A case for twit

It is good to hear that the technical team from the Commission on Audit was here two days after my column on COA came out last Tuesday. This seems rather quick, considering, but at least the team is here and I heard they will be able to report to the Commission Proper in two weeks.

When my column of March 12-14 proposing the impeachment of COA for the long (8 months) delay in their decision although the Constitution prescribes that COA has to decide within 60 days, lo and behold!, suddenly COA says they are going to discuss the contract between the province and Ayala Land on March 19. So I suspended further presentation of facts on why COA should be impeached.

We are giving COA the chance to prove its sincerity to comply with the constitutional provision. We do not ask that they decide in favor of the province but rather, decide they must, so that if there are problems these can be resolved. As the late US President John F. Kennedy said of Russia’s offer for peace, “sincerity is subject to proof.”

The case of COA is a case for twit as this should be with other government agencies that think people are so helpless in the face of their authority we should just “grin and bear it” when they take their sweet time, their noynoying while we wait for some relief even on matters of life and death.

Another case for twit is the penchant of people to dress in whatever way during Mass. Last week I wrote about dressing and dressing down.

Well, a case of a girl who was denied attendance at her graduation is one for twit. She posted in her Facebook her pose in bikini. The Catholic school has a regulation that their students (this is a girls school) should dress decently in public. By posting her bikini-clad body in the Facebook, personal account it might be, she violated that rule and the school disciplined her. She went to court and the judge allowed her but the school filed for reconsideration that delayed the implementation of the order. Graduation day was finished, her victory was for nothing.

Another case for twit is that of a congressman who was unseated by his colleagues for “unruly behavior” by attending the session in sports clothes in violation of the dress code of Congress. He said it was his way of protest but his colleagues thought otherwise – it was an insult to the dignity of the House.

Some people, women especially come to Mass in shorts. Well, they are free to wear whatever they like, even in their birthday clothes but they should respect the dignity and sacredness of the church and respect the right of others to be free of occasion for sin.

If a congressman can be unseated for “unruly behavior” should not those who violate the sacredness of the church be also asked to leave? The word “unruly” means refusal to follow the rules or to be disciplined and surely in civilized living there are rules of proper behavior and appropriate attire.

The plan of a group of women under the umbrella of Reproductive Health Advocacy Network to stage their own version of the passion and death of Christ is a sickening parody that deserves more than just a twit but condemnation.

Lent is sacred to Christians, not just Catholics but these women, bereft of any respect for the religious beliefs of others will ridicule the most important event in the life of Christians. Some people will go into scandalous and abominable lengths to get into the news.

Instead of presenting their case in an intelligent manner they resort to this parody which will only send the message that these women have lost any sense of the divine and respect. No wonder they embrace with fanaticism the culture of death for the unborn under the guise of helping women. Their international financiers, some of whom are known atheists (one is declared supporter of the church of satan) would glad indeed.

Boxing champ and Sarangani Congressman Manny Pacquiao should not twit the BIR. The case is simple – the BIR is asking for documents about his incomes. As a citizen and since he said he is an exemplary citizen, he should obey the summons of the BIR.

Okay, let’s assume the BIR is harassing him and making an example of him and he thinks the BIR is unclean, but this is an opportunity for him to show that he indeed is an exemplary citizen.

As to harassment and the state of corruption in the BIR these are separate issues. In fact, he should, after he has complied, ask the BIR to do the same with other top officials of government and members of Congress. That would be wonderful!*

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