Category Archives: Government

Aquino Government Opens Newest Mega Mall In Manila

April 19, 2016 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

Opening day sale at the New Bilibid Prison Mega Mall in Muntinglupa

MUNTINGLUPA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – It was like a scene from a Black Friday sale in the U.S., only the setting was in Metro Manila, and it wasn’t even Thanksgiving.

As soon as the mega mall opened, there was a mad rush to purchase hugely discounted sale items — from giant-screen television sets, to expensive jewelry, exercise equipment, alcohol and cigarettes, and even pets.

It was the grand opening of the Aquino administration’s latest showcase of its anti-corruption campaign, ‘Daang Matuwid.’ The venue: the New Bilibid Prison (National Penitentiary).

Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda told The Adobo Chronicles that if the government can’t lick it, it might as well profit from it, referring to all the smuggled goods that come in and out of the prison cells.

Net profit from the opening day sale will be used to fund the waning presidential campaign of presidential candidate Mar Roxas, Aquino’s anointed successor.

Already, the new mega mall is being hailed as the most beautiful art deco mall in the world — yet another record for the Philippines.

Government, Politics

Leni Robredo Could Be The Next Philippine President: Here’s How

April 18, 2016 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – She is running for vice president in the upcoming May 9 national elections, but Leni Robredo could become the next president of the Philippines!

Robredo is the VP running mate of Liberal Party presidential candidate Mar Roxas who is President Aquino’s anointed one to succeed him.

Roxas has not done well in national polls and has consistently rated No. 4 among 5 declared candidates.

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is either tied for No. 1 with Senator Grace Poe, or is actually on top of some voter polls. His VP candidate is Alan Peter Cayetano.

(In the Philippines, voters can choose a president from one political party and a VP from another party.)

In his campaign sorties and television advertisements, Duterte has said that if the Filipinos will not vote for Cayetano to be VP, they may as well not vote for him to be president. All for one, one for all!

On the other hand, Robredo, when asked the question at a recent debate, said that she would hope Filipinos will vote for her running mate Roxas; but if someone else is elected president, she will still fulfill her mandate if she is elected VP.

Duterte is known for being a man of his word. So if the tough-talking, controversial mayor is elected president, but not Cayetano for VP, Duterte could refuse to assume the presidency.

Which means, that as per the Philippine constitution, the vice president becomes president. And that would be Robredo.

That’s what you call “a heartbeat away from the presidency.”

Government, International, Law Enforcement, Technology, Travel

Philippines’ Customs Employees Want Colored CCTVs

April 15, 2016 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – Following a proposal by vice presidential candidate Francis Escudero to install closed-circuit television cameras (CCTVs) in transaction areas at the Philippines’ Bureau of Customs, members of the Bureau of Customs Employees Association (BOCEA) announced they will be staging a rally to protest the measure.

Earlier, BOCEA president Rommel Francisco went on national TV practically admitting that employees of the agency — regarded as the most corrupt in the Philippines — indeed accept bribes. He told GMA News: “Subukan kaya nilang itaas ‘yung sahod namin, ibigay sa amin ang tamang benepisyo? Sa tingin ba nila gagawa pa kami ng ganoon?” (Why don’t they try raising our salaries, and giving us the appropriate benefits? Do they think we would still do that?)

But in an interview with The Adobo Chronicles, Francisco clarified that his association is protesting the installation of CCTVs not because it violates the employees’ human rights, but because the employees want colored CCTVs — not black and white — installed in their work stations.

“It’s already 2016,” he said, “it’s about time we keep up with modern technology by using colored, high-definition CCTVs, and not the archaic black and white video recorders and monitors. We look terrible in black and white.”