Politics amidst the massacre

The Maguindanao massacre has left us all in shock, anger and frustration over the political system in our country. This is an early wake up call for all of us to be more vigilant as the May 2010 elections come near.

The entire nation challenged the presidency to do something about the possible involvement of her biggest ally down South - the Ampatuans. The government was dared to make arrests among the possibly involved members of the clan. There was also the clamor to expel the Ampatuans out of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD, the administration party.

Yesterday, Gibo Teodoro met up with his teammates in Lakas and the party has finally decided to indeed expel the three - Andal Sr., Andal Jr., and Zaldy. To me this is not only an act of personal outrage. It is more of an act of being decisive at the fastest time possible considering the circumstances of the case. Gibo decided that he and his partymates expel the Ampatuans for failure to uphold party principles and objectives. To me this is the wisest thing for him to do. Thumbs up for Mr. Teodoro.

The President vowed to get to the bottom of this incident and to let justice prevail. Politics is only secondary now because the journalists, lawyers, innocent passers-by and relatives deserve to get all the justice in the world. Indeed no stones are to be left unturned. No one is untouchable in the eyes of the law.

The recent news of Andal Jr.'s arrest is another big step. Hopefully in the coming days, all the 100 gunmen be apprehended as well.

Hacienda Luisita nanaman

Kahapon ang anebersaryo ng Hacienda Luisita Massacre. Ngayon naman ang pagpupulong ng mga Cojuangco sa Tarlac kung ano ang kanilang gagawin sa naturang isyu ng mga magsasaka sa lupain sa hacienda.

Nais ng mga magsasaka na mapasakanila ang parte ng lupa na kanilang sinasaka na siyang naaayon sa Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program na mismong si Corazon Aquino ang nagpatupad. Subalit pilit nila Noynoy i-apela sa Korte Suprema ang desisyon ng Department of Agrarian Reform na nagpapawalang bisa sa Stock Distribution Option ng management ng hacienda.

Ayun sa nasabing Stock Distribution Option na iyon, ang Hacienda Luisita ay hindi kabilang sa mga lupain na isasa-ilalim sa CARP. Sa SDO na iyan, ang mga manggagawa ng asukal ay naging stock holders at pang-arawang manggawa na tumatanggap ng P9.50 bawat araw subalit wala namang parte sa benta.

Gibo at Edu

Finally, may ka-tandem na si Gibo! Walang iba kundi si Mr. Edu Manzano. Yes, si Edu na host ng Game Ka Na Ba? Si Edu na ex ni Vilma Santos. Si Edu na tatay ni Luis Manzano.

Matapos ang matagal na paghahanap at pamimili sa mga nasa Lakas-Kampi-CMD ay napagdesisyunan ng partido na i-anunsyo na si Edu Manzano nga ang Vice Presidential bet ng administrasyon. Matatandaan na ang unang napili ay si Sec. Ronaldo Puno ng DILG. Subalit kamakailan lang ay inanunsyo rin nito na hindi na niya itutuloy ang pagkandidato.

Si Edu Manzano ay kagalang-galang na personalidad. Naiiba siya sa karamihan ng nasa showbiz industry dahil makikitaan siya ng mahuhusay na kapasidad ng isang public servant. Ito ay isang hindi pangkarinawang katangian sa ating mga artista.

Goodluck na lang sa lahat ng mga tatakbo.

Gibo ratings finally up

In what is likely to be called the biggest development for Gibo since the announcement of his being the administration party's standard bearer, his ratings have improved and his rank significantly went up in the survey results from the Issues and Advocacy Center (The Center), in its last quarterly Pulso ng Bayan survey from Oct. 19 to 26.

Sec. Gilbert Teodoro shifted to Lakas-Kampi-CMD some months ago. That decision caused him to become the party's standard-bearer, setting aside Bayani Fernando. Gibo, a cousin of Noynoy Aquino, has placed 5th in the aforementioned poll recently conducted. That is a significant indicator that people are beginning to notice him, people are looking at a better Cojuangco.

Well, this great achievement should continue until the polls. Kudos!

EO 289: Oil prize freeze

Under Executive Order 839, oil industry players are directed to retain the level of the retail price of petroleum products prevailing on October 15, 2009 or one week after the last landfall of typhoon Pepeng.

