Pedestrian Observer GB: Velarde and His Tongress Perks & Privileges

Manuel Buencamino of Uniffors is having a fit on the private trip of the Velardes’ to Japan via HongKong on the 28^th of this month. Nothing wrong if it was a private trip or is it our business as Manuel says except that Rene M. Velarde the son of top honcho of a religious sect that fielded him as the Buhay Party List Representative wrote the Department of Foreign Affairs requesting protocol assistance for his family.

Leave it to Velarde and His Tongress Perks & Privilege to take fool errr full advantage of his position for the sake of his "suffering" family that is so especial and privileged that they can't be seen doing such mundane “degrading” task of lugging their own luggage, lining up at the counter and hailing public transportation like an ordinary traveling mortal. Why with this preferential VIP treatment they probably will not even pass thru security checks and that surely makes me cringe at the safety of traveling along with this “privilege” few who you don’t even know where their priorities or state of mind are?

Why in “heavens” name do these people need protocol assistance is beyond me. To think that this guy supposedly representing the marginalized sector of society wanting VIP treatment accorded to state officials on official government mission to be extended to his family on a private trip makes you wonder if they really represent the marginalized or even understood their plight.

Eight family members for the consulate staff in Hong Kong and Japan will be scrambling to please them at Juan de la Cruz expense to give them special privilege reserve for state dignitaries should DFA approve the request. Herewith are the "elite" Velarde family requesting to travel in style, namely;

Mariano Z. Velarde, Mariano Michael M. Velarde, Melissa Velarde, Iago Manuel Velarde, Avelina M. Velarde, Franklin Velarde, Inno Miguel Velarde, and Ignacio Mariano Velarde.

Do they deserve such preferential treatment at the expense of depleted government resources? Hoy (hey) Velarde are your family that special that they have to travel in style at the expense of the government, to quote Manuel Buencamino:

The DFA will send the congressman’s communication to all the posts concerned. The posts, in turn, will send a protocol officer to the airport to meet and greet the delegation. If the airport is not very strict then the protocol officer will meet them at the tube, escort them through immigration and customs, help wheel out their baggage, and offer to provide transportation from airport to wherever they are billeted. The ambassador or consul general may even offer a vehicle or two, if he has any, for their use. He may even host a lunch or dinner for them or give them an Embassy reception.

According to Manuel this is not an isolated case and this is standard practice, it just so happens that they got hold of the request letter by Velarde. Well tough luck, I don’t care if they feel singled out. In the first place this guy and his ilk don’t really deserve to be on the party list system, as if religious sect or institutionalized religion are directly and actively fielding their people in electoral office is not bad enough they even have the gall to abuse the system. Here is his profile from their website:

The Hon. Rene Velarde anchors his idea of Public Service to the overriding need for a sustained and comprehensive approach to the issues confronting the less fortunate in our society. This is a byproduct of his principle in life: That every individual deserves Quality Life, and that the dignity of life should never be compromised. Velarde realizes that the halls of Congress are powerful venues, wherein the wheels of legislation are effective mechanisms to benefit the marginalized. After all, BUHAY, the party that he represents takes on an advocacy for the unborn, the aged, the sick, the disabled, and other members of society who otherwise cannot: have the capacity to protect themselves alone.

How exactly will preferential VIP treatment for his family members jell with his avowed “principle” which he proudly stated above as the “defenders” of those marginalized defenseless people is plain hypocrisy nothing more nothing less.

Chabelli has a very interesting two word description of Velarde in the comment section at Uniffors which I quote:

Mike “Kuya Germs” Velarde is, simply put, a con artist.

And then ManongNoy of Pinoy Pundit follows it up with a comment below regarding the father leader of El Shaddai Mike Velarde's influence:

Speaking of preferential treatment, I’m reliably informed that Mel Robles . . . the El Shaddei spokesman whom Mike Velarde got appointed as LRT administrator . . . has at least a couple of graft charges that may never see the light of day.

It seems Ed Ermita has been instructed to sit on these so as not to offend Velarde.

Manuel echoes the Filipinos desire of wanting public servants as exemplified by Crispin Beltran. Never asking or taking anything in return shocking his colleagues that he died poor living an honest dignified simple life. Tough luck indeed for Filipinos, even those who are supposedly guided by “heavenliness” are acting like they are above the rest of the mortals like us they claim to protect. Hypocrites galore indeed exemplify our elected politicians........ the rule instead of the exception and with Crispin Beltran's demise the very few that are truly exemplary leaders defined by honesty and integrity are slowly decimated by hypocrites. This reminds me of my earlier numerous postings on Bogus Party List and how they have subverted and abused the system and now this. Well of course this is to be expected, it will be unreal to expect it to go the other way isn't it?