tagasugbo

Extremism

2018-11-05T06:36:00.001-08:00

The Philippine Right is getting stronger. And so will the Left, too.

We sure have gone through these things before but we never learned our lessons. So things repeat until we learn what we need to learn.

Liberalism, after the fall of Communism, didn't emerge triumphant. It is being clobbered right now all over the world as extremism gains ground. What is the price we have to pay for this?

Ferdinand Marcos and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo redux

2018-08-21T06:43:00.000-07:00

If Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos has his way, he will be the country's next president. If he wins his electoral protest, President Duterte would be willing to hand him the presidency by retiring early, not finishing his term. He said so himself. But the problem with this scheme is, not everyone in Pres. Duterte's circle seem okay to a Marcos Presidency. Much of Duterte's support also hinges on the machinery of Lakas and Former Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. This was nowhere more clear in the intramurals in congress during Pres. Duterte's SONA. The president's backers are split in the middle.

It's likely loyalty to Digong may not translate automatically into a support for Bongbong Marcos. Those supporting Gloria are not known to warm towards Bongbong.

But before any talks of an administration-led succession, there is the legitimate successor in the person of VP Leni Robredo. Sans a victory in Marcos' electoral protest, the administration has to live with a Leni succession in the event the president is unable to do his functions in office. It is interesting to know what are they going to do in such a situation where the vice president who is first in line to succession is with the opposition. It's precisely the kind of situation the American Constitution wanted to avoid.

With the economy down and people reeling from high prices of commodities, expect more social unrest. Next year's election is seeing an emboldened opposition, and the rise of Gloria Arroyo as the country's 3rd in line to succession in the event Duterte retires early. She is supported by no less than the president's daughter, Sara Duterte and other top women politician in the country today.

Letting Duterte stay in office is to the best interest of Gloria and her party. She and her supporters are taking a more active role in Duterte's administration, seeing to it he finishes his term. Her party mates and allies are more competent compared to other Duterte supporters,

Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on the other hand, is mainly interested in taking over as president.

Cebu in the Time of Marcos

2016-11-18T23:30:00.001-08:00

Excerpts from The Economic History of Cebu City written by the author

BY JUN VELEZ | Blogger

In Cebu, Marcos' actions reverberated. Home to his last presidential foe and opposition leader Serging Osmeña, Marcos went after the Osmeña family. He threw into prison Serging's son and namesake, Sergio “Serge” Osmeña III and filed trumped up charges against him. His father Serging, symbol of opposition and defiance to Marcos who was injured in the bombing of an opposition meting de avance in Manila had left for the United States to seek medical treatment. Like his father, Sergio Osmeña in World War 2, Serging as a national figure was witness to violence and human frailty at the twilight of his political career.

Although Osmeña allies, governor Osmundo Rama and Cebu City mayor Eulogio Borres retained their positions after expressing allegiance to Marcos. He was replaced by Marcos-appointed mayors: Florentino Solon in 1978 and Ronald Duterte in 1983.

Marcos seized Osmeña's braichild, the North Reclamation Project and left it undeveloped for years during his reign.

Loans to fund development

With the country under his total control and to justify his totalitarian rule, Marcos promised to improve the country's economy. In order to fund his development projects, Marcos borrowed heavily from foreign banks and lending institutions like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

Marcos' policies seemed to have worked at first. The Philippine Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew from P55 Billion ($7.7 billion) in 1972 to P193 Billion ($27 Billion) in 1980. The growth however was financed largely by economic aid from the United States and foreign loans made by the Marcos government. The country's foreign debt increased by $27 Billion during Marcos' stay in office. In 1983, the Philippines would default in the payment of these loans sending the peso into a free fall.

Cebu asserts independence

Just as in the past, Cebu businessmen didn't depend on the national government, on the fate or direction of their enterprises. With an economy tied with the world market for centuries, Cebuanos looked beyond the political turmoil of the country and looked for opportunities abroad. But unlike in colonial times, Cebu City's industries have diversified. Both local and foreign markets have been tapped in the creation of wealth by many Cebu City residents.

By the 1970s, the center of Cebu City's commercial activity had shifted from Magallanes St. to Colon St. After fire burned the iconic Dona Modesta Singson Gaisano's White Gold House, her children opened several Gaisano stores along Cebu's oldest street, Colon in the old Parian district. Other department stores followed Like Fairmart, Plaza Fair and Gaw.

There were also department stores in other parts of the city especially in the area close to the Fuente Osmeña Circle, considered as the city's uptown district. In 1985, John Gokongwei opened Robinson's Department Store right in front of the Fuente Osmeña Circle. Along the same street in Gen. Maxilom Ave. were Rustan's Department Store and Gaw Fashion Square. In the North Reclamation Project was where the Gaisanos rebuilt White Gold Department Store. Named after the original White Gold in Juan Luna Street, it catered to the upscale market .

But it wasn't in retail that Cebu made its mark as a post-frontier economy. Cebu-made furnitures found their way to the world market. Pioneered by a scion of the Aboitiz clan, Maria Aboitiz of Mehitabel and an American, John McGuire in the 1950s, the furniture industry boomed in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It served as a silver lining in an era characterized by political turmoil and bleak financial future for many. As in the 19th century when trade with foreign markets uplifted the lives of Mestizos, furniture export from the port of Cebu in the 1980s made Cebuanos engaged in the business wealthy. At a time when foreign aid and loans sustained Philippine economy, Cebuano furniture-makers were bringing into the country precious dollars that helped boost the country's foreign reserves.

