Cory, Colon Cancer & Chlorination

The best we could do to help is to pray for her. The former President will surely survive colon cancer. She survived more lethal “cancers” in the past: a bloody dictatorship, several coup d’ etats, threats from the right and the left, etc.

This former housewife is not new to the great battles of life. She had been fighting social cancers. This physical one is no big deal compared to the one she is presently engaged against: the Arroyo Administration.

The news humbles us all. Cancer, like death, is a great equalizer. Its victims are rich and poor, powerful and powerless, landed and landless, famous and infamous, hero and heel. Before the Big C, we could boast of nothing except our prayers that God, in His infinite wisdom and love, will again allow a miracle to happen.

We gratefully share in the great lessons of life - a gift of the Aquinos - to the nation: Ninoy’s martyrdom, Cory’s people power and the family’s unbending faith in a God of wisdom and love.

Cancer occurs when the cells divide without control or order. Normally, cells divide when the body needs more cells. When cells keep on dividing even if new cells are not needed, a tumor forms. This tissue could be benign or malignant.

Malignant tumors are cancers and its cells can invade and damage other tissues and organs and can break away to enter the bloodstream or lymphatic system to form new tumors in other parts of the body. This spread is called metastasis.

Cancer of the colon, also called colorectal cancer, forms in the inner wall of the large intestines. Benign tumors are called polyps and could be removed through colonoscopy. Colon cancers mostly developed from polyps, could damage other tissues and could metastasize.

Symptoms of colon cancer are fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath, change in bowel habits, narrow stools, diarrhea or constipation, red or dark blood stool, weight loss, abdominal pain, cramps, bloating…

The risk factors of colon cancer include genetic background, family history, high fat intake, the presence of polyps and chronic ulcerative colitis.

Chlorine in drinking water also increases the risk of colon cancer. People drinking chlorinated water over long periods have a 38% increase in the risk of colorectal cancer.

Drinking chlorinated water also increased risk of bladder cancer (by 80%) and arteriosclerosis with its inevitable results, heart attack and stroke. Drinking tap water that is chlorinated is hazardous if not deadly to your health.

According to Dr. J.M. Price (Saginaw Hospital): “Chlorine is the greatest crippler and killer of modern times. While it prevented epidemics of one disease, it was creating another. …After the start of chlorinating our drinking water… the present epidemic of heart trouble, cancer and senility began… Chlorine is an insidious poison.”

When chlorine reacts with other organic matters in water, a Disinfection By-Product (TBA) called THM or Trihalomethanes is produced. THM and chloroform, chlorine by-products, are carcinogenic.
-
We could reduce THM and chloroform in our tap water used for drinking by aeration, storing water in refrigerator for 24 hours and using water treatment devices containing activated carbon.

Those above 40 years old should undergo digital rectal examination and stool occult blood testing. If above 50, submit to screening tests, like flexible sigmoidoscopy, every three to five years. Consult your physician. Change your eating habits. Reduce fat intakes. Increase fiber (roughage). Sources of fat: meat, eggs, dairy products, salad dressings, oils used in cooking…

Fiber is the insoluble, non-digestible part of plant material present in fruits, vegetables and whole grain breads and cereals. They would get rid of potential carcinogens in the colon, and allow less time for a potential carcinogen to react with the intestinal lining.

(This column was written the first time the late former President Cory Aquino was diagnosed with colon cancer)

Lobby money

Based on revelations made by Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, we concluded in our last column that out of the total appropriations for one senator in six years, the senator could illegally shave a minimum of P393,560,000.00.

That amount is small change compared to the average actual election expense of a senatorial candidate.

It is reported that three weeks to the day, Team Unity has already spent a total of Php 9.0 billion for its campaign, or a whooping Php 750.0 million per candidate. And yet, more than half of the TU candidate is not assured of victory.

The amount that a senator could steal in six years – is barya lang , and is never enough to replenish his election expenses. If he lost the last time he ran, he would want his expenses in that previous election replenished too. And as astute businessmen and politicians are wont to do, he wants a good tubo (profit) for his investments.

Why would a senator spend so much in getting elected and expect to earn too little payback even by stealing from the government? The reason is the real source of a senator's billions: lobby money .

