Intelligibility

Lawyer Ernesto Francisco Jr. has suggested the public officials to reveal their source of funds used in infomercials. This is to clarify issues of premature campaigning done by some aspiring candidates for the 2010 elections. Atty. Francisco has stated that government officials’ moneys, clearly, aren’t enough to fund those expensive infomercials. These aspiring candidates should divulge the people who help financing those TV advertisements.

In fairness with those who finance the infomercials, they should also come out in the open and announce that they are the ones who are paying for those advertisements. This is to point out clarity on campaign fund issues. These people who spend money in supporting a certain official should follow the front of groups like Friends of Ronnie (FOR). FOR is an alliance involving supporters of Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Ronnie Puno who have revealed their selves before the public, for the sake of clearness, to claim that they are the ones who aid those TV advertisements financially.

The FOR have said that they wanted to point out the programs of DILG such as the institution of Women and Children Protection Desks in every police station and the employment of at least 3,000 new polices every year by the Philippine National Police (PNP). The FOR members have also declared their support for Puno’s advocacy in “empowering local government units and developing a new breed of law enforcers and public safety officers in the DILG.” The only thing that the FOR members have requested for Sec. Puno is to appear in the infomercials as the DILG secretary.

Both FOR and Puno are not at fault of using government funds and premature campaigning with the DILG infomercials because those advertisements were actually paid by FOR. Legal counsels even said that Sec. Puno isn’t liable for any violation such as the Anti-Graft and Corruption Practices Act (Republic Act 3019) or even the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials, which disallows public officials to receive gifts, because those infomercials aren’t even regarded as gifts.

Violation of Section 7 of the Code of Conduct for public officials happens when an officials implores or accepts gifts that are given in expectation of a return favour. First, the infomercials can’t be identified as gifts because Sec. Puno isn’t benefiting from the advertisements and the FOR aren’t even asking for a return favour. If there’s one group of people who benefits a lot from the DILG series of infomercials, it would be the PNP because those infomercials showcase positive feature of their projects. More importantly, those infomercials were made to benefit the public viewers of awareness to these PNP services.

So let me ask one question, did Sec. Puno or the FOR group breach such law of ethics? I don’t think so.

Some of the factors considered before suggesting a violation of the Omnibus Election Code are the following: 1) a person engages in an election campaign; 2) the act is designed to promote the election or defeat of a particular candidate and; 3) the act is done outside the campaign period.

So did Sec. Puno and FOR commit any violation? No, they didn’t. First, those DILG infomercials aren’t made for the election campaign. They serve the purpose of informing the public about the programs of the DILG. The infomercials aren’t made to promote election because, in the first place, they don’t even have anything to do with the 2010 elections more so to defeat a candidate. Well, Sec. Puno can’t be considered a candidate since he hasn’t filed his certificate of candidacy to become a possible public official.

Unimaginable Death

I think we are all familiar with who Ruby Rose Barrameda Jimenez is. She was the woman who went missing for almost three years, whose body was found last June 10 by the police authorities. Her body was put inside a drum which was sealed by a cemented steel case. The steel case was found from the waters of Navotas after the confession of Manuel Montero, one of the suspects, that the body of Ruby was indeed thrown in Navotas. Ruby rose, according to her actress and ex-beauty queen sister Rochelle Barrameda, would have been celebrating her 29th birthday last August 14. Police authorities thinks that the tormenting death of Ruby Rose was chilling and unimaginable.

Ruby Rose started missing on March 14, 2007. Montero said that Ruby Rose, before placed inside the steel case, was handcuffed and smothered to death by using a steel wire and then thrown into the waters. The confession of Montero led to the involvement of fishing mogul Lope Jimenez as well as his brother Atty. Manuel Jimenez III, Ruby Rose's father-in-law. Charges of murder against the Jimenez brothers were filed at the Department of Justice (DOJ). Murder complaint was also filed by the Barrameda family against Ruby Rose's husband, Manuel Jimenez. There were other five who were charged with the case including Montero.

