I have a problem when people say that Manny Pacquiao does not deserve to be and should not be congratulated for his latest win in the ring because he has been a terrible lawmaker and a homophobic bigot. I have always had a problem when people refuse to recognize the many facets of an individual and judge that individual based solely on a standard that one arbitrarily sets and considers to be the only significant determinant of how that individual should be seen and treated. This refusal necessarily results in a failure to appreciate the complexities inherent in the very nature of human beings as creatures of independent thought, decision-making, and free will. People seem to forget that this refusal is, in and of itself, an act of bigotry, and the height of hypocrisy.
Monday, July 16, 2018
Saturday, November 4, 2017
Raising Harvey Weinstein
“Nanay, pinakita sa akin ni Harvey* ‘yong pututuy niya…” ("Mom, Harvey showed me his penis…")
Said my daughter, in all her 6-year old innocence. She just got home from school. These were her words the moment she saw me. I was shocked, angry, worried, and confused, all at the same time. I didn’t know what to say. I had one rule for myself whenever I was in front of my daughter: to never ever flinch, whatever negative thing she says to me. So I didn’t. I gave myself a long moment to regain my composure so I could calmly ask her: what did you say???
Sunday, December 25, 2016
Give Life on Christmas Day
Today is yet another Christmas when I thought I succeeded at having only joy and gratitude fill my heart, only to be thrown a curve ball by Facebook this morning, which reminded me of a very funny video of my Lolo I uploaded to the social media site at about this time 6 years ago. It also showed at the top of my timeline my sister’s post, paying a heartfelt tribute full of longing for our Lolo and Mamu, who passed within a year of each other, in 2012 and 2013. Yes, no matter how hard they tried to keep up appearances when they were still alive, it was an undeniable fact that they could not, for the life of them, live without each other. When Lolo died, I could almost see the light go out of my Mamu’s eyes, the fire in her warrior heart extinguished by his death. I can still hear in my head her anguished cries when she saw my Lolo gone in his deathbed, something none of us who bore witness will likely forget anytime soon.
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
People Failure
We could have done more. But we simply did not do enough.
Today, more than ever, this rings true: "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." (Edmund Burke)
Sure. Many people did many things, first to fight the dictator, and then, to oust him. Many people have made it their lives’ crusades to make sure Marcos is remembered as the plundering, murderous dictator that he was; and his family, the beneficiaries. But as is our curse as a people, what we have in initiative, we lack in follow through.
We are a people who are clueless about sustaining our efforts at something worthwhile and seeing them through to fruition. It is as if we dread closure of any kind. We have the fire to start a war, but no stamina to end it.
Sunday, July 31, 2016
Justice
(Video courtesy of Rappler, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3I2jD_0Exo)
“…Do justice to every man…"
Not a few people noticed how the president seemed to have placed emphasis on this phrase more than on any other part of his oath last June 30, 2016. Indeed, there seemed to be a deliberate slowing down in the delivery of the phrase starting at 2:07 of the video. He sounded like he was sending a subliminal message to his constituents: a promise, and a stern warning at the same time.
Monday, May 9, 2016
Today, We Choose.
Today, we choose new leaders.
May we choose actions over words, accomplishments over promises, genuine track record over fabricated pasts.
May we choose to be guided by hope for things already achieved, instead of cowered in fear of ghosts created for selfish gain.
May we vote with conviction, that we are choosing not only that which looks and sounds good, but more importantly, that which chooses the good of our people over the good of the few.
May we see through clouds of doubt sowed by leaders fearful of retribution, of being brought to justice, of being taken to task to pay for their sins which they deny and never accept.
May we realize that this has never been a battle of good versus evil, of one family against another. May we go beyond dichotomies created to propagate selfish, familial interests and to abscond from accountability. May we accept responsibility that the battle of good and evil is within each of us. That it is for every one of us to fight the evils we may unleash into the world if we let ourselves be filled with pride and fear. That it is for each of us to demand of each other the good things and deeds that we know we can do for our people and for our country.
May we learn from the past, both distant and near. May we hold dear the lessons we learned the hard way when we exercised our power to choose six and fifty-one years ago. May we not so easily forget how we were made to feel helpless, needy, like we were asking too much of our leaders, how our demands were met with sneers, condescension, and arrogant downplaying of epic proportion. May we not forget that up to the last moments leading up to this momentous day, we were spit on, fooled, treated like lowly beings, stripped of dignity because of lies, fabrications, and obvious machinations. May we never again be complacent, ensuring that those who have wronged us will never again be given another opportunity to perpetrate the same wrongs against the Filipino people.
Today, we wield our power to name them who shall inspire us to be the great people that we have always been meant to be, who will ignite the fire in our hearts to think bigger than ourselves, to go beyond the things we see and hear and look deeper into people who have dedicated their lives to make their constituents feel safe, secure and cared for.
Today, we wield this tremendous power. But it does not stop there. Today, we choose. Tomorrow, and in the days to come, we demand. We demand that they do right by us. We demand quality public service, to which we are absolutely entitled.
No, we do not have to be beside our leaders all the way, stand by them and blame ourselves for their wrongs, tell ourselves that we are part of these wrongs, that these wrongs are blood in our hands. No. When our leaders commit wrong, we condemn their actions. We stand up and voice out our grievances. We do not close ranks around them and defend their every move. We do not get blinded by idolatry and hero worship. We will choose them today. And tomorrow, we will exact service and accountability.
May God, Allah, Buddah, Vishnu, the Supreme Being, the cosmos, our logic and our belief systems guide us in choosing our leaders and in holding them to account as public servants.
May peace, understanding and compassion be in abundance today and the rest of our days.
Mabuhay ang Pilipinas.
May we choose actions over words, accomplishments over promises, genuine track record over fabricated pasts.
May we choose to be guided by hope for things already achieved, instead of cowered in fear of ghosts created for selfish gain.
May we vote with conviction, that we are choosing not only that which looks and sounds good, but more importantly, that which chooses the good of our people over the good of the few.
