The Blurring Lines Between Media and Politics
February 20, 2010
sHEsPEAk: by eldred d. cole Read more
Fronts Must Reflect On OIC Call For Peace
February 20, 2010
ON THE SIDE OF PEACE: Rina de Jesus Read more
Cagayan de Oro, Alas, Oka and the Rubberstamp
February 20, 2010
SCINTILLA : By Butch Z. Bagabuyo Read more
Taxes, Marriage and Singlehood
February 20, 2010
Okay, so I’m one of those singularly single. But I am not stating that I am commitment-challenged. I am commitment, I commit, and in fact I am “committee”! (sHEsPEAk dictionary means commit to something, a cause, a project, etc., but not to someone). There may be several reasons why a person chooses to be unhitched, but is it a crime to opt to stay solo?
Other people and even the government believe so. People who take upon themselves to correct someone else’s status tend to look at single people as a bacterium under a microscope, weighed and found wanting. When they ask me if I am already married, and I say no, haven’t thought about it, they look at me as if I committed a mortal sin. Worst, they would ask: “What’s wrong with you?”
The government likewise considers singlehood as a crime. They make us single persons pay more taxes than the married ones, and for me personally, it’s punishment for a crime I haven’t committed. You see, as a government worker with fixed monthly income, I have to have my income tax withheld per month and it has to be zero by April 15. Since I am single, I don’t have tax exemptions (like dependents, being head of the family, etc.) to my name except my premium with the GSIS. So, I ended up paying taxes which if computed will amount to three months of my annual income including my bonus. So, all in all, in twelve months a year I only get to have ten months salary actually received, and without bonus.
Why does it have to be that way? The married ones with children require more services from the government than us single people, why do we have to pay more than what we are getting from the government? It is so unfair. They choose to have a family and I choose to have none, and I get to pay more.
The family, who requires more services from the government like health benefits, farm-to-market roads, legal services, utility services like electric, water, etc., is paying less than I. Plus, I do not contribute to the government’s over-flowing problems like spawning spoiled brats or having progenies who will become the criminals or worst, politicians in the future.
Look, we have a huge problem with population, right? The more Filipinos are born everyday, the poorer we become, the poorer we become, the more sick the country is going to get. But here’s the thing, why not tax more every couple (married or not) with children more than two, than reward them like we do now by giving them exemptions per dependent? If a family has two children, one child or none at all, they get tax rebates or credits or tax refunds and get more benefits from the government, like dental, rice allowance, free medical or legal services, and subsidized utility bills. I tell you, people will scramble to the nearest PopCom office for advice what’s the best family planning method to use rather than pay a higher tax.
Caution though. Let us leave it to the couples to decide what type of family planning method they would use: natural or artificial. The government and the Church should not interfere in the choices of the couples; they just have to make available all the resources to them. Because I know, there will be arguments that a backlash following this notion will be that couples will result to artificial family planning like pills, ligation or vasectomy. So? Artificial and natural family planning methods have one common goal: and we all know what that is. So what is the difference between the two? Why is it that the other is considered wrong and the other is right? Who gets to decide the wrongness and rightness of either? Well, let’s discuss that in another time.
Let us admit that the single population is growing. Whether they are singled or single people, by choice or by circumstance, they are multiplying by the minute. Ten years from now, there might be more than single people than the married ones, so why punish them by making them take the brunt of keeping the country fiscally sound? The gall of those married people to suggest that in order for me to avoid paying more taxes is to get married. Hah, exchange one problem with another? Just the same I would still be paying taxes even if I am married. So instead of lamenting having to pay higher taxes now, I will be bawling because I have to pay taxes still and have a family to tend to. Gosh, that would be like jumping into the fire after I got out of the frying pan.
To curb our ever growing population problem, why not do it in taxes, rather than have an open war between the government and the Church regarding the type of family planning method to use? Single people unite! We deserve to be heard, and heard shall we be. Enough making us pay for the choices we make. (For comments and/or violent reactions e-mail me at coi_416@hotmail.com).
When Men are the Victims
February 20, 2010
sHeSpeaks: By Fiscal/Mami/Sai Eldred Cole Read more
Framework for the National Rural Congress
February 20, 2010
PASTORAL COMPANION: Archbishop Antonio Ledesma SJ Read more
Gibungolan, Inc.
February 20, 2010
COMMENTARY: By Herbie Gomez
(December 15, 2003)
I’VE never heard Fred Gapuz laugh the way he did when a fellow “victim” told him: “Welcome to the club!”
