Chopsuey Stories

Bank account ni Duterte by Rep. Gary C. Alejano

2017-10-16T07:57:00.001-07:00

BANK ACCOUNT NI DUTERTE

Paano ba nagsimula ang issue ng bank account/s ni Duterte na umano ay bilyon ang laman? Ganito lang natin i-breakdown ang issue ng bank account niya sa pamagitan ng paglahad ng isang sequence:

1. Kampanya. NANGAKO si Duterte kasama ni Cayetano na dapat lahat na tumatakbo magsign ng bank waiver. Ibig sabihin i-waive mo ang rights mo sa ilalim ng Bank Secrecy Law. Diyan makikita ang lahat pati transaction history ng isang bank account.

2. Trillanes. Nilabas niya sa publiko na may BILYON si Duterte sa kanyang mga accounts taliwas sa kampanya ni Duterte na siya ay MAHIRAP na tao lang. In fact, sinabi pa niya na walang pang gamot ang nanay niya nang ito ay na ospital. Pinakita ni Trillanes ang photocopied bank records ni Duterte sa publiko.

3. DENIAL. Hindi raw totoo ang sinabi ni Trillanes. Non-existent daw ang bank account according sa spokesperson ni Duterte na si Peter La Viña.

4. UNANG HAMON. Pag hindi totoo ang sinasabi ni Trillanes siya ay magresign sa Senado at mag withdraw sa Vice Presidential race.

5. DEPOSIT. Some people deposited to the account presented by Trillanes and it was successful. So, that means totoo ang account.

6. ADMISSION. Napilitang umamin si Duterte na totoo nga na kanyang account yung pinakita ni Trillanes. Pero ang sabi niya na konti na lang ang laman dahil pinang-hapihapi niya.

7. PANGALAWANG HAMON. Si Duterte buksan ang bank account through a waiver at Trillanes sabihin kung saan niya nakuha ang impormasyon niya. Magkita sila sa BPI branch Ortigas.

8. RESULTA. Trillanes dumating dala ang affidavit niya. Duterte? Nada, awan, wala. Si Panelo ang sumipot. Ano ang dala? SPA o Special Power of Attorney at HINDI WAIVER. The SPA authorized Panelo by Duterte to ask two things from the bank; a) Balance of his account and b) certification from the bank that no point in time the account has contained P 211M (this means pag may piso lampas o kulang sa P 211M hindi mag certify ang bangko).

9. WHAT HAPPEND AFTER? Trillanes gave the affidavit to Panelo. Panelo gave the SPA to the bank. Trillanes requested for a copy, ayaw bigyan ni Panelo dahil di naman siya party to the SPA. Now, according to Panelo he could not give Trillanes the result of the request because he has to go back to his principal and it is up to his principal whether he would give Trillanes a copy or not. Again, nada, wala, awan ti copy. By the way, ang WAIVER ay hindi kapareha ng SPA.

10. CASE. Trillanes filed a plunder case against Duterte before the Ombudsman.

11. PANGATLONG HAMON. Presidente na si Duterte nang hinamon ulit ni Trillanes patungkol sa kanyang bank account. Ang sabi ni Trillanes na pag napatunayan na mali siya, siya ay agarang magresign sa Senado at mag walk-in sa piling kulungan ni Duterte.

12. ANG SAGOT? Denial lang si Duterte at yawyaw lang at iwas sa isyu ng waiver. Pagkakataon na sana ni Duterte na mawala si Trillanes sa landas niya bilang kritiko niya sa pamagitan ng pagpatunay na sinungaling si Trillanes. Waiver lang katapat. Awan pa rin si Duterte. Bakit kaya umiiwas? Nagtatago ba?

13. COUNTER MOVE. Ang ginawa na counter move ni Duterte ay nag imbento ng mga offshore bank accounts ni Trillanes para linlangin ang taumbayan na walang karapatan si Trillanes na magparatang na may bilyon siya at magdemand ng waiver sa kanya dahil si Trillanes ay meron ding mga tagong offshore bank accounts.

14. BOOMERANG. Bumalik kay Duterte ang kanyang taktika dahil agarang nag issue ng waivers si Trillanes sa lahat na accounts na kanyang nilabas. Si Trillanes ay pumunta pa sa Singapore kasama ang ilang media upang personal na i-verify ang nasabing account.

15. DBS ACCOUNT. Awan ti account! Halos di atupagin ng empleyado ng DBS si Trillanes dahil siya ay HINDI KLIYENTE. Ganun pa man, tinanong ni Trillanes ang teller ng bangko kung meron silang nakapangalan kay a) Antonio Trillanes o b) Antonio Trillanes IV whether SINGLE, JOINT, CLOSED OR CURRENT. Wala gyud ni isa nigawas sa computer ng teller.

16. NAPILITAN. Dahil dito napilitan si Duterte na aminin sa publiko na gawa gawa niya lang ang mga accounts ni Trillanes para hulihin niya ito. Tsk tsk. Di ko makita ano ang logic nito.

17. NAGSINUNGALING ULIT. Di na nadala sa pagkasunog dahil sa offshore bank accounts ni Trillanes, nagsinungaling ulit sa pagsabi na sinara ni Trillanes ang bank account niya bago pumunta Singapore. Yan daw ang dahilan bakit wala na siyang account sa DBS. Ang tanong, paano mo isara ang inimbento mo lang na account. Tsk tsk. Kahit isanlibo pa na accounts yan wala pa rin yan dahil hindi nga kliyente si Trillanes ng DBS.

18. FAKE NEWS PA MORE. By this time alam na ni Duterte na peke ang mga accounts mula sa impormante na kanilang binilhan ng impormasyon ngunit pilit pa ring sinabi sa publiko na totoo at nagpakita pa ng matrix ng deposits at withdrawals. Ano pa ba ang paniwalaan mo sa sinasabi ng pangulo kung ganito na ang estado ng kanyang pag-iisip?

19. MORE WAIVERS. Ang sabi ni Trillanes kahit ilang accounts pa ang ilabas ni Duterte ay isyuhan niya ito ng waivers para buksan ng AMLC para makalkal nila kung totoo o hindi. Si Duterte? Todo iwas sa sign pen. Ayaw humawak ng pen. Takot pumirma ng anumang waiver sa kanyang bank accounts.

20. OMBUDSMAN. Natanong ng media kamakailan lang ang Ombudsman patungkol sa kaso ni Duterte. Ang sabi ay ang hawak nilang bank transaction records ni Duterte ay "more or less" kapareha ang contents sa hawak ni Trillanes. The BANK TRANSACTION RECORDS were TRANSMITTED by AMLC to OMBUDSMAN.

21. AMLC. Ang sinabi nito ay hindi pa ito nagsumite ng REPORT sa Ombudsman. Tama naman ito dahil ang kanilang sinumite sa Ombudsman ay BANK TRANSACTION RECORDS at HINDI REPORT.

22. ANG TUGON NI DUTERTE? Nagwala!Tinakot ang ombudsman na paaresto kung di dadalo sa komisyon na kanyang itatayo. Fabricated daw ang hawak ng ombudsman. Sige pa Dong, magsinungaling ka pa sa publiko. Hinay hinay ka lang sa bulyaw mo sa publiko at nahahalata ka nang nasa angry panic mode ka na.

Mining some poverty statistics

2017-04-23T15:34:00.000-07:00

Often local, issues on mining include its destructive nature to local assets such as land and water, divisive feature to local communities, and contribution to local development. But GIna Lopez has made these local issues national. People now talk about environment as essential part of national patrimony. Locals travel to Manila to protest or support mining projects. Citizens question the contributions of mining to development. Worse, they even claim that mining contributes to poverty.

How could that be when mining has catalyzed economic activities through jobs, infrastructure works and businesses in economically stagnating localities? For these reasons, government officials and business people tend to favor and endorse mining projects in their localities.