While in the media, both foreign and national, a gloomy picture of the Philippines was often depicted, in Cebu, Cebuano furniture manufacturers raked in thousands of dollars from export of furniture, proving once again the dynamism and resilience of Cebu's economy and the innovativeness and initiative of Cebuaos. While the rest of the country was in dire economic and political strain, Cebu rattan furniture manufacturers helped Cebuanos cope with the crisis.

Serging's transfer of the airport, the expansion of the Cebu port facility with the Cebu International Port (CIP) and the construction of the Mandaue- Mactan Bridge led to the development of metropolitan Cebu especially the cities of Mandaue and Lapulapu. As a matter of fact, Mandaue City today is home to 68% of funiture manufacturers. Cebu City is second with 28%.

End for Marcos

Questions of legitimacy hounded Marcos. Ruling without a mandate from the people, Marcos was forced to call for a snap election in 1986, almost three years after the death of Ninoy Aquino. In an unprecedented development, Ninoy's widow, Corazon Aquino challenged Marcos and ran as president. The contrast was stunning but it was lost on Marcos, already isolated and out of touch with the course the nation had taken. Marcos, an aging and sickly dictator with a face bloated from complications of a failed kidney transplant, was a shadow of his former self. Cory, a woman, grieving widow, loving wife and mother and a well-educated member of old elite class posed serious threat to Marcos' autocratic rule. Cory's presence alone was a refreshing breeze in the dreary, blood-tainted national politics.

The United States, however, supported Marcos until it was no longer tenable to do so. The mistake almost sidelined America in one of the defining events of the 20th century: the 1986 Edsa Revolution. In a scene reminiscent of the American defeat in Vietnam, America was forced to airlift Marcos as thousands of people stormed Malacanang. Palace.

Marcos' Revolution from the Center

Ang simbahan sa Aloguinsan

2016-11-01T22:59:00.000-07:00

[This article was first published in Sun.Star Bisdak]

Kabahin kaniadto ang Aloguinsan ug ang katawhan niini sa lungsod sa Pinamungahan. Gikan sa pagkabarangay, nahimo kining lungsod niadtong 1886. Hinuon, nagpabiling sakop ang mga taga Aloguinsan sa parokya sa Pinamungahan hangtod 1912.

Tungod sa kalayo sa Pinamungajan gikan sa Aloguinsan, nihangyo ang mga lumulupyo nga magtukod sila ug ilang kaugalingon parokya. Tuod man, niadtong 1912, natuman kini. Unang nahimong kura paroko mao si Rev. Fr. Mariano Ruiz.
Lahi sa kasagaran simbahan sa Parokya ni San Rafael Arkanghel sa Aloguinsan, nga nahimutang sa kasadpang bahin sa Sugbo. Nahimong parokya atol sa pagsakop sa Amerika sa Pilipinas, dayag sa palibot sa simbahan ang impluwensiya sa Amerika.

Unang mosugat sa manimbahay ang dakong punoan sa acacia nga anaa sa ganghaan sa simbahan. Panahon pa sa mga Amerikano gitanom ang maong kahoy. (Dala sa mga Amerikano ang mga acacia. Dili kini lumad sa Plipinas.)

Lahi sa kasagarang makita gawas sa mga simbahan, walay plaza ang simbahan ni San Rafael nga puno sa mga tanom, suga ug lingkuranan. Hawan nga luna nga gitamnan ug carabao grass ug duha ka managlagyo nga rebulto ang bugtong makita sa atubangan niini. Sa kilid sa simbahan, anaa ang gilinya pagtanom nga mga lumad nga kahoy sama sa tugas ug nangka nga nakahatag ug landong.

Nahimutang sa usa ka habog nga bahin sa lungsod diin makita ang kadagatan sa Sugbo ug ang mga estruktura sa lungsod, ang simbahn haom sa pagpamalandong sa mga butang langitnon. Sa sulod sa simbahan walay makita nga retablo ug daghang mga imahen. Hawan ug yano ang disenyo niini. Tukma kini alang sa usa ka simbahan nga gipahinungod sa usa ka anghel.

Usa sa mga arkanghel si San Rafael apan wala kaayo mahisguti ang iyang pangalan sa Bag-ong Testamento (New Testament) diin ang sagad malakbitan og saysay mao lang si San Gabriel ug si San Michael. Nahisgotan ang ngalan ni San Rafael sa Karaang Testamento (Old Testament) sa libro ni Tobit ug adunay gamay sa ebanghelyo ni Juan. Unang gitugotan nga mahimo siyang patron sa Cordova sa Espanya diin siya ingon nga nagpakita.

Makasaysayanon ang bungtod nga gitarokan sa simbahan ni San Rafael sa Aloguinsan. Nag-umbaw sa kapatagan ug kadagatan sa lungsod, nahimo kining kabahin kaniadto sa depensa nga gimugna ni Padre Julian Bermejo batok sa mga Moros nga mangdagit ug mga Bisaya aron himuong ulipon.

Niadtong ika-19 nga siglo, sa nahimutangan sa simbahan, usa ka bagtinganan ang gibutang kansang tingog maoy nagsilbing pahimangno sa mga lumulupyo. Bagtingon kini aron pagpahibalo sa mga lumulupyo nga tali-abot gikan sa dagat ang mga Moros.

Gikan sa usa ka baluarte sa atbang nga pangpang daplin sa dagat, makita sa tigbagting ang mga senyales kabahin sa nagpadung nga mga kaaway.

Sa karong panahon, ang maong pangpang, nga anaa sa luyo sa munisipyo, usa na ka maanindot nga suroyananan, sama sa simbahan ni San Rafael ug sa mga estruktura nga kalambigit niini, diin dayag ang Espanyol ug Amerikanhong impluwensya sa atong pagtuo.