May we see through clouds of doubt sowed by leaders fearful of retribution, of being brought to justice, of being taken to task to pay for their sins which they deny and never accept.
May we realize that this has never been a battle of good versus evil, of one family against another. May we go beyond dichotomies created to propagate selfish, familial interests and to abscond from accountability. May we accept responsibility that the battle of good and evil is within each of us. That it is for every one of us to fight the evils we may unleash into the world if we let ourselves be filled with pride and fear. That it is for each of us to demand of each other the good things and deeds that we know we can do for our people and for our country.
May we learn from the past, both distant and near. May we hold dear the lessons we learned the hard way when we exercised our power to choose six and fifty-one years ago. May we not so easily forget how we were made to feel helpless, needy, like we were asking too much of our leaders, how our demands were met with sneers, condescension, and arrogant downplaying of epic proportion. May we not forget that up to the last moments leading up to this momentous day, we were spit on, fooled, treated like lowly beings, stripped of dignity because of lies, fabrications, and obvious machinations. May we never again be complacent, ensuring that those who have wronged us will never again be given another opportunity to perpetrate the same wrongs against the Filipino people.
Today, we wield our power to name them who shall inspire us to be the great people that we have always been meant to be, who will ignite the fire in our hearts to think bigger than ourselves, to go beyond the things we see and hear and look deeper into people who have dedicated their lives to make their constituents feel safe, secure and cared for.
Today, we wield this tremendous power. But it does not stop there. Today, we choose. Tomorrow, and in the days to come, we demand. We demand that they do right by us. We demand quality public service, to which we are absolutely entitled.
No, we do not have to be beside our leaders all the way, stand by them and blame ourselves for their wrongs, tell ourselves that we are part of these wrongs, that these wrongs are blood in our hands. No. When our leaders commit wrong, we condemn their actions. We stand up and voice out our grievances. We do not close ranks around them and defend their every move. We do not get blinded by idolatry and hero worship. We will choose them today. And tomorrow, we will exact service and accountability.
May God, Allah, Buddah, Vishnu, the Supreme Being, the cosmos, our logic and our belief systems guide us in choosing our leaders and in holding them to account as public servants.
May peace, understanding and compassion be in abundance today and the rest of our days.
Mabuhay ang Pilipinas.
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
Better Than A Waiver
This has been eating at me the entire day. And I only got the time to write this down, of course, at the end of the day, when I’m about to sleep (always like this; wish I had more time to write).
Anyway, a lot has been said about Duterte’s Special Power of Attorney (“SPA”) in favor of his lawyer, Sal Panelo. Many revolve around the topic of why Duterte had to specify the amount of ₱211,000,000. There is only one answer to that question, and it is this: because that is the amount specified by Trillanes. As simple as that. It was not placed there to limit the efficacy of the SPA, much less to confuse the reader. It was not a “clever ploy”.
The SPA, which is just a notarized document authorizing someone to do specific tasks for you, was pretty straightforward. It has 5 paragraphs, but the 2nd paragraph is important to understand what the SPA is for and what it can do.
“To request for and receive, from the Bank of the Philippine Islands (“BPI”), Julia Vargas Avenue, Pasig City Branch, bank certificates for BPI Saving (sic) Account No. 2433-0695-39 (the “Bank Account”) to show the current balance as well as the fact that at no time since the opening of the aforesaid Bank Account was there a deposit either singly or collectively of Two Hundred Eleven Million Pesos (₱211,000,000.00)."
Essentially, Duterte empowers Panelo to do two things:
- to request for certain bank certificates from BPI
- to receive these bank certificates
Now, what should the bank certificates be like? What should be in them? According to the SPA, the bank certificates for BPI SA 2433-0695-39
- must show the current balance
- must also show the fact that “at no time since the opening of the aforesaid Bank Account was there a deposit either singly or collectively of Two Hundred Eleven Million Pesos (₱211,000,000.00)"
For the first one, imagine a document which simply states the current balance of the account. That’s it. That kind of bank certificate satisfies the 1st requirement.
What kind of bank certificate then satisfies the 2nd requirement? It should be a certificate that shows the fact that ₱211M was never deposited into that account, either as a whole, or in various portions separately, from the time that the account was opened. In other words, the bank has to show that no such deposit of ₱211M was ever made into that account.
Now, tell me, how can the bank show that no such deposit was made? How do you show that a certain person is not in a certain building, and has, in fact, never been to that building at any point in time? How do you show that? What is the best evidence of that negative fact? THE LOGS OF ALL ENTRIES AND EXITS! Are you getting it now?
Of course, a certain person may enter a certain building without having to sign any log. Hell, s/he may enter the building completely undetected. Sure. BUT deposits will ALWAYS have to be logged in the transaction history of an account, as required by law and issuances. No bank management in its right mind would risk accepting deposits without reflecting the same in the transaction history. MUCH LESS A DEPOSIT OF ₱211 MILLION PESOS.
So now, tell me, how will BPI comply with the 2nd requirement? I’m willing to bet that this is precisely the reason why BPI asked for several days to figure this out. They’re probably deciding how best to comply with the SPA, without incurring any liability on their part.They’re thinking, “Will we get in trouble if we release the entire transaction history of this man?"
Many people, including Trillanes himself, have expressed disappointment, saying that Duterte did not execute a waiver. What they do not realize is that what Duterte did was even better: he is not only waiving his rights to bank secrecy with respect to BPI SA 2433-0695-39, HE COMMANDED BPI TO SHOW US THE MONEEEHHH! Or the lack thereof. And remember, Duterte ordered the bank to issue a bank certificate to SHOW the fact that ₱211M was never in that account, not merely to STATE it. So it cannot just issue a certificate to that effect. It must include an attachment that ACTUALLY SHOWS THAT FACT. And that attachment is none other than the entire transaction history of the account.
As to the matter of Duterte being the only one who executed the SPA, suffice it to say that it appears from the posted deposit slips that it is an OR account: an account held in the name of JUST Rodrigo Roa Duterte OR Rodrigo Roa Duterte and Sara Z. Duterte. The nature of this kind of account enables the father to do with it as he pleases, without the conformity of the daughter.