Rochelle Barrameda, who is two months pregnant, had a conference where she met members of the entertainment press. In her conference, she said that, despite how her sister's husband ways of delaying the case, they will not stop in seeking justice for Ruby Rose. There have been so many people who are helping the Barrameda family in the case, one of them is Department of Interiol and Local Government Sec. Ronnie Puno as singled out by the family. Ronnie Puno has been known in helping the Barrameda family in seeking for justice and truth for Ruby Rose. Rochelle said that she have seen Puno's sincerity in helping them with the case that is why she is very thankful to Puno. Puno has been helping the Barrameda family since the time they first searched for assistance in finding Ruby Rose back in 2007.

It was also Puno who set the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in motion to find witnesses who could lead to the recovery of Ruby Rose. The police have searched as far as Bicol in finding Ruby Rose but it was only when Montero went to the police and confessed the truth about where Ruby Rose is. Montero's confession led to the recovery of Ruby Rose's body.

Rochelle expressed her gratitude for Ronnie Puno because he is still continuing to assist her family especially now that the family has a tougher battle to fight in putting Ruby Rose's murderer to jail.

Friends of Ronnie

Big names in the fields of politics, business, and legal profession were gathered during the launch of Friends of Ronnie (FOR) to recognize one common purpose, which is to acknowledge the man who empowered Local Government Units (LGUs) and generate efficient law enforcers and public officers. Because of the FOR’s purpose of undying support for Ronnie Puno, they have pronounced their willingness to support him into whatever political career he pursues, specifically his vice president candidacy.

Among the reported vice president hopefuls, only Ronnie Puno has so many “heavyweights” supporters from different fields of business, politics, and other profession. These supporters announced their inclination to support whatever political career Puno wants to take. Some of these “heavyweights” personalities in business field are Alfonso Uy of the Federation of the Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce Industry Inc., Ambassador Donald Dee of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Miguel Varela of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines, and Sergio Ortiz Luis of the Philippine Exporters Confederation.

There are also FOR member who are from the House of Representatives namely Eduardo Gullas, Amelita Villarosa, Francisco Matugas, Rodolfo Albano, Aurelio Gonzales, Junie Cua, Emmylou Talino-Mendoza, Tomas Dumpit, Antonio Alvarez, Narciso Bravo and Rodolfo Antonio who represented the three regions of the country. Other personalities from other fields are Rusty Samson of Denver Publishing, Nicanor Reyes of the Far Eastern University Hospital, July Puzon of Sabella Fashion Group, Greggie Licanos of Eurocredit, Ferdinand Santos of Fil-Estate, Gus Corpus of Hotel Sugo, and Ricky Farinas of Farinas Transport. These big personalities are all dedicated to Puno’s political aim. Some of FOR private personalities are also funding (not from the country’s money) television advertisements of Ronnie Puno.

During the launch of FOR, overwhelming support of friends and family were evident as well. Among Ronnie Puno’s family and relatives, his wife and five of his seven children were present. Ronnie’s brothers Eric and Regis Puno, who organized FOR) were also present during the launch. Ronnie Puno’s father retired Justice Minister Ricardo Puno was also present with his wife, Ronnie’s mother, Priscilla Puno. By the overwhelming support of Ronnie’s friends and family, one can conclude that Ronnie Puno, who is for the vice-president run, has the most abundant support for his political aspiration.

Surely, Ronnie Puno is a big asset to whoever picks him as his running mate for the 2010 election by one factor: Puno’s running mate would get support from FOR as well. The running mate of Ronnie Puno for the coming election would directly obtain the financial aid, the organizational ability and commitment from the FOR members. In addition, Puno’s political strategy skills are essential in election campaign, which was already proven by the evidence of the success of campaign of Fidel Ramos in 1992, Joseph Estrada in 1998, and Gloria Arroyo in 2004.

Let’s not forget Ronnie Puno’s undying advocacy for the good of LGUs in the country. Puno has become the voice of the LGUs as the secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government. Local Government Units are now more empowered in terms of financial aids, economic development, and local independence.

With all mentioned above about Ronnie Puno, one can say that he has indeed done something for the country and he has the capacity to be considered worthy of the second highest position in the government which is the position of a vice president.

