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HOSPITALS are in the business of life. But what if hospitals are barred from running their business effectively? The result may have an impact in life.

Hospitals now warn that their business and the health and life they cater to are now in danger because of Republic Act No. 9439, called the Hospital Detention Law. This recent legislation declares it unlawful for any hospital to detain or to otherwise cause directly or indirectly the detention of patients for non-payment in part or in full of medical expenses. The law is a foil to the policy of patients who cannot pay for their bills, thus prolonging their stay and increasing their bills as well.

“In times of deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.”

- George Orwell

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FOR ALL his stars and war medals, AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon knows that obedience, despite its myopic underpinnings, is still better than retiring in career limbo.

Such is Esperon’s loyalty to the rust-stiffened chain of command that he has nonchalantly exhumed the treacherous carcass of Executive Order 464–the Palace ruling that bars Cabinet members and other executive offices from appearing in Congressional hearings—in order to apparently conceal what the Filipino people should know about the unadulterated truths behind the Medusa-headed depredations that hound the Arroyo government to date.

LINGAYEN-DAGUPAN Archbishop Oscar Cruz has urged Pope Benedict XVI to decline the invitation of President Macapagal-Arroyo to visit the Philippines, Asia’s largest Catholic country. Accepting the invitation may “dignify a national leadership that is suffering from dire lack of moral ascendancy, not to mention its big socio-political liabilities.”

The brazen call seems uncharacteristic of bishops who are usally prudential in speech and deed, not to say collegial in their big decicions and declarations. Moreover, Cruz seems ignorant of the fact that historically, papal visits of the Philippines have always been pastoral, not state visits; they have been visits made on the invitation not of the president or the head of state, but of the bishops of the Philippines.

POPE Benedict XVI canonized four new saints last June 3 at the celebration of the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity in St. Peter’s Square. According to the Pope, the new saints epitomize the various forms of holiness espoused by the teachings of the Church.

“God’s wisdom is manifested in the cosmos, in the variety and beauty of its elements, but his masterpieces are the saints,” he said.

IN PREPARATION for the 2,000th birth anniversary of St. Paul, Pope Benedict XVI has proclaimed a year of dedication to the apostle, the Vatican said.

The Pope announced the commemorative year at the eve of the feast of Saints Peter and Paul on June 28 at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, one of five churches considered as the great ancient basilicas of Rome.

UST is conducive to the spiritual nourishment of its students, say many foreign students.

“UST offers ample opportunities to strengthen students’ religious faith based on Catholic values,” Priti Ghimire, president of International Students Association (ISA), told the Varsitarian.

“I had to find the courage to see me through the day, and so I knelt in silence and began to softly pray.” -Catherine Janssen Irwin

WHILE most freshmen find themselves excited to enter college, I prove to be in a different crowd. Just when most of them seem to begin expanding their horizons, I then found myself still trapped in my shell, thinking that changing myself for a university setup is pernicious.

HIS VICTORY has been described as a miracle. With just over a thousand votes against the next leading candidate, Fr. Eddie Panlilio became the first priest to be elected as governor of Pampanga. Locals hailed the victory as the fulfillment of the Kapampangan adage, Ing pari yang hari—“The priest is king.”

But is it right for clerics to run for political office?

No, said Fr. Jose Ma. Tinoko, O.P., a leading Canon Law expert.

THREE non-academic personnel were named Most Outstanding Employees for 2006.

Priscilla Mercado of the Budget Office, Emilio Silva, Jr. of the Santo Tomas E-Services Providers, and Imelda San Agustin of the UST Publishing House were named over other candidates nominated by the various departments.

The winners were judged based on work performance (40 per cent), peer evaluation (10 per cent), punctuality (8 per cent), work attendance (7 per cent), years of service (5 per cent), attendance in seminars, retreats, and symposia (5 per cent), and committee evaluation (5 per cent).

The criteria were set by the Committee on Selection headed by Monalisa Perez, former assistant director of the Human Resource Department (HRD), which is also the one who evaluates the candidates.

The winners received a plaque of recognition, cash, and a wristwatch from the University.

IN UST, there’s money from junk.

With a University-wide garage sale last May 29 raising a hefty P200, 000, UST’s property custodians are planning a second auction, with money possibly going to the University’s various offices.

Newly-appointed property custodian Monalisa Perez said that money raised from the first University auction at the Engineering complex will be added to the general fund of the University.

“We were able to raise a considerable amount of money that would help us cover the cost of office operations and projects,” Perez told the Varsitarian.

“Small-time” dealers joined the auction for old and dysfunctional chairs and tables, as well as scrap metal and wood.