Spirituality Page

mlq3 for senator

noreply@blogger.com (Kebelle) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 06:35:00 +0000

This may sound absurd – or you may even call it a crazy idea. But I really mean it. Manuel L. Quezon III for senator. Yes, mlq3 can be a good legislator. He's maintaining a weekly column in the Inquirer, and has a regular show in ANC (ABS-CBN News Channel). Reading his columns and watching him engaged in the conversation on national issues and on the fate of Philippine politics I am equally informed and enriched though not without critical assessment of his ideas.

The country needs brilliant minds in the Senate just like the days of old before the declaration of Martial Law. I only heard from my grandparents how they would skip classes just to watch and listen to debates in the Senate floor – not just simply debates but sensible debates where bright minds engaged in the war of words and ideas, a thing that we lack in the present composition of the legislative body's upper chamber.

I am no friend of mlq3 though he's my online buddy in Facebook and Scribd, but I want to see him debating in the Senate floor defending significant bills he would author. I don't want to see the Senate filled with power hungry idiots who had spent millions of pesos in financing a campaign and in paying the Comelec for the position. I don't want to see Bong Revilla, Lito Lapid, Jinggoy Estrada and Miguel Zubiri in the senate who do not even know how to ask appropriate questions for a senate inquiry. They heavily rely on their staff for ideas – ideas that are often insensible.

What the country needs is a sensible Senate that is a model of transparency, brilliance and public engagement. It should promote citizens' participation and engage the public in the national discourse. Actually not just the Senate but also the House of Representatives and Malacanang. Discourse and intellectual engagement should not only be confined in our deteriorating colleges and universities – rather people of all walks of life should be aware and conscious of what's going on in their country.

Mlq3 may consider cracking at a Senate seat. If he so desires, he could secure my vote and the assurance that I would campaign for him anonymously.

Gibo Teodoro giba ni (destroyed by) Ondoy

noreply@blogger.com (Kebelle) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 10:08:00 +0000

Now I will write about one of the trusted men of the president no other than the Secretary of the Department of National Defense (DND) and the chief of the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) Gilbert Teodoro, Jr. who is comfortable with his moniker ‘Gibo.’

Before assuming the cabinet position he was a congressman of the first district of Tarlac for three consecutive terms from 1998-2007.

Seeing his performance as defense chief and as head of the coordinating council for disaster management and preparedness, the party committee of the newly merged Lakas-Kampi-CMD chose Gibo as the party’s standard bearer for the 2010 elections.

Of course, one cannot deny the fact that Gibo is articulate being educated from De La Salle University, University of the Philippines and Harvard Law School.

Many governors, district representatives, and mayors expressed support for Gibo’s candidacy although he’s a party hopper from the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) of his uncle Danding Cojuangco to the newly merged Lakas-Kampi-CMD.

I am tempted to praise the defense chief and be amused by his credentials, educational attainment and family background – and if I write all the information in his resume, you would really be amazed if you do not see the lies behind every projected truth.

I feel like Gibo is being ‘Giba’ (wrecked) by the recent events that befell the country. He’s identified with the administration of Arroyo – an administration of human rights abuses, corruption, bad governance, scandals, unpopularity, war in the South, and other curses the government underwent in the past eight years. But other than such association, Gibo’s reputation has been questioned by the recent mess of the government’s disaster unpreparedness and inefficiency in responding to a natural calamity.

I should have titled this entry with “Gibo for president” but I am deeply troubled by the destruction that the typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana) brought to the country, and the human made disaster that NDCC contributed to the sufferings of hundreds of thousands of flood victims in Metro Manila and neighboring provinces.

First off, Teodoro’s use of NDCC fund for his infomercials proved his hunger for power and drive for public attention and visibility. Gibo said that he seeks the presidency and he’s determined to do everything including hopping from one party to another just to get what he want.

Such desire of one man commanding a government agency, of course, had serious repercussions that instead of buying rubber boats that could have helped save thousands of people stranded on their rooftops waiting for the flood waters to subside, Gibo used the money to pay for public television commercial spots to promote himself as the hero who could save the Philippines from a disaster. NDCC has become a disaster to Filipino taxpayers.

Second, no matter how House Speaker Prospero Nograles defends the actions of Gibo, he cannot evade the fact that the NDCC chief busies himself to project an appearance of busyness in the face of the disaster. The NDCC had the government funding in preparation for a coming disaster, but when disaster struck, the agency was caught in a quagmire of inefficiency in disaster management. Then, instead of owning up responsibility for the loss of life and property, the government blames Ondoy and global warming.

Gibo and his boss Gloria Arroyo kept on repeating or at least reciting before national television that typhoon Ondoy is worse than hurricane Katrina that ravaged New Orleans. Ondoy, they twitted, brought more rainwater than Katrina, and therefore the Philippine government should not be blamed by its inefficiency because the amount of rainfall that flooded the densely populated Metro Manila was overwhelming.

Third, yes Gibo is articulate and he says what he is supposed to say to defend the present administration – the failed administration that brought the entire country into severe political crises via failed coups, cheating in elections, scandals, failed memorandum with the Islamic minority in the South, expensive dinners, corruption, human rights abuses and many more.

If the only achievement of this administration is the economy, well then, thanks to the overseas Filipino workers. The president has successfully traded slaves to other countries in exchange for dollar remittances that help sustain the economy amidst global economic crisis. And if this is the economic policy that Teodoro is supporting, then his would be a continuation of the Arroyo administration.

I could not endure to have a country ran by a government that lacks foresight, and I could not endure six more years of Arroyo regime although Teodoro and his defenders emphasized that his administration would be distinctively his. Being articulate is not tantamount to having substance and sincerity; Teodoro is just like the masters of rhetoric who loved flowery words rather than substance during Socrates’ time.

I will not vote for an educated man according to what is written in his curriculum vitae, but I will vote for a candidate that demonstrates depth in understanding human life in all its complexities including the worth and dignity of a human person – not as an object to be governed but as an entity and being that lives and moves. I hope Teodoro will show the world his compassion and sincerity rather than his naked desire and hunger for power, and his educational attainments that proved wanting in the face of a humanitarian crisis.

Ondoy victims clamor for equal distribution of relief goods

noreply@blogger.com (Kebelle) — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:17:00 +0000

I was disheartened by the way the local government of San Mateo, Rizal and other non-government organisations distribute relief goods to the victims of the flood that the typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana) caused. The victims also have the right to demand equal distribution of aid as opposed to having a preselected group of people in mind before giving relief goods. Here's the video I'd taken, and posted on YouTube:

Where is God in the flood?

noreply@blogger.com (Kebelle) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 03:06:00 +0000

There are different and various interpretations of an event, especially if such an event leaves death and destruction. Let’s say that this event is called calamity – and to be more specific, flood. The most famous ancient account of a flood is the primeval story in Genesis 6-8 that spared only Noah and his family. Judging from the point of view of a people who strongly believed that they’re chosen – and that they had the sense that righteousness equals faith in an unknown God and obedience to the command of such a God – the flood was interpreted as judgment (Gen 6:13). God saw the wickedness of the people on earth – full of corruption and violence – but he found Noah as the only righteous and blameless man (6:5-8, 9-13).

Because the whole earth was full of corruption and violence God felt sorry and he had to cleanse it, and the only way to purge the earth, in his mind, was to send an excessive amount of rain (7:4). And indeed the windows of heaven were opened and it rained for forty days and forty nights (7:12). The whole known earth was flooded for forty days and forty nights with only Noah, his family, and a few pairs of animals survived. Noah was saved because he “found favor in the eyes of the Lord” (6:8). And he listened and obeyed the command of God to make an ark where they could stay during the flood (6:14-22) where God “blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground” (7:23). When the flood was over, God established a covenant with Noah not to destroy the earth again with flood waters (8:20-22): “Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done.”

The biblical account of a flood is a classic interpretation of a natural calamity viewed from a highly religious perspective, or let’s say from a theological point of view where faith in a righteous God is at stake. People of faith cannot abandon the thought that God is up there watching over the affairs of the people on earth and when he’s not pleased he would send judgment sparing only a few righteous individuals. Surely we cannot condemn the current victims of the flood caused by the tropical storm Ketsana that hit the country in 26 September as wicked sinners and recipient of God’s wrath – rather they are victims of a calamity, and they suffered more because of the unpreparedness of the government when it comes to disaster management.

There had been several writers and columnists who wrote about the climate change, about who’s to blame in the flood, and who’s to be defended. Many scientists and ‘quasi scientists’ said that climate change is to be blamed, and if the unpredictability of the weather is due to climate change then it’s everybody’s toll, it’s a call for us to care for our environment. Many critics hammered the government for its unpreparedness in disaster management and inefficiency in distribution of relief goods. Many of the flood victims who are coming from the middle class got angry against the government because of its inability to respond quickly. There are also many thinkers and theologians who reflect on where is God in the flood. But in the eyes of a child, rain is simply fun, and it’s time for him to swim in the flood waters of the metropolis.