Based on the data from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau in 2010, there were PhP13.41 billions of pesos in taxes, fees and royalties and 197,000 employed personnel in mining operations. Given these data, it is justified to think that mining areas would be economically better-off than non-mining areas. However, this is not supported by poverty statistics. In a 2011 paper by Balisacan, What has really happened to poverty in the Philippines: New measures, evidence, and policy implications, which presents various economic sectors and their contributions, the highest contributor to poverty incidence among economic sectors in 2009 was mining at 48.7 percent. In Balisacan paper, from 1988 to 2009, mining was the only sector of the economy that had an increasing contribution to poverty incidence from 27.8 to 48.7 percent. To illustrate this at a regional level using 2009 poverty data from the National Statistical Coordination Board and citing Christian Monsod’s Mining a social justice issue, regions with large mining areas had high poverty incidences, such as the Caraga region (47.5 percent), Bicol region (44.9 percent) and Zamboanga Peninsula region (42.7 percent), higher than the national average of 26 percent. In provincial levels, poverty incidences in mining areas, such as Masbate (54.2 percent) in Bicol region, Agusan del Sur (58.1 percent) in Caraga region, Zamboanga Sibugay (49.8 percent) on Zamboanga Peninsula, were higher than their regional averages.

Poverty statistics in these areas may not show a causal relationship between poverty and mining, but it does point to a correlation that challenges claims that mining reduces poverty and improves standards of living. An international report in 2001 by Oxfam-America found a strong correlation between extractive sectors (including mining) and poverty. In a local study in Rapu-Rapu Island by Emerlina Regis in 2004, mining was seen as the cause of poverty in Rapu-Rapu which remained to be one of the poorest municipality in Albay in spite of hosting a large polymetallic mining project.

While capital and technology in mining sector and their multipliers may have poverty-alleviating effects, issues of equity along with associated social and environmental costs may offset these effects. This creates two divides: the pro-mining side highlighting the advantages, such as revenue generation and development projects, whereas the anti-mining side pointing out environmental damages and a wide-range of issues related to governance, corruption, health and safety, thus contributing to poverty.

A 1983 study, The impact of corporate mining on local Philippine communities, by John McAndrew in Toledo City in Cebu described the positive impacts of mining that brought “enclaves of development within predominantly backward and stagnant areas,” as if two separate economies had co-existed in the city. In my own fieldwork in Rapu-Rapu, Albay in 2004-2005, barangays covered by mining operations exhibited considerable improvements in infrastructures and quality of life compared to other barangays. However, within those “improved” barangays, mining benefits were unevenly distributed to locals. This inequality sparked division within communities between those who earned their living directly or indirectly from mining and those who were displaced from their traditional livelihoods.

Lack of job opportunities and unstable income from traditional livelihoods characterize the prevailing conditions of local communities that host mining projects. Undermined by poverty, locals pin their hopes on mining which has its own rent-seeking intention.

Now is the time to know the man in Malacanang

2017-03-18T17:28:00.001-07:00

In over eight months, so many things have happened in the Philippines. Good and bad, depending on the news you read, fake or real. I'd say, generally bad. This view is supported by reports by Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, US Department of State and resolution by the European Union Parliament. The negative views on the Philippines are attributed to the policies and pronouncements of the man in Malacanang who assumed office on June 30, 2016.

Who is this man in Malacanang? What do we know about him?

He used to be a mayor of Davao City for decades. Since the Philippines has term limits for government elected officials, what the man in Malacanang did was typical of dynastic political clans in the Philippines - to alternate with family members. He put his daughter as his replacement as mayor, and then he returned to the City Hall to begin another three-term stint. In 2016, the mayor of the city is her daughter and the vice-mayor is his son. That's how dynastic his hold to power in the city is. In short, he owns the city.

In his long stay as mayor, there were COA reports that indicated irregularities and anomalies in the way the city had used its money. The latest anomaly was the hiring of approximately 11,000 ghost employees costing the city hall 720 million pesos in losses. If the city lost this much, then the money must be somewhere. In the days leading to the May election last year, a joint bank account was discovered containing billions of pesos in transactions. This led to the filing of plunder case against the man in Malacanang. A senator challenged the man in Malacanang to divulge the said bank account in Julia Vargas branch of the Bank of Philippine Islands (BPI) if he is indeed clean of corruption. Unexplained wealth is prima facie presumed to be proceeds from corrupt practices, specifically if the amount is beyond the proportion of his legitimate income. Up until now, the man in Malacanang who brandishes his courageous exploits suddenly has metaphorically put his tail between his legs. He used to exhort that his life is open and he has nothing to hide. All of this has backfired when he refuses to open his individual and joint bank accounts containing billions of pesos in transactions. 

During his rule in Davao City, there were hundreds of unsolved incidents of killings. Police officers were suspended for their unexplained inutility and ineptitude towards stopping these killings in their jurisdiction. Political critics were also killed to tighten his grip on the city.

One police officer, now retired, Arturo Lascanas publicly confessed his involvement in over 200 killings in Davao City on orders of then the mayor, now the man in Malacanang. Another hitman, Edgar Matobato, earlier pointed to the man in Malacanang as the brain of the killings in Davao City. Both used to be a member of the dreaded Davao Death Squad (DDS). Both men needed more than two decades to break their loyalty to the man in Malacanang.

In fairness to the man, I considered him in the early campaign to be a good candidate. But when it became apparent that his lack of preparation for the job and his utterly simplistic solutions (e.g. riding a jetski to the shoal to establish sovereignty) to complex problems, I became unconvinced that he is the person fit to hold office in Malacanang for six years. When he won handily, I was one of the 90 percent of Filipinos who trusted him in the beginning of his term. Then, I only needed two months to see the egotistic tendencies for violence of the man in Malacanang. Often, the man would preach the necessity of killing to establish national order. He used words, such as kill and slaughter, to rouse his supporters.  When thousands were killed without due process and without due diligence of the police to investigate, I saw a reign of terror of vigilante groups and some police. In horror, I see the DDS turning into a national death squad. The patterns of DDS are obviously adopted by the vigilante groups. With so many killings, funeral parlors even complained that they could not cope with the numbers of dead bodies being brought to them. 

Here is the man who made his most vocal critic, a woman, the top drug lord of the country without reliable shreds of evidence. Before he assumed office, the woman did not figure in any drug list of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and police. Only to this man's eyes and his ardent supporters', the woman is the top drug lord of the country. 

I know that eight months may be premature for others to know this man in Malacanang. It took two decades for Lascanas and Matobato. It took me two months. But the lies, deception, and violence being perpetuated by the man in Malacanang are grossly intolerable that his supporters will soon see what Matobato, Lascanas, and I saw in the man in Malacanang. May God bless the Philippines if these supporters refuse to see how the man in Malacanang is mainstreaming violence, cursing, corrupt practices, patronage politics, political persecution, and incompetence in public office! Five years and three months more under this man if we fail to get to know this man in Malacanang now.

Facts: Duterte facing plunder, murder, and kidnapping cases at the Ombudsman

2017-03-03T11:19:00.001-08:00

Unlike the Leaks filled with innuendos, let me give you two facts that truly exist:
1) Plunder case against the sitting president due to hiring of ghost employees costing Davao PhP 708 million in losses. Where did the money go? There is a BPI account that has transactions of billions of pesos. Until now, the sitting president refuses to open the account.

2) Murder and kidnapping cases due to hundreds of killings and disappearances in Davao between 1988 and 2013. Sadly, what he did in Davao has now gone nationwide with over 8,000 killings in 8 months. He even stresses that there will be more killings as long as he is in power.

Both cases are tied because the latest witness, a former police in Davao, has revealed that the Mayor would then give 20k or 50k or 100k or even a million pesos to kill.
There will be more factual information on Monday, 6 March, when this witness will give his testimony in the Senate.

I don't want this country to be run by a plunderer and killer. That's why I demand the sitting president to sign a bank waiver. As for the killings, he even takes pride in doing the killings himself. Who am I to say he is not a killer if he himself is admitting it?

These are the two facts that the sitting president are currently facing at the Ombudsman.

Neither "Dutertards" nor "Yellowtards," but Filipinos

2016-12-10T15:58:00.000-08:00

In the 2016 Philippine election, there were 15.9 million Filipino voters (36.7%) who were neither "Dutertards" (16.6 million who voted for Duterte) nor "Yellowtards" (9.9 million who voted for Roxas). The election was not only between these two camps. However, the post election discussions of national issues in social media were framed into binary, either pro- and anti-government. The anti-government discussions are labeled as coming from "Yellowtards." Those who staunchly protect and support the government are called "Dutertards."