However, notwithstanding the implementation of this EO, oil companies still insist that they will incur too much losses when this EO continues and is not lifted as soon as possible.

The target of this executive order is to help the consumers who are end-users of petroleum products to be unburdened by high prices of commodities which is usually the consequence of the high price of petroleum.

The oil price freeze has again caused these capitalist oil companies from saying stories of possible shortage of supply of fuel in the coming days. These oil giants warned that if the oil price freeze is not lifted, there might be a possibility that the firms will not import oil products from the refineries outside the Philippines. Neither would they sell at a loss.

Nonetheless, with this existing fear of shortage the government will do its best to avoid this scenario without giving up on the whims of these capitalist oil players. It is said that there is a scheduled meeting tomorrow on the part of the members of the executive department to find a solution on this impending crisis.

Noynoy and Luisita

Yesterday I read Patricia Evangelista's column in the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Her article yesterday was interesting as she gave her insights about Noynoy Aquino's decision to run for President vis-a-vis the indecision of the Aquino family to give up their ownership over Hacienda Luisita to its tenants-farmers despite the existence of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.

Here's the article.

Jesus in yellow
Patricia Evangelista
http://archive.inquirer.net/view.php?db=1&story_id=234874

THE GRASS IS YELLOW OUTSIDE THE GATES OF HACIENDA Luisita. Jesus walked here once.

His father watched him die, almost five years to this day. Nov. 16 was when close to 15,000 tenants gathered to protest their treatment under the Cojuanco-owned Hacienda Luisita. Dispersal units charged with a thousand soldiers in full battle gear. The Northern Command numbered over five hundred. Stones and shouts, water cannons, tanks that barreled into gates. It was three in the afternoon. The sun burned yellow. The father heard it first: rifle cracks, a barrage of bullets punching through bodies. Jesus died that day, one of seven reported union deaths. They tell me there are more whose names were never reported.

They called it a massacre. Sen. Benigno Aquino III called it propaganda.

On that day, Federico Laza and other farmhands loaded the 38-year-old Jesus into a tricycle. The father wept and Jesus bled. It was too late when they brought him to the hospital. The police claimed they found powder burns on Jesus’ hands, proof he, too, had a gun. The autopsy said otherwise.

Today, Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III runs for president of the country his father died for.

I believed in him, not very long ago. I believed in him in spite of a long-ago interview on Hacienda Luisita, on his first run as senator. As it happened, I was standing by Federico Laza, looking at a death certificate, while Noynoy claimed the dead were Manila radicals shipped to Tarlac for the purpose of terrorizing the hacienda. He said the farmers were content, and that all I knew were left-wing lies. The Cojuangcos still own Luisita, even if on paper they are meant to share profit with the same starving farmers who are worse off now than before they were made to sign land meant for them into stock market shares.

And still I was glad Noynoy was running, believed his mistakes, and his mother’s, were a result of their class and could change in the lead-up to 2010. I believed he could bring together a scattered field of candidates, pare down the fight between administration and opposition. I believed that the myth of the Aquinos behind him would be enough to convince his rivals to throw their support behind one candidate, and allow him to prove he was not just a paper doll hero, a crudely-cut outline of his parents. I was afraid he might lose. Now I am afraid he may win. I wish I still believed in him, because without him there’s very little left in the rogue’s gallery of would-be leaders.

For months he has been leading headlines. The Aquino son, soaring on the wings of heroes. His rivals have not stepped back; the field is still open. A fever sweeps through the media, crowning Noynoy, the man who has yet to say anything that is not an echo of the old revolution. Remember my father. Remember my mother. Vote for me, and you vote for them. And that is all. It has been months since he became suddenly the nation’s moral choice, and there is little resembling platform, policy or position. Miracle, they call him. This is the revolution, say his supporters. This is Edsa. So he may not be as intelligent. So he may not be as articulate. So he may not have proven himself. And because we are faced with the usual array of the corrupt and the devout, we wait, we believe. And we are rewarded, in all its cinematic splendor, by a music video.

