Uniting the Political Davids

The announcement of UP Professor Randy David to battle PGMA head-on in the coming 2010 elections if she ever choose to run as a congresswoman in Pampanga elicited imagery of the popular Bible story of the battle between David and the giant Goliath. In this case, the tiny Gloria is the giant Goliath and the taller Randy became David.

However, this imagery is not new in the Philippine politics. For so many times in the past elections, many Davids tried their luck to fight the Goliaths in their provinces or in their towns. These people, many of whom wanted to change the way their municipal or provincial government was governed, fought earth and hell for a tiny chance to defeat the corrupt Goliaths.

In other words, political Davids in the Philippines rarely wins against the Goliaths, especially those Goliaths that are very influential and very wealthy so as to easily tap the political machinery operated by other Goliaths. The political David that I could remember that defeated a Goliath is Governor Ed Panlilio who toppled the Lapids in Pampanga.

Target the Local Arena

I believe that one way of cleaning up our corrupt political system is to cleanse it from the local government level up to the national government level. That is, we should not focus only on the Senators, the Vice-Presidents and the Presidents in deciding who could lead the country well. We should also scrutinize the mayors, the governors, the congressmen, and all local political posts.

Consequently, we should not also place our full attention on the senatorial positions, vice-presidential and presidential positions when propping up a candidate. Positions in the local government should also be focused on by those people who want to fix the government. The reason why the three senatorial candidates of the KAPATIRAN Party lost in the past election is because they do not have enough support from the local level.

Groups that are aiming to fix the government should focus on the local arena. I believe that there are many political Davids in this arena and what these Davids should do is to consolidate their forces. Share each other’s idea, resources and connections. The political David’s should not only think locally but also think that their victory in the local arena will contribute into the betterment of the country. What I mean here of course is that political Davids like Randy David, Ed Panlilio, and Governor Padaca of Isabela should form an alliance, a Political Party so as to increase their chance of survival.

I believe that a political party ran by these people will be more meaningful than those parties with the name PALAKA (Partidong Lakas Kampi), Liberal Party, NPC etc. Their actions to serve the people are an inspiration enough to draw well-meaning people to their side. A Political Party or a clear alliance is needed so that the people will have a focal point to focus their efforts on and not waste their effort on fragmentary and chaotic actions against the corrupt Goliaths.

The consolidation of all the political Davids in the country will be force to be reckoned with, but the sad thing is that is yet to be realized.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Related articles:

What Randy Davud Must do to Win in Filipino Voices.

David Versus Goliath by the Pedestrian Observer

Roxas: Randy David will be LP’s Bet vs GMA in Mar Roxas Blogspot.

Read my new articles in Before the Eastern Sunset. One is about my Good Saturday with a good friend, and the other is my take On Being a Loner.

Follow me on Facebook and Twitter.

Our Dora President

I have this one dream since I was a kid (aside from, of course being the most powerful person in this country) and that dream is to travel and visit the many places all over the world. I have to realize that dream yet since I hadn’t set foot on any lands outside the Philippines. But then again I am happy since my president, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is fulfilling that dream for me with the use of my money and the money of millions of taxpayers like me.

According to the news, PGMA already had 15 foreign travels for the last 6 months in this year. That number almost equals the number of her foreign travel last year and in 2007. Happily for us, she had more foreign travels to come in the next half of 2009.

Cost Equates the Benefits?

This happy tripping of PGMA is being criticized recently because large amount of taxpayers’ money were being used instead of funneling that same money to alleviating the public’s problem, especially now that the world is in a deep financial crisis.  And that’s not all, the people is not only paying for the traveling and lodging expenses of PGMA, but sometimes also of her relatives and political allies that she tags along in some of her travels.

The defenders of the president claimed that the money being used for the president’s travel was well-spent because she brought so many things for the betterment of the economy. Those things are loans, promises for job openings the OFWs and promises of investments from other countries.