The election is over, yet the fever associated with election has stayed. It is even more intense and brutal. The country is getting more and more deeply divided. It is easy to be swayed by information that is agreeable to one's preconceived idea. To deepen the divide, many fake news sites (mainly pro-Duterte) emerge to inflame negative sentiments towards those on the other side (mainly Liberal Party members). Worse, many people believe and share in social media stories from these fake news sites.

How can we get out of this spiraling fever that is self-inflicted?

I have no answer to this question. But we can attempt to step back and refuse to dwell on the temptation of mudslinging that we do not anymore recognize the persons on the other side. The biggest challenge is to belong to certain parties or ideologies or camps, but without dehumanizing those not with us.

In all of us, we are neither Dutertards nor Yellowtards; but all Filipinos, inclusive and compassionate. Let us not allow the 2016 election fever turn into an epidemic. Let us get a national relief from this feverish divide. Let us start talking again as persons with differences. Let us just talk and listen to each other. Come on, let's do this.

Facts on Drug Use in the Philippines: Releasing some air of the inflated problem

2016-08-18T17:35:00.000-07:00

President Rodrigo Duterte won the Philippine presidency in a campaign focused on suppressing illegal drugs and crimes in six months. Since he assumed office on July 1, there have been unabated cases of extra-judicial killings concurrent with the government's war on drugs. Based on the testimony of Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Ronald de la Rosa, in almost two months in his office (as of August 15), there are 1,564 suspects who got killed . Of these, 665 suspects were killed in police operations, and 899 cases were possibly done by vigilante groups. These figures came out during the Senate's probe on extra-judicial killings.

Each day there have been 34 Filipinos suspected of drug use and dealing being killed since Duterte came to power. One of the victims is Jefferson Bunuan, a criminology student who wanted to become a policeman, was shot by the police while asleep. Another victim is Rowena Tiamson, a graduating honor student, was found dead with her hands tied and a cardboard sign near her lifeless body: Huwag tularan, pusher (Don't emulate, drug pusher).

https://medium.com/@sampaguitanation/justice-for-rowena-reaping-what-we-sow-from-the-philippine-war-on-drugs-4560d3128837#.nd50fe5bf

President Duterte has claimed that drugs are destroying his country. His war on drugs is his way of showing his love and commitment to his country.

We can ask then, to what extent drugs are destroying Duterte's country (our country too)? Let's look at the statistics and the 2016 World Drug Report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC).

In 2012, the Office of the President's Dangerous Drugs Board put the estimated numbers of drug users in the Philippines to 1.3 million. (In 2012, the Philippine population was 96.71 million; so the prevalence of drug use among the population was 1.3 percent). This figure is higher than the 600,000 drug users who "surrendered to authorities" since the launch of war on drugs.

Is this figure high enough to merit a war that is killing 34 people a day? Let's compare the Philippine data with other countries.

The Philippines is not ranked in the top 10 among the "most drug addicted countries in the world." Based on the 2012 UNDOC World Drug Report and Global Drug Survey, the top ten countries, from bottom to top, are Mexico with 3.9% prevalence, Brazil (4.3%), United States (6.2%), Canada (6.4%), Afghanistan (6.9%), Russia (7.1%), Slovakia (13.01%), France (13.02%), United Kingdom (13.65%), and the top, Iran (14.32%). With 1.3 % drug use prevalence among the population, the Philippines may not even be in top 30 countries with massive drug use.

In the latest World Drug Report (2016) by UNODC, the Philippines is mentioned seven (7 times). In those instances, the country is in no way worse than other countries. For example, in the map showing the trafficking flows of cocaine, the Philippines is not cited as the source or hub in the region. In the region, the report indicates that the often mentioned origin, departure, and transit of cocaine is Thailand, followed by Malaysia.

I recognize that drug use is a problem. But should this problem be solved by killing 34 Filipinos a day? Or are we creating a monstrous problem here?

As Filipinos, we can all be potential victims of these state-sanctioned killings in the name of war on drugs. Let the killings be stopped; let the rule of law be followed. Let humanity reign.

POE is my president (2)

2016-05-06T02:47:00.000-07:00

When I wrote POE on the ballot, I held to these good things about her and her campaign.

1) She is running independent. This is unprecedented in the national campaign for a leading candidate to run without a political party. She said that her political party is the people. However, major (e.g. NPC) and minor (e.g. Aksyon Democratico) political parties have endorsed her, but she has remained an independent candidate. She is also not from a political dynasty.

2) She has gone back home and offered herself to the people. Most OFWs and those who have been away for quite some time from their homeland could only wish they could do the same. She has the courage and patriotism to leap into the den of "dirty" politics in her desire to help change and improve the system by elevating the political discourse to real issues and alternatives, and not personalities and negative campaigning.

3) She is young and energetic. She exudes good and creative vibes. I would always go for new and innovative ideas from young people, rather stick to old and traditional ways of doing things in government. The country needs a fresh air to clear its dirty lungs and bureaucratic nerves of governance. This is not simply change, but meaningful change for the country.

4) She is inexperienced in the style of governance that does not deliver and is not accountable to the people. That's why her campaign is centered on having a government with heart (Gobyernong may puso).

5) She is a woman and a mother. She represents women who have yet to enjoy full and equal rights with men. This is also my vision for our country to have equal rights for everyone. Working hard is a natural trait of any mother. I've seen my mother in her.

6) She knows well and is articulate about national issues. In the presidential debates, she used statistics and data to show her grasp of realities facing our country. Any sound executive decisions must be based on evidences to avoid egoistic, whimsical and capricious decisions.

7) She is a unifying leader. She gets support from every sector of the population. Coming from one of those sectors, OFWs, I support POE for president.

POE is my president (1)

2016-05-05T15:20:00.001-07:00

When I voted yesterday at the embassy, the last position that I filled in was president. Eventually, I wrote POE.

What made me pause to write POE on the ballot for President was the presence of pressing issues hounding her candidacy. I would tell you how I was able to settle those issues.

1) Her loyalty and her being a Filipino are being questioned for renouncing her Filipino citizenship to become a US citizen. Their question is valid. However, the main reason why she became US citizen was due to her family. How could anyone be more Filipino than doing anything for one's family? Loyalty to one's country is not measured by simply staying in the country and being Filipino on paper. As an example, OFWs who have been separated from the Philippines, I observe, are the most passionate about the country. Their identification with their country becomes more pronounced because of the disconnect of their foreign surrounding with their identity. I personally experienced this in the past 8 years where I lived abroad for studies and now for work. I would say, the patriotic fervor of OFWs and people who experienced being away from their homeland is further amplified. Because of their exposure to foreign cultures, they even become more optimistic and hopeful of their country's future. Having lived abroad, POE has returned to her homeland with greater patriotic zeal offering her service to Filipinos. Besides, the Supreme Court decided in her favor regarding her being a natural-born Filipino because of R.A. 9225 or Citizenship Retention and Re-acquisition Act of 2003.

2) Her inexperience in public service is underscored. For me, this means that she is an outsider of a broken and malfunctioning political system that we have. New and innovative ideas are what she brings to her leadership, rather than old and traditional ways and means of seasoned politicians.

3) Her alleged connection with Danding Cojuangco because of NPC's endorsement and use of SMC's helicopter for a discounted price (not free) is a mole in the face of her campaign. For me, this is an overblown, overhyped, over-extended and hypocritical issue. I recall that all presidential candidates wooed NPC's support. When POE got it, then some people made an issue out of it. On the use of SMC's helicopter, SMC itself issued a statement saying that there are also candidates who use its helicopters. Her husband working in SMC is a non-issue for me. There are news reports saying that she defended Danding about coco levy fund. She did not defend Danding on coco levy fund. What she said what that Danding has no more control of the fund because it is now with the government. If it sounds in defense of Danding, I do not see it that way.

These are some major issues that I considered and settled in voting for POE as president.

The next post will be an enumeration of strong points why POE is my president.

My vote

2016-05-04T10:16:00.004-07:00

I write this not to influence your vote, but to encourage you to consider enumerating what you value and what you want to see in our incoming government. I value transparency and good governance; a government that leads an example of transparency, fights corruption and delivers efficient public service. I value compassion; a government that understands and acts on our problems and issues. I value non-violence; a government that does not use violence to achieve peace and order and that upholds human rights. I want to see reconciliation in and healing of our fragmented country after this polarizing election.

