Now who says that those who are seeking justice for themselves or for their loved ones have the same opportunity to do so?
Well, it is one big baloney of a statement. Look now, the moneyed justice seekers have all the opportunity to explore getting the justice they believe is due them. And lawyers will just be too willing to provide all the means with which legal remedies can be explored.
The poor litigants however, oftentimes end up being prodded by their lawyers to agree to plea bargain negotiations, or admit the crime outright for the simple reason that the admission can be considered mitigating circumstance that could possibly lessen the gravity of the punishment of the offence that one is accused of.
The latest case of this inequity in the seeking of justice by an accused person is that of the case of arrested Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC) Church. The Pastor’s lawyers headed by Davao’s own Atty. israelito Torreon and controversial law practitioner Ferdinand Topacio are filing petitions after petitions seeking the court’s approval to have their client religious leader placed under “house arrest” or “hospital arrest.”
When the court turned down the earlier petition, again they filed another one. This time the Quiboloy legal team wanted to have their client placed under “hospital arrest.” The reason for the petitions is that the Pastor is already old. He is now 74 years and has already several health issues because of old age.
Both facilities where the lawyers sought their client transferred are all based in Davao City. As to the house arrest, had it been granted the Pastor who is now facing child abuse cases as well as trafficking of minors and women as well, would have been able to continue enjoying the luxurious ambience of his mansion or rest houses.
On the second petition, if at all it will be granted by the court, chances are he could possibly be placed in a suite-like accommodation at the Veterans’ Memorial Center in Davao City (Do we really have one here?). And the Pastor’s fanatical subjects will most likely be forming some kind of an “ants’ line” trooping to visit the Pastor daily and providing him their moral support.
Of course we haven’t heard or read about the petitions including the five other co-accused of the Pastor. In other words they could just be left on their own.
Again, who says everyone has equal opportunity in their desire to seek justice when there is need to do so? Better tell it to the Marines.
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The local government of Davao City, through its City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) has identified five (5) most flood-prone barangays. The identification is intended to prioritize areas where the CDRRMO will conduct what it calls Simultaneous Exercises for barangay residents to respond when their areas are threatened by massive flood. The SIMEX, for certain, will include not just the procedures of evacuation but also for responders to act accordingly.
Well, these SIMEX could be the best that the city government can do while its officials are still cracking their heads thinking of what viable projects that could be implemented to prevent the now getting frequent flooding in many areas of the city’s lowlands.
Yes, there is no doubt that regularly conducting the SIMEX will help save lives when flood water will inundate villages. However, it cannot prevent massive destruction of properties like houses, vehicles, domesticated animals and appliances. Experience will tell us that in the past many floods that hit the city, residents were able to evacuate in high grounds and other safer places, but usually, the houses and all inside it and in its compound end up damaged beyond repair or if something can be done to restore them huge amount of money was needed.
In other words conducting SIMEX even if in only five barangays just for a start, could mean a lot for a city normally hit by flood every so often.
As to flood prevention projects? Well, we might just hope the city officials will finally be able to think of even just one that is viable, affordable and hopefully with enough chances of getting its desired return on investment (ROI) when finally implemented.
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Here they are again. We mean another utility company is desiring to further increase its already gargantuan profit.
Yes, the Davao City Water District (DCWD) is now into “paperless billing” like what the power company and the various telecommunications firms are doing. Indeed, this one is an innovation that could have cost DCWD big investment. But surely, the returns will be massive at the expense of the water using public.
Definitely, with the “paperless billing” the water utility will be able to save so much from the cost of printing of the bills as well as from the amount it needs to pay for those doing the delivery of the printed bills.
But somehow the DCWD made a mess out of their transition to the new billing scheme. The change is effective this month of September but the water utility only made its announcement in yesterday’s issue of the local papers that also posted the same in its on-line edition.
It is our take that the DCWD could have given a better service to its consumers had it announced earlier so the people can have more time to enroll their account, or make the necessary measures needed to be ready for the transition.
But no, the water firm seems oblivious to this important aspect of serving its subscribers. Should we be surprised if many will be complaining that they fail to get their bill for this month?