As to the matter of Duterte being the only one who executed the SPA, suffice it to say that it appears from the posted deposit slips that it is an OR account: an account held in the name of JUST Rodrigo Roa Duterte OR Rodrigo Roa Duterte and Sara Z. Duterte. The nature of this kind of account enables the father to do with it as he pleases, without the conformity of the daughter.
Give BPI time. I’m sure they’ll come out with a statement sooner than the 7th day. And I hope, while they’re at it, they explore the possibility of suing the hell out of Trillanes for taking the banking industry hostage.
Friday, April 29, 2016
Waiver or Waver?
Imagine it’s the NBA Finals. Game 7, 11 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, scores tied. Duterte, the MVP with the golden shooting arm, has the ball. Trillanes, a modern-day Distrito, charges at Duterte, hungry for the ball and Duterte’s loss. He tries to get the ball, but fails. Duterte now has to decide whether to pass the ball, take the shot, or wait.
He decides to wait. After all, he got this. He knows it. So he waits. He lets a few more seconds go, before taking the shot. Risky, but hell, he thinks he can do it. He thinks it’s the best way to deal with pesky Trillanes.
To me, this is what’s happening now. Duterte almost has the presidency in the bag. Almost, but not quite. Now here comes Trillanes with a bomb of an accusation of P211 million in hidden wealth. Instead of facing this head on, Duterte decides to play with Trillanes a bit.
“I’m gonna make it hard for him,” he says.
Instead of nipping the issue in the bud, Duterte decides to let it drag, probably hoping for it to last a few days, before he offers a resolution. Maybe he’s thinking, “Let this last a few days so when I clear this up, they won’t have enough time to throw another bomb at me."
Maybe.
Maybe not.
Maybe he really was caught red-handed. Maybe Trillanes really bears the kryptonite to stop Duterte’s dizzying ascent.
We will never know until both make their next move, or we reach May 9, whichever comes next. In the meantime, we are a captive audience in this eleksyonserye. Some of those enamored with Duterte may lose interest, thinking he’s not what he portrays himself to be. A lot more will stay for a myriad reasons.
But eventually, we will find out if Duterte indeed has a golden shooting arm, or if Trillanes actually caught him with his arm elbow-deep in the cookie jar. It’s just a matter of time.
#PHVote #PHVoteDuterte #SALN #hiddenwealth
He decides to wait. After all, he got this. He knows it. So he waits. He lets a few more seconds go, before taking the shot. Risky, but hell, he thinks he can do it. He thinks it’s the best way to deal with pesky Trillanes.
To me, this is what’s happening now. Duterte almost has the presidency in the bag. Almost, but not quite. Now here comes Trillanes with a bomb of an accusation of P211 million in hidden wealth. Instead of facing this head on, Duterte decides to play with Trillanes a bit.
“I’m gonna make it hard for him,” he says.
Instead of nipping the issue in the bud, Duterte decides to let it drag, probably hoping for it to last a few days, before he offers a resolution. Maybe he’s thinking, “Let this last a few days so when I clear this up, they won’t have enough time to throw another bomb at me."
Maybe.
Maybe not.
Maybe he really was caught red-handed. Maybe Trillanes really bears the kryptonite to stop Duterte’s dizzying ascent.
We will never know until both make their next move, or we reach May 9, whichever comes next. In the meantime, we are a captive audience in this eleksyonserye. Some of those enamored with Duterte may lose interest, thinking he’s not what he portrays himself to be. A lot more will stay for a myriad reasons.
But eventually, we will find out if Duterte indeed has a golden shooting arm, or if Trillanes actually caught him with his arm elbow-deep in the cookie jar. It’s just a matter of time.
#PHVote #PHVoteDuterte #SALN #hiddenwealth
Friday, April 1, 2016
Touched
Who are they?
You don't know them, Caitie…
Yes, but who are they? And why are they crying?
They are all the people whose lives you've touched.
Me? I touched their lives? But how? There are so many of them!
They followed your battle. They read about you. They saw your pictures showing how courageous you are.
Are they friends of Mommy and Daddy?
Many of them, yes. And many more are strangers.
If they are strangers, why are they crying? They don't know me.
They do. They were there to see you button your clothes even when you were weak. They were there to see you obey your parents and doctors to take your medicines. They saw how you courageously withstood the pain of all the needles and tubes that had to be inserted in your little body to make you well. They watched in awe as you prayed with your family. They were joyous when you were able to get out of the hospital and spend time in the sun. They were inspired by your paintings and whenever you played with your toys, even on your hospital bed. They knew you loved Play Doh.
Play Doh! Yes! And stamps! And rainbows!
Yes, darling. Stamps and rainbows. And they cheered you on. Every single day, Caitie. Every single time they read an update on how you were doing.
They did all that for me??
Why yes, precious one. Some of them learned to pray because of you. Some of them learned about me because of you. You brought them closer to me. That's the most powerful gift you have given them.
But how can they not know You? Everybody knows You! Everybody should, because You love them! You love everybody, right? The Bible tells me so! You love Mommy, Daddy, Ethan, and me. You love me more than most!
Yes, I do. And you have proven that to the many people who joined you in your journey. You have shown them that My love for all of you is true and infinite.
What is infinite?
It means it has no limits. It means I love all of you forever.
Yes! Mommy and Daddy told me. I miss them… Do they miss me…?
Of course, Caitie! They will miss you everyday for the rest of their lives.
Oh no. They will be sad. Please tell them not to be sad. Please tell them to be happy. I'm happy!
Yes, they know that. You are no longer in pain. And that is very important to them, especially to your mom and dad. All they want is for you to be whole again. And I have made you whole again.
Thank you.
You're welcome, Caitie.
Will they be alright?
In time, yes. They know you are with Me. They know you are safe and happy and free from disease. They will be sad for a while, but We will help them be happy again, okay? Let Us help your Mommy, your Daddy, Ethan, your family and all these people, okay?
Yes! I want to help them. But how?