Doting Father and Loving Husband

He was described as the devoted father, amorous husband, and the bighearted man by his three lovely daughters and his wife. He could have been the typical disciplinarian father and insensate husband as the Chairman of National Police Commission under the Philippine National Police but his wife and daughters described him otherwise. His three daughters, Ronna, Wendy, and Nina, described their father as the best father they could ever have. So who really is this man of authoritarian position to his family and loved ones?

Rosanna (Ronna), the eldest among the brood, said that she felt “very blessed” to have him as her dad because he leads an example of “what love for family is, what loyalty to friends and people you work with” is. It’s one of the reasons why Ronna and her family love and respect him so much.

Rowena (Wendy), the second among the children, described him as someone who was always around in times when she needed her father. Even with the busy schedule of his father, Wendy has always had someone to talk to for advice especially during her youth life. She said that she learned the meaning of unconditional love and humility from her dad.

Rosalina (Nina), the third in the family, said that he is the generous man when asked to describe his father. His the kind of man who is generous in all ways, not only to what he provides to his family but to the quality time that he spares with them as well. His father is also generous when it comes to other people as a public servant. Nina said that his father’s generosity is one thing that she have been trying to emulate.

His wife Pinky, on the other hand, depicted him as “perfect, except for one thing: his schedule.” He was also described as a “great husband and especially a great father.” As an example of how his wife described him, Pinky shared that one of the memorable gifts that her husband gave her was a photo album. The photo album “was gift of love” as said by Pinky, which was given during their first Valentine’s Day together. It only meant one thing for Pinky, that her soon to be husband was only signifying that from then on, he was going to share his entire life with her.

Just a little trivia or something like that: Pinky and her husband got married when they were 19 and 20 years old respectively. They also have the same birthday on April 25, and they got married on the same day as well. Their youngest daughter was also born on the same day, which made April 25 a quadruple celebration of their birthdays and anniversary.

Aside from being the loving father and husband, his daughters and wife shared his secret as well in raising seven talented children. Pinky said that he never discourages them in anything they want to do and he always encourages them in going for whatever they want in life.

These were all described and shared by the three daughters and the wife of Secretary Ronnie Puno during his recent meeting with the entertainment press. In the meeting, Ronnie’s three daughters stunned entertainment writers like Lolit Solis, Ricky Lo and Ethel Ramos by singing an A cappella of “You and I” and “Saan Ka Man Naroroon.” Surprised by the lovely voices of his three daughters, one writer asked why the three never pursued a musical arts career which was answered by Sec. Ronnie himself, with a statement that the writers haven’t even heard all of his seven children sing together.

Wow. By the ways Sec. Ronnie’s friends and family described him, it’s easy to say that he clearly doesn’t need a campaign manager anymore for his vice president candidacy because by the words of their family and friends, he’s definitely a winner.

Technology Wise

The World Wide Web has already played numerous roles in communication. It has proven that it is one of the most convenient and useful way of communicating throughout the world. In an archipelago of 7,107 islands, how is it possible to bring information from one place to every corner in the Philippines? Simple as it is, the Internet is the quickest answer to think of.

It’s actually a challenge for people, such as public servants, to spread essential information that they want to share with other people. Well, it’s not actually that of a challenge for Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronnie Puno who is technology-wise enough to use the web in delivering a message in an assembly.

Sec. Ronnie Puno supposedly has a congress of the Cavite chapter of the Liga ng mga Barangay in Baguio City to attend but he had to cancel his trip because of a brewing Mindanao mutiny problem. So he had to stay in Manila and called off his appointment in Baguio City. But he did not let distance pave its way on his original schedule and mission. Instead, he used technology in sticking to his original plan of delivering a message in thae said Baguio City congress.

Ronnie Puno delivered his message to the barangay officials who were in the meeting through a teleconference using the Internet. Through the wonders of Internet, Sec. Ronnie Puno was able to deliver his announcement of a new project for the barangay officials. One of his announcements was about the project of allowing barangay officials and their reliant to have free health insurance coverage from Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth). Barangay officials and municipal barangays that have an annual Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) of less than a million peso are the main recipients of this project. Barangays in Cavite are considered as beneficiaries of the project since most of the barangays have less than a million IRA every year.