WOMEN | Kababayen-an nga nangahas alang sa kausaban

2016-10-23T00:56:00.000-07:00

(This article was first published in Sun.Star Bisdak magazine.)

Atong hinumdoman ang mga babayeng Sugbuanon sa mga nilabay nga katuigan nga may dakong tipik sa managlahing mga panid sa kasaysayan sa Sugbo ug sa nasod, ilabi nga sila nangahas nga mousab sa dagan sa katilingban.

REYNA JUANA

Si Reyna Juana, asawa ni Rajah Humabon, usa sa mga Sugbuanon nga unang nahimong Kristiyano. Gibunyagan siya ug si Rajah Humabon uban sa ilang mga sakop niadtong 1521. Gisugdan ang maong seremonyas pinaagi sa pag-ugbok sa usa ka kahoy nga krus. Pagkahuman, gihatag ngadto kang Juana ang imahen sa Santo Nino.

Matud pa, human nibiya ang mga Katsila, nibalik sa ilang karaang tinuhoan ang mga Sugbuanon. Giibot nila ang krus. Apan gipadamgo si Juana sa usa ka bata nga nag-agni kaniya sa pag-ugbok pagbalik sa krus. Dihang iyang nailhan ang bata nga mao diay ang Sto Nino, iyang giingnan ang iyang bana nga ibalik pagpabarog ang krus. Ang mga tipik sa orihinal nga krus gibutang na karon sa replica sa krus ni Magellan sa may Basilica del Sto. Niño.

ESPERANZA UG GUADALUPE VELEZ

Anak silang Esperanza ug Guadalupe Velez nilang Jacinto Velez y Roa ug Josefa Climaco y Noel, adunahang magtiayon sa Parian. Pag-umangkon sila ni Juan Climaco, heneral sa rebolusyonaryong pwersa nga nakigbatok sa mga Katsila ug nahimong gobernador sa Sugbo niadtong 1902. Ilang igsoon ang rebolusyonaryong si Marcial Velez.

Aktibong mga dumadapig sa rebolusyon ang duha. Mitabang sila sa hilom sa mga sundalong rebolusyonaryo. Dihang mibalik ang “kalinaw” sa Sugbo human sa pagtahan sa mga Sugbuanong heneral ug sa ilang mga sundalo ngadto sa mga Amerikano, nahimong Hepe sa Polis si Marcial. Apan nianang 1901, nibalik si Marcial pagkarebelde, butang nga gikasuko pag-ayo sa Amerikanhong awtoridad.

Tungod niini gisamok ang managsoon sa Amerikanhong militar ug gipasanginlang mga dumadapig sa rebolusyon. Gisulod ang ilang panimalay ug gi-ukay ang ilang mga kabtangan. Gisukitsukit sila sa wa pa buhii ug ang ilang amahan gibalhog sa Fort San Pedro. Human nakagawas si Don Jacinto, mibiya ang pamilyang Velez padulong sa Hongkong, diin didto namatay si Don Jacinto.

FELICIDAD CLIMACO

Ubos sa mga Amerikanong kolonyalista, gitugotan ang mga Sugboanon sa pagpili sa ilang gustong mahimong representante o opisyal sagobyerno. Apan walay labot ang mga babaye. Usa sa dayag nga misupak niini mao si Felicidad Climaco, nga gikan sa usa sa mga inilang banay sa Parian ug kaliwat ni Juan Climaco.

Aktibo si Felicidad sa mga kalihokan alang sa kagawasan sa Pilipinas ug sa paghatag sa mga kababayen-an sa katungod sa pag-apil sa piniliay. Kadaghan siya midiskurso, susama niadtong ika-10 sa Pebrero 1933 diin siya mibatbat atubangan sa 15,000 ka mga tawo, nga naglakip sa mga inila sa katilingban. Siya lamang ang babayeng mamumulong niadtong higayona. Niadtong 1937, nakab-ot niya ang iyang gitinguha dihang gitugtan ang mga kababayen-an sa pagbotar sa labing unang higayon.

MODESTA SINGSON GAISANO

Natawo si Doña Modesta niadtong tuig 1885 sa dakbayan sa Sugbo. Anak siya ni Go Bo Tiao nga mas nailhan isip Pedro Gotiaoco, usa ka prominente ug adunahang negosyanteng Insik sa Sugbo sa hinapos nga bahin sa ika-19 nga siglo ug sa sayong bahin sa ika-20 nga siglo. Niadtong 1933, miabli siya ug ang iyang banang si Jose Sy Lingkee og tindahan sa San Nicolas. Sa dihang mikita ug milambo kini, mibalhin sila sa downtown nga bahin sa Siyudad sa Sugbo.

Sayo nga namatay ang iyang bana. Apan wala kini nahimong babag sa paglambo sa negosyo nga ilang gisugdan. Nagsilbi si Doña Modesta isip amahan ug inahan sa iyang mga anak. Niadtong ikaduhang gubat sa kalibotan, wala niya igsapayan ang risgo ug nitabang siya sa mga gerilya sa Bohol, diin siya ug ang iyang pamilya nibakwit. Human sa gubat, gitabangan niya ang mga kabos nga mga batan-on aron makaeskwela ug mahaw-as sa kalisod.

INDAY NITA CORTEZ DALUZ

Isog, ligdong ug mapaubsanon – mao kini ang mga pulong nga mohulagway kang Inday Nita Cortez Daluz. Yano lamang siyang magsisibya sa radyo dihang nalambigit siya sa pulitika ug sa pakigbisog batok sa diktadoryang Marcos.

Nahimo siyang inspirasyon ug pabilo sa nagkalig-on nga pagbatok sa rehimeng Marcos dinhi sa Sugbo. Ang iyang walay kokahadlok nga mga diskurso ug sibya sa radyo niagni sa daghang Sugboanon sa pagsukol sa salawayong kagamhanan ni Marcos.