We can keep you in their memories forever, your sweet smile, your laughter…
Hahaha! Yes! What else?
We can remind them that everything will be okay, that they should keep believing in Me and in each other, that they should also help each other get better. We can remind them to love each other more strongly and to make each day count.
Yes! I love that. Mommy will help Daddy. Daddy will help Mommy. And then they will help Ethan. And then Ethan will help them, too! Right??
Yes, that's correct. They have each other. And they have Us, Caitie. We will always watch over them, okay?
Yes, We will!
Do you want to tell them anything before we go?
Yes. I love you, Mommy. I love you, Daddy. I love you, Ethan. I love you, strangers. Okay. It's your turn…
My turn?
Yes! Tell them you love them. So they will know.
I love you, Jayjay. I love you, Tine. I love you, Ethan. And all the people whose lives were touched by Caitie.
They love You, too.
I know. Shall We go?
Yes. Let's go!
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Araw ng Paglaya
"We cannot free ourselves unless we move forward united in a single desire." - Emilio Aguinaldo
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Absentee
It was raining hard. And I was lost.
I couldn't find the way to McDonald's Recto because it was too dark, and the streets were filled with people, merchandise and filth. It was getting too frustrating that I started to cry.
I couldn't find the way to McDonald's Recto because it was too dark, and the streets were filled with people, merchandise and filth. It was getting too frustrating that I started to cry.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Gratitude
To live in peace
And not worry about trusting
The people I love.
To bask in the light
That freedom from pain
And suffering brings.
To know my worth
And that I am receiving
All the love and care that I deserve.
To be assured that
Today, as with all days,
I will be blessed.
And to be spared
From the selfishness that
The weak are repeatedly capable of.
I am forever grateful.
And not worry about trusting
The people I love.
To bask in the light
That freedom from pain
And suffering brings.
To know my worth
And that I am receiving
All the love and care that I deserve.
To be assured that
Today, as with all days,
I will be blessed.
And to be spared
From the selfishness that
The weak are repeatedly capable of.
I am forever grateful.
Friday, December 20, 2013
What The Binays Should Have Said
The Dasma fiasco has confirmed, yet again, what many perceive to be the prevailing attitude of this family towards authority and rules. Having said that, the situation was not entirely irreversible. It is safe to say that the aftermath could have been handled better.
Here is a statement which the family could have issued after the incident hit the news --
The report of the Philippine Daily Inquirer was in some portions inaccurate, and utterly false in the rest. Mayor Junjun Binay and Senator Nancy Binay attended a gathering in Dasmariñas Village. It was already late in the evening, and all they wanted was to get home soonest. The Binays take their roles as public servants very seriously such that they wanted to get enough rest and sleep in preparation for the following workday.
Believing that there were no peculiar restrictions in the egress and ingress of visitors, the Binays proceeded to the Banyan gate to exit onto McKinley Road. They were surprised when the guards refused to let them pass, despite several pleas from Mayor Binay himself.
The matter would have been resolved sooner and the convoy would have turned back to pass through the Palm Avenue gate had it not been for the arrival of more armed guards. At that point, the Binays felt threatened, prompting the Mayor to call the police for assistance.
Contrary to reports, the guards were not arrested. They went to the police station voluntarily to explain their seemingly threatening behavior towards the Binays, which was completely unprovoked. In the end, the matter was settled as a complete misunderstanding, after they explained the arrival of more guards and apologized.
All parties consider the matter resolved in everyone's favor. It is rather curious why this has surfaced only now and in such bad light, when what clearly transpired was a terrible misunderstanding and not a malevolent altercation initiated by the Binays, as what the Inquirer would like to portray.
Here is a statement which the family could have issued after the incident hit the news --
The report of the Philippine Daily Inquirer was in some portions inaccurate, and utterly false in the rest. Mayor Junjun Binay and Senator Nancy Binay attended a gathering in Dasmariñas Village. It was already late in the evening, and all they wanted was to get home soonest. The Binays take their roles as public servants very seriously such that they wanted to get enough rest and sleep in preparation for the following workday.
Believing that there were no peculiar restrictions in the egress and ingress of visitors, the Binays proceeded to the Banyan gate to exit onto McKinley Road. They were surprised when the guards refused to let them pass, despite several pleas from Mayor Binay himself.
The matter would have been resolved sooner and the convoy would have turned back to pass through the Palm Avenue gate had it not been for the arrival of more armed guards. At that point, the Binays felt threatened, prompting the Mayor to call the police for assistance.
Contrary to reports, the guards were not arrested. They went to the police station voluntarily to explain their seemingly threatening behavior towards the Binays, which was completely unprovoked. In the end, the matter was settled as a complete misunderstanding, after they explained the arrival of more guards and apologized.
All parties consider the matter resolved in everyone's favor. It is rather curious why this has surfaced only now and in such bad light, when what clearly transpired was a terrible misunderstanding and not a malevolent altercation initiated by the Binays, as what the Inquirer would like to portray.
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Corruption, Climate and Congress: Preying on Philippine Resilience and Faith by Diane Desierto
*The text below was written by my good friend Diane Desierto. We need to be constantly reminded that while we have a seemingly bottomless reserve of faith and resilience, we must not solely rely on it. This is such reminder, that with faith and resilience must come responsibility and accountability.
___________________________________
Corruption, Climate, Congress: Preying on Philippine Resilience and Faith
Anyone born, bred, raised, and educated in the Philippines instinctively knows what it really means to 'weather' through adversity, and literally getting up to rebuild again. It's a cycle we live with every year - a cycle more terrible to recover from given the economic inequalities across the 7,107 island archipelago.
We are used to more than twenty of the world's worst storms coming through every year. Floods devastate whole cities and communities everywhere. And every year, we do our best to rebuild, to understand sorrow, to find a way to make peace with loss, to find reasons to survive and to thrive, and to always look to 'what's next' in terms of what we can do for humanitarian assistance, disaster relief operations, community reconstruction efforts that take years. Anyone who's ever seen the unrelenting tenacity, hard work, adaptability, resourcefulness, optimism and faith of millions of Philippine nationals working abroad should realize that all of THAT comes from somewhere. As with any other of my countrymen and countrywomen, I have also lost, also grieved, also made peace, also had to rebuild. It's an art form we learn from birth.
