OFFBEAT MAIL

Human trafficking is a lucrative industry that is controlled by crime syndicates who are in cahoots with corrupt politicians and law enforcement authorities.  In fact, it is the world's fastest growing organized crime that has remained unsolved for many generations. As a result, this criminal act has destroyed the lives of millions of innocent victims, including children, who were either duped, forced or sold,  by reason of poverty, to work as prostitutes in brothels, child laborers or slaves in big farms. Statistics shows that at least 20.9 million people are trafficked each year.  Sexual abuses account 22 percent of this total. In America alone, an estimated 100,000 innocent girls, aged 12 to 14, have become victims of human trafficking. This illegal trade has generated about US$22 million in online sex transactions annually. This figure doesn't include the revenues that may have been generated  from street sex solicitation using these young girls. ...

At no point in the history of Philippine politics when more than a thousand party-list groups had scrambled themselves to beat the deadline for the filing of the certificates of candidacy (COCs) at the Commission on Elections (Comelec) offices. It is not surprising at all why some cause-oriented groups noticed this development from the sidelines.  And they came out with the figure and negative comments, criticizing the mushrooming of the party-list groups in the country. What is funny is that many of those nominees for the party-list groups do not belong to the category which they are supposed to represent. Instead, they are mere dummies of the organizations they wish to represent.  Kontra Daya leader Fr. Joe Dizon said in a broadcast interview that at least 60 percent of those who represent the party-list groups in Congress are wealthy. In fact, he was wondering why these people are in Congress right now.  Rep. Mikey Arroyo Why did this happen? The answers to this q...

If we read in the newspapers why some drug-related cases are dismissed, blame them on the lapses of law enforcers who made the arrests and filed the necessary crimnal cases against the suspects. Seized illegal drugs Often times, we ask ourselves why? What really happened? The peddling of illegal drugs in the markets is a crime that needs to be stopped before it could inflict serious damages to many young people. But have our law enforcers succeeded in eradicating this society's malady? The answer is a big "No." Why? Actually, there are a lot of reasons. In apprehending criminals involved in the peddling and distribution of drugs, there are established laws and legal procedures to follow. Our law enforcers may be able to succeed in arresting drug peddlers on the streets, but there are technicalities that need to be observed from the apprehension up to the filing of criminal cases against the suspects in the proper courts.  Ex-PDEA Chief D...

At least, three flag raising ceremonies took place at the Supreme Court premises. It was strange to notice that many of the associate justices failed to attend the same. Was it a show of frustration on the part of the associate justices that Maria Lourdes Sereno was the one appointed to be the chief justice of the Supreme Court? Of course, nobody will say what's really the reason why some of Sereno's colleagues continue to ignore her leadership. Or was it because one of their favorites wasn't picked in place of Sereno?   Chief Justice Sereno As this developed, opinions are cropping up that the failure of some associate justices to attend the flag-raising ceremonies, which are a normal practice for all government officials and employees to pay their respect to the Philippine flag, are tangible disrespect to the leadership of Sereno in the Supreme Court.  Some of them thought that their continuous failure to ignore the morning rites at the Supreme Court ...

Africa needs engineers as much as doctors to stop people dying needlessly, according to the South African entrepreneur Ivor Ichikowitz. The industrialist says so many more people will survive if sanitation is made more effective, clean water better transported and other projects better maintained - that the importance of engineers to Africa should be put on a par with medical staff. Ivor Ichikowitz is the founder of Paramount Group , Africa's largest privately owned defence and aerospace business, which employs 1,500 people, including hundreds of highly skilled engineers. He said: "Across Africa, poor sanitation systems and environmental defences consistently lead to people requiring medical support, particularly during floods and droughts.  "If we dedicated more engineers and investment to proactively tackling these problems in the first place then we could save many more lives across the continent and doctors could tackle other emergencies." According to ...

Really, it's more fun in the Philippines. As the national elections come closer, the filing of certificate of candidacy (COC) with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has intensified. Hence, creating chaos and confusions in the process. Amid all this, politicians and members of their immediate families are gearing up to make a headway by jumping into the political spotlight. Why not? For as long as there is no law that will prohibit the practice of political dynasty in the Philippines, sons and daughters, and even grandchildren of politicians, will join the fray, if only to enjoy the perks and privileges that a politician enjoys when he is elected into public office. The question now is how come immediate family members of politicians are joining the political race? Is it because they want to be recognized? Or simply they wanted to help introduce developments in their communties? There are no specific answers to these questions. However, if you will ask me, I can say tha...

Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile The heated exchange of harsh words between the younger Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and the octagenarian Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile at the plenary session in the Philippine Senate on Wednesday , came as a surprise to their colleagues in the chamber, and to the millions of Filipinos around the world. This is the first time in the history of Philippine politics that a younger legislator has to stand up and engaged a Senate President in a word-war. Many people are asking as to what triggered the exchange of heated words between the two legislators? Did Trillanes by-pass his boss at the Senate? Media reports and other sources said the verbal tussles stemmed from the sensitive issue of deliberating on a bill that would split Camarines Sur into two and the backdoor negotiations initiated by Senator Trillanes with China over the Scarborough Shoal in the West Philippine Seas. Sen. A. Trillanes IV Trillanes, a graduate of the Philippine M...