By Rolo B. Cena
Hushed Poppies
Dumaguete Star Informer
24 December 2011
Some of them live in quarters in what is socially known as informal settlement sites. And still many of them live in shanties constructed along riversides, creeks, coastlines and dumpsites. Technically, the areas do not belong to them but to some rich businessmen, - some maybe Chinese, politicos or the government.
In short, they are illegal dwellers, or, roughly, “squatters” in their own land.
I have seen many of them occupy some spots of the Boulevard during lazy afternoon, creepy evening and sleepy hour of the morning. They sell a variant of commodities: from cigarettes to junk foods, stuff toys to souvenirs, and entertainment to flesh. Nope, they don’t live there; they simply work to live!
They live in areas where angels fear to tread but only politicos do. Most often, they work closely with the sweet-tongued “champions of the masses” who promise them heaven and earth, half of the moon and half of the stars. And very often than not, they gamble their lives with these tyrants who promise them some kingdoms on earth made in heaven.
In short, they allow these mentally-dehydrated and selfish dramatis personae to flap with their wings to land at some privileged spots of the arena. Take note, their wings are far more precious than these politicos’, at least for some time. Their wings are far greater than these politicos’, heaven knows that.
They thrive in areas where “bread and butter” can be available. Having been the victims of economic imbalance, they endure the heat of the sun and the chilling evening to take control of the consumerstic streets and highways and vend for life. Yes, they can vend more than anything and even everything and again, it can include what gods condemned in Sodom and Gomorrah.
Their shanties and quarters become the haven of politicos. These political marauders shake hands with them, dine with them, and play with them. And still some of them sleep with someone’s wife or daughter disguised as assistance, or sleep with enemies disguised as reconciliation.
At the end of the day, these people are winners for having made to believe that they are for having won for themselves these politicians that thrive in the porticos of Peoples’ Hall. They are always made to believe that without them their “heros” couldn’t have won the eyes of the great mass, that they are what these politicos have become, that they are these politicians’ command, that they are these politicians’ bosses. Sadly though, only a few ever realized that these politicians are connoisseurs of classical form of political art called mouth-synch.
In short, they become victims of the game only these champions dare to believe as fair play.
To Tom, Dick, and Harry, these people could have been more than what they have: untitled piece of land and contractual jobs. Most of them possess considerable sizes of agricultural lands to till in their provinces that can consequently earn for them their living and yet don’t leave, and cannot leave the metropolis due to what is known as politically decorated economic assistance in the guise of political game called “ballots.”
At the height of the disaster, they are the last to be heard or attended to. When disasters are gone, they are very well cared for and given reliefs behind thirty-second spotlights and paparazzi.
They have come in a variant of names: informal settlers, illegal dwellers, and squatters. Yet to a political wisdom, they have come only in one name even The Devil and Daniel Webster could not believe: Victims!
Sadly, they are victims of “Sendong,” the worst atmospheric disturbance to have battered the country. Yet, there is more to it than being victims: they are the used items, stuff toys, and canned foods of these classic Santa Clauses called politicos in the guise of political stuff called “ballots in Christmas.”
Please, don’t double kill the Filipinos; Beware!
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Gloria et Santa
By Rolo B. Cena
Hushed Poppies
Dumaguete Star Informer
4 December 2011
It has finally arrived. And they have finally arrived at one point. Adding fuel to the fire, the Tribunal has finally arrived at a unanimous verdict. Yes, accountability and reckoning have come, at least for one little girl and one big man. This time, accountability and reckoning have gotten into everybody’s nerves, not just into one’s spine.
After the exchange of speculative hullabaloos from both camps, the government, through the court, has finally ordered the hospital arrest of former President now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. To my own understanding, this is more fitting for a former leader sans the conviction, at least to save the face not just of the President but of the Filipinos as well from external humiliation.
Juxtaposed with Estrada’s plunder case, Arroyo’s shouldn’t be any different. Upon commission, whether in millions or in hundreds of pesos, plunder is plunder and shouldn’t be defined as Estrada or Arroyo plunder. The only difference I know of, and this has already taken precedence over presumption of innocence, is the twist and turns called Corona and Luisita.
First off, Chief Justice Renato Corona is a midnight appointee of Gloria along with the host of justices less three. He was her former legal adviser.
In their minds, it was Chief Justice Corona and his “utang na loob” who declared Aquino’s Truth Commission unconstitutional; it was Chief Justice Corona and his “utang na loob” who issued the TRO against the travel ban of Arroyo. Unwittingly though, it was Chief Justice Corona and his magistrates of the High Tribunal who did all those in the absence “utang na loob.” It was only Aquino and his allies who are saying that it was “utang na loob” that did it all, an allegation that undermines the integrity of the Supreme Court as a democratic institution sans the insults on the credibility of the magistrates composing it, whether appointees of Arroyo or Aquino.
If “utang na loob” dictates those magistrates, the three justices appointed by Aquino would have dissented, thus, leaving the decision on the Hacienda Luisita case questionable. Conclusively, the three therefore did not intend to repay Aquino in this respect.
Secondly, the complexity of the decision of the High Tribunal against Hacienda Luisita, the hacienda of Aquino’s family added fuel to the fire.
In 1958, Pres. Aquino’s maternal grandfather Jose Cojuangco acquired what is now known as Hacienda Luisita from Spanish firm Tabacalera through a loan from the Government Service Insurance System and the Central Bank of the Philippines. The condition of the loans was that the hacienda’s agricultural lands would be sold to its tenants at “reasonable” costs.
And the Cojuangco’s did not comply and continued to fail compliance of such condition. During the time of Cory, Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law was enacted and the Hacienda subjected to comply with distributing the lands to its tenant-farmers. “Stock certificates” were distributed, instead.
In November 2004, seven farm workers drew their ire at the picket fence that cost their lives and seven others were murdered one after the other by unknown assassins. Due to this, Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo accelerated its investigation over a complaint by the hacienda union that the stock distribution scheme was a pretense.
In December 2005, the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council created in 1987 by Cory Administration, made up of 15 Cabinet members and chaired by President Arroyo, ordered the fraudulent land reform ended, and to distribute the land to the farmer-workers. The clans legally contested.
Finally last month, the High Tribunal upheld the 2005 decision of the Court and not only ordered the Cojuangcos to immediately distribute 4,915 hectares to the haciendas’ farmer-workers. It also ordered them to pay the farmer-workers P1.33 billion, the proceeds of the sale of hacienda lands that became the industrial and business parks. Agrarian reform laws peg “just compensation” at 1989 levels, or just about P200 million.
The Court’s decision could mean the Cojuangco-Aquino clans’ bankruptcy.
Now it makes sense why they hate Chief Justice Renato Corona so much, why they’re asking him to inhibit from Arroyo’s cases. Arguably though, Gloria’s critics should also believe and understand that in doing so, all the three appointees of Aquino should also inhibit. This leaves the High Tribunal with three justices to squabble on the cases against Arroyo.
At this point, Gloria should stop acting like a little girl wanting for more; P-Noy should stop acting like superman dominating more and more. But they can do one thing: make a wish list this Christmas and post it in a chimney wall.
After all, even justices believe that Santa exists!
Hushed Poppies
Dumaguete Star Informer
4 December 2011
It has finally arrived. And they have finally arrived at one point. Adding fuel to the fire, the Tribunal has finally arrived at a unanimous verdict. Yes, accountability and reckoning have come, at least for one little girl and one big man. This time, accountability and reckoning have gotten into everybody’s nerves, not just into one’s spine.
After the exchange of speculative hullabaloos from both camps, the government, through the court, has finally ordered the hospital arrest of former President now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. To my own understanding, this is more fitting for a former leader sans the conviction, at least to save the face not just of the President but of the Filipinos as well from external humiliation.
Juxtaposed with Estrada’s plunder case, Arroyo’s shouldn’t be any different. Upon commission, whether in millions or in hundreds of pesos, plunder is plunder and shouldn’t be defined as Estrada or Arroyo plunder. The only difference I know of, and this has already taken precedence over presumption of innocence, is the twist and turns called Corona and Luisita.
First off, Chief Justice Renato Corona is a midnight appointee of Gloria along with the host of justices less three. He was her former legal adviser.
In their minds, it was Chief Justice Corona and his “utang na loob” who declared Aquino’s Truth Commission unconstitutional; it was Chief Justice Corona and his “utang na loob” who issued the TRO against the travel ban of Arroyo. Unwittingly though, it was Chief Justice Corona and his magistrates of the High Tribunal who did all those in the absence “utang na loob.” It was only Aquino and his allies who are saying that it was “utang na loob” that did it all, an allegation that undermines the integrity of the Supreme Court as a democratic institution sans the insults on the credibility of the magistrates composing it, whether appointees of Arroyo or Aquino.
If “utang na loob” dictates those magistrates, the three justices appointed by Aquino would have dissented, thus, leaving the decision on the Hacienda Luisita case questionable. Conclusively, the three therefore did not intend to repay Aquino in this respect.
Secondly, the complexity of the decision of the High Tribunal against Hacienda Luisita, the hacienda of Aquino’s family added fuel to the fire.
In 1958, Pres. Aquino’s maternal grandfather Jose Cojuangco acquired what is now known as Hacienda Luisita from Spanish firm Tabacalera through a loan from the Government Service Insurance System and the Central Bank of the Philippines. The condition of the loans was that the hacienda’s agricultural lands would be sold to its tenants at “reasonable” costs.
And the Cojuangco’s did not comply and continued to fail compliance of such condition. During the time of Cory, Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law was enacted and the Hacienda subjected to comply with distributing the lands to its tenant-farmers. “Stock certificates” were distributed, instead.
In November 2004, seven farm workers drew their ire at the picket fence that cost their lives and seven others were murdered one after the other by unknown assassins. Due to this, Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo accelerated its investigation over a complaint by the hacienda union that the stock distribution scheme was a pretense.
In December 2005, the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council created in 1987 by Cory Administration, made up of 15 Cabinet members and chaired by President Arroyo, ordered the fraudulent land reform ended, and to distribute the land to the farmer-workers. The clans legally contested.
Finally last month, the High Tribunal upheld the 2005 decision of the Court and not only ordered the Cojuangcos to immediately distribute 4,915 hectares to the haciendas’ farmer-workers. It also ordered them to pay the farmer-workers P1.33 billion, the proceeds of the sale of hacienda lands that became the industrial and business parks. Agrarian reform laws peg “just compensation” at 1989 levels, or just about P200 million.
The Court’s decision could mean the Cojuangco-Aquino clans’ bankruptcy.
Now it makes sense why they hate Chief Justice Renato Corona so much, why they’re asking him to inhibit from Arroyo’s cases. Arguably though, Gloria’s critics should also believe and understand that in doing so, all the three appointees of Aquino should also inhibit. This leaves the High Tribunal with three justices to squabble on the cases against Arroyo.
At this point, Gloria should stop acting like a little girl wanting for more; P-Noy should stop acting like superman dominating more and more. But they can do one thing: make a wish list this Christmas and post it in a chimney wall.
After all, even justices believe that Santa exists!
Thursday, November 24, 2011
58
By Rolo B. Cena
Hushed Poppies
Dumaguete Star Informer
27 November 2011
When Vincent Van Gogh painted “Field with poppies” in 1890, never had he dreamed that years after, he would be best remembered with the masterpiece. When the Ampatuans brushed a stroke of terror in November 23 2009, never had they believed that their creation, the most bizarre of all, would send them to superior Court of Laws, if not inferior as weakened by Men in Robes, or worse, end up their political career, including their cohorts’ who allegedly conspired with them.
They were like poppies in the field that exemplify hope, energy, and life. Bright hopes drove them to the town of Shariff Aguak to file for candidacy for the one they believed would bring new form of governance. Leveled energy propelled them to trek the rugged terrains and treacherous slopes for the one they believed would shower brighter hope for the constituency. Beautiful life dared them to plot against a scion of the most powerful Muslim clan or tyrant. But greed ruthlessly scythed their hopes, energies and lives and torn down their very edifice of nobility; greed mowed their simple hope, active energy and single life in the vehicle of the dirtiest of all political games: election.
They were fifty and eight: one, a journalist, is still missing; thirty-two are journalists and the rests are workers and supporters of the then Vice Mayor of Buluan town now governor of Maguindanao. This poor man, Gov. Mangudadatu, even lost his wife and sisters in what the world called crime of the century.
They worked for Mangudadatu because they believed and hoped in him just as the entire Philippines believed and hoped in P-Noy. Two years after the gruesome carnage, the bereaved families still believe and hope that this man will persecute those annihilators just as the entire Philippines hope and believe that P-Noy will persecute those who stole the money of the people; that Mangudadatu will bring justice to the victims and their bereaved families just as P-Noy will accord the same justice to millions of Filipino people who are victims of crime, grime and slime , not to be specific on plunder and graft, of his predecessors.
As the world calls on Wednesday to end “impunity,” the bereaved families of the “58” still believe and hope that the incident would bring full stop to the extrajudicial killings and killings of journalists in the country, in the world. The call is for the world, the citizens and the government to act now or be doomed, Filipinos and P-Noy included: so urgently now as it endangers each and single life or let alone hell dismiss us all.
Doomed as the devilish Philippines years after EDSA brought new life, new democracy; doomed as the evilest advocacies of the Arroyo’s and their cohorts for their collective sins fueled by greed. It is the same doom that should send shivers not only to the spines of Gloria, but also to the spines of Mike, of Mikey, of Angelo, of Benjamin, of Romulo, of Garcillano, et al.
As we observe the second year of terror in Maguindanao, the “58,” to be exact, should bring us new hope, energy and life: New hope that would bring about pivotal, gigantic, and meaningful change; new energy that would allow us to combat the plaguing graft and corruption; and new life that would renew and strengthen our presence in the world map.
The “58” still hope and believe that justice will be served fairly just as the entire Philippines believe and hope that P-Noy will serve justice fairly in handling the alleged cases against the Arroyos and their cohorts.
In perspective, when Vincent Van Gogh opted to paint the poppies in the field, it was mainly due to lack of funds; when the Ampatuans and their Sponsors opted to shear these beautiful poppies in the field, it was not mainly due to funds but the desire to amass more of them, at the people’s expense.
Putting my non-depleting two cents in, the “58” deserves full military honors for taxing their lives in the hope of bringing forth better governance and cleaner politics. They were not paupers after all; they were killed by this kind of marauders!
Hushed Poppies
Dumaguete Star Informer
27 November 2011
When Vincent Van Gogh painted “Field with poppies” in 1890, never had he dreamed that years after, he would be best remembered with the masterpiece. When the Ampatuans brushed a stroke of terror in November 23 2009, never had they believed that their creation, the most bizarre of all, would send them to superior Court of Laws, if not inferior as weakened by Men in Robes, or worse, end up their political career, including their cohorts’ who allegedly conspired with them.
They were like poppies in the field that exemplify hope, energy, and life. Bright hopes drove them to the town of Shariff Aguak to file for candidacy for the one they believed would bring new form of governance. Leveled energy propelled them to trek the rugged terrains and treacherous slopes for the one they believed would shower brighter hope for the constituency. Beautiful life dared them to plot against a scion of the most powerful Muslim clan or tyrant. But greed ruthlessly scythed their hopes, energies and lives and torn down their very edifice of nobility; greed mowed their simple hope, active energy and single life in the vehicle of the dirtiest of all political games: election.
They were fifty and eight: one, a journalist, is still missing; thirty-two are journalists and the rests are workers and supporters of the then Vice Mayor of Buluan town now governor of Maguindanao. This poor man, Gov. Mangudadatu, even lost his wife and sisters in what the world called crime of the century.
They worked for Mangudadatu because they believed and hoped in him just as the entire Philippines believed and hoped in P-Noy. Two years after the gruesome carnage, the bereaved families still believe and hope that this man will persecute those annihilators just as the entire Philippines hope and believe that P-Noy will persecute those who stole the money of the people; that Mangudadatu will bring justice to the victims and their bereaved families just as P-Noy will accord the same justice to millions of Filipino people who are victims of crime, grime and slime , not to be specific on plunder and graft, of his predecessors.
As the world calls on Wednesday to end “impunity,” the bereaved families of the “58” still believe and hope that the incident would bring full stop to the extrajudicial killings and killings of journalists in the country, in the world. The call is for the world, the citizens and the government to act now or be doomed, Filipinos and P-Noy included: so urgently now as it endangers each and single life or let alone hell dismiss us all.
Doomed as the devilish Philippines years after EDSA brought new life, new democracy; doomed as the evilest advocacies of the Arroyo’s and their cohorts for their collective sins fueled by greed. It is the same doom that should send shivers not only to the spines of Gloria, but also to the spines of Mike, of Mikey, of Angelo, of Benjamin, of Romulo, of Garcillano, et al.
As we observe the second year of terror in Maguindanao, the “58,” to be exact, should bring us new hope, energy and life: New hope that would bring about pivotal, gigantic, and meaningful change; new energy that would allow us to combat the plaguing graft and corruption; and new life that would renew and strengthen our presence in the world map.
The “58” still hope and believe that justice will be served fairly just as the entire Philippines believe and hope that P-Noy will serve justice fairly in handling the alleged cases against the Arroyos and their cohorts.
In perspective, when Vincent Van Gogh opted to paint the poppies in the field, it was mainly due to lack of funds; when the Ampatuans and their Sponsors opted to shear these beautiful poppies in the field, it was not mainly due to funds but the desire to amass more of them, at the people’s expense.
Putting my non-depleting two cents in, the “58” deserves full military honors for taxing their lives in the hope of bringing forth better governance and cleaner politics. They were not paupers after all; they were killed by this kind of marauders!
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Shivers down the spine
By Rolo B. Cena
Hushed Poppies
Dumaguete Star Informer
20 November 2011
The Tuesday hullabaloo, which was shot on location at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and which Malacanang tagged as “high drama” literally and figuratively sends a different kind of signal: political, if not at all constitutional, chaos!
While Justice Secretary Leila De Lima might have made a very popular and novel decision of denying the Arroyo’s travel access, the fact that a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) was issued by the Supreme Court in the latter’s favor matter-of-factly rendered her decision revocable.
Putting my two cents in, the Aquino administration has itself to blame for these!
Firstly, it’s now more than a year when Pres. Aquino articulated his commitment to hold the Arroyo’s and their cohorts accountable for plunder and electoral sabotage cases charged against them. Unfortunately, not even one has been finally docketed in any of the courts, which consequently slows down in putting his predecessors behind bars, assuming that a court for that matter will act in his favor.
