By TJ Burgonio
Philippine Daily Inquirer

Corona to take the stand

Corona is scheduled to finally take the witness stand at his trial in the Senate impeachment court on May 22 to answer the allegations against him.

The panel of investigators, formed by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales to look into complaints that Corona may have accumulated ill-gotten wealth, summed up their findings as follows:

A net increase of P8,970,980 in Corona’s net worth.

A discrepancy of P36,770,878 in his bank deposits. [Deposits bigger than what’s in his SALN]

Dollar bank transactions of $10 million or P420 million from April 2003 to December 2011.

Peso bank transactions of P242 million from April 2003 to February 2012.

Less the combined income of Corona and wife Cristina of P30,369,120.13, his “total possible unexplained wealth” could total P677,372,738.22, the panel said.

“Analyzing the accumulated wealth of subject Corona for the period 2001-2010 by using the acquisition value of the acquired real assets, and the bank transactions in comparison to the supposed income earned and known income from 2001 to 2011, it is apparent that subject Corona has acquired wealth that is not commensurate to his known income,” the panel said.

In daughters’ name

Travels abroad by the Corona couple and properties registered in the name of their daughters, Ma. Charina and Ma. Carla, were not taken into account.

“The undersigned investigators respectfully submit that the foregoing findings may involve a violation of Republic Act No. 9160 as amended by RA 9194 (the Anti-Money Laundering Act). In addition, the acquisition of wealth of subject Corona appears to be grossly disproportionate to his known income as a public officer,” they said.

Belmonte

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. furnished reporters a copy of the 20-page memorandum dated May 10, containing the report, forwarded by the panel of investigators to Morales. Belmonte was furnished a copy of the document by the Ombudsman on Friday.

The panel was composed of Christopher Soguilon, Ferdinand San Joaquin, Repicurus Charlo Salcedo, Rholie Besoña and Moses Buzmion.

It reported that Corona had a total compensation income of P27.1 million from 2002 to 2011, while his wife earned an income of P3.2 million as a member of the board of Camp John Hay Development Corp. from 2007 to 2010.

The panel placed the total income of the couple at P30.3 million.

Declared net worth

The investigators observed that Corona’s declared net worth of P13,698,000 in 2001 increased by P1 million in 2002, decreased by P7,608,920 in 2003 and remained the same in 2004.

His net worth increased by P1 million in 2005, by P1.2 million in 2006, by P1,499,000 in 2007, by P1.5 million in 2008, by P2 million in 2009 and by P8,379,900 in 2010.

The net increase in net worth was P8,970,980, the panel said.

As for Corona’s bank accounts, the panel reported these findings:

A PSBank account (Katipunan branch), opened on Jan. 26, 2009, had an opening balance of P2.1 million but had zero balance by the end of 2009.

A PSBank account, opened on Dec. 22, 2009, had an opening balance of P8.5 million and had a yearend balance of P12,580,316.56 in 2010.

A PSBank account, opened on Sept. 1, 2010, had an opening balance of P7,090,099.45 and had a yearend balance of P7,148,238.83 in 2010.

A PSBank account, opened on May 16, 2007, had an opening balance of P2 million. This was closed in October 2008.

A PSBank account, opened on March 4, 2010, had an opening balance of P3.7 million. This was closed in April 2010.

A PSBank account, also opened on March 4, 2010, had an opening balance of P3.7 million. This was closed also in April 2010.

A PSBank account, opened on July 23, 2010, had an opening balance of P7,370,438.65. This was closed in September 2010.

Express Teller checking account with Bank of Philippine Islands (Ayala Avenue, Makati City branch) had a yearend balance of P12,024,067.70 in December 2010.

Discrepancy

“The deposits in BPI and

PSBank are comparatively bigger than what he declared in his SALNs (statements of assets, liabilities and net worth) as cash,” the panel said, pointing out a total discrepancy of P36,770,878.35.

Based on the information obtained by Morales, the panel said it appeared that there were several dollar and peso bank transactions in Corona’s name.

The dollar bank accounts from April 14, 2003, to Dec. 22, 2011, amounted to “more or less $10 million,” while the peso bank transactions from April 16, 2003, to Feb. 9, 2012, totaled “more or less” P242 million, it said.