KASAYSAYAN | Ang Prensa sa Sugbo ug ang Martial Law

2016-09-02T04:21:00.001-07:00

(This article was originally published in SunStar's Bisdak Magazine.)

Matag Septyembre saulogon sa prensa sa Sugbo ang Press Freedom Week, ang tinuig nga pagtimaan sa kagawasan sa prensa sa nasud. Ipahigayon kini atol sa kasumaran sa pagdeklarar sa Martial Law niadtong ika-21 sa Septyembre 1972.

Ang maong kasaulogan maoy paagi sa lokal nga prensa sa paghinumdom sa pagkawagtang sa kagawasan dihang proklamar ni kanhi presidente Ferdinand Marcos ang balaod militar. Daghang mga Pilipinong intelektwal ang gipangbalhog sa prisohan niadtong panahona, sama sa mga magtutudlo, pulitiko, abogado, mga tinun-an ug peryodista.

Sa sinulat ni Godofredo Roperos kabahin sa kasaysayan sa media sa Sugbo, iyang giasoy ang pagkapriso sa mga Sugbuanong manunulat pipila ka adlaw human sa deklarasyon sa Martial Law. Usa sa prominenteng personalidad nga gidakop mao ang bantog nga Sugbuanong intelektwal ug manunulat nga si Dr. Resil Mojares sa University of San Carlos, kinsa gipriso sa Camp Sergio Osmena Sr. sa dalan Osmeña Blvd.

Human buhii si Mojares, iyang gigahin ang iyang oras ug panahon sa pagsulat og mga libro ug sa pagtukod sa Cebuano Studies Center, diin siya nagsilbi isip founding director niadtong 1975 hangtud sa 1996.

Sa mga nagpabiling aktibo sa prensa sa Sugbo, dili dayag ang ilang pagsupak sa kagamhanan ni Marcos. Usa nila mao si Job Tabada, usa ka peryodista gikan sa Dumaguete City ug estudyante sa Silliman University kinsa nahimong kabahin sa Visayan Herald panahon sa Martial Law. Hilom siya ug iyang mga kaubanan nga nibatok sa kagamhanan ni Marcos.

Ang dayag nga nisupak kang Marcos mao ang mga brodkaster ug komentarista sa radyo. Gani pipila kanila ang napili nga mga assemblyman sa Batasang Pambansa sama nila ni Natalio “Talyux” Bacalso niadtong 1978 ug Inday Nita Cortez Daluz niadtong 1984.

Laing mga Sugbuanong wala nakagusto sa deklarasyon sa Martial Law mao ang chairman sa board sa Sun.Star Cebu nga si Atty. Jesus Garcia Jr. ug ang kanhi general manager niini nga si Orlando Carvajal.

Usa sab ka magsusulat, gipalit ni Garcia niadtong 1985 tinabangan sa iyang amahan nga si Atty. Jesus Garcia Sr. ang Sun.Star Daily nga gipasiugdahan sa iladong Marcos crony nga si Anos Fonacier ug sa editor sa The Freeman nga si Atty. Pachico Seares.

(Si Seares usa sab sa nagbuhi sa The Freeman niadtong 1965 isip editor niini. Gimugna isip usa ka magasin ni Paulino Gullas niadtong 1919, nasira ang The Freeman dihang niulbo ang Ikaduhang Gubat sa Kalibutan. Nabalik kini pagpatik niadto lang 1969 isip usa na ka mantalaan. Si Seares kinsa gradwado sa University of the Visayas ug editor sa Visayanian, ang student publication sa eskwelahan, mao ang unang editor niini human kini mabalik pagpublikar.)

Human napalayas si Marcos ug iyang pamilya gikan sa Malacanang, nibalik ang kadasig sa prensa sa Sugbo. Ubos ni Garcia ug Seares, nilambo pag-ayo ang Sun.Star. Isip tag-iya, nimugna sab si Garcia og uban pang mga mantalaan ug magasin, lakip na ang Bisdak magasin ug Sun.Star Superbalita.

Nisulat pagbalik si Dr. Mojares alang sa prensa pinaagi sa Sun.Star Weekend, usa ka ma-Domingo nga magasin sa Sun.Star Daily (Sun.Star Cebu na karon). Ang iyang lindog nga Footnotes to an Absent Text gihimong libro nga giulohan og House of Memories, usa sa labing maayong libro nga natagik ni Mojares.

Sa laing bahin, duha ka English nga peryodiko ang nadugang niadtong hinapos nga bahin sa dekada 90: ang Independent Post ug ang Cebu Daily News sa Philippine Daily Inquirer. Gipasiugdahan ang Independent Post, usa ka broadsheet nga mantalaan, sa mga yanong manunulat ug peryodista sama nila ni Dr. Resil Mojares ug Nini Cabaero (editor na karon sa sunstar.com.ph). Bunga sa kakulang sa pondo nisira ang Independent Post pipila ka tuig human kini unang napatik.

Human sa Philippine Daily Inquirer, nisulod sab ang Philippine Star dinhi sa Sugbo pinaagi sa pag-angkon og shares sa The Freeman.

