patriotic dreamer

The Power to Empower

2009-09-18T09:47:00.002+08:00

It's not only at the NAIA!

Last September 15 while we were attending the Project ReACh (Reaching All Children) Strategic Planning Meeting a power failure occured.

As early as today, the Comelec should already be concerned about a possible "failure of elections" scenario to be caused by brownouts. As much as possible the Comelec should put in place all the necessary substitutes for electricity in order to assure that the automation of the elections doesn't get spoiled by any plan to sabotage the power industry.

The Comelec should get all the possible sources of power in order to assure that the 2010 elections could really empower the people. And perhaps the people ought to help the Comelec by sharing whatever they can to ensure that automation pushes through.

This could be an opportunity for people to show that they share in the burden of empowering themselves. If the people could make the difference by preparing extra batteries and even generators, perhaps any attempt to thwart the automation of the elections would not succeed.

Let us not be burdened by any thought of people doing harm to what we envision to be an opportunity to change the system of elections and politics in this country. Let us instead find ways on how we could thwart their possible plans by sharing what we can for the sake of true democracy and the future of our children.

Aquino should be Pro-Life!

2009-09-17T15:20:00.002+08:00

Cardinal Vidal of Cebu cannot be blamed if he says Noynoy Aquino could be listed among those presidentiables that the Roman Catholics should not vote because of the senator's pro-reproductive health bill stance!

Life is sacred and it is the most basic gift of God to men and women of this planet without which no other blessings, rights and privileges could be enjoyed. Without life, we won't be be here in the first place.

It's such a pity that people who think they have higher understanding about issues on population and poverty cannot go beyond the problem of increasing population when in fact the trouble is the unequal distribution of wealth. If Noynoy - and his family - seriously and generously gives away Hacienda Luisita then he'll be able to solve part of the problem.

Increasing number of people is not the real problem. It is the incapacity of others to give away their excess. It is the unconcern of thos who have to those who have less and worse, to those who have none. It is the indifference of the people who could make a difference and yet they close their eyes and hope that when they open them the poor people are gone!

If Noynoy doesn't change his stand on the population issue then we might as well change our preference to someone who says he is a Catholic and that he is pro-life. After all the only problem that seems to make him unpopular is his stand on discipline and political will!

Om ... BAD, Man

2009-09-11T07:51:00.002+08:00

The Office of the Ombudsman has played bad again this time.

After the many issues which came out due to the undeclared wealth and assets of the First Family it has decided to make the request for SALN copy more difficult to get. What a great timing to seeemingly declare that "government official's privacy with regards to their wealth must be protected". By the way, why should government officials fear about people knowing how much they earn, and probably spend, while serving as public officials?

I really believe it's a bad policy!

Public office is a public trust and the public could only trust the person holding office if he or she is tranparent enough. After all, trust is earned - it is not automatic. When a person becomes a publi servant, it does not mean that he or she is trustworthy enough. He or she must show by his or her work that is is really worth the public's trust. And such trust could only be gained by simple transparency.

But how could public servants be transparent if policies that are put up in place seemingly helping them to cover up some "things" and if such a move is done by the very agency itself which is given the duty and the responsibility to make the officials - public officials mind you - accountable to their constituents?

What a bad decision by the Ombudsman really. It does not go well with the essence of its functions. Even if such policy has come out way ahead of the issues regarding the First Family's undeclared assets and liabilities it won't hold water still. It is just very contradictory with its mandate!

Seemingly, what it only proves is that the many people who opposed the appointment of a person to the Office of the Ombudsman who is very close to the First Family are very right.

Triple 9 on Tita Cory's 40th Day

2009-09-09T08:40:00.002+08:00

It's September 9, 2009! Today is the 40th day of Tita Cory's passing. And it's a triple 9!

I am not into numerology. And I won't delve deep into the numerical coincidences, symbols and meanings.

It's just that it's also Baclaran day and people would be praying the Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help - no other than Mama Mary herself who was one of inspirations of EDSA People Power Revolution in 1986.

According to Catholic tradition, this would be the last day of Tita Cory's "presence" on earth and she will be entering Heaven already. What a day to be welcomed by Mama Mary herself.

And what an opportunity for Sen Noynoy and the rest of us to reflect on what we could do for the sake of our beloved Philippines!

Hopefully we'd have a united heart and mind as we move towards the attainment of true people empowerment, good government and balanced development for our beloved country.

For the Sake of Mother Philippines

2009-09-02T08:33:00.002+08:00

The decision of Senator Mar Roxas to give way to Senator Noynoy Aquino is a very hard but well-intentioned decsion to make.

He only manifested that his love for his country is far greater than the enticement of becoming its President. Though he has the possibility of winning in the 2010 elections, the growing sentiment and support for Noynoy shows that at this point in time the Filipino people have someone to rally behind against the administration.

This also mean that President Erap should discontinue his efforts to run again for the presidency. His camp may have the right intention to bring his case to the Supreme Court but it doesn't seem proper at this time to divide the opposition. He himself said that he would support a common opposition candidate, maybe this is the right moment to show his sincerity - and like Roxas - his true love for mother Philippines.

This decision of Senator Roxas will surely become a catalyst of sorts in wielding more support for Senator Noynoy. Various civil groups and political parties have already signified their support for Noynoy and surely others should follow the lead if we all want some change in this country.

Or they could join the administration ticket and perhaps this would somehow lead to the development of a unique two-party system and make Filipinos politically mature already.

It's Official!

2009-08-31T11:07:00.001+08:00

PATRIOTIC DREAMER is now an official nominee to the 2009 Philippine Blog Awards!

Noynoy for President

2009-08-20T13:30:00.004+08:00

He may not be that popular and not that vocal as other opposition leaders. But one thing that makes him a significant choice to be president of this poor country of ours is the very fact that he is the son of two of the most trusted and beloved Pinoys of all time: Ninoy and Cory - add to it the fact that he has not tried to make such a privilege an opportunity to "lord it out" over his peers and party-mates.

It would be a great blessing to be the son of parents who are both considered today as heroes. It could be used as an opportunity to promote oneself as some having kind of a "divine right" to be considered as a worthy successor to such noble predecessors and be "crowned king" of the millions of people who honor the parents.

But luckily Noynoy has not taken advantage of such honor and privilege. He has remained humble and simple. He seemed to be waiting for the right time - for his time - to shine and avoid opportunism to mislead him. He is reining himself and not hurrying up lest he find himself alienating the very people who honor his parents' memory and deeds!

As de Quiros mentioned in his column at the Inquirer that could be one of the signals that Noynoy really deserves to become president. He is not rushing in, he is not joining the mad race to the highest position in the land, he has not capitalized on the outpouring love and support for his mother to advance his personal interests unlike someone else who during the funeral of Tita Cory distributed what could be considered as early "campaign" materials for the 2010 presidential contest.

Perhaps Noynoy does not consider himself worthy of following his parents' footsteps - or that at least for now he sees himself unworthy to run for the office of the president. But his mother was not that ready also when she was chosen by the opposition to run against Marcos and to become president due to a people power revolution. Maybe Noynoy has only to realize that it should not be his personal ambitions ot desires that ought to drive him to run for the presidency.

It should be the need of the people for a true leader - which could be provided by someone who has been formed long before by an environment which two very important people in his life has provided for him - his father, Ninoy, and his mother, Cory. It may not be enough that he is the son of the these two heroes, but it maybe an opportunity for Pinoys to rally behind someone who is not that interested in becoming president but has the heart and soul of two of the best Pinoys in the world - as it seems that there is no one who really shines that bright among the present set of presidential aspirants.

Maybe what we need right now is someone who will have that will to really promote people empowerment which has sparked in 1986 at EDSA and has been rekindled this year when Tita Cory died.

Noynoy could very well provide it and like his mother, he could usher in another start towards the fulfillment of his parents dream for the Filipinos: that we are all really worth dying and living for!

"Sabungeros" enter Party-list Elections

2009-08-18T15:50:00.004+08:00

The Party-list system is really being dishonored by so many people. Even people who "make their living" out of an immoral trade and the "blood of innocent animals" are now trying to be heard in Congress and get a congressional sit via the party-list system.

As if Congress isn't teeming with cockpit aficionados yet - even with some law or executive order prohibiting government officials and employees to gamble!

It is a sad reality that in a country experiencing so much poverty, gambling is even promoted as a means of salvation from financial hardships victimizing the poor even more by enticing them to bet their small hard earned incomes just to be able to get a very narrow chance of becoming millionaires!

The moment the Comelec accepts the registration of these "sabungeros" to try their "luck" in the party-list elections signals another nail hammered on the coffin of the poor Pinoys!

Eat All You Can!

2009-08-14T09:45:00.003+08:00

The $ 20,000 New York and $ 15,000 Washington DC dinners of some of the country's leaders is really very expensive! $ 35,000 could have fed thousands of malnourished children in this country.

One of the values that leaders of this country should promote is frugality and delicadeza in times of crises. Though the people who might have paid for the dinners might have the money to spend it is still imperative to think about the present condition of our fellow Pinoys who doesn't even have anything to eat.

A saint once said that the food that one keeps in his locker does not belong to him anymore. If these people who are said to have paid for the dinners could spend so much for the satisfaction of only 65 people, perhaps it is time that they think about sharing their "excess" money to our fellow Filipinos who could not even earn enough to eat three meals a day.

Or maybe they are just maximizing the opportunity to eat their last sumptuous dinner as their terms are almost over!

Happy International Youth Day

2009-08-12T09:37:00.002+08:00

Today we are celebrating the International Youth Day.

For this year the theme revolves around SUSTAINABILITY.

May the young ones (and the young once) unite in making a real difference in this world!

God bless the youth!

All About SALN

2009-08-11T08:35:00.002+08:00

Last Saturday I was invited to attend the launching of a local multi-sectoral movement aimed at addressing the present political, social and economic troubles of the country through good governance, etc. Their keynote speaker was former NAPC Secretary Teresita "Ging" Deles.

One of the points she has raised was about the Seven Curses of the PGMA Administration which includes the "Metastatic Cancer of Corruption".

With the present issue on the factuality and integrity of the SALN of the President, I remembered making a comment with a fellow attendees to that Saturday forum regarding the possibility of making it as a requirement for those wishing to run for public office for full transparency on their "wealth" and the agreement to freeze their assets at the level when they enter public service. Let us say that when a person files for candidacy he or she has to make public his or her "wealth" as required by the SALN form and then when he or she wins, whatever he or she has already "made public" will have to remain the same until his or her last day in office. Of course it may change in accordance with the salaries, allowances and other legal benefits that he or she may get out of his or her position. And yes, it wil also mean that he or she has to make public all "transactions" that he or she enters into including the enrolment of his or her child/children at this or that school, etc.

My friend said if that would be the case, then there would be less interest in public service among those who belong to the class of people whom the Constitution wish to entice to public service that's why there have been so many perks given to those in public office. Well, maybe that would be the opportunity for those who really have the political will to serve the public on the other hand - especially those who just don't have the money to buy voters or launch an efficient but expensive political party yet are very much willing to serve the people if gvien the chance.

Wishful thinking? Maybe with the reenkindlement of the EDSA spirit, it's not that impossible!

Call to Heroism

2009-08-07T09:10:00.002+08:00

Some people are proposing that President Cory Aquino be declared a national hero. Even the four honor guards who stood for more than eight hours through heavy rains during her funeral are now considered heroes for what they did - standing at attention for the entire duration of the funeral.

Perhaps one thing that every Filipino should think about now is the fact that everyone is called to be a hero. It is not enough to appreciate other people who were able to show such difference - President Cory for bringing back democracy to the country and the four honor guards for standing at attention for more than 8 hours. Every single Filipino is challenged now to become a hero.