The scene is a forest, in the dark of the night. Yellow shirts and soft yellow light, Regine Velasquez by a fire in the woods, singing of togetherness and unity and a farewell to fear. There is the small child, offering a bamboo torch to the senator. There is talk show host Boy Abunda, standing on a boat manned by a young boy. There is Kris Aquino, Noynoy’s sister, who is rumored to have been wining and dining A-list celebrities to support her brother. It is national unity via television ratings: the top stars of the warring networks linked by yellow. ABS-CBN’s darlings of prime time television are lit beautifully in the flickering firelight, holding their bamboo torches, hair bouncing as they walk, smiling soulfully into the distance. The camera lets GMA7’s number one love team Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera look lovingly at each other as they walk on, a smiling Sharon Cuneta raises a lantern, Ogie Alcasid marches with torch. There is the odd farmer and soldier, but it’s clear who the stars are. And so the full shot, a great phalanx of torch-bearing, yellow-clad men and women marching to battle, the celebrities at the front lines. Through it all, Noynoy smiles at children, at people, at the camera, smiles blankly, and you can almost hear him count in his head the seconds before he has to turn to the lens. In the end, he leaps awkwardly up to a mound of soil, surrounded by his beautiful constituency, and a sun explodes behind him in shattering brilliance.

In a nation where government responsibility has shifted to the media, and calls for aid are directed to newsroom desks instead of the hotlines of the National Disaster Coordinating Council, this sort of move isn’t particularly surprising. A united GMA7 and ABS-CBN may seem like the best of metaphors for a united nation, but it says very much about the sort of man Noynoy Aquino is. Flanked by stars, surrounded by celebrities, content to ride on the waving banner stamped with his parents’ faces. There is no message, other than that personality is king. There are no voices, not even his. His defenders say it’s not the time for campaign—and yet that video rolls on and on in prime time television. You are not alone, they say, but who stands with you? Anne Curtis? Ate Shawie? Marielle Rodriguez? Just recently, Noynoy promised to give up his share of Hacienda Luisita, and yet denies knowing of eviction notices to farmers even while the case sits in the Supreme Court. Laza continues to march in rallies, five years after a bullet ripped a good man away. Nothing has changed, the same songs, the same names, the same injustices.

They say the miracles are colored yellow now—the yellow of thick lengths of ribbon, the triumphant swags of bright flag, the inside edge of a flame on a bamboo torch held up to a camera lens, the same yellow of grass outside the gates of Hacienda Luisita, where a man named Jesus once walked with his father.

Noynoy and Chiz

Two big events have occurred within the week.

First, as we all know, is the Mar-Korina wedding. The couple have finally tied the knot and exchange vows during their big wedding which was attended by politicians, showbiz personalities, and members of both families. Political personalities from the administration and the opposition arrived, clad in their designer ternos and barong tagalog.

photo courtesy of inquirer.net

Former Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima and other personalities within and around politics expressed their hopes that Noynor and Mar will get their sweet victory in the 2010 elections. Oh well, as expected, Kris Aquino and Korina Sanchez will use their connections with different names and groups to campaign for Mar and Noynoy. These two chismosas and maarte girls in ABS-CBN will surely exert every effort to make sure the men will win.

The second big event this week is Chiz Escudero's announcement that he is leaving the Nationalist People's Coalition on the argument that a presidential aspirant should not have any political party in order to properly bring about change and good governance.

Chiz, however, said that he does note exclude from his options the possibility of abandoning his presidential bid. He has not made up his mind yet whether he would run or not. His fickle-mindedness or his lack of a long term plan is a sign that he is not yet prepared for the big role of the presidency.

Or could it be that Danding Cojuangco is not so willing to fund NPC's bet because he already expressed his support to Noynoy Aquino. Hmmm... Another interesting turnaround in Philippine politics.

On the Relief Goods @ the DSWD Warehouses

It has not been a week since a blogger sent shockwaves to the entire web community when an article about the relief goods stocked at the DSWD warehousese remained undelivered or unpacked. Due to the heavy traffic her site received, it crashed as it could no longer handle the visits. Too bad, she caught too much attention.

Well, the DSWD has already said it's piece through the honorable Secretary Cabral. Here is here response which I think we should all take time to read in order to understand instead of simply believing in malicious reports from various personalities or groups.

