Ben Contreras .
THE long lines of of people trying to get documents from government agencies like the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Philippine Statistics Administration (PSA), Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and others are still happening, and this is likely to continue despite the efforts to improve services.
The three offices are probably the busiest because, in a way, they are inter-connected. If you apply for or renew a passport, you need to get an NBI clearance. And when you need a visa, be sure your birthday is correct, thus, you need a certification from PSA.
This is where the need for a national ID is necessary. Once and for all, you have all the details about you and will thus be the basis for all information for all kinds of transaction with private and government offices.
As it is today, people still wait for hours and form long lines. Blessed are those who have the connections because they get attended ahead of those who have to fall in line.
Recently, an acquaintance complained about the online application for passports.
“A friend got his slot number from a travel agency in Manila. Those exempted from online slot number are senior citizens, children under 7 years old, people with disability, single parents, pregnant women and OFWs. Those who are not exempted are forced to get their slot number from travel agencies and syndicates. Lately in the news are 23 fixers who were arrested for selling slot numbers for 10 to 15K and sometimes, higher. We really do not know if they have contacts inside DFA.”
Foreign Affairs Secretary Peter Alan Cayetano should investigate this as it destroys the reputation of the Duterte administration.
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If it was an attempt to save PDP-Laban, and it failed miserably. Why, because it didn’t try to feel the pulse of those who attended?
United PDP-Laban is more like a few disgruntled PDP-Laban members who are clearly vocal “anti-Speaker Bebot Alvarez” but silent “pro-Koko Pimentel” sympathizers.
A United PDP-Laban allying with Sara Duterte’s regional party may not be a sure thing yet. It is public knowledge that as far as Cagayan de Oro is concerned, the PDP-Laban is already so prostituted that it is destroying the image of the President Rodrigo R. Duterte.
Who are the people recently recruited to the party? Aren’t they people from the LP, people suspected of links to drug syndicates or are into it and people who have been convicted by the Ombudsman? Let me ask this question again in plain language: Unsay gibarugan nga prinsipyo sa partido PDP-Laban nga dawaton ang ingon ining klase nga mga tao?
PDP-Laban is so prostituted that some of their stalwart members are trying to save the party by using Sara Duterte’s regional party. Would Sara accept the alliance? Aha, I won’t bet on that.
If there are the Bebot and Koko wings, there would be others wings — the disgruntled wings. With so many wings, this party will easily fly away to oblivion.
Koko was too hasty to make his party become a super majority without first strengthening the core group. Who comprises the majority of the super majority? Are they not the turncoats? Have they not learned from history?
The Alvarez-Pimentel tiff will create a big hole in the party ship that will sink the ship. And they will sink with it.
Sara’s regional party is a move toward a good direction. Or is it really her move, if you know what I mean?
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