In contrast, after being ousted for plunder, former Pres. Estrada was arrested and convicted after three months. Again, this makes Arroyo better off than him: swifter to decide sans the oral argument on the plausibility of the decision made.
The obvious delay and the uncalled-for press releases of Sec. De Lima and Pres. Aquino most often gave the Arroyo’s the tactical mechanism to maneuver around the justice system and to leave the country. As Sen. Ping Lacson puts it, Sec. De Lima did noting but conducts press releases for her works and never comes up with finality. De Lima’s “lame excuses,” and her many attempts to, places her in bad light and thus makes her useless and unworthy to be in the cubicle of the lame man of the Palace. Truly, she has won for her the title of a photographer-friendly cabinet stuff of the century.
Secondly, the “open defiance” of the feisty Sec. De Lima purports a behavior that is totally disgraceful to the legal profession. The issue on travel ban becomes pointless at this juncture as it was overshadowed by the lame intention to disobey the High Tribunal. Sec. De Lima, a Human Rights lawyer and advocate profoundly defied the order of the Court; she brandished the supremacy of her Department over the High Court, which is tantamount to contempt.
Assuming De Lima has reservations on the TRO, as a lawyer she would have dutifully checked with the High Court to find out if indeed a TRO was issued; assuming that she has suspicion on the issued TRO, as the Secretary of Justice she would have dutifully verified with the High Court if indeed the TRO was truly executory, assuming that this is logically coherent. To reason that a motion for reconsideration is yet to be filed by her team is apparently illogical and professionally unreasonable. As far as I know, correct me if I am wrong, a TRO issued by the High Court is executory. And what stops her from acting on it?
Assuming that De Lima and Aquino’s political junctions meet at one point or lay on the same plane of thought on the issue, is this not causing political chaos? Does anyone of them deserve another treat of respect?
A cabinet secretary defying the orders of the High Court is rhetorically sending the shivers down the spine of the Aquino Administration; more excruciating than the shivers to leave the country one hour, one Tuesday to conceivably escape the prosecution; and more throbbing than the shivers down Gloria’s spine!
All hail to a feisty woman but where is the lame man behind the tall orders? Oh boy, what happens to the big mouth?
Hushed Poppies
Dumaguete Star Informer
20 November 2011
The Tuesday hullabaloo, which was shot on location at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and which Malacanang tagged as “high drama” literally and figuratively sends a different kind of signal: political, if not at all constitutional, chaos!
While Justice Secretary Leila De Lima might have made a very popular and novel decision of denying the Arroyo’s travel access, the fact that a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) was issued by the Supreme Court in the latter’s favor matter-of-factly rendered her decision revocable.
Putting my two cents in, the Aquino administration has itself to blame for these!
Firstly, it’s now more than a year when Pres. Aquino articulated his commitment to hold the Arroyo’s and their cohorts accountable for plunder and electoral sabotage cases charged against them. Unfortunately, not even one has been finally docketed in any of the courts, which consequently slows down in putting his predecessors behind bars, assuming that a court for that matter will act in his favor.
In contrast, after being ousted for plunder, former Pres. Estrada was arrested and convicted after three months. Again, this makes Arroyo better off than him: swifter to decide sans the oral argument on the plausibility of the decision made.
The obvious delay and the uncalled-for press releases of Sec. De Lima and Pres. Aquino most often gave the Arroyo’s the tactical mechanism to maneuver around the justice system and to leave the country. As Sen. Ping Lacson puts it, Sec. De Lima did noting but conducts press releases for her works and never comes up with finality. De Lima’s “lame excuses,” and her many attempts to, places her in bad light and thus makes her useless and unworthy to be in the cubicle of the lame man of the Palace. Truly, she has won for her the title of a photographer-friendly cabinet stuff of the century.
Secondly, the “open defiance” of the feisty Sec. De Lima purports a behavior that is totally disgraceful to the legal profession. The issue on travel ban becomes pointless at this juncture as it was overshadowed by the lame intention to disobey the High Tribunal. Sec. De Lima, a Human Rights lawyer and advocate profoundly defied the order of the Court; she brandished the supremacy of her Department over the High Court, which is tantamount to contempt.
Assuming De Lima has reservations on the TRO, as a lawyer she would have dutifully checked with the High Court to find out if indeed a TRO was issued; assuming that she has suspicion on the issued TRO, as the Secretary of Justice she would have dutifully verified with the High Court if indeed the TRO was truly executory, assuming that this is logically coherent. To reason that a motion for reconsideration is yet to be filed by her team is apparently illogical and professionally unreasonable. As far as I know, correct me if I am wrong, a TRO issued by the High Court is executory. And what stops her from acting on it?
Assuming that De Lima and Aquino’s political junctions meet at one point or lay on the same plane of thought on the issue, is this not causing political chaos? Does anyone of them deserve another treat of respect?
A cabinet secretary defying the orders of the High Court is rhetorically sending the shivers down the spine of the Aquino Administration; more excruciating than the shivers to leave the country one hour, one Tuesday to conceivably escape the prosecution; and more throbbing than the shivers down Gloria’s spine!
All hail to a feisty woman but where is the lame man behind the tall orders? Oh boy, what happens to the big mouth?
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Truth or dare
By Rolo B. Cena
Hushed Poppies
Dumaguete Star Informer
13 November 2011
Arguably though, it seems that the Arroyos and her cohorts are in the hook of the new administration these days. As the cases are progressing, the most riveting saga of the century starts unfolding.
As bannered in one of the national dailies, Pres. Noynoy Aquino supports the decision of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to deny permission to former president now Pampanga 1st District Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to seek medical treatment abroad. The paper added that the President decided to fly in medical experts to attend to Arroyo’s medical condition on the government’s expense.
Sounds great! Sec. de Lima didn’t just make the right decision in the line of duty; she made the utmost decision of protecting the national interest at the same time. In addition, the decision of Pres. Aquino to fly in medical experts from Germany where the former president wishes to seek medical attention did not just embolden Sec. De Lima; it at the same time buoys up the decision itself.
First off, the cases filed against the former president are matters of national interest. Electoral fraud in connection with 2004 presidential election, for instance, where actor Poe has allegedly won the race, has not been resolved. While the dramatis personae of the “Hello Garci” chronicle vis-à-vis “mental lapses” account of the petite lady may no longer be plausible inside the court for the reason that the former election commissioner negated his first testimonies, substantial and unequivocal pressure of witnesses, once again, can be employed to eventually lead to the closure of the case. After all, if Aquino made this brilliant idea, he could be creative and innovative in wooing the principal witness to the case as well.
Undoubtedly, had Sec. de Lima made a decision on the contrary, she would have placed the entire community of Filipino people at the losing end. The illegitimate queenship of the petite lady, that is as despicable as the illegitimacy of the Marcosian Kingship, if not as grotesque and barbaric as the devils in the Grecian “sea of death” would always be the howling and lamentations of the subjects who installed them in the dirt-controlled Palace by the commercially ill and grimy river.
Second off, allowing the former president to seek medical treatment to a country without extradition treaty with the Philippines runs the risk of losing the physical presence of the former president. While the former president, through her spokesperson, announced and kept on announcing, that she will return after the medical treatment, a pronouncement that is as vile Sodom Gomorrah, her promise not to run in the later days of 2004 was a hoax. This is the prize for crying wolf several times.
Technically, there is no “trial in absentia” for nonbailable cases such as plunder. As such, the cases filed against her will not move and consequently, no closure can be made. Again, what is the use of doing all these activities if at all these cases would die a natural death? Will the Aquino administration, or the President for that matter, ever be as credible as his mother, assuming that former President Cory Aquino wears no dishonorable robe?
Third off, the decision was merely to ensure just and speedy resolution of the cases. While she is sick and constitutionally has the right to seek medical attention elsewhere, the decision of bringing into the country medical experts for her condition is enough proof that the administration does not prevent her from exercising her right to live a good and healthy life. In fact, her immediate recovery from her alleged life-threatening illness, assuming that this is true despite negation from government doctors, is also the concern of the administration as this may, in the long run, derail the proceedings of the cases.
Truth or dare: Will the predecessor object the decision of the successor to bring home medical experts for her purpose? With this new development, will Arroyo bring forward new twists and turns that will tickle millions of Filipino viewers of this prime time melo-dramatic soap dish?
Look out for it, Philippines!
Hushed Poppies
Dumaguete Star Informer
13 November 2011
Arguably though, it seems that the Arroyos and her cohorts are in the hook of the new administration these days. As the cases are progressing, the most riveting saga of the century starts unfolding.
As bannered in one of the national dailies, Pres. Noynoy Aquino supports the decision of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to deny permission to former president now Pampanga 1st District Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to seek medical treatment abroad. The paper added that the President decided to fly in medical experts to attend to Arroyo’s medical condition on the government’s expense.
Sounds great! Sec. de Lima didn’t just make the right decision in the line of duty; she made the utmost decision of protecting the national interest at the same time. In addition, the decision of Pres. Aquino to fly in medical experts from Germany where the former president wishes to seek medical attention did not just embolden Sec. De Lima; it at the same time buoys up the decision itself.
First off, the cases filed against the former president are matters of national interest. Electoral fraud in connection with 2004 presidential election, for instance, where actor Poe has allegedly won the race, has not been resolved. While the dramatis personae of the “Hello Garci” chronicle vis-à-vis “mental lapses” account of the petite lady may no longer be plausible inside the court for the reason that the former election commissioner negated his first testimonies, substantial and unequivocal pressure of witnesses, once again, can be employed to eventually lead to the closure of the case. After all, if Aquino made this brilliant idea, he could be creative and innovative in wooing the principal witness to the case as well.
Undoubtedly, had Sec. de Lima made a decision on the contrary, she would have placed the entire community of Filipino people at the losing end. The illegitimate queenship of the petite lady, that is as despicable as the illegitimacy of the Marcosian Kingship, if not as grotesque and barbaric as the devils in the Grecian “sea of death” would always be the howling and lamentations of the subjects who installed them in the dirt-controlled Palace by the commercially ill and grimy river.
Second off, allowing the former president to seek medical treatment to a country without extradition treaty with the Philippines runs the risk of losing the physical presence of the former president. While the former president, through her spokesperson, announced and kept on announcing, that she will return after the medical treatment, a pronouncement that is as vile Sodom Gomorrah, her promise not to run in the later days of 2004 was a hoax. This is the prize for crying wolf several times.
Technically, there is no “trial in absentia” for nonbailable cases such as plunder. As such, the cases filed against her will not move and consequently, no closure can be made. Again, what is the use of doing all these activities if at all these cases would die a natural death? Will the Aquino administration, or the President for that matter, ever be as credible as his mother, assuming that former President Cory Aquino wears no dishonorable robe?
Third off, the decision was merely to ensure just and speedy resolution of the cases. While she is sick and constitutionally has the right to seek medical attention elsewhere, the decision of bringing into the country medical experts for her condition is enough proof that the administration does not prevent her from exercising her right to live a good and healthy life. In fact, her immediate recovery from her alleged life-threatening illness, assuming that this is true despite negation from government doctors, is also the concern of the administration as this may, in the long run, derail the proceedings of the cases.
Truth or dare: Will the predecessor object the decision of the successor to bring home medical experts for her purpose? With this new development, will Arroyo bring forward new twists and turns that will tickle millions of Filipino viewers of this prime time melo-dramatic soap dish?
Look out for it, Philippines!
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
City without traffic lights
By Rolo B. Cena
Hushed Poppies
Dumaguete Star Informer
06 November 2011
Imagine a city without traffic lights, and here’s the plan: It will have two sets of roads. The roads in one set will be parallel to each other and perpendicular to the roads in the other set. All roads will be one way. The direction of traffic on each road will be opposite to that on the adjacent roads. There will be a simple flyover at each intersection.
To assure motorists of no intrusions from the sides, all roads will be fenced. Each block will have an internal ring road that will be connected to each of the four roads forming the block and to the internal roads in the block. Stopping and parking of vehicles on main roads will be prohibited; it will be permitted only inside a block. Pedestrian, cyclists and bicyclists will have their own independent network on similar lines that will be interwoven with this network and flyover wherever they cross each other.
And this how I wished Dumaguete would have been.
It was in December of 1991 when I first stepped in the soils of Dumaguete to fulfill the promise: to have our wedding at St. Augustine Cathedral in Bacong. I fell in love with the place: pristine environment, laidback culture, unassuming corporate behavior, and organized traffic.
In May 2003, my wife and I finally decided to leave Imperial Manila and settle here; worked for about four years and most recently, re-settled in Saudi Arabia in the last three years.
Vertigo may have attacked my senses but truly though, in the first day of my homecoming, I was amazed to see how the traffic converged from one road to the other. For instance, the Daro Highway from the airport was moderate to heavy between five and six o’clock in the evening. The inner roads, Perdices, Real and Boulevard in particular were frantically heavy.
Farther south, the intersection where Robinson’s, the caterer of the first major commercialism in the “City of Gentle People” nestles was an instant (and will be a) perpetual irritant. As the flow converges from the south, from the area of Hypermart and Talay, and from two exits points from the City, no motorist could ever take the dilemma of the moment.
It was a classic taste of commercialism, the consequential reaction of embracing development more than naïveté already at hand. But of course, for the City or the province to farther enhance its growth and development, it has to buy-in commercialism being sold out in the market in the guise of development.
And development always has its idiocy and mayhem. The Metropolitan Manila is a classic example; commercialism included.
Lately, it took us more than thirty minutes to reach the city from Bacong. Before Dumaguete adapted commercialistic development, it would only take us ten to fifteen minutes to ply the same route.
As I and other motorists trudge the same paths people in the city and the province travel, the ire brought about by under-studied traffic condition is getting into one’s nerves. Urgently, city planners or officials should wander around and check for themselves the gravity of the situation.
But this is progress. Arguably though, it’s taking its toll in different tone. Moving north of growth or development is not an option; moving south of it, for some peculiar and uncontrollable reason or circumstance, is.
Under the norms or precepts of growth or development, a city without traffic lights becomes a far lesser idea. At the crossroads, it would be better if the city will venture into erecting traffic lights instead of installing traffic officers who hide in the middle of the day or under heavy rains. It’s in fact, a traffic-causing action.
What a spectacle to wander around and ply the city streets sans the hassles of congestions, both of humans and vehicles!
Onward, Dumaguete!
Hushed Poppies
Dumaguete Star Informer
06 November 2011
Imagine a city without traffic lights, and here’s the plan: It will have two sets of roads. The roads in one set will be parallel to each other and perpendicular to the roads in the other set. All roads will be one way. The direction of traffic on each road will be opposite to that on the adjacent roads. There will be a simple flyover at each intersection.
To assure motorists of no intrusions from the sides, all roads will be fenced. Each block will have an internal ring road that will be connected to each of the four roads forming the block and to the internal roads in the block. Stopping and parking of vehicles on main roads will be prohibited; it will be permitted only inside a block. Pedestrian, cyclists and bicyclists will have their own independent network on similar lines that will be interwoven with this network and flyover wherever they cross each other.
And this how I wished Dumaguete would have been.
It was in December of 1991 when I first stepped in the soils of Dumaguete to fulfill the promise: to have our wedding at St. Augustine Cathedral in Bacong. I fell in love with the place: pristine environment, laidback culture, unassuming corporate behavior, and organized traffic.
In May 2003, my wife and I finally decided to leave Imperial Manila and settle here; worked for about four years and most recently, re-settled in Saudi Arabia in the last three years.
Vertigo may have attacked my senses but truly though, in the first day of my homecoming, I was amazed to see how the traffic converged from one road to the other. For instance, the Daro Highway from the airport was moderate to heavy between five and six o’clock in the evening. The inner roads, Perdices, Real and Boulevard in particular were frantically heavy.
Farther south, the intersection where Robinson’s, the caterer of the first major commercialism in the “City of Gentle People” nestles was an instant (and will be a) perpetual irritant. As the flow converges from the south, from the area of Hypermart and Talay, and from two exits points from the City, no motorist could ever take the dilemma of the moment.
It was a classic taste of commercialism, the consequential reaction of embracing development more than naïveté already at hand. But of course, for the City or the province to farther enhance its growth and development, it has to buy-in commercialism being sold out in the market in the guise of development.
And development always has its idiocy and mayhem. The Metropolitan Manila is a classic example; commercialism included.
Lately, it took us more than thirty minutes to reach the city from Bacong. Before Dumaguete adapted commercialistic development, it would only take us ten to fifteen minutes to ply the same route.
As I and other motorists trudge the same paths people in the city and the province travel, the ire brought about by under-studied traffic condition is getting into one’s nerves. Urgently, city planners or officials should wander around and check for themselves the gravity of the situation.
But this is progress. Arguably though, it’s taking its toll in different tone. Moving north of growth or development is not an option; moving south of it, for some peculiar and uncontrollable reason or circumstance, is.
Under the norms or precepts of growth or development, a city without traffic lights becomes a far lesser idea. At the crossroads, it would be better if the city will venture into erecting traffic lights instead of installing traffic officers who hide in the middle of the day or under heavy rains. It’s in fact, a traffic-causing action.
What a spectacle to wander around and ply the city streets sans the hassles of congestions, both of humans and vehicles!
Onward, Dumaguete!
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Beyond the grave
By Rolo B. Cena
Hushed Poppies
Dumaguete Star Informer
30 October 2011
After the series of atrocities carried out by members of the Abu Sayaff against government troops, reports claiming demoralization in the military is top-billing political hullabaloos these days. As advised by Malacanang, demoralization is an exaggeration. In an earlier report, government troops seized rebel camp that is hosting about 100 outlaws.
Sen. Marcos hits Pres. Aquino over the alleged demoralization. Sen. Trillanes affirms that coup plot maybe possible due to alleged demoralization.
The world, the Islamic world, is watching them! Apparently, the country experiences two wars lately: Abu Sayaff and political bifurcation. The entire Philippines watches them, too!
The war, to put it globally generic, the rebel troops is executing is classic. To put it more universal, it is classified as terrorism. Since time and opportunity created rebellion, terrorism has long been plaguing the country, the government, and the people. Additionally, it has forged business deals between and among powers, super or inferior, in the guise of stopping it. Powers, whether in the suit of nations or politicians, have amassed wealth, in the guise of political programs. Undoubtedly, the fire is still burning.
Indisputably, you can’t put out the fire unless the will outwits lethargy; you can’t put out the fire unless the will outdoes greed, be it political or personal. Since this tumor has grown to be malignant, there is no way to stop it. The government cannot stop terrorism!
Marcos hitting Aquino maybe biased. For one, the country’s top executive announces that there will be no military burial for the former dictator. This was condemned by the Marcoses themselves, and the loyalists. Ironically, Vice Pres. Binay who meddles for the burial of the strongman is still waiting for his most opportune time to laugh and cry as in the olden days.