Seriously, for the one who cannot divorce faith from daily experiences, God is seen to be working in mysterious ways. God may want us to learn a lesson or two about disaster preparedness and efficiency in governance. For those who reflect on theological justification of the flood, well, we could ask God why it all happened and how could a good God allow such a miserable situation. We could lament at the fact that people perish – both rich and poor. Everybody is affected Christians and non-Christians, religious and non-religious, faithful and unfaithful (I mean faithless) alike. Or maybe instead purely a cognitive understanding of the situation God challenges us to action – to prove our faith by action just as James famously coined, “Faith without action is dead.”

Flood victims need our help. They need comfort. They need our prayers. They need us most in these moments when they feel they’re helpless and vulnerable. Let’s look at the scenario as an opportunity for us to extend our helping hands. We could challenge God later, but as of the moment, the situation needs action. Flood has not subsided yet in many flooded areas. Marikina is still covered with mud. There is a coming storm. The Department of Health fears of a disease outbreak. People in evacuation centers lack food, drinking water, medicines, clothes, pillows, blankets, mosquito nets and other things that they basically need. God is there in the sigh of the helpless and vulnerable. God is there when our fellow human beings desperately need our help. God is there in the midst of the people’s suffering. God suffers with those who suffer. God does not abandon the weak. God cannot afford that people perish because of human neglect.

Tropical storm Ondoy

noreply@blogger.com (Kebelle) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 01:06:00 +0000

In order to help a friend last Saturday I had to swim the flood waters in South Avenue in Quezon City. A friend from Pasig City texted me that his house was also flooded. A friend from Marikina could not go home that Saturday because his village was submerged in water, he was stranded in SM Marikina. My professor living in Northview informed me that they already stayed in the second floor, and that their next resort was to stay in the attic, but he's able to save his dogs.

Tropical storm Ondoy (international code name Ketsana) that hit the country on 26 September brought 85-100 kph of gustiness and 455 millimeters (or more than a month's amount) of rain in just 24 hours that caused flooding in Metro Manila and neighboring provinces of Rizal, Bulacan and Laguna. As of 29 September 240 (and counting) are killed because of the storm, 32 missing, and more than 300,000 displaced – many without food, drinking water and electricity for 3 days.

The affected areas are Metro Manila, Rizal, Laguna, Batangas, Cavite, Bulacan, Quezon, Central Luzon and Cagayan Valley. An estimate damage on infrastructure is P400M, and on agriculture is P820M. Worst hit area because of flooding is Metro Manila that up to 80 percent submerged in water on Saturday and Sunday. Thousands are displaced in Quezon City, Marikina, Cainta, Montalban and San Mateo. Landslide killed dozens in San Mateo.

The flood in Metro Manila was the worst in four decades and it spared neither rich nor poor. Many of the flooded areas are middle class villages like Provident in Marikina, Greenheights in Cainta and Northview in Quezon City. People stayed for hours on their rooftops to save their lives. Rescuers came late because of lack of rescue facilities and poor coordination of the Philippine Navy and the National Disaster Coordinating Council that is headed by the presidential aspirant and secretary of defense Gilbert Teodoro.

I volunteer with PHILRADS, a relief and rescue organisation that continue to accept donations such as food, clothes, canned goods, kichen utensils, blankets, mosqueto nets, and clean drinking water. You may call PHILRADS at 632-913-6615 or log on to pcec.org/philrads for more information.

Chiz Escudero for president?

noreply@blogger.com (Kebelle) — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 08:38:00 +0000

I am now unofficially joining the arena of political speculations and other chit-chats. Well, when it comes to a choice for president coming the most anticipated national derby, I am (in fact, Filipino voters are) considering a wide range of candidates to choose from. Choices are from the youngest of the aspirants Chiz Escudero to the little known Nicanor Perlas. Between the two are personalities already earning media mileages – Noynoy Aquino with his choice for vice president Mar Roxas, Manny (or money) Villar, Gibo (if not Giba) Teodoro, the messianic Bro. Eddie Vilanueva, Erap Estrada, and some more names.

Let me talk about Chiz. Because he's special. And because he's the youngest. When he's forty, he said, he would announce his candidacy for president. But of course, he's already talking. Yes, he talks. And he talks fast. So runs his tagline, 'Say Chiz!' Yes, I will say Chiz. But to vote for him is another story. The name of Chiz sounds like cheesy. Though I love cheese in my breakfast, I am not really addicted to cheese. I just want something meaty, and juicy. By meaty, I mean there's a lot of meat of what one has to say.

When I listened to Chiz's rhetoric, I only found words and arguments, and words again, and pure rhetoric. I remember Socrates challenging the best orators during his time because he found them wanting, and they had nothing to say with equal substance and sincerity. One can easily utter big words, and big ideas such as human rights, health care, constitutional amendments and all. And one can also put in their resume all their accomplishments and credentials. It's easy to navigate between ideas using technical jargons. But one thing I have against the mastery of rhetoric – substance that is backed by records, and most of all consistency.

Chiz has been consistent to be in the opposition – opposition on the side of the deposed Erap Estrada. When Estrada was president, Chiz was a congressman. But when Erap was ousted, Chiz was consistently a supporter of Estrada. When he ran for the Senate in 2007, he identified hismself as belonging to the United Opposition, in fact, they called themselves Genuine Opposition with other senatorial candidates.

Escudero's loyalty was with Erap. Let me clarify this. When Erap was to be impeached, Chiz did not vote. Then came the impeachment of Gloria Arroyo. Chiz was one of those who filed the impeachment case. He's definitely against Arroyo. And he's been consistent in that. And he's also consistent on being identified as an opposition candidate when the gauge is the Arroyo administration.

Now, what is inconsistent with Chiz? His inconsistency rests on the fact that he's not fighting for truth and justice, but for political stability as a candidate. Estrada was guilty of corruption and gangster governance, just as Arroyo is guilty of running a government by corruption. Both Estrada and Arroyo ought to be kicked out of the office. If Chiz were consistent in his fight for truth and justice, he could have voted for the impeachment of Estrada.

Shall I say Chiz? Yes, I will say Chiz Escudero, a senator, an orator (although that's debatable), a master of double-talk. He's too young at forty to be president, and he's banking on the youth vote because he identified himself with the youth. Come on, be realistic. Chiz no longer belongs to the youth generation. He's married. And he's forty. He's no longer a young man. He's old enough to fool the people and get their votes when he decides to run for president.

Let's journey to the grand carnivale called Eleksiyon Pinoy.

God-talk and all

noreply@blogger.com (Kebelle) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:56:00 +0000

Last Saturday night (19 September) somebody really irked me with his all his nonsense fundamentalist God-talks. His propositions: first, Christianity has not failed in all its mandate because if it did there would have no Christianity in existence today; second, one cannot talk about justice without rooting it in ‘God’ because apart from God there will be no justice; third, if one does not believe in God or even accused Jesus Christ as a failed prophet should live an unethical life and should refrain from talking about justice.

I find the assertions annoying. Here are my arguments:

First, in my readings of the history of the Church I encountered legions of failures it had throughout history, though I am not discrediting all the positive things that Christianity has contributed to humanity. When Christianity became an imperial religion of the Roman Empire, it was used as tool to maintain the economic and stability of the empire. The Church Councils beginning from Nicea in 325 had sorry consequences to those who had no or limited political clout and connections. The Council of Nicea condemned the ‘heretics’ and other succeeding councils such as Chalcedon, Trent and Vatican 1 anathemized those who deviated from the doctrines crafted by politically influential Church leaders. I cannot discuss all the dark sides of Christianity such as the Crusades, the thirty years of religious wars, the persecution of the Anabaptists during the Reformation period, the condemnation of the followers of Jacobus Arminius by the Calvinists, the use of religion in colonizing the ‘South’, and many more.

Of course I cannot dishonor the great people who took their faith seriously – people like Jesus Christ, Saint Paul, Saint Francis of Asisi, Mother Theresa and those unsung heroes who believed in God and followed the teachings of Jesus Christ even if it entailed giving up their lives. The Church had established hospitals, schools, orphanages and other charitable institutions throughout the seven continents of the globe. The teachings of Christ transformed individuals including the ‘immoral’ Aurelius Augustinus and the atheist C.S Lewis. Yes, the light of the Church attracted millions of people just as its dark side victimized millions.

Second, that we can talk about justice even if we take God out of the picture. There are tons of atheists who are so sensitive about different issues of justice, and of injustice. We create the notion of justice to protect ourselves from harm, and to secure ourselves from the threats of those who lose their self-control and use violence to victimize others. In fact in order to enforce justice we use violence. Here’s another challenge to naïve fundamentalist evangelicals: if God is a God of justice, then why did God ordered the annihilation of tribes in Deuteronomy 20 and justified the conquests of Joshua? If Christianity promotes justice, then why all the injustices done by the Church in the name of God such as the Crusades, the colonization, the murder of the Huguenots, the support of the Catholic Church of the holocaust, the cases of pedophilia and many more? It seems that there is inconsistency between the monopolizing of the notion of justice and the practice which leads to my next point.