As for his real properties, the panel said Corona declared five properties in his 2010 SALN, including the sale of two parcels of land to pay the loans for condominium units.

Based on complaints

The panel initiated the investigation based on the complaints of several persons, including Akbayan party-list Rep. Walden Bello, Risa Hontiveros and Harvey Keh, among others, who were seeking a “lifestyle check” on Corona for possible ill-gotten wealth.

But considering that the documents attached to their complaints were newspaper clippings, the panel sought documents from the Office of the President, Supreme Court, House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal, Senate Electoral Tribunal, Senate, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Land Registration Authority, Bureau of Immigration, Securities and Exchange Commission, Department of Trade and Industry, Social Security System, and the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), among other agencies.

With respect to Corona’s bank accounts, the panel sought the assistance of the AMLC, which required the panel to submit additional documents showing that Corona had committed an unlawful activity that would warrant the filing of an application for bank inquiry with a local court.

But the panel indicated that it was the Ombudsman who eventually obtained these documents from the AMLC. Morales said she asked AMLC for assistance.

Faeldon

On Friday, he will lead an armada of fishermen to make a stand in the Scarborough Shoal where a tense standoff between Chinese maritime ships and the Philippine Coast Guard continues.

Faeldon and former Annapolis cadet Manny Albuera will set sail to Bajo de Masinloc or Panatag Shoal, as the Philippines calls the shoal, along with fishermen from his hometown in Batanes to symbolically protest China’s claim over the shoal.

They also called on fishermen from Masinloc town in Zambales to join them to show China that the Filipinos are not afraid, especially “when we know it (the shoal) is ours.” Panatag Shoal is 124 nautical miles off the coast of Zambales.

Faeldon’s voyage initially will bring fishermen as close to Panatag Shoal as possible to exercise their right to fish, but the duration of their stay will depend on the situation on the ground, Kit Guerrero, spokesman for Faeldon, said.

He said Faeldon is also considering raising the Philippine flag on the shoal.

Please click here (VERA FILES) for the rest of the story.

Testifying on Corona's dizzying dollar accounts

“I think my computation which was arrived at with the assistance of a CPA (certified public accountant) lawyer is that fresh deposits, which means they never moved, they remained in that particular (account) amounted to more than 12 million dollars…,” Morales said, based on the report furnished to her by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).

Morales gave the statement when Senator Ferdinand “Bong-Bong” Marcos Jr. asked whether the total amount of Corona’s alleged dollar deposits in 82 accounts totaled $10 million.

“It’s even more,” said the Ombudsman in response to Marcos’ query.

Before this, Morales testified that Corona owned 82 US dollar accounts in five banks amounting to at least $10 million.

Citing the AMLC report, Morales said the Chief Justice also made “significant deposits and withdrawals on very significant dates.”

“The Chief Justice has at least $10 million in transactional balances. He has 82 US dollar accounts in five banks,” she said.

“There were significant deposits and withdrawals on very significant dates – during the 2004 and 2007 elections as well as the week he was impeached – December 12, 13, 15, 19, 20, and 22, 2011..,” she said.

Corona was impeached at the House of Representatives last December 12, 2011.

On the day he was impeached, Morales said Corona had a “time deposit for termination” of $418,193.32.

The said amount, she said, was added to a BPI account of Corona in San Francisco del Monte branch but that $417, 978.80 of the amount was placed in a regular fund placement.

Morales said Corona had only one dollar account in 2003, or a year before he was appointed Associate Justice of the Supreme Court during the time of former President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

But in 2004, Corona opened 13 more dollar accounts and additional nine in 2005, or a total of 23 dollar accounts from 2003 to 2005 alone.

In 2006, Corona opened additional 12 dollar accounts, 35 more in 2007 and another 14 accounts in 2008.

So by 2008, Morales said Corona had a total of 49 dollar accounts and added another 14 accounts in 2009, bringing the number to 63.

From 63 accounts, Morales said Corona again opened 12 dollar accounts in 2009 and six more accounts in 2010.
“In 2011, he had 81 dollar accounts, and he added one account; that gives a total of 82 dollar accounts,” said the Ombudsman.

Corona was appointed Chief Justice by Arroyo in 2010.

