawing reminds us that we too are called to be disciples and be Jesus’ apprentices, travel companions, witnesses, healers, baptisers, preachers, teachers, etc… by Patrick van der Vorst

Faithful to Our Lord

Faithful to Our Lord October 28, 2019 Feast of Saint Simon and Saint Jude, Apostles Father Steven Reilly, LC   Luke 6:12-16 Jesus went up to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God. When day came, he called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called a Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe that you are my Creator and Redeemer. I hope in your goodness and mercy. I love you from the depths of my heart. I place this time of meditation in your hands. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to grow in love for your holy will. Petition: Help me, Lord, to persevere, like the Apostles. Impossible Cases: Saint Jude is known as the patron of impossible cases. He was a relative of Our Lord himself and wrote one of the letters in the New Testament. The fact that he is the patron of impossible cases means, of course, that nothing is impossible with God. What is that one “impossible” thing for me right now? What spiritual mountain do I think is too high to climb? Is it really so “impossible” or do I just need to trust more and work harder? Zeal for the Right Kingdom: Saint Simon was called a Zealot. Zealots were a group of people known for politically agitating the Roman occupiers. If Simon belonged to that group, then he certainly had a steep learning curve to absorb Jesus’ message about the true, spiritual Kingdom of God. The fact that he’s listed among the Apostles means that Christ recognized his ability to change. Perhaps Saint Simon could be a patron saint for attitude change -- then his being teamed up with Saint Jude makes perfect sense. Getting over our own petty attachments and ways of seeing things can seem like a fairly “impossible case” in itself. But the Apostles are proof that Christ is more powerful than our defects, as long as we have the effective desire to follow him. Supporting Roles: When we think of the apostles, Simon and Jude are never the first ones we name. However, not everyone needs to be a headliner to be a rock-solid contributor. That’s who Simon and Jude were: men loyal to Christ and who persevered in the mission that he entrusted to them. We don’t need to be stars, just faithful! Conversation with Christ: Lord, you didn’t pick superstars of this world to be your Apostles, but they became something infinitely greater: saints. Help me to believe in the power of your grace to transform me and make me holy! Resolution: I will be humble and supportive today in the “supporting roles” that I have. Our Daily Meditation is also available with audio: CLICK HERE TO START LISTENING!

Carpio: Tragic or jinxed?

By Rigoberto D. Tiglao         October 23, 2019

First of two parts

LOVE him, as the Yellows do, or hate him, as those who were sympathetic to the late Chief Justice Renato Corona — whom he is alleged to have helped oust — do, Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, who retires from the Supreme Court on Friday, has had a fascinating career, marked by episodes one might term either tragic or jinxed.

You, dear reader, decide which would be the best description.

What is mostly forgotten now is that Carpio and his ideological mentor, retired Gen. Jose Almonte executed in 1992 then President Fidel Ramos’ bold tack early in his administration of going against two of the country’s powerful oligarchs then: tobacco magnate Lucio Tan and the Antonio Cojuangco clan which claimed to own Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT).

The first Yellow regime practically wanted the Tan conglomerate wiped out of the Philippine business landscape as Tan was branded as one of Marcos’ richest cronies. The Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) “sequestered” the tycoon’s biggest firms, while it tried to gather evidence — unsuccessfully — that he had amassed ill-gotten wealth with the dictator’s help.

But not only that, with the PCGG cases appearing to be going nowhere—one reason being that documents held by Cory Aquino’s officials couldn’t be found—the Ramos administration led by his then Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Carpio slapped in 1992 a P25 billion tax-evasion case against Tan’s Fortune Tobacco Corp., claiming that it had been using forged BIR stamps on its cigarettes.

Carpio (upper left) and the tycoons he once crossed swords with.

Fizzled

The high-profile media coverage of the case, however, fizzled out and was gradually forgotten, with the charge finally dismissed in 2006, 14 years later. Tan’s black-propaganda machine was vicious at that time. As a correspondent of the Far Eastern Economic Review at the time, I even had to ask Carpio point blank to comment on the rumor circulating that Tan, known to be “accommodating,” decided instead to dig his heels in against the Ramos government as his legal counsel was allegedly asking for P5 billion for the case to be dropped. (Carpio vehemently denied it.)

Nearly three decades after Carpio and Ramos moved against Tan, the tycoon has survived the Ramos-Carpio siege and become richer than ever, with the case against Fortune Tobacco said to have prodded him to move out of that industry and into airlines and property.

