By Rolo B. Cena
Hushed Poppies
Dumaguete Star Informer
22 January 2012
Recently, the tilting of luxury liner Costa Concordia off the island of Giglio in Italy shocked not only the maritime industry but the entire world as well. As the rescue and retrieval operations are currently conducted, the incident draws more dramatic attention when it revealed that the captain, Francesco Schettino, abandoned the ship devoid of plan to save four-thousand-two hundred lives on board.
Before the Senate-conducted impeachment trial began on Monday, Chief Justice Renato Corona instantaneously dared his detractors by saying: “If you want to remove me, kill me.” As the impeachment hearing continues, the most awaited real life drama that rose from the judiciary-executive conflict attracted more dramatic attention when it revealed that the captain of the court, the Chief Justice, owned about two hundred million pesos worth of properties, a figure his salary cannot afford.
These two men, both donning majestic robes and gigantic responsibilities toward mankind, have deliberately undertaken two major yet opposing gestures only an officer and a gentleman can believe and condemn: retreat and attack. The former fortifies cowardice and neglect; the latter personifies courage and responsibility.
On several occasions, Schettino argued that he was the last one to leave the portal of the ill-fated seventeen-deck cruiser. The audio transcripts of conversation between him and port authorities revealed that he was insistently informing them of leaving the sea craft despite warnings. The passengers and crew members cry for the captain’s conviction for manslaughter due to his ignoble act of abandonment.
Such was a blatant display of formidable cowardice in the midst of clear and present danger where an officer is expected to protect his men. An officer retreating from the perimeter or jurisdiction of responsibility in the midst of crisis espouses defeat, an act of willful neglect, and an act only a corporate coward can emulate.
On several occasions, Corona bravely implied to be last one to leave the portico of a credibility-torn Supreme Court. The eight allegations charged against his persona as embodied in the articles of impeachment purport to depict glares of the Magistrate’s credibility and moral fitness. The entire nation cries for the conviction of Chief Justice for allegedly betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, plunder and impliedly, manslaughter.
Such was an apparent and clear manifestation of courage under fire where an officer is expected to lead his men. An officer protracting the attack against the enemies in the middle of the battle espouses genuine leadership, an act of utter regard to responsibility, an act even the beggars down the street can emulate.
Sadly though, such were not the cases of Schettino and Corona. The former cowardly washed his hands with the stale water of Judas, escaped through “Jacob’s ladder” and disappeared while the horizon met the sky in the cold Mediterranean sea; the latter mollusk-ly cleft and held on to his position, made controls through “Herod’s court” and emerged while the cloak of the Judiciary has chaotically entangled with that of the executive and the legislative.
If I may opine, Schettino should have done the Corona’s “mollusks way” while Corona, Schettino’s “Judas way” and elude what seemed to be the most perilous prosecution of all times.
Arguably though, Schettino and Corona are graphical revelations of former Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arrroyo’s foiled attempt to leave the country, and her insatiable grip to power by way of her congressional representation. Merging these two can produce the classic political masterpiece, which literally and figuratively known to many as “greed” in its truest form and meaning.
And what do Schettino and Corona do commonly possess? It is the near miss of truth and lies that borders the posh domain of Gloria and her cohorts!
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Fraction
By Rolo B. Cena
Hushed Poppies
Dumaguete Star Informer
15 January 2012
There are no written rules that squatters must learn for a safe habitation in the accident-prone multi-billion dollar gold-encrypted Compostela Valley. As Mines and Geosciences Bureau and other scientists once warned, the Valley is landslide prone and that no mining activities must be undertaken.
In the same token, there are no written rules that informal settlers must learn for safe habitation in the areas of Cagayan de Oro, Iligan City, or Negros Oriental where tropical storm “Sendong” recently unleashed its might in complete havoc.
Unlike mathematics though, there’s no school where the greatest common factor that should divide both numerator and denominator to arrive at the least expression be any different from the disparity of distribution of wealth and privileges from the overwhelmingly miffed and gaffed poor Filipino people are taught.
As a result, a bizarre masterpiece of madness and chaos hit the fragile habitation of Compostela Valley, Cagayan de Oro, Iligan City, and Negros Oriental that paralyzed the normal lives of the under-privileged; the same underprivileged who incessantly tried to outwit poverty by any or all chaotic and impecunious ways and means of survival. It is the same gigantic canvass of despair and utter poverty that rocked the demi-gods of the lip-service adorned halls of men of the explicit few numerators.
Indeed, the mathematical expression of fraction that obviously defines the disparity between the numerator-ical rich and the denominator-ical poor is as pandemic as the unfair distribution of land in the crisis-torn Philippines. It is the same fraction that apparently divides the domestic animal to produce the greed-labeled pork in a barrel; the same pork that disintegrates assemblies of commoners, lords, queens and kings. Relentlessly, it is the same “pork” that becomes the staple of political marauders to lure these squatters and informal settlers to stay in the danger zone such as Compostela Valley, Cagayan de Oro, et al in exchange of a bite size of it.
On the one hand, there are no written rules that Gloria Arroyo and her cohorts must consider to learn remorse before her fate is completely blown out of proportion: Abalos, et al are jailed; Corona is impeached; Gutierrez, Garcia and Reyes are out; Lagman falls out. All her hushed puppies, puppets and stooges are slowly, if not one after the other, exiting from her camp.
Unlike religion though, there’s no school where the scalpel edge of right and wrong, lies and truth are taught. More so, there’s no school where the hellish consequential wrath of plunder, electoral sabotage, extra-judicial killings, vicious graft, sadistic corruption, political adultery and concubinage are taught.