I beg to disagree because those things are not realized yet and are not enough to serve as the basis of their claim. The money used for PGMA’s travel is not well-spent yet. As long as those promises do not materialize, then we can say that PGMA is wasting our money. Let us all remember that promises were sometimes meant to be broken. PGMA cementing a loan deal for the Philippines in her travel is should not be a basis of their claim that PGMAs travel is successful. Loan is a loan is a loan, no matter how you spin the statement. Our country is already too debt-ridden that even my children and grandchildren (even if they did not exist yet) are already debt-ridden. Another thing is that we had bad experiences regarding these loans. As our experience dictates, PGMAs loans will not be for the benefit of the country but for the benefit of the corrupt politicians.

Another point of contention is her habit of bringing some of her clansmen and political friends in some of her travels. Were those people necessary for her diplomatic trips? Absolutely not! They are not necessary for PGMA to cement deals with other countries. Her bringing of relatives is a signal that her foreign trips are both diplomatic trips and vacation trips. Counting her many travels abroad, we could say that she had spent so many vacation days as allowable for a government employee. And what of other expenses that might be expended for “pasalubongs” and side-trips to other places not covered in PGMA’s itinerary?

Taking the larger view of things, it is clear that we are spending too much on PGMA’s many foreign trips and that the supposed benefits of those trips is not enough to outweigh the expenses.

Let Us All Be Presidents

Many Filipinos dream of having, at least one, vacation on a foreign country. The sad thing is that this country is such a hell-hole that only few of us realize those dreams (and large bulk of those who do are high end government employees and politicians). We are still far-off from many countries which have citizens that are capable of spending time and money abroad.

PGMA’s happy trips give us a good model of realizing those dreams. We need to become president of this country so that we could go wherever country we please without spending any of our money.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Read my new blogpost in Before the Eastern Sunset: “What’s with Smart?“

Related articles:

Girlie Villarosa Joins PGMA’s Foreign Trip for the Nth Time in Advocatus Socialis.

Political Striptease in Iloilo Views.

Arroyo’s Travel Costs P 3-B in ABS-CBN News Online.

Ako Mismo Ayoko Mismo ng Ako Mismo Dog Tag

Usong-uso ngayon, lalo na sa mga kabataan, ang Ako Mismo Dog Tag. Madalas na akong nakakakita ng mga taong naka-suot nito. Meron pa ngang nakabuyangyang sa madla ang kanyang Ako Mismo Dog Tag upang ipakita sa lahat na siya ay mayroon nga (at isa sa mga pinalad) ng Ako Mismo Dog Tag. Ngunit naiintindihan ba nila ang nais iparating ng programa ng Ako Mismo?

Ang programang “Ako Mismo” ay inilunsad sa madla ng isang grupo na kinabibilangan ng iba’t ibang tao na nagmula sa iba’t ibang sektor. Layon ng programa na ito na buksan ang isipan ng mga mamamayan sa pamamagitan ng paghahayag ng kanilang mumunting pangako sa sarili o sa bayan.

“Star-studded” ang programang ito dahil ilan sa mga “endorser” nito ay mga sikat na artista na sina Angel Locsin, ang mang-aawit na si Ely Buendia, at ang manlalaro ng Ateneo de Manila University sa larangan ng basketbol na si Chris Tiu. Meron din silang website kung saan nilalagay ng gustong makilahok sa “Ako Mismo” ang kanilang mga mumunting pangako. Marami rin silang mga programa sa iba’t ibang malls upang palawigin pa ang pakikilahok ng mga tao.

Maganda nga sana ang layunin ng “Ako Mismo” ngunit sa palagay ko ay ito ay isa lamang pauso sa tingin ng maraming tao, lalo na sa mga kabataan. Oo nga’t marami sa kanila ang nakasuot ng Dog Tag, karamihan naman sa kanila ay hindi alam ang pakahulugan ng Dog Tag na ipinapakita nila sa madla. Ang “Ako Mismo” dog tag ay matutulad lang sa ilang mga simbolo na nauuso ngayon. Matutulad lang ito sa “Three Stars and a Sun” ni Francis M na sumikat noong siya ay pumanaw, o kaya ng iba pang simbolo tulad ng Nazi Swastika, larawan ni Che Guevara, “Hammer and Sickle” ng mga Kumunista, Magdalo Flag, at kung anu-ano pa. Nawala ang pakuhulugan at minsan ay pinaghahalo-halo pa ng mga nakiki-uso.

