Social media did him in
Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno’s position as first among equals in a collegial body is untenable.
With the impeachment complaint submitted to the House of Representatives most likely to be transmitted to the Senate, she has no choice but to resign to save the exalted position as well as herself from the humiliation of being dethroned.
She can’t depend on the support of her fellow justices who compelled her to go on an indefinite leave.
Even Supreme Court employees, who supported her predecessor, Renato Corona, when he was being impeached, don’t like her. They demonstrated their dislike for her in Monday’s flag ceremony.
She is the most disliked and disrespected Chief Justice in history.
* * *
Article continues after this advertisementRomnick Relos, the coconut vendor who was mauled by a sidewalk clearing crew of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), won the sympathy of the public after a video of the incident went viral on social media.
Article continues after this advertisementThe MMDA men have since been suspended.
But Relos has been arrested and is now in the custody of the police, along with his two brothers, Roy and Dondon, also sidewalk vendors.
No, it’s not because of that mauling incident.
They are wanted for murder in Masbate and had been hiding in Manila until Tuesday when they were arrested.
The incident was seen on social media by relatives of their victim who immediately informed the police.
If not for that mauling incident, the Relos brothers would still be free, thanks to social media.
* * *
Pastor Mel Biangco says President Digong’s promise to make it easier for the transacting public to get government documents has apparently not reached the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
According to Biangco, he was made to return four times to the PSA to apply for the renewal of his certificate of authority to solemnize marriages.
Biangco has been joining people in holy matrimony in his church in the US, the Door Christian Fellowship, for 17 years. He was granted a permit in the country in 2016.
The pastor complains that he’s being given the runaround in the renewal of his license.
He said that when he called up the PSA hotline, he was told to go to its San Juan office but he found that it had transferred to Makati City.
At the Makati office, he was given a list of requirements that he complied with.
On his third visit, he was given two more requirements that were not on the list.
When he went back the fourth time, the clerks in charge of processing his application were absent and he was told to wait.
That was Tuesday. He had been at the Makati PSA office for more than an hour when he decided to call up my office (Isumbong Mo Kay Tulfo) to complain.
Pastor Biangco lived in the US for over two decades before he decided to come back here to set up his church.
He is apparently disoriented with how things are being run in some government offices in the country.
He said it took him six hours—repeat, six hours—to get his birth certificate at the PSA, a prerequisite when he applied for a license to solemnize marriages the first time around.
Welcome back to the Philippines, Pastor!