As a result, grotesque sculptures of hushed puppies like Angelo safeguards the loot; tamed puppets like Renato and associates secure the crown and revering stooges like Mercedita protects the political will. Of course, numerating these numerators would not be complete unless we romp them with another breed of political concubines and adulterers like Benjamin, Romulo, Mike, Vicky, et al who facilitated scandals and scams, fraud and sabotage, and the classic graft and corruption.
Indeed, the classic political virus called “greed” that consummates leaders across creed, race and culture continues to unleash its magical whims unconsciously rotting the souls of looters like Gloria, Ferdinand, Hosni, Moamar, Adolf, Fidel, et al.
Finally, there are no written rules that the entire Filipino community must learn in selecting leaders that should represent their voices in various fractional assemblies and halls.
Unlike political science though, there’s no school that teaches the pro-rata use of pork in a barrel in exchange of political paper called ballots. More so, there’s no school that teaches the gravity of these ballots when casted with the power of the pork, or a fraction of it, to produce the array of mentally-dehydrated political stars.
As a consequence, the classic science of election produces corrupt and corruptible politicians and insatiable leaders whose personal and vested interests, and not the mandate of the general Filipino electorate, illuminate their pathways. Obviously, the likes of Arroyo and their cohorts top the list.
Indeed, if the philosophy continues to dominate the minds of both numerator-ical rich leaders and denominator-ical poor voters, cases like Compostela Valley, Cagayan de Oro et al, Gloria and her cohorts, etc. shall forever befall on the doormat of Philippine politics and subdue all the hushed puppies, puppets and stooges to serve a fraction of one-hundred-million Filipinos.
Occasionally, a fraction is not good.
Hushed Poppies
Dumaguete Star Informer
15 January 2012
There are no written rules that squatters must learn for a safe habitation in the accident-prone multi-billion dollar gold-encrypted Compostela Valley. As Mines and Geosciences Bureau and other scientists once warned, the Valley is landslide prone and that no mining activities must be undertaken.
In the same token, there are no written rules that informal settlers must learn for safe habitation in the areas of Cagayan de Oro, Iligan City, or Negros Oriental where tropical storm “Sendong” recently unleashed its might in complete havoc.
Unlike mathematics though, there’s no school where the greatest common factor that should divide both numerator and denominator to arrive at the least expression be any different from the disparity of distribution of wealth and privileges from the overwhelmingly miffed and gaffed poor Filipino people are taught.
As a result, a bizarre masterpiece of madness and chaos hit the fragile habitation of Compostela Valley, Cagayan de Oro, Iligan City, and Negros Oriental that paralyzed the normal lives of the under-privileged; the same underprivileged who incessantly tried to outwit poverty by any or all chaotic and impecunious ways and means of survival. It is the same gigantic canvass of despair and utter poverty that rocked the demi-gods of the lip-service adorned halls of men of the explicit few numerators.
Indeed, the mathematical expression of fraction that obviously defines the disparity between the numerator-ical rich and the denominator-ical poor is as pandemic as the unfair distribution of land in the crisis-torn Philippines. It is the same fraction that apparently divides the domestic animal to produce the greed-labeled pork in a barrel; the same pork that disintegrates assemblies of commoners, lords, queens and kings. Relentlessly, it is the same “pork” that becomes the staple of political marauders to lure these squatters and informal settlers to stay in the danger zone such as Compostela Valley, Cagayan de Oro, et al in exchange of a bite size of it.
On the one hand, there are no written rules that Gloria Arroyo and her cohorts must consider to learn remorse before her fate is completely blown out of proportion: Abalos, et al are jailed; Corona is impeached; Gutierrez, Garcia and Reyes are out; Lagman falls out. All her hushed puppies, puppets and stooges are slowly, if not one after the other, exiting from her camp.
Unlike religion though, there’s no school where the scalpel edge of right and wrong, lies and truth are taught. More so, there’s no school where the hellish consequential wrath of plunder, electoral sabotage, extra-judicial killings, vicious graft, sadistic corruption, political adultery and concubinage are taught.
As a result, grotesque sculptures of hushed puppies like Angelo safeguards the loot; tamed puppets like Renato and associates secure the crown and revering stooges like Mercedita protects the political will. Of course, numerating these numerators would not be complete unless we romp them with another breed of political concubines and adulterers like Benjamin, Romulo, Mike, Vicky, et al who facilitated scandals and scams, fraud and sabotage, and the classic graft and corruption.
Indeed, the classic political virus called “greed” that consummates leaders across creed, race and culture continues to unleash its magical whims unconsciously rotting the souls of looters like Gloria, Ferdinand, Hosni, Moamar, Adolf, Fidel, et al.
Finally, there are no written rules that the entire Filipino community must learn in selecting leaders that should represent their voices in various fractional assemblies and halls.
Unlike political science though, there’s no school that teaches the pro-rata use of pork in a barrel in exchange of political paper called ballots. More so, there’s no school that teaches the gravity of these ballots when casted with the power of the pork, or a fraction of it, to produce the array of mentally-dehydrated political stars.
As a consequence, the classic science of election produces corrupt and corruptible politicians and insatiable leaders whose personal and vested interests, and not the mandate of the general Filipino electorate, illuminate their pathways. Obviously, the likes of Arroyo and their cohorts top the list.
Indeed, if the philosophy continues to dominate the minds of both numerator-ical rich leaders and denominator-ical poor voters, cases like Compostela Valley, Cagayan de Oro et al, Gloria and her cohorts, etc. shall forever befall on the doormat of Philippine politics and subdue all the hushed puppies, puppets and stooges to serve a fraction of one-hundred-million Filipinos.
Occasionally, a fraction is not good.
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