Today's rampage by the "world's most powerful typhoon", Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda in the Philippines) is only beginning to be felt, and initial reports on the ground indicate that the deaths, damage, and devastation in the Visayan provinces of Cebu, Leyte, Samar, Bohol will be another one for the books.
As I write this, the rest of the country has been riveted for months - and most lately this week - following the Senate hearings on the massive cabal of corruption involving the misuse and misallocation of taxpayers' funds, through the middleman operations of Janet L. Napoles and her dummy corporations and non-governmental organizations, by Legislative representatives receiving the PDAF (Presidential Development Assistance Fund), formerly known as the CDF (Countrywide Development Fund). Petitions challenging the constitutionality of these Executive disbursements to Congress are pending before the Philippine Supreme Court. Reading the Commission on Audit reports, news reports and testimonies of ostentatious lifestyles led by Napoles and her ilk, and the narratives stated in the petitions filed before the Supreme Court, it is chilling to see how billions of taxpayers' funds have been systematically siphoned off for years to dubious NGOs. It appears to be a continuum of corruption - from Marcos-era plunder and the Presidential favoritism towards cronies' dummy corporations, to the pending charges against the former President Macapagal-Arroyo for plunder and widespread corruption, and apparently, to the status quo where corruption is institutionalized, where corruption is our normal.
We know tracing the paper trail and recovering public funds already lost to this cabal will take generations. It has been around forty years since Martial Law and to date the Philippine Government has not had a successful record recovering plundered public funds that plunged the Philippines from Asia's No. 2 economy (second only to Japan) in the late 1960s/early 1970s, to its present middle-income state. This year the Philippines posted the highest economic growth rate in Asia (even outperforming China), with stellar performances by the stock exchanges, becoming a creditor (rather than a debtor) to the International Monetary Fund, posting record investment levels, and other favorable indicators that might point to a steady recovery and climb back to the economic prestige the country occupied forty years ago.
What disturbs, discourages, disenchants, and solidifies massive dissent from the alleged decades of Congressional misuse of public funds, for a country such as the Philippines, are all the opportunity costs completely lost to this corruption.
OUR LOST PUBLIC FUNDS could have paid for the best technologies for early warning systems against storms, for building better seawalls, for constructing the best protective system against the expected arrival of over twenty of the world's worst typhoons, hurricanes, and storms every year, and for providing the best system for humanitarian assistance, immediate and targeted disaster relief operations, countless evacuation centers. OUR lost public funds could have been spent towards our regular reconstruction efforts, for rebuilding our schools, our communities. While natural disasters are not directly preventable (climate change has its own stamp on the frequency of these disasters), their consequences can be remediated, mitigated, and allayed. The technology exists at a price - Honolulu, Venice, the Netherlands are but three places around the world where anti-flooding systems, early warning mechanisms, and other disaster coping mechanisms are well in place - but corruption has made accessing those technologies lost opportunity costs.
OUR LOST PUBLIC FUNDS could have gone towards creating durable employment opportunities for Philippine workers and professionals - so that we wouldn't have to be part of this diaspora serving the rest of the world when we could be serving at home.
OUR LOST PUBLIC FUNDS could have gone towards improving our public health and educational systems across the board for all cities and communities in the archipelago - so that the real consequences of the gross economic inequalities between the powerful North including the resource-rich capital Metro Manila and the rest of the country, would not entrench the historical grievances of the Southern provinces in the Visayas and Mindanao.
There are ten thousand uses for our lost public funds. But while the Senate may continue its hearings, cases are filed, and the cogs of media turn their wheels towards each scandalous revelation after another, we all know we're not getting our lost public funds back. Not in this generation. Probably not in our children's children's generation either.
In the meantime, Filipinos and Filipinas born and bred and raised will continue to live out our cycles of loss, adversity, and rebuilding. All at the price of our country's best, ablest, and most hardworking leaving our families to find ways and means to help our communities rebuild. Everyone will again note our typical "Philippine resilience and faith" in how we deal with this every year.
What galls the rest of us from this seeming Congressional cabal of corruption orchestrated by specific elites is how particularly predatory this is on the tremendous, but ultimately limited, reserves of Filipinos' and Filipinas' resilience and faith. We *know* these disasters will come every year, we *know* what it would cost to have the best technologies already available in the world to mitigate the disasters and ensure swift reconstruction and remediation, but we DON'T take these steps because we can't afford them, we don't prioritize them, and we look to these acts of nature as force majeure beyond the realm of human ingenuity or intervention. Every political platform makes the grandiose promises to the electorate of ridding corruption - pointing to Marcos and his cronies as if they had the monopoly of this privateering enterprise - but not a single administration has ever committed to making an integrated natural disaster prevention, remediation, and reconstruction system our country's highest national security priority.
Mr. President, members of the Philippine Senate and the House of Representatives, there is a limit to our prayers, our endurance, our strength. You have little over three years remaining to solve the most pernicious evil to face your constituents and citizens by removing and reforming the institutional structures and lack of oversight that makes corruption possible, but you should acknowledge that, as hard as you concentrate governmental resources towards police efforts, you will not be able to find every corrupt actor and send them to prisons - the wheels of the legal and justice system turn far longer when we don't have the public funds to equip our courts, our law enforcement agencies, our schools and private citizens' community watchdog efforts. You will also not be able to recover the full measure of our lost public funds.
Thus, while we seek to make accountability the defining pinnacle of our postcolonial and postdictatorship Constitutional system, and while targeting corruption through the Senate blue ribbon committee, House, Ombudsman, Department of Justice investigations will certainly unravel the narrative of systemic and widespread corruption, the Executive Branch still has to govern. You have around three years left (realistically two years) before the next cycle of political campaigning and electoral lobbying starts. You CAN leave a concrete legacy by taking the bold and constructive steps to develop an integrated national natural disaster prevention, remediation, relief, and reconstruction program now.