Manong Fred, erstwhile lawyer of Dongkoy Emano, was still hurting from his much publicized breakup with the Cagayan de Oro mayor but he needed a good laugh–laughter being the best medicine. His daughter Catherine, perhaps the one who was the most affected by the display of the client’s stylemark boorishness at the Sandiganbayan two weeks ago, needs a good laugh, too.
I can’t imagine this respected lawyer being treated like he didn’t exist. Imagine lawyering for someone and not being looked at by your client for hours. Imagine your client–a close friend at that–not speaking to you for reasons you know nothing about. And imagine your client-friend making your other friends and panero do the same thing. Worse, the only time you get to hear a message from your client-friend is when he sends another friend to ask you to quantify your services so he could pay you. I can understand how Manong Fred felt. He took all the insult and rejection from the airport to the Sandiganbayan. And I can understand how the emotionally battered man found himself calling his eldest child from Manila–he needed a shoulder and someone to talk to!
Children are fond of doing this. A child quarrels with a friend. So he snubs his friend. He also expects his other friends to snub the other child. Anyone seen talking or playing with the other child automatically becomes an “enemy”. As an “enemy”, you lose the privilege of playing with the group or of being allowed to enter their houses or of borrowing their toys. Your status as an enemy remains until you kiss and make up. When children do this, it’s kids’ stuff. But when an adult–a sixty-something–does this, it’s not being childish. Either the grownup is really, really insecure or is sick in the head. It’s not “wala sa mood”. It’s topak.
I say Manong Fred, with a little help from Cathy, should organize a club called Asosasyon sa mga Nahigmatang Higala ni Dongkoy (no relation to Manny Jaudian, Jerry Pacuribot, Roy Raagas and Bob Ocio’s Pagmata, Cagayan de Oro). Or Manong Fred can simply call the group “Gibungolan, Inc.” to make the name a bit catchy and crispy. Manong Fred, being the most prominent victim of mayoral uncouthness in Cagayan de Oro, can chair Gibungolan, Inc.
Gibungolan, Inc. should be non-partisan. Neither should it be anti-Emano–that is, if it wants other victims to come forward and become Gibungolan members. Rather than campaign against a continued Emano mayorship, Gibungolan, Inc. should be doing advocacy work. The club can be an advocate for good manners and right conduct as well as stand for people, especially the lowly, who were and are being treated like bums by the rich and mighty.
In these times of moral decadence, it’s high time that concerned citizens organize a group like Gibungolan, Inc.. Gibungolan, Inc. can have a train-the-trainers program and sponsor seminars aimed at promoting good manners and right conduct, things that many of our children no longer hear from parents–or even from grandparents–these days.
A group like Gibungolan, Inc. should be telling parents about the need to teach their children how to treat other people like equals regardless of their standing in the political or social ladder. Sadly, many of our children today are ill-bred, insensitive and have absolutely no respect whatsoever for other people because the new generation of parents have either forgotten or have not even heard about any of the good old-fashioned values of our ancestors. That we have in our midst today a grownup who behaves like a good-for-nothing, uncouth boor who doesn’t mind his manners, is the result of the failure of a lot of parents to pass on to their kids these Filipino values.
The town of Tagoloan may be the best place to pilot-test Gibungolan, Inc.’s advocacy program.
For starters, the club can begin by forming a core group of people who, like Manong Fred, have been trampled on or are still struggling to brave out the kind of inelegance in city hall.
Gibungolan, Inc. can have three membership classifications–regular, associate and honorary.
Regular members are those who found themselves waking up one day and saying to themselves: “Enough is enough. I will not be treated like chicken dung!”–especially if the tyrant sounds and looks like popular voice actor Ben David of the Gabi ng Lagim fame of the early ’80s.
Associate members are those who allow this diabetic (he consumes an average of four pellets of Equal sweetener for every cup of coffee) to rob them everyday of their self-esteem in exchange for you-supply-the-word.
And honorary members are those who can’t seem to make up their mind about what action to take vis-a -vis this Neanderthal attribute. Someone who never became a “flavor of the month” but became sick due to this severe shortage of civility in city hall can apply as an honorary member.
I admire Manong Fred for his forbearance. He was able to withstand this unspeakable uncouthness for 31 long years.
Pastilan.
***
Veteran broadcaster Sandy Bas, manager of a local radio station, needs to reexamine his conscience and motives.
On Friday afternoon, he haphazardly labeled Gold Star Daily’s banner story a “lie”. The story by Nilo Abroguena quoted Manong Fred as saying that the political crisis now gripping Misamis Oriental is the handiwork of Mayor Emano apparently in an effort to unseat embattled Gov. Antonio Calingin.
Sandy claimed Manong Fred told him over the phone that he (Gapuz) “did not categorically say” that Emano is the brains behind the messy political situation in the province. (Manong Fred denies telling Sandy this.)