Morales said Corona’s dollar accounts were spread in various banks in the country—eight accounts in the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) in Acropolis, San Juan; 18 accounts in BP1-Tandang Sora; 34 in San Francisco del Monte; one in BPI Management Investment Corp.; eight in Philippine Savings Bank (PSBank) in Cainta; six in PSBank Katipunan; four in Allied Bank Corp.; one in Citibank; and two in Deutsche Bank.

Commission on Audit Commissioner Heidi Mendoza, who was requested by the Ombudsman to take over and elaborate on her analysis, said the total “inflow”of Corona’s dollar accounts amounted to $28.740 million from April 2003 to December 2011.

The total “outflow” consisting of withdrawals, debit memos, purchases, electronic payment, and outward remittances, Mendoza said, amounted to $30.758 million.

“As you can observe, the withdrawal is bigger than the inflow simply because we have to emphasize that these are the transactions captured by the AMLC,” she said.

“We are trying to show the circuitous movement of funds…there are many accounts created and all of them are in the name of the respondent,” Mendoza added.

Asked about Corona’s bank transactions in peso, the Commissioner could not initially provide an answer but she later told the Senate, “The peso account I was told reached around 242 million.”

Mendoza did not give further details on Corona’s peso accounts.

Thrilla in NAIA

In its website, side by side with reports on the peacetalks that the Muslim rebel group is pursuing with the government and the death of its vice chairman for Military Affairs, Aleem Abdul Aziz S. Mimbantas, MILF deputy chairman of the MILF Committee on Information Khaled Musa said they are not taking sides on the ugly incident but commented that Tulfo, “has been given the dose of his own medicine.”

“Hurting is not only when one is attacked but the more stinging it is when the offended party is the whole community like the Moros. I wish he will stop insulting people now that he has been given the dose of his own medicine,” Musa said.

He added: “‘Truth is truth and it is not fair to say Ramon Tulfo or the Santiagos are guilty of starting the brawl. Let the facts of the incident come out soon.”

Luwaran described Tulfo as ,” an incorrigible critic of Moros in Mindanao.”

The news item further said that in his column in the Philippine Inquirer, Tulfo treat the Moros in Mindanao as “made of sub-race.”

The MILF website said, “Ramon Tulfo created so many enemies including the former First Gentleman, Mike Arroyo, and Senator Panfilo Lacson, who was tagged by him as ‘murderer’ and ‘adulterer’. Tulfo also did not spare the legendary movie king, Fernando Poe Jr., from his tongue-lashing even if the latter was already comatose.”

Earlier, Rep. Teddy Casiño of the leftist partylist Bayan Muna, put the blame on Cebu Pacific for the airport scuffle that has morphed into other issues life feminism, media ethics , and press freedom.
Casiño said Cebu Pacific’s incompetence of offloading the luggage of the Santiago couple and that of their friends without informing them was the root cause of the ugly incident.

Raymart and Claudine and friends, together with their children, came from Boracay. Due to overbooking, their luggage was put in Cebu Pacific flight from Kalibo. Claudine reportedly berated the Cebu Pacific ground personnel which caught the attention of Tulfo who arrived in another flight.

Tulfo tried to take pictures of the Claudine’s “pagtataray” with his cellphone which Raymart didn’t like. Raymart reportedly tried to get the cellphone of Tulfo and that’s when the scuffle ensued which resulted in the hard-hitting columnist/broadcaster being mauled and ending black and blue.

“In a way that’s the trigger of all this brouhaha – if Claudine and Raymart’s baggage were not left behind without giving them notice, Tulfo wouldn’t have the chance to be a `miron,’ (observer)” said Casiño who himself had experienced the airline’s incompetence.

To lighten the hostile atmosphere, Casiño suggested that Cebu Pacific provide the parties involved in the brawl to a free, round-trip tickets with a two-night stay in Boracay. “So they can mend fences and enjoy each others’ company in a less stressful environment,” he said.

That’s no longer possible because the fight has now dragged in the three other Tulfo brothers –Raffy,Ben,Erwin – who threatend Raymart and Claudine in their TV program “T3:Kapatid, Sagot Kita.”

Sympathy for Mon was greatly diminished with the brothers’ thug mentality in public display in their their radio and TV programs.

Even the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines which defended Mon Tulfo’s right to take pictures of the Claudine berating the Cebu Pacific personnel drew the line on the threats issued by the Tulfo brothers on air.