Third, Christianity cannot claim moral superiority, and cannot monopolize ethics and justice. Many Christians are hypocrites because they claim moral and ethical superiority but they behave the other way around. I have atheist and Marxists friends who are more ethical and socially sensitive than most of Sunday churchgoers. Many of those who go to church on Sundays are actually patting their consciences (if they had any) because of the unethical practices they did during the weekdays. Here’s my favorite example of a political figure who uses religion to pat her conscience and to impress the public with her religious appearance: president Gloria Arroyo. Yes, she prayed, and she’s prayed for by religious leaders and bishops. But look at all the corruption and political mess. You can judge for yourself.

On the criteria of my judgment, which I have none, I only use the claims of Christianity as standard. Christianity claims absolute truth, absolute morality, and absolute justice and all. However, the practices of many Christians are absolutely contrary to their claims.

Political party(ing)

noreply@blogger.com (Kebelle) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 07:29:00 +0000

The other day I asked a college student what a political party was, and his reply to me was that, and I believe he really meant what he said, it's when politicians hold victory party where food and drinks flood on their tables.

Interesting.

The Omnibus Election Code (Art VIII Sec 60) defined a political party as “an organized group of persons pursuing the same ideology, political ideas or platform of government and includes its branches and divisions.”

But an initial observation of the current mess in our political landscape suggests that parties do not have ideology to stand on, instead they formed coalitions, split from each other, and hopped to other parties with the mission of increasing their number on the belief that politics is all about numbers game.

A popular saying goes that in Philippine politics friends are becoming enemies and enemies are becoming friends during elections. Party loyalty is absurd to imagine and political platform is far from realization.

In August 2008, Sen. Edgardo Angara lamented that, “The lack of a genuine party system has not only stunted the development of true democracy, but also restrains foreign investments and hinders our progress to political maturity." He cried out that the present parties lack “strong ideological foundation” and are continuing to thrive in a corruption-laden patronage politics.

There are two compelling marks in the present condition of the party system in Philippine politics – chief of them is the use of party as a campaign tool or mechanism of famous political personalities without concrete platform of governance rather than founded on ideology, political ideas and party platform; and secondly, the dominance of the elite families, which can be categorized as national elite and provincial elite, in every major political party. Politics and the creation of political clout are measured by the amount of money spent for every loyal member, and the ability of the member to raise funds for his or her political campaign.

The oldest party Nacionalista, founded in 1907, that dominated the political landscape until 1946 when conflicts of interests and rough power relations occurred between the followers of Manuel L. Quezon and Sergio Osmena, as of its present form, has no clear political platform. The second oldest party, Liberal Party, that was formed by Manuel Roxas, on the other hand has a platform but as to the details on the mechanisms and concrete plans on how to put the platform into political reality—there are only meager information.

Other emerging parties however such as the Akbayan, Bayan Muna and Ang Kapatiran Party have party-ideologies and platforms, except that it still takes a long way to effect real reforms in our party system. Angara’s desire is yet to be realized that "we cannot say we live in a representative democracy unless political parties have a definite and clear platform of government."

I really hope that in the upcoming May 2010 election Filipinos will vote not based on the fame of political personalities but based on platform and concrete plans on how, when elected, the candidates govern and perform in their office. I also hope that in the coming years, there will be reforms in the electoral system holding the candidates accountable to their party’s ideology as well as accountable to the public whom they choose to serve.

Deaths, politics, God

noreply@blogger.com (Kebelle) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 00:26:00 +0000

What a beautiful Monday morning.

The news today: a ferry carrying 800 passenger sank off north Zamboanga coast yesterday morning. The Philippine coastguard said that more than 80 persons are still missing, and 12 died. Today is a holiday because the president said so, also because she – just like other politicians do – wanted to please the Iglesia Ni Cristo bloc voters since today is also the burial of Erano ‘Erdy’ Manalo, the leader of the sect for more than 40 years.

More than the number of the victims of sea tragedy and the political connections of the death of the head of a religious organization are the unreported deaths of the victims of petty crimes and the victims of the rule of the gun. Thousands are victims of the conflict between the military and the NPA, hundreds of thousands were displaced during the war between the AFP and the MILF, and thousands disappeared and were executed extrajudicially.

Aside from the gun-related deaths are the deaths of many because they’re buried alive in the mire of poverty and helplessness. Millions of Filipinos are living below poverty line while the few powerful and corrupt politicians are living in luxury; in fact, the president’s family could not even give a rational account where did their wealth come from.

God has been calling special persons to save the country for the next six years. He called Ed Panlilio first, but the priest turned governor is willing to refuse the calling. God also called Eddie Villanueva, and the leader of Jesus is Lord is more than willing to obey his lord. In fact, triumphalistically Villanueva declared that he has the messianic mission to save the Philippines through his platform of righteous governance.

God has also considered Nicanor Perlas, but maybe as reserved because of his holistic spirituality and sustainable development that can be tapped later. Kabayan Noli de Castro has his own discernment whether God will call him to be president or not, but because he is closed to the Black Nazarene, maybe he’ll get a positive response. Manny Villar has the support of the Protestants, and he’s been predestined by God to lead the country because he has P3 billion for the campaign. Noynoy Aquino is still on retreat, I wonder what God would tell him to do because Mar Roxas was convinced that he’s not the one so he declined the call from God to give way for the son of the late Cory Aquino.

Whatever God’s solution is to the problems we’re facing from day to day, still my Monday morning is beautiful, simply because it’s a holiday, and I still have tons of work to do. Oh my God, should you also call me to be president, I will gladly accept the challenge, except that you only exist in the imagination of millions and in the faith of the faithful, and politicians find you useful.

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Patriotism

noreply@blogger.com (Kebelle) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 07:48:00 +0000

“The Filipino is worth dying for.” This is the famous dictum of the late Senator Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino Jr. before his assassination. True to his words, Ninoy died a martyr, a hero in the people’s fight against the tyranny of the Marcos dictatorship. Dying for the country is a consequence of our will and desire to live in a better and free country that is free of tyranny and oppression. Dying for the ideals of nationalism, democracy, and self-determination is said to be a mark of a patriot.

But is patriotism ‘such a lonely word’ (in the words of Billy Joel) in our politics today? Patriotism is defined as love of country, or at least one desires to protect and defend the interests and ideals of his or her country. But loving the country also involves (1) the assumption that we have a working government (2) created by the people who aspire for the welfare of all and (3) a people that is united by a common faith in the collective Filipino self committed to the love of God and to the service for the country.

Working government

Any talk about being patriotic has to assume a working government that has the primary function of promoting social justice and providing the basic needs of the citizens such as food, housing, education, healthcare, employment, peace and order, and the necessary infrastructures for development. The government has to secure the people’s needs, and has to create equal opportunity for all especially when it comes to access to social services and free competition.

The interest of the government should be the interest of the public, or to use the phrase of the political philosopher Jeremy Bentham, the government exists for “the greatest happiness of the greatest number.” And in the case of the Philippines being a democratic country, the government must be consultative and participatory. The government must consult the people and involve them in the business called governance. Government and governance should not be left to sitting politicians alone, but it should be the common interest of the citizenry where everyone has equal participation.

People with aspirations

Everything in the country is not solely of the government but of the people because it is the people who comprise the government and create the government as a system that functions to promote social justice and equality. We as a people have a common aspiration – that is, to be independent, and to live in a free country. But this aspiration demands energy, commitment, and self-sacrifice.

We cannot afford to leave government matters to political leaders while we just sit back criticizing every mistake the politicians commit. Rather, it is our opportunity as well as our duty to serve the country to the best of our ability. This echoes the famous line of the late US President John F. Kennedy, “Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country.”

Part of our service to the country is to perform in our workplaces with integrity – integrity in service and in character. If we are working in a government office we should demonstrate our sense of patriotism by putting the interest of our country first before our own. And if we are working in a private company, we should think forward – think how our company can contribute to the welfare of the community and to the country as a whole, and with this in mind we work with integrity.

The success of the country rests on the effectiveness of its people who run the government and of the people who support such a government.

Common faith

This is not about converting all Filipinos into one faith or religious conviction, rather this common faith is the faith we have collectively as a people – a faith that is best expressed in our religious language of faith in God, and faith in the people. Unless we believe in people we cannot really say that we have faith in God, and unless we have faith in God we cannot have a genuine sense of faith in our people. If we have faith in God, we ought to love God; and if we love God we ought to have faith in God. But faith in God can also be better shown in our love of others by serving them with utmost sincerity and honesty. Loving the country is our best expression of love of God, because by loving the country we are compelled to do things that will benefit the greatest number of people.