Look at the sky outside. Sometimes it is azure, significant of a good weather; sometimes, dark, significant of a coming storm. When the late dictator ruled the country, no military burial or honor was conferred to the older Aquino. Look who’s talking now?
It would be a novel idea to keep the cadaver in its frozen state until Bongbong Marcos becomes president or vice president. At the side, yes, he is capable. With Binay planning to run for president, I strongly believe Bongbong is a perfect veepee! Not only Ilocos but the entire nation watches over this. Just you wait!
Perfectly, what comes around goes around; what goes around comes around!
Just as the way they were, the Aquino administration is on its way to persecute, or prosecute the Arroyos and their cohorts by hook or by crook. About close to forty other personalities, other than the couple, are summoned to attend the joint DOJ-Comelec preliminary hearing slated Nov. 3, 2011 for two cases: electoral sabotage and electoral fraud.
Will somebody be convicted? Will the Aquino engines towards “tuwid na daan” ever be effective?
Let’s keep our fingers crossed. Political crimes gave birth to clemency; clemency paved the way for pardon. To date, several personalities were pardoned: The actor-turned politician for plunder and Trillanes and his cohorts for military uprisings.
Putting my two cents in, the waterloo of the Philippine justice system is the vicious cycle of prosecute and pardon in the sense that offenders are put on trial, convicted and eventually pardoned.
Scratch my back and I will scratch yours! A classic story of time and tide, hit and run, and hate and love is in the offing, once again!
And this cycle will never cease, and will continue to be, even beyond the grave of the last man of the Palace unless honesty and pure service precede politics!
Hushed Poppies
Dumaguete Star Informer
30 October 2011
After the series of atrocities carried out by members of the Abu Sayaff against government troops, reports claiming demoralization in the military is top-billing political hullabaloos these days. As advised by Malacanang, demoralization is an exaggeration. In an earlier report, government troops seized rebel camp that is hosting about 100 outlaws.
Sen. Marcos hits Pres. Aquino over the alleged demoralization. Sen. Trillanes affirms that coup plot maybe possible due to alleged demoralization.
The world, the Islamic world, is watching them! Apparently, the country experiences two wars lately: Abu Sayaff and political bifurcation. The entire Philippines watches them, too!
The war, to put it globally generic, the rebel troops is executing is classic. To put it more universal, it is classified as terrorism. Since time and opportunity created rebellion, terrorism has long been plaguing the country, the government, and the people. Additionally, it has forged business deals between and among powers, super or inferior, in the guise of stopping it. Powers, whether in the suit of nations or politicians, have amassed wealth, in the guise of political programs. Undoubtedly, the fire is still burning.
Indisputably, you can’t put out the fire unless the will outwits lethargy; you can’t put out the fire unless the will outdoes greed, be it political or personal. Since this tumor has grown to be malignant, there is no way to stop it. The government cannot stop terrorism!
Marcos hitting Aquino maybe biased. For one, the country’s top executive announces that there will be no military burial for the former dictator. This was condemned by the Marcoses themselves, and the loyalists. Ironically, Vice Pres. Binay who meddles for the burial of the strongman is still waiting for his most opportune time to laugh and cry as in the olden days.
Look at the sky outside. Sometimes it is azure, significant of a good weather; sometimes, dark, significant of a coming storm. When the late dictator ruled the country, no military burial or honor was conferred to the older Aquino. Look who’s talking now?
It would be a novel idea to keep the cadaver in its frozen state until Bongbong Marcos becomes president or vice president. At the side, yes, he is capable. With Binay planning to run for president, I strongly believe Bongbong is a perfect veepee! Not only Ilocos but the entire nation watches over this. Just you wait!
Perfectly, what comes around goes around; what goes around comes around!
Just as the way they were, the Aquino administration is on its way to persecute, or prosecute the Arroyos and their cohorts by hook or by crook. About close to forty other personalities, other than the couple, are summoned to attend the joint DOJ-Comelec preliminary hearing slated Nov. 3, 2011 for two cases: electoral sabotage and electoral fraud.
Will somebody be convicted? Will the Aquino engines towards “tuwid na daan” ever be effective?
Let’s keep our fingers crossed. Political crimes gave birth to clemency; clemency paved the way for pardon. To date, several personalities were pardoned: The actor-turned politician for plunder and Trillanes and his cohorts for military uprisings.
Putting my two cents in, the waterloo of the Philippine justice system is the vicious cycle of prosecute and pardon in the sense that offenders are put on trial, convicted and eventually pardoned.
Scratch my back and I will scratch yours! A classic story of time and tide, hit and run, and hate and love is in the offing, once again!
And this cycle will never cease, and will continue to be, even beyond the grave of the last man of the Palace unless honesty and pure service precede politics!
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Terrorism and the President
By Rolo B. Cena
Hushed Poppies
Dumaguete Star Informer
23 October 2011
Early on, Pres. Aquino has always expressed optimism to stop Abu Sayaff’s terroristic activities in the country. Basically founded in the badlands of the south, the left wing of MILF has been considered by the local and international governments as among the most notorious of Islamic factions.
This is according to him!
The President met Abu’s high ranking officer in Japan, a move his colleagues considered novel and tactical. Since the meeting was not made known to everyone nor consultation was made, it came out as a surprise.
Apparently, the nation is still experiencing the wrath of the rebels.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to crush the “communist insurgency, rebellion in the South, and terrorism” by the end of her term in 2010.
This was according to her. Surprisingly, it was during her term that the terroristic activities of this group heightened: kidnappings, bombings, et al. Worse, Abu Sayaff gained confidence and enormous strength after getting international alliances and financial support.
These were according to intelligence report!
When Marcos assumed powers in the Palace, one of his foremost aims was to stop insurgency, rebellion, and terrorism. Sadly though, before his forced exit from the Philippine, not even one stopped.
Cory Aquino was sworn into office after the controversial snap election. A neophyte in politics, she was faced with the same dilemma. Until her dominion expired, terrorism was not resolved. Worse, several military coups were born that further gave birth to a senator.
Ramos, a West Pointer and a military man took over the palace. He vowed the same thing. But he failed and was failed by his own colleagues in the military. The short-lived term of actor Joseph Estrada also did not accomplish what the entire country hoped for.
Shortly before the start of the Ramadan this year, five members of the elite Philippine Marines were beheaded in Sulu. In a clash between the Islamic rebels and the government troops in Basilan in the 18th of October, at least 19 people were slain. The troop was claiming that they lacked pre-loaded magazines and they were outnumbered.
Reading through the statements, it seems that the government is not at all ready to stop the long time insurgency in the south; in ultimately putting a dot to the rhetoric of MILF. With the bloated budget and un-resolved “pabaon” issues in the military, what the “um” are we doing with our emissaries? – sending them off to battlefields without weapons? - And in number lesser than the enemies?
Arguably though, none of them knew what they were talking about; none of them knew what they were working at. At the rate the government is going, there is no way terrorism, insurgency, or rebellion – however we would call it – will ever be stopped. Unless our lawmakers put some teeth on the Anti-terrorism Law, we will never succeed as a nation.
And this ‘teeth” should be something that would express desire for life more than political greed or articulate life more than passion for the animal deduced to “pork in a barrel.”
Let me express my thought here: Unless political greed is reduced to nil, only then can Juan and Pidro claim that the battle against terrorism, insurgency or rebellion has been won. Greed brings about terrorism; terrorism is greed!
Hushed Poppies
Dumaguete Star Informer
23 October 2011
Early on, Pres. Aquino has always expressed optimism to stop Abu Sayaff’s terroristic activities in the country. Basically founded in the badlands of the south, the left wing of MILF has been considered by the local and international governments as among the most notorious of Islamic factions.
This is according to him!
The President met Abu’s high ranking officer in Japan, a move his colleagues considered novel and tactical. Since the meeting was not made known to everyone nor consultation was made, it came out as a surprise.
Apparently, the nation is still experiencing the wrath of the rebels.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to crush the “communist insurgency, rebellion in the South, and terrorism” by the end of her term in 2010.
This was according to her. Surprisingly, it was during her term that the terroristic activities of this group heightened: kidnappings, bombings, et al. Worse, Abu Sayaff gained confidence and enormous strength after getting international alliances and financial support.
These were according to intelligence report!
When Marcos assumed powers in the Palace, one of his foremost aims was to stop insurgency, rebellion, and terrorism. Sadly though, before his forced exit from the Philippine, not even one stopped.
Cory Aquino was sworn into office after the controversial snap election. A neophyte in politics, she was faced with the same dilemma. Until her dominion expired, terrorism was not resolved. Worse, several military coups were born that further gave birth to a senator.
Ramos, a West Pointer and a military man took over the palace. He vowed the same thing. But he failed and was failed by his own colleagues in the military. The short-lived term of actor Joseph Estrada also did not accomplish what the entire country hoped for.
Shortly before the start of the Ramadan this year, five members of the elite Philippine Marines were beheaded in Sulu. In a clash between the Islamic rebels and the government troops in Basilan in the 18th of October, at least 19 people were slain. The troop was claiming that they lacked pre-loaded magazines and they were outnumbered.
Reading through the statements, it seems that the government is not at all ready to stop the long time insurgency in the south; in ultimately putting a dot to the rhetoric of MILF. With the bloated budget and un-resolved “pabaon” issues in the military, what the “um” are we doing with our emissaries? – sending them off to battlefields without weapons? - And in number lesser than the enemies?
Arguably though, none of them knew what they were talking about; none of them knew what they were working at. At the rate the government is going, there is no way terrorism, insurgency, or rebellion – however we would call it – will ever be stopped. Unless our lawmakers put some teeth on the Anti-terrorism Law, we will never succeed as a nation.
And this ‘teeth” should be something that would express desire for life more than political greed or articulate life more than passion for the animal deduced to “pork in a barrel.”
Let me express my thought here: Unless political greed is reduced to nil, only then can Juan and Pidro claim that the battle against terrorism, insurgency or rebellion has been won. Greed brings about terrorism; terrorism is greed!
Terrorism and the President
By Rolo B. Cena
Hushed Poppies
Dumaguete Star Informer
23 October 2011
Early on, Pres. Aquino has always expressed optimism to stop Abu Sayaff’s terroristic activities in the country. Basically founded in the badlands of the south, the left wing of MILF has been considered by the local and international governments as among the most notorious of Islamic factions.
This is according to him!
The President met Abu’s high ranking officer in Japan, a move his colleagues considered novel and tactical. Since the meeting was not made known to everyone nor consultation was made, it came out as a surprise.
Apparently, the nation is still experiencing the wrath of the rebels.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to crush the “communist insurgency, rebellion in the South, and terrorism” by the end of her term in 2010.
This was according to her. Surprisingly, it was during her term that the terroristic activities of this group heightened: kidnappings, bombings, et al. Worse, Abu Sayaff gained confidence and enormous strength after getting international alliances and financial support.
These were according to intelligence report!
When Marcos assumed powers in the Palace, one of his foremost aims was to stop insurgency, rebellion, and terrorism. Sadly though, before his forced exit from the Philippine, not even one stopped.
Cory Aquino was sworn into office after the controversial snap election. A neophyte in politics, she was faced with the same dilemma. Until her dominion expired, terrorism was not resolved. Worse, several military coups were born that further gave birth to a senator.
Ramos, a West Pointer and a military man took over the palace. He vowed the same thing. But he failed and was failed by his own colleagues in the military. The short-lived term of actor Joseph Estrada also did not accomplish what the entire country hoped for.
Shortly before the start of the Ramadan this year, five members of the elite Philippine Marines were beheaded in Sulu. In a clash between the Islamic rebels and the government troops in Basilan in the 18th of October, at least 19 people were slain. The troop was claiming that they lacked pre-loaded magazines and they were outnumbered.
Reading through the statements, it seems that the government is not at all ready to stop the long time insurgency in the south; in ultimately putting a dot to the rhetoric of MILF. With the bloated budget and un-resolved “pabaon” issues in the military, what the “um” are we doing with our emissaries? – sending them off to battlefields without weapons? - And in number lesser than the enemies?
Arguably though, none of them knew what they were talking about; none of them knew what they were working at. At the rate the government is going, there is no way terrorism, insurgency, or rebellion – however we would call it – will ever be stopped. Unless our lawmakers put some teeth on the Anti-terrorism Law, we will never succeed as a nation.
And this ‘teeth” should be something that would express desire for life more than political greed or articulate life more than passion for the animal deduced to “pork in a barrel.”
Let me express my thought here: Unless political greed is reduced to nil, only then can Juan and Pidro claim that the battle against terrorism, insurgency or rebellion has been won. Greed brings about terrorism; terrorism is greed!
Hushed Poppies
Dumaguete Star Informer
23 October 2011
Early on, Pres. Aquino has always expressed optimism to stop Abu Sayaff’s terroristic activities in the country. Basically founded in the badlands of the south, the left wing of MILF has been considered by the local and international governments as among the most notorious of Islamic factions.
This is according to him!
The President met Abu’s high ranking officer in Japan, a move his colleagues considered novel and tactical. Since the meeting was not made known to everyone nor consultation was made, it came out as a surprise.
Apparently, the nation is still experiencing the wrath of the rebels.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to crush the “communist insurgency, rebellion in the South, and terrorism” by the end of her term in 2010.
This was according to her. Surprisingly, it was during her term that the terroristic activities of this group heightened: kidnappings, bombings, et al. Worse, Abu Sayaff gained confidence and enormous strength after getting international alliances and financial support.
These were according to intelligence report!
When Marcos assumed powers in the Palace, one of his foremost aims was to stop insurgency, rebellion, and terrorism. Sadly though, before his forced exit from the Philippine, not even one stopped.
Cory Aquino was sworn into office after the controversial snap election. A neophyte in politics, she was faced with the same dilemma. Until her dominion expired, terrorism was not resolved. Worse, several military coups were born that further gave birth to a senator.
Ramos, a West Pointer and a military man took over the palace. He vowed the same thing. But he failed and was failed by his own colleagues in the military. The short-lived term of actor Joseph Estrada also did not accomplish what the entire country hoped for.
Shortly before the start of the Ramadan this year, five members of the elite Philippine Marines were beheaded in Sulu. In a clash between the Islamic rebels and the government troops in Basilan in the 18th of October, at least 19 people were slain. The troop was claiming that they lacked pre-loaded magazines and they were outnumbered.
Reading through the statements, it seems that the government is not at all ready to stop the long time insurgency in the south; in ultimately putting a dot to the rhetoric of MILF. With the bloated budget and un-resolved “pabaon” issues in the military, what the “um” are we doing with our emissaries? – sending them off to battlefields without weapons? - And in number lesser than the enemies?
Arguably though, none of them knew what they were talking about; none of them knew what they were working at. At the rate the government is going, there is no way terrorism, insurgency, or rebellion – however we would call it – will ever be stopped. Unless our lawmakers put some teeth on the Anti-terrorism Law, we will never succeed as a nation.
And this ‘teeth” should be something that would express desire for life more than political greed or articulate life more than passion for the animal deduced to “pork in a barrel.”
Let me express my thought here: Unless political greed is reduced to nil, only then can Juan and Pidro claim that the battle against terrorism, insurgency or rebellion has been won. Greed brings about terrorism; terrorism is greed!
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Tic-tac-toe
By Rolo B. Cena
Hushed Poppies
Dumaguete Star Informer
16 October 2011
Last Wednesday, President Benigno Aquino III announced that charges would be filed against former President now Pampanga Second District Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo next month amidst report that the latter would seek medical treatment in Germany due to a life-threatening and very “rare disease.”
On the other hand, Justice Sec. Leila de Lima pronounced that the cases are going on through the process and that her team is yet to finish before December. In addition, she does not give any commitment as to the date of filing these charges. In relation to the former president’s ailment, her husband disclosed that she is suffering from hyperparathyroidism, a non-life-threatening disease, contrary to the announcement made by Arroyo’s spokesperson.
Surely, the optimism of Pres. Aquino is just hard to suppress, one that his mother Cory had exhibited and executed against her predecessor, Ferdinand Marcos and his cohorts. Very fortunately though, the Marcoses are still free and continue to enjoy the same freedom victims of Martial Law enjoy; worse, they still enjoy the fruits of their plunder, if at all it was the most plausible, or to say the least, the decided case against them.
Arguably, De Lima wouldn’t prematurely announce any development her investigating team has raked in; an accuracy she needs to calculate precisely in defense of the Palace. While the President marks the first square based on the mark indicated by the investigating Team, the last square in a row cannot be marked until December comes in.
On the other hand, Arroyo and his cohorts are more ready than Leila de Lima, et al. Whether or not the ailment is “life-threatening,” their defenses are tactically calculative of their state; supporters are playing their own hullabaloos in counterstrike. With the number of cases under the chair of de Lima still undecided, the target of filing plunder charges next month against the petite lady, et al is“water under the bridge.” It is me-and-my-big-mouth syndrome plaguing the Palace Court once again.
At the rate our system is going, any offender can go loosely unnoticed even before the search operation begins. This is a very classic phenomenon in the country especially when political power converges with the colors of the money the offender has in his vault.
Synchronicity is one hell of a game; most cases fail because witnesses and statements are not in synch with each other; worse, people and events, if ever glossily fabricated, are not coordinated according to the flow.
Tact is another.
Clearly, we can see the game played by two players who alternately mark squares in a grid with X’s , with one of them trying to capture the last square in a row they both know cannot be drawn with final “oops.”
When Speaker Belmonte granted Congressman Arroyo with three travel authorities, the former deliberately marks the first square in the latter’s favor. When she finally leaves for Germany for medical treatment, the government, in the guise of the Speaker, marks the second square, again, in her favor. Unless the administration bars the next square, then the game is over.
Tic-tac-toe: Arroyo in self-exile and political asylum! And what could her defense be? – Politically motivated!
Plunder cases are nonbailable; the same are not covered in the Extradition treaty we signed with several countries, including Germany where Arroyo is seeking medical treatment. Loosely, this is one matter the government has to look into without giving them the benefit of the doubt.
Series of inconsistencies from Aquino and his team are clearly happening from day one. Ronaldo Llamas, Presidential Adviser for Political affairs, has recently captured the sixty-second spotlight. His rhetoric: self-defense. Aquino has advocated a “wang-wang-less” administration as one of the engines of “tuwid na daan.” But what surprises the public now is the introduction of a more complicated and edgy program: the bang-bang!
Tic-tac-toe, give me my last square, else: Doesn’t’ “history repeat itself?”
