Editorial 3/11/16 (emergency preparedness, earthquake, Salonga, senator, typhoon, president, election, Philippines)

Philippine Star "Preparedness"

No amount of preparation could have saved northeastern Japan from the triple whammy of earthquake, tsunami and nuclear meltdown. Japan, used to powerful earthquakes and tsunamis and aware of the risks of nuclear power, is ahead of many countries in terms of disaster management. Yet no one expected the magnitude of the disaster that struck on March 11, 2011. The quake and tsunami left nearly 16,000 people dead and over 2,500 still missing. Property damage and economic losses have been placed at hundreds of billions of dollars. Apart from an occasion to mourn the dead and missing, the annual commemoration of the event has become a reminder to the world of the urgency of disaster preparedness. The Philippines, like Japan, lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire and is prone to powerful earthquakes. [full text]

Sun.Star Cebu "Salonga and the best"

FORMER senator Jovito Salonga had long faded from the political scene before he died at the age of 95 yesterday. Afflicted with Alzheimer's and suffering from the effects of a stroke, he was for years already a shell of the man who made the Senate the stage from where he showcased his intellect and eloquence. To the younger generations, the “millennials,” the Salonga name is therefore but a blur. [full text]

Mindanao Times "Absent-minded"

Government instrumentalities are supposed to consider climate impact on preparing their programs especially after the two strongest typhoon to have hit the country, Pablo in December 2012 and Yolanda a year later. Because of these two typhoons, the national government and international groups, particularly international non-government organizations and donor agencies, have been pushing for mechanisms that will make the country climate resilient. But even then, it seems government agencies have never been proactive in their approach, something that one can say as the usual business. [full text]

Manila Bulletin "The measure of a president"

The true measure of the would-be president in May is not only to honestly and sincerely adhere to the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi that “I must follow the people, for I am their leader,” but also to know what is right for the nation in times of crisis and emergencies. These words of wisdom have profound implications, and are fraught with risks and unpredictable consequences that are easier said than done. [full text]

Inquirer "The paper trail"

The 14-0 Supreme Court decision ordering the Commission on Elections to “enable the vote verification feature of the vote-counting machines” that will be used in the May 9 elections is welcome. We understand the reservations of the Comelec about the feasibility of complying with the order, but cannot agree with it that implementing the order would require the postponement of the 2016 vote. In defending its decision to waive the Automated Election Law’s provision on the voter-verified paper audit trail or VVPAT, the Comelec did not argue the inevitability of postponement. Instead, it emphasized the need to prevent vote-buying (a computer printout of a voter’s choices could be used in vote-buying schemes) and to avoid adding “five to seven hours” to the voting on Election Day. [full page]