Kaya, an voto ko PoeRo!

Early today, I voted at the embassy in Den Haag. It was a good and sunny day, a rarity in the Netherlands.

I voted for two mothers. Imagine two mothers taking care and looking after the welfare and interests of their children.Imagine how they do their best to protect and stand for their children. Imagine how they prudently spend our money. Imagine how they are willing to sacrifice for the sake of their children. Imagine how they attach their future with their children's. Imagine how they own and share the dreams, joys and struggles of their children. Imagine. These are natural to them. For six years, we will have twice the power, genuine love and service of a mother in our government.

I voted for good governance and against political dynasty. I believe PoeRo is a tandem that will serve the country without a view and tendency of clinging to power. No family members of PoeRo are simultaneously running for elective positions.

I voted for the future. This election has evoked so much indignation, frustration, deception and fear. I believe PoeRo will ease these negative feelings and sentiments that are prevailing in the hearts of many of us. I believe PoeRo will replace these negativities with hope, compassion, sincerity and genuine openness to listen to the people. They have been exemplary in positive campaigning. After this election, I believe their government can be unifying.

I voted Poe for President and Robredo for Vice-President!

I pray that your vote is grounded on your values and vision for the country, at least for the coming six years.

Some views on the Philippine Election 2016

2016-05-02T09:55:00.001-07:00

If I claim to be incorruptible and if someone says that I have huge amount of money in a specific bank, I will stand by my claim. I will not simply dismiss the accusation and say that the account is non-existent, but I will show that it is indeed non-existent. I will not approximate its amount, because it is my money, so I know how much it is and where it comes from. I will not call a lawyer because I know my rights. It will not take me few days just to show how incorruptible I am. It will take only few minutes to clear my name on this issue. If I am unable to do this, believe me, I am not what I claim to be. I am not who I say I am.

As a Bicolano, I take offense at this generalizing remark from a man who barely has an idea who we are as a people (not a race). Yes, we are honorable. That's why we are known to pursue vigorously what we believe in against all odds and popular sentiments. We stand by our words, and not take them back whimsically. Now, Mayor you will see what honorable truly means with or against a Bicolano. Yan an oragon! (Actually, you sought the legal help of another Bicolano to face against a fellow Bicolano on Monday, May 2 because probably you seem to be not honorable enough to man up your words when you yourself is a lawyer.)

Just asking. How do you envision his presidency? Based on his words: He will kill those involved in drugs and crimes in a bloody war. That means a lot of violence. He will return to manual system of governmental transactions. That means backlogs, inefficiencies and susceptibility to corruption. He will abolish Congress if threatened impeachment. That means he will concentrate executive and legislative powers into his hands. He will establish a revolutionary government. That means he has more powers and less accountability, if any. He will sever ties to countries that say something against him. That means Philippines is likely to be isolated in international arena. Indeed, this is change. Do you envision it differently?

Mayor, I understand if you want to make it difficult for Sen. Trillanes. But the issue is not only between you and Sen. Trillanes. You aspire to be my president. I want my president to be transparent, decisive and inspiring. I still believe you are. So please, do not disappoint me on Monday, May 2. I want to know and I deserve to know what you had, and currently have in your BPI bank accounts. Please. I believe that history is on our side. But I don't want to be on the wrong side. On May 2, Monday, I want to see you speak the truth, not your lawyer, because my president is transparent, decisive and inspiring. Thank you, Mayor. Do not let me down! I am waiting for my president to come out clean on this issue!

What kind of change are we expecting from a man who uses old tactics to keep his unexplained wealth away from the public that he vows to serve? Still more days to reflect on a candidate who vows to stop corruption, but refuses to be transparent. How can we who hate corruption help him stop corruption if he himself is not leading a clean and good example. Let us remember that one of the things that makes us love him is when he declares: "hindi ko pakikialaman ang pera nyo." We cheered! Few more days... few more day... let us see whether he is the man we used to know, whether he is the man we want to lead our country.

A specific amount in a particular bank branch with certain dates!!! It must be a joke! And I laughed when I read Sen. Cayetano's statement which is very similar to the statements of the spokesperson and lawyers of Binay during the Senate's investigation of Binay's alleged ill-gotten wealth.

"It is possible for a Filipino to be separated from the Philippines, but not the Philippines from a Filipino." As an OFW, I hear you Poe!

Finally, after two emails and a phone call to the embassy, I can now exercise suffrage (right to vote). I am still undecided; that's why I truly need this 3rd Presidential Debate to help me discern who deserves my sacred vote. So far, I am down to two candidates who, in the past debates, showed their grasp of what's going on by citing statistics and data on sectoral issues. To me, if a candidate does not know what's going on, s/he can't make a sound decision for the national interest. If s/he does not know what's going on, her/his decisions may be to satisfy one's ego or driven by impulsive whims or capricious humor. So far, it's between Poe and Roxas for my sacred vote. After this debate, I will break down my decision why I will vote for either Poe or Roxas.

Introductory Note on some LGBT Issues: An Informal Discussion

2015-07-26T02:46:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, when I received a letter informing me to make this introductory input, I asked myself:

why me? For some of you here, this issue is personal. Let me not take away anything from you by

writing this.

My unassuming question - “why me?” stems from my unarticulated view on the issue. Well, allow

me to articulate for the first time my view by sharing some of my stories. My apology if I limit my

writing about “bakla.”

When I was in elementary, I had a classmate who was “different” from us. The class called him

“bakla.” While he was not accepted to join some of the boy’s games, because he was a bit slow and

soft, he was not totally welcome to join girl’s games because he was a bit fast and and hard. He

would end up on the sideline watching all of us playing and having fun. Speaking of fun, the class

had a lot of it at his expense. When he reacted to taunting and teasing, the more he would receive

those until he could not take them anymore and he would cry. For some reasons, his cry was a sound of triumph for the class.

So why me when I don’t have this kind of experience?

More often, LGBTs are portrayed as victims of many things, such as discrimination and hate crimes. The circumstances surrounding victimization are understood as overwhelming social force of

morality and normalcy. They are not understood as inhibition of agency of the victim. I would like to deviate from the perspective of having them as victims. I would not ask you to put your feet in their

shoes, rather I would like you to focus on many of “us,” and on “that elementary class” not different

from us. May I ask then, do we see LGBTs through a privileged lens and position? Do we feel that

we are entitled to see them this way? Where do we derive this entitlement?

When I was in all-boys high school, there was an unwritten rule of assignment of sports. Smart boys played chess; tall

boys played basketball; agile boys played football; and not-so boys played volleyball. You could probably guess what sports I played........ basketball for some

reasons. There was this overpowering pre-existing categories with which we simply needed to conform. In high school, that was the reality we

confronted. And now, we know better. Reality is much more than those simple categories. It’s

complex that we can hardly simplify its complexities. It’s diverse that we can barely mask its

diversities. Everyday, differences abound, uncertainties arise, and contradictions and antagonisms

emerge all around us. It is not only an issue of language, of religion, of gender, of representation.

More than these, it is an issue of privilege, of entitlement. C. Wright Mills (1959) writes, “An issue is a public matter: some value cherished by publics is felt threatened.”

Let’s take, for example, marriage. For believers, marriage is highly valued and cherished. They have

internalized and immortalized its spirit in their practice of marriage between a man and woman. Any other arrangement is an issue for them. But will they become less of a believer if this “sacred”

arrangement is bestowed outside of the valued arrangement, that is to same-sex couple? If believers agree that marriage is good to build a family, why not open it to all? This can be a good subject for this discussion. Twelve years ago, Ateneo high school accepted its first female students. It was difficult for many alumni to accept that their cherished all-boys institution would be no more. The question then was, did Ateneo high school become less of an Ateneo when it opened its doors to girls? Because Ateneo believed that it offers a good education,

why not open it to all? The issue here may be described to have one side trying to cling to the

glorified past, while the other on the painful present onto a glorious future. Now, after 12 years, we

hardly look back at that debate.

