IlOCOS Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas candidly admitted that the impeachment case against Chief Justice Renato Corona was not thoroughly studied and reviewed by the lawmakers at the House of Representatives.

This admission supports the claim of many that the impeachment case versus the Chief Justice was railroaded and that the impeachment trial will not end with a conviction.

Since day one of the trial, it was already apparent that the prosecution was not prepared to pin down Corona and was heavily depending on their media campaign to demonize the Chief Justice.

Such below par performance and dirty tactics even backfired to the grandstanding congressmen-prosecutors when they were caught lying on TV regarding the supposed number of Corona’s properties.

The trial could be far from over but a survey already shows that Filipinos believe Corona would be acquitted because of the poor manner by which the prosecution handled the case.

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President Benigno Aquino III doesn’t have to look far if he wants to know whether his “Daang Matuwid” is really happening or not.

In the streets alone, Aquino will notice that cops have big bellies. Usually, the size of a policeman’s stomach tells if he’s corrupt or not.

Big-bellied cops are a disgrace to the PNP. The organization tried getting rid of them before via a retraining and fitness program.

PNP chief Gen. Nick Bartolome should make sure that such a program is sustained so that we can always have fit and honest cops in the streets.

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Vice President and Housing Czar Jejomar Binay should already step into the housing woes of Sendong victims in Cagayan and Iligan cities.

Until now, the families displaced by the typhoon are still homeless despite the huge amount of financial aid that are coming in to help them..

In fact, the United Nations, which is sending large amount of funds for the victims, noted there are problems in providing shelters to the victims.

Currently in charge of rehabilitating the families is Sec. Dinky Soliman of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. Soliman cannot address the housing problems of the victims because her department does not have the expertise to deal with them.

As chair of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, Binay should be the one calling the shots in Cagayan and Iligan as far as housing matters are concerned.

Knowing Binay, he will deliver, faster. 

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Quezon City treasurer Ed Villanueva has been suspended, according to a reliable source.

The suspension came amid  reports that Villanueva amassed wealth through his position as caretaker of the city’s coffers.

It was said that while savings of Quezon City was fast declining, Villanueva was allegedly buying expensive luxury cars and real estate  properties.

In the absence of Villanueva, it was reported that former city treasurer Vic Endriga will reassume the position.

Despite this, however, insiders  expect little change in the city treasury.  Both Villanueva and Endriga are allegedly being probed by the Commission on Audit for irregularities in the performance of their duties.

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Another Quezon City official allegedly being investigated is a city councilor.

An informant revealed that the councilor is the subject of a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman.

What’s disturbing is that the complaint was filed by ‘ghost employees’.

The source said some 30 ghost employees got angry with the councilor upon learning that each of their paycheck is worth P10,000 per month  but the councilor is allegedly giving them only P1,000.

If the allegations are true, combined salaries of the 30 ghost employees would total to P300,000 per month. Only P30,000 are being  paid to the ghost employees. Where does the remaining P270,000 go? In one year, that translates to P3.24 million.

Prior to becoming ghost employees, the complainants were said to have been required by the office of the councilor to submit hiring requirements which they were able to comply with.

Who’s the councilor? Rick Ashley probably knows.

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