The August 5 event showed that heroism can be achieved in many different ways. It can be done by a simple housewife accepting the great task of leading an entire nation. It can be done by merely standing at attention while people offer honors to a beloved former president on her way to her final resting place on earth. Perhaps this can also be considered heroism - to be there to show one's last respect, appreciation, gratitude, love and support to a great woman who changed the course of Philippine history and contirbuted a system of peaceful transition of government.

In many ways every Filipino could show heroism during these trying times - parents doing their best to educate their children often giving up personal enjoyments and necessities; children trying to overcome the temptations of easy life just to be able to accomplish their parents dream of a better future for them; spouses staying faithful to each other; teachers spending their own money to provide their pupils and students the necessary visual aids to better understand lessons; and more. The list will surely be endless as there are different types of people and conditions whereby they could show little heroisms.

But the greatest challenge today is for our leaders to respond well to the call to heroism. May 10, 2010 is just around the corner. And once again they will have to answer to the clamor for change and people empowerment. Change is necessary - not charter change really - but systemic change whereby the people will really be empowered, given the opportunity to be heard, to participate in governance, to take part in decision-making not only during elections but in the planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of projects, programs and activities, to be truly given the service and attention that they need and be governed well so that they will be able to have better living conditions and greater opportunities to rise up from poverty.

Who among our leaders and would be leaders are willing and have the political will to become heroes by giving up their personal interests and do what is best for the country?

The Challenge

2009-08-06T13:07:00.002+08:00

Alright, we've offered prayers and our last respects to the late President Cory Aquino, and we've shown the world how we valued her contributions to the nation, and went out (many of us) to show how much we care for and love her.

But now we've got to face the real challenge: how to translate the appreciation for her contributions to democracy, the love and care for being possibly the best leader that we could ever have, and the gratitude for the things she has done for the nation.

It is not enough to say "We love you" and "You are not alone (Di ka nag-iisa)!"

We must do something out of the passion that we have shown as we lay her to rest.

Or have we laid to rest also that same passion that was enkindled during the EDSA People Power revolution in 1986?

In a few months time we shall be making our decisions again with regards to who are we going to elect into various government positions in the executive and the legislative branches of government. Are we going to close our eyes once more and let those who are undeserving again?

Or shall we make a difference and elect people who doesn't have money but have the guts, the will and the commitment to democracy as the late President Cory Aquino had?

She may not be a perfect leader (and surely those who are still fighting for their agrarian rights in Tarlac have some things to say against her) but at least she was not someone who tried to remain in power even though she probably had the chance as she was already sitting down as President when the new Constitution banned presidents from seeking reelection.

On May 10, 2010 we shall have the power to choose the right person to govern us.

But do we have someone right now who could fill in the vacuum of true leadership?

A Tribute to President Cory

2009-08-05T11:03:00.002+08:00

Today we bid goodbye to the first woman President of the country - Madame Corazon Cojuangco Aquino - considered to be an icon of democracy, mother of democracy and the one who brought back democracy to a nation bound under a dictatorial regime for almost 20 years.

Filipinos and other freedom loving people show various manifestations of gratitude for her role in restoring democracy in this country though a peaceful revolution. Such a feat became an inspiration for other peoples throughout the world to aspire for political change in their respective countries via peaceful means.

But as we offer prayers, thanks and other manifestations of unity and sympathy we should not forget that the best tribute that we can offer to her is to keep democracy alive and to make democracy really work. It is not enough to sing Bayan Ko, or talk about her goodness and her contributions to democracy, or consider her to be a hero, or other ways of showing our appreciation for all that she has done and support for the family she has left behind.

After all her death is not a real loss. It is actually another step towards the fulfillment of people power because her death signifies a new dawn for the country - the dawn of a new revolution whereby people are enjoined to actively participate towards the reformation of the society and the formation of a new breed of leaders especially that elections are just a few months ahead.

Everyone must consider her death as a call to rise from indifference and complacency and to fight for real people empowerment. The People Power revolution in 1986 at EDSA was a beginning but we failed to sustain the spirit and various events in the modern history of this country seemed to have dampened the spirit of the Filipino people. We seem to have given up on our faith in ourselves that we can change.

We really can change. But the challenge is to start changing from within. If President Cory didn't die, we'd still be doing the usual things that we do day in and day out this very day. But since her death there has been a rekindling of the spirit of EDSA - especially the original revolution in '86.

Hopefully this rekindlement of that spirit would steer us to move as one people towards making a real difference in this part of the globe. President Cory's death should not make us sad, hopeless or indifferent. Instead, her death must lead us to act not just react, to participate in the democratic struggles and processes of this country with passion, and to contribute our best in accordance with our particular roles - citizens, leaders, public servants, private entrepreneurs, artists, workers, famers, fisherfolks, and others.

President Cory Aquino's death is not a loss. It's a gain and we must not put it to waste. Our show of love for her would be empty unless we do our share in making democracy work well!

A New Beginning

2009-07-24T14:58:00.000+08:00

According to some reliable sources the Supreme Court will once again vote on the case of the League of 16. After that Carpio "resolution" whereby Justice Antonio Carpio tried to bar the inclusion of the case in the Supreme Court's June 9 agenda there seems to be some reaction on the part of the other justices and they want to finally put the case to rest by voting once again this coming August.

As of now, the anti-League of 16 are down to four since two of their numbers have already retired. That's one things Justice Carpio seemed to be afraid of. With only four of them on the other side of the fence and the pro-League of 16 still numbering 6, the decision of November 18, 2008 might be reversed.

I am not jubilant just because I am a resident of an affected cityling, and not onkly because when Borongan finally returns to the status of cityhood that I might be able to be appointed to a permanent position already.

I am happy beause it means a lot to the people of this locality. And most especially to the poor ones and the children. For those who have enough means to spend for basic services, it might not mean so much. But for those who do not have the means to educate their children, to feed their families, to get proper medical attention, to earn for a living, and others, cityhood means so much.

And it will not only redound to the good of Borongan, and the vicinities of the 15 other citylings. It will also contribute to the economic progress of the respective provinces and regions of these 16! And the more people to benefit from the national wealth.

I am not sure what people from member-cities of the LCP might think about this. But hopefully instead of taking away the cityhood of the League of 16, we will just be united in asking the national government to consider adjusting the division of the national wealth.

I think this is a better advocacy than their present stand which many people see as mere greed.

The Return

2009-06-15T14:27:00.002+08:00

Finally, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has decided to revert our IRA to that of a mere municipality!

Although there is no clear Supreme Court decision yet on the matter of the unconstitutionality of our - and 15 others' - cityhood we are now again receiving the IRA of a municipality.

From P 27M monthly IRA Borongan is now receiving just P 7M again. That means P 20M worth of public services gone - to the detriment of the poor members of the Boronganon society! And not just of Boronganons, the whole Eastern Samar and even the whole of Region VIII and the entire Visayas are surely affected by this regression!

The League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) may have won this round. But the League of 16 is still counting on the wisdom of the Supreme Court to finally put an end to this mess started by Congress!

And hopefully when they finally meet to decide on the fate of Borongan and the other 15 LGUs they will see the serious problems that the reversion of the League of 16 to the status of municipality brings for thought 116 cities would revel in such a decision, not only 16 cities but the rest of the members of the League of Municipalities will surely be affected as their already meager IRAs will once again suffer cuts due to the reversion of 16 citylings!

Happy Birthday, My Son

2009-05-10T14:08:00.000+08:00

Today, my son, Lance Raphael, is celebrating his 4th birthday!

Usually parents spend time and money just to make sure that their young children's birthdays are well celebrated with all those picture-taking and sometimes video coverages.

But I am more concerned about my son's future.

Next year, my son's birthday falls on election day, May 10, 2010.

Most probably the greatest gift that I could give to him on that day is to vote for worthy candidates.

His future depends on what I will do on that day.

Hopefully, other parents will think in the same way.

The Need for a Real Revolution

2009-04-21T11:02:00.006+08:00

True. It is not enough to be given assistance. The recipient must have the integrity to use the grant in accordance with the purpose and spent in the most transparent way!

The problem with the Philippines is that we have leaders who are not that concerned about their constituents but are more intent in securing their lives, their family and their positions in government. They don't care enough whether the money they spend comes from somewhere else (and even if they spend not even a centavo of their own money). The important thing for them is to be able to hold on to dear power, power and power.

Of course, many of them think "Why should one be honest and good when everyone else does what everyone else does" - that is why even those who are well-intentioned and truly good people who enter into politics become rotten eggs just like the rest! Unless they become true Christians (or Muslims, etc) maybe there would be no hope for changes even if hold elections every year!

What we need is a true revolution which will turn everything from top to bottom and from left to right leaving no corners and crevices uncleansed. It doesn't have to be started by the communists nor the military. It could be started by simple people who want change desperately, are eager to effect change really and willing to start change committedly.

And when they start revolting, maybe those who are in power should start cleaning up their desks and prepare to go home!

PBA097202343

When Laws and Common Sense diverge

2009-04-07T09:06:00.006+08:00

The main reasons why the LCP protested against the League of 16 are:

1) The cityhood laws violated the equal protection clause because these exempted the 16 LGUs from the income requirement set by RA 9009 which amended the Local Government Code's P 20 M to P 100 M before an LGU/LGUs become a city; and

2) The cityhood laws prevented the fair and equal distribution of the national wealth/taxes because 16 new "cities" had to get their share from the IRA of the cities.

The Supreme Court, voting 6-5 on both occasions, decided in favor of the LCP and declared the cityhood laws as unconstitutional basing on the reasons cited above.

Dura lex sed lex. Yes, the law is hard or harsh but it is the law.

The law has prevailed. But common sense probably did not.

Laws are supposed to be enacted for the benefit of the people. Certainly, every law must somehow be based on common sense. And somehow, when interpreted it must also be based on common sense whether it would produce better or worse results than the previous state of things. Basing on the reasons of equal protection and equal distribution of wealth the cityhood laws were considered but was the decision truly sound?

Of course we cannot question the wisdom of the Supreme Court - but with just a difference of one vote - 6-5 - maybe we could ask if there was any sense in deciding in favor of the LCP when the result clearly led to something worse? Can we say that only the five justices had used their common sense?

What kind of equal protection is there in all these? One thing is certain, it would set a possible precedence that in case many more LGUs become capable of achieving the P 100 M income requirement that will threaten the "number" of the cities with more cities to divide the pie again, their lawmakers could once again merely propose for the increase of the income requirement, and maybe the other requirements like number of people or size of territory. A DILG official said that this will not happen anymore as Congress would learn its mistake. Probably yes, but maybe no. Unless they make use of their common sense in making laws - which probably wasn't used that much previously like in passing RA 9009 while it still wanted to make new cities based on the previous income requirements - there will always be the possibility of committing the same mistake - especially when personal and political interests, and not common sense, are on the line.

It would have been a true manifestation of equal protection - and common sense - if the amendment on income requirement was passed before those LGUs which have qualified for the P 20 M income requirement have applied for cityhood so that they would have to meet new criteria already. It appeared like changing the rules of the game midway. Of course many will say that they have not yet been approved to become cities after all when RA 9009 was passed into law. But still it was like some form of "junking". Could we not liken it to a lifeboat that still has room for more people and then you start calling upon those who are still on the water that they could be accommodated and then they start swimming to your direction and were already trying to come up the lifeboat and suddenly you'd say, 'Oh, sorry, you cannot be accommodated anymore.' Or perhaps, it's like changing the guidelines of who can join a sportsfest after the invitations have been distributed just to block a team that has the biggest potential to win the championship.

