My favorite nitpicker and faultfinder, Senator Ping Lacson, wants to rule out the law on evidence by telling his fellow senators not to be strict on rules of evidence in Senate investigations.

What the former policeman is trying to say is that in its many investigations of alleged anomalies and scams involving public officials and even private individuals, the Senate should just rely on hearsay, insinuations, innuendos and unsubstantiated and uncorroborated allegations.

Santa Banana, that would turn the Senate inquiries into stages for public recriminations and trials by publicity. That may be good for those aspiring for the presidency, but, my gulay, how in the world would the Senate in its oversight functions can recommend prosecution of those involved in public scandals? The courts would just throw them to the garbage can since the rules of evidence would not stand public scrutiny.

It would seem from Lacson?s point of view that hearsay, insinuations, innuendoes and unsubstantiated and uncorroborated statements from his academy of witnesses should be enough to prosecute people involved in scams and anomalies. My gulay, thank heavens that there?s only one senator like him, ignorant of the rule of law and due process. Otherwise, we?ll have senators advocating the law of the jungle.

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In the wake of all the paroxysm about sovereignty and sycophancy to mighty Uncle Sam on the brouhaha over the recent Supreme Court decision on the constitutionality of the Visiting Forces Agreement, and more importantly, on where convicted rapist Daniel Smith should be detained, the bottom line is that the Philippine government has an obligation to observe an agreement with the US government, and as such, unless abrogated, we are bound by such agreement.

Read the provisions of the Visiting Forces Agreement and the agreement between Foreign Affairs Secretary Bert Romulo and US Ambassador Kristie Kenney and see that all these ululations and hair-pulling over the inability of the Philippines to detain Smith at Muntinlupa are just that?a lot of noise and breast-beating signifying nothing.

Santa Banana, even the ponente, retired Justice Adolf Azcuna, said in his farewell statement that we can?t compel Washington to do our bidding and send Smith posthaste to Bilibid prisons. That Romulo-Kenney agreement must be renegotiated, and that my dear Watson, is the agreement that binds us. Unless, of course, we?ll declare war on the US, and hope to win?an impossibility.

Obedience to an agreement is, of course, an unpopular road to take in the wake of all those ululations of self-proclaimed nationalists and anti-Americans.

However, the bottom line is that no. 1, there?s an agreement to observe the agreement unless renegotiated and abrogated that Smith remains in the custody of the US Embassy, and no. 2, the appeal of Smith over his rape conviction is still to be decided by the Court of Appeals, and until such case is ruled with finality (My gulay, the case can still be elevated to the Supreme Court), the status quo remains. That again, my dear Watson is the rule of law and due process.

Thus, inferiority complex, nor sycophancy nor obeisance to mighty Uncle Sam are not the reasons we have not sent Smith to Muntinlupa. It?s that there is an agreement to be observed. And that?s the whole point!

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What is it with lights and cameras that becloud the heads of supposedly rational men? If avarice can consume a man, so too can greed for attention and media mileage. Just look at PEP (Parents Enabling Parents) coalition and its ringleader Philip Piccip.

The House committee on banks had proposed a bill to create a Philippine Pre-Need Insurance Corp. to address the problems besieging the pre-need industry. This should be welcome news for all industry stakeholders.

But, the PEP Coalition, led by Piccio, has vehemently opposed the proposal, claiming that this is not a solution to the problem. But, he did offer any solution, either.

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The PEP Coalition was purportedly formed to protect those who are pre-need plan holders of the former Yuchengco-owned Pacific Plans Inc. or PPI. They claim to have around 3,000 members out of more than 300,000 plan holders of PPI?earning the group the mimicker ?the noisy one percent.? They are not just noisy?they may well be sabotaging the interest of the majority.

At first blush, the PEP Coalition may appear to an unsuspecting person a crusading group with its lofty ideals of championing the rights of the oppressed and its perceived monopoly of good intentions. If we were to scrutinize it more closely, however, it is clear that the only thing it has achieved is to sow more confusion in the face of the crisis to the detriment of those who are not armed with facts.

Santa Banana, it?s time to ask: Who are the members of PEP Coalition? What interest do they really represent? To my mind, the PEP Coalition?s opposition to the proposed creation of the PPIC speaks of their skewed sense of reasoning and misplaced priorities. If they were really out to protect pre-need plan holders, would they not at least stop of consider a sober solution to what ails the pre-need industry?

All we have heard in the past days are seemingly knee-jerk statements of Piccio that the proposed safeguards are all useless. All of them, my gulay? None are worthy of consideration except those espoused by the PEP Coalition ringleader?

Incidentally, has Piccio or the PEP Coalition put forward any sensible approaches to benefit all the plan holders and not just a favored few? All we have heard from Piccio are motherhood statements against the former owners of PPI and the corporate regulators. Perhaps, there is more than meets the eye.

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In terms of an average age of 22 years, this one item on population demographics definitely qualified the Philippines as a young country. On the other hand, most countries in Europe, and even the US and Japan have an older population mean in terms of age. This is the primary reason these societies are in constant need of caregivers.

But, take it from this senior citizen? getting older is a great equalizer for people everywhere. On this note, do you know that the average life expectancy for both Filipino men and women has increased? This doesn?t mean though that the drastic deterioration of motor functions and implied threat of senility are part of the package.

The phrase ?old fogies? might sound negative instead of endearing, but everyone eventually gets to that stage. I don?t deny being a current member in the senior set?and one in good standing if I may say so. The above information, by the way, was researched from the Internet. I supposed that makes me somewhat ?hip,? in a sense.

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Of course, things do slow down as a natural consequence of aging, but they don?t necessarily translate to an abrupt stop. Oh, my gulay, I probably won?t be writing as much if I felt my brain cells are not properly functioning and are degenerating faster than they naturally should. Thankfully, modern nutritional research has resulted in the development of premier nutritional supplements that are tailor-made for people in their golden years. That includes me, naturally.

Quite recently, the highly respected Abbott Nutrition International, a leader in its field, launched Ensure Gold. This is a product that is targeted particularly for golden boys and girls 60 years old and above who have specific needs when it comes to their bones, guts, hearts and other health and immunity challenges. If you think this is an endorsement, it is. But, don?t take my word for it. Consult your doctor.

It would really be so sad that if the enduring retirement years forced me to live out my days in a hospice for the aged. Or worse, confined to a wheel chair or a hospital bed.

That?s why it?s such a blessing to have this number one doctor-recommended brand to help me and my wife meet these realities of getting older. You get your complete and balance nutrition drink conveniently in one glass.

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I can?t end this column if I don?t condole and commiserate with the family of Corky Trinidad, once my student at the Ateneo and my buddy at the defunct Philippines Herald at Intramuros. Corky, the multi-awarded cartoonist of Honolulu?s Star-Bulletin, died after a bout with pancreatic cancer at the age of 69.

Corky was the son of a famous couple ?Lina Flor of print and radio fame, and Koko Trinidad of stage fame. Every time my wife and I passed through Honolulu, Corky and his wife got together with us. We?ll miss Corky.