Statement of Dr. Esperanza Cabral on the issue of relief goods in the DSWD Warehouse

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) manages the National Relief Operations Center (NROC) which is the facility for processing and storage of relief goods that are purchased by the Department or donated to us by generous individuals both here and abroad. The relief goods are released to our Regional Offices or directly to evacuation centers or to the local government units as they are needed and requested by these entities. They are delivered in trucks, many of which were lent to us by private companies or by military vehicles. Some of the goods are shipped by air from nearby Villamor Airbase.

When typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng hit the country, we received and are continuing to receive donations. Our warehouses are indeed full, inspite of the fact that we have distributed 500,000 food packs and 200,000 clothing packs as well as thousands of sacks of rice, blankets, beddings, and items of personal hygiene in the past almost 4 weeks. That is the reason why when asked if we still have enough goods, my constant reply is yes, so far we do, thanks to the many kind-hearted individuals and organizations as well as countries who responded and are still responding to the plight of the typhoon victims.

There are no rotting relief goods in our warehouses as we do not keep perishables there and the relief goods that are there, save for the donated old clothes are quite new since they have been either recently purchased by us or have been just donated.

Our goods are repacked by volunteers who are there because they want to help. But they are volunteers and report when they have time to help us. Sometimes there are two hundred of them and sometimes there are only a dozen. However many or few they are, we appreciate their presence and their assistance. Weekdays are usually quiet but on Saturdays and Sundays, the students, along with others who work Monday to Friday, including our own employees, are there.

Our staff at the warehouse work round the clock even now, making sure that the requests for relief goods are met in a timely manner. They work hard, they work quietly and they work humbly and I feel bad that they have been subjected to public vilification that they do not deserve.

I do not recall having talked to an Editor of Philippine News. I do remember my secretary telling me that someone was on the phone asking why there were no volunteers working at the warehouse. My reply was we do not own the time of the volunteers. I wish that I could have prevented the deaths from typhoons but in fact, they have nothing to do with the relief goods that we are in charge of. Most of the deaths were from drowning or injuries sustained during the typhoon. Some died of illnesses. We are not in charge of rescue nor are we in charge of health and to the best of my knowledge, none of the deaths was due to absence of or delay in the delivery of relief goods.

We would like to assure all of you that the relief goods will reach the intended beneficiaries as they become necessary and will be used only to assist them. However, the relief goods don’t all go out at the same time and an empty warehouse is not proof that the goods were used properly just as a full warehouse is not evidence that the goods are being hoarded. If you visit our websitewww.dswd.gov.ph you will find updates on our activities related to typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng. It includes an updated list of donations received and goods released from the DSWD warehouse.

There are many aspects of disaster response. They include recovery and rehabilitation and in both instances, goods and other resources are still needed. In the initial reaction to a calamity, people will want to help and as we saw recently, they came in droves, offering their time, their talent and their resources. We want them to know how much we appreciate them for what they have done and what they are still doing. But further down the road, when the initial flush of generosity gives way to donor fatigue, there will remain only a few hardy NGOs and volunteers and the workers of the DSWD and other government agencies to continue the job of helping the disaster victims back on their feet. Judicious use of resources at the outset is imperative lest we face the situation of even greater want after a period of relative plenty. We at the DSWD wish to assure you that your trust in us is not misplaced. Thank you.

Can he or can he not?

Section 4. The President and the Vice-President shall be elected by direct vote of the people for a term of six years which shall begin at noon on the thirtieth day of June next following the day of the election and shall end at noon of the same date, six years thereafter. The President shall not be eligible for any re-election. No person who has succeeded as President and has served as such for more than four years shall be qualified for election to the same office at any time.

-Sec. 4, Article VII, 1987 Philippine Constitution

This provision in our beloved Constitution is the most memorized provision at this time. We all know why. The debates were opened by Erap's decision to run for president in the 2010 elections. Jojo Binay is his running mate.

Actually there is no "actual" controversy yet, since there is yet no justiciable issue. In political law, a justiciable issue "implies a given right, legally demandable and enforceable, an act or omission violative of such right, and a remedy granted and sanctioned by law, for said breach of right."

Under the given facts of Erap's "announcing" his bid for president, there is only the need to wait until Erap files his candidacy. Anybody can now question the constitutionality of such act.

Now to the main talk of the town, can Erap really run in the 2010 elections?

