The Official Newsletter of the Ateneo Christian Union for Socialist and Democratic Advancement (CRUSADA) January 26, 2011 Vol. 1 No. 6 In this issue Politics: Public Office Appointme nts 1 Economics: Sale of Military Camps 2 Ateneo:CRUSADA in Elections 2-3 Opinion: South Sudan Referendum 3Theory & Politics: Cicero 3Quotes of the Week 4Mar Roxas, Aquino’s 2010 running-mate, shall be “chief troubleshooter”. Source: philippineelection2010.blogspot.com Political Appointments: Same Old Names This is the season for Malacañang to exercise its powers of appointment. The importance of this season is unquestionable: the posts involved are crucial and almost deterministic of the policies and future tra jectory of the Aquino III administration in the following years ahead. Inclusive of the president’s power to appoint people into key government posts is the power to create new government posts as provided in the 1987 Constitution stating that: “He shall also appoint all otherofficers of the Government whose appointments are not otherwise provided for by law”. While the “power to appoint” provides the “power to remove” the Constitution declares that “the President cannot remove officials appointed by him where the Constitution prescribes certain methods for separation of such officers from public service, e.g., Chairmen and Commissioners ofConstitutional Commissions”. Consequently, each appointment has a rationale that must be scrutinized and clarified as the reverberations ofappointments (and the subsequent appointments of the president’s appointees) are high. In addition, the president’s standards of appointment become open for the public to examine vis-à-vis his appointments. In the case of Mar Roxas, for example, there are apparent and hidden implications in his appointment as a dangerously-ambiguo us “ chief troubleshooter.” A curious note also includes singer Ogie Alcasid and columnist Conrado de Q uiros’ appointment to the EDSA People Power Commission. While the candidates’ credentials and public experience are unquestioned, the question of patronage politics and utang-na-loob mentality also comes into the picture. Civil society groups, ever-vigilant (and ever-suspicious), are itching to face the administration regarding these new officials. Church-based and civil society organizations have Atty. Carlos Medina, known as chairperson of the Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE), as their top dog for COMELEC. Groups like KontraDaya are against Atty. Romulo Macalintal for the same position owing, ironically, to his being Arroyo's defense in her Hello Garci scandal. While these are not the only names, and even though the common Filipino has no direct influence on appointments, our citizenry are still the ultimate stakeholders and should therefore keep an eye out and be critical with the decision of its leaders, if only to hold PNoy accountable to his promise of "tuwid na landas." Editorial Board: Miguel Calayag, Kristine Chy, Zarah Domingo, Daniel Garingan, Joshua Lim, JA de Lima, Jules Lo, Coco Navarro, James Roman, Miguel Rivera, Maria Venturanza
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8/7/2019 The Crusader - January 26, 2011 (Vol. 1, No. 6)
Camp Aguinaldo’s Sale Really Benefits AFPPresident Aquino expressed his interest in selling Camps Aguinaldo and Crame, the main headquarters of the Armed Forces
of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police respectively, to private developers. Ostensibly, it is believed that the bases
strategically stand on prime real estate, and that more benefits would be realized should the lands be sold and redeveloped as new
centers of business in Metro Manila. Profits are intended to go to the modernization program of the AFP, as well as the improvemen
of living conditions and quality of life for more than 100,000 soldiers currently in active duty. This arrangement would be similar to
the partial sale of Fort Bonifacio to private developers, where 32.5% of proceeds from that sale, according to Senator Joker Arroyo,would directly benefit the AFP.
The sale, though made with good intention, does raise a very pertinent question: will the AFP rank-and-file benefit from the
sale of its headquarters to private interests? Several lawmakers have expressed opposition to the proposed sale given the
government’s experience with Fort Bonifacio. For one, the AFP never benefited from the sale of the base to private interests, where
was claimed that half of funds generated by the sale were used to fund for the development of the Subic and Clark economic zones.
Senator Arroyo also further speculated that the money supposedly allocated for the AFP’s modernization was ultimately siphoned o
to become added perks for its generals. It’s depressing how government transactions have ultimately been sidelined by petty privat
interests, looking out for themselves rather than the common good.
Like all other transactions, accountability remains a shady aspect. If the privatization of the headquarters is really meant fo
military development, then it should be paid with tangible military development. Further scrutiny would actually benefit the AFP, as
the funds generated should be allocated for the intended purpose. Financing tossed into the support of our brave citizens in uniform
can and should ultimately trickle down to more needy factions of the AFP, and not merely to pamper its high-ranking officers.
LONG
SHADOWS:
Under St.
Thomas
More’s
monument
in the old
Rizal
Library,
Villanueva
vows to
restore
dynamic
politics in
the Ateneo
last Jan. 21.
Source:
Hansley
Juliano
CRUSADA gears up
for Downhill AssaultStudent politics in the Ateneo has become boring, that is, until
something new has attempted to make it more interesting. CRUSADA, the
new student-organized political party in the Loyola Schools, has made it a
point to revolutionize Ateneo student politics. "What differentiates
CRUSADA from the other parties is that it isn't just for the elections. It has
its own system to train students throughout the year, not only to win [in
the elections] but also to become leaders," said Miguel Rivera (III AB
Political Science), the party's premier.
Last year, the same year the party was founded by a group of
Political Science students with support from select faculty of the
Department of Political Science, CRUSADA made itself visible through
several activities and movements. The party assertively expressed concernagainst the proposed College Fair, taking an active role in the discourse on
the issue. Also, in commemoration of the Maguindanao Massacre,
CRUSADA held a prayer vigil outside the gates of Ateneo led by priests and
attended by students and professors. CRUSADA tackles issues in and
outside school not in a policy-oriented manner, but in a manner that
considers the whole picture. According to Ross Tugade, the party's
moderator, "If someone complains about parking in school as a problem in
the communication with the administration, CRUSADA views it in a
Christian Social Democratic perspective, which is structural, and analyzes
whether the structure is democratic enough or not." (continued on p. 3)
THE CRUSADER 2
“Financing [should]
not pamper high-
ranking officers.”
8/7/2019 The Crusader - January 26, 2011 (Vol. 1, No. 6)