And with regards to the "fair and equal distribution of wealth" - is it fair-er to deny more LGUs had to share bigger slices of the IRA? Was it unfair and unjust and more people and more areas got their share of the national wealth? Was it worse to have more people and more areas enjoying the blessings of the IRA? Was it "less equal" when more LGUs shared bigger shares of the IRA thereby giving more opportunities for more people and areas to access improvements and developments? Of course they would say it was just their "legal" right and privilege that they're after.

Right now, common sense dictates that Congress ought to rectity this mistake in order to save the League of 16 from the troubles of reverting into municipalities and facing huge financial setbacks and even bankruptcy. If they do not, then Madame President's goal of saving the country from the troubles of the worldwide financial meltdown would surely fail with 16 LGUs being on the reddest for many months to come!

While we wait for the "reaction" of Congress, suffice it to say for now that if ever we'd ever have to paint a concrete picture of greed it, it would be very clear to us how it would look like!

PBA097n8pqn1

SC junks cityhood laws of League of 16

2009-04-06T10:25:00.005+08:00

The Supreme Court has finally decided affirming their earlier decision that the cityhood laws of the League of 16 are illegal.

The members of the LCP are surely celebrating. Why shouldn't they? The decision means less LGUs to divide the IRA for cities and with this year's increase in IRA allowances, then they will surely have more to spend for their programs, projects and activities!

But what about the programs, projects and activities of the League of 16? Who will shoulder these PPAs which are intended to alleviate the lives of their constituents? And with the world still experiencing economic downturn, who will suffer more? The national government its best to promote jobs and anti-poverty programs to respond to the growing world economic mess. This event will surely mean that the national government will have to exert more effort for the sake of the League of 16's constituents now that these LGUs are back to naught!

Every law is supposed to be for the welfare of the people. But this time, maybe the equal protection clause works only on the side of those who don't need the protection as they didn't really experienced so much trouble. The clause has worked against a few which could have contributed a lot if they have just been given the chance!

Panlilio for President - May not be Winnable but

2009-03-24T15:14:00.003+08:00

Some quarters are pushing Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio to run for the presidency in 2010.

San Juan Mayor JV Ejercito said it is impossible for Panlilio to win because he is not yet that "popular" nationally. Well, for someone who's father easily won the presidency in 1998 due to much popularity, JV must be talking sensibly. In the Philippines, one of the ways to get elected is to be popular. That's why one of the points that campaign advertisements consistently promote is the so called "name-recall".

Of course, popularity is important. If people don't know know you or don't know anything about you, you could hardly get the attention needed to win a national post. Even in local elections, some amount of popularity is necessary. Or else you will end up biting the dust.

But if ever the Governor-elected priest decides to do it, it might not be for the sake of winning alone. It could be for the sake of promoting alternative politics. Let us face it, the country has been wanting for true leaders who have the political will to stand up for truth and righteousness and not just for the sake of fulfilling pure partisan and personal interests.

Panlilio may not be that great or even that good as a governor. But at least he could possibly set something as a precedent.

And hopefully time will come when the people will already vote not just due to personal popularity but because of the popularity and significance of the issues and concerns that a candidate espouses.

PBA09475on75

Cleansing the Voter's List

2009-01-27T15:37:00.003+08:00

In preparation for the 2010 synchronized elections, the Senate urged the Comelec to cleanse the voters' list first.

It is a very good advise since a padded voters' list could very well make a difference in the outcome of an election whether it is merely a manual voting system or even if already an automated one.

The history of elections in this country is marred with every kind of election cheating. Surely there will be people who will do their best to cheat while every effort is intended to curb such action.

It is true that the ultimate solution to the problem on cheating depends on the personal effort of every one to contribute to an honest election. But at least the commitment and dedication of the concerned persons and the people in authority should be good enough to initiate an electoral revolution.

A Time for a 'Moral Force'

2009-01-16T09:37:00.005+08:00

Chief Justice Reynato Puno, who is now being threatened with impeachment, says that the problem of the country is moral decadence and declares that there is a need for a 'moral force' to respond to this problem.

The CBCP is quick to respond to this call saying that it is really the religious sector that should lead such a call. While Congress and Malacanang also issued immediate answers. House Speaker Prospero Nograles says that it is unnecessary if the purpose is to foil the rumored impeachment against the SC Chief Justice. Malacanang on the other hand declared that the government is doing its responsibilities in solving the 'decays' in the society so there is no need for a 'moral force'.

Whether there is or there is no move in the House of Representatives about impeaching the Chief Justice and even if the government is doing its best to curb corruption, the present times seems to be truly calling for a 'moral force'. We must admit the fact that our present society is moving along the path of decadence. Not only corruption in terms of misuse and abuse of government funds and people's money is the issue here. There are also the issues about accountability, padrino system, electoral fraud and vote buying, disregard for life, family and marriage, and many more. The issues that can be mentioned which calls for moral reforms and not merely legislative measures are so long and fact is corruption and political troubles in this country are mere signs of the deeper problem which is moral decadence.

Hopefully, such a 'moral force' will soon be established in order to set the right direction for this country. This is a significant development in the history of the country, much more in consonance with the beginnings that we have made last 1986 at EDSA. The Philippines is not lost after all and the future seems to look a lot brighter.

People and institutions that will think otherwise may not be at ease with such a call for whatever reason only they may probably know.

PBA095oso251

Mere Terrorism

2009-01-15T10:44:00.003+08:00

Muslim rebels desecrated chapels and images in Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat.

Some Muslim rebels may be thinking that they could make use of somewhat purely religious conflicts to make their rebellion become a true jihad and earn the support of the entire Muslim world to achieve their dream of separating Mindanao from the rest of the country.

But their acton is much more of a purely terrorist activity that does not deserve the support of any mature Muslim group or country. If they continue with this kind of activity then they just prove that they are more of a terrorist group than valid revolutionaries fighting for a worthy cause.

Micromanager PGMA does it again

2009-01-14T11:42:00.003+08:00

When everything seems to be going nowhere, she steps in to set things right.

Her Excellency once again shows that when things are not going right she can responsibly fill in in order to put things in order. Well, since command responsibility is after all part of being a leader, she has the duty to be at the forefront of action when her subordinates don't seem to be doing things properly.

And for some people, the best that she could do is to bring back coordination among agencies that are supposed to work together in order to fight crime in this country. The drug busting fiasco seems to have shown not the capability of the country's agencies to solve criminality but their failure to work together in order to bring about peace, order and security in this land.

Aside from this, she also has a lot more to do.

Fighting crime - not just illegal drugs - is a very serious job and government agencies have to work together and not fight each other. The least that our country needs is for the government itself becoming a hindrance toward the attainment of a crime-free society. Having some personalities in government service becoming involved in criminal activities is bad enough. But government agencies having no coordination is worse.

It's something that criminals will surely revel in. And that might make this country a laughingstock of all the world.

Troubling the Supreme Court

2009-01-13T08:51:00.006+08:00

Now, it's the Supreme Court that is under attack!

Some people won't really stop at nothing in order to have their plans prosper ... even it has to make things a lot more difficult for their beloved country by sparing not even the vanguard of the Constitution - the Supreme Court.

Of course, the Supreme Court is just doing its job and maybe these people are also just doing their job. But whose job is by far more acceptable and whose intentions are by far more suspect?
The Supreme Court is the branch of government which is tasked to interpret the Constitution and to intepret every other law as to its consistency with the Constitution. When something is so fishy and that the Constitution seems to be the only thing that could hinder if from succeeding, concerned people look up to the Supreme Court. Hence the independence of the Supreme Court justices is a very important factor in a government structure.

But then there are those people who seems to be so vested with power that even the sanctity of an independent branch of government is not a hindrance for them in order to pursue some personal interests - and they make the necessary actions that could help them in their plans including the ouster of the Chief Justice.

However, they may be forgetting that there are people out there who will not just sit down and watch whatever happens. If they think they could just oust a Chief Justice when they want it, maybe they also have to think about what concerned people and other 'interested' groups could do to oust somebody else.

The "Alabang Boys" Case

2009-01-09T09:00:00.003+08:00

Here we go again.

You try to implement the law and instead of being assisted by your government to prosecute the suspects, you end up being questioned on how you did it. Of course the law wants to protect the innocent. It's really important to come up with evidence especially with regards to crimes that could mean an eternity in jail.

But sometimes it also discourages committed instruments of the law to see that their devotion to duty goes nowhere because of technicalities.

The present "Alabang Boys" case is such a case. PDEA's Marcelino is lucky enough to have some support from Congress itself. Without it he and the entire agency would probably be sulking perhaps for being unable to defend their case against these suspects who belong to the upper echelon of society.

We might ask whether the same intensity of looking for technicalities would be accorded by the concerned people if the suspects belong to the middle or lower levels of the economic stratum. Hopefully they would have the same eagerness because most of the time it is the poor ones who get caught and they are the ones who cannot argue their case for lack of enough money to get the great and devoted lawyers.

However, with the attention that this case is getting and the side issues that have come up, maybe we are about to see some reforms that will make our justice system more efficient and dependable.

2009 Holidays

2009-01-08T17:01:00.002+08:00

It's out and Pinoys only have to wait when these days arrive. What days? What else but those much awaited holidays - much awaited for two reasons, either to be on vacation or receive double compensation.

Yes, Malacanang has already announced the holidays for 2009 through Proclamation no. 1699.

Of course we already had an advance special holiday last January 2. Who would want to go to work for just one day after a long vacation and take another two-day rest? Probably that's why the weather tried to help a little by being stubborn on the very first weekend of 2009 - to emphasize that vacation is not yet over. But it wasn't an enjoyable one though because we had to be inside our homes because of the rains and the winds.

So here's this year's holidays:

April 6 is Araw ng Kagitingan. It is supposed to be celebrated on the 9th but since the 9th will be Maundy Thursday already, April 6 was declared a holiday in honor of Bataan and Corregidor's heroes perhaps to avoid triple compensation on April 9 for those who will still go to work overtime.

As we stated earlier, April 9 is Maundy Thursday so April 10 is Good Friday.

May 1, Labor Day, falls on a Friday so there's no problem about having sandwiched days within the week especially that laborers do not wish their special day being transferred on other days.

At last we will again be celebrating Independence Day, June 12, on the proper date as it falls on Friday and there's no need to transfer it also.

This year, National Heroes Day will again be celebrated on a Monday, August 31, while Bonifacio Day, December 30, occurs on Mondays so there's no need to transfer the holiday.

Rizal Day, December 30, though occurs on a Wednesday doesn't have to be transferred to the nearest Monday since the next days, December 31 and January 1, are also holidays.

So for this year the longest vacation that we shall experience is only five (5) days, from December 30 to January 3, 2010.

Ninoy Aquino Day, August 21, falls on a Friday so there's no need to transfer the celebration of this special holiday. November 2 is added as a special non-working holiday because November 1 falls on a Sunday and December 24 this year has already been declared as a special non-working holiday.

Eid'l Fitr will be proclaimed a holiday when the date will already be ascertained by our Muslim brethren.

Perhaps you could already plan out for the whole year since we already know the holidays that we could use to rest and recreate. Just remember that everything else depends on the generosity of God and so we must not forget to say, "thy will be done"!

Work of Terrorists

2009-01-06T09:33:00.006+08:00

The recent treachery which the NPA did to a group of policemen 'responding' to a distress signal at Rodriguez, Rizal is a concrete sign that the group is really turning out to be plain terrorists.

The claim of the communist rebels that they are still waging a valid revolutionary war against the government has been overshadowed by a lot of terrorist-like attacks on the government forces who have sworn to defend the Constitution and the Republic. The continued defiance of the communist rebels against the call to lay down their arms and fight their revolution in a peaceful way is a sign that their ultimate goal is to overthrow the established democratic government and supplant it with their own brand of government. Until such time that they accomplish this goal, they won't be satisfied even though they have been gaining some political edge through some party-list organizations.