Ang “Ako Mismo” dog tag, tulad ng mga nabanggit na mga simbolo, ay sinusuot lang ng karamihan bilang pang-porma. Upang ipakita nila sa mga tao na pasok din sila sa uso. Napaka-superficial ika nga sa wikang Ingles.

Kaya ngayon, ang masasabi ko talaga ay “ako mismo ay ayoko mismo ng Ako Mismo dog tag.”

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————

View my new post in Before the Eastern Sunset, “Friendster VS Facebook“

What Of Independence Day?

When one talks about Independence Day, it is always about the heroes of old. Of how Rizal sacrificed himself for the Motherland. Of how Andres Bonifacio initiated a massive revolution against Spain. Of how our fellowmen stood in the onslaught of the American forces. Of how our soldiers stood their ground in the face of the unstoppable Japanese War Machine.

It is always the glory of the past, as if we do not have heroes in our midst. But whom could we blame? The society that we have now is just the same that we have when the Spaniards are in power. Same old system where the privileged few are living off the lives of the majority of the Filipinos. We are slaves today just like in the past.

We need heroes to bring back the glory of this nation. But who is the hero|? What is heroism? Do we need to do extraordinary things so as to change the system? Or do we need to die in the hands of the tyrants and spark another revolution?

No.

Heroism is the very act of rebellion in our hearts. The expression of our disgust to the current corrupt system. Our acts of defying the system, by doing what is right even if it is more convenient to go with the flow, are all acts of heroism.

We could all be heroes. And it starts from doing what right, speaking what is the truth, and influencing others to do the same. If you are an employee, do your job well and serve your client and the public. If you are in the government, then let yourself be influenced by the corruption, go to work early, and put your hearts to the people. Even if you are just a lowly person in this country, you could be a hero by doing such things. And by doing such things will show that you are not a slave of the corrupt system. And that is the meaning of true Independence.

GMA’s Three Pronged Attack

Last week’s event was unprecedented. In the wee hours of the morning, the so-called “honorable” members of Congress sneaked an unacceptable resolution into passage. The resolution, passed without minding the Senate, convenes the Lower House into a constituent assembly that will be responsible in amending the Philippine constitution.

It is not foolish to think that GMA has no hand regarding the events in the Congress. It happened after the Lakas and KAMPI parties conglomerated into one. It happened after “her excellency” convened her puppets in the convention of PALAKA (Partidong Lakas Kampi). It is no wonder then that these puppets are doing the desires of GMA.

The turn of events in the Congress is just one of the many plans of GMA to cling into power. As a great player in politics, it is possible that she is concocting various plans to extend her stay.

First Game Plan: Term Extension thru Charter Change

This is the foremost benefit that Gloria will possibly reap in the last week’s turn of events. She could urge her puppets to amend the constitution in such a way that their term will be extended. Lengthen the term of the president for another six years and those of congressmen another three years is an offer that is very hard to resist. Once the constitution is open for amendments, then it is easy for the puppets to effect the amendments that they desire.

Another way she could extend GMA’s term is by being declared as the leader of the transition government while the constitution is being amended.

Second Game Plan: Elected Again into Power

Observers commented that the works of COMELEC is just a show to fool the public into a belief that there will be an election in 2010. The fact that the puppet congressmen are working non-stop to amend the constitution is a proof that the administration will not allow the election next year.

That is one thing to look at it, but I think that the works of COMELEC is GMA’s fallback plan in case that her puppets failed in changing the constitution. There is a rumor that she may run as a congresswoman in 2010. If that’s true, then she could still influence the next government by being the Speaker of the House and she retains her immunity.

The works of COMELEC could also be used if the puppet congressmen succeed in changing the presidential form of government into a parliamentary one. She could run next year for the parliament and then become the Prime Minister.