Corruption, much like these natural disasters, may be inevitable - but they are not beyond human intervention, ingenuity, and resolve. While it may take generations and several lifetimes over to deal with both, Philippine resilience and faith doesn't mean that we have to stand by silently and take all of this as an inevitable expectation of futility - NOT when we elect, empower, and enfranchise our governors with the highest mandate to lead and to act for the Filipino people everywhere, at home and abroad.
We can have resilience, we can keep the faith, but we need you to act and be accountable.
Prof. Dr. Diane A. Desierto (JSD, Yale)
University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law
Honolulu, United States of America
___________________________________
Corruption, Climate, Congress: Preying on Philippine Resilience and Faith
Anyone born, bred, raised, and educated in the Philippines instinctively knows what it really means to 'weather' through adversity, and literally getting up to rebuild again. It's a cycle we live with every year - a cycle more terrible to recover from given the economic inequalities across the 7,107 island archipelago.
We are used to more than twenty of the world's worst storms coming through every year. Floods devastate whole cities and communities everywhere. And every year, we do our best to rebuild, to understand sorrow, to find a way to make peace with loss, to find reasons to survive and to thrive, and to always look to 'what's next' in terms of what we can do for humanitarian assistance, disaster relief operations, community reconstruction efforts that take years. Anyone who's ever seen the unrelenting tenacity, hard work, adaptability, resourcefulness, optimism and faith of millions of Philippine nationals working abroad should realize that all of THAT comes from somewhere. As with any other of my countrymen and countrywomen, I have also lost, also grieved, also made peace, also had to rebuild. It's an art form we learn from birth.
Today's rampage by the "world's most powerful typhoon", Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda in the Philippines) is only beginning to be felt, and initial reports on the ground indicate that the deaths, damage, and devastation in the Visayan provinces of Cebu, Leyte, Samar, Bohol will be another one for the books.
As I write this, the rest of the country has been riveted for months - and most lately this week - following the Senate hearings on the massive cabal of corruption involving the misuse and misallocation of taxpayers' funds, through the middleman operations of Janet L. Napoles and her dummy corporations and non-governmental organizations, by Legislative representatives receiving the PDAF (Presidential Development Assistance Fund), formerly known as the CDF (Countrywide Development Fund). Petitions challenging the constitutionality of these Executive disbursements to Congress are pending before the Philippine Supreme Court. Reading the Commission on Audit reports, news reports and testimonies of ostentatious lifestyles led by Napoles and her ilk, and the narratives stated in the petitions filed before the Supreme Court, it is chilling to see how billions of taxpayers' funds have been systematically siphoned off for years to dubious NGOs. It appears to be a continuum of corruption - from Marcos-era plunder and the Presidential favoritism towards cronies' dummy corporations, to the pending charges against the former President Macapagal-Arroyo for plunder and widespread corruption, and apparently, to the status quo where corruption is institutionalized, where corruption is our normal.
We know tracing the paper trail and recovering public funds already lost to this cabal will take generations. It has been around forty years since Martial Law and to date the Philippine Government has not had a successful record recovering plundered public funds that plunged the Philippines from Asia's No. 2 economy (second only to Japan) in the late 1960s/early 1970s, to its present middle-income state. This year the Philippines posted the highest economic growth rate in Asia (even outperforming China), with stellar performances by the stock exchanges, becoming a creditor (rather than a debtor) to the International Monetary Fund, posting record investment levels, and other favorable indicators that might point to a steady recovery and climb back to the economic prestige the country occupied forty years ago.
What disturbs, discourages, disenchants, and solidifies massive dissent from the alleged decades of Congressional misuse of public funds, for a country such as the Philippines, are all the opportunity costs completely lost to this corruption.
OUR LOST PUBLIC FUNDS could have paid for the best technologies for early warning systems against storms, for building better seawalls, for constructing the best protective system against the expected arrival of over twenty of the world's worst typhoons, hurricanes, and storms every year, and for providing the best system for humanitarian assistance, immediate and targeted disaster relief operations, countless evacuation centers. OUR lost public funds could have been spent towards our regular reconstruction efforts, for rebuilding our schools, our communities. While natural disasters are not directly preventable (climate change has its own stamp on the frequency of these disasters), their consequences can be remediated, mitigated, and allayed. The technology exists at a price - Honolulu, Venice, the Netherlands are but three places around the world where anti-flooding systems, early warning mechanisms, and other disaster coping mechanisms are well in place - but corruption has made accessing those technologies lost opportunity costs.
OUR LOST PUBLIC FUNDS could have gone towards creating durable employment opportunities for Philippine workers and professionals - so that we wouldn't have to be part of this diaspora serving the rest of the world when we could be serving at home.
OUR LOST PUBLIC FUNDS could have gone towards improving our public health and educational systems across the board for all cities and communities in the archipelago - so that the real consequences of the gross economic inequalities between the powerful North including the resource-rich capital Metro Manila and the rest of the country, would not entrench the historical grievances of the Southern provinces in the Visayas and Mindanao.
There are ten thousand uses for our lost public funds. But while the Senate may continue its hearings, cases are filed, and the cogs of media turn their wheels towards each scandalous revelation after another, we all know we're not getting our lost public funds back. Not in this generation. Probably not in our children's children's generation either.
In the meantime, Filipinos and Filipinas born and bred and raised will continue to live out our cycles of loss, adversity, and rebuilding. All at the price of our country's best, ablest, and most hardworking leaving our families to find ways and means to help our communities rebuild. Everyone will again note our typical "Philippine resilience and faith" in how we deal with this every year.
What galls the rest of us from this seeming Congressional cabal of corruption orchestrated by specific elites is how particularly predatory this is on the tremendous, but ultimately limited, reserves of Filipinos' and Filipinas' resilience and faith. We *know* these disasters will come every year, we *know* what it would cost to have the best technologies already available in the world to mitigate the disasters and ensure swift reconstruction and remediation, but we DON'T take these steps because we can't afford them, we don't prioritize them, and we look to these acts of nature as force majeure beyond the realm of human ingenuity or intervention. Every political platform makes the grandiose promises to the electorate of ridding corruption - pointing to Marcos and his cronies as if they had the monopoly of this privateering enterprise - but not a single administration has ever committed to making an integrated natural disaster prevention, remediation, and reconstruction system our country's highest national security priority.