If the communists are really serious in their intention of helping the people, they should do so through the proper political processes - not through means that destroy life and property. They must awaken and see for themselves that in the present conditions people do not need to use arms in order to seek for justice. It is true that wealth and power many times could buy justice, but still this is not a justification to rise up in arms. A revolution could be fought and won through peaceful means.

Or maybe they could sense that their cause could never achieve the expected or hoped for victory without the use of force of arms because the people would never embrace their brand of government. The failure of communism in the very country where it had its first victory, Russia, must have made an impact on the minds of the people and they very well know that it won't really help them at all. It would seem that the present set up is by far more acceptable than being under a communist regime. Even China is slowly opening its economic doors to capitalist intrusion - even if the government still controls the economy - because they know that it would help them.

The ideals that the communist rebels have been fighting for could be the subject of peaceful political processes and an armed rebellion is by far only making it more difficult for them to get the support that they are hoping to get from the people. If they would only lay down their arms and be more politically aggressive, perhaps they could do much more. At present the people seem very reluctant to trust them because of their terrorist-like stance in fighting for their ideals.

PBA092r98633

Rizal Day 2008

2009-01-05T13:12:00.004+08:00

December 30, 2008 was the 112th anniversary of the martyrdom of Dr. Jose P. Rizal. He was shot at Bagumbayan on December 30, 1896.

Some commentators asked how would he act or react if he lives during these times and amidst the many troubles that are taking place in our present society?

The question seems to be very academic.

To be continued

The Aquino Apology

2008-12-24T10:12:00.006+08:00

During the launching of the authorized biography of former Speaker Jose De Venecia, former President Corazon Aquino remarked to former Joseph Estrada that "I am surprised, you really are a good speaker, Erap." Adding, "I feel guilty" ... "All of us make mistakes. Just forgive me." Said apology elicited various reactions, with some feeling betrayed as if the former President has declared that EDSA II was not a right thing to do. However Archbishop Oscar V. Cruz - though not amenable to what President Aquino did - remarked that if he just knew that if "Mrs. Arroyo would be like this, there would have been no EDSA 2." Some showed understanding while Senator Noynoy Aquino maintained that she was just joking as former President Erap was also making jokes at the time.

As one party-list representative commented, the former President probably was just so "disappointed" about the present administration. Maybe it's true and reading Archbishop Cruz's remark, one might understand the background of the Aquino apology. Even if she was merely joking when she uttered those words, it would have no big difference really. There's a saying that jokes are half-truths. It could have been a joke but somehow beneath the humor there must be some reason for doing so.

Yes, it could be that she is disappointed - even frustrated - with what this administration which she helped elevate has become. Perhaps JDV would have said it himself. Senator Pimentel actually who was right there at the EDSA shrine when PGMA was sworn in was on the other side of the fence again just a few days after the event. Former Senator Serge Osmena also has something to say against this administration which got itself into a controversy just two days after the swearing in! Even PGMA had to be sorry for something that could have been a cause for her impeachment from office if not for her having allies in Congress.

Then there are the millions of people who didn't participate in the EDSA 2 drama and the thousands of those who tried to stage their own EDSA 3. They must be elated right now thinking that at least they didn't take part in EDSA 2 - especially that while it was able to overthrow a plunderer President, it only seemed to have allowed the ascendance of someone worse.

Former President Aquino didn't really have to seriously say sorry. We could at least accept her doing so in the spirit of humor since former President Estrada himself was making jokes at that time. Former President Erap - and some Senators - made some mistakes and what happened during EDSA 2 was a part of history which attests to the necessity of the people bringing to the streets the resolution of what they could not get through the institutions and processes that they expect to work for them. Though we have democratic processes and institutions at work, the people could not be expected to just stand still when such institutions and processes fail to function as they were supposed to work.

The mistakes of the present administration could not justify the yearning to remake history. What we could do is to make all the efforts to rectify the present situation - if there are errors - and be inspired by the previous events which made a difference in the lives of our people. Though personalities who participated in that activity could be doing it in the spirit of representing the voice of the majority, they also acted in their personal capacities and may have been truly acting with personal intentions alone and not in accordance with any patriotic zeal or fervor.

Former President Aquino's apology has to be interpreted therefore as a very personal act which do not have a bearing upon what actually happened in 2001. She is entitled to it as party-list Representative Teddy Casino said. It's just that she was a former president and whatever she says might be interpreted to be representative of the common feeling, opinion or idea. But even in the Catholic Church where papal infallibility is considered a dogma, a pope is also considered to be truly infallible when he speaks ex cathedra, that is from the Chair or in his capacity as Pope. But he also has the prerogative of speaking his personal ideas, opinions and feelings without necessarily making it a teaching, doctrine or stand of the Church.

EDSA 2 is one of the important events in our history which manifested the importance of people power - and of the true working of democracy. People power as we know and conducted it may not have been enshrined as a legal activity in our Constitution but surely it is one of the expressions of our democratic way of life - a sign of active participation in the political life of the nation by which the concerned people themselves bring through peaceful means a resolution of an issue when the institutions and processes that the Constitution has established fail to do so. It is a manifestation of the Constitutional principle that sovereignty resides in the people themselves - not even in the government, in the people who are in Congress, not even in the Supreme Court.

If former President Aquino feels personally sorry for her participation in that event, let her be. But let it not be a sign of downgrading that sacred revolution which emphasized the true meaning of democracy and continues to become a beacon of hope that someday this country will become great and every Filipino is truly empowered already.

And we no longer need to be sorry for whatever we do or say.

Rising Hunger

2008-12-23T10:10:00.002+08:00

According to a recent SWS survey the hunger incidence in the country has risen. The DSWD on the other hand acknowledges that though the government's programs to address the problem are in place the trouble is how many people are being served.

This is a real wake up call and the government has to evaluate the effectivity and efficiency of its programs and projects which are meant to solve this problem. If it is only the problem on the scale of people being served then it can be solved by giving more attention and of course funding to these programs so that the actual number of people who needs to be given the necessary assistance and concern could be served.

It is actually a problem of priorities. With the country being in a deep financial trouble because of debts, and with teh country trying not to acquire a bad image by not paying its obligations to creditors, most of the people's money are used to pay our debts. The little that is left are distributed among many other allocations and sad to say, the social services sector - particularly on health, education and social welfare - are most of the time the one that has to suffer the lack of enough funding.

Her Excellency always emphasizes the need to invest on people. "Mamuhunan sa taong bayan" is a motto that she seems to have personally committed herself to. But somehow the said motto is not fully concretized. One problem that seems to make her efforts to fully invest on the people is the lack of cooperation from other people and agencies - especially those who cannot accept her leadership because of the various allegations that she doesn't care about but which seems very important to others.

Another factor is the continued denial to farmers of the land which they till - and many of those who are involved in this problem are those whom we look up to as leaders and providers of benefits to the people!

Still another is the continued growth of the gap between the rich and the poor. The rich who still get richer seems to be not so keen in sharing their wealth to the poor. The poor on the other hand seems to be so dependent on what the government would give making them easy targets of opportunist politicians and persons and groups which have hidden agenda!

Perhaps the problem is not only the hunger for food and other basic needs. The greater hunger is the hunger for social justice and it seems that without the political will from above, there will never be a real solution to all our hunger!

Protecting Children

2008-12-22T09:01:00.005+08:00

At last, some legislators finally thought about what children could be watching on television!

As a parent, I am concerned about what my son watches on television. Sometimes we parents do not have any option because almost every channel shows violence or sexually implicit themes. Even if there is what you call "Parental Guidance needed" warning, it should also be asked whether the parents have the maturity to guide their children with regards to what they watch on TV. As I observe it, many parents who have grown up watching television without the proper of their parents before could hardly be expected to tell their children what shows to watch and avoid. Many parents even encourage their children to watch television when they have something to do wihtout even choosing the right shows for their children. And when children already know how to handle those remote controls, they could watch whatever show their small fingers chooses to click!

The primary responsibility therefore must also be a burden of the different TV networks and cable operators. They cannot just (ab)use their right to broadcast anything without thinking about the consequences of their actions. Even those noontime shows which have girls gyrating seems to be unnecessary (if not for that most coveted ratings war!) and somehow go against values that we as Filipinos have been brought up with. Call it ultra-conservatism but what has ultra-modernism on the other hand has brought us into?

We all want a better future for our children. But it seems that in the face of commercialism and competition we forget that we have the responsibility to protect our children from ideas that could (dis)form them differently from what we hope them to become - as productive members of society. Growing up with violence and sexuality as a background would not help this country. Rather, we might be seeing a new breed of Filipinos whom we consider as our "future" growing up instead as liabilities.

Hopefully other lawmakers will be able to see the value of this move by CIBAC Party-list Representatives Cinchona Cruz-Gonzales and Emmanuel Joel Villanueva.

An Expression of Disgust

2008-12-19T13:28:00.003+08:00

No re-election against lawmakers who voted for the six-month CARP extension.

This could be the most concrete expression of disgust among farmers who will have a less merry Christmas because their hopes for a five-year extension of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program was turned down by Congress.

With the next elections just a year and five months away, a united voice among the farmers could mean a lot. However, the problem would be how to influence other voters to sympathize with their cause.

It's a cause worth fighting for but how many would be willing to really fight for it?

The Trouble with Land Reform

2008-12-18T11:25:00.006+08:00

Congress has finally decided to just extend CARP until June 30, 2009. They did not act on the CARP Reform Bills which thousands of farmers eagerly await to be passed. Though the extension may seem an opportunity to sustain the fight for CARP Reforms, the farmers would have to celebrate Christmas without so much jubilation.

Of course, Christmas ought to be celebrated with joy. After all it's an occasion of the Lord's coming.

But how could you say to those thousands of farmers that it's Christmas time when their dream of owning the land they till would never be fulfilled - at least for the meantime. Was twenty years of CARP not enough? Surely it wasn't enough because the law wasn't that friendly to them. If it was, they would have been tilling their own land now.

The trouble with land reform is that most of those who own the lands are the very ones who control government. They are in the executive and most are in the legislative. How can land reform then succeed? I guess it was one of the sad shortcomings of the administration which the poeple helped to occupy the seat of leadership in 1986 that with the powers it had to make the dramatic changes that could have made the revolution more memorable, it waited for Congress to make the necessary action which in turn turned out to be far from what the farmers hoped for.

Land reform will surely not progress in this country until such time that true political will inspires our leaders. It's a great and drastic reform that we need to undergo before land reform succeeds. However, unless the poor really unite and show their political masters that we want true change, they won't bother hearing our voices and never become truly concerned about plights.

2010 is just around the corner. Shall we let them return to power and trample on our rights again?

In the Beginning God created Man and Woman

2008-12-17T15:16:00.005+08:00

It is morally wrong to deny gays and lesbians their rights as human beings. The late Pope John Paull II himself said it. They are human beings too and they have rights that should be respected in the same manner that such rights are accorded to male men and female women. But such enjoyment of rights only means giving them the same civil and other rights as other men and women enjoy which does not include the right to exercise their sexual orientation.

"Although the particular inclination of the homosexual person is not a sin, it is a more or less strong tendency ordered toward an intrinsic moral evil; thus the inclination itself must be seen as an objective disorder. Therefore special concern and pastoral attention should be directed to those who have this condition, lest they be led to believe that the living out of this orientation in homosexual activity is a morally acceptable option. It is not.” - Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons.