Tragic or jinxed?

The other oligarch Carpio and his gang tried to topple was the Antonio Cojuangco clan, indeed a bold move as the family was blood-related to Ramos’ benefactor, Cory Cojuangco Aquino. The assault was in the form of dismantling PLDT’s monopoly in the telecoms industry, which had been protected for decades by such means as its refusal to interconnect telecom services by any competitor that emerged.

I was told at that time that it was Carpio’s idea to subject to linguistic analysis a decision written by a Supreme Court justice favorable to PLDT to prove that it was written by PLDT lawyers. After the findings were released to media confirming the claim, that Supreme Court justice stepped down. Ramos and Carpio had sent a strong message to the Supreme Court: “Do not stop our reform program, or you will be swept away.”

PLDT monopoly

Ramos, Carpio and Almonte did break PDLT’s monopoly by deregulating the industry, allowing the Ayalas’ Globe Telecom Inc. and then the start-up firm by engineers, Smart Communications, to enter the industry.

What Carpio had not expected though was that First Pacific Co., a Hong Kong-based firm owned by the Indonesian-based Salim family, the biggest crony of the strongman Suharto, would purchase PLDT months after President Joseph Estrada won the presidency. Various reports, including an account by tycoon Alfonso Yuchengco, alleged that Estrada got a P3 billion-bribe to allow the sale — as it meant giving control of a utility firm to foreigners, a patent violation of the Constitution that limited foreign ownership to just 40 percent. The capture of PLDT by First Pacific was crucial in the conglomerate’s growth as it leveraged the telecom firm’s resources to purchase control of Meralco, and from then on to other sectors.

(The Cojuangcos though happily got the proceeds of PLDT’s shares sold to Salim, which the Marcoses claim are theirs. Sources claim though that the Cojuangcos dilly-dallied in putting their cash proceeds into investments in the country, which explains the gradual demise of the once rich clan.)

With the profits of its huge conglomerate, the foreign-controlled First Pacific has been remitting profits of about $1 billion a year to its head office in Hong Kong.

Salim’s First Pacific Co — run by Manuel V. Pangilinan — concocted a scheme to go around the constitutional restrictions. This involved issuing cheap preferred shares to a Filipino entity that the Salim group controlled (PLDT Pension Fund) which purportedly had voting rights. This created the legalistic illusion that it was Filipino-controlled, and therefore was not violating the Constitution.*

When the issue reached the Supreme Court, Carpio was already there, appointed in 2001 by then-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Carpio very ably convinced most of his colleagues that, as he put it in the 2011 court decision, the scheme “contravenes the express command of the Constitution” that public utilities must be controlled 60 percent by Filipinos, and that a contrived system of corporate layering cannot hide that.

Unfazed, Pangilinan appealed the case to the Supreme Court, which in 2016 reversed the decision on grounds as flimsy as the “the key to nationalism is to the individual,” not on a percentage of shares held by Filipinos.

Caguioa

It was Justice Alfredo Caguioa — President Benigno Aquino 3rd’s last appointee to the court — who penned the decision, which was concurred in mostly by the Aquino 3rd-appointed justices, including the Chief Justice then, Maria Lourdes Sereno. Carpio, with Justices Teresita Leonardo-de Castro, Arturo Brion, Jose Mendoza — all appointees of former president Arroyo — dissented.

That ruling is one of the most damaging decisions by the Supreme Court on our sovereignty. It opened the floodgates to foreign control of our telecoms (Globe’s scheme for skirting the nationality restriction was the same) and water distribution as well as its increasing control of the country’s largest infrastructure projects, with First Pacific having become the biggest expressway operator and builder. The scheme has even been adopted by such companies as media firm ABS-CBN Broadcasting and property and finance firm GT Holdings.

Carpio, with Ramos and Almonte, undertook a historic project to dismantle a monopoly. The country ended up with a foreign duopoly, one controlled by an Indonesian tycoon and the other, Globe Telecoms, by a conglomerate, Singtel, owned by the Singaporean government.

How tragic that certainly is…or jinxed?

(To be continued on Friday)

*Details of this as well as First Pacific’s growth is comprehensively discussed in my 2016 book Colossal Deception: How Foreigners Control Our Telecoms Sector, available at Popular Book store, at rigobertotiglao.com and Amazon.com

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https://www.manilatimes.net/2019/10/23/opinion/columnists/topanalysis/carpio-tragic-or-jinxed/650255/