MISSING THE ACTION by: Kiko Ortelano

LEARNING LESSONS

We all should do. It is good to know that the Provincial Board of Pampanga has basically approved the 1.1billion peso budget of the province for 2009. It is not as bad as 2008.

The other thing about the approved budget is the admission by Vice Governor Guiao that the PB is witholding approval to a few items on the submitted budget by the governor. The budget for the governor's office and BALAS are being witheld pending submission of other supporting documents by the governor's office.

The Vice Governor can use all the excuses he can to justify this. But he and the whole SP can no longer fool the discerning Kapampangans on the real reasons why these budget items are yet to be approved. This is all politics and even, to some extent, personal to them. Governor Panlilio can not and will not be forgiven by the SP because of the direction they are getting from the powers that be.

THE POLICE

There was a text message circulating the other week about the assignment of a new PNP Provincial Director for Pampanga. The message clearly shows who is wielding the baton in Pampanga.

THE PNP have been justifying the almost two years tenure of PDir Keith Singian as OIC for Pampanga. However, they always fail to mention that OIC's tenure must not exceeed a month period.

This is the very reason why anarchy almost always reigns in the Philippines. The organizations that are mandated by law to enforce laws are, sometimes, the first and worst violators. This is exacerbated by the fact that routine actions of government organizations, like the PNP, become extremely political in nature because of the dictates of the powers that be.

HELLO, HELLO!

We really do not hear from our brothers from the other civil society organizations in Pampanga. We also have not heard from the other leaders of the province; specially from the religious.

We are echoing the call of Chief Justice Puno for the church and civil society groups to maintain their vigilance in being a watchdog of our government specially the Executive and Legislative branches. We know for a fact that the judiciary, specially starting the term of former Chief Justice Panganiban and continuing at this time, has been cleaning its ranks of misfits. Now that the executive branch seem to be trying to exertr control of the judiciary, as it always does to the legislative, Filipinos must always be alert in thwarting such michiavellian efforts.