IMHO, he cannot. The PRESIDENT cannot run for reelection. Clearly, what Erap is doing is reelection. Notwithstanding the fact that he did not finish his term, he has been duly elected in 2008 as president. That being the case, the constitutional bar applies. He was proclaimed president, he served as president, and he was president, thus he cannot run for reelection.

The point is very simple to make. The legal luminaries on Estrada's camp make the different twists to the one controversial sentence we all have memorized right now.

The unacceptable comeback

Erap and Binay have declared their respective bids for the presidency and the vice-presidency already. Well, this is what we have expected a long time ago. It's official, Erap was not able to unite the opposition he and obviously did not really want the opposition to have a lone candidate.

Binay, on the other hand, the kiss-ass that he is, has accepted the indorsement for VP. Whew! The chief executive of Makati who has his own graft and corruption cases is reaching for his star.

As usual Binay made nasty side comments against the current administration, like he always does. That's what he's good at.

It's time to be vigilant again. Not because they appear to be for the masa it already means they will indeed work for the masa. Look at the apparent contrast between the two. Erap who says he will serve the masses and Binay who usually sides with the big businessmen in Makati. How's that for a tandem?

Bantay Donasyon

Relief operations centers are still overflowing with donations from various donors, whether coming from within the Philippines or from our kababayans abroad.

Some TV networks brag about their collection to have reached millions and millions of pesos, not failing to mention the big names of the donors. I actually wonder why there is the need to publicize how much have been gathered by the networks.

If they indeed have these huge sums, why can't they just use it for building houses or classrooms, or for putting up livelihood training centers which can better help the victims of the calamities?

I'm beginning to believe my friend who said that foundations indeed make money out of the donations they collect. Tsk tsk.

Addendum to Survey Says

The September 18-21 survey of the SWS had a rider. A rider was defined as a privately-commissioned set of questions. This rider was attached to the SWS September 18-21 Survey, and it addressed the questions of who, specifically, voters would vote for, for the presidency and for the vice-presidency, and possible tandems of president and vice-president.

Below is a copy of the rider which I copied from this Inquirer blog.


It is interesting to note that the names in the list were all from the opposition. Not a single name allied to the present administration is included. The privately-commissioned set of questions seem to have deliberately omitted the likes of Teodoro or even Fernando. There is not a single name of any religious-affiliated aspirant.

What does that mean?

Indeed it is mind-conditioning.

Survey says

Today's editorial of the Daily Tribune (Tribune) is a very interesting read. It's so interesting that it told of the real intentions behind the release of the SWS surveys every quarter.




The most recent survey result showed LP's bet Noynoy Aquino getting 60% votes and Manny Villar of the Nacionalista Party got 37%, followed by former President Joseph Estrada with 18% and Sen. Chiz Escudero with 15 %.

But the manner by which these results were obtained was quite unusual. Instead of asking the respondent who is their top pick (note that it's in the singular), the survey asked the respondents who are their top picks (that's in the plural) for the presidency, choosing three candidates each. Thus, the 60% vote that Noynoy got does not necessarily mean that he was indeed the top pick. With two other choices in the selection, then it would naturally mean he shared the rank with some other choices.

Clearly, this is indeed one of the many ways that surveys tend to condition the mind of the people. In 2007 SWS and Pulse Asia surveys began this conditioning of the minds of the electorate. And now, SWS is obviously doing it again.

This recent survey is like preparing an instant 3-in-1 coffee mix in order to put SWS clients Aquino and Villar in good positions. Well Mr. Mangahas is apparently taking good care of his clients.

We can't be fooled by these surveys which treat us like idiots who know nothing about simple mathematics and logic.

Relief Ops aka Advance Campaign ni Noynoy at Manny

Two strong typhoons hit the Philippines in just two weeks. The relief efforts during the aftermath were overwhelming and I can personally say that the Filipino spirit of Bayanihan is very much alive in each one of us.

But what disturbs me are the reports that there are some politicians who make use of the relief operations as an advance campaign mechanism.

For one, a photo was uploaded on the internet by a concerned citizen, which showed a food pack distributed by Manny Villar but which food pack bears the good Senator's name. Not only that. I also saw pictures of bottles of water and some clothings with photo's of the same Senator printed on it. He also personally indorses the show Wowowee and he even goes around distributing relief goods along with Mr. Willie Revillame.

