Danny Lim out of Customs

Malacanang should be extremely cautious right now, especially when they dispense a press  statement.

Numerous news reports say that Danny Lim is out of Customs. True. It is accurate. President Aquino did accept Lim's resignation.

Then, the bomb. Reports say that his resignation followed his revelations of "certain influential forces" at the Customs. Was Lim ousted because he revealed this or was he really ousted because, in truth and in fact, the President is displeased with his performance as Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence?

I don't know about the President but I do know that one of the presidential sisters was displeased with Lim's performance. " General Lim, you ask", says one of the presidential sisters in a lunch cum meeting in a hotel somewhere in Manila, " He's a disappointment."

To be fair, Lim was assigned at the Customs by Pnoy after several people recommended him for this. Customs was a perfect fit for Lim. Why? Lim mutinied against the government due to his disgust on rampant graft and corruption. What better way to show he's really sincere in this "anti-corruption" fight than to show it by ridding the Customs of misfits.

Years past and numerous nasty rumors spread against Lim. There were reports that his trusted men were themselves involved in shady deals. Reports also say that Lim and his close associates were involved in deals except oil smuggling. That explains why Lim's accomplishments were described as "ginisa" meaning, he only targets those importing garlic, tomatoes, and onions. Remember, Lim always wants to be pictured opening a container filled with onions.

I don't buy Lim's "alibi" that the reason for his failure are the persistent calls from several people asking for favors. Why, this did not happen when you were with the military sir? Lim's flimsy reason shows character weakness. So what if several or some people are asking favors? The obvious answer to that is simply ignore them, and let the chips fall. Why do a "balancing act"? What is there to "balance"? Lim's duty is to enforce the law, simple. His duty is specific---go after people who plan to defraud government of millions or billions worth of revenues. If there is an information that leads or points to a plan to smuggle certain things and these involve specific names of people, then, to hell if they have relatives from Malacanan? Lim should have stood fast and say that when people ask me for favors, i don't entertain them. Indications show that he did, according to some people.

So, Lim's "balancing act" resulted to government losing " 220 billion pesos". I wonder, how many balancing acts did Lim did which summed up to 220 billion.

Seriously, I still respect General Lim.

Firestarters and game-changers in 2012

Alex Lacson, who just celebrated his birthday yesterday, continues to inspire our people through his works at the Kabayanihan Foundation. From his monumental work, 12 Little Things Every Filipino Should do to help our country, that smash hit propelled  other versions of this little book. Lacson has published several other inspiring books for the Overseas Filipino Workers and for little kids. You might want to check these out at the National Bookstore.

Jay Jaboneta, this creative firestarter, continues to work hard for his foundation, the Philippine Fund for Little Kids, a non-governmental organisation that helps kids go to school. I just heard that a European institution invited him to speak before them in France and talk about change. Congratulations!

Other firestarters I know of...

Josiah Go, an inspirational speaker and entrepreneur, is also a great firestarter. He helped Jay and continues to help others discover their passions.  He is an inspiration to all entrepreneurs.

Fred Mison, who now serves government as Associate Commissioner, is really making a big dent in cleansing the Bureau of Immigration of misfits and grafters. His honest-to-goodness campaign against erring and corrupt men inside the bureau, has boasted the morale of most BI employees who want nothing more than see their bureau as a graft-free one. There should be more like him serving government.

General Danilo Lim continues to fight grafters and big time smugglers inside the Bureau of Customs. His crusade for good governance inspires others.

Susan "Toots" Ople flew to Dubai to help several distressed Filipinos. This small dynamo in the OFW NGO sector continues to keep the hallowed name of her father sanctified. Inspite of her poverty, Toots remains very rich in terms of friends and supporters. She spends her own money for others to be able to regain their shattered lives.

How about game-changers? Who will be the game changers this year, 2012?

BBDO Guerrero and Fleishman-Hillard are two outstanding agencies that are sure to change the advertising and PR landscape not just here in the Philippines but abroad. Fleishman-Hillard remains as 2011's Agency of the Year (Holmes Report). Right now, many companies are relying on Fleishman-Hillard to help them promote their products. 2012 will see Fleishman-Hillard attaining greater heights!

How about you? Are you a firestarter or a game changer? 

Customs Bureau to undergo revamp

Sources told me yesterday that the Bureau of Customs will be revamped in the next few days. Fact is, several of those being tagged as collectors of grease monies will be the very first heads to roll in the agency.


Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence Danilo Lim vows to rid his department of scalawags soon. Lim says he will not tolerate abuses committed by his men, nor see his name besmirch by the acts of others using his name for alleged "collection" purposes.


Sources confirmed that Alan Paje, Lim's former campaign manager, is prohibited from going to his office at Customs. He is now out of his inner circle, after allegedly meeting with smugglers in a hotel somewhere in Quezon City several weeks ago.


Paje reportedly got a mouthful from the grizzled former Scout Ranger head. 


There is, however, another personality, more brazen than Paje at the Bureau. His name is Sacra. 


Several businessmen says Sacra is using the name of Commissioner Ruffy Biazon to get some "protection money" from locators, importers and smugglers. Sacra, according to several sources, is now being surveilled intensely by operatives of the palace.


Bureau officials already said that they will not meet collection targets this year, and for what reason? They are still hard-pressed solving graft and corrupt practices inside the bureau.


Likewise, who is this member of the official family who told customs officials to produce 15 million pesos a week for him?


That's 60 million pesos a month! And that's totally unacceptable. This Cabinet member is damaging the reputation and image of the entire administration. He must be stopped and stripped of his powers now!


(By the way, President Aquino himself says that there will be a "Cabinet revamp" very soon.)

The General Danny Lim whom we love

I would like to share this link to everyone to remember how everyone loves General Danny Lim and shares his vision for the future salvation of this country from its very sons and daughters who once treaded the crooked path.

Danny Lim denies asking for bribes

Let me re-publish what my friend, Philip Tubeza of the Inquirer wrote about these disturbing news that Danny Lim, deputy commissioner on Customs, is now doing a Tuwad na Daan by accepting bribes. see link: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/77965/i%E2%80%99m-not-asking-for-bribes%E2%80%93-danilo-lim

I’m not asking for bribes– Danilo Lim

Philippine Daily Inquirer

3:16 am | Tuesday, October 18th, 2011

 0share33 33

Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence Danilo Lim on Monday warned those transacting business at the Bureau of Customs not to give “tara” or bribes to persons dropping his name.

This after customs police arrested last week two individuals at the Manila International Container Port in the act of soliciting “tara” using Lim’s name.

“Let it be public knowledge that I neither asked for tara nor appointed anyone to solicit it for myself or for my office,” Lim said in a statement.

He said he received information that individuals were soliciting bribes in his name, and “some of it was already earmarked for pickup by my representative.”

“To all concerned, beware. Bribery is a crime. All other related crimes that are a result of bribery have corresponding severe penalties under the Revised Penal Code of the Philippines (RPCP),” Lim said.

“This authority will not hesitate to seek the harshest penalty under the RPCP, if conditions call for it and are necessary,” he added.

Lim, a bemedalled former Army Scout Rangers commander, was instructed by President Benigno Aquino III to clean up the notoriously corrupt customs service. He was a leader of various military uprisings in the first Aquino administration and the Arroyo administration. Philip C. Tubeza

Mon Jimenez is new Tourism secretary

A new day has dawned. President Aquino is slowly unveiling a new phase in his year old government. He is doing the right moves, and appointing people in their right places. 

Actually, these moves started early this year with the appointment of Atty. Fred Mison, as deputy BID commissioner. Mison, a fellow Kabayani, was appointed because of his integrity and love of country. After Mison, came a series of appointments of other Kabayanis and other people from the private sector who now lent their lives for the betterment of society.

Just today, the President confirmed the appointment of veteran advertising man, Ramon "Mon" Jimenez. Jimenez is one of the most respected advertising practitioners around. He helped, in some way, Aquino's electoral campaign last year, while my group helped the senatoriables. Jimenez is a brilliant guy. He is also not boastful.I am definitely sure he will do better than Bertie Lim.

The question that remains--what happens to Riza Hontiveros, the name floated about as the replacement of Lim? Indications are that Hontiveros will head one of the three OFW posts around.

Now, that the DOT fortfolio has been given to a veteran, will that be the case at the Bureau of Customs? Will Ruffy Biazon finally get this position and fulfill his dream of cleansing the most graft ridden agency of government?

General Danny Lim is one of the best names I ever heard from palace insiders. They say that Lim will now be the head of the Custom's intelligence department. He will be a deputy commissioner.