The religious say that they love God above all and put the country at risk by leaving it to corrupt political leaders. Politicians also say that they love the country above self-interest, and leave things religious to the priests, pastors and ministers of religion. We cannot continue to dissect ourselves into two – one political and one religious – because we are by nature political and by nature religious. We are both political and spiritual beings. Our service to the country should also be our service to God, and if we say that we serve God, we ought to articulate this also through genuine service to the country – a service that has the common good of all in mind.

Our common faith in God and our common values and aspirations will bind us as a people and will bring us forward into a better future, but this will only happen when we are committed to love our own country above all our self-interests and above the interests of the few. We are to live in the country of our own making, and creating a better country is good stewardship of the created world God has given us as a gift.

Patriotism is not a lonely word after all; this is what we ought to have. We exist as Filipinos so we are to live as genuine Filipinos having authentic love for our country. We live in a home where we are called to build, rebuild, and strengthen. We cannot afford to leave the country when we no longer benefit from it; rather, we have to live in a country where we are tasked to create opportunity for others to excel and to develop their full human potential, and in the process such citizens will contribute to the building up of our nation.

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Winner and losers

noreply@blogger.com (Kebelle) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 13:21:00 +0000

The latest in Philippine politics is the result of the Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey of the top contenders for the presidential race.

The SWS reported that Manny Villar is number one while Erap Estrada is number two. Villar got 22 percent and Erap 19 percent. 1500 people were interviewed with a margin of error of plus-minus (+/-) 2.5 per cent.

The survey question was “Sa mga sumusunod na pangalan sa listahang ito, sino ang malamang nyong iboboto bilang presidente ng Pilipinas (Of the following names on this list, who are you likely to vote for president of the Philippines)?”

Included in the list were: Chiz Escudero, Noli de Castro, Mar Roxas, Loren Legarda, Panfilo Lacson, Jejomar Binay, Bayani Fernando, Gilbert Teodoro, Ed Panlilio, Eddie Villanueva, Francis Pangilinan, Richard Gordon, Antonio Trillanes IV and Miriam Santiago. What is interesting by the way is that whoever funded the survey is the more likely to be ahead, hmmmm.

People are preoccupied with the great carnival, whether it is really a carnival or simply games and amusements – and of course, you may gamble and place your highest bet on one of the contestants. While millions of Filipinos are starving, and millions left the country because the present president has been involved in slave trading sending her fellow Filipinos as workers overseas, and that she highly encourages – in fact, promotes – super maids to Hong Kong, Singapore, Europe, Middle East and North America.

In Caraga region northern Mindanao, the president owns, or at least, invests in mining industry, and I bet she’s aware of the displacement of indigenous peoples in Surigao due to militarization with the campaign banner of counterinsurgency which means, war against the Communists. It is a militarization to protect the interest not of the people but of the investors who exploit nature by which the Arroyo is one.

Why do I say this? Simply because the indigenous people fight for their rights to own their ancestral domain, and in order to protect themselves against the government that destroyed their homeland they joined the New People’s Army (NPA) which is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). The government by the way is quick to blame the NPA when people rebel.

Let’s go back to our carnival. The opposition is actually more popular than the administration because the people see the contrast between good and evil with the Arroyo administration being the epitome of evil. But opposition presidential aspirants are too many – they all want to be president.

Anyway, who really will win in the 2010 elections? That may be the question. But I don’t think that is the proper question. The proper question is that who will eventually lose in the election? And my answer is that, candidates will win, but it will be the Filipino people who will be the great losers in the race to presidency.

***

Noynoy Aquino for president?

noreply@blogger.com (Kebelle) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 10:17:00 +0000

Why not?

Noynoy is popular to many democracy-loving Filipinos. Or maybe to those who regarded Noynoy's parents as heroes they see in him the potential to continue the fight of Ninoy and Cory.

During the wake of Cory, people saw Noynoy as calm, and displaying maturity especially when Gloria Arroyo offered her condolences to the Aquino family after her lavish dinner in a New York restaurant with her minions.

The Liberal Party is looking forward to a Noynoy Aquino-Mar Roxas tandem. Both Noynoy and Mar are oposition senators, but what makes them different from each other although they belonged to the same party is that Mar has already decided to run for president, and Noynoy hisitates to seek a higher office.

Mar already spent millions of pesos for advertisements, while Noynoy's public appearances were via live TV coverages during the wake and burial of his mother.

Mar, although he would not admit that marrying the TV anchor Korina Sanches is not political, it seems that marriage is part of the plan towards the path of presidency. Noynoy on the other hand has a simple, and private relationship with a not so popular woman.

Yesterday I was asked whether Noynoy would be a good choice for president. I said I don't know. He may be a good choice, but again Filipinos would be promoting a politics of clans - family dynasty.

But between Mar and Noynoy, I would choose Noynoy, besides I don't like Korina to be the country's first lady. I have my reasons to say so.

Still, there is more to come in the grand carnival called Eleksiyon Pinoy.

***

Voter registration first step to elect a candidate

noreply@blogger.com (Kebelle) — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 07:56:00 +0000

Nowadays as millions of Filipinos are looking forward to the coming May 10, 2010 elections, people are offered with many choices for president. There are many who want to become the country's chief executive - a handful of them. Mar Roxas, Manny Villar, Eddie Villanueva, Gilbert Teodoro, Bayani Fernando, Nicanor Perlas, JC Delos Reyes, Jamby Madrigal, Chiz Escudero, and many others. And the Liberal Party even eying for Noynoy Aquino to run for president. Before I forget, there is also Mike Velarde the leader of El Shaddai movement, he too wants to become president.

The entire Philippines will be like a carnival as the election day is fast approaching. Some candidates although they do not know how to dance and sing will be forced to do so. Some are clowns, and some are really sincere in their intentions. And the voters, yes, the voters - it will be time for them to elect the candidates of their choice. It will also be the time for millions of Filipinos to sell their votes as thousands of candidates will buy votes. By the way, vote-buying is a norm although it is prohibited in the Omnibus Election Code.

What else, there is poll automation. A first of its kind in the Philippine elections in 100 years. The Supreme Court is yet to decide whether there will really be an automated election in 2010.

But before that, if you want to join the elections, and if you want to be a voter who will choose who to win for certain elective government positions, and if you want to join the carnival, the first thing you should do is to register with the Comelec. Deadline is until October 31, 2009. Hurry or you'll be left behind and won't join the happiest carnival.

If you are 18 years old now, or you will turn 18 on the day of the election, you better visit the office of the election officer in your municipality or city on the premise of course that you are a Filipino citizen. And if you are already registered and you did not vote for the last two elections - you have to reactivate your deactivated records. If you moved your residence and you want to transfer your registration record because you want to vote in the place where you are now, just ask the Comelec to transfer your registration. But always remember to bring proofs of your identity.

Right to suffrage is a fundamental human right, but in the Philippines, exercising your right to vote is just a suggestion since its either your votes are counted or not. But I hope that with automating the election system your votes are really counted.

Welcome to the national carnival called Eleksiyon Pinoy!

***

Holding of elections – mark of a working democracy

noreply@blogger.com (Kebelle) — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 00:27:00 +0000

When former President Corazon ‘Cory’ Aquino died on August 1, 2009 the entire nation mourned for her. Malacanang declared a 10-day national mourning, and August 5 – the day of Aquino’s burial – as a special non-working holiday. At the wake of Cory at La Salle Green Hills and the Manila Cathedral, thousands of people paid their last tribute to her. Hundreds of thousands flocked to the streets to bid the late president farewell during her burial. A middle-aged woman, when interviewed why she lined up for hours in the rain to see Cory, said that the late president helped restore the country’s democracy. It was the late president’s best gift to the Filipino people.

The widow of the late Senator Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino Jr. who was a political prisoner during the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos, Cory became popular after the assassination of her husband. She offered herself to serve the country when she was asked to run for president against Marcos when the latter declared a snap election in 1986.

Fraud, violence and intimidation characterized the snap election in which Marcos was proclaimed winner despite the complaints of the Aquino camp that there was widespread cheating. This led to a street revolt in EDSA known to the world as the non-violent revolution called People Power. Cory was sworn in as the president of the Philippines in February 1986.

One of the great achievements of People Power was the restoration of democracy in the country. When Cory took office, she appointed Christian Monsod as chair of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) where he and his agency enjoyed a good reputation in restoring the people’s trust in the electoral system. It was said that the 1992 synchronized presidential and local elections was more credible compared to that of 1998 and 2004.

Conducting clean, honest, orderly and credible elections is said to be one of the highest expressions of democracy because people are equally given the opportunity to choose their elective government officials.

But what is democracy? A good start is the famous line of Abraham Lincoln, “government of the people, by the people, and for the people.” This definition implies that government exists for the common good of all citizens. People created a government or a system by which mechanisms are then made in order to serve people better.

