KAKAMPI MO ANG BATAS.17 JUNE 2011

KAKAMPI MO ANG BATAS.17 JUNE 2011

Road users pork barrel & ARMM poll postponement

LIFE’S INSPIRATIONS: “…As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him…” (Psalm 103:13, the Holy Bible).

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CONNECTION BETWEEN PORK BARREL AND ARMM POLL POSTPONEMENT: Will the Road Board, whose members are appointed by the President, give away billions of pesos it has collected as road users tax as additional pork barrel for senators, congressmen and governors, on its own, and then risk being charged with plunder or graft and corruption later?

We must remember, as Sen. Panfilo Lacson said, road users tax collections are intended by law to be used for repairs and improvement of roads, and not as pork barrels of lawmakers or local government officials. Using the tax for some other purposes, as what was admittedly done here, constitutes a crime.

So, when did the Road Board get the courage to divert the road users tax from its original usage? When it was time to vote on the postponement of the August 2011 elections at the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) by our senators? Is that the connection between this road users pork barrel and the ARMM poll postponement?

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WHO ARE WE TO BELIEVE---CARANDANG OR DE JESUS? So, who are to believe on the issue of whether or not Malacanang was asked by former Transportation and Communications Secretary Jose De Jesus to reprimand Land Transportation Office chief Virginia Torres---De Jesus or Communications Secretary Ricky Carandang?

Carandang says Malacanang is not aware of any memorandum by De Jesus recommending administrative sanctions against Torres, but then De Jesus has produced that memorandum, giving copies thereof to media to back up his claims.

Clearly, Carandang either does not know what he is talking about, which is a sign of gross incompetence, or that he is simply pulling the wool over our eyes to hide his incompetence, or the incompetence or, worse, the criminal maneuverings, of some other Malacanang officials who maybe in cahoots with the corrupt and the greedy.

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OFFICIALS MUST BE SLAVES OF ALL: As a reminder to those who are in positions of power, we are reproducing here a discussion by the Lord Jesus with His disciples led by John and James on how a leader should conduct himself in office. This is how Mark 10: 35-45 describes this important discussion:

“Jesus called them together and said, `You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them.

“ `Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many,’ ” Jesus said. For officials reading this, it is time to follow what Jesus said here.

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