Good Morning Judge: Corruption at the Customs Bureau

THE assignment of retired military officer to the Bureau of Customs by President Rodrigo R. Duterte in the latter’s desire to rid the office of corruptions has been viewed by observers as militarization of the Bureau and deemed as violation of the career service system. Be that as it may, it indeed cannot be denied that corruption in said office is the order of the day and flagrantly rampant that even an ordinary employee can own a sports car which only the millionaire-businessmen can afford. Given this situation at the Bureau of Custom, it may perhaps be well that the option taken by the DU3 administration be given a chance. After all, those involved in import and export business who are the primary beneficiaries of this decision are employers themselves, thus, the rank-in-file employees under their employ are resultant beneficiaries too.

May a person convicted of any crime involving moral turpitude be admitted as a state witness? This issue has been brought to the fore at the continuation of trial of detained Senator Leila de Lima when Presiding Judge Lorna Navarro Domingo of RTC Muntinlupa reportedly inhibited herself from presiding over the trial of our Bicolana senator from Iriga. Under existing jurisprudence, Moral Turpitude is defined as an “act of baseness, vileness or depravity in the private and social duties which man owes to his fellow man or to society in general, contrary to the accepted and customary rule of right and duty between man and man.” The reports are that Senator de Lima has filed criminal and administrative complaints against Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra and his predecessor Vitallano Aguirre II for “illegally admitting as state witness” 13 convicts who implicated her in the illegal drug trade in the New Bilibid Prison. If the issue reaches the Supreme Court it would be a good addition to our jurisprudence.

The TV and print media reports that China has built weather stations on the three Philippine disputed areas in the West Philippine Sea is quite disturbing. It is only hoped that the DU30 administration would take immediate action on this report through our diplomatic channels to protect our country’s interests on the disputed area.

TRIVIA:

Congratulations to my spouse Minda who would be celebrating her Nth birthday anniversary today, November 8, with a luncheon-fellowship among our original Couples for Christ group at a local resto-bar.

QUOTATION OF THE WEEK:

“POLITICS IS ORGANIZED HYPOCRISY.”

SENATOR MERIAM DEFENSOR-SANTIAGO

FOR OUR WORD OF LIFE:

“LET EVERYTHING THAT HAS BREATH GIVE PRAISE TO THE LORD! HALLELUJAH!”.

PSALM 150:6