Finally, a better deal for farmers

THE recent stern warning to officials of the National Irrigation Authority by incoming Department of Agriculture Sec. Emmanuel Piñol is like a breath of fresh air to our farmers.

For too long, farmers have been made a helpless pawn in the battle for bigger budgets only to get a pittance at the end of the day, not to mention years of smaller production because of lack if not the absence of water for irrigation.

The arrogance of the outgoing NIA officials manifested itself when they said “Duterte’s promise of free irrigation water for the farmers would adversely affect the operations of the agency.”

Piñol’s retort was classic after reminding the NIA officials that their mandate to “not to lord it over the people but to serve them.”

“If you find this hard to understand and difficult to implement, I will place a big garbage can in front of my office on July 1,” he said. “You could throw in your resignation letters in that trash can and leave government.”

The warning is just the icing because the real benefit promised by the Duterte administration is free water for farmer’s irrigation requirements.

 

Only an idiot

IT’S no secret that many, if not the majority, of the drug-related police killings we almost see daily the past few weeks are the handiwork of law enforcers themselves.  The most common opinion is that the victims were police assets that knew too much, including the darkest secrets of the illegal drug trade.  As such, those already killed (at least 139 since May 10), allegedly in a shootout, know a lot of classified information inimical to the interest of many police officials themselves. If they aren’t silenced forever, they might “sing” when President Duterte’s Men finally take over beginning July 1.

Surely, the current crop of cops is very much aware of the saying, “An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.” Pounce on their own hapless assets now or perish they will. Self-preservation is the name of the game. Only an idiot would not know this.

And Mr. Duterte is not.

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