MANILA, Philippines - (Editor's note: Corruption has a model to copy and the RH bill gives us the first step to population control.) Can the court issue a so-called gag order preventing parties, their lawyers, newspaper readers, etc., from discussing theft of AFP funds of P303 M? No to Garcia deal The AFP general staff and rank and file, through the chief of staff, are all loud and clear in shouting NO to the prosecutors' unexpected gesture of true kindness by readily consenting to a "deal," giving the culprit the benefit of the doubt. Slap on the wrist In a previous article this author said that bribery is a slap on the wrist compared to plunder. It's all the way down, in comparison, like treating murder as a new form of consummated serious physical injuries. The big if If the US authorities had not intercepted an undeclared baon of $100,000 by one member of the suspect's family, the public wouldn't have known that an AFP general was involved in the reported diversion of P303 M budget for supplies and various contracts to improve the military organization's capability. Remember the New York investment banker named Maddox? He had rocked Wall Street with a magnitude 7 of financial tremor by diverting more than a billion dollars, from investors to his deep pocket. The transaction involved private funds, not tax money. Jail of 30 years The federal government consented to a deal: Keeping and jailing Maddox for 30 years in a federal prison, knowing he was 70 years old at the time of plea bargaining. In the US a sentence of 30 years in jail is not 15, 20, or 25. It's a full 30 years all the way. Maddox agreed to the plea bargaining with full knowledge he would be 100 years old after 30 years. 'Whispering hope' The "deal" between the prosecutors and General Garcia's lawyers is without parallel in PHL to my best recollection. It took years of detention, "whispering hope," two rulings by the Sandiganbayan denying bail, a deep slumber of the case, and finally a long second thought of filing the "proper charge" - from plunder to bribery - or like changing rape to act of lasciviousness after six years of detention without bail. Model ignored Mr. Benito Carandang of the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey, was led to see double after reading my first article and simply asked: "With such a model, how can you stop corruption?" There's corruption in any country with strict anti-corruption laws and enforcement is being watched by more and more people each day. Corrupt judges, prosecutors, and lawyers have a rare gift: "They're eagle-eyed, but not all the time." RH bill has no dangers From Pampanga, the archbishop warned his flock to protect the family against dangers "posed by the RH bill." His message was read in 92 parishes during Misa de Gallo. He cited the "external danger like the liberal and modern ways of population or birth control." Pre-empting conception Let's not concede little intelligence to the mainstream population. They know there's nothing to kill or eliminate by stopping conception from the very start with the use of condoms and other safe methods.
Righteousness The difference is in definition of what is morally right or wrong. There's little help the government can extend to communities with a growth rate viewed as high. Most young couples, married or live-in, are not in full agreement with the so-called right/natural method if they cannot provide the basics for a family of six or eight or 10 children. There's no accurate projection by the church referring to the ideal number in one family other than the mother and father. Beyond religion If the average Filipino family is measured by the number of members who can enjoy the basic needs like healthcare, education, housing, food, etc. this is one problem only the state can control/regulate. Hunger/poverty is beyond the power of any religion to solve. Only the government has the capacity to give partially what the population wants. (Comments are welcome at roming@pefianco.com).