Hushed Poppies
Dumaguete Star Informer
16 October 2011
Last Wednesday, President Benigno Aquino III announced that charges would be filed against former President now Pampanga Second District Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo next month amidst report that the latter would seek medical treatment in Germany due to a life-threatening and very “rare disease.”
On the other hand, Justice Sec. Leila de Lima pronounced that the cases are going on through the process and that her team is yet to finish before December. In addition, she does not give any commitment as to the date of filing these charges. In relation to the former president’s ailment, her husband disclosed that she is suffering from hyperparathyroidism, a non-life-threatening disease, contrary to the announcement made by Arroyo’s spokesperson.
Surely, the optimism of Pres. Aquino is just hard to suppress, one that his mother Cory had exhibited and executed against her predecessor, Ferdinand Marcos and his cohorts. Very fortunately though, the Marcoses are still free and continue to enjoy the same freedom victims of Martial Law enjoy; worse, they still enjoy the fruits of their plunder, if at all it was the most plausible, or to say the least, the decided case against them.
Arguably, De Lima wouldn’t prematurely announce any development her investigating team has raked in; an accuracy she needs to calculate precisely in defense of the Palace. While the President marks the first square based on the mark indicated by the investigating Team, the last square in a row cannot be marked until December comes in.
On the other hand, Arroyo and his cohorts are more ready than Leila de Lima, et al. Whether or not the ailment is “life-threatening,” their defenses are tactically calculative of their state; supporters are playing their own hullabaloos in counterstrike. With the number of cases under the chair of de Lima still undecided, the target of filing plunder charges next month against the petite lady, et al is“water under the bridge.” It is me-and-my-big-mouth syndrome plaguing the Palace Court once again.
At the rate our system is going, any offender can go loosely unnoticed even before the search operation begins. This is a very classic phenomenon in the country especially when political power converges with the colors of the money the offender has in his vault.
Synchronicity is one hell of a game; most cases fail because witnesses and statements are not in synch with each other; worse, people and events, if ever glossily fabricated, are not coordinated according to the flow.
Tact is another.
Clearly, we can see the game played by two players who alternately mark squares in a grid with X’s , with one of them trying to capture the last square in a row they both know cannot be drawn with final “oops.”
When Speaker Belmonte granted Congressman Arroyo with three travel authorities, the former deliberately marks the first square in the latter’s favor. When she finally leaves for Germany for medical treatment, the government, in the guise of the Speaker, marks the second square, again, in her favor. Unless the administration bars the next square, then the game is over.
Tic-tac-toe: Arroyo in self-exile and political asylum! And what could her defense be? – Politically motivated!
Plunder cases are nonbailable; the same are not covered in the Extradition treaty we signed with several countries, including Germany where Arroyo is seeking medical treatment. Loosely, this is one matter the government has to look into without giving them the benefit of the doubt.
Series of inconsistencies from Aquino and his team are clearly happening from day one. Ronaldo Llamas, Presidential Adviser for Political affairs, has recently captured the sixty-second spotlight. His rhetoric: self-defense. Aquino has advocated a “wang-wang-less” administration as one of the engines of “tuwid na daan.” But what surprises the public now is the introduction of a more complicated and edgy program: the bang-bang!
Tic-tac-toe, give me my last square, else: Doesn’t’ “history repeat itself?”
Thursday, September 29, 2011
60
By Rolo B. Cena
The Gulf Files
Dumaguete Star Informer
02 October 2011
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Surely, taking a business class-seat flight from Riyadh to Manila with a scant two-hour stopover at Hong Kong was just fair enough after three years of being barred from vacation due to massive workloads and pressing project timelines and deliverables. Other than feeling peculiarly different while seated in this classy cabin, the stress associated with traveling has been completely toned down to my advantage.
And I thought it was at all comforting. Welcomed by the melancholic storm rains, the Cathay Pacific Airbus touched down at the tarmac of NAIA 2 at about 5:00 p.m. From the window of the aircraft, I can visibly see the flooded lanes where this steel aviary was taxiing, evident of the storms. When my nephew picked me up at about 6:00 p.m., I knew the perks I enjoyed in the trip have been infringed.
Driving our way out from NAIA 2 to Magallanes Inter-Change was as tactically mazy as proving the most heinous of crimes of the century – the Maguindanao Massacre, or in convicting these annihilators. While all traffic lights are technically working, the humps and bumps along the troubled thoroughfares en route to EDSA are as obvious and dubious as the turns and twists the Ampatuans and their colleagues are crafting, ultimately, to the advantage of the One.
Finding the best way out to Fairview for my overnight accommodation was as horrendous as proving the 2004 electoral fraud lodged against the former petite lady of the Palace now Pampanga Representative. While most of the roads are technically passable, the rain waters deposited in the sewers of the Metropolitan Manila are as dreadful and atmospherically horrible as the twists and turns the first family and its camp are crafting for their advantage.
Plying the historic EDSA was rather suffocating than breathtaking: the billboards donning “skins” of showbiz personalities in the guise of endorsing commercial products sans the metaphoric invites of the flesh trade, massive skyscrapers in the guise of building “homes” sans the rhetoric lures of quick-and-easy life, the metropolitan rails plying the spreads of highways in the guise of economic solution to traffic sans the allegoric invites of corruption in government contracts, and all, and all.
If at all these are the proposed solutions to social stigma at hand, then I hold no qualm against them. While it is true that unprecedented rise of commercialism has gradually eradicated authentic Filipino industry, creativity and value, it has somehow, literally and figuratively, benefited its recipients, if it would be sacrilegious to call them prey. However, I do have one to the plaguing traffic problem in the metropolis because for the same score, the situation has never improved; worse, after a brief period, it has worsen.
Sans the hullabaloos from critics, the government has imposed the “60kph” speed limit in major thoroughfares. For one, discipline has to be imposed to erring motorists; two, lives of the motorists have to be protected.
The sterling question is: For how long can the government sustain to do this?
In Saudi Arabia, CCTV cameras are installed in four areas of the traffic posts. In the absence of traffic lights, AUVs are parked along conspicuous portion of the roads or highways with CCTV cameras installed in them. These CCTVs are controlled by central monitors in the respective police stations, which are then connected to the system network that integrates all agencies of the government. Once a violation is detected, the system automatically captures and records the offense, transmits warning notice to the all concerned including but not limited to the Immigration (for the expatriates), Interiors (for the Driving License and Car registration), the motorist (via SMS) and the bank for automatic deduction from the account of the erring motorist. In the event that the motorist does not have bank account, upon renewal of National ID or Iqama, the system shall automatically retrieve the offense and thus penalize the offenders.
In contrast, speed violation in the Country is detected by a traffic officer who operates manually the speed reader. He then informs another traffic officer who shall apprehend the offender. Once this happens, a traffic violation ticket is issued and the offender has to settle with the Land Transportation Office.
What is the difference between the two systems? Saudi Arabia’s is systematic, effective and less prone to corruption. In contrast, ours is manual, less effective and absolutely a fertile ground for corruption.
And why should Saudi Arabia be any different? Is it because they have money? Is it because they have imposed National ID system?
The answers to these preceding questions are denominated to a big “NO!” Saudi Arabia made it happened because for one, its government has the political will; two, Saudi Arabia maximizes its money; and three, Saudi Arabia has maximized its existing system.
If our government can only define prudent spending or re-tame this animal deduced to“pork in a barrel” in its truest form and meaning, only then novel projects like this can be implemented, or, succeed!
Take it from the petite lady!
The Gulf Files
Dumaguete Star Informer
02 October 2011
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Surely, taking a business class-seat flight from Riyadh to Manila with a scant two-hour stopover at Hong Kong was just fair enough after three years of being barred from vacation due to massive workloads and pressing project timelines and deliverables. Other than feeling peculiarly different while seated in this classy cabin, the stress associated with traveling has been completely toned down to my advantage.
And I thought it was at all comforting. Welcomed by the melancholic storm rains, the Cathay Pacific Airbus touched down at the tarmac of NAIA 2 at about 5:00 p.m. From the window of the aircraft, I can visibly see the flooded lanes where this steel aviary was taxiing, evident of the storms. When my nephew picked me up at about 6:00 p.m., I knew the perks I enjoyed in the trip have been infringed.
Driving our way out from NAIA 2 to Magallanes Inter-Change was as tactically mazy as proving the most heinous of crimes of the century – the Maguindanao Massacre, or in convicting these annihilators. While all traffic lights are technically working, the humps and bumps along the troubled thoroughfares en route to EDSA are as obvious and dubious as the turns and twists the Ampatuans and their colleagues are crafting, ultimately, to the advantage of the One.
Finding the best way out to Fairview for my overnight accommodation was as horrendous as proving the 2004 electoral fraud lodged against the former petite lady of the Palace now Pampanga Representative. While most of the roads are technically passable, the rain waters deposited in the sewers of the Metropolitan Manila are as dreadful and atmospherically horrible as the twists and turns the first family and its camp are crafting for their advantage.
Plying the historic EDSA was rather suffocating than breathtaking: the billboards donning “skins” of showbiz personalities in the guise of endorsing commercial products sans the metaphoric invites of the flesh trade, massive skyscrapers in the guise of building “homes” sans the rhetoric lures of quick-and-easy life, the metropolitan rails plying the spreads of highways in the guise of economic solution to traffic sans the allegoric invites of corruption in government contracts, and all, and all.
If at all these are the proposed solutions to social stigma at hand, then I hold no qualm against them. While it is true that unprecedented rise of commercialism has gradually eradicated authentic Filipino industry, creativity and value, it has somehow, literally and figuratively, benefited its recipients, if it would be sacrilegious to call them prey. However, I do have one to the plaguing traffic problem in the metropolis because for the same score, the situation has never improved; worse, after a brief period, it has worsen.
Sans the hullabaloos from critics, the government has imposed the “60kph” speed limit in major thoroughfares. For one, discipline has to be imposed to erring motorists; two, lives of the motorists have to be protected.
The sterling question is: For how long can the government sustain to do this?
In Saudi Arabia, CCTV cameras are installed in four areas of the traffic posts. In the absence of traffic lights, AUVs are parked along conspicuous portion of the roads or highways with CCTV cameras installed in them. These CCTVs are controlled by central monitors in the respective police stations, which are then connected to the system network that integrates all agencies of the government. Once a violation is detected, the system automatically captures and records the offense, transmits warning notice to the all concerned including but not limited to the Immigration (for the expatriates), Interiors (for the Driving License and Car registration), the motorist (via SMS) and the bank for automatic deduction from the account of the erring motorist. In the event that the motorist does not have bank account, upon renewal of National ID or Iqama, the system shall automatically retrieve the offense and thus penalize the offenders.
In contrast, speed violation in the Country is detected by a traffic officer who operates manually the speed reader. He then informs another traffic officer who shall apprehend the offender. Once this happens, a traffic violation ticket is issued and the offender has to settle with the Land Transportation Office.
What is the difference between the two systems? Saudi Arabia’s is systematic, effective and less prone to corruption. In contrast, ours is manual, less effective and absolutely a fertile ground for corruption.
And why should Saudi Arabia be any different? Is it because they have money? Is it because they have imposed National ID system?
The answers to these preceding questions are denominated to a big “NO!” Saudi Arabia made it happened because for one, its government has the political will; two, Saudi Arabia maximizes its money; and three, Saudi Arabia has maximized its existing system.
If our government can only define prudent spending or re-tame this animal deduced to“pork in a barrel” in its truest form and meaning, only then novel projects like this can be implemented, or, succeed!
Take it from the petite lady!
Thursday, September 22, 2011
21st of September
By Rolo B. Cena
The Gulf Files
Dumaguete Star Informer
25 September 2011
Riyadh,Saudi Arabia – There are two major significance this odd number accords the world and the Filipino people: The “International Peace One Day” and the declaration of Martial Law thirty-nine (39) years ago. The former is an advocacy that calls for all citizens of the world to take on peace and cause to be its agent; the latter is a self-serving interest conceptualized to create a stress-contained serenity narrative of dictatorial dominion and brutal rule of the Palace.
The 21st of September reminds us of the belief that we are one community, one citizen and one spirit: a community with the belief that instilling peace within the inner recesses of the hearts and minds creates an asylum of healthy disposition; a citizen with familial objective of advocating and maintaining peace builds an edifice of genuine people’s supremacy and good governance; and a spirit with contagious resolve fashions a sanctuary of immortal tranquility and peaceful community of Filipino people.
The 21st day of September reminds us of the freedom promulgated in the portico of Aguinaldo’s shrine in Cavite; the freedom that gave us the privilege to enjoy democracy in its truest form and meaning, with the absolute application of the rule of the people and the rule of law.
It brings us back to the memoirs of EDSA, where one trumpet was sounded off by one humble Cardinal that gave birth to the People Power that toppled a regime that abused lives, controlled the economy, and fabricated history. The 21st of September equates with the 25th of February that catapulted the rise of true democracy and eventually indisputable peace.
In contrast however, the 21st of September reminds us of the “Marcos Law,” a partisan belief that the Palace is the Law, the Palace is the Rule, and that the Palace is the Force: the law that revealed someone is above the law; the rule that revealed supremacy over its subjects; and the force that controls the community of believed-to-be idiots.
It reminds us of the Martial Law, the Romualdez-Marcos conjugal dictatorship that re-defined freedom, re-orchestrated peace, and re-created atrocities: freedom re-defined in the guise of cronyism and false application of bureaucracy, peace re-orchestrated in the guise of the New Society, and atrocities re-created in the manifestations of New People’s Army, Moro-Islamic Liberation Front, et al. This later gave unprecedented birth of Abu Sayaff propelled by the subsequent demonic Laws of Man that controlled the palace.
The 21st of September reminds us of the 21st century Filipino idolatries: crime, grime and slime. These three, in all aspects, are powered by greed and voracity. It reminds us of the most heinous of all politically-propelled crimes in Maguindanao; it reminds us of the most popular grime concocted by the wittiest of minds: the Poe-arroyo Presidential race; and it reminds us of the most horrendous slime ever actuated: ZTE-NBN deal, the fertilizer scam, etc.
Surely, the two scenarios vividly define contrasting epitomes of peace in one plane of thought: two extremes that demand both harmony and greed: The former being the end product of genuine peace, the latter being the consequence of a fabricated and highly malicious one. But then again, both lie on the same plane of thought.
Under the precepts of true order, where all the elements in the universe are in harmonious adjunct with its other, harmony and greed do not and cannot meet even when peace becomes the focal or central point of order, or in it its truest form and meaning, is enforced. Harmony and greed do not blend; neither does peace with martial law.
But contrast oftentimes provide colors that sooth, pictures that link, and messages that command: soothing colors that clearly demystify the good, the better and the best; linking pictures that exemplify the bad, the worse, and the worst; and commanding messages that magnify the good, the bad and the ugly.
Demystifying the good, the better and the best gives us the full picture of the Aquino administration, a replica of his mother’s, the icon of democracy, where transparency and good governance are two of his most important spices in re-cooking Philippine government. Linking pictures that exemplify the bad, the worse and the worst personifies the administration of the petite lady, now Pampanga Representative, where her greed and voracity ranks second to the former dictator. Magnifying the good, the bad and the ugly reminds us that once the Country was chosen by the good, ruled by the bad, and led to perdition by the ugliest of political souls.
21st of September should remind us of one thing: never do that again! What ever calls for it, be still!
The Gulf Files
Dumaguete Star Informer
25 September 2011
Riyadh,Saudi Arabia – There are two major significance this odd number accords the world and the Filipino people: The “International Peace One Day” and the declaration of Martial Law thirty-nine (39) years ago. The former is an advocacy that calls for all citizens of the world to take on peace and cause to be its agent; the latter is a self-serving interest conceptualized to create a stress-contained serenity narrative of dictatorial dominion and brutal rule of the Palace.
The 21st of September reminds us of the belief that we are one community, one citizen and one spirit: a community with the belief that instilling peace within the inner recesses of the hearts and minds creates an asylum of healthy disposition; a citizen with familial objective of advocating and maintaining peace builds an edifice of genuine people’s supremacy and good governance; and a spirit with contagious resolve fashions a sanctuary of immortal tranquility and peaceful community of Filipino people.
The 21st day of September reminds us of the freedom promulgated in the portico of Aguinaldo’s shrine in Cavite; the freedom that gave us the privilege to enjoy democracy in its truest form and meaning, with the absolute application of the rule of the people and the rule of law.
It brings us back to the memoirs of EDSA, where one trumpet was sounded off by one humble Cardinal that gave birth to the People Power that toppled a regime that abused lives, controlled the economy, and fabricated history. The 21st of September equates with the 25th of February that catapulted the rise of true democracy and eventually indisputable peace.
In contrast however, the 21st of September reminds us of the “Marcos Law,” a partisan belief that the Palace is the Law, the Palace is the Rule, and that the Palace is the Force: the law that revealed someone is above the law; the rule that revealed supremacy over its subjects; and the force that controls the community of believed-to-be idiots.
It reminds us of the Martial Law, the Romualdez-Marcos conjugal dictatorship that re-defined freedom, re-orchestrated peace, and re-created atrocities: freedom re-defined in the guise of cronyism and false application of bureaucracy, peace re-orchestrated in the guise of the New Society, and atrocities re-created in the manifestations of New People’s Army, Moro-Islamic Liberation Front, et al. This later gave unprecedented birth of Abu Sayaff propelled by the subsequent demonic Laws of Man that controlled the palace.
The 21st of September reminds us of the 21st century Filipino idolatries: crime, grime and slime. These three, in all aspects, are powered by greed and voracity. It reminds us of the most heinous of all politically-propelled crimes in Maguindanao; it reminds us of the most popular grime concocted by the wittiest of minds: the Poe-arroyo Presidential race; and it reminds us of the most horrendous slime ever actuated: ZTE-NBN deal, the fertilizer scam, etc.
Surely, the two scenarios vividly define contrasting epitomes of peace in one plane of thought: two extremes that demand both harmony and greed: The former being the end product of genuine peace, the latter being the consequence of a fabricated and highly malicious one. But then again, both lie on the same plane of thought.
Under the precepts of true order, where all the elements in the universe are in harmonious adjunct with its other, harmony and greed do not and cannot meet even when peace becomes the focal or central point of order, or in it its truest form and meaning, is enforced. Harmony and greed do not blend; neither does peace with martial law.
But contrast oftentimes provide colors that sooth, pictures that link, and messages that command: soothing colors that clearly demystify the good, the better and the best; linking pictures that exemplify the bad, the worse, and the worst; and commanding messages that magnify the good, the bad and the ugly.
