Below the Line
Paddling our own Canute…
Media protocol at yesterday’s Korina-Mar Wedding-of-the-Year was at the level of a state visit. Press accredited by invitation, pooled coverage, raffled interview and photo-op… and for a change,
Filipiniana wear obligatory. Doors of Sto. Domingo closed by 2 p.m.
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INVESTMENTS. Trade Secretary Peter Favila bats for change in Constitution to attract foreign capital.
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Question: Which countries succeeded in drawing foreign investments via constitutional change? (Hint: China, India or Vietnam?)
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Answer: None of the above. Those countries and the others draw FDI with the right political climate which controls (or reduces) corruption… and provides peace and order.
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Edwin Wite, Airbus Engineering Centre India Pvt. Ltd. chief, said 20 percent of Airbus engineering work will move to Bangalore and other developing countries. "To him that hath [the right conditions,] more shall be given…."
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Gen. Demi Camua, former deputy commander of Clark Air Base, saw great potentials in highly skilled Filipino aircraft maintenance crew to bring business refitting airplanes when the bases would revert to RP.
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But we lost highly-skilled workers when Dick Gordon lost Subic. Like we lost our atomic energy technicians when we lost Bataan nuclear reactor plant. "To him that hath none, shall be taken away."
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DTI daydreams revival of labor-intensive garments industry… if US Congress approves James McDermott’s (D-Washington) rider to give preferential duty treatment to RP exports. Counting the checks before congress bills are hatched, RP garment exports could jump in 3 years from US$1.2 billion to between $3 billion and $3.5 billion and jobs from 200,000 to 600,000.
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Is it the King Canute in us to legislate investments to come… instead of doing the hard slog to bring about conditions to make RP attractive?
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POST MORTEMS. It could happen anywhere… but Mayor Jejomar Binay anticipating publicly more robbery attempts with the coming elections and Christmas was not reassuring. Namamasko lang po!
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The good news is that those in police uniforms were really the bad guys… (and not real police).
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… and the good guys (Taguig Mayor Sigfrido Tinga’s police security SPO Cesar Tiglaw and PO Cefren Ceniza Jr.) responded ala Dirty Harry.
The drill for security officers in cases like the Greenbelt robbery is to confine themselves to their duty, i.e. to secure Mayor Tinga and his family who were having lunch nearby.
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It was fortunate that they went beyond the call of duty and engaged the robbers. But if they had misfired and hit passersby, they would have been liable.
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Then again, if the press learned that they were around and did nothing, we would never hear the end of it.
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Bad guys armed with high-powered M-16 Armalite and grenade are just scary cats vs determined police enforcers with light .9mm and .45 caliber handguns.
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Mayor Tinga decorated his security officers at the Taguig flag ceremony and recommended their immediate promotion. Policemen who put their lives on the line should be held up as role models .
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COMELEC GUN BAN AT 2010 POLLS. PNP chief Director General Jesus Verzosa said, “only those mandated by law should be allowed to carry firearms in proper uniform and in the performance of official functions.” The Greenbelt goons carried firearms and wore uniform.
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PNP gave holders of loose firearms until Oct. 31 to avail of the gun amnesty and banned tucking even licensed gun on waist. I thought with amnesty, one can keep it? Better to see a man has a gun than to be surprised when he pulls it out.
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What do you say to a man with a gun? Sori, Sir, biro lang. Then ask his amnesty. Feedback: jaz@mb.com.ph



