OPINION | Aquino's combative stance breeds more Noytards

By now, you’ve noticed how onion-skinned President Benigno S. Aquino III is. He has become alarmingly combative of his critics, as if he’s in a shooting rampage in a target range. And the list of individuals and institutions he has attacked is growing longer each week, including TV broadcasters, corrupt senators, former justices, a New York-based newspaper, and even an independent, co-equal branch of government. 

If he continues this combative stance, it might even become the only legacy he leaves behind. “The Complaining President”, we might read in textbooks in the future, for being such whiner, like a slacking, blue-collar worker complaining to his “Boss” when his indolence is pointed out. 

The proliferation of Noytards

I don’t worry at all if this is what he leaves behind. What I am more worried about is his loyalists, these so-called “Noytards”, are becoming more like him each day. If PNoy was a god, then he had created these clones in his “image.” 

These imbeciles loiter the hallways of social media, bullying or picking a fight against any netizen expressing their disgust or disapproval of Aquino. To be fair, there are a lot of imbecile anti-PNoys out there who disapprove without knowing exactly what to disapprove of and why. But these imbecile pro-PNoys do not discriminate their targets; they attack anyone, even those with reasonable grounds for dissent.

Take the case of one Noytard who came lingering in my blog’s Facebook page the other day.

He responded to my comments regarding a piece of news about Aquino’s comments regarding the passage of the Anti-Political Dynasty Bill (APDB). He is questioning if I had taken Aquino out of context when I opined how shameless the President is for questioning the scrutiny politicians like him could get once the Anti-Political Dynasty Bill. 

Let us take another look at what PNoy said in the article:

"Ang hirap nga nito 'yung kawawa na rin kaming mga pulitiko kung tutuusin," Aquino said. "Kapag pulitiko ka dapat bawasan 'yung karapatan mo, dapat mas mataas 'yung scrutiny sa'yo, 'di ba? 'Pag papanatili ng magandang pangalan, 'pag sa pulitiko ka, mali [ang] dynasty," he added. (Source: PNoy on anti-dynasty law: “Kawawa kami”)

Headlines ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1

Why is this statement shameless? Because the President is using a defensive tone and wording in favor of politicians like him when it comes to public scrutiny of their actions. He described politicians like him as, "kawawa" (pitiful) once their right or "karapatan" are limited by the potential passage of APDB.

What made his statement even more defensive is what succeeded the aforementioned quote, which did not come out in the Philippine STAR article, but in a GMA News Online article:

Pero kunwari, sa medicine, magretire ang doktor mo. Doktor ang anak niya. Una mong susubukin ang anak niya," he added.

If the President is really committed to reform, he wouldn't use examples like this one. If a doctor retires, even if the successor child is a doctor, you wouldn't want to be treated by that person if you don't know his or her professional track record, right? Some apples fall far from the tree, just as the current president has exhibited in refusing to certify APDB as urgent and allowing it to linger in a Congress dominated by political dynasties. Aquino's actions are as doubtful as the bill's passage in the House of Representatives.

The intolerance of others' opinion

Back to the Noytard: Perhaps he has limited understanding of contextualization, that's why he was shameless enough to question if I interpreted Aquino's statements correctly. He also accused me of being "subjective" in my opinion for calling the President shameless and not true to his word. This is despite the fact that both the Philippine STAR and GMA News Online noted PNoy's apparent defense of politician's rights.

This Noytard must have been unaware that as we look at facts from different realities, there can be no single, comprehensive, and correct interpretation of a statement. Subjectivity is the very nature of opinions, and while opinions are informed by facts, I have not failed to state such facts.

As his comments are already offensive and bordering towards personal, I opted to delete them and ban the user from my Facebook page. Instead of stopping, he resorted to attacking my blog in his timeline.

This is just one evidence that Aquino is breeding netizens as shameless as him. When he is banned for his inappropriate actions on Facebook, this imbecile netizen calls me an enemy of democracy, even as he himself bastardized democracy by opting to silence my opinions.

Opinions as hallmarks of democracy

What every Noytard and even President Aquino has to realize is that in a true democracy, opinions are crucial and tolerated, regardless if they're positive or negative. It is a feedback mechanism from which the government can draw ideas for improvement of performance.