Demystifying the good, the better and the best gives us the full picture of the Aquino administration, a replica of his mother’s, the icon of democracy, where transparency and good governance are two of his most important spices in re-cooking Philippine government. Linking pictures that exemplify the bad, the worse and the worst personifies the administration of the petite lady, now Pampanga Representative, where her greed and voracity ranks second to the former dictator. Magnifying the good, the bad and the ugly reminds us that once the Country was chosen by the good, ruled by the bad, and led to perdition by the ugliest of political souls.
21st of September should remind us of one thing: never do that again! What ever calls for it, be still!
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Schizophrenic
By Rolo B. Cena
The Gulf Files
Dumaguete Star Informer
18 September 2011
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – In his articulation for several days after NATO and National Transition Council (NTC) claimed victory over Tripoli, Moammar Gadhafi denied reports that he fled to Niger, a southern neighboring Islamic state. With the enunciation made by the Organization requesting neighboring countries to close their borders to the members of the fugitive’s regime, the former Libyan leader, now remaining at large, branded all the activities the allied forces have undertaken as “psychological warfare and lies” after his dominion was diffused.
What a paranoia of sort when the world-declared fugitive with whom the Marcoses, especially the former First Lady now Ilocos Representative Imelda Marcos have intimated and shared their own tricks and notes of greed-based supremacy, brandished his own portfolio of anarchy that almost venerated the near-satanic rites of Hitler.
Such was a blatant display of greed for power that is as enormous as the greed and voracity of the petite lady as evidenced by the worst of crimes as the Arroyo-backed killings or as gargantuan as the greed and voracity of the Ampatuans’.
When Gadhafi called the acts of the allied forces as “psych war and lies,” it’s by default a reflection of his own means of deceiving the entire world that he is still in control, that he is still harboring victories; an absolute lie as profane as the mental lapses of the petite lady on the one-million-vote edge over actor Poe, the only and absolute foe she had during the 2004 presidential elections.
When Gadhafi slammed the rumors that he was heading south of Libya with a strong armada, it was by definition a “psych war and lie” to deceive the entire world that his power still exists in the metropolis of Tripoli, a lie similar to the existence of congressional power of the petite lady to desperately protect herself from prosecution and persecution for greed and voracity she and her court mercilessly deliberated during her two anarchical terms.
Similarly, when the former dictator Ferdinand Marcos was lifted from Malacanang and transported to what was mistaken as Hawai instead of Paoay, all his men – relatives and cronies- fabricated all sorts of made-to-order antics in order to derail the transformation process undertaken by the Aquino administration, an activity that was as sadistic as annihilating the Jews during the second global war by the Nazis.
If I may put my two cents in, most leaders are schizophrenic, a post partum behavioral disorder governed by hunger for superfluous; post partum in the sense that it unveils after leaders get the power: Hitler, Mussolini, Marcos, Fidel Castro, Hosni Mubarak, Ben Ali, Bashar al-Saad, Moammar Gadhafi, Gloria Arroyo, et al.
Hitler and Mussolini’s annihilation of the world in an attempt to control the magnitude of creation, Marcos’ unequalled concoction of power and greed, Castro’s defiance to submit, Hosni Mubarak’s interminable military control behind bars, Ben Ali sibling’s political kleptomaniac, Bashar al-Saad’s do-or-die attachment to power, Moamma Gadhafi’s psychological warfare and lies, Gloria Arroyo’s lapses turned denials, and more. Yes, and many more when drilled down to the last of selections.
These leaders have utterly epitomized the commonest of all political fuel: Greed! Conversely, these leaders have epitomized the commonest of all political behavioral disorder: schizophrenia!
Greed is an overwhelming desire to have more of something. Schizophrenia is a psychiatric disorder with symptoms of emotional instability, detachment from reality, and withdrawal into self. It is a state of mind characterized by contradictory or conflicting attitudes, behavior or qualities.
Arguably though, these breed of assailants are living between the border of normalcy and schizophrenia, a state of mind where most narcissistic creatures often dismiss as reality sans the sugar coats and glossy superficial pelts of mental distortion; apparently, they need psychiatric overhauls to anchor them to reality and consequently allow them to survive.
Again if I may opine, behaviors like these muggers epitomize don’t deserve to exist, lest re-condition the mindsets of the youths otherwise the value of true democracy will wane beyond reason: a democracy founded on the principle of the people, by the people and for the people.
What more can the constituents do whenever such behavior persists in a state like ours?
The Gulf Files
Dumaguete Star Informer
18 September 2011
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – In his articulation for several days after NATO and National Transition Council (NTC) claimed victory over Tripoli, Moammar Gadhafi denied reports that he fled to Niger, a southern neighboring Islamic state. With the enunciation made by the Organization requesting neighboring countries to close their borders to the members of the fugitive’s regime, the former Libyan leader, now remaining at large, branded all the activities the allied forces have undertaken as “psychological warfare and lies” after his dominion was diffused.
What a paranoia of sort when the world-declared fugitive with whom the Marcoses, especially the former First Lady now Ilocos Representative Imelda Marcos have intimated and shared their own tricks and notes of greed-based supremacy, brandished his own portfolio of anarchy that almost venerated the near-satanic rites of Hitler.
Such was a blatant display of greed for power that is as enormous as the greed and voracity of the petite lady as evidenced by the worst of crimes as the Arroyo-backed killings or as gargantuan as the greed and voracity of the Ampatuans’.
When Gadhafi called the acts of the allied forces as “psych war and lies,” it’s by default a reflection of his own means of deceiving the entire world that he is still in control, that he is still harboring victories; an absolute lie as profane as the mental lapses of the petite lady on the one-million-vote edge over actor Poe, the only and absolute foe she had during the 2004 presidential elections.
When Gadhafi slammed the rumors that he was heading south of Libya with a strong armada, it was by definition a “psych war and lie” to deceive the entire world that his power still exists in the metropolis of Tripoli, a lie similar to the existence of congressional power of the petite lady to desperately protect herself from prosecution and persecution for greed and voracity she and her court mercilessly deliberated during her two anarchical terms.
Similarly, when the former dictator Ferdinand Marcos was lifted from Malacanang and transported to what was mistaken as Hawai instead of Paoay, all his men – relatives and cronies- fabricated all sorts of made-to-order antics in order to derail the transformation process undertaken by the Aquino administration, an activity that was as sadistic as annihilating the Jews during the second global war by the Nazis.
If I may put my two cents in, most leaders are schizophrenic, a post partum behavioral disorder governed by hunger for superfluous; post partum in the sense that it unveils after leaders get the power: Hitler, Mussolini, Marcos, Fidel Castro, Hosni Mubarak, Ben Ali, Bashar al-Saad, Moammar Gadhafi, Gloria Arroyo, et al.
Hitler and Mussolini’s annihilation of the world in an attempt to control the magnitude of creation, Marcos’ unequalled concoction of power and greed, Castro’s defiance to submit, Hosni Mubarak’s interminable military control behind bars, Ben Ali sibling’s political kleptomaniac, Bashar al-Saad’s do-or-die attachment to power, Moamma Gadhafi’s psychological warfare and lies, Gloria Arroyo’s lapses turned denials, and more. Yes, and many more when drilled down to the last of selections.
These leaders have utterly epitomized the commonest of all political fuel: Greed! Conversely, these leaders have epitomized the commonest of all political behavioral disorder: schizophrenia!
Greed is an overwhelming desire to have more of something. Schizophrenia is a psychiatric disorder with symptoms of emotional instability, detachment from reality, and withdrawal into self. It is a state of mind characterized by contradictory or conflicting attitudes, behavior or qualities.
Arguably though, these breed of assailants are living between the border of normalcy and schizophrenia, a state of mind where most narcissistic creatures often dismiss as reality sans the sugar coats and glossy superficial pelts of mental distortion; apparently, they need psychiatric overhauls to anchor them to reality and consequently allow them to survive.
Again if I may opine, behaviors like these muggers epitomize don’t deserve to exist, lest re-condition the mindsets of the youths otherwise the value of true democracy will wane beyond reason: a democracy founded on the principle of the people, by the people and for the people.
What more can the constituents do whenever such behavior persists in a state like ours?
The rhetoric of Sin
By Rolo B. Cena
The Gulf Files
Dumaguete Star Informer
04 September 2011
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – It was his trumpet sounded off that concocted the greatest assembly of mankind, which consequently aborted the most horrible dominion of all times; a speechifying that enunciated the freedom defined solely for this act and purpose.
He caused change as he himself is an agent of change; a promulgator of freedom who denounced the most promiscuous of sins. He called forth the abortion of a sin that ruled for more than two decades and disgraced the Filipino people; an oratory manifesting a different passion of greed – a cardinal sin. It was the newest of freedom defined in the oratory of a Cardinal.
If he were alive, he would have sounded once more his rhetoric on the electoral fraud of the former strongwoman of the Palace; articulated an argument on the ZTN deal; verbalized his own way of protest against the most horrifying carnage of the millennium that took place in the remotest of areas in Maguindanao. He would have struck the hullabaloos of the previous administration and that of the son of the icon of democracy, whose political occupation he triggered via the world-acclaimed bloodless revolution at EDSA.
If here were alive, he would have opined on the “pajero bishops” that stirred the Roman Catholics in awe; he would have narrated how the drug lords build the churches in the drug rings of countries of the world, or how the most organized crime syndicates in the world finance foundations and refugee centers.
If he were alive, he would have recited once more his oratory on the “Poleteismo” staged at the Cultural Center of the Philippines that blasphemed the faith the more than eighty-million Christian Filipinos behold for centuries now; he would have desecrated Mideo Cruz, et al, the exhibit halls, the minds and spirits of the organizers. All by his powerful prayers that come from his unstained heart and mind, he would have outdone the blasphemy. He would have dared “Kulo” artists to stage the same for Prophet Mohammed to prove to the entire world that the Islamic community would stage the same protest, or to prove that arts is supposed to convey the most beautiful and lasting of all messages and not to instill in the minds and hearts of the followers the most satanic or oddest of all pieces of arts.
If he were alive, he would have opined on the Reproductive Health Bill that sends all groups to the porticos of the Congress and Senate and halls of the academic institutions. He would have stressed the importance of eradicating poverty from the list of social concerns to and before the so called cause-oriented groups protesting against the RH Bill; he would have emphasized that the country has been plagued by population problem, more so, population control problems. He would have emphasized as well that population problem should be addressed by both the people and the government along with the assistance of the Church; he would have emphasized that the only thing that divides the church and the state is the thin red line that is so sensitive and fragile.
If here were alive, he would have recited once more his rhetoric over the first one-hundred days of President Benigno Aquino III, as was in the first one-hundred days of his mother, Corazon Aquino, the icon of democracy with whom he worked with in toppling the strongman and his cronies. He would have advised the son in the name of the father and of the mother to work honestly and conscientiously sans vested interests and future political plans.
His rhetoric is far greater than the rest; far valuable that the Congress and Senate. His rhetoric is beyond imagination, beyond meaning yet vividly visible and completely comprehensible.
Whatever happened to the country today, to the Filipino people – we owe them to Cardinal Sin, the prime mover of the EDSA spirit. Whatever happened to the political arena of the country today is not his cause – it was the peoples’ choice.
EDSA would have been enshrined more than ever; respected more than ever; and revered more than ever. If Cardinal Sin were alive, the spirit he had given birth would have been taken care of, would have been nurtured, and would have been nourished.
Such was the rhetoric of Cardinal Sin, removing sins from mankind. Godspeed, Cardinal!
The Gulf Files
Dumaguete Star Informer
04 September 2011
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – It was his trumpet sounded off that concocted the greatest assembly of mankind, which consequently aborted the most horrible dominion of all times; a speechifying that enunciated the freedom defined solely for this act and purpose.
He caused change as he himself is an agent of change; a promulgator of freedom who denounced the most promiscuous of sins. He called forth the abortion of a sin that ruled for more than two decades and disgraced the Filipino people; an oratory manifesting a different passion of greed – a cardinal sin. It was the newest of freedom defined in the oratory of a Cardinal.
If he were alive, he would have sounded once more his rhetoric on the electoral fraud of the former strongwoman of the Palace; articulated an argument on the ZTN deal; verbalized his own way of protest against the most horrifying carnage of the millennium that took place in the remotest of areas in Maguindanao. He would have struck the hullabaloos of the previous administration and that of the son of the icon of democracy, whose political occupation he triggered via the world-acclaimed bloodless revolution at EDSA.
If here were alive, he would have opined on the “pajero bishops” that stirred the Roman Catholics in awe; he would have narrated how the drug lords build the churches in the drug rings of countries of the world, or how the most organized crime syndicates in the world finance foundations and refugee centers.
If he were alive, he would have recited once more his oratory on the “Poleteismo” staged at the Cultural Center of the Philippines that blasphemed the faith the more than eighty-million Christian Filipinos behold for centuries now; he would have desecrated Mideo Cruz, et al, the exhibit halls, the minds and spirits of the organizers. All by his powerful prayers that come from his unstained heart and mind, he would have outdone the blasphemy. He would have dared “Kulo” artists to stage the same for Prophet Mohammed to prove to the entire world that the Islamic community would stage the same protest, or to prove that arts is supposed to convey the most beautiful and lasting of all messages and not to instill in the minds and hearts of the followers the most satanic or oddest of all pieces of arts.
If he were alive, he would have opined on the Reproductive Health Bill that sends all groups to the porticos of the Congress and Senate and halls of the academic institutions. He would have stressed the importance of eradicating poverty from the list of social concerns to and before the so called cause-oriented groups protesting against the RH Bill; he would have emphasized that the country has been plagued by population problem, more so, population control problems. He would have emphasized as well that population problem should be addressed by both the people and the government along with the assistance of the Church; he would have emphasized that the only thing that divides the church and the state is the thin red line that is so sensitive and fragile.
If here were alive, he would have recited once more his rhetoric over the first one-hundred days of President Benigno Aquino III, as was in the first one-hundred days of his mother, Corazon Aquino, the icon of democracy with whom he worked with in toppling the strongman and his cronies. He would have advised the son in the name of the father and of the mother to work honestly and conscientiously sans vested interests and future political plans.
His rhetoric is far greater than the rest; far valuable that the Congress and Senate. His rhetoric is beyond imagination, beyond meaning yet vividly visible and completely comprehensible.
Whatever happened to the country today, to the Filipino people – we owe them to Cardinal Sin, the prime mover of the EDSA spirit. Whatever happened to the political arena of the country today is not his cause – it was the peoples’ choice.
EDSA would have been enshrined more than ever; respected more than ever; and revered more than ever. If Cardinal Sin were alive, the spirit he had given birth would have been taken care of, would have been nurtured, and would have been nourished.
Such was the rhetoric of Cardinal Sin, removing sins from mankind. Godspeed, Cardinal!
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Ramadan, the world, and the OFWs
By Rolo B. Cena
The Gulf Files
Dumaguete Star Informer
21 August 2011
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - With Ramadan closing with the celebration of the Eid holidays from 25 August to 02 September 2011, everybody is just as expectant as all Muslims in the world. Ramadan, the Islamic month dedicated for fasting, happens to be celebrated in the month of August, which the world celebrates as the anti-Terrorism month.
As enunciated by their faith, Ramadan month teaches the values of patience, spirituality, humility and submissiveness to God. Ramadan is the Islamic month of fasting where participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking and intimacy with their partners during daylight hours.
To my view, irrespective of faith or religion, submissiveness to God is a continuous commitment where an individual is supposed to actively profess that he is born in the image and likeness of God, the God of peace and freedom. Additionally, fasting should not only happen during this period but although the years as well, and this includes fasting from waging indifferences, or more appropriately, war. I strongly believe that war is not an option.
Ten years ago, the entire world was shocked when Al-Qaeda, Jihadist group of Osama Bin Laden grounded the World Trade Center in New York. Instantly, it claimed lives. To date, it still claims lives as anger and depression still linger in the heart and minds of the victims and those who condemn war.
The notorious effect and consequence of this attack still manifests in the economy of the world’s superpower. Lately the credit rating of the USA declined from AAA to AA+ after seventy years of good standing. While this is America, the decline in the rating adversely affects other countries and kingdoms with whom the “land of milk and honey” deals with.
Unemployment rose in the US mainland; and it creates ripple effect to countries or kingdoms where its economy controls. In the Middle East, several nations or kingdoms forced to implement their own austerity measures to address the status quo. Consequently, unemployment soared.
The 9/11 attack and Al-Qaeda’s subsequent terrorism activities generate newer and bitter approaches to conservative Islamic disposition and faith; these foster factionalism and indifferences. As a result, these create uncontrollable political unrests in the Arab world, more peculiarly in the Middle East and its neighboring nations: Tunisia started the protests that paved the way for its president to flee to Saudi Arabia; the Freedom Square in Cairo paved the way for the re-birth of a new Egypt and thus placed Hosni Mubarak, its president behind bars; Libya’s version of civil defiance still heightens the alert level with Muamar Khadafi defying international laws and attacks; Sudan follows the same suit; Syria’s episode grows worse.
Al-Qaeda’s figure head has been liquidated in an attack in Pakistan. However, as United Nations say, it’s too early to claim victory. While this incident places the group in a weaker stance, Bin Laden’s successor is once again taking control and gaining grounds. The US government and the United Nations anti-Terrorism group are confident that the Muslim extremists group will soon be terminated following these indications.
Recently, riots and unrests were seen in the United Kingdom, another country believed to have a very strong and stable economy and political climate. In Spain, riots, which were triggered by economic depression, are staged.
Consequently, changes in economic and political reforms in these kingdoms and nations usher a new threat to the Filipino workers abroad. For instance, when Bahrain followed the same suit from Egypt, thousands of Filipinos were ferried home and thus landed jobless. Filipino workers in Egypt and Libya were displaced involuntarily. The 17,000 Filipinos in Syria this month were advised to leave the country, which means another story of unemployment.
Conversely, any political unrest, protest, or riot that may take place in countries where expatriates are, particularly Filipinos, will surely bring about personal economic unrest to an individual, regardless of breed or creed.
In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, an abrupt and massive change in employment benefits for its constituents was immediately instituted. The move is aimed at curtailing future political unrests and violence that are similar to its neighboring nations and kingdoms. One major change is the implementation of its re-designed and re-enforced Saudization Law that can effectively bar non-compliant employers from renewing the Iqama of the expatriates, or from hiring expatriates if the required rate of complying with the Law is not met. Incidentally, most employers are not meeting the requirements of the Law, and thus, give millions of OFWs in Saudi Arabia a stern warning.
