‘Doctora non grata’

I am really wondering why Secretary Francisco Duque III of the Department of Health (DOH) seems afraid to act against Dr. Lydia Depra Ramos, the very controversial regional director of Region 6, who is persona non grata to almost everybody in the DOH-R6 office.

Depra Ramos has been lording it over in Region 6 for the last nine years. Has Secretary Duque given Depra Ramos a Torrens title for that position, notwithstanding the many cases filed against her? Rumors have it that Depra Ramos is being protected by Rep. Art Defensor because they are said to be distant relatives. I talked with Representative Defensor, and he agrees that if Dr. Ramos has committed grave abuses since her occupancy of her current position in the DOH, she really must go. 

I have also been told that Depra Ramos will be transferred to another regional office, but up to now, this is all just talk. My question to Secretary Duque is, why is Depra Ramos so sacrosanct? Is she really worth protecting when you yourself are aware that there are so many anomalies associated with Dr. Depra Ramos?

Incidentally, the latest magnum opus of Depra Ramos is telling the people living near the National Food Authority (NFA) warehouse in Jaro, Iloilo City, where tens of thousands of sacks of rice are rotting and stinking like a sewer as a result of the floods brought on by Typhoon Frank, that if they can’t stand the foul odor, they should look for other places to stay. It is obvious that Depra Ramos is oblivious of the fact that we in Iloilo City can no longer accommodate more evacuees in our crowded evacuation centers, and most of the typhoon victims have nowhere else to go because their homes were destroyed. Will Depra Ramos offer relocation sites for these poor victims of the foul-smelling NFA bodega? She is a doctor, can’t she be more useful by offering chemicals to neutralize the foul smell instead of telling the people to take a hike?

****

There are moves to postpone the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) elections in Mindanao. It appears that the President may even endorse the resetting. Personally, I have no objections because I know that this move to postpone the ARMM elections is probably an accommodation to the request of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) as part of the peace negotiations in Mindanao. Indeed, if peace is the reason, by all means we should find ways and means to accommodate the MILF. Peace is always better than war. While we do not want peace at a price because that will be tantamount to appeasement, for as long as there is a chance to avert war, we should go in that direction.

The only problem here, of course, is the fact that there will be no more time for Congress to postpone the ARMM elections, considering the political climate in both chambers. Even as we write, we are already hearing discordant voices from the Senate objecting to the postponement of the ARMM elections. This would be the No. 1 stumbling block, but let us hope that what is best for the nation will eventually prevail. 

****

We consider a twin ray of sunshine in our troubled world the news that North Korea may finally give up its nuclear ambitions, and that Iran and the United States may agree to meet in Geneva for the first time since the hostage crisis which broke the Carter presidency, and may signal a thaw in US-Iran relations, lessening the danger of yet another calamity in the Middle East. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

****

In our country, there are two heartwarming developments from the Supreme Court. One is the decision of the High Court upholding executive privilege in the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement case, and the other dismissing the Suplicio petition. In these two decisions, I noticed that the Chief Justice had always voted with the dissenters. Is this an indication that Chief Justice Rey Puno is now distancing himself from cases where the administration is involved?

Editorial: Proceed with ARMM elections

Just days after leading lawmakers said Congress no longer had time to pass a law that would postpone the elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), Press Secretary Jesus Dureza announced that President Arroyo would still want the polls deferred.

Outside the Box: Why economic growth isn’t reaching down

The damage to a nation from poverty is difficult to quantify but very real. The reduction of the incidence of poverty must be a national priority. However, there is no clear answer as to the best method for sustained poverty reduction.

What's in a Name?

‘Yaman Gensan’

The city of General Santos, known as Gensan, is the “tuna capital” of the Philippines. Of the 15 processing plants in the country, 10 are located in Gensan. The industry exports tuna to the United States, Europe, Japan and other countries, generating about $50 million in export earnings and employing thousands of workers. Citizens of Gensan, or “generals,” as they like to call themselves, also take pride in being recognized as among the country’s most competitive cities.

Sodomy, murder, DNA tests make ‘CSI Malaysia’

It’s becoming the highest-rating program in Asia: Malaysia’s crime- scene investigations.

Just like its wildly popular American counterparts, this crime drama—call it “CSI Malaysia”—features sex, murder, DNA samples, cover-ups and a colorful cast of characters wondering who’s guilty of this or that.

Alálaong bagá: A listening heart

To govern well and wisely is a dream claimed by many, but an ability possessed only by a very few who are blessed with a listening heart (1 Kings 3:5, 7-12). It requires a continual ordering of values and a centering of energies to really follow Jesus Christ in the reign of God (Matthew 13:44-46).

Reflections from the Mirror: ‘Doctora non grata’

I am really wondering why Secretary Francisco Duque III of the Department of Health (DOH) seems afraid to act against Dr. Lydia Depra Ramos, the very controversial regional director of Region 6, who is persona non grata to almost everybody in the DOH-R6 office.

About Town: Ray of hope

A welcome piece of good news is that the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) are due to sign a memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain.

Tax Law for Business: Of tax assessments and remedies

Time and again, taxpayers have faced tax assessments which are issued against them by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR). It must be noted that while specific remedies are available to taxpayers and the BIR alike, these must, however, be exercised in consonance with the tenets of due process of law.