NUJP Chairman Nestor Burgos Jr. lauded TV5 for suspending the Erwin, Ben and Raffy Tulfo. “No amount of provocation warrants the uncalled for reaction especially from those who call themselves journalists and after Ramon Tulfo had already filed a criminal complaint against the couple. “

Things have taken a twist because TV5’s suspension of the three Tulfo brothers didn’t impress the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board which imposed a 20-day suspension on the program, “T3:Kapatid, Sagot Kita.”

TV5 went to the Court of Appeals crying violation of press freedom.

A feminist angle has also been introduced with writer Katrina Stuart Santiago (not related to Raymart) saying that Claudine’s pagtataray was “refreshing.”

She said: “That we fail to appreciate Claudine kicking ass the way she has? That is our bigger tragedy.”

Now, Commission on Human Rights Chair Etta Rosales has entered the picture supporting the Cebu Pacific personnel,Charice Bocboc , who was berated by Claudine.

Rosales said while Barretto had the right to complain, she was wrong in assaulting the dignity of the airline employee.

I’m surprised why Malacanang has not joined the fray.

A rampaging Universal Guiding Star bus rammed the taxi along Commonwealth Avenue. Chit never made it to the dinner.

On Sunday, on the first anniversary of her passing, Chit’s family will hold a Metro-Manila wide Run for Road Safety for all victims of road crashes.

UP professor Roland Simbulan, Chit’s husband, said he has linked up with Families of other Road Victims and Survivors and formed FRVS to make Metro Manila roads safer. Other convenors include former Bulacan governor Roberto “Obet” Pagdanganan and Figaro Executive Pepe Alcantara.

Roland said Sunday’s Run for Road Safety will be coming from four points of MetroManila: Antipolo, Quirino Grandstand, Gateway Cubao and Fairview. They will start at 5:30 a.m. These runs will all converge at the Quezon City Memorial Circle atabout 9:00 a.m. where a coordinated program will be held.

Those who can’t participate in the run may go direct to Quezon City Memorial Circle.

The run, organized by FVRS is sponsored and coordinated with many civic organizations – the DOTC, MMDA, LTO, LTFRB, Automobile Association of the Philippines, Motorcycles clubs, bicycle clubs/cyclist clubs and commuters association.

We hope you can join us on Sunday.

Today, the UP college of Mass Communication, where Chit was a member of the faculty at the time of her death, will hold a mass for Chit at 10 a.m at the College auditorium.

Chit’s family and VERA Files have also established the Chit Estella Awards for Journalism which will honor the year’s best journalistic report and photo essay in print and online—the media Simbulan worked in.The awards are intended to keep alive the excellent and principled journalism Simbulan had always engaged in.

Victim of malicious reporting

“ Last 18 April 2012, Mr. Arnold Clavio alluded to me in his radio program over DZBB as the buyer of two condominium units in Twin Oaks at Shaw Blvd, Mandaluyong City amounting to seven million pesos each. This was the same subject of the column of Mr. Jojo Robles in Manila Standard on the same day and the radio program of Mr. Deo Macalma on 19 April 2012.

“ In response to these obviously well-orchestrated and malicious reports masquerading as blind items, I hereby categorically deny that I have bought a unit or units at the Twin Oaks Condominium, Mandaluyong City. I further state that I do not have any property not declared in my Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth (SALN).

“ I am willing to accompany these media personalities to the developer of Twin Oaks to clarify this issue once and for all.

“ Finally, I have been one of the foremost advocates of a free and independent media as an instrument for transparency in governance.

“Towards this end, I am the principal author of the freedom of information (FOI) bill in the Senate; I also filed a bill that will expand the confidentiality of media sources; and I openly pushed for the decriminalization of libel. Moreover, I am one of those who publicly condemned the killing of media men. But the media, as an institution, should also do its part in promoting responsible journalism.

“Be assured, though, that this unfortunate incident will not discourage me from vigorously pursuing this advocacy.”

I know how that malicious rumor started. The senator was invited to a dinner by a friend and one of the guests happened to be the owner of Twin Oaks. The businessman offered to show the senator his property.

The senator obliged the businessman and looked at the place. But he did not buy.

Looking is different from buying.