The problem with their sexual orientation is that it goes against the purpose of sexuality as intended by God. Genesis tells us that in the beginning God created man and woman and they were ordained to become husband and wife in order to fill the earth. Hence sexuality is primarily ordered to the purpose of procreation and enjoyment of the sexual act other than procreation is only given as a privilege to a married couple which must be a male husband and a female wife.

It cannot be denied that all human beings have rights and every human being ought to be given the same opportunity to exercise these rights equally. But the exercise and enjoyment of rights are limited by corresponding duties and some prerequisites that are set up as safeguards so that these rights are enjoyed fully and sufficiently. Rights are after all based on human beings' nature as creatures with intellect and will which subjects them to duties and responsibilities too!

Suffrage is a right but this can only be exercised by a person who has reached the legal age to vote so that he or she could be ascertained to have the required knowledge on what he or she is doing. Education is a right but economic limitations might be reason enough not to give the entire school age population free access to education. Sexual gratification is a right but it can only be satisfied within the bond of marriage. Free expression is a right and so is privacy. One may have the right to write something for the sake of the public's right to information but he or she may not escape libel if he or she writes something which in turn destroys another person's right to privacy and good name.

It is bad enough to deny human beings some rights that they wish to enjoy but it is worse to allow them the full enjoyment of the rights that are not really proper to them. Recognition of the state of our brother gays and sister lesbians is not a matter for legislators to decide though a lot of countries already did it. It is a moral issue which no amount of legislation could solve.

Since in the beginning God created only man and woman, their cause is truly an exercise in futility.

No MCC grant unless

2008-12-16T09:17:00.006+08:00

Alecks P. Pabico of PCIJ discusses the present status of the Philippines in the eyes of the Millenium Challenge Corporation (MCC) of the US government. According to him, the institution which Her Excellency used to rely upon as a more accurate evaluator of the country's graft and corruption status than others such as Transparency International and Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (PERC) has finally seen that the country lags behind in countering these problems.

According to the article, among the reasons why the country failed to measure up to the standards of the MCC are the failure of the Ombudsman to file appropriate cases against such personalities as Jocjoc Bolante and the late filing against former Justice Secretary Hernani Perez which was droopped by the Sandiganbayan due to technicalities, the controversy against the ZTE-NBN deal, and the "Euro-Generals" controversy.

One important indication of good governance is transparency. If there is transparency in every government transaction, there could be no opportunity for graft and corruption. However, people in government find ways of circumventing laws and policies, like the Procurement Law. With all the talk about transparency and good governance - combined with all the efforts of different government agencies - there are those who could find a way to do away with the proper processes and procedures.

Another problem is that when it is time for filing cases and prosecution, the closer one person is to those who hold power, the more likely that a case against him or her wouldn't prosper. On other occasions, even if you have no backer but has the funds, you can surely procure justice. How much more if you can depend on people up there and also has funds to ensure that those who evaluate the case would not make a mistake in making the favorable ruling.

Perhaps there is really a need for a great overhaul in the government. If this administration is truly serious in fighting graft and corruption, maybe it should begin cleaning the house from top to bottom. It would be a great show of sincerity to start fighting graft and corruption in one's own room, then the entire house, the yards and on to the streets. All the branches of government could very much make the co-equal effort of starting the housecleaning in their own spheres: the Executive from the Palace itself, both Houses of Congress in their respective offices, and, of course, the Supreme Court too so that we would be assured of true justice.

And yes, the LGUs also have to do their part. And the other government agencies, institutions and instrumentalities. Perhaps if everyone in government begins contributing a little in the fight against graft and corruption time will come when we may not even have to ask the MCC for any funding anymore.

Human Rights as Work in Progress

2008-12-15T13:09:00.004+08:00

PCIJ's Karol Ilagan writes that human rights in the Philippines is still a work in progress.

Human Rights is only a “work in progress” because the “human duty” to make it work is not yet imbibed by majority of our people also. Rights only work in a society where the people are aware of them and is ready to assert and fight for them. This is the basic “human duty” which Pinoys ignore. What do I mean with “human duty”? "Human duty" is that basic duty to fight for one's rights. Without the courage to fulfill one's "human duty" then there will be no full enjoyment of our human rights.

What hinders our people from fulfilling their sacred "human duty"?

Though there are already a lot of groups and organization out there which try their best to awaken the people about their “human rights” most of us are still unconcerned. So many of us seem to be disinterested about human rights - unless they are directly affected by a violation. It is one of the bad traits of us Pinoys. A possible murder happened once in our place and it was reported as suicide. Nobody cared to investigate about what really happened as nobody filed a complaint.

Another important problem is that even the justice system is so costly. How can one person fulfill his "human duty" to assert his human rights when he doesn't have a centavo to spend for litigations? One may say that the government provides an attorney in case a person doesn't have the money to get one, but how much enthusiasm such an attorney could provide the poor client when the the case involves someone who has the power to send him to limbo? One lawyer friend years ago shared that he doesn't have much drive to fulfill his duties and sometimes tells his clients to just accept for any form of settlement even when such is not fair enough just to end the case.

Also, so many of us are so much dependent on our “political lords”. So many of us are at the mercy of these political “masters” that any attempt to assert our “human rights" could possibly mean hunger, loss of work, and even death (through so many means including perhaps extrajudicial killing). And why we are so dependent on these political masters? Because every election time so many of us so eagerly sell their votes, or vote because of relationships (kaanak, kamag-anak, kumpare o kumare, kaibigan, kakilala, kapuso, kabarkada, kaklase, ka-ano pa man), occupation (boss, asawa ni boss, magulang o anak ni boss, etc), debt of gratitude (gave assistance when we were sick as if the assistance was a personal favor and not a mandate of office, gave some money for transpo of a sick relative as if - and especially if - the money came from the politician's wallet, hired a son, daughter, or parent as casual employee as if the wage was a personal expense of the official), and many more.

There are other factors which make many of our people from fulfilling their sacred "human duty" hence they could not enjoy their human rights. And it is such a very disturbing reality. The answer to our problem is to educate the people about their sacred "human duty" to assert their human rights. Unless we could educate the people about their “human duty” then we could not expect for them to fully fight for their human rights.

Aside from educating the people about their sacred "human duty" there must also be the necessary support system to ensure that when they fulfill their “human duty” to assert the enjoyment of their human rights they shall not be left hanging in the air. It is a fact and a sad reality in this country that due to extreme poverty, many people could not afford to fight for their rights - especially when the 'security' of the state is involved or when 'powerful people' are affected. Therefore without the necessary protection for those who wish to fulfill their "human duty" to enjoy their human rights, the status of human rights in this country willl never really improve.

Enrile says "Rally not Needed" - but Why Not

2008-12-12T14:09:00.003+08:00

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile might have the best intent with regards to the rallyists when he said they don not have to conduct the rally - "magpapakapagod lang sila" - because the Senate will, after all, not allow any ChaCha before 2010.

But I guess the sentiments of the Pinoys would still become more concretely manifested through the protest rally at Makati today. With the Senate and the concerned people joining hands in opposing the House of Representatives' moves to change the Constitution before 2010 surely there will be a lot of thinking on the congressmen's part.

Without the protest rally, the Congressmen might only insist on the ConAss whenever the Senate opposes the ChaCha train. But with the people going to the streets and showing their indignation against the HoR's moves to hasten the ChaCha, then the Congressmen would have to think not only twice but a hundred times about proceeding with their plans. Or they might find themselves facing the prospect of being thrown out of their positions sometime in the future.

A show of numbers really do wonders. Well, the Congressmen ought to know about this as they were able to quash the impeachment rap because of their sheer majority over the opposition in the HoR. Now, they will see how a concerned number of people could sow fear into their hearts. Well, they may not truly fear the people who will be converging at Makati later on. But somehow they will know that they cannot just decide on their own in bringing a change to a document that is the basic law of the land - the very foundation of all legality and governance in the country!

Maybe it is not really that necessary to conduct a protest rally - yet.

But remembering the adage "An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure" I'd say that the activity at Makati today would at least make an impression that what the Congressmen are doing are not acceptable to the people so that they need to stop it now or else face consequences that they may not wish to happen at all!

Not a Poor Country After All

2008-12-12T09:51:00.004+08:00

AFP reports that SM Prime Holdings is set to extend the SM City North EDSA by 22 acres (90,000 sqm) to up the total area to 105 acres (425,000 sqm) making it the world's third largest shopping mall.

With this development, how can we say that the Philippines is a poor country? We may not even really qualify to be called a country of poor people after all. If the Filipinos are poor, then how come these malls continue to thrive? And it seems that there's no stopping them from ever increasing their number and their sizes!

The NSCB reports that the 2007 Poverty Threshold of the Philippines is at an average of Php 14,866 with the urban PT at Php 16,936 and the rural PT at Php 14,103, while the food threshold is at an average of Php 9,987 with the urban FT at Php 10,936 and the rural FT at Php 9,767.

This means that in order to meet the basic food and non-food needs, a family must earn at least Php 16,936 in the urban area while Php 14,103 in the rural area. On food alone, the income requirement necessary is Php 10,936 for those in the urban setting and Php 9,767 at the rural seting.

According to the same agency the number of poor people in the country is about 30 out of 100. While in terms of families, it is about 24 of 100 Filipino families. They say that in comparison to 2003, the poverty incidence improved.

Maybe the boom in the shopping mall industry would show that Pinoys are really not that poor. But if you take a closer look all around us, you'll notice a lot of poor people in the streets and squatter areas are in almost every available open space.

Maybe the Philippines is not poor after all. Maybe it is just that the wealth of the country isn't distributed well enough. There maybe many factors which contribute to this unequal, or at least improperly, distributed wealth.

Whose responsibility it is then to make the necessary adjustments?

Lakas favors ConCon, Kampi insists on ConAss

2008-12-11T12:15:00.006+08:00

The road to Charter Change seems to be passing through the rough roads of Eastern Samar.

Lakas stalwarts are now singing to the tune of Constitutional Convention while a Kampi minority insists on a Constituent Assembly. At least no party is trying to push for people's Initiative anymore. If the numbers game rules again, we're probably heading towards havinga ConCon which so far is the most acceptable option next to "No to ChaCha!"

At least Lakas people seem to see that the attempt to change the Constitution through means other than a Constitutional Convention might face not only the opposition of the minority in the House of Representatives and the hardline opposition in the Senate but the ire of a few million people who are concerned enough to voice out their opposition. As I wrote in an earlier blog, it is not always a numbers game in a democracy. It is the active participation among the enlightened, or at least the informed, members of the populace in governance - and in changing a government - that matters most.

With this development, maybe they could try to coordinate with Senators Biazon and Roxas with regards to the enactment of a law that would set the Constitutional Convention after the 2010 Elections with the provision that the ConCon delegates should be elected in that same election too. Perhaps another point to consider then would be to set a necessary percentage of voters - like 40% of those who cast their vote - as a gauge whether there should be ChaCha or none. This could be done probably by informing the people that leaving the space for a ConCon delegate blank shall mean that they are not in favor of ChaCha. If the total percentage of votes for ConCon delegates do not reach the required percentage - 40% as we used here for example -then it would mean people are not in favor of ChaCha and it should altogother be abandoned already.

Hopefully the House of Representatives finally seals the debates by voting for a ConCon over that of a ConAss before it goes into Christmas break.

Priorities, Priorities

2008-12-10T09:39:00.004+08:00

Pacman is like a son to him.

Yes, Pacman is very much special to DENR Secretary Lito Atienza that he even had to skip the Senate budget hearings just to be able to give moral support to his "son". Of course the Senators didn't understand it because Pacman is not their "son". They are more concerned about the country's budget that they even have to postpone hearings on the fertilizer scam.