I wouldn’t mind if Sandy merely broadcast a news story based on his supposed phone conversation with Gapuz. But he quickly, without second thoughts, labeled the story a lie.
Who are you, Sandy, to say that Nilo’s story is a lie? Were you around when Nilo interviewed Manong Fred? Did you hear what the lawyer told the reporter? By saying his story was a lie, Sandy accused Nilo–and Gold Star–of lying. (Nilo, by the way, is standing by his story and Gold Star is standing by Nilo.)
It would be unfair to judge you simply because you had yourself appointed by the mayor as a member of the board of the Cagayan de Oro Water District (COWD). And it would be unfair to judge you simply because your appointment as a director entitles you to juicy benefits in the COWD.
But, Sandy, when your appointment is clearly influencing your reportage and commentary, when your debt of gratitude to a politician is obviously becoming your blinders, and when it is becoming obvious that you are slanting your news to please a group other than the general public, then it becomes an entirely different story.
I’m afraid your true color is showing, Sandy.
You are a godly man. You play gospel music on air all the time. And you are fond of quoting scripture–even preaching on air at times. Yet it is becoming obvious to your listeners that you are compromising your profession and work ethics.
No offense, Sandy, but your “Light” is no longer shining from where I am sitting. I think you owe your God an apology before you–and your station–completely loses credibility. It’s not yet too late to right the wrong, Sandy.
You just can’t be a preacher man when you have sold your soul to the Devil for 30 pieces of silver.
Repent, “Angel” Sandy, repent!
Ordinance Regulating Second-Hand Cellular Phones
February 20, 2010
PROPOSED ORDINANCE No.
3 AN ORDINANCE REGULATING THE PURCHASE AND SALE, TRADE-IN,
4 PAWNING OF USED, PRE-OWNED AND RECONDITIONED 5 MOBILE PHONE WITHIN THE TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION OF 6 CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY; PROVIDING PENALTIES FOR VIOLATION 7 THEREOF; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
8
9 Introduced by Coun.cilor Ian Mark Q. Nacaya
10
11 WHEREAS, the buying and selling of second-hand or used mobile phones by 12 mobile phone dealers and/or mobile phone retailers/resellers is allegedly a profitable
13 business venture in Cagayan de Oro City;
14
15 WHEREAS, it has also been reported that the aforementioned second-hand or
16 used mobile phones are now accepted by a number of pawnshops as items for
17 pawnll1g; 18
19 WHEREAS, in unison with the said upswing commerce on second-hand or
20 used mobile phones is the report that snatched or stolen mobile phones are
21 surreptitiously being sold by lawless elements to mobile phone dealers and/or mobile
22 phone retailers/resellers or pawned to pawnshops as second-hand or used mobile
23 phone units; .
24
25 WHEREAS, some shocking instances have already occurred wherein
26 customers of some mobile phone dealers and/or mobile phone retailers/reseUers
27 vending second-hand mobile phones have ended up buying their snatched or stolen
28 mobile phone units;
29
30 WHEREAS, there is indeed an undeniable linkage between the reported rash
31 or mobile phone snatching and the proliferation of buying, selling and pawning of
32 second-hand or used mobile phones in the city;
33
34 WHEREAS, curtailing the selling, buying and pawning of second-hand or
35 used mobile phones bereft of original receipt of purchase of the unit would
36 substantially help in addressing the alarming increase in the theft and robbery of
37 mobile phones within the city since the market of the same would be vastly reduced,
38 it not eliminated;
39
40 WHEREAS, the Local Government Code of 1991 mandates the City
41 Government of Cagayan de Oro to enact measures designed to ensure that the mobile
42 phone-owning public, as well as the operations of mobile phone-based business
43 entities will not be unduly harmed by the criminal activities of lawless elements;
44
45 NOW, THEREFORE:
46
47 BE IT ORDAINED by the City Council of Cagayan de Oro that:
48
PROPOSED ORDINANCE No.
