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Batas Mauricio

THERE are two food poisoning incidents that are rocking the entire country at the moment: the first pertains to the 2,000 or so students from Surigaodel Sur and Agusan del Sur who ate what are now believed to be poisoned durian candies, while the second pertains to some 16 students in Aleosan, North Cotabato who ate expired siopao.

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These cases come in the heels of the death of the owner and a lady customer of a milk tea shop in Sampaloc, Manila, just a few months ago, and serious injuries to another buyer of the same shop, allegedly because the milk tea they tasted was laced with deadly poison.

Significantly, they also occurred at about the same time that a couple from Metro Manila was reported to have been killed after eating at a fastfood chain in Las Pinas City. The death of the man and the woman took place as they emerged from the branch of the fastfood chain and tried to go to their car which was at the parking place of the branch.

What do all these indicate? Several things. One is that there is no longer any assurance and guarantee that the food that is served to us in public eating places, whether public or private, is fit for human consumption.

Second is that the government agencies and officials tasked to safeguard the health of our citizens, notably the Department of Health and the Bureau of Food and Drugs, are criminally sleeping on the job, endangering the lives of the people.

These are scary stories for sure, giving parents and relatives great reason to worry while their relatives are outside their houses or residences. So, what can they do to assure the health and safety of their loved ones who have to go to schools and work places or in some other places to do business?

Maybe those going out of their houses can be given lunch boxes or food prepared at home. Or, if they do not have to stay out the whole day, maybe it would be safer for them to simply return to their houses and then partake of their lunch or dinner with family members.

For the very first time in the history of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the announcement as to who is going to be installed as the next AFP Chief of Staff following the retirement of an incumbent chief was made to wait until the very moment that the turn-over ceremonies from the outgoing chief to the new chief was already going to be held.

Even Malacanang reporters, who usually are given advanced information on the President’s choice for very sensitive positions like that of the AFP Chief of Staff, were kept in the dark until a few minutes before the ceremonies began as to who will succeed outgoing Gen. Gregorio PioCatapang.

Reporter Vic Somintac told me that even while we were already on air in the morning of Friday, July 10, 2015, Malacanang had not named yet Catapang’s successor, saying the successor’s name appeared to be a closely guarded secret, constraining us to do some analysis as to why President Aquino did not seem in a hurry to name the new AFP Chief.

Indeed, Somintac and I wondered if the failure to announce the successor of Catapang three hours ahead of the turnover ceremonies (which was actually announced only in the afternoon of July 9, 2015) was deliberate, or the result of yet another incompetent selection process, or, what is more sinister, of lobbying for the position.

We thought that since the 2016 elections was just around the corner, the President and his staff would be in a hurry to appoint a replacement for Gen. Catapang, who was retiring mandatorily on Saturday, July 11, 2015, when he shall have reached 56 years old.

It was important, if the President valued a clean and honest election which would determine who is going to be the next president of the Philippines in 2016, that a new AFP Chief would be appointed to enable him to prepare well for the electoral exercise to assure that the will of the people would be respected.

Now, the AFP has a new chief, Lt. Gen. Hernando Irriberi, the Philippine Army chief prior to his promotion. Judging from reactions I got after Irriberi’s name was announced, it would seem Aquino has made a good choice. The only problem was that, Irriberi would be retiring likewise shortly before the 2016 elections.

Which maybe the reason why, a big newspaper from Manila, immediately carried a news story which was titled “Aquino hints at possible extension for new AFP chief,” which title nevertheless was not supported in any way by the details in the body of the story.

Now, can the President extend the term of a retiring AFP Chief? My two cents’ worth is that, no he cannot grant that extension. The AFP Chief is given a definite term of only three years, and the President cannot do anything about it, unless he does one of two things first: either he amends the Constitution, or violate it outright. Of course, we know what he will do!

E-mail: batasmauricio@yahoo.com

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