Frank reminders

While Gloria was hobnobbing with Washington royalty, "Frank" went on a killing spree, slaying hundreds and destroying property worth 4.3 billion pesos. Thirty eight provinces were laid waste and made desolate. The devastation is widespread, from as far as Pangasinan to the Southern provinces of the country. It is as if God has judged us for our omissions.

More that these raw stats, the devastation wrought by Frank is worth more than that. Thousands or even millions face the prospect of hunger and depression. To prevent things from turning worst, Gloria ordered the flooding of NFA rice to affected areas. But, this is just a stop gap measure.

You can't eat raw rice. You have to cook it. But, how could you when you don't have electricity? You don't have gas? These areas were rendered disabled due to the storm.

International help should be pouring in right now. The United States says it will give US$200,000 as aid to those affected areas. They even lent their precious military rescue hardware to retrieve those bodies off the coast of Romblon.

As more bodies are being recovered from the sunken ship, Malacanang's men are in a frenzy as to who should conduct that probe of Sulpicio lines. (In) Justice Secretary sRaul Gonzales says it should be a probe initiated by Malacanan with the Marina and the Coast Guard made to inhibit themselves for an impartial investigation. DOTC secretary Leandro Mendoza meanwhile said, it should be his department since it is mandated by law. This is the first time that a non-lawyer remarked with legal authority on a matter which the chief enforcer of the law should have known in the first place.

While they're pointing fingers, all the Vice President can suggest is disallow ships from cruising when there's a storm signal. What a whimp of a leader. Those footages showing VP Noli conducting a cabinet meeting should remind us even more not to elect him in 2010.

IN these times, we need someone who will lead us. Mar Roxas went to Iloilo to assess the damage and provide some solutions to the problem. That's the way to do it. Go to the people, see these things not from a distance but from close range. And provide intelligent solutions.

Some things are very clear in all of these things:

1. Government should have a comprehensive disaster contingency plan in place to address natural or man-made disasters such as these.
2. A clear organisational chart or command responsibility should be effected in case the president goes someplace else, and not allow a whimp such as the Vice President to command such a crucial Cabinet meeting.
3. Remember not to vote for the Vice President come 2010.
4. As a leader, go to the people and attend to their needs and not spend time finger-pointing, least a non-lawyer reminds you about the law which you ought to enforce.