Mr. President, members of the Philippine Senate and the House of Representatives, there is a limit to our prayers, our endurance, our strength. You have little over three years remaining to solve the most pernicious evil to face your constituents and citizens by removing and reforming the institutional structures and lack of oversight that makes corruption possible, but you should acknowledge that, as hard as you concentrate governmental resources towards police efforts, you will not be able to find every corrupt actor and send them to prisons - the wheels of the legal and justice system turn far longer when we don't have the public funds to equip our courts, our law enforcement agencies, our schools and private citizens' community watchdog efforts. You will also not be able to recover the full measure of our lost public funds.
Thus, while we seek to make accountability the defining pinnacle of our postcolonial and postdictatorship Constitutional system, and while targeting corruption through the Senate blue ribbon committee, House, Ombudsman, Department of Justice investigations will certainly unravel the narrative of systemic and widespread corruption, the Executive Branch still has to govern. You have around three years left (realistically two years) before the next cycle of political campaigning and electoral lobbying starts. You CAN leave a concrete legacy by taking the bold and constructive steps to develop an integrated national natural disaster prevention, remediation, relief, and reconstruction program now.
Corruption, much like these natural disasters, may be inevitable - but they are not beyond human intervention, ingenuity, and resolve. While it may take generations and several lifetimes over to deal with both, Philippine resilience and faith doesn't mean that we have to stand by silently and take all of this as an inevitable expectation of futility - NOT when we elect, empower, and enfranchise our governors with the highest mandate to lead and to act for the Filipino people everywhere, at home and abroad.
We can have resilience, we can keep the faith, but we need you to act and be accountable.
Prof. Dr. Diane A. Desierto (JSD, Yale)
University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law
Honolulu, United States of America
Friday, October 25, 2013
Elizabeth Angsioco: My Civic Hero
*Beth is a finalist in Rexona and Rappler's Do More Awards. I am sharing with you my nomination essay.
From time to time, we all come across stories of how women are treated as second class citizens, or sometimes even less, in various situations. A number of us will be so moved as to take action in order to change this. Still fewer will see this action through until fruition. Beth does all this on a daily basis, and for the most part of her life. She lives and breathes women empowerment. She has devoted her life to alleviating the plight of women, especially those who live in abject poverty and who have absolutely no means to make their voices and choices be heard. One of her great achievements, if not the greatest, was when she became instrumental to the passage of the much-needed Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012 (Republic Act No. 10354), which had been languishing in Congress for more than a decade. While there may have been days when she felt the burden of swimming against the tide heaviest, she never lost steam. Her persistence and relentlessness were what pushed the legislators and RH supporters outside Congress to stand up against long-standing religious resistance and traditional thinking, and give it a final push towards passage. Today, Beth continues to fight, everyday, so that each woman stands a chance in fighting for herself.
I am in awe of Beth's relentlessness and persistence in pushing for a cause. She gets an idea, develops a method and makes sure she succeeds in achieving the selfless and compassionate objectives of her actions. She never lets go and loses hope because she knows that it is worth it to give her all, to put in everything she has. That seemingly tireless fighting spirit inside her, that is what is inspiring. For a petite woman, her spirit and her energy make up a humongous individual inside that tiny shell. It is an honor to know Beth. And it is such a privilege to draw inspiration from her.
The cash prize and the recognition will do wonders for the women Beth and her organization are helping. It will not only be a recognition of Beth and her resounding ideals and valiant efforts, but also of the value of the women she has been helping. Winning the Do More Award for Civic Hero will affirm the self-image of the women who have been so lacking in self-worth and confidence as a result of abuse and discrimination. The recognition will emphasize to them that Beth had been right all along -- that they are individuals of value, that they have a voice in this society, and that they can DO MORE to live better, more productive lives.
READ BETH'S SHORT PROFILE HERE!
VOTE FOR BETH HERE!
From time to time, we all come across stories of how women are treated as second class citizens, or sometimes even less, in various situations. A number of us will be so moved as to take action in order to change this. Still fewer will see this action through until fruition. Beth does all this on a daily basis, and for the most part of her life. She lives and breathes women empowerment. She has devoted her life to alleviating the plight of women, especially those who live in abject poverty and who have absolutely no means to make their voices and choices be heard. One of her great achievements, if not the greatest, was when she became instrumental to the passage of the much-needed Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012 (Republic Act No. 10354), which had been languishing in Congress for more than a decade. While there may have been days when she felt the burden of swimming against the tide heaviest, she never lost steam. Her persistence and relentlessness were what pushed the legislators and RH supporters outside Congress to stand up against long-standing religious resistance and traditional thinking, and give it a final push towards passage. Today, Beth continues to fight, everyday, so that each woman stands a chance in fighting for herself.
I am in awe of Beth's relentlessness and persistence in pushing for a cause. She gets an idea, develops a method and makes sure she succeeds in achieving the selfless and compassionate objectives of her actions. She never lets go and loses hope because she knows that it is worth it to give her all, to put in everything she has. That seemingly tireless fighting spirit inside her, that is what is inspiring. For a petite woman, her spirit and her energy make up a humongous individual inside that tiny shell. It is an honor to know Beth. And it is such a privilege to draw inspiration from her.
The cash prize and the recognition will do wonders for the women Beth and her organization are helping. It will not only be a recognition of Beth and her resounding ideals and valiant efforts, but also of the value of the women she has been helping. Winning the Do More Award for Civic Hero will affirm the self-image of the women who have been so lacking in self-worth and confidence as a result of abuse and discrimination. The recognition will emphasize to them that Beth had been right all along -- that they are individuals of value, that they have a voice in this society, and that they can DO MORE to live better, more productive lives.