But for Mr. Atienza, why bother about the budget? His top officials could defend it anyway. But are these top officials capable of fully defending the budget? Or could they fully answer to querries that the Senators might be wishing to be personally answered by the Honorable Secretary?

I am not sure if any of the Senators even bothered to watch the fight. I myself contented myself with knowing that Pacman was able to win in the 8th round via a TKO. Why? Because I have to tend to my sari-sari store business for the aske of my son. But even if the Senators did watch the fight, they still attended the budget hearings. Because it was very important. The Annual Budget is the basis of this country's allowed expenditures for the entire year. What more could be more important than that?

Yes, of course: the Pacman fight. And the Senators ought to understand the Honorable Secretary because Pacman is a "son" to him. Pacman is almost a national hero - probably might even be more famous and more significant than Rizal now to some people's mind - and he must be given such importance. Would any of the Senators give his or her body to be pummeled in the midst of bloodthirsty people many of them egging you to punish the opponent some more while others are booing the rotten loser?

Oh, yes! none of them won't. But it is not their call, not their duty. Their responsibility is to decipher the Annual Budget and they would only be able to fulfill their task if the person who needed to be there to give them some enlightenment also responsibly attend the deliberations - probably because it his or her duty as a public official just like the Senators. But what if he has to attend to some more important responsibility because a "son" has to fight for the country's honor?

Hopefully not one of the other sons of the DENR Secretary is getting overjealous about the very special attention that their father is giving the pambansang kamao.

Charter Change after 2010 Elections

2008-12-09T09:57:00.005+08:00

It's great that Senators Roxas and Biazon filed bills that would end the fuss about ChaCha before the 2010 elections. At least the enactment of a law that would schedule the Charter Change proposal would finally put to rest allegations that the ChaCha is intended to extend Her Excellency's term or give her an "eternal" immunity from lawsuits.

Scheduling the Charter Change after the 2010 elections with the provision that delegates to that activity would be elected at the same time as the national and local officials in 2010 would erase doubts as to the timing and intent of changing provisions in the Constitution.

One thing that makes a ConCon more acceptable than a ConAss is that those who will be elected as delegates in the ConCon will have no direct interests as to what provisions have to changed and to be retained. It might be that politicians would field in candidates to become delegates to the ConCon who could bring their cause to the convention but at least the intensity and enthusiasm would not be the same than when the politicians themselves are the ones who are debating about what provisions to change and to retain.

Further, there will be a possibility of more balanced representation in a ConCon than a ConAss because delegates will be voted in accordance with sectoral representations, I guess. Whereas if the present Congress through a ConAss changes the Constitution, there is a limited representation because most of the members of Congress belong to the elite.

Hopefully the more open-minded and reform-oriented people in Congress would support the bills and pass a law that would schedule the ChaCha after the elections. This is not only good for the people of this country. It would also be a better legacy that this administration and this present Congress would leave behind.

Pushing for ChaCha now might only spark unnecessary protests and the end result might not be very appealing to them.

Blaming the Military

2008-12-08T09:57:00.003+08:00

According to the Children's Rehabilitation Center (CRC) Executive Director Esmeralda Macaspac as reported by Philstar, they have "monitored 66 children victims of extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary killings since 2001, 49 children victims of frustrated killings, 50 documented cases of torture, 55 children illegally arrested and detained, and 63 victims of physical assault and injury by the AFP since 2001" and that "from January to October 2008 alone, the number of displaced children in conflict areas in Mindanao has reached 258,000."

Perhaps the military has committed cases of child rights violations. Maybe even members of the AFP won't deny that in the course of their operations these things happen.

But surely, the blame should not only be pointed at the military and, perhaps, the police. The one-sided finger-pointing by the CRC against the military somehow defeats a balanced reporting of child rights violations. I am not saying that the military have not committed any violation and I am not also saying they really did. I am not even saying other groups are doing such violations. But perhaps evidences that other groups must also be blamed for the violations against child rights abound.

The military is trying to secure the country from lawless elements. In trying to do so, they would operate and react in accordance with unfolding events which sometimes people who are not in the filed could not understand. I am not trying to justify any violation. I just want to share my opinion and hopefully we will have open minds and open hearts to distinguish true violations from perceived violations. Sometimes it is so hard to protect a person unless you force him from the line of danger. Maybe we could only really understand why these things happen if we are in the frontline of action too.

But at least the blaming and the reporting should be fair. If we just point our finger against one faction, we might be encouraging another to continue what they might be doing because they are not being included in the blame.

The Case of Con-Ass

2008-12-05T15:18:00.005+08:00

Many people, and lawmakers, still insist that the determination of the Constituent Assembly could be voted jointly by the Senate and the House of Representatives. But common sense would tell that it is not what the Constitution demands. If the principle of checks and balances would be followed, the two houses of Congress ought to vote separately.

The mere fact that when taken together, the Senators are overwhelmingly outnumbered by the members of the House of Representatives, how can there be a check and balance in this?

Hence it is but logical that as in other legislative actions there should be separate voting by the Senate and the House of Representatives in the case of Con-Ass. The insistence of some people, and lawmakers, of a joint voting is an effort to overcome the possible opposition by the Senate of the effort to change the Constitution through a Con-Ass.

We only pray that the Supreme Court gets enlightenment from the spirit of the 1935 Constitution which specifically states a separate voting though such provision was left out in the 1987 Constitution.

The Real Problem

2008-12-05T12:34:00.007+08:00

Philstar reports that 'Filipino women smokers are "getting younger".' This was according to Dr. Maricar Limpin, executive director of Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Alliance-Philippines referring to a study of the Bangkok-based Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA), the report stated.

The STAR was told by Dr. Limpin that ten years ago, 1998, "a study of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute showed the youngest smokers were in the 15-17 age bracket." For the SEATCA study, however, "it's in 13-15 already."

"The study clearly shows that tobacco companies are enticing the youth to take up smoking. In marketing parlance, the youths are called 'replacement smokers' and they are the ones now being targeted by these tobacco companies," Limpin said as quoted by The STAR.

"Peer pressure was cited as another factor in the high incidence of smoking among the youth. Nine out of 10 smokers admitted knowing the ill-effects of smoking. A total of 57.4 percent said they smoke with their friends" concluded the news report.

This is an alarming reality. With all the efforts to fight smoking, we could see through this study that the government and all the other concerned agencies seem to be unsuccessful. But the clearest reason why there is growing incidence of smoking among younger female Pinoys is the probability of the lack of parental guidance. It is also manifestive of the slowly degenerating Pinoy families because of the lack of government support. Instead of strengthening the family as the basic unit of society, the government is even declaring some kind of an all-out war against the family by trying to promote contraceptives and other forms of population control outside of responsible parenthood.

This problem on female smokers getting younger is not the only problem that we are facing today. Loss of values and respect for the sanctity for life, marriage and the sexual act are some of the most affected aspects of society. The problem is the growing secularism of governments and the tendency to view democracy as a government which should be free from moral and spiritual influences. That in a democracy, what matters most are personal freedom and rights - above communal and even family rights - and any attempt to infuse religious and moral lessons into laws and policies are absolute anathema with respect to democratic principles.

Many people fail to undersand that we have rights and freedoms because of the moral imperative that man, and women, have been created with intellect and will. They fail to comprehend that the very reason why we have rights and freedoms is that in the first place we are creatures who are bound by norms which define our being and significance in this life.

Unless we give families their importance in the society and in this world, there will be more negative activities aside from younger females engaging in smoking.

An Insult to Injury

2008-12-04T09:10:00.004+08:00

The statement of presidential deputy spokeswoman Lorelei Fajardo that Charter Change is "a matter for Congress to tackle on its own” as a response to the declaration of Mr. Mike Velarde to gather at least one million people to show their opposition to Charter Change is an irresponsible statement which shows her ignorance of the fact that in this country, sovereignty resides in the people - even though lots of people in power try to disregard this in reality. Hence when all constitutional processes and institutions fail to safeguard this sovereignty the people themselves could make the necessary action just like what happened in EDSA I and EDSA II.

She should remember that Congress has just junked an impeachment complaint which was considered an opportunity to bring out the truth about so many allegations against her boss and her boss's family. The people wanted to know the truth but their representatives junked it because they had the numbers to do so - and not because the complaint was "insufficient in substance" as the opposition see it. Whatever the meaning of sufficiency of substance, it did not matter at all because the sheer number of pro-administration congressmen seemed to have not really considered it at all.

The point is, the people's hunger for the truth was not satisfied through the junking of the impeachment complaint by their representatives. Now, their representatives want to take into their own hands something that the people do not wish to happen which is amending the Constitution. It's like adding insult to injury. The people's will have been injured already by the junking of the impeachment rap. Now they are insulted again - their will not respected again -by the people they have trusted to make their voices heard in Congress! If Congress really respects the people's will, then they should provide for a Constitutional Convention which members should be elected by the people themselves. They think its a waste of money? Come on, who have been wasting so much money already?

Charter Change is a very significant issue which needs to be given utmost attention. Perhaps it would be better if this issue is made a platform in the forthcoming elections. Let us say having only two candidates, one who stands for Cha-Cha and another who is anti-Cha-Cha. This could be a chance to hear the people's real voice on the issue. If the pro-Cha-Cha candidate wins the Presidency, then we'll go ahead with it. But if the anti-Cha-Cha candidate proves victorious, then let us respect the people's will.

It might be merely wishful thinking but if we really want to see change and make a difference in this part of the globe, maybe it's high time we really do something like this.

Until then, maybe the Palace ought to make the necessary stand against Cha-Cha too if they really are serious in their declaration that Her Excellency is not bent on extending her term nor of seeking continued immunity.

It's Not Always a Numbers Game in a Democracy

2008-12-03T09:17:00.006+08:00

It's been said that in a democracy, it is the majority that rules.

Perhaps the impeachment complaint junking with a 183-21 vote seems to support this claim. The big margin clearly shows that the anti-impeachment solons outnumbered the pro-impeachment ones. Surely, the administration congressmen have the numbers. And as Archbishop Oscar V. Cruz stated in a blog, the President had the "Sufficiency in Allies". This seems to have mattered most in assuring her being unimpeachable than having the impeachment complaint's having "Sufficiency in Form" and "Sufficiency in Substance" .

But still, democracy is not always a game of numbers. Fact is, two important events in the history of this country proved that a small percentage of the population could make a difference. And these are the EDSA I and II revolts.

What happened in EDSA I and II were not the reactions of the majority but the reaction of the few who believed in making a difference in this country. Those who were present in EDSA (and in some other cities in the country who showed support to the EDSA revolts) during those two occasions were a mere fraction of the millions of Pinoys. But they mattered, their action mattered, because they were the ones who cared to make a difference. The many millions of Pinoys, including the vast majority of those who were within the vicinity, who didn't join any other activity in support of those EDSA uprisings only waited for the result of those events and lived ordinarily again after the revolts.

Democracy is not always a game of numbers. It is also a game of active participation in the events that unfold in the history of a nation. But in order to wield these concerned people to act there must be a valid cause (such as the years of Marcos' dictatorial rule and Estrada's failed impeachment case) and a person who would lead this activity (like the late Jaime Cardinal Sin and former President Aquino). Whoever motivates the active participants to take action and make that difference will surely emerge victorious.

Until such time that someone could very well steer the active participation of these people who care enough to make a difference no matter what, perhaps we only have to watch and wait for what will happen next.

White AIDS versus Red AIDS

2008-12-02T09:58:00.005+08:00

Yesterday, the world celebrated World AIDS Day.

We are not celebrating the disease - we are trying to remind people about the reality of the disease and the importance of fighting it.