Third Game Plan: Martial Law

Gloria doing a Marcos is not farfetched. Everything needed for this game plan is already in place. The generals of AFP are being kept satisfied. The administration is now ran by the retirees from the AFP and PNP. Those soldiers that exhibited their disgust against GMA were subdued and marginalized. What is needed for this game plan to start is a national cataclysmic event, like multiple bombings in metropolitan areas in the country, which can be blamed to the MILF, Abu Sayyaf, NPA, or the radical soldiers. Such events will give her emergency powers that she can abuse and extended indefinitely.

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will cling into power no matter what happens. She will spin the Lower House, she will use the AFP, and even the media. Her game plans are already ticking and dragging us into worse situation. GMA is working but how about us, who is against her? What is our game plan?

————————————————————————————————

Visit Before the Eastern Sunset and read my second part of my visit in Lucban, Quezon in A Piece of Quezon (Part II).

Women Technical Professionals Helping the Poor Help Themselves

I remember the time, when I was in grade 1, that my cousins and me were forced to rent a house inside the drainage system after the powers-that-may-be demolished my aunts and uncles’ houses because their settlement was deemed illegal. Way back then, I think that living inside the tunnel is an adventure. A flowing water below plus the eerie darkness within is enough to skyrocket my imaginations. I spent so many times walking inside that tunnel to find the end of it. However, I did not succeed in reaching the end of that tunnel.

Now, looking back, I realized how miserable me and my cousin’s were and all the other “illegal settlers” that were forced to lived in the dark tunnel because of the demolition. My only consolation now is that at least I experienced that form of living and our lot back then is way better than the many urban poor who were forced to live in makeshift homes made of cardboards and ply woods on the streets of Manila.

The situation back then is no different from the situation of the urban poor today. Many of the urban poor are homeless are placed in the category of informal settlers. Because of that, many of them face the danger of being under attack from the demolition teams of MMDA and city governments.

TAO – Pilipinas and Helping the Poor

In the past, many urban poor are being tossed around simply because they are ignorant of their rights and the technicalities of owning a parcel of land. This compounded by the sweet promises of the politicians every election day. That was then, now many urban poor know how to fight and play the system of land ownership due to the help of various non-government organizations like the Technical Assistance Organization – Pilipinas.

The Technical Assistance Organization – Pilipinas (TAO – Pilipinas) is a women-led, non-stock, non-profit, non-government organization that provides technical assistance to urban and rural poor communities in the planning, development, and management of their settlements. It is composed of women technical professionals with a field in architecture, engineering, environmental planning, and social work.

Their aim is to assist the urban and rural poor in building their community in a way that they will be independent in the long run. TAO – Pilipinas help the poor help themselves so that they will not depend heavily on the NGOs and learn to fend for themselves.

The TAO –Pilipinas Experience

Actually, I was an intern in this organization and internship in this organization is way different from what I expected. Instead of honing my technical capabilities, the organization developed in me the social aspect of my profession.

In my internship, I was sent to various communities. I participated in planning for the building of the church in Navotas, I help in carrying bucketful of soil in a house building in Tondo, and I’ve discovered the tortuous path that an urban community had to face when trying to legalize their settlements.

I had learned many things in my few months stay there and I had carried those things that I learned there in my profession. I believe that a technical professional is not isolated from his\her society and because of that, he\she should not focus solely on the technical aspect of his/her career. The technical professional should also consider the effect of their works in the society where they belong, specifically to the poor members of the society.

A technical professional should do his/her best, ethically, in their own niche. If you are a professional working in the government sector, then you could help the poor by doing your job well so as not to waste the taxpayers money. If you are in the private sector, you must also do your job well so as to keep the economy running.

Projects and Programs

The projects of TAO –Pilipinas generally fall to four programs of the organization. The first program is the Human Settlement and Environment which focuses on assisting the urban poor in planning, developing, and managing their settlements. Projects in this program include their assistance to the people in SANAGMANA settlement in Navotas. Their work in this program is exemplary because they ensure that the people can stand on their own and do not depend on the alms given by the NGOs and the government.