Those who want to report about Trillanes properties can get his SALN from the Senate. They will see there that he owns a 60-square meter condo unit, with one parking slot, in Paranaque City worth P3.4 million which he bought through a loan. With a networth of P3,897,121.00, Trillanes is the poorest member of the Senate.
***
Talking of statements, here’s one from Nestor Burgos, Jr , chairman of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines on the Sunday incident at the NAIA3 between Ramon Tulfo, a columnist of the Philippine Daily Inquirer and showbiz couple, Claudine Baretto and Raymart Santiago:

“The NUJP the Philippines maintains that there was nothing wrong in columnist and broadcaster RamonTulfo taking photographs of actress Claudine Barretto giving an airline staff a dressing down at the terminal of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA3) on May 6.

“Barretto and her husband are celebrities and are thus, public figures. They were also in a public place and were involved in a commotion making the incident legitimate for coverage.

“Tulfo was also right in not handing over his phone camera. No one has the right to forcibly take a person’s camera or phone especially of a journalist documenting a public incident.

“The matter on who started the violence should be left to the investigation of authorities who should file the appropriate charges on those found liable.”

My take: The threats aired by the Tulfo brothers against Raymart and Claudine should not be condoned.It was just right that they apologized.

Amidst the impassioned discussion on the incident, what is forgotten is what started it all – the failure of Cebu Pacific to load the luggage of Claudine and her companions in the same flight that they took.

Claudine is justified to be upset. Airline inefficiency is really infuriating.

But, being a celebrity, she should be aware that her every move is of interest to the public. Mon Tulfo did not violate any law in taking photos of her scolding the Cebu Pacific staff.

Who started the physical scuffle? Let the authorities determine that.
Is it worth front page treatment? Of course! Headlines are more fun in the Philippines.

Use money to kill yourself to improve lives of less fortunate.

The Ways and means committee, chaired by Davao City (3rd district) Rep. Isidro T. Ungab , tackles a legislations and related matters concerning fiscal, monetary and financial affairs of the national government including tariff, taxation, revenues, borrowing, credit and bonded indebtedness. All revenue- related bills emanate from the House of Representatives.

Lobbying in that committee by alcohol and tobacco manufacturers is known to be intense. That’s why many congressmen want to be in that committee. It’s a lucrative committee. That’s also why bills like HB5727, an Act restructuring the excise tax on alcohol and tobacco products authored by Cavite Rep. Joseph Emilio “Jun” Abaya, is difficult to pass. In Tagalog, we say, kabangga mo ang pader.


We hope and pray there would be at least 50 of the 75-member Ways and Means Committee who would think of the lives that would be saved by the passage of this bill.

Once the bill passes the Ways and Means Committee, it goes to the plenary for further deliberations, interpellations by the 286 House members. This is another arduous, even contentious process, that would depend a lot on the House leadership, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte.

If it hurdles the House process, which is not unlike a camel passing through the needle, the bill goes to the Senate where it will be referred to the Senate Committee on Ways and Means Committee chaired by Ralph Recto. More discussions and deliberations. Needless to say more lobbying by vested interest groups.

After all the discussions and deliberations, it would go to the bicameral committee where all the amendments, if there are, would be harmonized. Then it goes to the House and Senate for ratification before it is sent to Malacañang for the President’s signature.

This would be a test of the President’s leadership because it is talked about that although Abaya is a top official of LP, members are not united behind HB5727.

Anti-tobacco advocates would not be so hard on the President not giving up his smoking habit if he could use the weight of the presidency to push this bill that would redound to the interests of millions of poor Filipinos.

A manifesto for HB5727 says “On the first year of implementation, the government is expected to raise additional revenues worth P60 billion, of which, P30 billion is from cigarettes, P11 from distilled spirits and P19 billion is from beer.” The P60 billion could be used to build more classrooms, buy more books, pay more teachers for schoolchildren in the provinces. It could also be used to improve health facilities and hire more health care personnel to serve in rural areas.

“Moving as One”, a group composed of organizations fighting cancer, issued a call to support HB5727.
Moving as One said:” In the Philippines, cancer only ranks third to infectious diseases and heart diseases as a leading cause of death.