For fun, one of my organizations had an all-male beauty pageant when I was in college. We acted as beautiful contestants, mimicking popular

actresses and singers. As we know, Ms. Gay contests have been perennial feature of fiestas. In her

description of Ms. Gay Naga City contest as provider of high taste and entertainment, Fenella Cannell (1999, 223) describes, in part, a “reputation of bakla as ‘artistic’ and ‘artificial.’” I would delve on

the latter reputation of bakla. There is a recognition that what we see in bakla, either on or out of

stage, is “fake” and therefore not real. The imitation and mimicry in exaggerated forms are

ephemeral expressions of their “identity.” For many of us, the “presentation of self,” as Goffman

would point out, by bakla is intended for an audience. Thus the presentation is thought to end

somehow and eventually return to the real self. But who is the real self of a bakla? During Cannell’s

fieldwork, many contestants then copied Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Madonna, to name a few. All of these names were women. Now, there is a shift in the object of copying. I’ve observed that

many bakla would imitate Vice Ganda, a bakla too. There is now a emergent sense of authenticity of “identity, ” not anymore a copycat of real women, but bakla “identity.”

In hierarchical society such as ours, where do we situate this bakla identity in the structures of power relations with pre-existing identities?

In the end, why me? Well like most of you, I also seek greater understanding of this issue. Let us then start the discussion.

Political Analysis Course Outline: First Semester 2015-2016

2015-06-07T07:30:00.002-07:00

Department of Social Sciences, College of Humanities and Social Sciences

Ateneo de Naga University

PSCM363: Introduction to Political Analysis Consultation hours: MWF (3:30-5:30PM)

First semester, SY 2015-2016 Menandro S. Abanes

Course description and outline

Society does not explain itself, nor does it examine and interpret its events. Those tasks are taken up by
students of society like you and me. They are no easy tasks. But in our efforts to achieve the tasks, we are
aided by various research methods developed by researchers who have studied society.

This course focuses on methods and practices of social research. It aims to prepare and motivate
students to complete their requirement of a thesis proposal. It introduces a menu of research methods for possible use in making a defensible thesis proposal.

I. Practice of social research

A. Doing research

Ø Key concepts: research process, inductive, deductive

Ø Reading: How to design a research project by Earl Babbie (pp. 107-113) in The Practice of Social Research

B. Purposes of research and units of analysis

Ø Key concepts: types of research, descriptive, explanatory, time dimension

Ø Reading: Research design by Earl Babbie (pp. 90-106) in The Practice of Social Research

C. Researching for what?

Ø Key concepts: values, advocacy

Ø Readings: The case for value-free sociology by Max Weber (pp. 23-25) and Whose side are we on? by Howard Becker (pp. 26-29) in Seeing ourselves edited by Macionis and Benokraitis

D. What’s your problem?

Ø Key concepts: causation, patterns, research problem

Ø Reading: The idea of causation in social research by Earl Babbie (pp. 69-86) in The Practice of Social Research

E. Conceptualizing the research

Ø Key concepts: research proposal, research problem, framework

Ø Reading: Conceptualizing the research by Wilfredo Arce (pp. 11-21) in The Systematic Qualitative Data Research

F. Resolving your problem

Ø Key concepts: theory, framework, hypothesis

Ø Reading: Look before you leap: Some reflections on hypothesis formulation in the social sciences by Michael Costello (pp. 26-36) and What is a theory?

Additional reading: Why is my evil lecturer forcing me to learn statistics? by Andy Field (pp. 1-15) in Discovering Statistics using SPSS

II. Research processes and methods

A. To be or not to be: quantitative or qualitative?

Ø Key concepts: debate, nature of data

Ø Reading: The debate about quantitative and qualitative research by Alan Bryman (pp. 93-126) in Quantity and Quality in Social Research

B. Evaluative research

Ø Key concepts: program, project, evaluation, ex post-facto

Ø Reading: Of blackbirds and boxes: An introduction to evaluative research by Frank
Lynch (pp. 174-182) in Philippine Society and the Individual

C. Observational method

Ø Key concepts: social structure, qualitative

Ø Reading: Observational methods by William Foote Whyte (pp. 83-96) in Learning from the Field: A guide from experience

D. Feminist research and life history

Ø Key concepts: feminist, perspective, case study, life history

Ø Reading: Understanding sexuality through life histories by Jeanne Illo (pp. 7-29)

E. Conflict analysis

Ø Key concepts: conflict analysis, mining issues

Ø Reading: A conflict analysis of Rapu-Rapu mining issues by Menandro Abanes (pp. 150-157) in Southeast Asia Today: Development Paradigms, Reflexive Engagements

F. Discourse analysis (critical)

Ø Key concepts: discourse analysis, development models

Ø Reading: People’s Organization (POs), Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), the Catholic Church vs. the State and a
Transnational Corporation (TNC): A Critical Discourse Analysis of Mining Issues in Rapu-Rapu Island, Albay by Menandro Abanes (pp. 1- 27) in Gibon, volume 5, 2005

G. Survey research (descriptive)

Ø Key concepts: volunteering, measurement

Ø Reading: To be men and women for others: Measuring volunteering in Ateneo de Naga
University by Menandro Abanes (pp. 1-64) in the University Research Council-funded research project

H. Survey research (correlation and regression analyses)

Ø Key concepts: ethnicity, religion, social distance, trust, identification

Ø Reading: Ethno-religious groups, identification, trust and social distance in the ethno-religiously stratified Philippines by Menandro Abanes et al. (pp.61-75) in Research in Social Stratification and Mobility (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rssm.2014.02.001)

Course Outline for SOC001: Bikol Society and Culture

2014-06-18T07:47:00.002-07:00

Department of Social Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences

Ateneo de Naga University

SOC 001: Society and culture with family planning Consultation hours: TBA

First semester, SY 2014-2015 Menandro S. Abanes

Course description and outline

How do we see the world? How do we make sense of it? This course will introduce two disciplines, sociology and anthropology, which will help us in trying to understand humans who inhabit this world and their societies that structure it. We will learn sociological and anthropological perspectives which will locate our experiences of this world within the larger scale of society characterized by social structure and system. Through this course, we will be able to view familiar things in a new light, find new meanings in the old and new ways of doing things, and gain understanding and insight of the rapidly globalizing and changing world.

I. The discipline of sociology

A. Introduction

Ø Key concepts: sociological imagination, history and biography

Ø Readings: The promise of sociology by C. Wright Mills (pp. 19-26) and Invitation to sociology by Peter Berger (pp. 3-7) in Down to earth sociology (9^th Ed.) by James Henslin

B. Theoretical perspectives in sociology

Ø Key concepts: functionalism, conflict theory, symbolic interactionism

Ø Readings: Doing sociological research (pp. 27-30); The presentation of self by Erving Goffman (pp. 106-115) and The uses of poverty: The poor pay all by Herbert Gans (pp. 314-320) in Down to earth sociology (9^th Ed.) by James Henslin

Ø Requirement: Newspaper clipping that shows any of the perspectives

II. The discipline of anthropology

A. Culture: Why we do what we do

Ø Key concepts: culture as learned and shared, material and non-material culture, components of culture (gestures, languages, values, etc.)

Ø Reading: The cultural context of social life (pp. 69-71) and Body ritual among the Nacirema by Horace Miner (pp. 73-77) in Down to earth sociology (9^th Ed.) by James Henslin

B. How culture is studied: Participant observation

Ø Key concepts: fieldwork, ethnocentrism, cultural relativism

Ø Reading: Street corner society by William Foote Whyte (pp. 59-67) in in Down to earth sociology (9^th Ed.) by James Henslin

III. Research process and methods

A. Human inquiry and research model

Ø Key concepts: research model, surveys, experiments, data-gathering

Ø Reading: How sociologists do research by James Henslin (pp. 31-42) in Down to earth sociology (9^th Ed.) by James Henslin

B. Practice of research

Ø Key concepts: theory, inductive, deductive, quantitative, qualitative

Ø Reading: The role of theory in sociology by Janet Saltzman Chafetz (pp. 15-20) in Readings for introducing sociology (Ed.) Richard Larson and Ronald Knapp

Ø Requirement: Participant observation on your own social group/neighborhood

IV. Enculturation/socialization

A. Social interaction and structure

Ø Key concepts: agents of socialization, institutions, self-emergence

Ø Reading: Town fiesta: An anthropologist’s view by Frank Lynch (pp. 219-236) in Philippine society and the individual

