Category Archives: Government

Will New MRT Trains Boost The Philippines’ Mess Transportation?

January 22, 2016 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – A better Metro Rail Transit (MRT) system in the coming months is guaranteed by the Philippines’ Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) to commuters with the arrival of new coaches, CNN reports.

But if you ask the MRT Holdings, Inc. (MRTH), mother company of the MRT Corporation, private owner of the MRT, it wouldn’t recommend taking the new train for safety reasons.

“We feel this is a danger to the riding public. Not to mention a danger to the system itself. It might destroy the MRT system itself, that we own,” MRTH Chairman Robert Sobrepeña said.

Sobrepeña claims that Chinese firm Dalian Locomotive and Rolling Stock Co., Ltd., which is supplying the new coaches, has no track record of building a similar train type. “That means this is a guinea pig that we are testing. I wouldn’t ride it. I wouldn’t risk my life on an LRV (light rail vehicle) manufactured by a company that’s never made such an LRV.”

In 2013, President Noynoy Aquino said that if the problems that have consistently plagued the MRT were not solved by the end of 2015, he and Transportatiom Secretary Joseph Abaya will let themselves be run over by a train. The Filipinos are still waiting for that promise to be fulfilled.

In the meantime, Metro Manila’s mass transportation continues to be a mess.

Government, Media

Philippine Opinion Survey Results On Aquino Administration Questioned

January 22, 2016 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – According to a recent survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS), about 61% of 1,200 respondents are satisfied with the overall performance of the Aquino administration.

This is its highest rating since June 2014. 23% of respondents said they were not satisfied, while the remaining 16% were undecided. Months away from the May elections, the figures reflected a +39 net satisfaction rating in the last quarter of 2015 from +37 in the 3rd quarter. The government got “good” net satisfaction ratings on 4 issues – helping the poor, foreign relations, promoting welfare of migrant workers, and defending territory.

The Adobo Chronicles analyzed the survey results to fact check against what the Philippines is actually experiencing.

The survey results don’t seem to match up with what’s happening in the country: the poor are getting poorer, foreign relations is dismal, the welfare of migrant workers is far from satisfactory and the Philippines’ defense of its territory (especially against China) is weak.

Perhaps the Commission on Audit should review, and issue an opinion on, the survey.

Government, Law Enforcement, Politics

The Curious Case Of Two ‘Natural-born Citizens’ Running For President: Grace Poe And Ted Cruz

January 21, 2016 Pol Pinoy Leave a comment

Criuz, left, and Poe — Cruz, left, and Poe

WASHINGTON, D.C. (The Adobo Chronicles) – So, who is considered a natural-born citizen? Well, it all depends on the country and the legal interpretation by constitutionalists.

The Philippines and the United States have candidates running for president in their respective 2016 presidential elections. Both countries require presidential candidates to be “natural-born” citizens.

The Philippines’ Senator Grace Poe faces legal qualification challenges by virtue of her being a foundling. The Philippine nationality law is based upon the principle of jus sanguinis (Latin: right of blood) and therefore descent from a parent who is a citizen or national of the Republic of the Philippines is the primary method of acquiring Philippine citizenship. Poe’s parents, and their citizenship, have not been ascertained to this moment.

Ted Cruz, on the other hand, while having an American mother, was born of a Cuban father — in Canada. The constitutional text provides that a U.S. president, unlike other elected officials, must be a “natural born citizen.” Some say this language could not mean anyone born a citizen or else the text would have simply stated “born citizen.” The word “natural” is a limiting qualifier that indicates only some persons who are born citizens qualify. Moreover, when the Constitution was enacted, the word “natural” meant something not created by statute, as with natural rights or natural law, which instead were part of the common law.

Both scenarios are curious cases that may or may not be resolved in this election year.

So what happens if either Poe or Cruz is elected president remains the million dollar (and , in the case of the Philippines, peso) question.

Our recommendation? Just vote your conscience. Just don’t ask Donald Trump.