“Tobacco’s linkage to lung cancer is one of the most widely known harmful effects on human health of smoking. There are more than 4000 chemicals in tobacco smoke, of which at least 250 are known to be harmful and more than 50 are known to cause cancer. “

“Smoking increases risks of cancer at many sites in the body other than the lungs, particularly the head and neck, urinary bladder and kidneys, uterine cervix, breast, pancreas, and colon.

“Increasing tobacco prices by raising taxes is the most effective intervention to reduce tobacco use and encourage smokers to quit. When tobacco prices increase by 10%, it leads to 4% decrease in consumption in high-income countries and by up to 8% in low- and middle-income countries.

“The higher excise taxes will not only discourage the dangerous habits of smoking and drinking but it will potentially raise government revenues, which can then be used for tobacco control and other health programs like the Universal Health Care Program.”

Photo credit: http://cigarettezoom.blogspot.com/2011/06/anti-smoking-campaign-launched.html

JENNY Tanael, 47, is a wife of a minimum wage earner and mother of a contractual worker.

Her eldest son Juan Paolo keeps on hunting for a job each time his five-month contract in a fast food chain expires. Sometimes it takes him six months to find work at another branch of said restaurant. In between jobs, he relies for support on his father who earns less than P 400 per day as a security guard.

Her son has been unemployed for two months now. Since Juan Paolo is turning 24 he will have to look for another company since his former employer only accepts workers 23 years and below.

http://verafiles.org/job-contractualization-the-next-big-issue-after-wage-hike/

As of last year, 2.814 million out of the 40 million economically active Filipinos do not have jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics (BLES).

Data from BLES showed that the number of underemployed persons rose by 401,000, reaching 7.163 million last year.

The National Statistics Office defines underemployment as all employed persons who express a desire to: have an additional job, work additional hours in their present job, or have a job with longer working hours.

http://verafiles.org/dont-worry-if-not-hired-at-job-fair-dole-says/

There’s one in Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=260011474082380

HB 5727, authored by Cavite Rep. Joseph Emilio Abaya, calls for the restructuring of the excise tax on alcohol and tobacco products. The rationale is that, if prices for what we refer to as sin products were to be increased, it would become less affordable to many people, especially the poor. They would then be saved from the ill effects of alcohol and cigarettes. We would then become a healthier nation.

The manifesto explains the financial advantage to the government and to the Filipino of higher taxes for alcohol and cigarettes. It says, “ On the first year of implementation, the government is expected to raise additional revenues worth P60 billion, of which, P30 billion is from cigarettes, P11 from distilled spirits and P19 billion is from beer.”

The more compelling argument is in favor of public health: Data from the Department of Health shows that about 240 Filipinos die daily because of smoking-related diseases, and of the 10 leading causes of mortality, seven are smoking-related.

What is more worrisome is the findings of the 2009 Family Income and Expenditure Survey showing more that more than 76 percent of smokers, 20 years old and above, come from poor families.

Moreover, they spend more on (2.6 percent of their monthly expenditure) on tobacco than education (1.6 percent) and health (1.3 percent.

The Action for Economic Reforms , in their call to lawmakers to pass the bill, when Congress resumes on May 7, cites the evils of smoking as a compelling argument to make tobacco as inaccessible as possible to Filipinos:

“When the diseases precipitated by chronic tobacco consumption finally burst out, it is poor households that are the most at risk. While data disaggregating mortality according to income is elusive, a lauded 2011 study led by Dr. Antonio Dans concluded that death rates from stroke, heart disease, cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) were highest among low-income populations in the ASEAN region.

“By 2008, up to 220,000 Filipinos may have died annually from tobacco-induced diseases. Yet unbeknownst to most, majority of these victims have come from low-income families. Tobacco-related ailments, Dans and his colleagues have stressed, are not diseases of affluence, but diseases of poverty. Ultimately, this is because smoking prevalence is far higher among the poor in the Philippines and Southeast Asia.

“Even when they are unable to access adequate medical attention, the losses to the poor when a family member is crippled by tobacco use are usually enough to decimate what little savings and socioeconomic prospects they may have. In 2010, reputable sources estimated that the hemorhage to the country and Filipino families’ pockets may have risen to P445.5 billion annually.