Ø Requirement: A sociological paper written in one’s native language

B. Family and kinship

Ø Key concepts: family planning, marriage, kinship

Ø Reading: The elemental Filipino family by Yen Makabenta http://www.livinginthephilippines.com/philippine_articles/elemental_family.html

C. Deviance and control

Ø Key concepts: breaching, norms, rules, labeling, anomie

Ø Reading: Suicide by Emile Durkheim (pp. 125-131) in Readings for introducing sociology (Ed.) Richard Larson and Ronald Knapp

V. Stratification

A. Sex and gender

Ø Key concepts: identity, roles, social construction of gender

Ø Reading: Fraternities and rape on campus by Patricia Martin and Robert Hummer (pp. 353-362)

B. Class and inequality

Ø Key concepts: status, power, social mobility, prestige, patron-client relations

Ø Reading: Big and little people: Social class in the rural Philippines by Frank Lynch (pp. 104-111) in Philippine society and the individual

C. Categorical differences (ethnicity and religion)

Ø Key concepts: ethnicity, religion, social distance, trust, identification

Ø Reading: Ethno-religious groups, identification, trust and social distance in the ethno-religiously stratified Philippines by Menandro Abanes et al. in Research in Social Stratification and Mobility

VI. Social change

Ø Key concepts: modernization, globalization, trends

Ø Readings: The Mcdonaldization of society by George Ritzer (pp. 494-504) in Down to earth sociology (9^th Ed.) by James Henslin

Ø Requirement: A research paper due on the final examination date

Surging Brooklyn Nets at the start of the 2014 NBA campaign

2014-03-22T23:38:00.002-07:00

The Brooklyn Nets just won its 11th straight home game and is now 36-31. Playoff spot is almost assured. Last year, many analysts saw the Nets as a joke and blunder. What made the turnaround and change of fortune for the Nets?

When the 2013-2014 NBA season began, the Brooklyn Nets had a new and rookie coach (Jason Kidd) and several new and yet veteran players in the team line-up (Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Jason Terry, Andrei Kirilenko, among others). Deron Williams, Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez were retained to keep the core of the team. The new line-up and hiring of new coaching staff cost hundreds of millions of dollars to the Russian team owner and billionaire, Mickail Prokhorov.

Salary cap seems not in Prokhorov's mind. His mind is all set for the championship now. To give you an idea of how the team payroll looks like, the first five (Williams, Johnson, Pierce, Garnett, and Lopez) combined salaries alone has exceeded the salary cap for an NBA team which currently stands at $58.7 million. Thus, the expectations for the 2013-2014 Brooklyn Nets are very high to give the defending champion, Miami Heat, and contender Indiana Pacers a run of their money.

When the 2013-2014 regular season began, the Brooklyn Nets started pathetically. Injuries and adjustments to new teammates were the logical factors in the poor start. The rookie coach, however, got the heaviest punch of blame in the lackluster performance of the team.

After 10-21 win-loss record at the end of 2013, many basketball analysts and enthusiasts counted out Kidd as competent to be a head coach in the game immediately after retiring from playing it. The loudest call at that time was for him to resign or be fired. However, the Nets stuck with him and continued to believe in him.

Then, the new year came. Kidd forgot his necktie and did not wear it during the team's first game of 2014. The Nets won. For the next games, the Nets found its winning ways. Kidd continues not to wear a tie believing that it has a correlation with winning. Now, the Nets is 26-10 this year. It is the best win-loss record in the Eastern Conference from the start of 2014. Kidd is even priming his team to go deep into the post-season and setting his sight to the NBA finals.

If the Nets continue to surge, it may find itself against the best in the Eastern Conference and ultimately against the best in the Western Conference.

Why was Vhong Navarro mauled?

2014-01-31T17:47:00.001-08:00

Source: http://www.jennibailey.com/

That is the question!

Both sides have their answer. On one hand, Vhong Navarro cried that it was a set-up. On the other hand, Deniece cried that it was rape. Both sides cried, but one cry seemed to be louder than the other.

Which one?

Let us hear their cries based on the news.

No doubt, Vhong's is the louder one. Being an actor and a resident artist of ABS-CBN network do help in shaping the direction of the investigation and people's opinions. The release of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) report based mainly on the closed-circuit television (CCTV) clips from the Forbeswood Heights in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, Metro Manila bolstered Vhong's claim of set-up. Notably, the CCTV clips are spliced to follow the events as they unfolded in two locations of the condominium unit (lobby and elevator). Several times as I watched the CCTV, I noticed that Vhong and Cedric, after they reached the second floor where Deniece's unit is located, got out of the elevator and turned right, while the rest, including Deniece, when they reached the second floor, turned left. Another issue is that the CCTV did not capture the most important event (i.e., set-up or rape) which happened inside the room. Thus, everyone is free to interpret and conclude. However, the CCTV could not provide an answer to our question: Why was Vhong Navarro mauled? Set-up. For what? 1 million pesos. That is equivalent to 125,000 pesos for each of the eight accused of set-up. 125k pesos!

Deniece's version of rape is getting flak from social media users and fans of her Kuya Vhong. Her claim has been prostituted many times. What she has to support her version is the signed police blotter describing briefly the incident that happened on the 22nd of January 2014. The blotter was signed by Vhong Navarro. The police officers who were present there tried to get the side of Vhong several times. But Vhong repeatedly (not once, but several times) declined to counter the claim explicitly written in the blotter. He was quoted saying: "For my family's sake, I'll rather not talk." Another piece that is, to my mind, the most important evidence to bolster her claim is her story. Because of her friendship with her Kuya Vhong and the mauling Vhong got from her friends, she was willing to forego the filing of the case as indicated in the police blotter.

Now, both sides have filed their legal cases. It is up to the court to decide who is telling the truth.

Why was Vhong Navarro mauled? To me, I'd rather be convinced by a story than a CCTV.

Philippines will not reach 100 million in population this year (2014)

2014-01-25T17:10:00.000-08:00

The Population Commission (PopCom) of the Philippines declares that the country will hit 100 million in population this year 2014. Below you will see how PopCom counts by the second. As of January 26, 2014 (00:56:29), its counter shows 99,028,209 (just 971,791 short of hitting 100 million). The projected population is based on the 1.98 population growth rate.

THIS IS INACCURATE!!!

The use of 1.98 growth rate to project the population for this year is quite over-extending the numbers. The National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) has projected the growth rate between 2010 and 2015 to be 1.82 percent (1.16 percent lower than what PopCom is using). The trend is going down as the years pass. So we should expect that 2014 must be lower than 1.82 percent.

If you google Philippines population growth rate, there will be a graph that looks like this. The data is from the World Bank. It shows that the Philippines population growth rate is 1.7 percent in 2012. That is lower, as expected, than the 5-year (2010-2015) projection of 1.82 percent. To project our population this year, we will use the 2012 rate of 1.7 percent. Thus, our projected population at the end of 2014 is 98,616,825 (short of 1,383,175). This is closer to the real number of Filipinos.

All Saints' Day (not halloween) in the Philippines

2013-10-31T12:06:00.000-07:00

November 1 is a feast day. That's what we know. And that's how we celebrate the day. Contrary to popular celebration of the day, the Philippines celebrate the day with cultural and religious meaning. It is All Saints' Day, also known as todos los santos. Other ethno-linguistic groups call it differently. Tagalogs call it Undas and Bicolanos call it Fiestang kalag. However, there are common characteristics in the celebration, such as the day is an opportunity for family gatherings, class reunions, and of course, praying for, remembering and being with the loved ones who passed away (literally being with the dead family members). Yes, Filipinos spend the day in cemeteries. In Bicol, cemetery is called, kampo santo (camp of the saints).

So, how do we spend the day in a cemetery?

In a typical Filipino way of gathering people, food must be present. Yes, there is a variety of food being prepared, served and shared. Candles are lit and flowers are laid. All day, from dawn to dusk, from sunrise to sunset, family members, relatives and friends flock to and stay in the kampo santo. Stories and memories with the dead are reminisced over and over again.

I remember when I was young, I stayed in kampo santo in the afternoon until 7PM. As I grew older, I tended to stay late, until the wee hours. My elder brothers often stay until early morning the next day. In the Philippines, November 1 and 2 (two days) are public non-working days or holidays.