Arguably though, similar phenomenon will surely come into as the world fights against terrorism and depression. As the month of Ramadan suggests, submissiveness to God brings about newer and better lives. How I wish their world practice what they preach!
The Gulf Files
Dumaguete Star Informer
21 August 2011
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - With Ramadan closing with the celebration of the Eid holidays from 25 August to 02 September 2011, everybody is just as expectant as all Muslims in the world. Ramadan, the Islamic month dedicated for fasting, happens to be celebrated in the month of August, which the world celebrates as the anti-Terrorism month.
As enunciated by their faith, Ramadan month teaches the values of patience, spirituality, humility and submissiveness to God. Ramadan is the Islamic month of fasting where participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking and intimacy with their partners during daylight hours.
To my view, irrespective of faith or religion, submissiveness to God is a continuous commitment where an individual is supposed to actively profess that he is born in the image and likeness of God, the God of peace and freedom. Additionally, fasting should not only happen during this period but although the years as well, and this includes fasting from waging indifferences, or more appropriately, war. I strongly believe that war is not an option.
Ten years ago, the entire world was shocked when Al-Qaeda, Jihadist group of Osama Bin Laden grounded the World Trade Center in New York. Instantly, it claimed lives. To date, it still claims lives as anger and depression still linger in the heart and minds of the victims and those who condemn war.
The notorious effect and consequence of this attack still manifests in the economy of the world’s superpower. Lately the credit rating of the USA declined from AAA to AA+ after seventy years of good standing. While this is America, the decline in the rating adversely affects other countries and kingdoms with whom the “land of milk and honey” deals with.
Unemployment rose in the US mainland; and it creates ripple effect to countries or kingdoms where its economy controls. In the Middle East, several nations or kingdoms forced to implement their own austerity measures to address the status quo. Consequently, unemployment soared.
The 9/11 attack and Al-Qaeda’s subsequent terrorism activities generate newer and bitter approaches to conservative Islamic disposition and faith; these foster factionalism and indifferences. As a result, these create uncontrollable political unrests in the Arab world, more peculiarly in the Middle East and its neighboring nations: Tunisia started the protests that paved the way for its president to flee to Saudi Arabia; the Freedom Square in Cairo paved the way for the re-birth of a new Egypt and thus placed Hosni Mubarak, its president behind bars; Libya’s version of civil defiance still heightens the alert level with Muamar Khadafi defying international laws and attacks; Sudan follows the same suit; Syria’s episode grows worse.
Al-Qaeda’s figure head has been liquidated in an attack in Pakistan. However, as United Nations say, it’s too early to claim victory. While this incident places the group in a weaker stance, Bin Laden’s successor is once again taking control and gaining grounds. The US government and the United Nations anti-Terrorism group are confident that the Muslim extremists group will soon be terminated following these indications.
Recently, riots and unrests were seen in the United Kingdom, another country believed to have a very strong and stable economy and political climate. In Spain, riots, which were triggered by economic depression, are staged.
Consequently, changes in economic and political reforms in these kingdoms and nations usher a new threat to the Filipino workers abroad. For instance, when Bahrain followed the same suit from Egypt, thousands of Filipinos were ferried home and thus landed jobless. Filipino workers in Egypt and Libya were displaced involuntarily. The 17,000 Filipinos in Syria this month were advised to leave the country, which means another story of unemployment.
Conversely, any political unrest, protest, or riot that may take place in countries where expatriates are, particularly Filipinos, will surely bring about personal economic unrest to an individual, regardless of breed or creed.
In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, an abrupt and massive change in employment benefits for its constituents was immediately instituted. The move is aimed at curtailing future political unrests and violence that are similar to its neighboring nations and kingdoms. One major change is the implementation of its re-designed and re-enforced Saudization Law that can effectively bar non-compliant employers from renewing the Iqama of the expatriates, or from hiring expatriates if the required rate of complying with the Law is not met. Incidentally, most employers are not meeting the requirements of the Law, and thus, give millions of OFWs in Saudi Arabia a stern warning.
Arguably though, similar phenomenon will surely come into as the world fights against terrorism and depression. As the month of Ramadan suggests, submissiveness to God brings about newer and better lives. How I wish their world practice what they preach!
Thursday, August 11, 2011
The Wives of the OFWs
By Rolo B. Cena
The Gulf Files
Dumaguete Star Informer
14 August 2011
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Undoubtedly, if they can only be nominated for life-time achievement awards, they can be winners by unanimous choice. Surely, no amount of major, major achievement can outbest their performance in life.
In search of the classic greener pasture, husbands cross the borders to share with colleagues the adversities in uncharted kingdoms: high seas of immeasurable depth, hectares of badlands and infinite sand dunes, and miles of jungles and undefined territories. Back home, high prices of commodities, soaring unemployment rates, unfavorable political climate and disturbed economy pushed them to the edge.
Let alone risks come to pass, lest, the tough should get going.
When husbands leave their homesteads, several values at the same time slip off the domicile: fatherhood, control, and affection. Presumably, the ordeal begins.
Unquestionably, wives take over the roles husbands vacated. While they cannot forgo their motherhood, by default they should take on fatherhood. Although it’s psychologically manageable, this vacuum grossly becomes a scare to most of them: authority over kids may not be as effective as the way fathers execute. In our culture, fatherhood dictates authority; more so, authority is always associated with masculinity – an orientation most women dispute or argue with. And to some extent, I agree!
Wives have to earnestly perform blue-collar jobs most of the time: cook, driver, janitor, plumber, electro-mechanic, messenger, tea boy, and guard. While these menial jobs husbands execute become irritating and taxing, the requirement to do takes precedence over ire. Quipped one wife close to me: “Superman has no room in this modern-day environment anymore; wives are!”
Wives have to dutifully execute white-collar jobs most of the time: tutor, counselor, entertainer, priest, and king. While these job roles are shared by husbands and wives, most of the time husbands maintain stronger dominance over these roles.
Although there are wives who are more domineering than husbands, this authority figure or control mechanism over family is more associated with the husbands. Literally and figuratively, fathers do have peculiar and innate quality that make them effective controller. Hercules takes superiority over Aphrodite, in this regard.
Over financial matters, wives are better controller than husbands, although to some extent wives can sometimes be imprudent. The obsessive-compulsive behavior of majority of the wives becomes disparaging as this point. While there are husbands who are themselves imprudent by nature, our culture associate this thing with women.
Quite sensibly, wives are emotionally battered. The temporary alienation from husbands is by itself the cause; it is deterrent to psychological composure that is required in achieving and maintaining self-esteem. This alienation obviously becomes a hindrance to emotional stability. It has become a psychological war wives have to seriously deal with in achieving familial and domestic objectives.
This is why, most marriages fail. Nope, this is not absolute; this is a general statement that should be qualified. Venus is more fragile and more prone to temptations; Mars is tougher than thou, though. But the fragility of Venus cannot be taken single-handedly as the reason why most Gardens withered; Eve leaves home to look for a new Adam. Conversely, husbands who are as tough as Hercules and as hot as Mars are also fragile and prone to temptations. This nature husbands cannot deny or preclude.
Seriously, what is more pressing is when evening falls, no Cupid can provide comforting hugs to usher emotional and psychological security. When nights turn cold, no Romeo can accord gentle caress and body contacts to make one sundown calmly relaxing. When the urge comes, no Adam can share with to release warmth and experience the gist of sensuality and sexuality the beautiful Garden of Eden reserves for them. Conversely, the nights are as maddening as when Cupid escapes form Psyche, or Romeo from Juliet, or Adam from Eve.
However, as one OFW noted, when husbands leave, wives become more substantial, more powerful, and more esteemed.
Yes, they become women of substance: Assumption of fatherhood propelled them to release the energy that’s within them in battling pro-actively the concerns ahead. The vacuum that they occupied accorded them the opportunity to work like “one of the guys” sans the masculinity apparent to these roles. Wives taking on the “suit of husbands” elaborate them with the alter-ego.
Yes, they become women of power: Alienation induces them to exude the power anytime of the day, working hard and double time to relieve husbands from these roles. The energy popping out of status quo exemplifies the conviction that by default wives have to do it with gusto. They are the sentinels and rulers equipped with the most sophisticated of arms and dignified with all the majestic powers.
Yes, they become women of esteem: Emptiness and alienation pushed them to maintain the same self-esteem they used to have. They are the beauty icons enthroned to a superlative degree; honoraries professing faithfully the values of life. They are Aphrodite dressed with the gentlest fabric of human kindness and wrapped with lacy values of life called motherhood.
When children top the class or win competitions, mothers are behind them; when husbands are promoted abroad, wives are behind them. When the government hails overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) as modern-day heroes, wives are with them.
After all, behind every man’s achievement is a woman. Let’s not talk about failure!
The Gulf Files
Dumaguete Star Informer
14 August 2011
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Undoubtedly, if they can only be nominated for life-time achievement awards, they can be winners by unanimous choice. Surely, no amount of major, major achievement can outbest their performance in life.
In search of the classic greener pasture, husbands cross the borders to share with colleagues the adversities in uncharted kingdoms: high seas of immeasurable depth, hectares of badlands and infinite sand dunes, and miles of jungles and undefined territories. Back home, high prices of commodities, soaring unemployment rates, unfavorable political climate and disturbed economy pushed them to the edge.
Let alone risks come to pass, lest, the tough should get going.
When husbands leave their homesteads, several values at the same time slip off the domicile: fatherhood, control, and affection. Presumably, the ordeal begins.
Unquestionably, wives take over the roles husbands vacated. While they cannot forgo their motherhood, by default they should take on fatherhood. Although it’s psychologically manageable, this vacuum grossly becomes a scare to most of them: authority over kids may not be as effective as the way fathers execute. In our culture, fatherhood dictates authority; more so, authority is always associated with masculinity – an orientation most women dispute or argue with. And to some extent, I agree!
Wives have to earnestly perform blue-collar jobs most of the time: cook, driver, janitor, plumber, electro-mechanic, messenger, tea boy, and guard. While these menial jobs husbands execute become irritating and taxing, the requirement to do takes precedence over ire. Quipped one wife close to me: “Superman has no room in this modern-day environment anymore; wives are!”
Wives have to dutifully execute white-collar jobs most of the time: tutor, counselor, entertainer, priest, and king. While these job roles are shared by husbands and wives, most of the time husbands maintain stronger dominance over these roles.
Although there are wives who are more domineering than husbands, this authority figure or control mechanism over family is more associated with the husbands. Literally and figuratively, fathers do have peculiar and innate quality that make them effective controller. Hercules takes superiority over Aphrodite, in this regard.
Over financial matters, wives are better controller than husbands, although to some extent wives can sometimes be imprudent. The obsessive-compulsive behavior of majority of the wives becomes disparaging as this point. While there are husbands who are themselves imprudent by nature, our culture associate this thing with women.
Quite sensibly, wives are emotionally battered. The temporary alienation from husbands is by itself the cause; it is deterrent to psychological composure that is required in achieving and maintaining self-esteem. This alienation obviously becomes a hindrance to emotional stability. It has become a psychological war wives have to seriously deal with in achieving familial and domestic objectives.
This is why, most marriages fail. Nope, this is not absolute; this is a general statement that should be qualified. Venus is more fragile and more prone to temptations; Mars is tougher than thou, though. But the fragility of Venus cannot be taken single-handedly as the reason why most Gardens withered; Eve leaves home to look for a new Adam. Conversely, husbands who are as tough as Hercules and as hot as Mars are also fragile and prone to temptations. This nature husbands cannot deny or preclude.
Seriously, what is more pressing is when evening falls, no Cupid can provide comforting hugs to usher emotional and psychological security. When nights turn cold, no Romeo can accord gentle caress and body contacts to make one sundown calmly relaxing. When the urge comes, no Adam can share with to release warmth and experience the gist of sensuality and sexuality the beautiful Garden of Eden reserves for them. Conversely, the nights are as maddening as when Cupid escapes form Psyche, or Romeo from Juliet, or Adam from Eve.
However, as one OFW noted, when husbands leave, wives become more substantial, more powerful, and more esteemed.
Yes, they become women of substance: Assumption of fatherhood propelled them to release the energy that’s within them in battling pro-actively the concerns ahead. The vacuum that they occupied accorded them the opportunity to work like “one of the guys” sans the masculinity apparent to these roles. Wives taking on the “suit of husbands” elaborate them with the alter-ego.
Yes, they become women of power: Alienation induces them to exude the power anytime of the day, working hard and double time to relieve husbands from these roles. The energy popping out of status quo exemplifies the conviction that by default wives have to do it with gusto. They are the sentinels and rulers equipped with the most sophisticated of arms and dignified with all the majestic powers.
Yes, they become women of esteem: Emptiness and alienation pushed them to maintain the same self-esteem they used to have. They are the beauty icons enthroned to a superlative degree; honoraries professing faithfully the values of life. They are Aphrodite dressed with the gentlest fabric of human kindness and wrapped with lacy values of life called motherhood.
When children top the class or win competitions, mothers are behind them; when husbands are promoted abroad, wives are behind them. When the government hails overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) as modern-day heroes, wives are with them.
After all, behind every man’s achievement is a woman. Let’s not talk about failure!
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Tenebrae
By Rolo b. Cena
The Gulf Files
07 August 2011
Riyadh , Saudi Arabia – Shortly before the Ramadan started, seven members of the elite Philippine Marines were killed in fierce fighting with the Abu Sayyaf in the jungles of Sulu; five of them were beheaded. As far as I can recall, in 2007, ten Marines were also beheaded by the same Muslim factionalists.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar which lasts for 29 or 30 days. It is the month of fasting in which participating Muslims are expected to refrain from eating, drinking and engaging intimacy with their partners during daylight hours. This month is also intended to teach Muslims about the following virtues: patience, spirituality, humility, forgiveness and submissiveness to God.
For the Islam, beheading is the punishment for committing serious crimes against Qur’an and against the Arabic government. Incidentally though, those Marines were not criminals; they were protectors of the country where they, these bandits, are living and are offered a better life after scavenging for an ideology only they can succumb.
Shortly before Ramadan, five noble Filipinos were beheaded in defense of their country, of their allegiance to the Philippine flag, of their commitment to their family and loved ones. On that very same day, a new breed of hatred and vengeance, frustration and despair, separation and disunity were born.
Along with those five Philippine Marines died the virtue of patience these breed purport to behold during the month of fasting. It is the same patience those heroes profess to exemplify in the depths of the treacherous jungles of Sulu and Basilan; the same virtue their brothers claim in the badlands of Iraq.
Along with those five Philippine Marines died the virtue of spirituality these breed claim to practice during the month of fasting. It is the same spirituality those Christians walk that became the living foundation of their service to the Country. It is the same spirituality manifested by Cardinal Sin in calling all the faithful to march to EDSA in the hope of toppling a tyrant without shedding any blood.
It is the same spirituality that brought an Irish priest in the hands of these bandits; the same spirituality that brought American couple missionaries Martin and Gracia Burnham to the country and being kidnapped by the same group in 2001; the same spirituality that killed the former and saved the latter.
Along with those five Philippine Marines died the virtue of humility these factionalists claim in utter disregard. It is the same humility those humble Marines project whose preponderance makes them distinct and elite from all other forces armed to protect the Country. It is the same humility that makes these Muslim factionalists distinct and peculiar from their race; the same humility that their Qur’an and the Holy Bible preach.
It is the same humility that catapulted then former Pres. Corazon Aquino to power; the same virtue that raised her name to be the icon of democracy; the same humility Mahatma Gandhi professed in the height of protests against the aristocratic United Kingdom.
Along with those five Philippine Marines died the virtue of forgiveness these perpetrators believe they can manifest by way of beheading Christians. It is the same virtue of forgiveness Prophet Mohammad and Jesus Christ walked along the deserts of the chosen lands; the same forgiveness that Christ epitomized before His Roman and Jewish captors.
Along with those five Philippine Marines died the virtue of submissiveness to God these attackers exude to their fellow Islam that could lead to total world peace. It is the same virtue that has been guiding those heroes despite the order to kill the enemies of the state.
It is the same submissiveness to God that led all Christians in Iraq to a bizarre situation: being hunted or pushed out of their own homestead. It is the same submissiveness to God that puts the Islam in Israel to be discriminated by Christians.
Those Marines couldn’t do more than killing them in pursuit of national peace and unity for the country; those factionalists couldn’t do more than beheading them in defense of their ideology. Each party is trapped: a circumstance that sprung out of an ideological conflict, the same ideological conflict that rocked the Americas via 911, the same conflict that manifests in the badlands of Iraq and Afghanistan.
It is the same ideological conflict that gave rise to the first and the second global war. Can we ever stop this?
For as long as kingdoms rise against kingdoms, nations against nations, race against race, scenarios like this will never cease. Coupled with the same greed that originated from the Garden of Iraq (Mesopotamia) and Persia (Iran), war will always play its uncanny role in controlling the world: the prey tightly squeezed by the claws of its troubled marauders.
War is more than just an expression of ideology; war is greed!
The Gulf Files
07 August 2011
Riyadh , Saudi Arabia – Shortly before the Ramadan started, seven members of the elite Philippine Marines were killed in fierce fighting with the Abu Sayyaf in the jungles of Sulu; five of them were beheaded. As far as I can recall, in 2007, ten Marines were also beheaded by the same Muslim factionalists.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar which lasts for 29 or 30 days. It is the month of fasting in which participating Muslims are expected to refrain from eating, drinking and engaging intimacy with their partners during daylight hours. This month is also intended to teach Muslims about the following virtues: patience, spirituality, humility, forgiveness and submissiveness to God.
For the Islam, beheading is the punishment for committing serious crimes against Qur’an and against the Arabic government. Incidentally though, those Marines were not criminals; they were protectors of the country where they, these bandits, are living and are offered a better life after scavenging for an ideology only they can succumb.
Shortly before Ramadan, five noble Filipinos were beheaded in defense of their country, of their allegiance to the Philippine flag, of their commitment to their family and loved ones. On that very same day, a new breed of hatred and vengeance, frustration and despair, separation and disunity were born.
Along with those five Philippine Marines died the virtue of patience these breed purport to behold during the month of fasting. It is the same patience those heroes profess to exemplify in the depths of the treacherous jungles of Sulu and Basilan; the same virtue their brothers claim in the badlands of Iraq.
Along with those five Philippine Marines died the virtue of spirituality these breed claim to practice during the month of fasting. It is the same spirituality those Christians walk that became the living foundation of their service to the Country. It is the same spirituality manifested by Cardinal Sin in calling all the faithful to march to EDSA in the hope of toppling a tyrant without shedding any blood.