In a democratic and republican country such as the Philippines, elections are necessary primarily because the right to suffrage is a fundamental human right. It is in the holding of election that every citizen is empowered and enfranchised. And it is also in the process of election that the individual’s dignity is recognized because everyone of legal voting age is given equal opportunity to serve the public, and also to choose public servants.

The Philippines is both a republican and a democratic government. Republican because every Filipino elects public officials in the executive and legislative government branches. Thus, when there will be no election in May 2010, the Philippines will cease to be a republican state. And democratic because all Filipinos ought to participate in running and managing a government.

We are all free to participate in the process of building up of our society either directly or indirectly. Our indirect participation is seen in elections where we elect representatives to do the service for us. There are many avenues by which we in the civil society can participate, have a voice and perform our part in governance. One of these is to help the Comelec in monitoring election frauds to ensure clean elections.

Our government is not just republican and democratic, it is also presidential in form which means that the Head of State or the President has to be elected directly by the people in a general election. Because we are not a parliamentary government where only the congress or parliament chooses a prime minister, we – the people – directly choose our president. Aside from president we also elect the vice president, senators, district representatives, party list, governor, vice governor, provincial board members, mayor, vice mayor, and councilors during national elections. Congress may also decide to have barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections where barangay captain, councilors and SK officials are elected.

Government officials who became public servants through the conduct of peaceful, orderly and credible elections are called elective officials. There are also government officials who are not elected, they are the appointive officials who are appointed to public office based on merit, fitness, and career officials must qualify in the specific qualifications set by the civil service law, rules and regulations. The elected president has the power to appoint – as long as he or she wants them to serve in office – top appointive government officials such as department secretaries or members of the Cabinet.

To ensure a more participative government, we also have a party list system where vulnerable sectors of society should be represented, and their voice heard and considered in Congress. The term ‘party list’ came from a list of five or more nominees who are members of a political party, sector or group who will represent in Congress the underrepresented and marginalized. Marginalized groups include indigenous people groups, persons with disability, farmers, and laborers. The party, group or sector must gather at least two percent of the votes nationwide in the election, where the people choose the name of the party itself, rather than the name of party’s representative.

The holding of elections is a mark of a working democracy. But such elections should be honest, clean, orderly and credible. There will only be fair elections when people register, cast their ballots, and have their votes counted. It is also in the credibility of elections that popular engagement in democratic processes becomes more meaningful and constructive. Meaningful, in the sense, that the sanctity of ballots and people’s rights and dignity are respected.

Democratic processes like elections become constructive when public confidence in the electoral system and processes is high, so citizens will be more trusting of the government, and this in turn would elicit more popular participation and engagement.

We can’t afford to remain staunchly doubtful of the Comelec’s efforts to restore public trust in the country’s electoral system. Comelec, under the chairmanship of Justice Jose Melo, needs our support especially with the much anticipated May 2010 elections being a mere nine months away.

Comelec is determined to hold the elections next year – and is busy in its preparations – despite the odds and distractions from critics. One of the greatest preparations of Comelec is poll automation where machines are used in the registration of voters, counting of votes and the transmission of election results. According to Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento the election next year is “a new kind of election after 100 years” of manual counting. What makes it new are the recent major electoral reforms and the poll automation which is heavily politicized and criticized.

What is new in the registration process is the use of biometrics system where the digital signature, finger print (automated fingerprint identification system AFIS) and photograph of registrants are to be taken using the data capturing machine (DCM). This is in preparation for the full automation election system as one of Comelec’s major electoral reforms.

Comelec has set measures and standards ensuring transparency so that the confidence of the people in poll automation will be established. The month long bidding under the watch of Ferdinand Rafanan, the chair of Comelec’s special bids and awards committee (SBAC), was the most transparent compared to that of the previous poll automation bidding (i.e. the Mega Pacific deal that became a national controversy). Rafanan assured that the bidding should be made public, and it was so. Commissioner Sarmiento said that two retired Supreme Court Justices joined the drafting of the contract to the winning bidder. Comelec also consulted and asked the participation of civil society in the steering committee and the project management team.

Another preparation of the Comelec for the 2010 elections is the cleansing of the voters’ list. Cleansing of the voters’ list includes deactivation of registered voters who did not vote in the past two elections and removal of deceased voters who are still in the voters’ list. Voters who have been delisted need to activate their registration. Reactivation and registration for first time voters are ongoing until October 31, 2009.

Comelec is reaching out to the citizens by encouraging those of legal age to register and vote. Comelec is also working and partnering with various civil society organizations (CSOs) and non-government organizations (NGOs) particularly in the area of information dissemination on voter registration and voter education program.

Right to suffrage is fundamental in ensuring and enhancing democracy, and the holding of elections is a mark of a working democracy. We should participate in the strengthening of our much beloved democracy that we regained from the tyranny of Marcos through the sacrifices not just of Ninoy and Cory but also of millions of Filipinos who braved the streets facing military tanks and fearing not the bullet that kills the body but the bullet that kills our very freedom. Let us work together in guarding democracy, embracing change in the way we do politics and letting change work for us. But in all these we need to pray as we work for a much safer, better and freer country.

______

The way we are

noreply@blogger.com (Kebelle) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 02:35:00 +0000

Former president Corazon Aquino was confined in the hospital because of cancer that weakened her. How sweet were the words we uttered after the assassination of Ninoy Aquino in 21 August 1983, “Di ka nagiisa” (You’re not alone). We fought the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos with courage – that Ninoy was not alone, that Cory too was not alone.

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) chief Leon Panetta visited Malacanang. The Abu Sayyaff Group immediately released the remaining hostage Eugenio Vagni just hours before the arrival of the spy. Vagni was one of the three workers of Red Cross who were kidnapped by the Abus in Jolo early this year.

Then Gloria Arroyo has received invitation from Barack Obama’s White House in Washington. And she’s starry-eyed about it. Tongressmen este congressmen dreamed of joining the kleptocratic presidential entourage, there were a hundred of them who filed application for the coveted trip. Unfortunately Malacanang said only seven of them would be accepted.

The national and local synchronized elections in May 2010 is near. While politicians, especially the presidential aspirants, are aspiring for a win – by hook or by crook – the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is still under attack by Harry Roque’s spears. Roque said that the poll automation that the Comelec has pursued violates legal procedures.

We were caught napping when the province of South Jeolla of South Korea leased ninety four thousand hectares (94,000 ha) of farmland in Mindoro. The land will be used to produce corn for food for the Koreans while millions of impoverished Filipinos sleep with empty stomachs. Food prices are soaring, so our stomachs are also soring – yes, sore stomach.

Influenza A (H1N1) scared most of Filipinos that it outlasts dengue and tuberculosis as the lethal threats to health. This led health secretary Francisco T. Duque III to coin his “To-DOH-Alerto” and “OK-DOH-K” fads that lured Malacanang to ask for a P19 billion budget for the secretary’s senatorial bid, este, to fight the swine, este, swine flu, swine flu.

On drugs, Senator Mar Roxas who is eyeing for presidency lambasted Ms Arroyo’s link with giant pharmaceutical companies that bribed the government in order not to implement the law on cheap medicines that the esteemed senator is advotecating, este, advocating.

We boast of the ideals of democracy, transparency and good governance. Yet, we are haunted with tyranny, corruption and bad (if not evil) governance. We are way behind our Southeast Asian neighbors. Indonesia’s democracy is advancing. We are going backward. Vietnam’s economy is moving, we are left behind tailing.

Well, what more of Philippine politics? This is the way we are. But I refuse to believe. Will you?

28

noreply@blogger.com (Kebelle) — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 02:47:00 +0000

No one thought about me twenty nine or thirty years ago. I was not. I did not even exist in the mind of God.

Then when two individuals met – when they had sexual intercourse – a miracle happened, or I will say there was a meeting between the sperm and egg cells. Then a life was formed. After nine months, a male baby was born. It was 12 July 1981. He was named K.

Since I had the consciousness of the reality of existence, I’d been asking the question: What is life? And I would say that life is an interval between birth and death. It is a stage of a journey from nothingness to being and back to nothingness. Cells are formed into a human body, and then cells die. Human life is born, and then it will die. From Spinoza’s perspective of eternity, one will see life as a passing shadow in time – or just an illusion that passes through time and space then disappears.

But I refuse to define or at least to describe life this way. I want to infuse it with more meaning. Yes it is convincing to think that life simply passes – that we are confronted with the reality of aging, then will eventually die. Naturalists say it is a natural process of the cycle of life. But with Heidegger, I think life comes as it is, and that I am being thrown into this world of being, thus I am being in the world. And since I am in the world, I do not just exist. I have my own being – that is, both being to being and being to nothingness.

I exist therefore I live. My being does not rest on the thought that I exist, but because I live. I am no Cartesian to think of the condition of being as existence of the mind and the act of thinking. I am not a thinking or a product of thought. I am simply because there is life that invigorates the flesh of my body. There is no being there who manipulates me in his or her mind. I simply am who thinks, moves, decides, and lives independently from any transcendental beings that are products of the mind’s speculation and imagination.