Karon, gawasnon na sab pagbalik ang prensa sa Sugbo sama sa mga tuig sa wala pa gideklarar ang Martial Law. Hinuon adunay mga bag-ong hagit sa mga mantalaan sama sa kompetisyon gikan sa mga online newspapers ug uban nga mga websites nga dili lamang mabasa apan adunay madungog ug makita sab nga mga salida bisan unsang orasa. Sukwahi hinuon niini ang mga Bisaya nga mantalaan nga inay mohinay, nikusog hinuon ug nagsige og saka ang gidaghanon sa bumabasa. / Jun Velez, RAFI

VIEWS | Appalled by graft's extent

2014-06-03T23:09:00.001-07:00

BY JD VELEZ

The public has written off Janet Lim Napoles. No one sympathizes with her despite her depiction of herself as the victim, Even her offer of returning P2 Billion of the people's money hasn't appeased at all an angry and scandalized nation. 28 years after we got rid of the Marcoses, once again we see the specter of Imelda's excess and wanton plunder of the nation.

While ordinary Filipinos religiously pay their withholding taxes, business permits, licenses and housing loan amortizations, government officials in cohorts with the wife of a military officer plunder the nation, How could they? How dare they? An aghast and angry nation is appalled by the extent of the thievery.

In the past, Filipinos rejoice in the fact that their government is spearheading a paradigm shift in the way we run the affairs of this country, but lately, even the matuwid na daan is cast in a cloud of doubt. The administration's own inconsistency is giving ammunition to the plunderers who have responded: "You too are guilty."

Sen Jinggoy Estrada first exposed Malacanang's pork barrel which Sec Abad only admitted to after his hand was caught in the proverbial cookie jar. How can the government persecute the plunderers when it, too, loses its moral ascendancy to lead the cleansing of the national soul after years of graft and abuse?

There's wisdom as to why Cory never took sides during her term. No matter what Monching Mitra did to woo her to bless his Liberal Democratic Party, Cory never budged from her position. Pnoy has to get his hands off his allies whom people suspect as guilty of wrongdoing. He should set an example. He started a small fire with matuwid na daan. If he's not careful, the conflagration can gobble him whole as well.

PORK SCAM | Pork barrel end game

2014-05-23T18:49:00.002-07:00

BY J.D VELEZ | Blogger

The spectre of boom and bust once again lurks in the Philippine horizon. As President Benigno Aquino’s term comes close to an end as mandated by the constitution, the country teeters on the verge of instability and political turmoil. The situation is real test for Southeast Asia’s first democratic state which is still reeling from the effects of the Marcos dictatorship and mismanagement in recent years. The country has shown rapid recovery during Aquino’s term but recent events threaten gains.

In the centre of the present crisis is a woman who barely finished high school yet went on to facilitate the greatest scam in the history of the pledgling Asian nation: Janet Lim Napoles. She’s mere facilitator as many suspect someone else directs her actions. If not handled well, the present crisis can spiral out of control and scare away investors from one of the world’s most remarkable economic recoveries.

The Aquino administration’s narrative on the issue is failing. Despite efforts to put Napoles under a leash, she remains loyal to her patron suspected to be Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile. Months of keeping her in protective custody hasn't yielded gains for the Aquino administration. Why does the government accord her privileges meant for suspects turned state-witnesses when she hasn't at all helped the government’s cause?

Unless the government is trying to win her over and sanitize the damaging information she knows to implicate only the opposition senators, there’s no logical reason for the government’s kid glove treatment of Napoles. If such is the case, the government has obviously failed for by the time she and her camp (meaning, her husband) were ready to speak up, what they said were far from pleasant to the ears of Aquino’s allies.

On the contrary, it's the opposition who seem to have gotten their way to Napoles despite her tight security. Napoles' affidavit is far from being a disinterested account as it suspiciously tries to get back at Justice Sec. De Lima, Sen. Jayvee Ejercito and Budget Sec. Butch Abad.. The opposition's unseen hand seems everywhere.

The opposition’s line of defense is simple: everybody is guilty. Call it squid tactics but it has the potential of containing damage due the opposition senators as back court negotiations become the next avenue for resolution of the pork barrel scandal.

Napoles’ affidavit and list need further scrutiny as they lump truth with fiction. Senator TJ Guingona who has inherited his father’s sense of integrity needs to sift through the information and establish which is true and which is pigment of Napoles or her patron’s imagination.

It’s up to Guingona to come up with a credible resolution of the investigation into the pork scandal as the President’s men and Senate allies become suspect themselves. Proven or not, in this telenovela-crazed nation, mere insinuations of wrongdoing can take time to correct.

As for Malacanan, guilty or not, it is prudent for Butch Abad to do Pres. Aquino a service: leave the post as budget secretary. Cory Aquino, the president's mother fought for him when Ramon Mitra’s house refused to affirm his appointment as Agrarian Reform secretary for being too left-leaning. It may not be wise for Aquino to keep him this time if only to protect the gains the country made with Abad's help.

As for Aquino, why is Napoles not afraid of the state apparatus at his disposal? Is Aquino now lame duck as 2016 nears? That seems to be what Napoles' actions are saying. Like in chess, Aquino ought to be careful as it is in the end game where Kings are trapped and felled. The game has a term for it: checkmate.

POLITICS | Who's stopping Erap in 2016?

2014-04-23T07:29:00.003-07:00

BY J.D. VELEZ | Blogger

In 2010, Erap almost became the country's president once again. He ran for the post he lost years ago (insisting his pardon restored his civil and political rights) and ended runner up to Pnoy.

In my view, Gloria then was betting on all the presidential horses (including Erap who owed her one) to ensure she doesn't end up in jail after her term ends. Like her complete control of the situation during her term, she seemed likely to orchestrate the election of a successor who would be friendly to her. But something unexpected happened. Cory died and her lanky, unpredictable son became a shoo-in for the presidency, a dark horse that would steal the thunder from Gloria. Thus, began Gloria's reversal of luck and fortune ominously foreshadowed by Angelo Reyes' suicide.

