SOME TWO columns back we wrote about an ordinance approved by the Davao City Council sometime in 2020. The Ordinance authorizes the establishment of the Davao City Special Needs Intervention Center for Children. As the name of the facility suggests, the purpose of the center is very clear. That is, to cater to the needs of children with certain disabilities that need special kind of intervention.
In that column item we asked whatever happened to the approved ordinance since after the author of the measure lady lawyer Councilor Petite Principe completed her three terms, we seem to have not heard any status report on that local legislation.
Apparently, Petite was able to read online what we wrote. The other day she gave us a “situationer” of the project that was sought to be created in that ordinance – the center to house the facilities and equipment, the office, and possibly the children whose cases must be closely monitored. Thus, the need for them to be “admitted” or temporarily housed in the center.
According to the former third district councilor despite her not being anymore a member of the City Council she had been ardently monitoring the status of the ordinance and the project attendant to it.
The former councilor was extremely proud that the construction of the center is already completed although still needs some minor revisions to ensure that it meets the requirements of its main users – children with special needs.
Principe also informed this columnist that the equipment needed in the center to give children clients an a-one service is still coming and once these arrive the installation has to be immediately done.
The former third district councilor however, said the city still has problems in finding appropriate professionals with the needed skills to handle the special needs of those who will be brought to the center for intervention.
There are not too many of these professionals since most of those who have the skills are either already working abroad or are hired by large wellness centers and other private entities providing such services.
Anyhow, the former councilor appears to be optimistic that very soon the center will be fully operational and the thousands of children in Davao City with special needs will eventually be given the appropriate yet free intervention – courtesy of the Davao City government through the center.
It is a good thing that the former lady councilor of the third district has remained on top of the project implemented through the ordinance she authored despite her being outside of the City Council.
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Well, we have been vocal with our unsolicited recommendation to the quad committee (quad com) not to further prolong its investigation on the alleged extra-judicial killings (EJKs) allegedly perpetrated during the Duterte Presidency, as well as the suspected misuse use of the confidential and intelligence fund given to the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education. The VP, as we all know, is Sara Duterte. So is she the Secretary of the Department of Education? The probe, supposedly “in aid of legislation” has been conducted for almost over a period of six months.
The combined four committees in the House, appear to be composed of intelligent lawmakers as manifested in their deep-probing questions to resource persons they have invited. Unfortunately, however, they are more empty minds as it is very clear that despite the length of time they have been conducting their investigation, still they haven’t come up with the required inputs for them to effectively craft new legislation, or amend some existing ones.
That is already very obvious to us that despite efforts to smoke-screen their real motives the only thing they have succeeded in is unmasking their own biased objective
And if by now the quad com members are still unable to determine the inputs they need for crafting new legislation or revising old ones why cannot they stop the already too repetitive proceedings and instead submit to the Department of Justice all that they got during the overly long period of investigation?
After all, the congressional probe body has the authority and influence to have the DOJ investigate the confidential and intelligence funds issue. From there on the said agency can file the necessary criminal charges and let the proper courts settle the issue.
Of course, further prolonging the probe will certainly give the quad com members more leverage in exacting favors from the gods in the Lower House and up there in Malacanang. After all most, if not all of them, are running for re-election come May 2025 midterm polls.
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