Lobby money is any consideration – money or anything of value – that is promised, offered and given to a senator to influence, one way or another, a legislative action or inaction, decision or indecision.

The Constitution vests the Senate with powers such as legislation, oversight / investigation / inquiries, confirmation of appointments and many others. The acts of the upper house have far-reaching bearing on contracts, franchisees, businesses, taxes, landholdings, and a myriad other matters of national importance.

Lobby money could be in exchange of a vote of yes or no, or a committee chair's action, inaction or machination. Lobby money is no different from bribe money, grease money, extorted money or political contributions practiced by lesser mortals. All have the same and one purpose: to buy or influence official favor for one's personal interests.

Who resorts to lobby money? First and foremost, the administration, who must assure that its agenda and interests are carried out or protected in both houses of congress. Billions of pesos were spent to influence the outcome of several impeachment proceedings and legislative inquiries during the last four years.

Big business and landowners stand to lose billions of pesos from a piece of legislation, or from a simple word inserted or expunged from a proposed law.

For example, the Biofuel Act took too long to pass due to a powerful and lucrative lobby from oil companies, car manufacturers, big plantation owners and other prospective investors.

A simple amendment of the time frame for the implementation of the mandated use of biodiesel blend or ethanol blend in cars, or by simply changing the percentage amount of such blends, spares affected industries of billions of pesos in losses.

A legislated increase in the wages of employees faced a strong and emotional lobby from big employers all over the country. The lobbyists won, workers lose (and became more hungry).

Other lobbysists who will not hesitate to offer lobby money to a senator, sky is the langit , are drug dealers, smugglers, human traffickers / big time pimps, land grabbers / professional squatters, power brokers, mining companies, big tax evaders, gun runners, local warlords, big landowners, generals, foreign governments, the CIA, TNCs/MNCs, and many other interest groups, both legal and illegal.

It's good to be senator. Earning billions of pesos – for a corrupt senator - is easy. This, Miriam forgot.

Corrupt senator? It's a redundancy. Honest senator? That's an oxymoron. We will dwell on that next time.

Be Senator, Have Billions

Miriam Defensor-San-tiago is at her best again. But her best is not enough.

Her extensively reported “revelations” on the hundreds-of-million-peso-ways by which a senator could recover his election expenses mentioned too many, but too little. She forgot the most important thing.

Miriam hit the mark. But she spared the jugular. None of the incumbent senators, including the senator-candidates, are squirming and wriggling in fear and terror. They should tremble, more so that the tirades are vintage Miriam. But they are not. There is no rejoinder from the Upper House or any other house. Miriam's blows are not fatal.

What would a sitting senator get in terms of pesos to justify the hundreds of millions spent to win a seat? Salary of P 35,000 a month. Budget for office and staff, P1.7M per month. He could pocket an average of 40% for ghost employees which would amount to about P680,000.00.

For foreign travel and perks, the senator's budget is P760,000 a month. With ghost travels and ghost travelers, the whole amount, or 50%, is free for the taking. With an average of 50% kickback, our good senator keeps more or less P380,000.00 a month.

For committee chairmanships, a senator gets similar budget on top of what he/she gets as a senator. For the annual pork barrel / CDF allocation of P200 million, the senator receives a minimum of 10% commission or SOP from project contractors funded by the pork. But we know that senators get as much as 20%. With an average of 15% for our beloved senator, he gets for himself at least P30 million a year.

Adding up everything, for a single six-year term, a senator could earn P2,520,000.00 in salaries; P48,960,000.00 from ghost employees / office expenses; P54,720,000.00 from ghost foreign travels; P180.000,000.00 in commissions from his/her pork barrel / CDF allocations; for an average of two committee chairmanships, the senator gets twice of what he gets as a senator (excluding the salaries) amounting to P207,360.000.

In six years, the senator earns – solely for himself – P393,560,000.00 Or almost Php 0.5 Billion. Or P82,260,000.00 per year.

But Miriam forgot one very important thing, the one thing that could truly hurt the senators. The figures above are nothing, barya lang , compared to the real source of dirty wealth and riches for one greedy senator. Some senators find giving up the trickles mentioned above like a walk in the park. Did Miriam forget, or did she intentionally omit the true source of a greedy senator's billions?

She forgot the lobby money. And we will dwell on that in our next column.