2016 seems a sure ball for Erap. He remains popular in Luzon and Mindanao. And he won as mayor in 2013 of the city that ousted him few years back. It's 2014 and Erap looks presidential once again after scoring a diplomatic victory with Hong Kong.

Who's stopping him in 2016?

FILM | Student video gets viral on YouTube

2013-12-01T18:09:00.001-08:00

Photo from http://theguyundertheacaciatree.blogspot.com/

A 12-minute short film made by Mass Communication students of the University of San Jose-Recoletos in Cebu City has gone viral on You Tube with almost 90,000 views in just four weeks since it was uploaded by its director, Axel Bordario.

The film titled, Love at First Plite was uploaded by Bordario on November 1, 2013 and has since drawn the attention of many Cebuanos prompting the local media to take notice. An article on the student video came out in Cebu Daily News on November 25, 2013.

Bordario said he never expected the film to draw the kind of attention it is now getting. He wrote in his blog he co-authored with his brother John who also appeared in the movie that the film's success was just unprecedented.

He said: " Being the director of the film, I couldn't help but be proud of what has resulted out of our hard-work. What was supposed to be just a film project for school, now has become so big; making us all overnight Youtube sensations! Not one of us in the group has ever expected it. We didn't even understand what was happening. It was definitely one of the most overwhelming things ever. It was...Amazing."

Independent Cebuano short films are getting to be popular in recent years attesting to the resurgence of Cebuano cinema which had its glory days in the years before the declaration of Martial Law in 1972.

However, many of the award-winning films are not accessible to ordinary Cebuanos as they have become properties of contest organizers who stipulate ownership of the film's rights as precondition for participation in the competition.

Love at First Plite is a school project and was not meant for any film competition or commercial purpose. Its technical aspect was ably handled by another student Ronnie Gamboa who took care of photography and editing. The film's cast and crew who are all students of local film icon Caloy Uypuanco shared the film freely on You Tube for everyone to see.

POLITICS | End of the road for Mar?

2013-11-25T08:24:00.001-08:00

Photo from UNTV

Mar Roxas may have to kiss his presidential ambitions goodbye.

While the national government's assets were at Mar's disposal in Tacloban after typhoon Yolanda devastated the city, Tacloban Mayor Alfred Romualdez was left groping in the dark for help and so were his thousands of constituents.

Mar talked of clearing the airport, opening roads after the disaster but requests by the mayor on first and second day after the typhoon for military presence to quell lawlessness, relief goods for the survivors, body bags for cadavers, tents for the homeless, heavy equipment for the debris fell on deaf ears.

Why was the mayor without the means to address the problem? And why did Mar have them? Weren't LGUs the first responders? Why was there no national support for the local top executive?

Why did Pnoy have to mediate a meeting between Mar and Romualdez? Why was that necessary? Did Mar withhold vital resources needed to help Tacloban residents? If he did, it is downright wrong. And it is damning. It is also bringing the President down to the pits.

INSIGHT | Learning from Cory

2013-11-17T17:43:00.002-08:00

J.D.VELEZ | Blogger

Pnoy would never have been president had Cory not died catapulting him to the highest office of the land. Owing his triumph to the Filipinos' gratefulness for everything Cory had done for the country (restoring democracy, leading the opposition against Marcos, and relinquishing power peacefully), Pnoy can very well learn from his mother whom Filipinos loved dearly, next to her husband Ninoy Aquino.

Pnoy's parents were heroes, gigantic in their sacrifice and love for country. Their legacy is a tall order for their children who have to live under constant comparison with their parents.

Ninoy and Cory were transformed by their love for each other and their countrymen. They were ordinary people who did extra-ordinary things. They have become world symbols for non-violent protest and struggle for the restoration of democracy.

The greater challenge however, came after democracy was reestablished. The war against poverty and want has yet to be won and this is where Pnoy wants to leave his mark. Much progress has been made in restoring investor confidence in the Philippines propelling the country's economy to unprecedented growth. But a series of disasters cast a pall of gloom for the county's 4th quarter economic reports.

The country has been thrown into a crisis of unparalleled proportions. War, floods, earthquakes and a super-typhoon threaten to break the flagging Filipino spirit. Just like during the time of Cory when constant coups erased economic gains during her administration, Pnoy faces the probability all his efforts will be flushed down the drain.

In the end, Cory left office with the economy pretty much the same way when she first assumed office. Yet, she also left behind a much unified nation, hopeful and optimistic of the future. Pnoy faces the same difficulties towards the end of his term in office. But unlike Cory, he may leave office vilified, blamed if he is not careful and resolute.

ANALYSIS | Beyond suffering and anger

2013-11-16T23:12:00.002-08:00

Photo from Inquirer. net

As of this writing, Filipinos rage over government's slow response to the disaster brought about by typhoon Yolanda.

Grief turned into anger for many as the President and his men failed to act within the crucial 24 hours after disaster struck especially in Tacloban City where Yolanda made one of its many landfalls in the Visayas.

Five days after the typhoon, many remain hungry, desperate,and without roofs on their heads. Government was simply absent in many towns and villages with people resorting to lawlessness and looting. Foreign press was expectedly critical of the situation in Tacloban and for the first time, revealed to the world the true state of affairs in the city.

Anderson Cooper of CNN revealed the dead are lying along the street for days with stench from decomposing bodies affecting relief operations, and posing health hazard to the public.

The Aquino administration responded defensibly, exonerating itself of any blame for the slow reaction to the disaster, heaping blame on the LGUs concerned. In an interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour, Aquino repeatedly blamed the LGU for the many casualties and slow response to the disaster.

