Once again, this country is in a crisis. The Arroyo administration is faced with the task of deciding on the fate of the so-called Magdalo mutineers. Now that the mutineers have been convicted, the palace, probably hoping to gain favors, is looking at pardoning the mutineers.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer’s Editorial “Tough Decision” opposes the pardon of the mutineers:
But there’s no getting away from the reality, indeed the enormity, of what they did in July 2003. Some of the country’s most elite soldiers, with top-of-the-line equipment and superior training, rose in arms against the duly constituted authority and took over a luxury high-rise in the middle of the country’s prime business district. Regardless of the justness of some of their demands, their mutiny cannot be countenanced. Their kind of adventurism must be punished—or else it will erupt again.
Twice in the past two years the country came under threat from the same kind of military adventurism. Perhaps the inordinate length of the trial of the Magdalo soldiers may have been an additional factor in encouraging the latest adventurism—which is all the more reason then to uphold the court’s convictions. Behavior, psychologists will remind us, is reinforcement.
This is just a clip from the privilege speech of Davao City Councilor Angela “Anging” Librado-Trinidad who is the Chairperson of the Committee on Women, Children, and Family. She is defending the passage of the controversial Local Development Plan for Children.
Here is a summary of the speech delivered by Davao City Councilor Teresita Mata-Marañon on her Grounds for Opposition to the Local Development Plan for Children:
It is a mockery of parental authority and not consistent with respect for family, motherhood and children’s dignity.
It is offensive to the virtue of chastity.
The civil authority should consider a sacred duty to acknowledge the true nature of marriage and family, to protect and foster them and to safeguard public morality (this is a mandate of our Philippine Constitution).
Last Tuesday, I attended the regular session of the Davao City Council. The gallery was full of pro-life advocates anticipating the passage of the Local Development Plan for Children (LDPC). During the privilege hour, Councilor Teresita Mata-Marañon spoke of her reasons for opposing the plan. The pro-life advocates were happy.
Then, LDPC’s main proponent Councilor Angela Librado-Trinidad spoke in defense of the LDPC. She further explained that Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has asked that the third and final reading and voting on LDPC be deferred. And it was.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer Editorial today describes MMDA’s current campaign for “beautification” as “Ugly.” It points out the complaints that Bayani Fernando is clearly politicking by dressing up the entire Metro with posters prominently displaying his face and name:
No one can be so naive as to believe this is nothing more than a campaign to educate citizens. It has politics written all over it, just like Fernando’s long-running radio ads on a similar theme. All are plainly political propaganda intended for Fernando’s self-promotion. And he is doing it all at taxpayers’ expense.