So now, at least in my own thoughts and reflections about what my life ought to be, I am being haunted with the question: So what’s the meaning of it all? I do not know fully. But at least I can speculate that there may be some kind of meaning to existence.

Yes, I have the will to live. As I live death is haunting me. I don’t want death to invade me and others as of the moment. I want to live fully not just as a human being but also as an individual person who has desires and aspirations in life – a person who hopes about the reality and materialization of the idea that every human individual has life and since life is sacred, thus every human being is significant. Every human being has rights and freedoms.

In a society such as my own, individuals simply disappear. They are abducted by the government. The condition of life of millions of Filipinos is simply awful because of the appalling behavior of many politicians and government leaders.

At twenty eight, what have I done so far? Well, not much. Although I will to live in a society of my own making, I have not done much to improve my condition of living. I have not done much to improve the condition of the life of many. I have not done much to uplift the lives of others.

My friends said that I am too young at twenty eight. I will still experience many crises to come. But I refuse to think such thing; maybe I am too young to have done things that I have idealized. But I am not too young because I already am past a quarter of a century. There are millions of lives there who died young and millions died during infancy. Yes, they’re too young to disappear from this world.

At twenty eight I am too old, and I do not wish to live longer than a lifetime and thus prolong my agony.

They're all the same

noreply@blogger.com (Kebelle) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 21:42:00 +0000

They're all the same.

I am referring, of course, to those who are aspiring to be the next president of the Philippine republic. Chiz Escudero. Manny Villar. Mar Roxas. Gilbert Teodoro. Jejomar Binay. Joseph Estrada. Loren Legarda. Bayani Fernando. Noli De Castro. Yes, you can name other prominent names in the country's political club.

Some of them are really good rhetoricians. Some are 'baduy' - just to get the attention of the public. Many of them have already spent millions of pesos on print, TV and radio ads. And most of them strike against the most unpopular politician of the country today.

They say that they are against corruption. They are against bad governance. They are against everything that is associated with Gloria Arroyo. They are against political monopoly. They are against what the people are against.

In other words they project themselves to be pro-people. They are all pro-voters.

Now, here's the kick. If they really want to serve the people and seek to identify with the people in order to get the votes of the people - then, they have to live with the people in order for them to really feel and understand the needs and aspirations of the people.

These presidential aspirants live in posh villages driving luxurious cars - and yet they project themselves on TV that they were once poor (Villar), or at least, they can do "padyak" to transport the poor from one status of life to another (Roxas).

They say that they are against corruption and waste of resources, but look, they already have spent millions in paying ad agencies.

Politics in this country is simply a game of perception. It's all about creating images that attract numbers. Adding to perception is numbers game. You've got to have numbers for you to be elected. And once elected, you've got to have numbers in the House and in the Senate for you to pass bills and resolutions.

Yes, our politics is a combination of bingo and TV. Numbers and images.

Our next president to be is caught in the web of old politics. Same faces. Same tactics. Same policies. Same ways of doing things. Money. Power. Influence. Same breed.

People ask me who will I choose as president on 2010. I replied, no one. I will not vote for a president. I did it in 2004 when I was a first time voter. The choices then were Gloria Arroyo, Fernando Poe, Panfilo Lacson, Raul Roco, Eddie Villanueva and Eddie Gil.

I was actually thinking of voting for Eddie Gil for fun. But I knew then that he would not win. So I did not vote for him.

I also did not vote a single senator. I did not vote for a district representative in the lone district of Mandaluyong. I did not vote for a mayor. And I did not vote for any municipal councilor.

But I went to polls. Yes, I voted.

I voted according to my conscience. There was only one vote I wrote on my ballot. It was a party list. Akbayan!

For 2010, I do not know yet if there is a real choice that would embody the aspirations of a people hungry for a new politics - for new ways of doing politics. Perhaps Among Ed or Nick Perlas. But I don't know whether they are the best choice.

One thing I am certain so far, popular presidential aspirants today are all the same. Now I realise the true meaning of a bible verse that says, "There's nothing new under the sun."

Blame 'em for the bombing

noreply@blogger.com (Kebelle) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:14:00 +0000

The usual suspects for 'terrorist' bombings, just like the typical action movies, are the enemies of the state - rogue rebel groups, Islamic militants such as Abu Sayaff and Jimaah Islamiya or Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), or the New People's Army (NPA). They are the perceived evil who try to destroy peace and order and bring chaos to the state.

When asked about whose responsible for the blast in Cotabato City, Eid Kabalu the spokesperson of the MILF denied the allegation, and he even condemned the bombing. The NPA did not admit either that they're behind the series of bombings in Metro Manila and in Mindanao. Neither did the notorious Abu Sayaff group nor the Jimaah Islamiya take the responsibility for the bombings that threatened the security of the state. This is unusual because it is always a habit of the enemies of the state to claim responsibility for the attacks.

Well, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) was quick to say that rebel groups are always the culprit for the bombing, in fact, according to Maj. Gen. Jogy Leo Fojas they have closely monitored the suspects, but why haven't the military arrested the culprits. Fojas even said that the suspects could smuggle the bombs to Metro Manila piece by piece and spread havoc to the country's capital.

What the military is now doing is that they focus the bombing issue in Mindanao, and that they said that the enemies of the state will bomb Metro Manila in the days to come while in fact the Office of the Ombudsman was already bombed. They do not mention it in their statements recently.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) said that they will deploy 9,000 cops for the State of the Nation Address (SONA) of Gloria Arroyo, and the AFP will send additional 2,000 soldiers. There will be a total of 11,000 armed men who will secure the Congress once Arroyo speaks to her allies about the state of her nation. Of course, at least as what has been declared by authorities but they would not include infiltrators in civilian clothes.

Speculations are high that the series of bombing is a prelude to an emergency rule or a declaration of martial law. Former president Fidel V. Ramos, who was one of the architects of martial law during the regime of Ferdinand Marcos, said that he would be the first to oppose the planned military rule.

Now my question is, why the series of bombing before Arroyo's SONA where she will dictate the Congress to convene as constituent assembly and declare a martial law simply to extend her term in office? Hmmmm, sorry I have speculatedly answered my question in the way I phrased it. Well, who else will not speculate about these mysterious bombs?

Blame 'em.

Red Alert

noreply@blogger.com (Kebelle) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:07:00 +0000

Bombs exploded in Jolo, Sulu and Iligan City yesterday (Tuesday, 8 July) two days after the blast in Cotabato City on Sunday that left 5 persons killed and 35 wounded. The explosion in Jolo and Iligan City left 2 deaths and 36 others injured.

In Cotabato City again on Monday night, there was a series of bomb blasts within a 12-hour period leaving 6 people killed and 56 wounded. This series of bombing is not just confined in the south. Last week, the Office of the Ombudsman was bombed, and there were bombs found in the Department of Agriculture and near Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City.

As the nation was praying for the recovery and healing of former president Corazon Aquino, scandalised by the leaked breast implant of Mrs Gloria Arroyo, and intrigued by the imeldific birthday celebration of Imelda Marcos, we are rocked by the series of bombings that Malacanang blamed to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Malacanang said that the bombs were class projects of MILF trainees.

Malacanang tried to convince the public that these bombings are not signs for a military takeover but plots to destabilise the country before Mrs Arroyo will deliver her much anticipated State of the Nation Address (SONA), where she will decide whether the House will convene as constituent assembly in order to amend the 1987 Constitution without the participation of the senate.

Although House Speaker Prospero Nograles called the public, especially the opposition, to stop speculating on the blasts as signal to a declaration of emergency rule, or a martial law, I cannot help myself but cast doubt on the political stability of the country.

Just last week, there was a drama between the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the partners for the poll automation Total Information Management (TIM) and Smartmatic over the multibillion peso deal. This drama led many to ask whether poll automation will still be pursued by Comelec or the country will again return to manual counting system, or worse, there will be no election at all.

For my part, I cannot allow a no election scenario this coming May 2010 because I am one of the advocates of a clean, peaceful and honest elections. Should Mrs Arroyo stay in power beyond 2010 as prophesied in the prayer of then press secretary Jesus Dureza, the entire nation would be angered - in fact, people are angrier now than the past years - and there will be a series of protests.

Mrs Arroyo secretly met bishops ahead of the closed-door Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) meeting, perhaps to find out who will be elected next CBCP president that will succeed Bishop Angel Lagdameo, and to be sure that that bishop will be friendly to the most unpopular president since the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos. I do not think that Mrs Arroyo will be able to sway the principled bishops, I have my high hopes and trust to the leadership of the Catholic Church.

Just as the Philippine National Police (PNP) is on "highest alert" in the south after the blasts, we should be more vigilant and be alert even higher than the "highest alert" status of the PNP that Mrs Arroyo's administration will create scenarios that will lead to her remaining in power if not her eventual collapse just as what happened in the military takeover of Honduras.