It is the same spirituality that brought an Irish priest in the hands of these bandits; the same spirituality that brought American couple missionaries Martin and Gracia Burnham to the country and being kidnapped by the same group in 2001; the same spirituality that killed the former and saved the latter.
Along with those five Philippine Marines died the virtue of humility these factionalists claim in utter disregard. It is the same humility those humble Marines project whose preponderance makes them distinct and elite from all other forces armed to protect the Country. It is the same humility that makes these Muslim factionalists distinct and peculiar from their race; the same humility that their Qur’an and the Holy Bible preach.
It is the same humility that catapulted then former Pres. Corazon Aquino to power; the same virtue that raised her name to be the icon of democracy; the same humility Mahatma Gandhi professed in the height of protests against the aristocratic United Kingdom.
Along with those five Philippine Marines died the virtue of forgiveness these perpetrators believe they can manifest by way of beheading Christians. It is the same virtue of forgiveness Prophet Mohammad and Jesus Christ walked along the deserts of the chosen lands; the same forgiveness that Christ epitomized before His Roman and Jewish captors.
Along with those five Philippine Marines died the virtue of submissiveness to God these attackers exude to their fellow Islam that could lead to total world peace. It is the same virtue that has been guiding those heroes despite the order to kill the enemies of the state.
It is the same submissiveness to God that led all Christians in Iraq to a bizarre situation: being hunted or pushed out of their own homestead. It is the same submissiveness to God that puts the Islam in Israel to be discriminated by Christians.
Those Marines couldn’t do more than killing them in pursuit of national peace and unity for the country; those factionalists couldn’t do more than beheading them in defense of their ideology. Each party is trapped: a circumstance that sprung out of an ideological conflict, the same ideological conflict that rocked the Americas via 911, the same conflict that manifests in the badlands of Iraq and Afghanistan.
It is the same ideological conflict that gave rise to the first and the second global war. Can we ever stop this?
For as long as kingdoms rise against kingdoms, nations against nations, race against race, scenarios like this will never cease. Coupled with the same greed that originated from the Garden of Iraq (Mesopotamia) and Persia (Iran), war will always play its uncanny role in controlling the world: the prey tightly squeezed by the claws of its troubled marauders.
War is more than just an expression of ideology; war is greed!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
The Year That Was
By Rolo B. Cena
The Gulf Files
Dumaguete Star Informer
24 July 2011
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – After one year from being sworn to office, President Aquino delivered his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) in a joint session at the House of Representatives last Monday. As in most State-of-the-Nation Addresses, that was by far a high profile presentation of figures and statistics vis-à-vis reality that were suggestive of, to say it conversely, achievements of the administration to date.
Philosophically, allow me set my own parameters in assessing his performance: Good governance, public finance and economy, graft and corruption, education, environment, peace and order, and health. To put things in proper perspective, let us objectively tackle each parameter in order to get through the assessment vividly:
Undoubtedly, the President is an example of honesty, pure and good intentions. While the world feasted on his purchase of a “second hand luxury car” early this year, no one from his detractors realized that his intention was pure and simple: Transparency. His overall drive to eliminate these malignant species from the public service is alone an indicator of good governance. Unconsciously, however, he failed to anticipate the negative behavioral responses of the Arroyo people in the service against the young Aquino administration’s reform programs. When he created the Truth Commission, no truth ever came out because he wasn’t able to contain the Supreme Court, a government body majority ruled by Arroyo appointees.
The P11B savings the government announced in the last quarter last year was achieved because his administration spent lower than the budgeted plan. It was an example of sort but truly insufficient to use as key performance indicator. These savings resulted from a narrowed public spending as his commitment to the people. Moreover, business programs like public-private partnership was a copy-pasted, Adobe edited version of the build-operate transfer program of the previous administration.
Holistically, Aquino’s stern drive against graft and corruption became his selling point from day one. Given 10 being the highest, I could’ve rated him 9. However, the rating gradually declined to below median when the questionable appointment of friends, classmates, drinking and shooting buddies became the qualification of appointing officials to sensitive posts.
Along this line, what is new? Aquino’s predecessors did the same: Arroyo appointed a classmate of her husband to the Ombudsman to protect and preserve her greed; Estrada appointed drinking buddies and gambling mates; Ramos appointed relatives, allies, and friends; Cory appointed political supporters and friends in her journey to the Palace; Marcos appointed his allies, relatives and friends to complete his political sojourn. What else is new in the Philippine political system?
This is cronyism expressed in different tone; it is the same dog with different collar.
In addition, Aquino appointed Human Rights lawyer and advocate Leila de Lima to the Department of Justice. The feisty De Lima commenced her works with full support from the President. However, shortly thereafter, Aquino had for several times weakened or reversed de Lima’s recommendations particularly in cases where friends or political allies are severely involved.
Department of Education’s K1 + 1 scheme could have been fairly a good indicator for an improvement. However, the lack of consultations from all stakeholders not only drew negative criticisms from the academic and public sectors; it at the same time thwarted the program’s implementation. More to this, the reduction in the budget for all state colleges and universities added fuel to the fire. These drastic moves caused his rating to decline in this critical area.
In the area of environment, nothing’s changed: No new environmental-friendly preservation programs and initiatives are instituted. Categorically, the same programs are in place since the time Aquino was installed to power.
The peace and order situation of the country has moderately changed from good to bad. Not to mention the situation in the South brought about the Abu Sayaff phenomenon, in August last year, the world witnessed how senior police officer hijacked a tourist bus and killed at least eight Chinese tourists. Sans his demand for reinstatement, the failure of the government to abort the merciless killing affected the peace and order situation of the country. It even sent us to travel ban advisories from various countries. Categorically, the President failed to correct and address this stigma the world associated with us.
Nothing is significant in the area of health yet. The Reproductive Health Bill could have been an indicator, but eventually, this will only address the growing population concern of the country. Health issues have to be addressed accordingly. What fails him in this respect is the absence of a short-term plan to address the rising protests led by the “Pajero-troubled” Catholic Church.
If I may opine, the President’s overall rating is barely passing. Personal biases that governed my judgment may have ruled my process but the reason is obvious: In most areas, he consistently mismanaged to outwit his “path to righteousness.”
Just expressing my eighth wonder: How does Aquino differ from Arroyo, Estrada, Ramos, and (Cory) Aquino from day one of service? How do you rate the President then?
The Gulf Files
Dumaguete Star Informer
24 July 2011
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – After one year from being sworn to office, President Aquino delivered his second State of the Nation Address (SONA) in a joint session at the House of Representatives last Monday. As in most State-of-the-Nation Addresses, that was by far a high profile presentation of figures and statistics vis-à-vis reality that were suggestive of, to say it conversely, achievements of the administration to date.
Philosophically, allow me set my own parameters in assessing his performance: Good governance, public finance and economy, graft and corruption, education, environment, peace and order, and health. To put things in proper perspective, let us objectively tackle each parameter in order to get through the assessment vividly:
Undoubtedly, the President is an example of honesty, pure and good intentions. While the world feasted on his purchase of a “second hand luxury car” early this year, no one from his detractors realized that his intention was pure and simple: Transparency. His overall drive to eliminate these malignant species from the public service is alone an indicator of good governance. Unconsciously, however, he failed to anticipate the negative behavioral responses of the Arroyo people in the service against the young Aquino administration’s reform programs. When he created the Truth Commission, no truth ever came out because he wasn’t able to contain the Supreme Court, a government body majority ruled by Arroyo appointees.
The P11B savings the government announced in the last quarter last year was achieved because his administration spent lower than the budgeted plan. It was an example of sort but truly insufficient to use as key performance indicator. These savings resulted from a narrowed public spending as his commitment to the people. Moreover, business programs like public-private partnership was a copy-pasted, Adobe edited version of the build-operate transfer program of the previous administration.
Holistically, Aquino’s stern drive against graft and corruption became his selling point from day one. Given 10 being the highest, I could’ve rated him 9. However, the rating gradually declined to below median when the questionable appointment of friends, classmates, drinking and shooting buddies became the qualification of appointing officials to sensitive posts.
Along this line, what is new? Aquino’s predecessors did the same: Arroyo appointed a classmate of her husband to the Ombudsman to protect and preserve her greed; Estrada appointed drinking buddies and gambling mates; Ramos appointed relatives, allies, and friends; Cory appointed political supporters and friends in her journey to the Palace; Marcos appointed his allies, relatives and friends to complete his political sojourn. What else is new in the Philippine political system?
This is cronyism expressed in different tone; it is the same dog with different collar.
In addition, Aquino appointed Human Rights lawyer and advocate Leila de Lima to the Department of Justice. The feisty De Lima commenced her works with full support from the President. However, shortly thereafter, Aquino had for several times weakened or reversed de Lima’s recommendations particularly in cases where friends or political allies are severely involved.
Department of Education’s K1 + 1 scheme could have been fairly a good indicator for an improvement. However, the lack of consultations from all stakeholders not only drew negative criticisms from the academic and public sectors; it at the same time thwarted the program’s implementation. More to this, the reduction in the budget for all state colleges and universities added fuel to the fire. These drastic moves caused his rating to decline in this critical area.
In the area of environment, nothing’s changed: No new environmental-friendly preservation programs and initiatives are instituted. Categorically, the same programs are in place since the time Aquino was installed to power.
The peace and order situation of the country has moderately changed from good to bad. Not to mention the situation in the South brought about the Abu Sayaff phenomenon, in August last year, the world witnessed how senior police officer hijacked a tourist bus and killed at least eight Chinese tourists. Sans his demand for reinstatement, the failure of the government to abort the merciless killing affected the peace and order situation of the country. It even sent us to travel ban advisories from various countries. Categorically, the President failed to correct and address this stigma the world associated with us.
Nothing is significant in the area of health yet. The Reproductive Health Bill could have been an indicator, but eventually, this will only address the growing population concern of the country. Health issues have to be addressed accordingly. What fails him in this respect is the absence of a short-term plan to address the rising protests led by the “Pajero-troubled” Catholic Church.
If I may opine, the President’s overall rating is barely passing. Personal biases that governed my judgment may have ruled my process but the reason is obvious: In most areas, he consistently mismanaged to outwit his “path to righteousness.”
Just expressing my eighth wonder: How does Aquino differ from Arroyo, Estrada, Ramos, and (Cory) Aquino from day one of service? How do you rate the President then?
Friday, July 22, 2011
Discriminated!
By Rolo B. Cena
The Gulf Files
Dumaguete Star Informer
24 July 2011
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Travel has always fascinated me. Since I started travelling outside of the country in 1996, I never had done so without making sure my travel documents are ready.
Superstitions have, by certain norms and questionable bases, associated number “13” to bad luck. As I don’t believe in this and have always believed in the providence of God, travelling on the 13th of June 2011 to Jordan was just as normal and ordinary as travel during the April Fools’ Day.
On the instruction of the Management, I, along with my team member, a Jordanian, engaged on a premature seventeen-day business trip to Jordan, one of the countries I dreamed of visiting for three reasons: The Baptism Site of Jesus, the Memorial of Moses and the Dead Sea. It was premature in the sense that as planned by the team, it should have been a week later to make us ready for the activities.
The classy and gigantic Royal Jordanian Airline Airbus A310 took off from Riyadh International Airport twenty minutes past six in the humid evening and touched down the airport of Amman, the Capital City of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan two hours after. Passing through the Immigration officer, I handed my passport, my invitation letter from our subsidiary company in Jordan, certification from the headquarters of the conglomerate, and twenty Jordanian Dinars for my business visa. After examining my papers, he asked me to sit down and wait for his call.
After about ten minutes of frantically waiting, a dark non-English speaking Jordanian ushered me to a small office where I met an Arabic speaking officer. He was asking me for my return ticket. Their order was: fly back to Riyadh for travelling without visa. My heart began to pound and I started to entertain the fear that I had been trying to erase from my mind: denied and banned.
In a scant quantity of Arabic language, I managed to secure the nod of the officer to bring my Jordanian colleague in the same room where I was detained. I prayed and decided to call our Vice President in Riyadh who was himself a Jordanian. He called and negotiated for my visa. After more than two hours of detention, I was granted a one-month visa.
In our conversation wit the immigration officer, I requested my colleague to ask why my entry to Jordan was almost denied when tourists are welcome in the Kingdom. Translated, I come to know that airport visas are not allowed to Indonesians, Pakistanis, Sri-Lankans, Bangladeshis, Yemenis, Hindis (Indians), and Filipinos, among other nationalities mentioned. Specifically for us Filipinos, the reason is: terrorism.
Further the officer made mention of the popular engagement of our Muslim factionalists in the south and the world-watched August hostage taking that claimed lives of Chinese tourists.
What a way to discriminate Filipinos in this area where we used to be favored in the human capital exchange market? What exactitude of reference to this malignant social stigma that has been plaguing the country?
Can we blame them?
Rationally, no! We cannot blame them for placing us parallel with these nationalities. Just as we cannot blame employers in the Middle East and/or Gulf Countries for discriminating Filipinos in terms of compensation packages, workloads and social treatment when most of the overseas Filipino workers abused their positions, the privileges and the responsibilities assigned to them. But still surely, we are far different from them.
But what is it in us?
Undoubtedly, we are world class workers; we are world premier performers. Indisputably though, that favorable review about our race has gone down the drain. It was wasted when the Graham couples were kidnapped and tortured in Mindanao; when the protectors of the country attempted to dethrone a government made by people; when the friendly image of the country was stained by one false move of one officer in August last year; when a lot of Filipinos jump-shipped or toured countries and never come back.
Can we blame them?
Rationally, no! We have been promoting the country as a peaceful country and yet all branches of the government are in trouble with each other; one is trying to out-best the other; one is trying to superimpose over the other. Who shall believe us when our lawmakers are law breakers themselves?
Can we blame them?
Rationally, no! We cannot blame them to believe that we are socially well when one of our congressmen has been in drug mess in the neighboring Hong Kong state. We cannot blame them when the country is still listed in the travel bans of most countries.
And surely, we cannot blame them to enlist us in the roster of terrorists when terrorism and related activities are apparent in our home front.
For as long as we maintain the same perspective in our socio-economic and political life as a nation, we will still become victims of racism or discrimination.
The Gulf Files
Dumaguete Star Informer
24 July 2011
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Travel has always fascinated me. Since I started travelling outside of the country in 1996, I never had done so without making sure my travel documents are ready.
Superstitions have, by certain norms and questionable bases, associated number “13” to bad luck. As I don’t believe in this and have always believed in the providence of God, travelling on the 13th of June 2011 to Jordan was just as normal and ordinary as travel during the April Fools’ Day.
On the instruction of the Management, I, along with my team member, a Jordanian, engaged on a premature seventeen-day business trip to Jordan, one of the countries I dreamed of visiting for three reasons: The Baptism Site of Jesus, the Memorial of Moses and the Dead Sea. It was premature in the sense that as planned by the team, it should have been a week later to make us ready for the activities.
The classy and gigantic Royal Jordanian Airline Airbus A310 took off from Riyadh International Airport twenty minutes past six in the humid evening and touched down the airport of Amman, the Capital City of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan two hours after. Passing through the Immigration officer, I handed my passport, my invitation letter from our subsidiary company in Jordan, certification from the headquarters of the conglomerate, and twenty Jordanian Dinars for my business visa. After examining my papers, he asked me to sit down and wait for his call.
After about ten minutes of frantically waiting, a dark non-English speaking Jordanian ushered me to a small office where I met an Arabic speaking officer. He was asking me for my return ticket. Their order was: fly back to Riyadh for travelling without visa. My heart began to pound and I started to entertain the fear that I had been trying to erase from my mind: denied and banned.
In a scant quantity of Arabic language, I managed to secure the nod of the officer to bring my Jordanian colleague in the same room where I was detained. I prayed and decided to call our Vice President in Riyadh who was himself a Jordanian. He called and negotiated for my visa. After more than two hours of detention, I was granted a one-month visa.
In our conversation wit the immigration officer, I requested my colleague to ask why my entry to Jordan was almost denied when tourists are welcome in the Kingdom. Translated, I come to know that airport visas are not allowed to Indonesians, Pakistanis, Sri-Lankans, Bangladeshis, Yemenis, Hindis (Indians), and Filipinos, among other nationalities mentioned. Specifically for us Filipinos, the reason is: terrorism.
Further the officer made mention of the popular engagement of our Muslim factionalists in the south and the world-watched August hostage taking that claimed lives of Chinese tourists.
What a way to discriminate Filipinos in this area where we used to be favored in the human capital exchange market? What exactitude of reference to this malignant social stigma that has been plaguing the country?
Can we blame them?
Rationally, no! We cannot blame them for placing us parallel with these nationalities. Just as we cannot blame employers in the Middle East and/or Gulf Countries for discriminating Filipinos in terms of compensation packages, workloads and social treatment when most of the overseas Filipino workers abused their positions, the privileges and the responsibilities assigned to them. But still surely, we are far different from them.
But what is it in us?
Undoubtedly, we are world class workers; we are world premier performers. Indisputably though, that favorable review about our race has gone down the drain. It was wasted when the Graham couples were kidnapped and tortured in Mindanao; when the protectors of the country attempted to dethrone a government made by people; when the friendly image of the country was stained by one false move of one officer in August last year; when a lot of Filipinos jump-shipped or toured countries and never come back.
Can we blame them?
Rationally, no! We have been promoting the country as a peaceful country and yet all branches of the government are in trouble with each other; one is trying to out-best the other; one is trying to superimpose over the other. Who shall believe us when our lawmakers are law breakers themselves?
Can we blame them?
Rationally, no! We cannot blame them to believe that we are socially well when one of our congressmen has been in drug mess in the neighboring Hong Kong state. We cannot blame them when the country is still listed in the travel bans of most countries.
And surely, we cannot blame them to enlist us in the roster of terrorists when terrorism and related activities are apparent in our home front.
For as long as we maintain the same perspective in our socio-economic and political life as a nation, we will still become victims of racism or discrimination.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Commitment: a pre-natal analysis
By Rolo B. Cena
Project Team Lead, HCM
Shaheen News October 2011 Issue
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Commitment can be defined as the strong belief of the people in the basic philosophy and precepts of an organization and how faithfully are these carried out with genuine spirit and drive to achieve business objectives. It is an interaction governed by obligations, which maybe mutual, self-imposed, explicit or implied.
When members of the Core Team were brought to Riyadh on the 15th of May 2010, they were not technologists; they were business scientists who were dedicated to map out the Companies’ business processes for the technology called SAP.
And mapping these processes, considering the apparent diversity of AIG was not an easy task. True to its form, this exercise gave birth to the Business Blue Print that became the sole and major basis in developing the system for the Group.