To know more how we spend the day, below is a video made by Kevin Richberg, a foreigner who experienced November 1 in the Philippines.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWFGRdbIrhQ

The Philippines Opens Its Shores and Borders to 151 Nationalities

2013-07-29T10:50:00.000-07:00

When many governments are restricting entry into their countries, the Philippines is collapsing its borders to allow more foreigners to enter the country.

Starting 1 August 2013, the Philippines will be visa-free for the nationals of 151 countries up to 30 days of stay on any of the 7,107 beautiful islands.

In coordination with concerned governmental agencies such as Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Department of Tourism, Department of Justice, and Bureau of Immigration, the initiative is aimed to attract more tourists and potential investors in the country.

If your country is listed below and you have a valid passport for at least six months, book your round-trip ticket because it is more fun in the Philippines:
Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Belgium, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia,
Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d’Ivoire, Cyprus, Czech Republic,
Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador,
Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Germany, Ghana,
Gibraltar, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary,
Iceland, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Latvia, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar
Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia,
Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand,
Nicaragua, Niger, Norway, Oman, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Poland
Portugal, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia,
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia,
Senegal, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain,
Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey,
Tuvalu, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,
United Republic of Tanzania, United States of America, Uruguay, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia,
and Zimbabwe.

Welcome and see you in the Philippines!

Jason Kidd and the Brooklyn Nets

2013-07-01T14:31:00.000-07:00

Source: http://www.streetball.com

The Brooklyn Nets is making a lot of buzz these days. In preparation for the next season, the Nets hired a new coach and got involved in major trades which will definitely impact on the team's fate in the next two to three years and team owner's pocket.

After being surprised and eliminated in the first round by the Chicago Bulls, the Nets decided to overhaul its coaching staff and line-up. It hired Jason Kidd, arguably considered as the greatest franchise player who brought the Nets to its only back-to-back finals appearances in 2002 and 2003. The team hopes that by having Kidd who recently retired as a player, the Nets will soar to new heights.

As a player, there is no doubt in the leadership skills and tenacity of Kidd. Some analysts doubt whether Kidd can bring the same leadership as a coach. Many though believe that Kidd may be what the Nets needs to compete effectively in the Eastern conference where the back-to-back champion, Miami Heat, is a perennial threat.

After the hiring of Kidd, the Nets again hug the limelight by trading its notable players in exchange for the three veterans of the Boston Celtics, a rival in the Atlantic Division. All-Star players, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry, will don the Nets uniform in the next season. The trade gathers an All-Star first five in the line-up and so as the sixth man in Jason Terry who won a championship ring with Kidd in Dallas - a very formidable team, to provide the Heat a dousing effect.

What we know and don't know about the Philippine 2013 election results

2013-06-09T06:18:00.000-07:00

The May 2013 produced both winners and losers among the candidates and voters. Yes, we won, and lost as well.

What we know are that the 12 new senators, members of the House of Representatives and party-lists, and local government officials have been proclaimed. There are interesting results that we will discuss briefly here.

1) Profile of the winners: A neophyte and woman, Senator Grace Poe, surprisingly took the top spot in the magic 12. She was one of the "independent" candidates (Chiz Escudero was the other one) adopted by Team PNoy in the campaign. She is also one of the four women who won seats in the Senate. Half of the seats were regained by the reelectionists. Among the six neophytes who won, only one is a lawyer. Among the twelve new senators, only one hails from Mindanao. Out of the 24 seats, we will have Estrada-Ejercito and Cayetano siblings. We will not miss an Angara and Villar. Fortunately, we prevented a father and son tandem in the senate.

2) Vote of religious groups - real or myth?: There have been debates and analyses on this topic. Because of the existence of collective identity, shared values, and strong identification with certain religious groups, YES, there exists a religious vote, be it Catholic, Muslim, INC, JIL, El Shaddai, Queboloy's group, etcetera. ( I will write further on this topic in the next blog entry on Catholic Vote). I argue that it is not the belief that shapes the political decision or preference, rather it is the perception of "threat" to one's in-group. As shown in the election results, these religious votes were not a guarantee that chosen candidates would win, but they affected the ranking of winners. For example, Chiz Escudero and Koko Pimentel who won were not endorsed by the INC, but their ranking of #4 and #8 respectively would have been higher had INC included them in its preferred slate.

3) Bailiwicks are slowly thinning out. The power of media, particularly social media, is breaking the barriers and punching holes in the walls of strong ethno-linguistic identification of peoples. Senators Grace Poe demonstrated this in 11 out of 15 regions.

4) Independent candidates can win in a national election. I think, even without the inclusion in the Team PNoy, Senators Grace Poe and Chiz Escudero would still win senate seats. However, in most of their campaign sorties, they organized their own schedules and, from time to time, synchronized their schedules with Team PNoy's. Aside from the strong showing of the two "independents," Ed Hagedorn's 18th finish with over 8 million votes, ahead of traditional politicians with political parties, shows this big possibility in what appears to be an emerging Philippine political reality.

5) Youthfulness wins big. Agedness loses. Nine (9) out of the 12 winners in the senatorial election are in the 40s. Veteran politician (e.g. Maceda, 78) and former presidential candidates such as Gordon (67), Madrigal (55), and Villanueva (66), lost. This election also put to office the youngest governor in the Philippine history at 23 years old. (This will be a topic soon in my Bicolano blog.)

6) There is something with the Bicolanos and Cebuanos who voted 10-2 in favor of Team PNoy and put Hontiveros in the magic 12. Remember that these were the same groups of people who gave Cory-Doy ticket in the 1986 snap election its greatest lead in actual votes and percentage votes.

7) It's all in the family names. Seven winners carry these family names. Poe, Cayetano, Binay, Angara, Pimentel, Villar, and Ejercito, these are the names that sound familiar, but they are not the ones we generally know. The winners are the daughters, sons, and wife of popular personalities in the Philippines.

And there are many things we do not know yet about the highlights and impacts of the 2013 senatorial and local election.

NBA Finals 2013: Miami Heat versus San Antonio Spurs

2013-06-07T10:42:00.000-07:00

Take your pick. You've got only two teams: the defending champion (Miami Heat) and the comebacking finalist (San Antonio Spurs).

Only two teams, after a grueling 82-game regular season and 3-round series culminating into the NBA Finals between the best in the East and the West battling it out to win the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy.

It all ends up in this final series. Two teams, two sides, will emerge to become the main story of NBA 2013.

In Game 1, the Spurs took the home advantage away from the defending champions by edging them, 92-88. It is expected that the Heat will come out in Game 2 roaring to even the series. How do they do that? Let's watch Game 2, and the series to know who will hoist the championship trophy in the end. Heat or Spurs? Take your pick!

2013 NBA Playoff MAtch-ups and Schedules: Now is the time

2013-04-18T09:12:00.003-07:00

Source: http://www.nba.com

On April 20 (Saturday), the NBA playoff season starts. Sixteen top teams have advanced to this post-season after grueling 82 games in the regular season.

The defending champion, Miami Heat, has emerged as the top seed. It means that the Heat will hold the homecourt advantage in all of its series. The Los Angeles Lakers are in the playoff, as boldly predicted by Kobe Bryant who will miss the playoff because of injury. They beat the Houston Rockets in overtime to snatch the 7th seed in the Western Conference. Below is the match-ups and schedules of the 2013 first-round playoff games. (Source: http://www.nba.com/2013/news/04/18/playoffs-schedule-2013/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpt3a)

WESTERN CONFERENCE - FIRST ROUND

(1) Oklahoma City vs. (8) Houston

Game 1 - Sun April 21, Houston at Oklahoma City, 9:30 p.m. ET, TNT
Game 2 - Wed April 24, Houston at Oklahoma City, 7 p.m., TNT
Game 3 - Sat April 27, Oklahoma City at Houston, 9:30 p.m., ESPN/R
Game 4 - Mon April 29, Oklahoma City at Houston, TBD, TBD
Game 5 * Wed May 1, Houston at Oklahoma City, TBD, TBD
Game 6 * Fri May 3, Oklahoma City at Houston, TBD, TBD
Game 7 * Sun May 5, Houston at Oklahoma City, TBD, TBD

