NEWS AND VIEWS By Bernie Lopez, eastwindreplyctr@gmail.com http://www.sisterraquel.com/2017/04/abolish
The articles reflect the personal views of the author. MEDIA OUTLETS HAVE PERMISSION TO REPRINT ______________________________ ABOLISH OR REFORM THE SSS – the corruption syndrome
When something good has been infected and perverted by corruption, what do we do? We have a dilemma. Option 1 is to abolish the system itself, but you may also remove the benefit to the people at the bottom. Option 2 is to replace the people on top, but there is no guarantee the next batch will not do the same. Option 3 is to reform the system. But what if it is beyond reform? What if the government pretends to reform for PR sake, but secretly does not? In other words, IF WE LET THE CORRUPT SOLVE THE CORRUPTION, NOTHING WILL HAPPEN. The Corruption Syndrome is like cancer. Chemotherapy (catch the thieves) destroys cancer cells (the corruption), but it also destroys good cells (people at the bottom) and it weakens the immunity system, which results in stronger cancer cells later. You solve the immediate only to worsen it later. Many doctors no longer believe in chemo. Others believe in it for the money. The Corruption Syndrome is the dilemma, the helplessness to correct something bad, the helplessness to cure the incurable.
Case No. 1. SSS – the milking cow. The COA reports that 8 members of the SSS board received a scandalous P1 million in bonuses, and its employees a staggering P276 million. Yet, they have the gall, and they feel no shame, in justifying this obvious scandal and greed.
BONUSES ARE BASED NOT ON PERFORMANCE BUT ON INCOME. PRESIDENT AQUINO, WHO VOWED TO STOP CORRUPTION, SUPPORTED AND JUSTIFIED THE BONUSES. A CRIME AGAINST THE PEOPLE IS IMPEACHABLE. If the money coming in is decreasing because you are not doing your job, you do not have the right to give yourself a bonus. The COA reported ‘performance issues’ in SSS in its 2012 audit report, meaning, they are not doing their job well. The Governance Commission for Government-owned or -controlled Corporations (GCG) reported that the SSS is doing its job well, contrary to the SSS report. The COA is more believable. Are SSS and GCG sweethearts?
Reps. Neri Colmenares and Carlos Isagani Zarate are asking the House Committee on Good Governance to investigate the grant of Performance-Based Bonus to SSS officials and employees. They accused the SSS board of refusing to increase pensions under House Bill 175, which the SSS rejected.
THIS IS TANTAMOUNT TO STEALING THE BENEFITS FROM ORDINARY PEOPLE, AND POCKETING THEM AS BONUSES. THERE HAVE BEEN PAST MEDIA REPORTS OF SSS FUNDS BEING USED FOR ELECTION CAMPAIGN, AND OTHER ANOMALIES. SSS IS THE PREMIERE MILKING COW. MANY PREFER A SIMPLE REFORM – MAKE SSS CONTRIBUTIONS OPTIONAL, NOT OBLIGATORY. AFTER ALL, THE WORKER HAS THE MORAL RIGHT TO HIS OWN MONEY. Should we abolish the SSS, replace the greedy board, or change the bonus system? If we abolish, what happens to the beneficiaries? If we do not, are we condoning corruption? If we replace the board, will the new one not do the same? If we change the system, will it work?
THE CORRUPTION SYNDROME SAYS WE ARE STUCK. ‘DAM’ IF WE DO, AND ‘DAM’ IF WE DON’T.
Case No. 2 – the PDAP-DAP, the milking super-cow. There is not much to say. Everybody has said it. It is oozing out of the front pages and the Internet. Everybody is angry. The Corruption Syndrome applies. Is there a final solution to the PDAP-DAP corruption? Will catching the thieves guarantee it will not be renamed into a chicken barrel and again quietly perpetrate itself?
Corrupt lawmakers make corrupt laws. Our hope lies in good lawmakers. Do we have some? When corruption reaches critical mass in government, only anarchy and revolution can solve the problem. Can our anger solve the greed of powerful men? Greed is the mother of corruption. And power makes it unstoppable. eastwindreplyctr@gmail.com __________________________________ AMERICA – STOP WAGING WARS U.S. WARS RELATED TO FED GOV’T SHUTDOWN The US is spending money for bullets to kill foreigners, money meant for bread and medicine for its own people. The US spent $6 trillion in the Iraq War. It is spending billions a month to maintain thousands of bases abroad and half a dozen mobile carrier fleets, on top of trillions on a frenzied weapons R&D program. At the end of World War II, its overseas bases exploded from 30 to 3,000. The end of the federal government shutdown is the tip of the iceberg, a temporary solution. The big tsunami is yet to coming, if America does not stop waging wars. It’s more than economics. It’s karma. ************************** The Gospel according to John I am the resurrection and the life he who believes in Me even if he dies, shall live whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die 11:25-26 I lay down My life for My sheep and other sheep that are not of My fold they shall all hear My voice there shall be one fold, one Shepherd 10:1-16 I am the light of the world he who follows Me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life 8:12 SONG OF PRAISE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOY0mjjmx8Y
prayer requests especially for the terminally ill sr.raquel.rvm@gmail.com inspirationals www.sisterraquel.com say a healing prayer in cyberspace with sister raquel – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAZcwNimBSg with father suarez – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UP3LHBgtIc amdg
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