Holy Mass with Pope Francis
OFF TO ROME — I got word from Businessman Nilo Claudio (one of the so-called “Nanding Boys”) that Archbishop Emeritus Nanding Capalla is on his way to Rome to join some priests in a concelebrated Mass with Pope Francis sometime within the next week or so.
A blessed and safe trip, Archbishop Nanding.
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POLL DISCREPANCIES — Now, the “can of worms” is starting to open. Initial random verifications showed problems in the counting of votes. I was told this is only the proverbial “tip of the iceberg”. Let’s hope this will not lead to a total annulment of the May 2013 elections.
As I held from the beginning, I don’t trust mechanical voting because it is something that I cannot personally verify. In the case of the PCOS machines, we had to take the word of the bull-headed Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes and entrust our political future to it.
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ALL FRONTS — We are beleaguered today in all fronts — internally and externally. Our soldiers and policemen are being slaughtered by the rebels. And we are suffering from the mighty threats from China and Taiwan, although we are not losing in the verbal tussle. Sorry to say, but we are good at brave words. But we don’t have a heavy stick to back it up.
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PEACE TALKS — Let’s go back to the negotiating table with the CPP-NPA-NDF. This may help abate the conflict situation now happening all around us.
And hasten the talks with MILF. I was informed that the revised proposal of the Philippine government in wealth-sharing and power-sharing package is still being finalized after President Aquino disapproved the earlier package. I know how difficult it is.
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NO CHA-CHA? — I don’t buy the line that there will be no constitutional amendments during the term of President Aquino. Otherwise, we are only playing around with the Bangsamoro aspiration for their right to self determination (RSD). Why? Simply because there is no way we can approximate RSD unless we amend the provisions of the Charter.
I will leave it at that, for the moment.
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