The Education and Training program’s goal is in educating not only the urban poor but also the different stakeholders on topics such as community development planning, estate management, disaster risk management, and solid waste management. My internship is part of this program.

Research and Publications is the resource of the organization. This program gives vital information for the other programs and projects of the organization. The last program is the Organization, Networking, and Advocacy. No NGO is an island and because of that, this program is important.

The People

TAO – Pilipinas is manned by the excellent people in their respective field and they are all women. They are nice to work with and very supportive. Many of them are architects and engineers that hold various masteral degrees.

I have worked with my mentor Rosalyn Marcelo, the YP coordinator Geraldine Matabang, and their “helmsman” Arlene Lusterio.

In the coming election, we will once again bombarded by trillions of messiah wannabes who profess that they will be the ones who will pull the poor out of their misery. The truth is, many NGOs are working behind the scenes to actually pull the poor out of their misery, and TAO –Pilipinas is one of them.

——————————————————————————————

For more information visit the website of TAO –Pilipinas.

This blog post is in support of the advocacy of Filipina Images which aims to reclaim the term Filipina from porn and mail-to-order bride websites and regain the honor that is due to them in the World Wide Web. The crew of TAO –Pilipinas is all sexy Filipinas for their work and their heart for the Filipino people. Their work help in uplifting the Filipina in the Philippine society.

Visit my other site, Before the Eastern Sunset, and read my latest entry “A Piece of Quezon: Part I” which talks about the town of Lucban.

How Do We Respect the Filipina?

A flurry of sentiments mushroomed overnight after the sexual escapades of Hayden Kho was thrown to the public square by Senator Bong Revilla. The aftermath left Katrina Halili crying and fighting for her career, the possible removal of license of the beleaguered celebrity doctor, and the death of so many careers of other women that was victimized by that doctor. The senator opened the scene and the politics and showbiz collided. Senators and members of the Lower House alike vowed to speed up the law that will protect anyone who  was victimized by sex videos. Members of the show business rushed to Katrina Halili’s side to show their support who by now placing herself as a fighting woman. In the midst of this is the public who are clamoring to watch the scandalous videos.

In the middle of this brewing issue is the question, which is as old as our nation, of  how we, as members of the society, respect the Filipina women. How are portrayed in the public and how that image affect the interrelationship of the Filipina with other people? Is our treatment of the Filipina the same with the past, or much worse?

Of Mail to Order Brides

Related to Hayden Kho/Katrina Halili is the issue of mail to order brides that was joked about by an American actor Alex Baldwin in a late night show in America. Many Filipino were irked by his comment that many of them demanded his blood. Many of us demanded that Baldwin make a public apology.

Is that necessary? As I had implied in my previous post (Another Rape Case?), foreigners will not respect the Filipina, as long as we Filipinos do not give the respect that they deserve. If we continue to allow shows like Wowowee that flaunts women into nothing but agogo dancers, or keep scrappy tabloids like Sagad to exist then we as a nation sends a strong message about how we want the Filipina to be perceived locally and internationally.

So instead of acting like a society of pikons, why don’t we as a nation act collectively to clean the image of our beloved Filipina? Why don’t we refrain from buying these disrespectful publications and subscribing on these scrappy shows? Why the Filipino men can’t stop visiting porn sites that shows Filipinas as sex objects?

Instead of demanding an apology from all foreigners that insult us, I believe that it is way better for us to collectively work to remove the tarnished image of the Filipina. Clean up our economy. Close all internet sites that offer the Filipina as commodity for sexual predators.

Of Sex Videos

The advancement of technology from analog to digital, especially on the recording and the storage of data, caused both good and bad things. One of the downside of this advancement is the proliferation of sex videos and pirated porn videos. In a speed that nearly equals the speed of light, these unwanted videos can be disseminated throughout the world. What are only needed is an internet connection and an account to various websites.