The roadmap of Shaheen, no matter how plain and simple it appeared on paper, has always been very difficult. For one, the Core Team has struggled for a year now trying to make both ends meet, apart from grasping the wisdom SAP Technology offers vis-à-vis the actual business processes our respective companies have.
During those times, the overwhelming sense of pessimism or frustrations was just hard to suppress. These events paved the way for various approaches of disengagements, or attempts to, but the message was resoundingly clear: that while others leave or most become skeptical, the plan to proceed with the project remains relatively unscathed.
And it pays! The benefits may not be fully clearly visible now but soonest the team would be able to realize them. Truly, what Selman Al-Fares enunciated in the meeting made sense: “It always takes nine months for a woman to deliver a child.”
Conversely, one year of unsteady but relatively manageable pace has shown a great deal of commitment from both sides: the Core Team aggressively pursues for the prime demands and basic requirements to complete the project while the management strongly supports the Team at all cost.
Definitely, we are going to wear the suit of SAP.
Valuing the benefits now, ultimately SAP could further usher AIG to strategic locations elsewhere and may bring about another strategic change or repositioning especially in the global market scene. While major industry players have been in existence for decades now, the business conquest the group is tracking can precisely determine the passion to create the art-of-war strategy that can conquer uncharted islands in the long run.
Project Team Lead, HCM
Shaheen News October 2011 Issue
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Commitment can be defined as the strong belief of the people in the basic philosophy and precepts of an organization and how faithfully are these carried out with genuine spirit and drive to achieve business objectives. It is an interaction governed by obligations, which maybe mutual, self-imposed, explicit or implied.
When members of the Core Team were brought to Riyadh on the 15th of May 2010, they were not technologists; they were business scientists who were dedicated to map out the Companies’ business processes for the technology called SAP.
And mapping these processes, considering the apparent diversity of AIG was not an easy task. True to its form, this exercise gave birth to the Business Blue Print that became the sole and major basis in developing the system for the Group.
The roadmap of Shaheen, no matter how plain and simple it appeared on paper, has always been very difficult. For one, the Core Team has struggled for a year now trying to make both ends meet, apart from grasping the wisdom SAP Technology offers vis-à-vis the actual business processes our respective companies have.
During those times, the overwhelming sense of pessimism or frustrations was just hard to suppress. These events paved the way for various approaches of disengagements, or attempts to, but the message was resoundingly clear: that while others leave or most become skeptical, the plan to proceed with the project remains relatively unscathed.
And it pays! The benefits may not be fully clearly visible now but soonest the team would be able to realize them. Truly, what Selman Al-Fares enunciated in the meeting made sense: “It always takes nine months for a woman to deliver a child.”
Conversely, one year of unsteady but relatively manageable pace has shown a great deal of commitment from both sides: the Core Team aggressively pursues for the prime demands and basic requirements to complete the project while the management strongly supports the Team at all cost.
Definitely, we are going to wear the suit of SAP.
Valuing the benefits now, ultimately SAP could further usher AIG to strategic locations elsewhere and may bring about another strategic change or repositioning especially in the global market scene. While major industry players have been in existence for decades now, the business conquest the group is tracking can precisely determine the passion to create the art-of-war strategy that can conquer uncharted islands in the long run.
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Post facto
By Rolo B. Cena
The Gulf Files
Dumaguete Star Informer
27 February 2011
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Putting my two cents in, it takes a lot of effort these days to recall the thrill that surged through the world when EDSA 1 was staged out of one simple call. It was not only because the dictator that controlled the land was ousted out of the greed-seized Malacanang; it was also because the first lady president, a plain and simple housewife, ruled the Republic.
After the popular revolt that catapulted her to power and the country to world recognition, the late and former President Corazon Aquino championed democracy; and then there was democracy.
Former President Fidel V. Ramos, Marcos’ close ally, confidante and Chief-of-Staff, casually followed suit after he was elected president despite electoral protest from contender now Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago. To most Filipinos, it was the hottest and the most contested election the Philippines has ever had for one fundamental truth: there was electoral fraud.
And so the spirit of EDSA was for the first time abused and put to waste.
After a term, pro-poor-superhero packaged movie actor was mandated by the democratic eighty-million Filipinos to occupy the graft-stricken Malacanang Palace by the dirt-covered Pasig River. To the poorest of poors, deposed former President Erap Estrada was their knight in shining armor ready salve them from criminals and violators of law in a square one-on-one hand-fight. To the intellectuals, Erap Estrada is just another actor emulating the character in the “Wakasan” classics of rags-to-riches plots.
But the twists and turns did not conclude in a fairy tale saga. Never had the “masa” projected that their savior would later emerge the villain in the political story; a convict of the major crime and violation ever recorded in the pages of Philippine politics. Thereafter, EDSA 2 rolled out and out of the crowd, came a child who witnessed the then Vice President Gloria arroyo sworn into office as the President. Thanks to the envelope and the senate’s dancing queen; thanks to this child.
The EDSA spirit was not just revived; it was revitalized and synergized in the process. Or, maybe so.
The petite lady of the Imperial Manila sought the second term which she claimed was not; it was her first. Out of this new version of democracy, she continued to rule the land despite electoral protests. To many on the left, former President now Pampanga Representative lost the contest to the late and King of Philippine Movies Fernando Poe, Jr.
The EDSA spirit was once again tarnished by way of the “Hello Garci” Scandal and the story of a petite lady who most of the time committed mental lapses. To many on the left, it was a serious offense punishable by law. To democracy, it was a grave offense against it fundamentals. EDSA was once again the victim!
Sensibly, the class of democracy the late and former President Cory Aquino institutionalized gradually depreciated with the magnitude of let-downs becoming palpable everywhere. To many on the right, it was better than all the bests in the world; better than the dictatorial rule that paralyzed the country for more than two decades. To many on the left, it was a gateway to a more blatant corruption; it was the final bridge towards the destruction of Philippine government.
For one, this democracy seems to endure spendthrifts who squander billions of pesos on wasteful bureaucracy: These spendthrifts are in the person of senators, congressman, cabinet members, and other elected officials of the land who consume the most controversial red meat called pork in a barrel; this democracy seems to mortgage the future while failing to wrestle against the present. To centrists who backed this democracy, it has been a disappointment in the sense that the latitude it accords to its constituents falls short of its nobler intentions.
The Philippines is now an uncharacteristically uncertain place. For one, President Aquino, the son of world’s icon of democracy and former president of the country, seems to have been incapacitated by the former administration’s supporters in the Supreme Court, Ombudsman and other offices. Two, uncertainty in decision making seems to be cup of tea of the President and his colleagues.
While he is believed to be sincere in his political reforms, Mr. Aquino seems acutely unable to perceive, let alone respond to, the grievances of the majority of his constituents, and has a dangerous habit of dismissing minority voices who disagree with him as enemies or just bitter.
What has EDSA really done to us Filipinos? I am not condemning who and what or insinuating another rebellion in the likes of Egypt and Libya, certainly not. I just feel remorse for EDSA every time Juan de la Cruz suffers from complete political, economic and social deprivation due to greed.
The Filipinos do not like uncertainty. Make EDSA real!
The Gulf Files
Dumaguete Star Informer
27 February 2011
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Putting my two cents in, it takes a lot of effort these days to recall the thrill that surged through the world when EDSA 1 was staged out of one simple call. It was not only because the dictator that controlled the land was ousted out of the greed-seized Malacanang; it was also because the first lady president, a plain and simple housewife, ruled the Republic.
After the popular revolt that catapulted her to power and the country to world recognition, the late and former President Corazon Aquino championed democracy; and then there was democracy.
Former President Fidel V. Ramos, Marcos’ close ally, confidante and Chief-of-Staff, casually followed suit after he was elected president despite electoral protest from contender now Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago. To most Filipinos, it was the hottest and the most contested election the Philippines has ever had for one fundamental truth: there was electoral fraud.
And so the spirit of EDSA was for the first time abused and put to waste.
After a term, pro-poor-superhero packaged movie actor was mandated by the democratic eighty-million Filipinos to occupy the graft-stricken Malacanang Palace by the dirt-covered Pasig River. To the poorest of poors, deposed former President Erap Estrada was their knight in shining armor ready salve them from criminals and violators of law in a square one-on-one hand-fight. To the intellectuals, Erap Estrada is just another actor emulating the character in the “Wakasan” classics of rags-to-riches plots.
But the twists and turns did not conclude in a fairy tale saga. Never had the “masa” projected that their savior would later emerge the villain in the political story; a convict of the major crime and violation ever recorded in the pages of Philippine politics. Thereafter, EDSA 2 rolled out and out of the crowd, came a child who witnessed the then Vice President Gloria arroyo sworn into office as the President. Thanks to the envelope and the senate’s dancing queen; thanks to this child.
The EDSA spirit was not just revived; it was revitalized and synergized in the process. Or, maybe so.
The petite lady of the Imperial Manila sought the second term which she claimed was not; it was her first. Out of this new version of democracy, she continued to rule the land despite electoral protests. To many on the left, former President now Pampanga Representative lost the contest to the late and King of Philippine Movies Fernando Poe, Jr.
The EDSA spirit was once again tarnished by way of the “Hello Garci” Scandal and the story of a petite lady who most of the time committed mental lapses. To many on the left, it was a serious offense punishable by law. To democracy, it was a grave offense against it fundamentals. EDSA was once again the victim!
Sensibly, the class of democracy the late and former President Cory Aquino institutionalized gradually depreciated with the magnitude of let-downs becoming palpable everywhere. To many on the right, it was better than all the bests in the world; better than the dictatorial rule that paralyzed the country for more than two decades. To many on the left, it was a gateway to a more blatant corruption; it was the final bridge towards the destruction of Philippine government.
For one, this democracy seems to endure spendthrifts who squander billions of pesos on wasteful bureaucracy: These spendthrifts are in the person of senators, congressman, cabinet members, and other elected officials of the land who consume the most controversial red meat called pork in a barrel; this democracy seems to mortgage the future while failing to wrestle against the present. To centrists who backed this democracy, it has been a disappointment in the sense that the latitude it accords to its constituents falls short of its nobler intentions.
The Philippines is now an uncharacteristically uncertain place. For one, President Aquino, the son of world’s icon of democracy and former president of the country, seems to have been incapacitated by the former administration’s supporters in the Supreme Court, Ombudsman and other offices. Two, uncertainty in decision making seems to be cup of tea of the President and his colleagues.
While he is believed to be sincere in his political reforms, Mr. Aquino seems acutely unable to perceive, let alone respond to, the grievances of the majority of his constituents, and has a dangerous habit of dismissing minority voices who disagree with him as enemies or just bitter.
What has EDSA really done to us Filipinos? I am not condemning who and what or insinuating another rebellion in the likes of Egypt and Libya, certainly not. I just feel remorse for EDSA every time Juan de la Cruz suffers from complete political, economic and social deprivation due to greed.
The Filipinos do not like uncertainty. Make EDSA real!
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Hushed puppies
By Rolo B. Cena
The Gulf files
Dumaguete Star Informer
20 February 2011
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Since the death of the former AFP Chief-of-Staff and DILG Secretary Angelo Reyes and after George Rabusa and Heidi Mendoza sung their classical music in the halls of the Senate, some contenders keep on playing their own hullabaloos on air attempting to steal a sixty-minute spotlight. Some do it for information and wisdom; others for publicity; and still some for camouflage.
Such was the case of Senator Panfilo Lacson who recently remained at large for nearly one year to avoid arrest for the alleged murder of PR Strategist Bobby Dacer and his driver. In his press release lately, he recommended to widen the Senate investigation on the alleged corruption in the Armed Forces to cover the Philippine National Police where he once served as chief.
Now, look who’s talking!
People opine that Reyes was guilty. Which is why, he took his own life in an attempt to silence all these hum-drums that disturbed his state of mind. People say that it was heroic of him to abort his life which is why he was buried in the “Libingan ng mga Bayani.”
Putting my two-cents in, it was more heroic of him to stay alive, reveal the truth who’s behind him and Garcia, lead the persecution of The One and stop these hullabaloos at once. And how does Reyes differ from the greatest dictator and former president Ferdinand Marcos if they were saying that Reyes was guilty? Doesn’t Marcos deserve the same 19-gun salute ceremony and burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani?
Flipping the other side of the coin, it was not Reyes who killed himself; neither was it corruption. It was the system that has been plaguing the entire republic. Reyes was believed to be genuine in his program to eradicate corruption in the armed forces. However, when he was failing to do so, he danced the way the Romans do instead. And because there was no longer escaping from reality, he chose to end his life.
Reyes may have been corrupted in which case he is corruption by itself. Reyes maybe the Truth for he can be the truth that he buried along with him in his grave.
People accused Lacson, the ardent ally and supporter of the then deposed President Estrada, of murder and other consequential criminalities along with it. During the height of the investigations, several whistleblowers risked their lives in an attempt to support the claim and contradict Lacson’s episode of truth. In his hiding until the order from the appropriate Court, the truth was buried in his silence.
In his press release, he challenged the media to wait until he document and reveal his own side of the story in due time. And when this time comes, will The One be ever ready to face the move? Stated differently, will Lacson be ever ready to defend himself from the twists and turns of political chess game?
Ombudsman Gutierrez was just another story to anticipate. Her long attachment to the former president now Pampanga Representative Gloria Arroyo has been drawing ire; it even sparked demands for impeachment. The decision of the Supreme Court approving impeachment proceedings may eventually lead to another basket of truth. As defiant as she used to be, will she ever submit herself to detail more of what she knows?
Will Gutierrez herself become another truth? Will she pave the way to the persecution of The One?
With the kind of political entertainment that we have, would these bits and pieces of hullabaloos and classical music, after being briefly read and beautifully rendered in regaled assemblies of the chosen few, be able to capture the public trust again? For decades now, Filipino people are victims of injustice: Injustice from unfair treatment of witnesses of truth, from biased disposition of truth, and from bad governance.
Injustice from unfair treatment of witnesses of truth because our politics has only aged; it has not matured. People in politics and in the government still struggle to manage the truth and the owners of these truth; from biased disposition of truth because the legendary Denarius that killed the Savior still controls the insatiable needs of people and in which case contaminates the truth; and from bad governance because to date, our government has only aged; it has not grown by wisdom accordingly.
From the way the truth is laid down on the table, Lacson, Reyes,and Gutierrez are all silenced by the powers of their respective Political Masters who controlled their greed for money, desperate desire for power and fame, and unimaginable want for stature and symbol. They, along with their Masters, have superimposed greed over their human being and gradually ushered themselves to the path of perdition called corruption; the same path that would eventually bring them eternal damnation.
They are hushed puppies caged at the backyard of personal insecurity that only their masters can dispose of or tame.
Long before, the Catholic Church disallows euthanasia; the society does!
The Gulf files
Dumaguete Star Informer
20 February 2011
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – Since the death of the former AFP Chief-of-Staff and DILG Secretary Angelo Reyes and after George Rabusa and Heidi Mendoza sung their classical music in the halls of the Senate, some contenders keep on playing their own hullabaloos on air attempting to steal a sixty-minute spotlight. Some do it for information and wisdom; others for publicity; and still some for camouflage.
Such was the case of Senator Panfilo Lacson who recently remained at large for nearly one year to avoid arrest for the alleged murder of PR Strategist Bobby Dacer and his driver. In his press release lately, he recommended to widen the Senate investigation on the alleged corruption in the Armed Forces to cover the Philippine National Police where he once served as chief.
Now, look who’s talking!
People opine that Reyes was guilty. Which is why, he took his own life in an attempt to silence all these hum-drums that disturbed his state of mind. People say that it was heroic of him to abort his life which is why he was buried in the “Libingan ng mga Bayani.”
Putting my two-cents in, it was more heroic of him to stay alive, reveal the truth who’s behind him and Garcia, lead the persecution of The One and stop these hullabaloos at once. And how does Reyes differ from the greatest dictator and former president Ferdinand Marcos if they were saying that Reyes was guilty? Doesn’t Marcos deserve the same 19-gun salute ceremony and burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani?
Flipping the other side of the coin, it was not Reyes who killed himself; neither was it corruption. It was the system that has been plaguing the entire republic. Reyes was believed to be genuine in his program to eradicate corruption in the armed forces. However, when he was failing to do so, he danced the way the Romans do instead. And because there was no longer escaping from reality, he chose to end his life.
Reyes may have been corrupted in which case he is corruption by itself. Reyes maybe the Truth for he can be the truth that he buried along with him in his grave.
People accused Lacson, the ardent ally and supporter of the then deposed President Estrada, of murder and other consequential criminalities along with it. During the height of the investigations, several whistleblowers risked their lives in an attempt to support the claim and contradict Lacson’s episode of truth. In his hiding until the order from the appropriate Court, the truth was buried in his silence.
In his press release, he challenged the media to wait until he document and reveal his own side of the story in due time. And when this time comes, will The One be ever ready to face the move? Stated differently, will Lacson be ever ready to defend himself from the twists and turns of political chess game?
Ombudsman Gutierrez was just another story to anticipate. Her long attachment to the former president now Pampanga Representative Gloria Arroyo has been drawing ire; it even sparked demands for impeachment. The decision of the Supreme Court approving impeachment proceedings may eventually lead to another basket of truth. As defiant as she used to be, will she ever submit herself to detail more of what she knows?
Will Gutierrez herself become another truth? Will she pave the way to the persecution of The One?
With the kind of political entertainment that we have, would these bits and pieces of hullabaloos and classical music, after being briefly read and beautifully rendered in regaled assemblies of the chosen few, be able to capture the public trust again? For decades now, Filipino people are victims of injustice: Injustice from unfair treatment of witnesses of truth, from biased disposition of truth, and from bad governance.
Injustice from unfair treatment of witnesses of truth because our politics has only aged; it has not matured. People in politics and in the government still struggle to manage the truth and the owners of these truth; from biased disposition of truth because the legendary Denarius that killed the Savior still controls the insatiable needs of people and in which case contaminates the truth; and from bad governance because to date, our government has only aged; it has not grown by wisdom accordingly.
From the way the truth is laid down on the table, Lacson, Reyes,and Gutierrez are all silenced by the powers of their respective Political Masters who controlled their greed for money, desperate desire for power and fame, and unimaginable want for stature and symbol. They, along with their Masters, have superimposed greed over their human being and gradually ushered themselves to the path of perdition called corruption; the same path that would eventually bring them eternal damnation.
They are hushed puppies caged at the backyard of personal insecurity that only their masters can dispose of or tame.
Long before, the Catholic Church disallows euthanasia; the society does!
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