Then there's Noynoy Aquino's own relief operations where volunteers are encouraged (daw) to wear yellow while on their shifts in packing goods. Of course, there are streamers of the also good Senator in some calamity stricken provinces.

Tsk tsk.

I will not upload their pictures in this blog because doing so would just provide them additional publicity. I don't want to contribute to the popularity of politicians like them.

Helping should be done wholeheartedly, not for purposes of getting the people's votes for the coming elections.

Angkas ng angkas

Funny text my friend got this morning.

"Si Erap may jeep ng masa. Si Villar may Bilyon. Si Chiz naman may NPC. Si Noynoy? Nakikiangkas lang. Sumakay sa pangalan ng ama at ina. Sa ads puro TY dahil may ABS-CBN at Inquirer naman. Pati sa donasyon at kampanya humihingi pa ng piso piso. Hanggang kailan ka aasa sa pera at kasikatan ng iba? Be ur own man."

These speaks so much about Noynoy Aquino capability to stand on his own once the real campaign begins. It's a challenge for him to move away from the popularity of his parents and his sister and do his own thing. If he can't this early, how much more when he becomes president?

We don't want someone who can't stand up on his own two feet, do we?

typhoons and politics

The week that was was indeed full of stories - heroic, sad, funny, incredible, and even political.

As typhoon Ondoy flooded the whole of Metro Manila and some of its neighboring provinces, politicians and celebrities alike came up like mushrooms in their various efforts to help in the relief operations. There were celebrities who bragged about their heroic deeds (Richard Guttierez) while some others remained quiet (Gerald Anderson and Jericho Rosales) and it was their neighbors who praised them for their courageous acts.

Of course politicians, especially the presidentiables, stealthily managed to publicly announce what they did for the victims of Ondoy: PNRC chair Gordon, the Noynoy-Mar tandem, Manny Villar and Willie Revillame's operations using the latter's choppers, etc. Gilbert Teodoro is technically not included because he has the official duty in manning the disaster response and relief operations on the part of the government as a whole. At least Gibo's acts were not politicially motivated as it was really his duty as DND head.

The preemptive evacuation in preparation for typhoon Pepeng was effective. It caused many of our kababayans in the north to be in safer ground as the storm passed through during the weekend.

***

News has it that the Senate is investigating what happened during the Ondoy onslaught that caused the massive floods all over. I doubt there would even be an inch of partiality in this investigation since most Senators would probably focus on self-righteous actions in preparation for their political bids.

Shelter for Ondoy's victims

Looks like the victims of Typhoon Ondoy are very lucky to be able to enjoy the comfort of the Malacañang halls as temporary shelter away from the crowded evacuation centers where they came from.

Residents of Brgy. Tatalon and Agno in Quezon City were accomodated by Palace officials and were fetched by the President herself on Tuesday night and were brought to Malacañang Palace. These families were treated with nice meals and comfy bed foams at the Mabini Hall as well as in the Ceremonial Hall of the presidential residence.

This gracious act of the President is noteworthy because it has been years since the residence of the chief-executive has accomodated ordinary citizens. It is worth emulating for other politicians from well-to-do families or who were born with silver spoons in their mouths. This act of kindness from GMA is a step towards bringing the people closer to the government.

To help or not to

It is just unfortunate that some politicians made use of a national tragedy in order to pursue their respective political agendas.

I was browsing my facebook account when I suddenly saw a link posted by one of my friends regarding Manny Villar and his relief operations. The picture showed a packed food which was labeled as "tulong galing kay Manny Villar." Below the sign was a V symbol, which obviously represents Villar. I still can't confirm the veracity of the picture. But, given Manny's penchant for publicity stunts, I will not be surprised if this is indeed true.

Time and again, the former Senate president has proven to all of us how dedicated he is in promoting and advertising himself. His numerous appearances in Willie Revillame's noontime show, "Wowowee," is a clear proof of his lust for media attention. This incident is no exception to that. Not even a crisis of this magnitude will stop this man from campaigning prematurely.

Many of our kababayans are in dire need of help. Any kind of donation (money or in kind) is welcome as long as it well help alleviate their sufferings. However, if helping our calamity stricken countrymen is made because of a vested interest, then it's much better if they just withheld their donation.

