Al S. Vitangcol 3rd
ONE famous author wrote that “Life doesn’t stop for anybody.” (Chobosky, Perks of Being a Wallflower). Whatever the tragedies and sadnesses life bring, people move on and continue with their lives. However, the greatest tragedy is when one becomes complaisant to what is happening around him or her and goes on with life as if nothing happened.
Here are some real and very recent stories that the people should know — and for them to decide if they have to be detached from it and pray that it would never happen to them.
Blocked vaccine importation
A Chinese-Filipino businessman told me this story sometime last week. (This was prior to the government’s public announcement allowing the importation of vaccines by the private sector.) His daughter-in-law had tested positive for Covid-19. His grandson from this daughter-in-law is likewise afflicted with the virus. As of this week, there are around 10 members of the extended household that are suffering from this dreaded infection. All of them are being treated at home, because the hospitals could not accommodate any of them anymore.
As a member of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (FFCCII), he was counting on the importation of vaccines undertaken by the group. In fact, the shipment of some 500,000 doses of China’s Sinovac Biotech vaccine was supposed to arrive by the first week of March, but for some reason, this was stopped by someone in the government.
This Chinese-Filipino colleague was seething anger during our telephone conversation. He arranged for his whole household to be vaccinated using FFCCII’s importation — but the vaccine never came. “My daughter-in-law and my grandson have Covid now. I would not have gotten mad had my household been vaccinated,” he said. “This government is incompetent, our FFCCII was trying to help our economy to recover faster,” he added.
He lamented that, “We Chinoys are always the favorite punching bag, takbuhan ng mga pulitiko during disasters, calamities, etc.,” and yet their efforts are being railroaded.
Why was their vaccine importation stopped? Some of these Chinoys offer a couple of reasons. The government wants to be the first in vaccine importation (aside from the vaccine donations) and does not want another entity to be ahead of it. Their lower price tag for the vaccine is another issue. If their importation would be allowed, then the people would know that the very same vaccine was bought by the government at a much higher price. What a sad story.
(Note: Pursuant to Republic Act 11525, or the Covid-19 Vaccination Program Act of 2021, enacted on Feb. 26, 2021, particularly its Section 5, private companies are authorized to procure Covid-19 vaccines, which have been given emergency use authorization [EUA] by the Food and Drug Administration, in coordination with the Department of Health and the National Task Force through a tripartite agreement.)
Police officer frees suspect
A fellow lawyer narrated to me her client’s experience with a local police officer. The lawyer’s client is a financial institution with a chain of branches nationwide. In a branch outside of Metro Manila, an end-of-day audit showed that a cashier had stolen a quarter of a million pesos. The immediate supervisor was informed, who quickly alerted the police.
In a follow-up operation by the police, the cashier was arrested on her way home and brought to the police station. During interrogation, the cashier confessed to the crime and promised to return the money that she stole. But the money was no longer with her, as she had given it to someone else.
Meanwhile, the police detained her in the police holding cell overnight. The following morning, the money was returned. The police officer drafted an undertaking stating that the money was returned by the cashier and that the company would no longer pursue any criminal complaint against the cashier. The company representative refused to agree not to file any case, but the police insisted. After all parties signed the undertaking, the police freed the suspect.
How can wrongdoers learn and reform if this is the attitude of the police? Does the mere return of the stolen item wipe away the criminal act? Can the police coerce the complainant into not pursuing the complaint? What a sad story.
(Note: Based on the procedures established by the National Prosecution Service, any arrest by the police should be covered by an affidavit of arrest/apprehension and the suspect subjected to inquest proceedings. An inquest proceeding is an informal investigation conducted by a public prosecutor involving a suspect arrested and detained without a warrant of arrest for the purpose of determining whether this suspect should remain under police custody and be criminally charged in court.
Although Article 125 of the Revised Penal Code requires the police officer who shall detain any person for some legal ground to deliver such person to the proper judicial authorities within the period of: 12 hours, for crimes punishable by light penalties; 18 hours, for crimes punishable by correctional penalties; and 36 hours, for crimes punishable by afflictive/capital, the police has no authority to release a suspect on its own option.)
I have more sad stories from the readers but I am reserving them for next time.