“For the lowest 40% of families, the money devoured by medical treatment results in catastrophic expenditures. Data from the Lung Center of the Philippines shows that charity ward treatments alone demand at least P100,000 in outlays for lung cancer patients. Chemotherapy sessions, meanwhile, can cost up to P150,000 each.

“The options available to poor families to cover these expenses are often bleak. Occasionally, families are compelled to assume debts from other relatives, neighbours, loan sharks. They may prematurely halt their childrens’ education, forcing them into informal, underage employment. Others still, when no other source of finance is available, may even hazard their own lives and safety by selling their bodies and body parts in the illicit human trafficking or organ trade industries.

“Ironically, mounting distress usually leads some family members to intensify their consumption of vices like tobacco, jumpstarting a vicious cycle that tears further at the fabric of poor households. When a smoking-induced disease flares up in a poor family— often depriving it of a breadwinner— an uncontrolled spiral into deeper and deeper misery sometimes seems inescapable.”

The manifesto says more revenues that can be generated when HB5727 becomes law will result to higher social and infrastructure spending. “ According to the estimates of the Department of Budget and Management ,the P60 billion can cover about 5.2 million indigent families in premium subsidy, or upgrading of 2,767 public health facilities, including hospitals, or construction of 86,714 DepEd classrooms, or repair of 3,035 kilometers of national roads in bad condition. “

Of course, with his popularity, President Aquino would be a great model if he stopped smoking. But that seems to be mission impossible for health advocates now.

Let’s be content that he is supporting the passage of higher tax of sin products.

That is evident in the alliances that are being formed in preparation for the 2013 and 2016 elections.
The early bird is the United Nationalist Alliance of Vice President Jejomar Binay and former President Joseph Estrada, which includes Gloria Arroyo loyalists Zambales Rep. Mitos Magsaysay and Candaba mayor in Pampanga Jerry Pelayo.

Reports said while Estrada is okay with Arroyo’s allies, he is not keen on an alliance with Manny Villar’s Nacionalista Party.

It is understandable if one recalls that it was Villar who railroaded the impeachment complaint against Estrada in 2000 which eventually led to his ouster in January 2001 and the installation of Arroyo in as unelected president.

But then, if Estrada can embrace the loyalists of Arroyo, who put him in jail (although she eventually pardoned him) it’s intriguing why he remains antagonistic to the NP.

Anyway, reports said NP is talking with the administration party, the Liberal Party for a 2013 alliance.

This one really makes me laugh.

How are the proponents of “Villaroyo” and all the operators of the Aquino campaign who came up with those C-5 and Daang Hari extension expose now going to promote the senatorial lineup that would most probably include NP’s Alan Peter Cayetano and Cynthia Villar?

(By the way, the Daang Hari extension, of which Villar was accused of misusing public funds for the benefit of his real estate properties along the road, is the first Public-Private Partnership project of the Aquino administration.)

On the NP side, they will now be supporting a leader whose psychological state they tried to question. Remember the leaked psycho report?

Oh well, as one of the LP stalwarts, Quezon Rep (4th district) Erin Tanada, who will probably be in the LP senatorial list, said “That was 2010. We are looking beyond 2013.”

That’s politics and woe to those who take politicians seriously.

It’s not only in the 2013 elections that Malacañang is wooing Villar’s group, which in the Senate includes, aside from Alan Peter, another Cayetano, Pia, and Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos. Those are four precious votes which Malacañang needs to convict Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona.

While most of the highly rated senatorial re-electionists like Chiz Escudero , Loren Legarda and Gregorio Honasan are expected to run under UNA, the administration has only re-electionist Antonio Trillanes IV in their line-up.

Those who have been mentioned to try their luck again, under LP, after losing in the 2010 elections are Akbayan’s Risa Hontiveros;Neric Acosta, presidential adviser for environmental concerns; Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon; and retired Brig. Gen. Danny Lim, deputy customs commissioner.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima is a survey favorite for senator. We heard,however, that she would prefer to be appointed to the Supreme Court because the Iglesia ni Cristo, would not only NOT endorse her. The religious group, which is a voting force to reckon with in the local elections more than in the national level, is said to be thinking of making as a condition for endorsement of local candidates the non-inclusion of de Lima’s name in the senatorial lineup. It has something to do with the injustice done to former National Bureau of Investigation Director Magtanggol Gatdula, an INC member.