Still I will not yield to the calls of Nograles to stop speculating because I don't believe him in the first place. I would not speculate if there were no big political events that rocked the country before the bombings. Well, sabagay, bombing is always the resort of the government to sway public attention from the political messes created by Malacanang.

Therefore I conclude, just as a science school teacher would dictate to her/his students on concluding a scientific problem, be on "Red Alert." Malacanang moves its hands.

Mga deklarasyon ng kasarinlan ng Pilipinas

noreply@blogger.com (Kebelle) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 13:34:00 +0000

Maraming beses nagdeklara ng kasarinlan ang mga Pilipino, ngunit ang ika-12 ng Hunyo, 1898 ang naging popular. Naganap ang unang pagdeklara ng kasarinlan noong ika-12 ng Abril taong 1895 sa Kweba ng Pamitinan sa Montalban, Rizal. Holy Week noon nang sinulat ni Bonifacio sa bato ng kweba ang “Viva la Independencia Filipina!” Kasama ni Bonifacio sina Emilio Jacinto, Guilermo Masangkay, Aurelio Tolentino at iba pang mga Katipunero. Naniniwala sila na makakamit nila ang ganap na kasarinlan ng bayan at lalaganap ang mga katuruan ng Katipunan.

Ang ikalawang pagdeklara ng kasarinlan ay naganap noong ika-23 ng Agosto taong 1896, grupo pa rin nina Bonifacio. Nang mabunyag ang Katipunan nagpulong sila sa Balintawak at nagpunta sa Pugadlawin at doon pinunit nila ang kanilang mga cedula at sumigaw ng “Mabuhay ang Kasarinlan ng Pilipinas!” Ito ang tinaguriang ‘Ang Sigaw ng Pugadlawin.’

Sa grupo naman nina Aguinaldo, noong ika-31 ng Oktobre, 1896, idineklara ni Aguinaldo ang kasarinlan nang naglabas siya ng manifesto na pinamagatang “Liberty, Equality and Fraternity” bilang hangarin at lunggatiin ng himagsikan. At dito rin tinawag ni Aguinaldo ang pagbubuo ng isang rebolusyunaryong pamahalaan.

Ang naging popular na deklarasyon ng kasarinlan ay naganap noong ika-12 ng Hunyo, 1898 ay ikaapat lamang na deklarasyon. Naging pormal ito noong 1962 nang binago ni Diosdado Macapagal ang petsa at araw ng kasarinlan mula ika-4 ng Hulyo tungo sa ika-12 ng Hunyo sa pamamagitan ng Republic Act No. 4166. Unang itinaas noong ika-12 ng Hunyo, 1898 ang watawat ng Pilipinas at dito rin unang tinugtog ang ating Pambansang Awit.

Ang ikalimang pagdeklara ng kasarinlan ng Pilipinas ay naganap noong ika-14 ng Oktobre, 1943 sa panahon ng Ikalawang Digmaang Pandaigdig, panahong nasakop ng mga Hapon ang bansa. Idineklarang pangulo si Jose P. Laurel ng isang pamahalaang suportado ng mga Hapon. Ngunit hindi ito sineryoso ng karamihan.

Ang huling deklarasyon ng kasarinlan ay naganap noong ika-4 ng Hulyo taong 1946 sa Luneta. Ang mga Amerikano naman ang nagdesisyon ng kasarinlan ng Pilipinas mula sa pagkasakop nito sa mga Hapon at sa Amerika. Ito ay kasabay sa araw ng kasarinlan ng Estados Unidos. Ang deklarasyong ito ay naging opisyal mula 1946 hanggang 1961.

Sa anim na deklarasyon ng kasarinlan ng bansa, ang ika-12 ng Hunyo ang naging popular at ito ang sinusunod natin simula 1962 hanggang ngayon. Noong Biyernes, nagdiwang ang bansa ng ika-111 taon ng Araw ng Kasarinlan.

Case Unclosed: human rights violation victims during Martial Law

noreply@blogger.com (Kebelle) — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 08:09:00 +0000

The June 4 edition of "Case Unclosed" in GMA 7 hosted by Arnold Clavio was about the victims of human rights violations during the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos.

Peter Villasenor was one of the victims of the abuses during the Martial Law. He was a factory worker and became a union leader when he was 23 years old. Later, he joined the Communist Party of the Philippines and he was assigned in the province of Bataan.

The military did not spare Peter when he was abducted, imprisoned and tortured. But thank heavens he survived the brutality of the officers of the Philippine marines.

In this video, I played the role of Peter in re-enacting his abduction, imprisonment and torture. It was my first time to act in front of the camera. And I think I did pretty well.

Mishpat: biblical theory of justice and democracy

noreply@blogger.com (Kebelle) — Fri, 08 May 2009 06:25:00 +0000

Mishpat is a word used in the Hebrew bible that refers to judgement, justice, rights and law. It has a close similarity with the Ugaritic root mtpt that pertains to government, sovereignty and jurisdiction.

Both mishpat and mtpt entail justice in rule and/or dominion by which deities and kings are regarded by people as guarantors and doers of just governance. The monarchs should rule justly, righteously, and uprightly. They must not hide the truth from their constituency, and they are to ensure equity.

The whole of biblical theory of justice can be summed up with the word mishpat. It has different uses in the Hebrew bible. When mishpat is defined as judgment it refers to divine and human judgment. Human judgment should be informed by the laws of the land that are thought to be of divine origin, or at least, invoking the names of deities in their preambles. Mishpat is the guiding principle behind every legal process – trial, lawsuit, ruling, verdict, sentences, etc.

There are several levels of jusrisdiction in the biblical world: (1) elders (2) appointed judges or officials (3) higher court (for difficult cases) and (4) the king (for cases involving national interest). Judges are appointed by God, and the authority of the kings come from God in consultation with the prophets, priests and the people. The Hebrew deity named Yahweh consults his prophets, and the prophets also listen to the commands of Yahweh to the king and to the people. Most of the times, though, Yahweh's laws and norms are violated by kings and by the people.

Mishpat defined as justice refers to both the justice of God and justice in human affairs. Yahweh is believed to be a just deity who directly delivers justice to and demands justice from his people. The government is supposed to deliver social justice, promote equity, and serve the interest of the people. Government should not subvert the principle of justice by denying it to the poor, widows, orphans, aliens, physically challenged, marginalized and vulnerable sectors of society. Kings, appointed officials and judges should not take bribes and they should not give preferential treatment to the rich and wealthy landowners who oppressed the poor and who continue to expand their properties and holdings at the expense of the vulnerable.

Mishpat as justice can also be referred to as “one's due” - that is, one is obliged to maintain justice, and he or she may receive just reward or just punishment. Justice also becomes the foundation of the people's eschatological hope – a hope that a king (not similar to Plato's philosopher-king) who has an absolute sense of justice and righteousness will reign and establish a just society.

Mishpat also refers to rights – the rights of the daughters, sons, orphans, widows, poor, priests, kings, servants – in sum universal human rights. Every citizen has inherent rights to live and to prosper. This is apparent in the theology of human beings as created in the image and likeness of God.

Referring to laws, mishpat is the principle behind the crafting of legislations and laws of the land. Kings are expected to issues decrees and craft laws in consultation with his advisers, and their primary duty is to obey the law and enforce obedience to the laws. Government has to ensure rule of law as foundational in the progress and success of the state and of the people.

Yahweh is regarded to be the ruler of all nations where he is actively involved in estabishing and promoting mishpat. The principle of mishpat is crucial in delivering social justice, keeping rule of law, upholding people's rights, making laws and policies, performing jugments that involve the interests of the people.

The biblical theory of justice revolves around the principle of mishpat where religious and secular dimensions are inseparable.

Since mishpat is both divine and human justice, the role of the public is to choose leaders who have sound judgment – leaders who are able to discern the difference between just and unjust, right and wrong, good and evil. But again, in ancient Israel, the decision of the few prevailed over the aspirations of the general populace.

However, there are hints of democracy in the Hebrew bible where God's interest is reflected in the interest of the people. Indeed, God is interested in the welfare of the vulnerable sectors of society. Let us have a government the upholds the principle of mishpat!

Self-destructing in time

noreply@blogger.com (Kebelle) — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 00:36:00 +0000

Time comes and goes. And I tell you I am also ready to go with time’s flow. But philosophers would ask this tricky question: does time really flow? Or another question can also be asked: does time necessarily be static?

There are different conceptions and perceptions of time. People work hard and they do things fast because there’s not enough time to waste. It seems to me that we are under the mercy of time’s tyranny. But we also work and do our activities within the framework of time. In fact we cannot do anything outside of time. This is the fact that we have to contend with or we only have to accept.

