SINONA KA NGA NGUNIT KUMULANG?

Press Statement of Berteni "Toto" Cataluña Causing

President of Hukuman ng Mamamayan Movement Inc. (HMMI) and Alab ng Mamamahayag (ALAM)

Berteni "Toto" Cataluña Causing flashes a thumbs-up sign in this photo with partners Atty. Cirilo P. Sabarre Jr. and Atty. Dervin V. Castro.

 
SINONA KA NGA NGUNIT KUMULANG?

It reminds me a movie line: "Tinimbang ka ngunit kumulang."

If an issue was not mentioned by President Pnoy in his third SONA, there are three possibilities:

(1) the issue has not reached his eyes and ears;

(2) the issue is not deserving attention of the nation to be a substantive part of the entire state of the nation address;

(3) the President did not want to picture a negative picture out of his appointees who are bad, like Maria Josefina Mendoza De Guzman as the incumbent Postmaster General of Philippine Postal Corporation, Director General Ramon Gutierrez who was removed from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) due to graft and corruption issues, etc.

In fairness, there is a general mood or aura of positive outlook for everyone, particularly in the field of economics no matter the wants and needs that cry for attention.

We thank. P-noy mentioned that he will not forget the Ampatuan massacre that killed at least 33 media persons. He expressed firmness to press for justice in this most brutal attack against the liberty of the press.

We are sad. He did not mention what is the state of justice issues on deliberate killings committed against other journalists.  He mentioned of good things about cops but he did not say that the PNP has been a failure in finding for evidence to pin the masterminds of other news persons deliberately killed.  Already, 16 press practitioners have been killed since he took over as President on July 1, 2010.

Even as he spoke, Philippine Star and PN Ngayon columnist Nixon Kua died while battling for life after having been assaulted right at his residence in the otherwise secluded Ayala Greendfield village in Calamba, Laguna.

Workers are sad, too.  The labor front is complaining there is no policy statement regarding the rampant five-month contractual assaults committed by establishments. 

The basic definition of regular employment in the private sector is that the employment is regular if the work performed by a worker is USUALLY NECESSARY OR DESIRABLE TO THE BUSINESS OR TRADE of the workplace. 

TOP VIOLATORS of this law include SM, Jollibee, Puregold, labor and manpower agencies, etc.  If it is illegal to resort to contract for a fix period those works that are usually necessary or desirable to the business or trade of the employer, WHY IS IT RAMPANT?

Anti-graft crusaders are sad also.  On graft and corruption, it seems the eyes of Pnoy have veered away a bit, contrary to the reasons why many Filipinos like HMMI and ALAM president Berteni "Toto" Cataluña Causing voted and campaigned for him in 2010. 

One such agony of the crusaders is his ex-classmate Bong Naguiat who has been doing not good enough at the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor).

Another agony are HIS POLICEMEN. They are still engaged in "tong-pats" with gambling lords, nightclubs or trafficking lords, and others.

Justice crusaders are sad, too.  HMMI and ALAM advocates the overhaul of the justice system in the Philippines to establish the only scheme where the power to judge is given back to the people. 

As against single judge system where the perception is high that judges are selling or peddling their decisions for gain, the jury trial system is near-perfect in terms of fairness in arriving at a decision in every court contest.

In jury system, the people can sit comfortably that there is no selling out of judgments, although the decision may not be perfect in terms of correctness. 

In jury system, the people directly exercise the power to judge if they are chosen by raffle and other screening processes to sit as jurors, not to mention the actual learning of laws to give meaning to the phrase: "Ignorance of the law excuses no one."

Only the jury system can ensure better compliance with the laws even by the most arrogant, and better implementation of the laws even by the most corrupt.

SONA-BAGAN!