The brouhaha about Hayden Kho’s scandal is just the tip of an iceberg. Aside from the sex scandals of Katrina Halili, a commercial model, and a Brazilian with Kho, there are more undocumented or less publicized cases. There are cases where a former boyfriend blackmails a lady with their sex video. There are some that were lured by a sexual predator and took a video that will be sold to the market.

I say that the public should not narrow their focus about the cases of the celebrities. There are more victimized women that needed our protection. A strict law is needed to punish those people who took and scattered sex videos. The law that is being deliberated in the Lower House is a step toward that aim.

Loosening of the Moral Threads

All in all, the case related to sex and rape is caused by the continuous destruction of our moral standards. Sexual liberation of the past century breeds generations that treated sex as instrument of pleasure and nothing else. These people who subscribe to this belief system were locked in the state of lust. They think nothing but sex – where, when, and how.

Sexual liberation rose in conjunction with commercialism. Commercialism tapped the potential of lust in selling products and increase income. Sexual liberation plus commercialism equaled to pornographic videos, sex toys, the rise of Playboy magazine and other smut magazines like FHM and tasteless tabloids like Sagad.

And that’s not all, in the goal of increasing profit, commercialism influenced the society by making the loose principles of sexual liberation as normal. Hence we have shows like Wowowee and Eat Bulaga showcasing agogo dancers and suggestive music that have double meaning. These things and all appeal to the lustful desires of humanity and creating people that desires sex and more sex, and to buy and buy things that will satisfy their lust.

Returning to the Basic Teachings

Though, not as a bias to Christianity, I believe that the people must reinstate the Church’s principles of morality. The basic tenet of Christianity is in loving God and in loving your neighbor. Since then, the Church teaches that sex should be treated with respect since it is a gift from God. It should not be reduced into a mere tool.

We should love our neighbors, both the men and the women. The Church reminds us that human beings (tao) are created in the image of God. Therefore, it is wrong to reduce women and men into objects of sexual desires. Rapists, sexual predators, and lustful people reduce the people they lust for as objects that fulfill their lust. What they are doing is wrong.

An about face is what our society needs. A return to the basic teachings of our Lord is necessary. The love of God and the love of our neighbors breed respect to men and women.

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

This post is in support of the advocacy to regain the image of the Filipina from the hands of porn sites. I am in support of the Filipina Images.

Please read Before the Eastern Sunset and read my latest post “Finally Done Reading It” which is about the latest book series that I finished reading: The Harry Potter Series.

Another Rape Incident?

Another Filipina, hidden in the name of Vanessa, surfaced and claimed that she was raped by a US serviceman who is part of the Visiting Forces Agreement. According to her, a certain John Jones raped her inside a hotel in Makati City.

The surfacing of Vanessa, according to her, is a part of her healing process and voicing her case to public so that to prevent another incident from happening again.

The Legacy of Nicole

Vanessa hid her face while reading her prepared statement in front of the media. She said that she has no intention of filing a case against John Jones.

This is the result of the Subic Rape Case fiasco. Filipina women who were raped by US servicemen were forced to stray hidden since they will be branded as another Nicole. The result of that rape case also created a distrust in the Judiciary System when it comes to cases against American soldiers.

Thanks to Nicole, genuine rape victims of US soldiers had to contend in darkness and suffer from injustice.

Part of the Bigger Problem

Vanessa’s rape case, if true, is just the manifestation of the raping of the Philippines by the US due to the un-equal VFA. The agreement is biased toward the US and its provisions make it hard for the Filipino people to prosecute and punish those American soldiers who did criminal acts inside our territory.

Her rape is also a part of our tendency not to stand for our fellowmen against foreign governments. Soldiers of the American Government, since they stepped on our country, raped and abused many Filipinas. Accounts of rape during the Philippine-American war is not lacking and up until now the American Government did not issue any official statement seeking forgiveness for their brutality during that war.