What we did yesterday is the same thing we are doing today and will be the same thing we’ll be doing tomorrow. We cut trees yesterday, and we cut trees today and we’ll be cutting trees tomorrow. We pollute our rivers yesterday, we pollute our rivers today and we’ll be polluting our rivers tomorrow.

I am not saying that cutting trees and polluting bodies of water and air are things that we ought to do that we cannot change our mindset and habits. I tell you there are different ways of destroying our environment and it takes a lot of changing of mindsets and habits in order to reverse the current condition of a changing climate.

We do things within the framework of time and we shall reap – actually we are reaping now not just the consequences of the sins of the past but also of what we are doing in the present. Every activity happens in the present and every reaping of consequences happens also in the present.

Just as there are different ways of perceiving time, there are also different ways of looking at the environment we create for ourselves. The dominant view is that natural resources are for human use and consumption. Our economic activities rely on the resources of sea, land and air. And we abuse resources because we think their supply lasts for eternity.

Natural resources are limited – they are finite. Imagine this, it takes for the earth millions of years to shape itself and provide us a beautiful and livable habitat and we destroy the earth in just a generation. It takes for the earth millions of years to develop oil deposits and we consume all the earth’s petrol in a span of a generation or two.

We are good at preaching to others about protecting our environment but we are not actually practicing what we preach. We use air conditions in our schools, offices and workplaces. We use cars that run by petrol. We use electricity as if it will not run out. We use gadgets that consume electricity. We want luxury at the expense of the earth’s energy.

We consume the earth’s energy in time. Also in time we will reap the consequences of our past, present and future abuses. We create the environment we choose to live. And it is up to us whether we live in a polluted city that will destroy ourselves and the generation next to us.

Prayer for the Nation

noreply@blogger.com (Kebelle) — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 01:05:00 +0000

It's time for us to humble ourselves and pray to 'God' or to the 'ultimate force' whatever it is called - or if you are an atheist you may hope that things will be okay for the coming 2010 synchronized national and local elections in the Philippines.

Christian Convergence for Good Governance (CCGG) comes up with prayer bulletin that focuses on poll automation, voter registration, and cleansing the voters' list.

Poll Automation

With the approved budget of P11.3 billion, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) procures 80,000 units of Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines for the automation of the 2010 synchronized national and local elections. The commission’s Special Bids and Awards Committee (SBAC) headed by Ferdinand Rafanan oversees the bidding.

There will be clustering of precincts in the proposed scheme. A total of 300,000 precincts nationwide will be divided into 60,000 clusters. A cluster consists of 5 precincts. Each cluster will be serviced by 1 machine that has a maximum counting capacity of 1,000 ballots. Twenty thousand (20,000) machines will be reserved as back up for emergency situations.

Under the PCOS system, voters will fill up ballots by shading the ovals near the printed names of candidates. Ballots will be personally fed to the machine for scanning. The counted votes will then be added to the computerized tally in the clustered precincts via a network. When all ballots are in, the machine will simultaneously print out 30 election results (ER) and send data to six destinations namely the city/municipal canvassing, Comelec, Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP), citizens’ arm, dominant majority party and dominant minority party.

Proponents of the Open Election System (OES) – which costs only P4 billion – challenge PCOS as less transparent, more expensive to implement and could result in failure of elections.

Pray that…

The poll automation will push through and will result in a more transparent and easier election process
Atty. Rafanan and SBAC will be effective instruments in safeguarding the integrity of bidding process; that there will be no anomalies in the bidding like the previous attempts of automating the polls
The Christian community will cooperate in ensuring clean, peaceful and honest elections

Voters’ Registration

The first step that voters should do in participating in the electoral process is to register. Filipinos who are 18+ years old on or before May 2010 may register. The registration period is from 2 December 2008 until 31 October 2009.

The on-going voters’ registration uses biometrics system where the registrant’s photograph, digital signature and finger print are taken using a data capture machine (DCM). This process is aimed at purging the voters’ list of dead and flying voters. Multiple registration is an election offense which is punishable by imprisonment from 1 to 6 years.

As of 4 March 2009, there was a total of 187,765 new registrants out of the 233,002 total number of application heard by the Election Registration Board (ERB), according to Comelec’s Quarterly Progress Report. So far, there are 44,219,861 registered voters eligible to vote on the May 2010 synchronized national and local elections.

If registration is one way of empowering the citizenry to have a sense of participation in the electoral, preventing people to register or poor dissemination of information about the registration process is also the best way to do massive disenfranchisement to vulnerable citizens.

Pray that…

The spirit of cynicism will be defeated so that there will be more new registrants who will participate and engage in the electoral process
CCGG will effectively mobilize churches and faith communities to help in the registration campaign
Young voters and overseas absentee voters will give time and effort to register

Cleansing the Voters’ List

Poll automation is only major step toward modernizing our electoral system, and it goes with a clean list of the name of voters so that massive electoral fraud can be avoided. There are still thousands if not millions of ghost and flying voters that politicians use as machinery for election fraud and cheating.

Cleansing the voters’ list remains a gargantuan task on the part of the Comelec, and thus the commission need the participation of the citizens and the civil society.

In Comelec’s Quarterly Progress Report as of 4 March 2009, there has been a total of 3,879,796 deactivated voters due to imprisonment, failure to vote in 2 successive elections, loss of Filipino citizenship and exclusion per court order. Deactivation is one of Comelec’s ways of cleansing the voters’ list.

Of the more than 40 million registered voters, only half are covered by the biometric listing which is Comelec’s measure of purging the voters’ list. This entails that there is a need for an intensified information and education campaign.

Automation is more meaningful when voters’ list is cleansed.

Pray that…

Information and education campaign on voter’s registration and activation will be intensified
CCGG can engage the Evangelical churches and organizations will be able to discern the need to participate in the electoral process and eventually help cleanse the voters’ list
The Comelec will double its efforts in the task of presenting a clean voters’ list to precincts on the election day

________________________________

A service of Christian Convergence for Good Governance (CCGG)
Office Address: #62 Molave St., Project 3, Quezon City
Telefax: 911-3857 Email: ccgg_inc@yahoo.com

Charter change again

noreply@blogger.com (Kebelle) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 08:29:00 +0000

After the cancellation of the ASEAN summit in Pattaya, Thailand due to political unrest caused by the supporters of the ousted Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Gloria Arroyo went to Dubai promising more than 200, 000 jobs for overseas Filipino workers. While she was on her trip, people in Malacanang – particularly the presidential adviser on political affairs Gabriel Claudio – were “helpless to stop charter change.”

Echoing on the views of House Speaker Prospero Nograles and Camarines Sur representative Luis Villafuerte (as it was claimed), Claudio said that Malacanang is preparing for the 2010 election. He was “comfortable” that there will be election and that there will be no incumbent sitting president after 2010.

Both Nograles and Villafuerte are pushing constitutional amendment by constituent assembly which means ignoring the senate as they change the system of our government and revise key laws provided in the 1987 Philippine Constitution. They said that with charter change via constituent assembly there will still be election in 2010, and this argument convinced and made Claudio comfortable.

Villafuerte had already authored a resolution for a meeting of the members of congress to amend the constitution and it boasted of 175 signatures as of yesterday (15 April) hoping that they would reach their target of 197.

I just find it inconsistent on the part of the administration affirming that there will be national elections next year while pro-administration congressmen continue to put charter change on top of their agenda.

The other day Social Weather Stations (SWS) released a new survey revealing that 66 per cent of Filipinos who are at their voting age are against charter change. The result of the survey disclosed the reality that the desire of most Filipinos is not consistent with that of the self-interests of pro-administration lawmakers/lawbreakers.

With charter change going on through constituent assembly before 2010, Gloria Arroyo has 99 per cent chance to remain in power. Majority of Filipinos are no longer happy with Arroyo which can be translated into a fact that they do not want her to stay in power beyond 2010 as opposed to the prayer of the then press secretary Jesus Dureza in November 2008. Dureza prayed that Arroyo will “have forbearance, good health, and tolerance to lead this nation until 2010, and who knows, perhaps even beyond.”

Will there be charter change before 2010? It is highly probable. Will there be 2010 national elections? It is highly possible. Any attempts of the administration to push for charter change via constituent assembly will be welcomed by the majority of the Filipinos with protests. But with the administration’s control of the military – thanks to Arroyo’s appointments of generals in key cabinet positions, and recently Lt. Gen. Victor Ibrado’s selection as the Armed Forces of the Philippines chief – there is a very high possibility that charter change will push through and Arroyo may remain in power.

The move of pro-administration congressmen for charter change through constituent assembly is simply appalling. They still have the gall to give their boss in the palace by the river extension of rule and pillage.

It’s been years that the Filipinos lived in the valley of the shadow of death tolerating the lies and crimes of Arroyo and her minions. Let’s just watch and see the unfolding of events from now on until the last minute of Arroyo’s stay in Malacanang.

How I wish she were with her aides when the chopper crashed in the mountains of Mountain Province.