miniZibaldone

Sun.Star Cebu's  Carvajal: "In Aid of" OF COURSE, extrajudicial killings by scalawags in the police force, as Sen. Leila de Lima is passionately crusading against, and extrajudicial killings by drug lords and other lords, as she surprisingly is not crusading against, not as passionately anyway, have both to be stopped. Such killings simply have no place in the nation of laws that we are. It is not a matter of course, however, that Senate investigations can stop these killings. These investigations are conducted by design and intent for nothing more than to aid legislation. Thus in the past these have often turned out to be platforms for grandstanding by legislators in aid of their re-election. From her experience as justice secretary, Senator de Lima should already know what law, if any, is needed to be passed to help stop extra-judicial killings (by all and not just by the police) without having to waste government time and money on endless but ineffective pro-forma ...

Philippine Star  "Untangling traffic" Emergency powers are being sought for President Duterte to speedily address the crisis that is the traffic mess in Metro Manila. Almost every day there is a reminder  of that emergency: traffic jams along most thoroughfares except Sundays and holidays, commuter trains so packed because of limited capacity and the Metro Rail  Transit breaking down, sometimes several times in one day.  These days the traffic jams have been aggravated by rutted roads as asphalt pavement again disintegrates during the rainy season. Yesterday a rutted stretch a mere  two meters long on the northbound lane of Quiapo Bridge tied up traffic from the Manila City Hall as vehicles were forced to slow down.  This problem is again becoming increasingly common throughout Metro Manila. Even as Congress deliberates on emergency powers for the President to deal with the  traffic mess, perhaps the firm hand of the Duterte administration can demand...