“UNHEALTHY” PHILHEALTH?
The pricing of gasoline and other oil products by dealers/ suppliers in this country has remained a disturbing mystery. It has come to the point of being clearly deceptive and exploitive.
All price increases are blamed on alleged hike in the price of petroleum dictated by oil-exporting countries, particularly the Middle East. But no justification is given for such rise. In short, plain whims and caprice dictate the price increases. Exploitation, in another language!
Lately, they finally slumped on a justification which appears credible — the eruption of violence in oil-rich Iran, one of the big suppliers of oil worldwide, including the Philippines. Rationale: Because of the violent disturbance in Iran, oil production has suffered a slump. Since the supply is less than the demand, prices must go up.
Sounds valid, being reasonable!
But still we see the scheme by foreign powers, including the United States of America. To justify increases in oil prices, Iran and other oil-exporting countries must undergo destabilization. The schemers succeeded! The poor importing countries, including the Philippines, have to suffer the effects of calculated, “invented” oil price increases.
Yet, to do the Filipinos care to lift a finger on this problem? Never mind the answer!
***
The Impeachment case against Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona — trial of which commenced last January 16 — should shake the minds of thinking and concerned Filipinos.
In the first place, the case is going to a page in RP history, as it is the first Impeachment against an SC Justice.
Secondly, whatever is the outcome of this case, it has already accomplished one thing: it has eroded the people’s respect and confidence in our Judiciary.
For another thing, we are disturbed in our observation that a great majority of the Filipinos do not care about the case, particularly its outcome. Stated otherwise, there is popular indifference. This might be the result of the people’s perception that it does not matter who hold the reins of our government. Corruption has become a cultural value among the Filipinos, such that it is destined to remain whoever sits in office as steward of the nation.
Still another thing: the Integrated Bar of the Philippines — the mandated national organization of lawyers — counts a silent majority. Even the IBP-Bohol Chapter officers has made no official stand on the CORONA case, although unofficially a majority of its members are for the impeachment of the Chief Justice.
Only a small unofficial group of lawyers here — the Bohol Bar Association — presently moving under the stewardship of Atty. Victor de la Serna, has shown deep concern over the Impeachment trial, which will eat up the time of Senators and Representatives and drain government coffers in terms of expenses.
We go with the BBA stand that, out of love of country, and to preserve the integrity of the Judiciary, CJ Corona should immediately resign rather than stand ground in his defense in the impeachment trial, which is costly to the nation
***
We are deeply shaken — although we are not surprised — over the report that PHILHEALTH is ridden with corruption that has eaten up some P140 million. This represents PhilHealth funds lost in the hands of a syndicate that allegedly manufactures fake reimbursement claims and disbursement of funds for so-called “medical missions” expenses which are actually ghost.
We recall the days when hospitals, including one in Bohol, raked millions of pesos through fake Medicare claims for ghost patients. No comes similar scam with PHILHEALTH.
How can PHILHEALTH attend to the health needs of the people when it is itself UNHEALTHY?
Posted in Strike Three | No Comments »