(2) San Antonio vs. (7) L.A. Lakers

Game 1 - Sun April 21, L.A. Lakers at San Antonio, 3:30 p.m., ABC/R
Game 2 - Wed April 24, L.A. Lakers at San Antonio, 9:30 p.m., TNT
Game 3 - Fri April 26, San Antonio at L.A. Lakers, 10:30 p.m., ESPN
Game 4 - Sun April 28, San Antonio at L.A. Lakers, 7 p.m., TNT
Game 5 * Tue April 30, L.A. Lakers at San Antonio, TBD, TBD
Game 6 * Thu May 2, San Antonio at L.A. Lakers, TBD, TBD
Game 7 * Sat May 4, L.A. Lakers at San Antonio, TBD, TNT

(3) Denver vs. (6) Golden State

Game 1 - Sat April 20, Golden State at Denver, 5:30 p.m., ESPN
Game 2 - Tue April 23, Golden State at Denver, 10:30 p.m., TNT
Game 3 - Fri April 26, Denver at Golden State, 10:30 p.m., ESPN2
Game 4 - Sun April 28, Denver at Golden State, 9:30 p.m., TNT
Game 5 * Tue April 30, Golden State at Denver, TBD, TBD
Game 6 * Thu May 2, Denver at Golden State, TBD, TBD
Game 7 * Sat May 4, Golden State at Denver, TBD, TNT

(4) L.A. Clippers vs. (5) Memphis

Game 1 - Sat April 20, Memphis at L.A. Clippers, 10:30 p.m., ESPN
Game 2 - Mon April 22, Memphis at L.A. Clippers, 10:30 p.m., TNT
Game 3 - Thu April 25, L.A. Clippers at Memphis, 9:30 p.m., TNT
Game 4 - Sat April 27, L.A. Clippers at Memphis, 4:30 p.m., TNT
Game 5 * Tue April 30, Memphis at L.A. Clippers, TBD, TBD
Game 6 * Fri May 3, L.A. Clippers at Memphis, TBD, TBD
Game 7 * Sun May 5, Memphis at L.A. Clippers, TBD, TBD

___________________________________________________

EASTERN CONFERENCE - FIRST ROUND

(1) Miami vs. (8) Milwaukee

Game 1 - Sun April 21, Milwaukee at Miami, 7 p.m., TNT
Game 2 - Tue April 23, Milwaukee at Miami, 7:30 p.m., NBA TV
Game 3 - Thu April 25, Miami at Milwaukee, 7 p.m., TNT
Game 4 - Sun April 28, Miami at Milwaukee, 3:30 p.m., ABC
Game 5 * Tue April 30, Milwaukee at Miami, TBD, TBD
Game 6 * Thu May 2, Miami at Milwaukee, TBD, TBD
Game 7 * Sat May 4, Milwaukee at Miami, TBD, TNT

(2) New York vs. (7) Boston

Game 1 - Sat April 20, Boston at New York, 3 p.m., ABC/R
Game 2 - Tue April 23, Boston at New York, 8 p.m., TNT
Game 3 - Fri April 26, New York at Boston, 8 p.m., ESPN
Game 4 - Sun April 28, New York at Boston, 1 p.m., ABC/R
Game 5 * Wed May 1, Boston at New York, TBD, TBD
Game 6 * Fri May 3, New York at Boston, TBD, TBD
Game 7 * Sun May 5, Boston at New York, TBD, TBD

(3) Indiana vs. (6) Atlanta

Game 1 - Sun April 21, Atlanta at Indiana, 1 p.m., TNT
Game 2 - Wed April 24, Atlanta at Indiana, 7:30 p.m., NBA TV
Game 3 - Sat April 27, Indiana at Atlanta, 7 p.m., ESPN
Game 4 - Mon April 29, Indiana at Atlanta, TBD, TBD
Game 5 * Wed May 1, Atlanta at Indiana, TBD, TBD
Game 6 * Fri May 3, Indiana at Atlanta, TBD, TBD
Game 7 * Sun May 5, Atlanta at Indiana, TBD, TBD

(4) Brooklyn vs. (5) Chicago

Game 1 - Sat April 20, Chicago at Brooklyn, 8 p.m., ESPN
Game 2 - Mon April 22, Chicago at Brooklyn, 8 p.m., TNT
Game 3 - Thu April 25, Brooklyn at Chicago, 8:30 p.m., NBA TV
Game 4 - Sat April 27, Brooklyn at Chicago, 2 p.m., TNT
Game 5 * Mon April 29, Chicago at Brooklyn, TBD, TBD
Game 6 * Thu May 2, Brooklyn at Chicago, TBD, TBD
Game 7 * Sat May 4, Chicago at Brooklyn, TBD, TNT

* if necessary
All times are Eastern
TBD - To Be Determined
R - ESPN radio

Jason Kidd in his rookie years (fun to watch)

2013-03-23T11:55:00.000-07:00

Today (March 23), an all-time point guard great turns 40. Jason Kidd entered the National Basketball Association (NBA) in 1994-95 season and won Rookie of the Year award (together with Grant Hill). Below is a clip during his rookie year.

Jason Kidd continues to break some records. Here is a list of his all-time records. Last night, the win by the New York Knicks over the Toronto Raptors put the Knicks to the playoffs. It will be Kidd's 17th straight playoff appearance, the longest streak among active players and 3 short of the all-time record by Stockton.

Below is the peak of his career, bringing the New Jersey Nets to its only back-to-back finals appearances in 2002 and 2003 seasons.

Of National Importance When Bourgeoisie Complains

2013-03-22T18:00:00.000-07:00

SSource: www.philippinestodayus.com

This week, the Philippine national media recently feasted on the news about Kris-James and Heart-Chiz love stories. The stories paralleled the news of Filipinos to be tried in Malaysia for "terror" acts and possibly mete out death sentences. The dominance of few families in the Philippine social, political, economic, and cultural spaces can never be doubted in the very moment when Kris Aquino sheds tears and Heart's parents pleads to a Senator, and not to their daughter, to end their May-October love affair (well, 16 years gap may not qualify for May-December affair, to my mind).

Kris is Kris. She is an Aquino. She is a Cojuangco. She is the daughter of Ninoy and Cory Aquino. And she is the youngest sister of the current President of the Philippines. She is a showbiz star. And she is very wealthy. Now, she is complaining of harassment from her estranged husband and seeking a temporary protection order from a court to prevent her former husband access to their son.

Source: www.pep.ph

And then, the Ongpaucos who own a chain of popular restaurant held a press conference and declared that their daughter is being manipulated by her politician-boyfriend who is running for reelection. Their daughter, Heart, is 28 years old. In the heat of political campaigning, the wealthy couple threw accusations after accusations to the current Senator, Chiz Escudero, who is aiming for reelection in the senate. The couple denied that their actions are election-related, and they are only expressing their parental concern about their daughter's welfare. But they enumerated their complaints against Chiz and the reason why they wanted him to return their daughter to them.

The netizens and media persons caught the bourgeois fever. And so the whole country was abuzz. The plights and problems of Kris and the Ongpauco parents have grabbed the national limelight. Why?

The bourgeioisie has in possession of what society apparently values - wealth and prestige. People tend to identify with them because they too aspire to have those values. Often, in pursuit of these values, or in defense of the bourgeiois status, people use their ruling or "borrowed" mentality to keep "other" peoples from their spaces. Little do they know, their space is shrinking. The "others" will not be fooled again. Rise up, unite, and make own stories and history!

Kidd is never done yet!

2012-12-12T02:31:00.000-08:00

How old is he? Statistics does not lie.

- only player in NBA with at least 17,000 points; 11,000 assists; 8,000 rebounds; 2,500 steals
- 2nd all-time assists leader
- 2nd all-time steals leader
- 3rd all-time 3-point shots made
- 3rd all-time triple-doubles leader
- 3 NBA finals appearances
- 1 championship

Last night, Jason Kidd delivered a late and crucial trey to win against his former team (Nets). He made 18 points, 6 assists, 6 rebounds, and a steal.

When he decided to move to New York from Dallas, I thought he saw something in the Knicks team. Well, I wanted him to stay in Dallas to have one more run for the championship with Dirk with whom he won a championship in 2011. But he decided to join in New York a former teammate in Tyson Chandler, a core member of the Mavs championship team.

And now, the Knicks holds the best record in the Eastern Conference. And Kidd is never done yet.

Watch his tie-breaking trey here: