By Robert B. Roque, Jr.
First, my sincerest apologies to Jose Calida for having criticized in this column last July 7 his appointment as Commission on Audit (COA) chief despite the questionable allowances he gave himself as solicitor general that made him the second-highest-paid public official in the Duterte administration.
This is not an erratum, though. I just honestly didn’t know what that date meant to you. Belated happy birthday, sir!
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It was an auspicious occasion for Calida to turn 72 and take his oath before the President as the new COA chief on the same day. I believe he told the media afterward that Marcos Jr. gave him a free hand to take care of the COA.
I’m sure Calida knows what he can do with a free hand over there. Just don’t get caught.
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The Department of Health says the ethylene oxide contamination of Filipino-brand instant noodles in Europe does not affect the Philippines.
Lucky me!
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A fact check by a reputable newspaper says the claim of confessed former NPA member Jeffrey Celis that the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) and Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) are media organizations infiltrated by the communists is false.
Fact sources: NUJP and FOCAP.
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Former president Duterte is now Citizen Digong. Yet, on social media, posts about his activities now still manage to hog some of the limelight away from his successor, Bongbong Marcos.
What activities are these that get to trump Marcos Jr.’s bouts with agricultural smuggling, stagflation, and COVID-19? Duterte’s eating and sleeping.
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Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman will be battling the Catholic Church as soon as the 19th Congress begins with the refiling of his Divorce Bill. He’s been arguing for decades that the Philippines and the Vatican are the only two states worldwide that continue to outlaw divorce.
Clearly, he hasn’t learned his lesson. Mr. Lagman, why don’t you just file a “No Marriage Bill”? That way, we’ll enjoy the Vatican’s grace of never ever having to deal with failed marriages.
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One of former president Duterte’s economic advisers, Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion, is batting for a simpler pandemic alert level system patterned after the traffic light’s green-yellow-red signals to mean low-moderate-high risk for COVID-19.
That’s okay, but – like the previous administration – please advise President Marcos Jr. and the IATF to run that by Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia first before implementing it.
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Perhaps, to settle that at the soonest possible time, she would agree to a no-facemask, face-to-face meeting with COVID-stricken Bongbong Marcos.
Yoo-hoo, Gov. Gwen… Malacanang is waiting!
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SHORT BURSTS. For comments or reactions, email firingline@ymail.com or tweet @Side_View. Read current and past issues of this column at https://www.thephilbiznews.com
