Reason & Concern

by Ronquillo C. Tolentino

Sec. Lim’s Lamentable Comment On Boracay

Shortly after Alberto Lim joined President Aquino’s cabinet as tourism secretary on June 30, 2010, he made a gaffe. The new tourism secretary recommended other tourist destinations with equally beautiful beaches to be visited than Boracay citing Boracay to be dense and commercialized similar to Phuket. Not satisfied with his initial observations and comparing Boracay a generation ago, Lim took potshots at the algae and sewage, adding that environmental and zoning regulations were not being enforced.

I made other readings of Lim’s deplorable comment on Boracay thinking that I may find constructive proposals on Boracay coming from Lim’s end.I did not find any.

Governor Carlito S. Marquez and Congressman Florencio T. Miraflores reacted to the Secretary Lim comment on Boracay.From the joint letter sent by the Aklan governor and congressman, Secretary Alberto Lim owes the provincial officials and people of Aklan an explanation, nay, an apology.

I remember DENR Regional Executive Director Raoul Geollegue who was criticized and condemned by Aklanons for saying that Boracay Islands water is unsafe for bathing published on June 12, 1997 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.　 Geollegue denied the statement and passed the buck to the reporter claiming that he was taken out of context.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources then headed by Secretary Victor Ramos made inconclusive report on the Boracay coliform microorganism issue.　　 Indignant Aklanons and tourists condemned then Secretary Victor Ramos.

Boracay had survived and immediately bounced back from the coliform damaging reports. Certainly, it shall bounce back from Secretary Lim’s lamentable comment.
Bar Matter No. 2012

In addition to my July 5, 2010 column titled "Looking back at Bar Matter No. 2012, "lawyers are consulted by the national IBP on their views and opinions through written or text messages. When the Rule on Mandatory Legal Aid Service was being considered and upon knowing of lawyers being exempted for the Rule such as, but not limited to government employees and incumbent elective officials, lawyers who are not allowed to appear in court, supervising lawyers of students enrolled in law practice, lawyers of non-governmental organizations (NGO’s) and peoples’ organization like the Free Legal Assistance Group who by the nature of their work already render free legal aid to indigent and pauper litigants or those who are employed in private sector but do not appear 　for in 　behalf 　of 　parties 　in 　court 　of law and quasi-judicial agencies, I submitted my own proposal for exemption since Rule 7 of the Mandatory Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) or Bar Matter No. 850 has eleven (11) exemptions. Although, as past Aklan IBP president, my proposal was not given serious thought by IBP National, I proposed that lawyers who have been at private law practice for 30 consecutive years or who have reached 65 years old should be exempted. To use the words of Atty. Tranquil Gervacio S. Salvador III, president of IBP Quezon City chapter, a private practitioner is already neck-deep with work. "Unlike government lawyers who work on 8-5 basis, the working hours of private practitioners are up to unholy hours. Unlike the government lawyers who work within the permanent office, the work of a private lawyer goes beyond every known geographical barrier." May I hasten to add that lawyers who are in practice for 30 years of active private law practice deserve a degree of relaxation, nay, avoidance of other burdensome work. It is not debatable that physical ailments oftentimes accompany old age.

The IBP JBL Reyes Hall public forum on Mandatory Legal Aid Service on August 28, 2009 comments and recommendations, together with the inputs of the resource speakers were made the basis in formulating the draft implementing regulations which the IBP submitted to the Supreme Court for consideration and approval　 I still retain the question of the IBP Cotabato chapter, thus :　 "Is it constitutional to compel lawyers to render free legal aid service under pain of deprivation of their license to practice?"

I attended the Aklanons for Justice and Peace-Justice for Baldomero Movement 　formal launching on July 13, 2010 at the St. Francis Hall of Aklan Catholic College. Before the meeting started, somebody jokingly said that of President Noynoy’s cabinet members catching the media’s attention recently. Three family names start with letter "L" – DepEd Sec. Armin Luistro, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda and tourism secretary Alberto Lim.　 Another cabinet member with "Alberto" as first name – Foreign 　Secretary Alberto G. Romulo – appeared a little peeved at　 journalist Ellen Tordecillas querry on his (Romulo’s) judgment about over-staying ambassadors. That makes two Albertos – Romulo and Lim. /MP