3 AN ORDINANCE REGULATING THE PURCHASE AND SALE, TRADE-IN,
4 PAWNING OF USED, PRE-OWNED AND RECONDITIONED 5 MOBILE PHONE WITHIN THE TERRITORIAL JURISDICTION OF 6 CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY; PROVIDING PENALTIES FOR VIOLATION 7 THEREOF; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES
8
9 Introduced by Councilor Ian Mark Q. Nacaya
10
11 WHEREAS, the buying and selling of second-hand or used mobile phones by 12 mobile phone dealers and/or mobile phone retailers/resellers is allegedly a profitable
13 business venture in Cagayan de Oro City;
14
15 WHEREAS, it has also been reported that the aforementioned second-hand or
16 used mobile phones are now accepted by a number of pawnshops as items for
17 pawnl11gj 18
19 WHEREAS, in unison with the said upswing commerce on second-hand or
20 used mobile phones is the report that snatched or stolen mobile phones are
21 surreptitiously being sold by lawless elements to mobile phone dealers and/or mobile
22 phone retailers/resellers or pawned to pawnshops as second-hand or used mobile
23 phone unitsj
24
25 WHEREAS, some shocking instances have already occurred wherein
26 customers of some mobile phone dealers and/or mobile phone retailers/resellers
27 vending second-hand mobile phones have ended up buying their snatched or stolen
28 mobile phone units;
29
30 WHEREAS, there is indeed an undeniable linkage between the reported rash
31 or mobile phone snatching and the proliferation of buying, selling and pawning of
.32 second-hand or used mobile phones in the city;
33
34 WHEREAS, curtailing the selling, buying and pawning of second-hand or
35 used mobile phones bereft of original receipt of purchase of the unit would
36 substantially help in addressing the alarming increase in the theft and robbery of
37 mobile phones within the city since the market of the same would be vastly reduced,
38 it not eliminated;
39
40 WHEREAS, the Local Government Code of 1991 mandates the City
41 Government of Cagayan de Oro to enact measures designed to ensure that the mobile
42 phone-owning public, as well as the operations of mobile phone-based business
43 entities will not be unduly harmed by the criminal activities of lawless elements;
44
45 NOW, THEREFORE:
46
47 BE IT ORDAINED by the City Council of Cagayan de Oro that:
48
On Debtor’s Options
February 20, 2010
COMMENTARY: Atty. Ma. Caridad San Jose Read more
Proposed Resolution No. 2008-155
February 20, 2010
12.} A. PROPOSED RESOLUTION NO. 2008·155~ declaring portions of the following areas as calamity zones due to different calamities that occurred thereat per Disaster Report submitted by the City Social Welfare Officer, to wit:
a. Purok 3, Barangay Gusa ~ Landslide on September 11, 2007;
b. Puerto – Big waves on November 28,2007;
c.12th~29th Sts., Nazareth – Fire on December 31, 2007;
d. Yacapin Ext., Barangay No. 32 – Fire on November 7, 2007;
e. Purok 7, Balubal- Fire on November 30, 2007;
f. Sitio Camang, Tignapoloan – Fire on December 17, 2007;
g. Barangay Agusan – Big Waves on November 27, 2007;
h.Punta, Macabalan – Big Waves on November 27, 2007; 1. Purok lA, Gusa – Big waves on November 27, 2007;
J. Bantiles, Bugo – Big waves on November 28, 2007;
k. Barangay Tablon – Big waves on November 27, 2007; I. Zone 10, Carmen ~ Fire on August 22, 2007;
m. Adela Subd. Camaman~an – Strong winds on August I, 2007;
n. Zone 6, FS Catanico – Fire on March 20, 2007;
o. 8th~3rd Streets, Nazareth – Fire on August 2, 2007;
p. Zone 5, Agusan – Strong winds and heavy rains on July 31, 2007;
q. Upper Dagong, Landfill, Carmen – Whirlwind on July 19, 2007;
r. Cabaraban, Puntod – Fire on July 21, 2007;
s. Buara, Bayabas – Fire on June 3, 2007;
t. Burgos Street, Barangay NO.6 – Fire on July 25,2007;
u. Zone 10, Bulua -Fire on December 22, 2006;
v. Midkiwan, Bayanga – Fire on July 18, 2007;
w. Zone 9, Hilltop, Carmen – Fire on June 14,2007;
x. Upper Bontong, Camaman~an – Strong winds with heavy rains on Aug. 1, 2007;
y. Barangay Tagpangi -Fire on July 12, 2007;
z. Barangay Besigan -Fire on June 24, 2007;
B. PROPOSED ORDINANCE NO. 2008 .. 1 08~ appropnatmg the sum of P399, 150.00 from the “5% Calamity Fund” in the 2008 Annual Budget to be made available as financial assistance to the herein list of calamity victims per Disaster Report/Certification submitted by the City Social Welfare Department (CSWD), whose houses/properties were damaged due to the various calamities that occurred in the different parts of the City, which were
declared as calamity areas under Resolution No. __________________ (see Proposed
Resolution No. 2008~155). (SEE APPENDIX “e”)
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- Ordinance Regulating Second-Hand Cellular Phones
- Proposed Resolution No. 2008-155
- Findings No.5 COA Annual Audit Report 2006
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