AIDS - acute immunity deficiency syndrome - is a virus that attacks and weaken the immune system hence it makes a person vulnerable to every other disease. One of the ways of acquiring the disease is by sexual contact with a person infected by the virus.

Since sexual contact is one of the ways of being infected with the virus, people have been encouraged to use condoms to be protected from it. But studies show that using a condom is not at all an assurance of protection against the virus. Hence the Catholic Church has once again tried to promote the best protection that many cannot accept: abstinence.

The Catholic Church has been very much vocal about the importance of abstinence as the best way of avoiding the virus. In fact, the Church has been trying to instill in the minds and the hearts of the people that people should be faithful to their spouses and to avoid extra-marital and pre-marital sexual relations not only for the sake of being protected from sexually-transmitted diseases (STD) but also to uphold the dignity of man and woman and to respect the purpose of the sexual act as a sacred act between married couples for the purpose of procreation.

Hence in order to combat AIDS the Church promoted its own AIDS, that is, Abstinence Is Definitely Safe. Many people think that this proposal of the Church is a very conservative response to the problem of AIDS (usually written in Red to differentiate it from the white AIDS - the Church's suggested response to red AIDS which is the acute immune deficiency syndrome). They believe that limiting the sexual activities of people is not the right way to stop AIDS. They believe that people should not be stopped from enjoying the gift of the sexual act just because of the AIDS threat!

This shows that these people do not really understand the purpose of the sexual act. They only view it as some kind of a plaything, a way to enjoy the flesh. They do not accept the teachings of the Church about the sanctity of the human body and the sacredness of the sexual act.

Until such time that people learn how to respect the purpose of things in this life - such as the sexual act and life itself - we will surely be experiencing various problems. Of course, the human mind will continually seek solutions to these problems but as long as these solutions are not in accordance with the Divine Will, there will be no real solutions to our problems.

It is up to us to choose between right and wrong, between what is proper and improper, and between true and false. If we wish to be freed from the scourge of red AIDS then perhaps we ought to consider adhering to the proposal to follow white AIDS!

One Province, One City

2008-11-28T15:01:00.004+08:00

One of the possible solutions that some Congressmen and local officials are proposing to solve the cityhood wars is to push for the One Province, One City proposal.

This proposal is aimed at converting the capital towns of provinces unless the capital is already a city just like Cebu or Ilo-ilo, into cities, or that the province does not have an existing city or cities yet, like Pangasinan which capital is the town of Lingayen but already has four cities: Alaminos, Dagupan, San Carlos and Urdaneta. In this case the usual cityhood requirements for aspiring municipalities to become cities as embodied in the Local Government Code shall prevail.

If Congress passes this law, then only a few of the 16 cityings could retain their cityhood status. Among the sixteen, only Borongan (Eastern Samar), Tabuk (Kalinga), Mati (Davao Oriental) and Cabadbaran (Agusan del Norte) would qualify under this proposal.

Catbalogan maybe a capital town (of Samar) but Samar already have Calbayog City. The same is true with Tandag (Surigao del Sur) because they already have Bislig City.

While Bayugan (Agusan del Sur) might not qualify too for not being a capital town though Agusan del Sur does not have a city yet.

Some have the double problem of not being capital towns and for being in provinces with existing cities already like Bogo, Carcar and Naga in Cebu Province (Capital is Cebu City); Guihulngan in Negros Oriental (Capital is Dumaguete City); Lamitan in Basilan (Capital is Isabela City); El Salvador in Misamis Oriental (Capital is Cagayan de Oro City plus it already has another existing city, Gingoog City); Baybay in Leyte (Capital is Tacloban City); and Batac in Ilocos Norte (Capital is Laoag City).

Tayabas in Quezon will not be qualified because its province's capital is already a city. Even if the province is finally divided into Quezon del Norte and Quezon del Sur, Tayabas still won't qualify because it will belong to Quezon del Norter which will retain Lucena City as capital. Interestingly, Gumaca which has not applied for cityhood might become a city if Quezon del Sur will be established for being its capital.

However the guidelines in adopting this proposal must be clarified since there are many other capital towns that are not yet cities and they belong to provinces that have no existing cities yet. These are the following:

Bangued, Abra; Kalibo, Aklan; San Jose, Antique; Kabugao, Apayao; Baler, Aurora; Basco, Batanes; Naval, Biliran; Daet, Camarines Norte; Mambajao, Camiguin; Virac, Catanduanes; Nabunturan, Compostela Valley; San Jose, Dinagat Island; Jordan, Guimaras; Lagawe, Ifugao; Bontoc, Mountain Province; Boac, Marinduque; Catarman, Northern Samar; Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya; Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro; Cabarroguis, Quirino; Arabel, Sarangani; Romblon, Romblon; Siquijor, Siquijor; Bongao, Tawi-tawi; and Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay.

While the following capital towns, in addition to Lingayen, Pangasinan, have to follow the normal process as per provisions of RA 9009 since they are in provinces with existing cities already:

Isulan, Sultan Kudarat which already has Tacurong City; La Trinidad, Benguet (has Baguio City); Pili, Camarines Sur (has Iriga and Naga Cities); Imus, Cavite (has Tagaytay, Trece Martires and Cavite Cities); Ilagan, Isabela (has Cauayan and Santiago Cities); Sta. Cruz, Laguna (has Calamba, San Pablo and Sta. Rosa Cities); and Tubod, Lanao del Norte (has Iligan City).

Shariff Aguak in Maguindanao and Iba in Zambales could be considered capital towns of provinces without cities since Cotabato City, an independent component city, and Olongapo City, a highly urbanized city, are not under the administrative power of their respective provinces anymore.

A Glimmer of Hope

2008-11-27T11:41:00.007+08:00

Today is November 27, the Feast of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal.

As we honor the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of our Savior Jesus Christ and the Patroness of the City of Borongan and of the Diocese of Borongan, maybe it is good to pray that the other SC Justices and the members of the LCP may reflect upon the dissenting opinion of Justice Ruben T. Reyes. He wrote,

“What should not be overlooked is that the cityhood laws enjoy the presumption of constitutionality. Petitioners and petitioners-in-intervention bear the heavy burden of overcoming such presumption. However, the majority does exactly the opposite … The exemption on the 16 municipalities is not only based on the fact that they had pending cityhood bills when RA No. 9009 was enacted. Aside from complying with the territory and population requirements of the Local Government Code, these municipalities also met the P20,000,000.00 income threshold of the old Section 450 of the Local Government Code.”

This opinion offers hope that the Supreme Court may still reverse its decision on the 16 cityhood laws.

This would also be an opportunity to establish the precedent that any new law that would be passed should not be implemented to deny municipalities, which have qualified already in accordance with present requirements, from enjoying the right to become cities. This would also inhibit the possibility of passing new amendments to the Local Government Code in order to stop municipalities from filing for cityhood even if they deserve it already just because there are already too many cities or because the country may become a country of cities with no more municipalities. If this happens maybe it would be time to overhaul the entire LGC to conform with such a situation.

After all it is the people of these municipalities that have the final say on the matter through the conduct of a plebiscite. If the people - where sovereignty resides - ratifies a cityhood law, what could mere representatives do against it?

Possible Solutions to the Cityhood Wars

2008-11-26T09:16:00.006+08:00

As of now, the LCP seems to have the upperhand in the cityhood wars. But the "League of 16" is still fighting it out. Aside from waiting for the opportunity to file their unified motion for consideration at the Supreme Court, they also asked the help of Senators and Congressmen on making the necessary action to solve their plight.

Well, the cityhood wars could still be solved.

One of which is a liberal interpretation of the effect of the amendatory law, RA 9009, to the Local Government Code. The Supreme Court might consider looking at the effect of RA 9009 to the 16 citylings as having been retroactively implemented based on the date of their initial qualification and filing for cityhood. The 16 citylings could then be considered as already under the process of conversion under the original income and other requirements hence they ought not to be covered by the amendment anymore. This would be the fastest way for the citylings to score a victory. But still the LCP won't recognize them. (That way they could continue being the League of 16 until such time that they are recognized by the LCP.)

Another solution could be the enactment of another amendment to the Local Government Code. It would be a more tedious process especially that it would require the votes of more people and the Honorable Representatives of the cities could derail the process. However, it would seem to be a more acceptable solution if it succeeds. What could be the amendment? A return to the original income requirements? I am not so sure about that. But some lawmakers actually thought of putting in the law a provision that provinces that do not have cities yet could have their capital towns converted into cities. But then, this would be detrimental to the other citylings that are not capital towns like Tayabas in Quezon, or to citylings that belong to a province with an existing city already like Catbalogan in Samar (Calbayog, which is a strong opponent of the cityhood laws of the 16 citylings, is already there). Also, they have to make sure that it does not violate the so-called equal protection clause.

A third solution could be to allow these citylings to exist as such within the next five years with the provision that they have to achieve the P 100 M locally generated income. Of course they cannot impose new or higher rates of taxes as provided for in their cityhood laws. However they could do so much to increase investments and capitalization. If they fail to achieve the said income requirement, at least they could already make the necessary adjustments during these five years allowance. Of course, a law should also be passed to make this happen.

A fourth one, is for the LCP to reconsider their stand on the issue, withdraw - if it is still possible - their petition, and recognize these citylings already. Then the next thing to do is to push for the proposed adjustment of the sharing of the national wealth/revenues collected by the government from the 60-40 national government-local governments sharing to 50-50. An adjustment could also be made with regards to the division of the LGU shares (like the transfer of the amount of IRA formerly enjoyed by municipalities which are converted into cities to the share for cities).

There could be other and much better ways of solving the cityhood wars than what are stated here without causing so much trouble to the citylings. But hopefully the solution would not be to just take back the status of cityhood and leave the citylings groping in the dark on how they could go on with their operations and the implementation of their programs, projects and activities with a return to their meager IRA shares.

A Case of "Crab Mentality"?

2008-11-25T13:48:00.004+08:00

Yesterday on my way home I was able to ride a tricycle whose driver was aware of the present events about the status of the cityhood of Borongan. He asked me if Mayor Anacta was in the city and when I told him he is in Manila he remarked "ah, they're following up the cityhood case" in the vernacular.

We exchanged ideas on what could happen to the 16 citylings if the Supreme Court rules with finality about the unconstitutionality of the 16 cityhood laws.

I mentioned to him that in the matter of the 20% development fund alone and the 5% calamity fund reserve, the reversion into the status of a municipality would mean a lot already. As a city, the CDF of Borongan stood at about P 65 M while the calamity fund reserve was about P 14 M.

If Borongan reverts into a city, the CDF would decrease to only about P 12 M while the calamity fund reserve would go down to only P 3 M. I also told him that the LCP could have regained their lost IRA if they only waited for it because the IRA normally increase yearly. Or else they could push through with their plan to request the national government to adjust the 60-40 national government-local governments sharing of the national wealth from revenue collections to 50-50.

He then mentioned about "crab mentality". He told me in the vernacular that it seems to be that Filipinos really have this so-called "crab mentality". The other cities, instead of helping other LGUs wanted to keep themselves financially protected, he commented.

Well, as I stated in a previous blog, if the Supreme Court seals their support of the LCP petition, the LCP would have a very strong bases to stop municipalities and groups of barangays from acquiring the status of cityhood by just urging their representatives in Congress to pass amendments to the income requirement or to the other requirements such as population and land area just to deny applicant-LGUs from achieving cityhood.

That would surely be a big case of crab mentality!

The Real Losers in the Cityhood Wars

2008-11-24T09:27:00.005+08:00

The League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) claimed that their constituents lost a lot due to the wholesale conversion of municipalities into cities. Because of it, their IRA got severe cuts from a few millions pesos to tens of millions of pesos.