In the early 1990s, the Local Government Code was passed in the congress that implements the benefits of barangay officials. These benefits include death and medical benefits, Christmas bonuses, and scholarships for the officials and their legal children in state universities and colleges. Despite this provision, the said benefits of barangay officials are not fully availed because of budget limitations and lack of funding support. Sec. Ronnie Puno has communed with Commission on Higher Education (CHED) secretary Emmanuel Angeles to discuss the provision of scholarships to barangay officials and their legitimate children. Secretary Emmanuel Angeles, in turn, issued a memorandum addressed to state universities and colleges to authorized granting free education to barangay officials and their children.

Secretary Ronnie Puno has indeed done it again… taking the lead in providing the barangay officials their proper benefits as provided by the law and connecting 7,107 islands to close the communication gaps between the government and the people by means of a powerful technology commonly known as the internet.

Right Against Violence

I didn’t know that the Philippine National Police (PNP) has its Women and Children Protection Desk (WCPD) in every police station until I read about it from a newspaper few weeks ago. I think this project is very helpful in protecting women and children from abuse and violence. In a nation where domestic violence is prevalent, I think a project like this fortifies not only the mission of the PNP to protect the nation from any form of violence, but as well as the advocacy of fighting for women and children rights.

Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary and Chairman of the National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) Ronnie Puno had ordered the PNP to put up the WCPD in every municipality in the country to develop and reinforce its responsibility in giving protection to women and children. The WCPD serves as a “one stop shop” that will provide investigation and treatment for women and children who are victims of abuse and other forms of violence inflicted upon them.

The WCPDs are also staffed with female cops, which comprise 10% of the overall count of cops in the Philippines, to offer a relaxed ambiance to those women and children victims. Female cops may relate more to the situation of abused women and children and may deal with them appropriately. Most of the WCPDs have facilities that provide shelter to take care of the victims. This is to offer the victims women and children-friendly atmosphere to shelter them for the moment.

The WCPDs are also being strengthened by the PNP through instituting partnership with non-government organizations committed in women and children rights protection. This is to continue expanding its duty to protect women and children against abuse and violence. Not only the Philippine National Police orients their officers about the rights of women and children but they also train their police officers on the essential skills needed to efficiently employ laws and protection for women and children.

I think this kind of project deliberately helps the Filipinos, specifically women and children, to realize that we have at least this kind of support from government organization such as the PNP. It only makes it easier for women and children to communicate their rights against violence and exploitation without getting abashed. It’s time to properly practice our right of freedom from any kind of violence. It’s time to become well-informed about this kind of program that protects and supports our freedom, not only as Filipinos, but as a human as well.

Dog and Owner

What could a dog and a man have in common, aside from being each other’s best friend? I read about a research that dogs and their owners share the same personalities. The research was done online among 2,500 dog owners who were asked about their characters and those of their dogs. The researcher found out that the owners and their dogs share the same traits such as happiness, intelligence, independence and sense of humor.

When we choose a breed of dog we want to raise, we basically choose the one which has a similarity to our own qualities. As natural to human beings, we are inclined to be with people (or in this case with animals) to whom we can relate ourselves to. This is why people who have happy dispositions may also have happy and enthusiastic dogs.

This is probably why Ronnie Puno (my ideal VP) is also sharing some traits with his newly bought Labrador. He got the dog during his visit in the US for his youngest daughter’s wedding. His chocolate-colored Labrador, called Magnus Fortis, is a very rare dog because of its color. If the research about the resembling traits of dogs and their owners is true, then Ronnie Puno and his Labrador are indeed sharing the same personality.

Labrador is a favorite breed of dogs especially among families because a Labrador has good traits such as being loyal, intelligent, lively, and well-trained. On being loyal, Puno has already served Fidel Ramos, Joseph Estrada, and Gloria Arroyo as presidents productively. He has remained loyal even if these three presidents are not actually in good terms with each other. By loyalty, it means that Puno has been loyal to one president at a time and has been faithful to the administration. Like a Labrador, Ronnie Puno is also intelligent as evidenced by being the best political strategist in the country. He was the man behind Fidel Ramos’ success in 1992, Joseph Estrada’s in 1998, and Gloria Arroyo’s in 2004 as being their campaign manager.