Malacañang serves as relief operations and evacuation center

Typhoon Ondoy has devastated many cities and surrounding provinces in the NCR and Region IV-A. Relief operation centers have been set up by government authorities and private organizations to assist the victims of the typhoon.

News has it that Malacañang Palace has been converted into a relief operations center. Volunteers can send their donations at the Kalayaan Hall. Malacañang is also being used right now as temporary evacuation center.

We can disseminate this information to all our kababayans who need assistance, especially those near the area. Goods that will be received will also be distributed to the cities and provinces affected.

News links:
http://www.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2001751&Itemid=1

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=509599&publicationSubCategoryId=63

OFWs Home Sweet Home

Not only Manny Villar can bring home OFWs. President Gloria Arroyo brought along with her 121 Overseas Filipino Workers yesterday, all from Saudi Arabia. The President came back from her latest trip abroad with the 119 OFWs who have escaped abusive employers, some are undocumented workers.

This would not be possible were it not for the hard work of the officers and staff of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office (POLO) in the said Arab country as well as the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration (OWWA) who expedited the documents necessary for the repatriation of the workers.

Kudos to Gloria and the rest of the government officials to assist these distressed workers. I wonder what Manny Villar will do to equal these efforts of the administration.

GIBO for PRESIDENT TAYO!

Whoever said Gilberto "Gibo" Teodoro will not make it in the 2010 polls must pray hard that the elections do not favor him.

Just today, I happened to see Smartmatic conducting an educational-demonstration at the Shangrila with KBP members, PPCRV, and Comelec officials as members. Smartmatic informed the participants in the demonstration how the automated system would work in the 2010 polls. Afterwhich, a mock election was conducted to test it.

The boxes containing age demographics was used as reference for Chiz Escudero, Loren Legarda, Noynoy Aquino, Gilberto Teodoro, Manny Villar, and Erap Estrada. After the mock elections the results were revealed by PPCRV Chair Henrietta De Villa as follows, Teodoro got 8, Villar, Erap, Noynoy and Chiz got 3 votes each, and Loren got zero.

What is the implication of this? Although Gibo Teodoro is allied with Gloria, he is not as bad as she is projected in the sense that he is a possible savior of this country. With the KBP members as the mock voters, it means that sensible people will know that Gibo is a good candidate and will possibly deliver once elected as president.

We need change, but we do not need drastic changes which might just imperil our progress. GMA may be unpopular, she may be hated, but she has started out projects to cover every minute aspect of every single problem in this country. From education to agriculture to corruption even to climate change. If we hate Gloria's policies that should not mean we should hate the fact that she is working. Even if we think her policies are ineffective at least she initiated the reforms. All that Gibo has to do is to start moving from that foundation put up by GMA.

Gibo para sa pagbabago tayo!

Abnoy for President?

Noynoy Aquino has declared his decision to run for president in the 2010 elections. This was after the prodding that he got from various interest groups and personalities who pushed him to try his luck for the highest position in the national government.

But like what others have already asked, I say this. Is he ready? Is he capable?

Aside from bearing the surname Aquino, aside from being the only son of Ninoy and Cory, what else does Ninoy have to make it to the presidency and to serve the people that his parents both served and loved?

Rumors from the moles in the Senate say that Noynoy does nothing in his Senate office other than play the PLAYSTATION. Yes the Playstation! I do not even know how to use one. But Noynoy, who is around his late 40's is very active in this generation's fad.

Oh well, might be the reason why some look at him to be like an older version of Kris Aquino's eldest child Josh. Don't they look alike and act alike?

Anyways, there's this group supporting Noynoy called ABNOY or Alyansa ng mga Boboto para kay Noynoy. I don't know if they intended some sort of ridicule or if it's just plain coincidence.

Linggo ng Wika

Linggo ata ng Wika ngayon. Hindi ko sigurado. Pero nais kong mag-Tagalog ngayong araw na ito at aking pipilitin na mangyari ito. Aking susubukin na pansamantalang hindi gumamit ng wikang Ingles kahit pa ito ang ginagamit sa pang-araw araw na pananalita sa karamihan ng ginagawa.

Maliganyang Linggo ng Wika sa ating lahat.

Paalam Cory

Cory Aquino has been laid to rest today. Even if her family refused the state funeral because of some miscommunication or misunderstanding, the military still gave the former president the honors she deserved.

