Biz Buzz: A questionable lifestyle
Quite a number of people, especially those who have to deal with him in his chambers, have expressed serious concern over one particular Court of Appeals justice.
In particular, his alleged penchant for being open to “being influenced” by influential individuals who have cases pending before him is subject of constant talk in legal circles.
While cases should be decided based on merits, this justice apparently has other ideas especially when deciding to issue writs of preliminary injunction.
There was one recent instance when this justice even waited for a colleague to go on leave before issuing a particular injunction.
When he got the chance, he immediately issued the writ despite knowing that his decision was less than ideal. His colleague was so dismayed that he now refuses to be associated with any official acts of this justice lest he be accused of corruption.
This justice, a former elected official of a province in the south, was also investigated by the Commission on Audit for some disbursements in the now-infamous pork barrel scam.
He is reported to be living beyond his means. While he already maintains a home in Quezon City, he has reportedly set up another home elsewhere inhabited by … uhm … “someone else.”
We know for a fact that not all justices are for sale, but we might have an exception here. This is a matter that may require a lifestyle check and formal ethical review to resolve. Daxim L. Lucas
Open warfare
It is now open warfare between a government-owned printing agency and its foreign supplier, Oberthur Technologies.
This foreign—and former supplier—of the Department of Foreign Affairs saw its contract for e-passports expire on Jan. 15, 2015 (but its contract with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas remains).
Meanwhile, the other party in the fray, APO Production Unit Inc., is one of the three Recognized Government Printers (RGPs) aside from Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and National Printing Office.
As mandated in the General Appropriations Act, it has already started servicing the needs of the DFA starting with the authentication project since October 2014.
This was followed by the personalization project that started early this year.
Note, of course, that no government agency can go directly to any private printing supplier for its printing requirements and priority is given to the three RGPs.
In case none of the three can do the project, only then can the government agency go to a private company for its printing needs.
Even before the expiration of its contract with the DFA, Oberthur and senior executives of APO already met for the proper turnover.
This was contrary to claims of Oberthur that none of APOs senior executives came. The speculation now is that Oberthur wanted to be included in APO’s pool of suppliers to do the passport project, and thus remain part of the action.
Immediately after the Jan. 15 contract expiration, APO assumed operational control of the personalization facilities of the DFA and made repairs on the system left behind by the previous provider.
We heard from our sources that this system has been subjected to “numerous attacks and interference” immediately after the change in operational control from unknown parties, aka “sabotage.” Was this aimed at slowing down passport production?
We hear there is a publicity campaign to discredit APO’s capability and the credentials of its people to engage in passport production.
Who’s telling the truth? Well, we hear that older passports had already diminished in quality with some passports not being read in immigration desks abroad and Overseas Filipino Workers being embarrassed at several points of entry in other countries (because their passport pages were poorly bound).
Lately, talk has reemerged about possible delays in the issuance of new passports because the DFA had to bid out the contract following the guidelines set by the Government Procurement Policy Board under the Department of Budget and Management.
This process is, of course, being properly attended to by all parties concerned so as not to violate any government rules and regulations on the matter of procurement of goods and services.
The APO camp now believes that it is on the receiving end of attacks from Oberthur over the contract in question—a highly coveted $50-million deal.
We’re betting that we haven’t heard the last of this issue. Daxim L. Lucas
MVP’s pitch
Businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan has been clear on his stand on not becoming a future politician but there have been few avenues to know how he actually feels about politicians themselves.
While it’s understandably not good business to reveal such sentiments—unless you’re a raving fan, perhaps—Pangilinan did let on where he felt there should be less politicos.
We’re talking about The Outstanding Young Men (and Women), which Pangilinan chairs in the Philippines. At a testimonial dinner this week to celebrate 2014 honorees—an event to also launch the search for the 2015 candidates—Pangilinan was quite clear on the awardees he preferred.
In brief remarks near the closing of the event, Pangilinan, who heads some of the country’s biggest companies, talked about how he always felt people with a background in “the technical side of things” like science, engineering and agriculture should get more recognition through the The Outstanding Young Men.
Pangilinan didn’t stop there as he added that he preferred those candidates over “getting more politicians” as well as actors and singers.
Now, what Pangilinan was referring to—while a good idea—is not new by any means.
We’re sure many have felt, maybe experienced first hand, how Filipino popular culture tends to glorify celebrities and politicians (sometimes they’re the same thing) over less, uhm, entertaining professions.
Clearly, Pangilinan wasn’t criticizing any of the TOYM honorees in these lines, all of whom deserve their place.
There might have been a moment of awkwardness for some guests, though, since his remarks were made just a few feet away from Liloan town Mayor Vincent Frasco, a TOYM 2014 honoree. Miguel R. Camus
Sidetracked?
If Euro IV compliance were a race, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ (DENR) order to phase out lower-ranked fuel products way ahead of target has raised eyebrows among fuel retailers.
DENR has issued Administrative Order No. 2015-14 imposing more stringent emission standards.
Among others, it requires availability of so-called Euro IV fuels, which comply with new standards, by July 1.
The same order said all vehicles to be used or introduced in the Philippine market starting January 2016 must be Euro IV compliant.
The DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau has already said it will only issue permits, called Certificates of Conformity or COCs, to Euro IV vehicles starting January 2016.
It seems that the DENR, together with the Department of Energy (DOE), car manufacturers, transport groups and oil firms had agreed to comply with the original January 2016 target when they last had a meeting on the subject. That was in October 2014.
Importers of Euro IV fuel have apparently started phasing in such products by introducing them to pump stations, first in city-centers and next in more remote pump stations. Local refiners are working to meet the January 2016 target as well.
However, it seems that even among local distributors and retailers of imported fuel, many will not meet the July deadline recently announced by DENR.
“It’s surprising, considering we had all agreed on January 2016. How do they expect stakeholders to advance everything by six months?” said one of our sources.
The DOE seems to be keeping its distance from the DENR order, saying only that emissions are DENR’s domain and that private oil firms may still present their concerns with DENR.
“The question is, why all this hurry when we all agreed on the implementation and everyone is already working to meet the agreed target of January 2016? What is the motivation?” another source said. Riza T. Olchondra
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