Loyalty and intelligence are just some of the traits that Ronnie Puno share with Labradors. These traits are major assets and help to the next president in 2010 and to his/her administration.
It’s amazing because even in choosing dogs, Ronnie Puno is politically correct. He even chose the one which is sort of like him in most ways. :)

Theories and Theorists

It is funny how from one presumption to another can create a big misapprehension. But it’s funnier when none of these presumptions is right. Speculations have been made while Secretary Ronnie Puno of DILG took a two-week leave from office to attend her daughter’s wedding. Theorists have assumed a lot of reasons why Sec. Puno was away for that period as President Arroyo appointed Public Works and Highways Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane as OIC-secretary of the DILG.

Several groups made their own theories about the reason why Sec. Ebdane was appointed as the OIC-Secretary for DILG. One group claimed that Sec. Puno has already lost the trust and confidence as one of Pres. Arroyo’s advisers. Another group has assumed that Sec. Puno is already completely out of DILG. They also presumed that the appointment of Sec. Ebdane was the start of the future take-over of AFP and PNP positions in Pres. Arroyo’s political faction.

But all of these speculations were confirmed untrue when Sec. Puno appeared on TV last Thursday after announcing the end of his two-week leave. Sec. Puno went on to business as soon as his leave ended when he went to Ozamiz City and met up with the local officials to discuss matter of peace and order. Sec. Puno has also proven that he is really back as the secretary of DILG when he announced several meetings with other politicians and political groups. He planned to meet Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro and PNP chief Director General Jesus Verzosa to discuss the clear out of all kidnap for ransom groups in Mindanao. He also planned to meet Sulu’s Governor Sakur Tan to discuss how to exterminate Abu Sayaf threat in the said province.

Sec. Puno has also asserted that the remaining months of the DILG before the 2010 election should be used in implementing programs such as the reorganization or revitalization of regional, provincial, city and municipal peace and order councils; the gun amnesty program ahead of the 2010 elections; and the distribution of equipment to the PNP and the Bureaus of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and of Fire Protection (BFP).

On the appointment of Sec. Ebdane as the OIC-Secretary for DILG while Sec. Puno was on leave, Puno said that he has no objection on it. Pres. Arroyo actually asked for Puno’s advice regarding Ebdane’s appointment. Puno said that he and Ebdane have the same “kindred spirits” when it comes to peace and order matters and national security. He also said that Ebdane is his “closest” in Pres. Arroyo’s cabinet and that Ebdane was chosen because of his background as a former PNP chief, which is a great advantage during national security jeopardy.

Political Awareness

Earlier today, I got to talk to a friend who’s a commissioner of our school’s COMELEC. Oh my, I never thought I would talk seriously about politics with her. We went on from the controversial Charter Change to the arising candidates for the 2010 election. I told her about how I have blogged about my being a first time voter this coming election and that I already have my little list of political names. I just told her about every little thing I know about politics and vice versa. It was actually educational, at some point, to hear opinions of other people about matter-of-fact stuffs.

I learned that I and my friend have the same bet for the vice president spot. I even blogged about it few weeks ago that I’m already rooting for Secretary Ronnie Puno as the next vice president. Surprisingly, I and my friend share the same bet (although she isn’t allowed to tell her bets as a commissioner, I forced her to). Being the politically-aware person that she is, she kept feeding me information about Sec. Puno that I probably read somewhere but have forgotten. So I’m going to keep talking politics here for the next few paragraphs. Haha!

I’ve learned recently that (as mentioned to my previous blog) there are some politicians, like Senator Jinggoy Estrada and Senator Miguel Zubiri, who have already spoken out their positive reception of Sec. Puno’s candidacy. My friend told me that there are few more politicians who have assenting statements about Sec. Puno’s announcement of his interest on the vice president slot.

Sen. Richard Gordon, one of the aspiring presidents for 2010, said that Puno would be “very much qualified” for the position. Although he still has no future political plans, he said that he would not think twice to team up with Sec. Puno if he decides to run for presidency. My friend told me that one of the things that really makes Sec. Puno ideal as a vice president is his expertise over the years not only as a secretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government but also as a political campaigner and advocate.