How amazing it is to see a former president brought to her final resting place by the soldiers who worked for her before when she was head-of-state, as well as the younger breed of soldiers who respect the office she once held.

Politics aside, Cory was indeed instrumental in bringing back the freedom we have now. May she totally rest in peace.

:)

Ano daw?!

Narining niyo na ba ang Dagtang Lason? Hahahaha, nakakatawa ang pangalan diba? Pero may ganyang grupo ngayon ng mga kabataan na ang musika ay free-style rap.

May ganitong lyrics ang kanta nilang sikat na sikat sa mga harabas na jeep sa Cubao:

(Nagmamahal ako ng bakla)

"Mga tambay lang kami sawa sa babae
May mga babaeng manloloko
Pineperahan lang kami
Kaya ngayon bakla na lang ang aming iibigin
Masarap magmahal ang bakla
Ohh kay sarap... damhin"

Ano ba namang kanta yan? Yan ba ang ipaparinig natin sa mga kabataan ngayon? Maayos sanang gumawa ng kanta pero sana yung matino-tino naman. Tsk, tsk.

Padyak, Obama-wannabe, C5 at Taga

Naglabasan na ang mga political ads ng mga iba't-ibang pulitiko. Nandiyan si Mar Roxas, Manny Villar, Loren Legarda, Jojo Binay at iba pa. Ang layo pa ng eleksiyon pero nangunguna na sila. Ang layo pa rin ng eleksiyon pero mistulang sumusuway na sila batas laban as pre-mature campaigning. Sa bagay hindi nga naman applicable ang batas na iyon sa pre-mature campaigning dahil hindi pa naman election period.

Isa-isahin natin sila. Yung mga madalas ko lamang nakikita sa telebisyon.

1. Mar Roxas

Itong si Mang Mar a.k.a. Mr. Palengke ay hindi na mawawala sa pang-araw araw nating panonood. Nakita niyo ba yung padyak commercial niya? Nakakaloka diba? Maniwala kang sumasakay ng padyak yan o kaya pumupunta sa palengke. Oo may-ari siya ng palengke pero hindi yun pumupunta dun. Ginagamit niya lang yung lugar paminsan minsan.

Malinaw naman na gusto lang ni Mar mapalapit sa mga masa o sa mahihirap. Hindi ba nagmura pa nga iyan noong nakaraang rally sa Makati?

2. Jojo Binay

"Ganito kami sa Makati." Yan ang tag-line niya sa commercial niya. Ang labong tao rin nito ni Binay eh ano? Hindi naman kaya kagaya ng Makati ang buong Pilipinas. Hindi masasabing kaya niyang paunlarin ang buong Pilipinas kagaya ng Makati. Erap boy tong si Jojo na ambisyosong kagaya daw siya ni Obama. Mahiya naman siya noh!

3. Manny Villar

Ah, si Mr. C5 at taga. Hahaha!!! Isa pa to, yung bahay daw nila sa Tondo nakatayo pa ngayon. Hahay. Squatters area kaya yun, kaya matagal nang na-demolish. Wala ako masabi. Andami niya pera ha. Tama na alam na natin lahat ng panloloko nito. Tsk tsk.

Oh yan na muna ang masasabi ko ngayon. Antok na ako. Grabe, araw-araw sa TV yang mga yan. Common denominator nila eh taga opposition sila.

Oh no Nicole!

Nicole took back her statements against Daniel Smith.

It was expected to happen! My golly if she were telling the truth she would have stood by her testimony until the end of her battle for justice - that is, if she really wanted justice.

What else can I say? Her recantation says so much about her, about her real motive, and about what really happened.

Although her recantation won't affect the judgment, it will affect the image of the Filipinas who were put to shame by this recent development. How can a woman be not sure of what really happened to her only after six or so years? Well anyway, the question of rape is within the courts to decide and finally make an affirmation or reversal of the conviction.

The implications of this happening may grow bigger in the coming days. It's not only about the VFA or the US-RP relations. The government and other groups will protect the welfare of its people but when an abuse is later claimed to be not true then that is humiliating!! Nevertheless, the government will of course stand by its people no matter what. Let's now see how the leftist groups react on this issue. Nicole was used literally and figuratively.