The interview was a PR disaster for the President and may have sealed his fate and his supposed successor, Mar Roxas. From disappointment to anger and resentment, if not hatred, Filipinos in social media are very vocal in expressing their disgust at the way the Aquino administration acted in response to the disaster.

The honeymoon with the popular Aquino is obviously over. But for a country in much need for healing and hope, it's best to put the past behind and rally towards a resilient future not relying on their leaders but on themselves. The country is in dire need of heroes and inspiration to resuscitate a flagging spirit. For sure they detest politicians and are sick of the politicking.

World's prettiest is a Filipina

2013-09-07T11:39:00.000-07:00

The world is taking notice, and rightly so.

For a people without a strong sense of self, Mutya Datul 's victory in the Miss Supranational Contest is a welcome reminder to the fact that we are a beautiful people, a great race, and an extraordinary nation.

The color of our skin is the envy of other races. We don't age early. Our skin doesn't wrinkle fast and we don't look as old as Europeans our age.

PULSE | Is the pork worth it all, Mr. President?

2013-08-26T06:13:00.001-07:00

The president is staking his presidency in defense of the pork. The pork stays in the 2014 budget albeit subject to new guidelines while saying he is abolishing it. He may be guilty of double-talk and letting his credibility slip away. Here's a letter addressed to him from one who voted for him in the 2010 election.

Mr. President,

Is "matuwid na daan" mere campaign mantra? Are you really sincere about fighting corruption or was it just a slogan to win an election? Did you merely stumble on the anti-corruption sound clip and found it effective instead of really meaning it?

Throughout your presidency, you have spearheaded the fight against corruption but now that the people themselves have manifested their desire for genuine change, you are on the wrong side of the debate. From a credible reformist, you now pathetically project yourself as conservative leader bent on preserving the status quo riddled with inequality, corruption and poverty.

You had a chance to do the difficult but correct thing to do after your election to the presidency in 2010. Instead of harnessing people power which your parents helped inspire, you took the more familiar ground of traditional patronage politics.

The disillusionment with you however, doesn't translate to support for your enemies eager to ride on the people's disgust with corruption. The saying- the enemy of my enemy is my friend doesn't apply in this situation.You still are not the enemy. Opportunists risk public scorn if they try to railroad the people's genuine sentiment for change for their self-serving ends.

Mr. President, people want their lawmakers to just legislate laws not concern themselves with pocketing taxpayers' money through various commission schemes taken from how their pork is spent.

Should you continue with your double talk, let me just ask, is the pork worth it all, Mr. President? You risk losing the goodwill of the people who believed in you and entrusted you with their future, and for what, Mr. President?

ANALYSIS | Pork scam politics

2013-08-24T08:17:00.003-07:00

BY JD VELEZ | Blogger

The present pork barrel scam expose has appalled and enraged the nation. Filipinos are up in arms and want figuratively someone to be punished for the plunder of the country. In a weird twist of events, part of the anger has been directed at the president who won on the platform of good governance.

Suddenly, the president is on the unusual situation of being portrayed as pro-pork barrel that even his move to abolish the pork has not at all calmed down an angry population. His political enemies are trying to capitalize on the people's anger and ride on their disgust.

Their main argument is the non-inclusion of the president's own pork barrel which amounts to billions of pesos. Adding to cast doubt on the president is the fact that the COA Report on the PDAF abuse covered the period prior to the first three years of his presidency. It, again, highlighted corruption during the administration of Gloria Arroyo. If the PDAF is abused, it must have persisted well into Aquino's administration as nothing has been changed with the way it was disbursed.

Aquino, unlike his parents, is a pragmatist, a believer in realpolitik. To win loyalty of congress he resorted to the same tricks used by his predecessors - dangle pork barrel funds in exchange for their support. He could have walked the talk and took the moral high ground but it would have left him isolated and unable to end Arroyo's hold on Congress.

Today, his enemies know their chance to replace him in 2016 is to demolish his and his parents' image of heroism and self-sacrifice for the nation. Even Binay knows he cannot be president at the rate Aquino is enjoying support. Only a less than stellar Aquino presidency would assure that the next president wouldn't be an Aquino endorsee.

Binay is in a fix. On one hand is his loyalty to Cory, on the other is his ambition to be president. And many surround him for a chance at another shot at power in 2016.

In the meantime, Janet Lim-Napoles who is in the center of this controversy is nowhere. The administration better find her soon or someone else's head will roll to appease the public. People are not exactly interested in her. They know she was mere conduit and that their lawmakers are involved.

POLITICS | The city's political war rages on

2013-05-31T16:17:00.002-07:00

Supporters of both Bando Osmena and Team Rama slug it out online and over the radio as the division in the city smoulders beyond the heat of the election season. No end is in sight as allegations of empty coffers fly in the face of the latest COA report admonishing the city for spending beyond its capability to keep its cash flowing. Several obligations of the city like the GSIS premiums of its employees are reportedly unpaid to date. (Read more)

ANALYSIS | Tomas Osmena as Julius Caesar

2013-05-22T17:16:00.004-07:00

For many people, Tomas and Joy Young's loss didn't add up. For them, last election's results were erratic, wild, inconsistent.

Ironically, the results, except for that of the position of mayor and vice mayor, are consistent with previous Cebu City elections. BOPK as in elections past, swept the congressional race for the city's two districts. It also almost swept the council race. The fact that four of the opposition bets won is also consistent with the results when Alvin ran for reelection against Tomas. Team Rama's performance mimic too that of Kusug in elections past.

What was abnormal as far as BOPK is concerned was the defeat of its mayoral and vice mayoral bets. The party in all the elections it participated in the past delivered consistent results for its entire slate. But this time, something untoward happened. And BOPK is groping for answers.