Finally, her rape case is a part the continued deprivation of rights for the Filipina. Every day, a Filipina is being raped either by a stranger or by the immediate member of her family. Every day, disrespect toward the Filipina is being propagated in the media and in the public, creating a social atmosphere that is open for the abuse of the Filipina women. Tabloids and even broadsheets are filled with stories like Vanessa’s case (and sometimes even worse) that it is sickening already. US soldiers can rape our women simply because many of us ignore the rape cases that is around us. Do we really care for the Filipina women?

It is time for us to stand for the Filipina. Let us make rape history.

——————————————————————————————–

Visit my other blog, Before the Eastern Sunset and read my new post “Saving the Environment, One Piece of Paper at a Time.”

Three Stories About Pacquiao

Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao once again made the whole nation proud by being the British boxer Ricky Hatton. His fighting style, speed and talent that he showed during the fight is admirable and merits all the praise that is being thrown to Manny right now. However, not all things are bright and beautiful. There are some things not commendable about the People’s champ and the people around him.

Stage Mom’s are Irritating

Dionisia, Manny’s mother should opt to stay under the shadow of his son rather than continuing the hilarity that is being heaped upon her. Aside from the many politicos, Manny’s mom also keeps on snatching the center stage. The result is the current hilarity and irritation that pervades the Philippine TV.

Alongside Manny, Mommy Dionisia is featured in the newscasts. The media followed her many antics — they went shopping, showed her many jewelries, prayed/acted-as-if-praying while hugging the Sto. Nino, showed herself in a dress, etc, etc — kulang na lang pati pagpunta niya sa CR ay i-cover nila at ibalita.

Darn! There are so many irritating personalities on TV already. Please, Manny, please drag your mother back to the darkness where she came.

Running in Sarangani

The people of General Santos City were surprised and dismayed when the ring announcer said that Manny came from the Island of Sarangani. The people of GenSan need not to be surprised since it was their fault why Manny is moving to Sarangani. They let him lose in the previous election, and as person with political aspirations, that is unacceptable.

Manny now turned to Sarangani to run there in the next election as congressman. I do hope he lose again, so as to make him see that politics will only complicates his life and reduce his hard-earned money.

Make it Right in the Next Fight

Martin Nieverra is under fire because of his rendition of the Philippine Anthem. He kept on saying that what he did was right since it is a performance in front of the international community and he only want to arrange the song to pass the international taste. Yeah right! Martin Nieverra just used the moment so as to show the world what a great singer he is at the stake of smearing the Philippine Anthem. His aim is selfish and without due regard to the Filipino people whom he should be singing with.

As I had said in the past, the Philippine Anthem must be sung using the original arrangements. No one is allowed to play with it. Our Anthem is the song of the Nation and it is so arrange so as to let every Filipino to join in its singing and foster unity.
In his next fight, Manny should request the singers of the Anthem to sing it correctly. In his next fight, I hope that there are no more solo, selfish performances. The Anthem must be respected, no more, no less.

One of These Days I’ll Punch Bayani in the Face

You are a simple employee doing a hard day’s work. After your shift, you pack your things and leave your workplace to go home. You are tired and stressed, all you need is a bus and then it is home at last. But no — you still had to contend with Bayani Fernando’s wonderful system of herding passengers to their bus: The pink fences. So what if you are tired, you had to follow Bayani’s iron rule. Or you could imagine punching the MMDA lord in the face while trying to figure out how to pass through a throng of people and get to the bus you want

I am, of course, lamenting about MMDA’s pink fences in Cubao. According to the powers that may, those fences were placed so as to organize the people loading and unloading on the public utility buses. I don’t know if that’s the truth or they just want to make things hard for the people. I, for one, find it hard to follow their so-called system since I had to climb their metal barriers so as to reach the bus I need. The place is miserable, and Bayani’s pink fences are an added ugliness.

There are many of these fences all throughout the Metro and there are some which seems to be useless and a total waste of money. The pink fences along Commonwealth Avenue are examples of this. No one uses those fences. It seems that Bayani earned millions of pesos from those fences.

Those fences needed to be tore down or else, I may not stop but punch dear Bayani out of the face of the Earth.