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Abusive guest

Man at the Market
Jesse E.L. Bacon II

11/09/2009

The suit filed before the courts by Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. challenging the legality of Executive Order (EO) 839 freezing the prices of petroleum products to its Oct. 15 level smacks of arrogance by a corporate entity that is allowed to do business here as a guest of this country.

A guest whether person or juridical entities are mere sojourners in one place and stay in such place upon the kindness and benevolence of their hosts. While the host is expected to see to it that the guest’s welfare is given utmost attention and concern by him, this does not clothe the guest with the right to abuse the host.

When Mrs. Arroyo issued EO 839, she had in mind the welfare of those gravely affected by the devastation caused by typhoons “Ondoy” and “Pepeng.” I don’t want to delve into other reasons as insinuated by some for the issuance of such executive fiat because I am convinced it did help in many ways than one those of our countrymen devastated by the two natural calamities.

As a guest doing business in this country raking in billions of pesos in profits every year, the least that Pilipinas Shell Petroleum could have done is commiserate with the sufferings of the Filipino people, the very people that is the source of their unconscionable profits, for what had befell them. Going to court to have EO 839 declared a nullity is just like saying it does not care about the suffering and misery of the Filipino people for its intention in staying here is simply to rake in profits no matter what.

Pilipinas Shell is stretching too far the kindness this country had afforded her. No guest in his right mind would ever question the acts of his host unless the guest believes his host is his slave. Does Pilipinas Shell think we are its slaves? Perhaps it is high time now that we should take a look at the arrogance of these corporate entities and squarely deal with them. If Pilipinas Shell believes it is not happy anymore with our kindness and benevolence toward it, then it should be told to pack up. The arrogance of companies like Pilipinas Shell is the last thing we need from a guest.

In the meantime, perhaps the wisest move that we can pursue while this arrogant guest is packing up is to boycott its products. It is high time now that we teach these companies a lesson. They have not only taken advantage of us, they have been pushing us as if we are their slaves.

Ping’s claim affirmed

Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson had been proven right with his thesis that no amount of accusation against him would ever prosper if it is a concocted charge supported by lies and testified to by lying witnesses.

When the Arroyo administration dragged the opposition senator into the double murder case of publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito, they produced former general Cezar Mancao, a former Lacson protégé, who in his affidavit claimed he was in Lacson’s car seated at the front when he overheard the former ordering another police general, Rey Michael Aquino, who was seated beside Lacson at the back to have Dacer eliminated. This was the core of Mancao’s affidavit that made the government decide that Lacson had a hand in the murder of Dacer and Corbito.

Lacson in his own affidavit denied that such scenario as pictured by Mancao ever happened because at that precise moment when it supposedly happened he was in the United States accompanying then President Estrada in his official visit to that country. Lacson’s claim was corroborated and affirmed by Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II who claimed he, too, was with Estrada and Lacson in that official visit to the US in his capacity as Trade and Industry secretary to Estrada.

It is indeed very hard to pluck out of nowhere charges against anybody just to persecute that person. Lacson had consistently denied having a hand in the murder of Dacer and Corbito claiming he has no motive whatsoever to have them eliminated aside from the fact that it is not the national police chief’s job to order the killing of anybody. This administration, however, wants to see him persecuted apparently because of his non-compromising stand against all forms of corruption it is being charged with. Because of this administration’s obsession to get even with Lacson, its charges against him blew up right on its face. (Reactions to jelbacon@yahoo.com)

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