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Ben Contreras .

IF the subterranean drainage project in Agora is being delayed due to right-of-way issues, don’t blame the establishment that won’t give in. Rather, blame the planners from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

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Just like the widening of the highway, we just passed by a portion somewhere in El Salvador where a house stood intact but protruding in an almost completed road-widening project.

Rights-of-way concerns should first be addressed before the work starts. Although we need to respect private property, the interest and welfare of the general public should be above all. There is such thing as expropriation but it should also come with a just compensation or based on the fair market value. Private property owners should also cooperate.

The completion of many DPWH projects are delayed due to this problem, and along the way, DPWH should have learned its lesson. Project delay means public inconvenience.

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Because Smartmatic has been accused of conniving in election frauds, there are suggestions that it go back to manual counting.

Pardon me, but it is no longer about manual or computerized elections. It is and has always been about people involved in the cheating. Unless we see these people go to jail, nothing will change regardless if the elections are manual or computerized.

Alas, we cannot expect an honest investigation into this problem! Why? Because those who are tasked to investigate could also be the cheats themselves or may have benefitted from the cheating.

At the recent Senate hearing alone, some politicians have been very careful in their statements and their manner of questioning. They’re trying to avoid being alluded to by their resource speaker/s.

Unless Comelec is abolished, the 2019 election will be marred with irregularities like the elections before. If I may suggest, postpone the elections, abolish the Comelec, establish a new one, and let the President replace officials facing expiration of their term with appointees.

Election can come again when a new Comelec by a new name and run by new people shall have been established.

Sure, this is like asking for the moon. But better try something new than stick to a proven corrupt agency.

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The spate of drugelated arrests proves one thing: It is difficult to stop it especially if the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency continues to go after the small fries only. The drug trade is worth billions. You go after those amounting to a few thousand or a few millions. But the real big ones making billions are safe in their comfort zones.

There will be no users where there are no supplies. Cut the supply lines. Cut the heads. All we see are arrests and killings of the small fries and pushers but so little of the big suppliers.

We can’t blame people for saying that the drive against drug is limited to the small ones only. Raids against small ones often end in deaths but not raids on laboratories. Hmmmm…

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