The results at a glance would mean within BOPK, some junking of candidates happened involving no less than the party head. For how else would you explain the victory of almost everyone except for the standard bearer?

If so, the junking didn't come from the party head himself who would be in the position to make such order for that would be illogical. It could have come from someone else, equally influential, someone outside BOPK perhaps, working inside, loosening screws, cutting wires within the BOPK machinery enough to upset the election results. For sure, those involved won't tell surveys their choices and schemes.

Is Tomas losing control over his own party? If he is, filing an election protest is an exercise in futility. It's like cutting the wrong tree. Like Caesar, he may have to ask the difficult question, Et tu, Brute?

NEWS | Sanchez-Zaballero wins as Board member

2013-05-16T17:07:00.000-07:00

Gigi Sanchez-Zaballero, daughter of the late Vice Governor Greg Sanchez won as Board member representing Cebu's Third District. She replaces Board member Ian Zambo who lost.

Sanchez-Zaballero got 87,536 votes, next to Alex Binghay who got 106,733. Zambo placed third with 84,143.

(Photo from her Facebook page)

NEWS | Labella is Vice Mayor

2013-05-16T07:27:00.002-07:00

Councilor Edgardo Labella has been declared winner in Cebu City's Vice-Mayoralty race ending days of speculations as to who won in the tight race.

He defeated Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young by a mere 184 votes decided by election returns from three remaining barangays, namely: Mambaling, Luz and Cambinocot. Young won in these three barangays but it wasn't enough to offset Labella's lead. Labella garnered 203,267 votes as against Young's 203,083 votes.

The camp of defeated Vice-Mayoralty candidate Young is set to file an election protest for the inclusion of rejected ballots in the count.

NEWS | Gwen now Congresswoman

2013-05-16T01:50:00.004-07:00

Suspended Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia has been declared winner in a hotly-contested election for Representative of Cebu's Third Congressional District vacated by his younger brother Pablo John Garcia who ran as Governor.

Garcia leads her rival Geraldine Yapha by just 1,984 votes after garnering 105,424 votes as against Yapha's 103,440.

Still serving a six-month suspension meted by the Office of the President for a case filed by the late Vice Governor Greg Sanchez, Garcia left the Cebu Provincial Capitol after being holed up inside for more than a month to campaign for the congressional post in Cebu's Midwest.

She also campaigned for her brother who is now trailing Hilario Davide, Jr, son of Former Chief Justice Hilario Davide Sr. in the race for the province's top executive post.

POLITICS | Back in the campaign trail

2013-05-14T19:40:00.001-07:00

Even before the dust could settle in the May 13 elections, Tomas Osmena is back in the campaign trail with "guns blazing". He says, he is not conceding defeat to Rama citing probable irregularities in the election. Probably buoyed by his allies' victory in the province and the city, he is restarting the engines of his political machinery.

He earlier said he would be leaving for the States and dismissed his Cebu City loss as a temporary setback but now questions the electoral process. With allies in the Capitol, Cebu City's congressional districts and in the province's first, second and sixth districts, he seems more entrenched politically than ever and is setting the stage for an election protest.

Rama now faces a long and protracted battle with a more determined Osmena. Although he failed to capitalize on his being the Liberal Party's candidate in the May 13 polls, Osmena isn't hanging his gloves yet. On the contrary, he is rearing to do another round of political fist blows. Despite his victory, Rama now stands politically isolated as a result of UNA's loss in the province and the rest of the country. More headaches await him should Joy Young win as vice mayor.

With Davide at Capitol (helped by an incumbent's advantage resulting from Gwen Garcia's suspension) and Gullas reconciled with Osmena, Rama can only count on the support of Gwen, Third District's likely Congressional winner and Fourth District's Benhur Salimbangon. Rama has to build new alliances now as Osmena will surely give him problems once more. The battle for 2016 elections has just begun. Get a ringside ticket now.

POLITICS | A Catholic swing vote?

2013-05-14T02:39:00.001-07:00

Dr. Rene Joseph Bullecer announced over radio station Bombo Radyo his group of Catholics have provided for Mayor Michael Rama the swing votes needed to win Cebu City's mayoralty race. Prior to the elections, survey conducted by students of the University of San Carlos found Osmena leading the mayoralty race over Rama. Election results, however, show the opposite. Could this be due to what Bullecer said - a Catholic Church swing vote? (Read more)

WOMEN | Janine Togonon: Indigenous beauty

2012-12-20T18:54:00.000-08:00

Janine Togonon wearing a costume
worn by Muslim royalty of Mindanao
in Southern Philippines.

Janine Togonon continues the Philippines' winning streak in the Miss Universe beauty pageant. Like her predecessors, Miriam Quiambao, Venus Raj and Chamcey Supsup, Janine is a dusky, morena beauty. She looks like the indigenous women in Manuel Panares paintings of Pre-Spanish inhabitants of the Philippine islands.
The world is taking notice of the Philippines with Janine's 1st runner up win in the prestigious beauty pageant. The people of the Philippine islands are beautiful physically, culturally, spiritually.

Related Read:
Asian and proud of it
Native beauty
Today's Cebuanas
Panares paintings

NEWS | OP suspends Gov. Gwen Garcia

2012-12-19T16:07:00.000-08:00

The Office of the President (OP) in an order signed by Sec. Paquito Ochoa has suspended Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, less than six months before her term ends. The suspension stemmed from an administrative complaint on usurpation of authority filed by former Cebu Vice Governor Greg Sanchez. Garcia, however, has contested said suspension as she has not received the order and that the complainant is already deceased. The governor calls the six-month suspension, a power grab and a political maneuver in a statement posted at her official Facebook page. (photo from Inquirer.net)