Apology

Brigadier General Danilo Lim says that there's nothing to apologize for. Lim says that the proclamation order which President Benigno Aquino III wrote says nothing of apologies. A comment which the Palace issued says that for Lim and the others to qualify for amnesty, they have to apologize for trying to oust the previous administration. 


What is to apologize for? Apologies are given only by those who really committed wrongdoing. Is it wrong to militate against an immoral and illegitimate government? No. It is well within the rights of individuals. It is dictated by our consciences as Filipinos that we always rise up whenever a government oppresses the people with its policies and when the very same government pursues an elitist democracy rather than open democracy.


The blood that flows within our veins always tell us that when we see oppression, when we see immorality and when we experience the effects of mis-governance coupled with graft and corruption, we never allow such things to happen. As Filipinos, it is in our nature that we fight off corrupt men and women occupying sensitive positions in government. 


Lim and the rest of those who militated against the previous administration need not apologize. It should be the other way around--Gloria and her bunch of barung-clad thieves should apologize, nay, even, punished for their wrongdoings and their large-scale thievery during these nine years. 


Gloria Arroyo and her gang should be put to jail. Gloria Arroyo should be crucified for her evil ways. There is no other form of justice left for her and her gang of misfits. Why?


Arroyo's nine year misgovernance have set back the very gains generated by previous administrations in terms of lessening poverty incidences. Our current state is such a deplorable one that we must make faster our efforts at developing the economy for the benefit of the people. People are fast losing Hope, Mr. President, and it is incumbent upon all the leaders of this country, to unite behind one common agenda--that is, improving the quality of life of Filipinos. 


But before we undertake this great entreprise of re-building our Nation, we must first give the People justice. Justice is what we need. Justice is what we desire.

My loyalty is to my country, not to Pnoy

I don't know about you, but whenever someone asks me where my loyalties lie as a Patriot, I'll tell them that my loyalty is with the Filipino People. 


I may agree with most of the things President Noynoy Aquino does or I may even declare that my thoughts are often more Socialist than any other, but when loyalties are being asked, I declare that I am loyal to the Filipino People, not to someone or some political or ideological aggrupation. 


That's why many people are somewhat puzzled by the twin announcements of Generals Danny Lim and Senator Antonio Trillianes IV. General Lim and Trillianes were granted freedom by the courts after President Aquino signed an amnesty proclamation for them. A few days later, Lim was quoted as saying (in a RAM reunion) that he will cooperate with the present administration. Trillianes told the same thing yesterday. Trillianes admitted being a partner of the Aquino administration and will stay as not as an outside critic but as an active partner of the new administration. 


I often wonder why I remain as an active revolutionist. Simple: I belong to the masses and am part of the masses. I was not born with a proverbial silver spoon in my mouth. I understand the condition of the Filipino Masses. That's why whatever I write here, crooked, funny, interesting or just plain simple here, I write it as that so that I may be understood not just by the elites or the middle class who reads this blog (thanks!), but moreso by those who belong to my class. 


In fact, I don't need to tell the masses that they are oppressed. They know it already. I am writing stuff so that the middle and the upper classes may clearly understand the condition of the poor folks in the ground. 


And I am under the impression that these two highly esteemed Patriots and gentlemen at that, also took the least taken road for just one cause---the Cause of the poor Filipinos. 


Many people identified themselves with the Cause of the Bagong Katipunan and its predecessors, the RAM and the YOU, because their dream of seeing a New Philippines arise from the old, is a "dream that shall never die". 


Many believe in the cause of the Bagong Katipunan because it reflects the age-old yearning of the Filipino to see this country become great again.


Politically, one links or ascribes himself with this administration because, for one, this administration strives or at least tries to be progressive--something which previous administrations never even thought of being. 


Pnoy, for all his so-called "neophyte blunders", at least blunders or errs on the side of Right, instead of wrong. Others like Arroyo blunders on the side of Wrong and immorality.


However, one thing that I often ask myself is this---where will the struggle go and up to when will we, those who want to regain the glory of this Country, struggle? 


The answer lies as simple as the sun sets in the West and rises in the East--it is when the opportunities present in this society become equal--when the poor and ordinary Person working or non-working would be able to say that he enjoys the same rights as those working and filthy rich. 


When one Filipino can proudly say that his country belongs to the elites, when his country takes care of its people the same way as the People take care of their government, that, I think is the sign, of the setting of the revolutionary Sun. And that scene, I pray, happens during my lifetime.