READ BETH'S SHORT PROFILE HERE!
VOTE FOR BETH HERE!
Saturday, August 17, 2013
A Decade of Decadence
Panfilo
Lacson delivered a speech in March 2003, ten years ago, calling for the abolition
of the pork barrel. He detailed how the thieves divided the spoils among them;
how the opportunists, both public and private, pocketed money paid by
taxpayers, meant for the citizens of this country. He practically begged his
fellow legislators in the Upper House to do what was best for the country and
to actually fulfil their sworn duty to put the interests of the people over
their own.
Ten
years later, the legislators remain deaf. It is as if the Lacson privilege
speech did not happen. It is as if they did not hear anything on that fateful
day in March 2003. Ten years later, the greed and audacity in misusing the pork
barrel have gone worse beyond belief.
Below
is the Lacson privilege speech delivered during session in the Senate on March
11, 2003:
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
No Different
They
met online. 13 years ago. Both bored out of their wits, looking for distraction
from monotonous work. They resorted to the Internet for entertainment,
recreation, any form of relaxation that it afforded them.
While
other people met in cafes or restaurants for the first time, Sam and Gina (names changed to protect their privacy and identities) met in
a chat room. Call it cyber blind date, if you will. As in any other blind date,
it was awkward at first. Neither of them knew the other, much less their
interests, hobbies, greatest hopes and dreams. They forget now what the first
topic was. But each vividly remembers how, after only a few minutes of chatting
with each other, both of them instantly fell into the rhythm of the familiar, like
they had known each other for ages. What began as one-hour midday chats during
lunch break (having cyber lunch dates) became nightly heart-to-hearts, often
extending until the wee hours of the morning.
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
Thieves
We see them everyday. Everywhere we turn. Myriad
reasons why we question the government, why we distrust people who possess, nay
brandish, political power, why we look with suspicion at every public officer.
Epaliticians. Kotong cops. Wang-wangs. Fixers in government offices.
But these are small-time; nothing compared to the
massively corrupt who go scot-free, whistleblowers and tons of evidence
notwithstanding.
Thursday, June 13, 2013
LAYA
Emosyonal. Emosyonal daw ang mga Pinoy. Masyado raw nagpapaapekto sa mga bagay-bagay na nakikita, nababasa o napapanood nila. Mabilis maniwala, kahit hindi naman makatotohanan ang mga ito.
Nitong mga nakaraang araw, sunud-sunod na naglabasan ang mga balita tungkol sa mga biro, mga satire, at works of fiction na agad-agarang pinaniniwalaan ng karamihan sa atin. May mga nagrereklamo, nasasaktan, nagpapakita ng mga matitinding reaksyon sa mga nababasa o napapanood nila at may mga naninindigang sila ang tama, at mali ang kung sinumang sumulat o nagbitaw ng biro, ng satire, o ng fictional work.
Nariyan sina Dan Brown, Vice Ganda, Professional Heckler, SoWhatsNews, at Pol Medina, Jr., na ilan lamang sa mga tumanggap ng batikos dahil sa kanilang mga isinulat o sinabi tungkol sa iba’t ibang paksa sa pang-araw-araw na buhay ng mga Pinoy. Napakatinding batikos na umikot sa iba’t ibang bahagi ng lipunan. Walang pinili. Mayaman, mahirap, nakapag-aral, mangmang, bata, matanda, girl, boy, bakla, tomboy, butiki, baboy.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Hold Your Horses
Restraint. A word that is absent in the vocabulary
of many individuals. At times, including mine. We always get carried away, especially
when it comes to judging people. It’s the easiest thing to do: judge. Ride your
high horse and look down on supposedly lesser beings. And go to great lengths
just to drive home your point. Exaggerate. Be hysterical. Lie.
Such is the lynch mob mentality many times evident
especially on social media. Lurking in the shadows. Waiting for the next
target. Ready to pounce anytime.
Imagine a lynch mob. Only blind.
Chris Lao. Amalayer. Charice. Nancy Binay. And now,
Vice Ganda.
To establish context, below is the complete
transcript of the segment of Vice Ganda’s jokes on Jessica Soho.
Paano
kaya kung nag-bold na rin si Jessica Soho? Ang launching niyang pelikula, “Tinimbang
Ka Ngunit Sobra”.
Napanaginipan
ko nga rin ‘yang si Ms. Jessica Soho, nagpapatimbang. Nakakatawa no’ng
nagpatimbang kami. Umakyat si Jessica Soho sa weighing scale. Pag-akyat ni
Jessica Soho, tumunog ang weighing scale: “One at a time. One at a time. One at
a time.” So bumaba ulit si Jessica Soho. Nagalit. “Ay, baka sira. Ay ta-try ko
ulit.” So umakyat ulit ng weighing scale si Jessica Soho. Tumunog ang weighing
scale: “Please don’t play with the machine. Don’t play with the machine. One at
a time. I told you one at a time. Don’t play with the machine.” Ay! Nagalit si
Jessica Soho. “Ano ba naman ‘to?! Last try na talaga!” So umakyat ulit si
Jessica Soho sa weighing scale. Tumunog ang weighing scale: “You weigh 180 per
kilo.” So ayaw niya nang magpatimbang.
Ang
hirap nga naman kung si Jessica Soho magbo-bold. Kailangan gang rape lagi. Sasabihin
ng rapist, “Ipasok ang lechon!” Sasabihin naman ni Jessica, “Eh nasa’n ang
apple?”
Nakakatawa
nga eh. May boyfriend daw dati si Jessica. Narinig ko lang naman sa mga hindi
mapagkakatiwalaan. Ninakaw daw nung boyfriend yung panty ni Jessica. Tapos pinalabhan.
Nung dinala sa laundry, ang chineckan comforter.
Si
Ma’am Charo tuwang-tuwa pag kabilang channel yung niloloko ko. Bumalik tayo sa
Channel 2.
At the outset, let me tell you that I am not, nor
will I be, defending Vice Ganda. He can very well do that on his own. And his
team of lawyers and supporters. But let us get a few things straight.
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