When unable, don’t do it

We now have the spectacle of thousands of local residents and students complaining against the K to 12 program of the education department.

Undoubtedly, no one can question the noble purpose of the program. But there is a major problem. The education department seems unable to fill up the requirements of its implementation. There are some 75,000 teachers needed to push through with it. And there are thousands of schoolrooms still needed to accommodate the thousands of new enrollees.

Thus, the bullheadedness of the education department simply went ahead of the program and left the problems to be resolved next year. And that includes packing classes with an overflow of students.

A more enlightened and realistic approach to the problem should have been to scale it to where it is practicable. Instead, the education department just went through with half-baked implementation of the program and leaving the rest to God to untangle.

So what has happened? A lot of distraught parents and students complaining to high heavens about the unpreparedness of the education department to cope with the program.

***

Who are the members of the influential clan in Southern Negros suspected of having masterminded the assassination of Kabankalan Judge Henry Arles?

Undoubtedly, no one can deny that Arles was killed by hired guns. No one, except for the most aggrieved party could have done away with the well-loved judge. So, the only possible explanation for his assassination is that it was masterminded by someone or a group that had been hurt by what Arles may have decided on in one of his many cases.

The theory is both speculative and logical. And it does not take such a brilliant mind to reach the same conclusion.

The problem is getting witnesses and evidence that could pin down the alleged masterminds.

Therein lies the problem. So far, according to Senior Supt. Allan Guisihan, police provincial director, numerous witnesses have come forward helping identify the facial sketches of the three persons in the vicinity of the Kabankalan RTC before the shooting of Arles.

I only hope that the NDF-CPP-NPA do not come up with the solution of the assassination before the police can.

Guisihan, himself, apparently was aware that the NPA intelligence network in the area is effective that he welcomed their assistance.

It will be ironic if they finally get hold of the P1-million reward for the information needed to solve the Arles killing.

Not farfetched.

***

The parents of the two Cadiz City students should file the administrative complaint against the school official who is facing multiple charges for having induced the two minors to take shabu and engage in sexual activities while under the influence of the drug.

The parents may not be able to file the administrative charges against the district supervisor, Joshua Santillana of Caduhaan, Cadiz City.

Actually the Children’s and Women’s desk of the BCPO as well as the DSWD can file the administrative complaint against Santillana.

No need for the education department to wait for the parents of the aggrieved children to file the charges against the district supervisor. This is a criminal complaint and the complainant is the Republic of the Philippines.

Time to throw the book against a school official. What he did was something that contravenes the very profession which he had chosen – as a teacher and a high official of the education department for that matter. That’s something which cannot be excused.

That the sugar bill, principally authored by Rep. Abelardo (Albee) Benitez had passed first reading of the House is a given.

Normally, a measure that gets the support of a big number of solons clears the first reading. The nitty gritty comes during the perusal by the committee and committees which handle it. As previously a common joke among us congressional reporters, then Majority Leader Justiniano Montano of Cavite, often appended the motion “subject of final approval by the committee on style.”

That often ended up with the bill emasculated beyond repair by the original author or proponents.

There was one time when the late Rep. Miguel Cuenco of Cebu blasted Montano and tried to throw down the stand when he thought that the final version of his bill was no longer according to the original intent.

But Montano simply answered - “Mr. Speaker, the committee on style considered it unstylish.” And that finished the measure.*

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