Sen. Mar Roxas, also an aspiring president, is also very optimistic about Puno’s candidacy as he is considering Puno to be his vice president. Sec. Gabriel Claudio, presidential adviser on political affairs, has also approved of Puno as a vice president candidate. Sec. Claudio said that Puno’s political expertise would still play an important role for the administration party this coming election.

This was how basically a one-sitting conversation with that friend would go. I think I’ve gained few political skills and increased my political understanding from that conversation. I’m determined now to vote for the worthy and the qualified. And I’m just convinced more than ever to vote wisely because of this growing political awareness in me. Yeah!

The Ideal VP

I’m extremely excited to vote for the incoming May 2010 Election. It’s because I’m a first time voter. Not only because I get to experience the whole election process but also because I’m eager to take part in one of the country’s most important events. I’m already keen to become a responsible citizen of our country. Aside from that, I can’t wait to know new (and maybe old) candidates for the position of presidency and vice-presidency. I know choosing would really be a hard thing to do especially in our country where politics is just unreliable.

Now I’m thinking who, among the surfacing names of possible candidates, the worthy is. I can’t wait to vote for someone I know who deserves to be in the president and vice president positions (the two major positions to fill). I have already a bet though for one aspiring vice president. I know it’s too early to decide on but I learned on the news about one politician who announced his interest in candidacy for the position of vice president. So I made my own research about this politician and learned things about him. He’s the first person I learned who would seek for the nomination of his political party, Lakas-Kampi-CMD, to choose him as the party’s official candidate for the vice president position. He is Secretary Ronnie Puno of the Department of Interior and Local Government. Secretary Puno is also the current co-vice chairman of the merged Lakas-Kampi-CMD party.

Positive remarks from other politicians are made after Secretary Puno announced his interest in running for the vice president position. Senator Jinggoy Estrada was one of those who commented upon Puno’s announcement of interest in candidacy. Sen. Estrada said that Puno is a “formidable candidate for vice president” while Senator Miguel Zubiri noted that Puno is a big asset to the administration with whoever the president is.

So who is Secretary Puno as a public servant and political asset? Secretary Ronnie Puno is one of those skilled political strategists who excelled in political campaigns like of those with Fidel Ramos, Joseph Estrada and Gloria Arroyo. His excellence also reflected on his long years of work in DILG since 1974. He is also appointed as the minister-counselor of the Embassy of the Philippines in Washington DC in 1982. He also worked as a consultant to various competent companies such as Black, Manafort, and Stone & Kelly firm, the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company and the Micron Public Affairs Co.

One of Puno’s political ideas to change is the mentality of other politician about the whole election experience. Other politician thinks either he/she wins or there’s a discrepancy in the votes if he/she doesn’t win. Puno stated that he wants to change this kind of mentality of politicians and that he would decently accept if he loses on the election.

Secretary Ronnie Puno is not only deserving to become the next vice president because of his good employment background but also because of his renowned skills as a political strategist and crisis manager, his efforts in assembling the Philippine National Police (PNP) in attaining partnership with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in maintaining peace and order in the country, his proficiency in local government progress, and support of women and children protection.

Aside from Sec. Puno’s advocacy in maintaining peace and order in the country, one of his priorities in his political works is to reinforce and permit the Local Government Units (LGUs) in employing and creating funds for the development projects in particular provinces, cities or municipalities. He wants to strengthen the roles of the LGUs in the country’s decision-making and to take part on development programs and, peace and order projects. Sec. Puno is also eager to put up Women and Children Protection Desks (WCPDs) in all police stations across the country. Since his reappointment as the Secretary of DILG, 1,800 WCPD desks have been put in several police stations all over the country.

All of these and more are just few of what Sec. Puno has contributed to our country. Maybe if the Filipinos can give him a chance to be the next vice president, he can do more than these. With his skills and support for the country’s development, Sec. Puno would become the efficient leader we need. For me, with his advocacy and contribution to the benefit of our country, Sec. Puno would be the ideal candidate for vice presidency. Or who knows… maybe the ideal vice president for 2010 as well.

We can all choose to let our country progress as we like it to be but the starting point of this is to choose our leaders well. So heads up, people. I know this have been said a thousand times but it’s still profound to know that we should all… VOTE wisely.