By Robert B. Roque, Jr.
For those who have lost track of the Percy Lapid murder investigation, authorities have released the names of nine “persons involved” in the assassination of the hard-hitting radio commentator, including suspended Bureau of Corrections Director-General Gerald Bantag as the mastermind.
Yet in his own words, Justice Secretary Jose Crispin Remulla said the case is “95 percent solved,” leaving much room for speculation among family members left by Lapid (real name: Percival Mabasa) that the buck doesn’t stop with Bantag.
Lapid’s journalist-brother, Roy Mabasa, believes there are others involved. If there are, I suggest Bantag should start singing.
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For two weeks, from Nov. 6 to 18, world leaders will converge in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt for the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference, the climate summit referred to as the Conference of the Parties or COP27.
There have been 27 of these climate summits, but global leaders have sorely failed in putting their goals and promises into action. Filipino advocates are determined to bring the loudest voices for this call to action, bearing the tragic stories of climate-related disasters that have beset the Philippines.
Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, who had joined previous summits, was correct in pushing for a calamity fund to benefit the Philippines. He said: “If the world won’t achieve consensus on loss and damage, we at least need a global ‘quick response fund’ similar to our Calamity Fund but funded to by countries according to their pollution contributions, and accessed by countries as soon as climate-related disasters affect them,” he said.
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AGHAM-Advocates of Science and Technology for the People pointed out a sense of hypocrisy in President Marcos for calling out the state weather agency to improve on its disaster forewarning in the aftermath of typhoon “Paeng.”
The President had painted the increasing threats of climate change as one of his top priorities. Yet, his administration is responsible for cutting the budget of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) and of the Department of Science and Technology as a whole.
At present, at least four of the country’s Doppler radars are down, and this new guy in Malacanang demands better capability for tracking the location and velocity of a storm, clouds, and rainfall without providing better funding.
AGHAM challenges President Junior to put his money where his mouth is.
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