They had a valid claim. Even just a million pesos spell a lot especially to those cities trying to maintain their cityhood without earning a substantial locally generated income for their projects, programs and activities.

If the Supreme Court decides with finality the unconstitutionality of the 2007 cityhood laws, they would regain their lost IRA.

And surely they would rejoice over it!

While the 16 cities who will be denied the opportunity to enjoy the blessings of cityhood will have to revert back to the status of municipality and receive once again their meager IRAs.

This would mean that their programs, projects and activities that have been anchored on their increased IRA would have to be junked. If the LCP members lost a few tens of millions of IRA, these 16 citylings would lose not just that, not only the hundreds of millions that they enjoyed for a while and have relied on for their projects, programs and activities many of which are mandated by the national government but are supposed to be locally funded, with or without a bigger IRA.

These citylings would also lose the opportunities for faster growth, development and progress. Of course they could still grow, develop and progress but at what rate? We canot deny the fact that cities attract development better than municipalities especially for municipalities that are not along the natural corridors of trace and commerce.

Cities attract more people, more people means more economic activities, and more economic activities create business opportunities, with more investors pouring in capital and more jobs created as a consequence. Then it would lessen poverty and increase the quality of life of the constituents.

The reversion to the status of municipality would take away this chance.

Because of this, not only the citylings would stand to lose. Not only their constituents even. But the immediate vicinities where these citylings are located, in particular, and entire country in general.

Why?

With a more vibrant economy for these citylings, there would be a natural developmental effect on the immediate environs too. Look at Metro Manila. From just four cities out of the 17 LGUs in the time of the late President Marcos only Pateros remains a municipality now. And the Provinces of Laguna, Rizal, Cavite, Bulacan and even as far as Batangas, Pampanga and Tarlac are already experiencing growth and development.

Cebu City has led to the growth of Lapu-lapu and Mandaue Cities and the towns around them.

Negros Occidental is almost a province of cities already with only four municipalities left.

Even Calbayog City which has been a sleeping city for many years until the mid 90s have already started sharing the fruits of its efforts to the municipalities around it.

Catbalogan has made enourmous progress already with just one year of becoming a city. Baybay has made an impact on the lives of the people of western Leyte already. Borongan was able to fund its own infrastructure projects and developmental programs because of the conversion to cityhood.

For the new cities there have been increases in the funding not only for infrastructure projects but most of all for social services. More medicines, more medical equipment, more health services, more assistance to indigents, more funds for livelihood programs, more funds for agriculture, more funds for local fisheries, more funds for the development of tourism potentials, more funds to support attached agencies such as the DILG family (DILG office, PNP, BFP, BJMP), more funds to support the courts stationed in their areas, more attention to education through the establishments of city shools divisions, and so on and so forth.

Looking at a different perspective, the conversion of these municipalities into cities was just like some kind of redistribution of the national wealth to more people. It was some kind of fulfilling the national government's program of poverty alleviation and distribution of national wealth. It was an opportunity to accomplish the program of providing livelihood and jobs to more poeple through the implementation of projects, programs and activities that the citylings were able to do because of increased IRA.

Of course it is true that many of these citylings would not be able to stand on their own yet, without the IRA. But then again as we stated above, the conversion to cityhood offered more opportunituies for them to acheive growth and financial stability than by remaining municipalities.

Who then will stand to lose if these citylings are reverted into municipalities?

Naturally the first victims would be the poor people of these citylings. Secondly the other constituents of these citylings. Thirdly, the people of the LGus around these citylings. And then the Government of the Philippines itself which will lose partners in the fight against poverty.

The LCP might gain a lot if the Supreme Court nails the door to the 16 citylings.

But amidst their laughter a lot more will be shedding tears.

Burning the Midnight Lamp for Cityhood

2008-11-21T10:19:00.006+08:00

Last night I had to stay up and working for the sake of cityhood.

It is not because I was hoping that if ever my share in the efforts to reverse the SC decision on the unconstitutionality of the cityhood laws would have positive result I would be able to get my much dreamed of regular position in this Local Government Unit.

Well, honestly, it is part of it.

But more than that I did it for the sake of my three-year old son (and the other children of the City of Borongan). In some other blog I stated that it is not because of IRA increase alone that a municipality aspires for cityhood. It is also a fact that cities attract development and progress more than municipalities because of the increase of people which leads to increase in business activity and the infusion of investments. Naturally there would be the result of more infrastructures, increase in services, greater efforts for efficiency and effectiveness, and more. It has a domino effect really and only a city that sleeps on these opportunities would fail to succeed.
Going back to my son, I want to leave him a legacy which he would be proud of. This legacy is the opening of doors that lead to development and progress through cityhood. Of course progress would come to any locality but being a city offers a much faster chance of attaining it.

I am saddened when I read and hear comments and remarks making fun of those who support the cityhood. As if it would only benefit a limited number of people and that they who mock the ciudadanos would never enjoy - and seemingly not enjoying - the blessings of cityhood.

To say that cityhood benefits only a few people is tantamount to accepting failure without accepting the challenge and without fighting for the right to enjoy the benefits of cityhood. If there is one thing that we have to thank about for this conversion it is the opportunity to change things especially with regards to political awareness and people empowerment.

If I have to spend many other evenings burning that midnight lamp for the sake of cityhood, it is not because of my personal interests anymore by of my son's future and the future of the other children of this cityling.

May more ciudadanos earn their right to enjoy the benefits of cityhood by also sacrificing the sweet call of sleep when there is the need to keep vigil and be awake.

A Possible Precedent against Future Aspiring Cities

2008-11-20T08:58:00.005+08:00

RA 9009 would probably set a precedence against municipalities aspiring to become cities.

Right now, its income requirement seems to have finally been imposed upon the 16 new cities whose charters the Supreme Court decided to be unconstitutional. Originally the income requirement was a mere P 20 M IRA as enshrined in the Local Government Code (RA 7160). RA 9009 amended this income requirement to become P 100 M locally generated income. However those municipalities that have already filed their intention to be converted into cities requested to be exempted from this amendment claiming that they have already filed for cityhood before its enactment. Congress granted the request and the municipalities got their wish last year.

But the League of Cities (LCP) reacted and filed a case against the new cities and yesterday the Supreme Court voting 7-5 with 2 abstentions and 1 Justice on leave supported the protest of the LCP declaring the 16 cityhood charters as unconstitutional.

The LCP is happy with the result, naturally.

And somehow through this victory they got an opportunity to maintain their number. What do I mean?

Since RA 9009 was able to deny the new cities their right to become cities through the increase in income requirements even if they have already qualified and filed for cityhood under the then existing income requirements in RA 7160, naturally, the LCP could use the same technicality in the future. If many municipalities would again be able to achieve the P 100 M locally generated income, their representatives in Congress would just have to amend the income requirement again. And with this Supreme Court decision they already have a precedent to base upon their case once again.

Aspiring cities would then have to achieve so much more income first before being capable of qualifying and filing for cityhood!

I fear to see the other consequences of these things.

Supreme Court rejects Cityhood of 16 New Cities

2008-11-19T12:38:00.005+08:00

With a 7-5 vote the Supreme Court declared the 16 cityhood laws including that of the City of Borongan as unconstitutional. Well, the Supreme Court has spoken. But what has the five dissenting Justices have to say?

Personally I am saddened by the decision not only because I am personally affected and will be personally affected by it but because the future of about half of the more than 60,000 Boronganons and perhaps half of the entire population of Eastern Samar (and half of the populations of the other cities) would now depend again on the meager income that the municipality earns. Of course one of the things that was given weigh in the decision is the capability of the municipalities to financial sustenance as cities. But again that is something that the rules on cityhood does not explicitly state. Nowhere in the Constitution or the Local Government Code is it stated that one of the requirements for cityhood is financial sustenance but merely the attainment of this amount of income.

Yes it is true that the Local Government Code has been amended by RA 9009 and the original income requirement of P 20M IRA was increased to P 100M locally generated income. But that amendment was done years after the 16 municipalities have already filed their intention to become cities. According to the principle of legislation, the municipalities should have been exempted. We do not change the rules of the game in the middle. If we must change the rules, we have to wait to implement it on another occasion.

I don't know if it can still be reversed. But with two Justices abstaining and one on leave, we can say that the decision could have been the other way around. It is just so bad that one of those who abstained was from the Eastern Visayas region even if his region had three of those 16 cities that have been greatly affected by the said decision. I don't wish to question his wisdom on the matter though.

But as for now we cannot do anything but to accept the decision the same way that the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) waited for this occasion. They will surely be jubiliating right now. Particularly that they regained their lost IRA. As regards the admonition for legality? Aside from the fact that it is a decision of the Supreme Court I still believe that the aborted cities has the legal right to claim that they should have been accorded the respect to be exempted from a law that has been crafted years after they have filed for cityhood!

With this thing happening, I can't imagine, I don't wish to imagine, what rights and privileges could be denied or aborted again in the years to come.

(Perhaps time will come that when many municipalities would be capable of attaining P 100 M locally generated income and they apply for cityhood, the LCP will once again try to make an effort to increase the income requirement even when the municipalities have already filed their intentions to become new cities!)

Guilty Until proven Innocent

2008-11-18T14:49:00.000+08:00

According to the principle of the law, someone is presumed innocent until proven guilty. We leave it to the courts to declare a person's guilt after the required processes are consummated. Hence someone who may have violated a law or have committed a crime is called a suspect while his or her case is being heard.

However, someone who is being suspected of committing a crime or any violation of the law is almost already considered a criminal and not merely a suspect by many people. Instead of being assumed innocent, it is many times a fight to uphold one's innocence. He or she is tagged guilty until proven innocent.

Perhaps this is especially true when the suspect is someone who tried to evade the wheels of justice. Usually, when a person is innocent, he or she does not fear to face trial. But when someone has something to do with a wrong or a crime that is being alluded to him or her, there is that natural tendency to flee.

I am not saying that Mr. Jocjoc Bolante is guilty. But he maybe someone falling under this tag of being guilty until he proves himself innocent. Why run away from the Senate investigation in 2005 if he is innocent. Surely, he did not have to escape from a respectable institution if he does not have anything to hide. And surely the Senate would never harm him in any way. Or was he afraid to be harmed by somebody else?

Mr. Bolante tried to ask the United States government to grant him political assylum because he would be persecuted here in his own country. For what? By whom?

Now that he is back and has the chance to set things right, perhaps Mr. Bolante ought to really spill the beans and say everything that he know about the scam. Until such time that he satisfactorily divulges everything, the Filipino people will surely be asking for questions. And eternally question the right of the present administration to lead this country. But even if the present administration survives the scandal, history will surely have a very unfriendly comment on it.

The Bible says that the truth shall set one free. Mr. Bolante ought to reflect on this. According to some people he is an honorable man. He is a Rotarian, is he not? Perhaps Mr. Blante ought to make some real introspection and decide whether or not he would willingly keep what he ought to reveal or be remembered in history as someone who could have made a great difference in the lives of 88 million Filipinos but remained silent and dishonest.

Maybe I am just judging him unfairly. Maybe he is not trying to cover up the wrongdoings of other people. Maybe he has acted on his own. But would at least 44 million Filipinos believe him that he has done nothing wrong and that somebody else has done nothing wrong when he tried to evade the investigation in the first place?

Surely he is not a Rizal who would rather be shot in Bagumbayan for the sake of his beloved fatherland. He is not also a Ninoy who would be willing to be shot upon the tarmac. He is not even a Jun Lozada.

He is more of a Neri (someone who could also do some great things for the country if he chooses to talk about what he really knows).

But would he be comfortable about being defended by his granchildren when they are taunted by their peers that their lolo is unpatriotic, dishonest, corrupt, or criminal?