Tolerance means allowing something, such as a belief, to exist even though we dislike or disagree with it. Tolerance does not mean never disagreeing with anybody. The word implies disagreement. True tolerance means allowing differing views to coexist without necessarily agreeing with them or claiming that all views are true.

But if a President has the nerve to dismiss criticisms, it should be worth questioning if he is indeed listening to his "bosses." In a true democracy, a president is humble enough to admit mistakes and lapses committed, instead of stubbornly defending policies that have been declared unconstitutional and making excuses for his allies and political party.

With the number of netizens adopting Aquino's combative stance growing each day, having second thoughts on posting one's opinions is now becoming a grim reality. This kind of intolerance is a form of bullying and dictatorship, as it pushes one's opinions down another's throat and proclaims a sense of infallibility among those imposing their frame of mind.

Hence, a reminder to my readers: it is your choice to visit and read my opinions in this blog. You are free to disagree and express your disagreement to my opinion as long as you maintain your decency in expressing so. In a tolerant world, there are no negative or positive opinions, just opinions.

MY TWO CENTS ON PORK BARREL

Let me begin this post with an apology to my readers.

I’m sorry I haven’t updated this blog. I’ve been in a two and a half month hiatus due to the start of the school year and a chronic case of writer’s block. Despite the many events in our country worthy of social commentary (such as the Gilas Pilipinas qualification in the FIBA World Cup, the suggestion to replace our country’s name to Filipinas, or the falling out between the Philippines and Taiwan over the shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman) and forcibly squeezing my brain for any ounce of creative expression, I wasn’t able to produce anything substantial.

Until now.

I don’t know; but I guess the combined force of Typhoon Maring and Habagat was enough to wash away this writer’s block. After days of subsequent class suspensions and getting bored checking Economics examinations at home, I finally had the energy and inkling to write—an inkling brought about by my lingering irritation to Janet Lim-Napoles, the brains behind the P10-billion pork barrel scandal which involves several of our legislators in both houses of Congress as well as some executive officials in the Aquino Administration.

The scandal exposes the snarly roots of the corrupt system of providing legislators with government money to “help” their so-called “constituents”. While it is worth noting that not all legislators misused their Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), it is also worth noting that some legislators have proven that they can serve without it. Hence, the very nature and purpose of the fund is now in question and the public is so enraged that is it willing to go to great lengths to question it. On Monday, August 26, 2013, a nationwide rally calling for the abolition of the pork barrel system is about to boil.

Soon, word-of-mouth of this event came to me via Facebook and twice I’ve been asked by college friends if I am going or not. I initially declined, dubious of what the event would achieve with a mere picnic wherein people will wear white and post passive aggressive tweets/memes/status updates about their rage against pork barrel system and corruption in this country. If we are trying to abolish a corrupt system which started out as a constitutional provision, then we should call for a legislative action to remove it once and for all. Hence, what I wanted initially instead was for the concerned public to amass around both Houses of Congress to call for the passage of a law abolishing the PDAF and pressure our solons into passing them with lightning speed.

However, upon doing additional research on the issue, I realized that there is no need to pass a law that would get rid of the pork barrel system for good.

In a letter to the Philippine Daily Inquirer six months before the PDAF mess exploded, estemmed lawyer and former COA commissioner Bartolome Fernandez Jr. lamented that to end the pork barrel system, the President could simply stop including it in the General Appropriations Act (GAA).

“The GAA is prepared by Malacañang every year. This is clear from Section 22, Article VII of the 1987 Constitution: “The President shall submit to the Congress within thirty days from the opening of every regular session, as the basis of the general appropriations bill, a budget of expenditures and sources of financing, including receipts from existing and proposed revenue measures.” As thus constitutionally mandated, the budget to be submitted by the President to Congress becomes the basis for the preparation by Congress of the annual GAA. From the constitutional standpoint, the preparation of the budget is a presidential duty and responsibility.

Clearly, the PDAF emanates from the President himself. In a real sense, the President, not Congress, is the initiator and creator of the fund. Now, if he is minded to do away altogether with this fund, the President can always desist from including it in his proposed GAA. By the simple expedient of deleting, omitting or leaving out any such outlay from the proposed GAA, the President can “abolish” the pork barrel system. As simple as that.”

Upon reading this letter, it became clear to me what the Million People March symbolizes: it calls upon the only person who can decide on this issue—the President—to exercise the necessary political will to stop the allocation of taxpayers’ money into a fund which these solons can only manipulate and reek profit from. Indeed, President Aquino’s election promises are being put to the test. He will have to bet against his party’s future in 2016 if he is to heed the people’s call to action.

But as I told a college friend a day ago, this rally is just a start. In fact, we Filipinos have this penchant for starting something and yet failing to create a satisfactory conclusion. The people of 1986 once said that it was the start of something new and yet it failed to bring about a massive change in the system of partisan politics in this country. It even solidified and institutionalized it because of the very flaws in the Constitution and the faltered political will of our leaders.

Thus, closing the valve on corruption will not end with the abolition of the pork barrel scheme. The snarly roots of corruption involve not only legislators but also every fabric of our executive and judicial system. There should be a means of ensuring accountability of public officials, not just in the national level, but down to smallest unit of local governance.

If we are only going to rely on Congress, the Ombudman, and the Sandiganbayan to prosecute government officials involved in such wrongdoing, justice will always be delayed and thus denied to its victims. If the power to impeach is given not just to Congress but also to provincial, municipal, and even barangay legislative councils, then graft and corruption cases need not pile up in the file cabinets of the Ombudsman and the Sandiganbayan. For the first time, we could see a governor, mayor, or barangay captain impeached by members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, Bayan, and Barangay. By empowering the localities, we make them responsible for the local taxes they are paying and we’re making their local executives even more accountable in using these taxes wisely.

So yes, I am going to the Million People March on Monday. I'd like to discuss and polish these ideas with you once we meet. I am joining this mass action even though I am fearful that it might suffer the same fate as other mass actions before. I am joining it because it is a chance for every Juan (including me) to put their two cents about this issue on the table. If every Juan’s two cents stacked on top of each other, it would create a tower powerful enough collapse on this vicious web of corruption, eradicating it for all time. 

I am hoping to see and be with you all there. TSS

Further Reading:

PNoy can abolish the pork barrel all by himself

http://opinion.inquirer.net/44923/p-noy-can-abolish-the-pork-barrel-all-by-himself

Joker still Scrooge of Congress

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/03/04/13/joker-still-scrooge-congress

Joker Arroyo: Congress Scrooge for 20 Years

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/208873/joker-arroyo-congress%E2%80%99-scrooge-for-20-years

All images created by the author.

ELECTION EXTRAVAGANZA (Part 2 of 3)

Exercising your right to vote is more than just an obligation but a privilege. Not all democracies get to vote for national leaders such as in countries with parliamentary form of government where the ruling party or coalition gets to pick the head of state and/or head of government. Others are just failed democracies with various factions fighting a bitter civil war against each other.

We’re just lucky to have this kind of electoral privilege. Hence, we shouldn’t waste it by being too lazy to think about the candidates we’re going to write on our ballots come May 13. Let’s not take it for granted in exchange for a temporary fill in our aching stomachs. Our vote will determine if our aching stomachs will be filled for the next three to six years. Do we want someone elect someone who can only temporarily fill our tummies? Moreover, are these candidates responsible for filling our hungry tummies in the first place? Think about it.

In Part One yesterday, I featured the first four candidates in the list of my senatorial bets, mainly Aquino, Casiño, Cayetano, and Escudero. These are relatively younger candidates. Let’s look into the the much older and more experienced candidates in my list.

CHAIRMAN RICHARD GORDON

Gordon is basically from a political dynasty in Olongapo City. I am surprised that after dissing former president Joseph Estrada over his dismissal as Chairman of Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, he’s in good terms with him now—which I don’t appreciate at all (not a fan of the Estradas here). But I am willing to look beyond these things and focus on his legislative accomplishments when he was still senator.

He did a good job (and still doing a good job) lobbying in favor of election automation thru his sponsorship of the Automated Elections Act. He showed his commitment and desire to make tourism an important industry in our economy through his authorship of the National Tourism Policy Act of 2009. And he did a service to World War II veterans for authoring and lobbying the passage of the Veterans Pensions and Benefits Act of 2008.

I’ve listened to his radio program Aksyon Solusyon several times and have grown to admire his vision for the Philippines. I also admire his excellent record of management as current chairman of the Philippine Red Cross. I voted for him as president in 2010 and I have enough reasons to vote for his return to the Senate for another term.

MAYOR EDWARD HAGEDORN

Hagedorn is one of three senators in my wildcard picks, meaning, I wasn’t really keen on voting for them until after much consideration during these past few weeks. The reason for this is because I see Hagedorn more as an executive than a legislative official. He could’ve ran for governor of Palawan and won. Or he could have courted PNoy to appoint him as DILG or DENR secretary, which is a highly unlike thing to do now. We need to put this guy in national government! But how?

Looking at his track record of transforming Puerto Princesa City into one of the cleanest cities and one of the most sought after eco-tourism destinations in the country, I realized that maybe this guy can also translate the same transformation to the entire country if elected senator. He’s an executive official which makes him qualified to do legislative work being part of the Sangguniang Panlungsod and all that. And with a platform of environmental protection and sustainable development, who knows? Maybe we can we have better chances of achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015 if he’s elected.

RISA HONTIVEROS

Hontiveros should have been in the Senate as early as 2010. But then again, you cannot remove the fact that majority of Filipinos are still conservative Catholics and won’t vote for a character that openly locks horns with the Catholic Church especially on the issue of the Reproductive Health Law.

Hence, I encourage voters (i.e. Catholic voters) to look beyond Hontiveros’ position on the RH Law and focus on her legislative work in the House of Representatives especially on women and workers’ rights. Apart from the RH Law, she is also one of the authors of the Cheaper Medicines Act and the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program – Extension with Reforms or CARPER Law. She has authored bills such as the Anti-Prostitution Bill, Gender Balance Bill, and Students’ Rights and Welfare Bill.

Being from the socialist spectrum and with the type of activism and fervor she has, I think she will make things colorful in the Senate. She is the type of legislator the Senate and the country deserves to have rather than fatty, faded action stars and former soldiers-turned-rebels.

SEN. LOREN LEGARDA

As much as she is branded as a political butterfly, Senator Loren Legarda’s legislative work especially on issues of women’s rights, health care, environment, and agriculture. Her portfolio is packed with laws such as the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act, Cheaper Medicines Law, Expanded Senior Citizens Act, Climate Change Act, and the Magna Carta for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises.

She has previously passed laws which gained her popularity among women and environmentalists such as the Clean Air Act, Anti-Violence Against Women and Children Act, Anti-Child Labor Act, and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act. Despite her notoriety for being a political butterfly, I only see such acts as strategies so she can continually serve and consistently pursue an agenda which is beneficial to most Filipinos. No wonder, from 1998 up to now, she still tops the surveys and gets the highest number of votes every time she runs. Nobody can beat experience and accomplishment like that of hers.

On Part Three: Llasos, Pimentel, Poe, and Villanueva

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“They say if you don't vote, you get the government you deserve, and if you do, you never get the results you expected.”

― E.A. Bucchianeri, Brushstrokes of a Gadfly

ELECTION EXTRAVAGANZA (PART 1 of 3)

Every time an election approaches, most of us get stuck in the dilemma of choosing the right candidates to vote for. We don’t want to be putting inexperienced, indecisive, corrupt, and chauvinistic candidates in seats of power that’s why we try so much to learn about them in order to make an informed vote.

But after two months of watching numerous campaign ads on TV, attending local campaign sorties, and keeping tuned to senatorial debates in 24-hour news channels, it turns out that we are merely trying to inform ourselves as to which candidate is the lesser evil. Most candidates come from well-known and influential political families who are trying to expand their political clout in time for the 2016 elections. Some of them barely have political experience nor legislative or executive knowledge. A few don’t even have an informed stand on key social issues and don’t even want to appear on debates.

Here in The Social Scientist, I want to help you make an informed vote. Hence, I’ve listed the candidates I am voting for on May 13 and why I am voting for them. Consider this an endorsement, candidates. But I am writing this post not in support of any particular party or ticket but rather out of admiration for these candidates upon researching their background and following them for the past few months. This will be a three-part series, with each part featuring four candidates. Enjoy!

BAM AQUINO

Ripe for public service: this is the best phrase to describe Bam Aquino, the cousin of President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III. At 35, Bam has the credentials to back him up in his bid for Senate—credentials that would make Nancy Binay’s face turn white—including being chairman of the National Youth Commission and recipient of the Ten Outstanding Young Persons in the World award.

I’ve seen Bam work when I was in college when he hosted a conference for PeaceTech Philippines, a youth organization promoting peace and understanding among Christian and Muslim youth which I was part of. I really saw in him that passion to bring youth-oriented issues to the limelight and addressing them, a passion which was even more evident in his hosting Breakfast and Y-Speak, two youth-oriented programs in Studio 23. I think he’s the right person to represent the growing number of youths in our country.

REP. TEODORO “TEDDY” CASIÑO

He’s a commie, alright. But why am I voting for Teddy Casiño even though I don’t really adhere to the principles of the extreme left to which his principles are aligned?

Simple. I am a strong believer in diversity in politics. It is for this principle that our currently multi-party political system is designed for—to prevent the dominance of only a few individuals, families, or political parties in politics. I would love to see a Senate that has a complete spectrum of political characters from the right, center, and left. By electing a commie to Senate, who knows? Maybe the CPP-NPA-NDF will stop their preposterous, protracted, armed struggle against our way of life and begin pursuing peaceful means to advance its agenda, if not change its agenda altogether.

Nevertheless, as for his legislative track record, Casiño has authored a number of laws which benefited workers and other marginalized sectors of our society including, the Public Attorneys Act of 2007, the Tax Relief Act of 2009, the Rent Control Act of 2009, and the Anti-Torture Act of 2009. He also endorsed a number of bills I am in favor of such as the Freedom of Information Bill, Anti-Dynasty Bill, and Anti-Epal Bill. Casiño has always been a critic of any administration and putting him in the Senate would make for great “check and balance” of our current administration.

SEN. ALLAN PETER CAYETANO

Cayetano has been consistent in stand against corruption and this is what I admire about him. He’s one of the congressional representatives who endorsed the impeachment complaint against former president Joseph Estrada and he fought the junking of the impeachment complaint against former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. More recently, he’s one of the staunch senators who questioned former Chief Justice Renato Corona’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) which led to his impeachment last year. We need more men like Cayetano who can consistently look into and expose corruption in the government.

Putting this aside, Cayetano has done some amazing legislative work including the passing of the Senate version of the Freedom of Information Bill, filing of amendments to the Anti-Cybercrime Law, and the passage of bills such as the Anti-Camcording Act, the University of the Philippines Charter, Expanded Senior Citizens Act, and the National Book Development Trust Fund Act.

SEN. FRANCIS “CHIZ” ESCUDERO

While his political allegiance has changed from that of Estrada to that of Aquino, Escudero’s legislative achievements have always been consistent. With laws such as the Anti-Torture Act, Anti-Enforced and Involuntary Disappearances Act, and the Free Legal Assistance Act on his portfolio (plus open support for the Freedom of Information Bill and Reproductive Health Law), Escudero is without a doubt worth my vote. In 2007, he was the only Filipino named one of Asia’s Idols by the Asian News Network and was honored the following year as Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. While I do have reservations as to whether he can criticize the administration in the coming years, as far as legislative work is concerned, I think he deserves another term.

On Part Two: Gordon, Hagedorn, Hontiveros, and Legarda

Let us all make an informed vote on May 13. Research and weight you candidates' platform, track record, and work ethic well. Remember that our choices will affect us for the next three to six years.

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“A vote is like a rifle: its usefulness depends upon the character of the user.”  

― Theodore Roosevelt

"BAYAN KO": A REVIEW

Political dramas are a big gamble in Philippine primetime television. Only a handful of producers and directors dared to wade in these waters for fear of bad ratings.

Take the case of the legal drama “Your Honor” back in the early 2000s starring Richard Gomez and directed by Joel Lamangan. One can hardly remember a thing about after ABS-CBN cancelled the show after a few months of running. But Joel Lamangan would make the same bet again and in 2001 to 2003 he came up with “Kung Mawawala Ka” one of GMA 7’s longest running soaps during the primetime drama craze of that period. The soaps had all the marks of a gripping political drama the masa would buy—a Romeo and Juliet love story set in the backdrop of a corrupt politician’s rise to power from local executive to the most powerful person in the Philippines.

However, nobody followed in the success of “Kung Mawawala Ka” after it ended in June 2003. There were a few soaps which showed some semblance of the same formula such as “Minsan Lang Kita Iibigin” in 2011 and “Dahil sa Pag-ibig” in 2012, but didn’t live up to the very characteristics of a true political drama soap opera.

Not until “Bayan Ko” aired early this year.

“Bayan Ko” (which roughly translates to “My Country” in English) is director Adolfo Alix Jr’s latest masterpiece intended for the 2013 Elections. Penned by Nessa Valdellon and Rodolfo Vera, the story revolves around the newly-elected mayor of the fictional town of Lagros, Mayor Joseph Santiago (played by Rocco Nacino) and his quest to reform the town’s corrupt system of governance and public service. He and his reform agenda is pitted against the corrupt local executive and archetypal strongman of the fictional province of Sibilan, Governor Antonio Rubio (fantastically played by veteran actor Pen Medina of “Encantadia” fame) and his son, Congressman Anton Rubio (played by Medina’s son, Ping).

While “Bayan Ko” has all the marks of a true political drama, it is in a league of its own with its straightforward and righteous attack on the audience’s political consciousness. It attacks issues we’ve all been familiar with recently such as political dynasties, red tape, bureaucracy, graft and corruption, illegal gambling, and even the morality of politicians’ personal relationships. Albert Banzon’s unique cinematography combined with Diwa de Leon’s striking guitar strings as original music makes the “Bayan Ko” even more tantalizing to watch.

Nevertheless, this mini-series is not without the usual touches typical of Philippine soap operas. We have a budding love story between Congressman Anton Rubio and Atty. Karen Canlas, the mayor’s chief of staff (played convincingly by LJ Reyes). We have classic femme fatale temptress/mistress/corrupt contractor Eliza Bauer (played by the ever captivating Mercedes Cabral in one of her early TV stints). And of course, we have the usual comic relief in characters played by Betong Sumaya and Love Añover.

“Bayan Ko” makes not just for good entertainment but serves as a catalyzing instrument against our society’s broken notion of what constitutes good governance and true public service. It is indeed a huge gamble for GMA News and Public Affairs to come up with this kind of political drama, but it is a gamble worth taking the risk for the greater good of Filipino society. Hence, to stifle its momentum to just 6 episode would be an injustice to the creators and viewers of “Bayan Ko”. I highly recommend that GMA 7 extend this series beyond its intended length so it can live up to its purpose and leave a permanent mark in its audiences, if not in Philippine television.

“Bayan Ko” airs every Sunday, at 6:30 p.m. on GMA News TV Channel 11. TSS

5 THINGS OUR SOCIETY SHOULD LEARN

It has been said many times before.

New Year. Clean slate. Time to do away with all the things we didn’t get quite right the previous year. But normally, we’d think of these things individually; never in the collective context. For a communal society, aren’t we supposed to consider what things we should do away or even try to learn as a people? After all, any modest, mature society should get past its own imperfections right?

This is the question which bothered me as the year comes to a close. And just like every other question I asked, I took the liberty of answering it on my own. What should we Filipinos change or learn as a society this coming 2013?

1. LEARN TO BE MORE INTELLIGENT VIEWERS

Photo from ClicktheCity.com

Notice how our choice of viewing pleasure hasn’t changed a lot in the past decades? Our viewing choices are so polarized; the smaller percentage of our population composed of the middle class and the elite still prefer made in Hollywood films and TV programs. The the masses, still prefers the cliché, overly melodramatic soaps dominated by quintessential archetypes that pull just the right heartstrings.

Take the example of how the critically-acclaimed film “Thy Womb” from Cannes Film Festival-renowned director Brillante Mendoza, got virtually snubbed by moviegoers and theatres during the Metro Manila Film Festival. Even as the film boasts a star-studded cast, majority of Filipinos still went for films such as “Sisterakas” or “Si Agimat, Si Enteng, at Ako”, which featured highly popular gay comedy, if not the classic slapstick, family comedy. When are we going to realize that films are no longer just a form of escape from our problems, but rather, a search for meaning and purpose? While strides have been made to introduce new genres in entertainment such as when “Amaya” gave us a glimpse of pre-Hispanic Philippines, more has to be done to completely change the mindset of our society.

2. LEARN TO ACCEPT CRITICISMS

Every time some foreign show bad mouths the Philippines or Filipinos even though it was meant as a joke or wasn’t intended at all, we are quick to resort to anger; an anger aggravated by our crowd mentality. While we shouldn’t let racism get the better of us, let us pick our battles very well and think twice before judging if certain remarks against our people were made intentionally or in the context of humor, or even just lost in translation.

Photo from TheHindu.com

3. LEARN TO BE WISER VOTERS

This is a classic: we chose our leaders like we chose our soap operas. Some senator looked awesome in his new action flick—BOOM!—gets another term. Some mayor danced really well during last year’s religious feast—BOOM!—gets all out support from her posse despite a pending disqualification case. Some nice guy gave out packs of relief goods with his name and picture on it—BOOM!—gets elected as local solon. When are we going to look at platforms? When are we going to scrutinize how they plan to lead us? I know for some it’s just about being pragmatic, but in the long run it just won’t work especially if it’s the country’s future that is at stake.

4. LEARN TO FOLLOW SIMPLE RULES

Whether queuing to get an NBI clearance, crossing Commonwealth Avenue, or spending Christmas at Luneta Park, we Filipinos will always find a way to break even the simplest of laws such as jaywalking, littering, or smoking in public places. If we can get away with it, we would always go for thrill or convenience rather than safety and conformity. No wonder, we can’t do something about the traffic or garbage problem because we can’t get the grassroots level (Us!) to cooperate!

Photo from HitsandMrs.wordpress.com

5.  LEARN IN IMPROVING PROPRIETY AND SENSITIVITY

We are known to be cheerful folks even during calamities or emergencies, but there are times that call for sheer propriety so as not to offend other people concerned. Take the case of the Manila Bus Hostage Crisis in 2010 wherein gleeful students went on a picture-taking spree of the bus as if it were a tourist attraction instead of a crime scene and a grim memorial of the crisis. Another good example is when TV host Willie Revillame hollered about how the nation’s mourning for late President Corazon Aquino is ruining the festive mood of his noontime show. Learning what actions warrant certain events require a great deal of sensitivity, which in turn entails a lot of observation and forethought.

Let us all include these pointers in our bucket lists this 2013. After all, if we start with ourselves, soon enough this will be a collective effort. Let’s do this, not to appease other races, but for our own; it is our attitude as a country that will determine our fate as a nation. TSS

“Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.” ~ Vince Lombardi, American football coach

Something Extra: What 2012 Taught Me

IMPLICATIONS: THE 2012 US ELECTIONS

Photo from Forbes.com

We watched the campaign and followed their tweets. Their pick up lines and epic memes filled our timelines and feeds. And throughout today, we held our breaths with fingers crossed, until Barack Obama won and Mitt Romney lost.

But this was not the United States of America. This was in the Republic of the Philippines.

It’s undeniable how much this election has affected the Filipino nation more than the Americans themselves. After all, we’ve got 4 million of our own kind in the Land of the Free and growing, steadily making their mark in American history and culture. Such is our significance in the US that we even saw some Filipino-Americans vie for public office or the Tagalog signage in some polling places. Here at home, given the almost 50 years of American presence, this US election simply reminds us of our brief and distant interloping with American politics and heritage, the same way we are reminded by our fascination for all things stateside. Most of us grew up learning more about DC or Marvel comic book heroes than our own local patriots. Who doesn’t get an iPhone or iPad from relative/benefactor in NY or LA? Even I get to receive a balikbayan box from Sacramento at least once a year filled with all the bits and pieces of the American dream. Call it colonial mentality or whatever you want but you cannot deny the special relationship Filipinos have with America. Hence, it is only normal that we feel mesmerized, even captivated by each twist and turn in this election.

But there is more to scratch in the surface of our jubilation. There is more at stake here, especially for the millions employed in call centers and other business process outsourcing companies. For customer service representatives, copywriters, graphic artists, and other workers relying on subcontracted work from the US, this could spell disaster as four more years for Obama could mean a waning of job opportunities this sector has relied so much on. For thousands of Filipino TNTs (illegal immigrants), this means having to dig deeper foxholes to avoid tighter immigration policies knowing that Obama has deported more illegal immigrants than his predecessor. It does shed some light though on the future of immigrant children born in the US, as the re-elected president promised the passage of the DREAM ACT giving amnesty and opportunities to alien minors.

Notwithstanding our expectations, we were also awed by the American practice of democracy and became green with envy at how orderly and mature their elections were. Not that the candidates are actually mature with all the berating and mudslinging, but at least (unlike here) they stuck to policy issues and not on candidates’ psychological records or the authenticity of their humble backgrounds. It’s like standing side-by-side and seeing the parallels between them and ourselves. Nobody gets a bullet in his head for defying the political status quo; no one is sourgraping when the final results are shown on tivo. We are all dreamers today, outside looking in, wondering at why we can’t make the same system work without so much of a glitch. We were all students, taking notes of lessons to apply on our own.

At the end of the day, we all went home thinking once again that America is the greatest nation on Earth and we are just a bunch of islands in the Pacific. But deep within our psyche lies a determination to define what this nation is: that we are more than just the sum of our colors or land masses. That we are the Republic of the Philippines. And there is no better way to determine that than by consecrating ourselves to our sacred duty of voting judicious candidates in our upcoming elections.

OWNING PANATAG SHOAL

We, the Filipino people, own Panatag Shoal. Or at least, some of us believe.

The rest of this nation of almost 100 million is still divided on this issue. While some of us have joined mass protests today in various Chinese embassies and consulates worldwide, most of us are still weighing the consequences of such actions towards our relationship with our commie neighbour. And as such reservations continue to divide this nation rather than create a sold stand on the issue, the Chinese are continuing its united, armed incursion in Panatag Shoal.

United is the key word here. What makes China ever more confident about taking claim over Panatag Shoal is not just the fact that they have the largest military in the world, but also the fact that majority of Chinese society are behind the Communist Party and the Armed Forces in this endeavour. You can see it in the way they respond in Internet forums or in interviews on Chinese media: how ordinary Chinese netizens, with their substandard English, would bash and threaten Filipinos in forums; or how Chinese hackers have the audacity to attack and maim our websites. Even as their claims lack substantial proof, Chinese society has shown that unique fervour that Panatag Shoal and the rest of the disputed islands in the West Philippine Sea are theirs. They are aware of their strength and capability as a people. Hence, with the people’s mandate, the Chinese government has the guts to draw out the big gun and threaten us in our own waters, and dictate the course of this crisis.

THE KING'S SPEECH

STABBED UPFRONT: Corona and PNoy in yesterday's 1st National Criminal Justice Summit. (From Interaksyon.com)

What do I want to write?

Since this weekend, last night, and the whole morning, I can’t figure out what itches in me to write something. This blog has been neglected for a month now, and it needs a fresh dose of creative release. And yet, at the moment I laid my hands on the keyboard, it is as if a blood clot has blocked all sense of creativity and imagination, which prevented me from publishing anew. But as Sean Covey said that “a mission will only remain a wish if not put to pen”, I decided to write instead about what I’ve been meaning to write all this time.

I want to write about PNoy finding his voice. How he has finally had the courage the lash out at this country’s opponents right in their face, this case, Chief Justice Renato Corona. I want to write at how shallow SC spokesperson Midas Marquez is at commenting about the President’s speech as “disturbing”, when the acts of the court Marquez is trying to embellish is in itself “disturbing”. I want to write out how ridiculous Representative Mitos Magsaysay and the Daily Tribune for calling the President a loose cannon for criticizing the “Highest Court” in the land. Somehow, they are forgetting that the Executive and Judiciary are co-equal branches, the same as Congress, and have therefore every right to check each other’s balance in the use of power. It is ironic how Magsaysay and Lagman call the President a loose cannon when they themselves act like cannon-heads when openly criticizing his policies in the halls of the House.

I want to write at how all this crap by the Arroyo camp about the President’s speech being disrespectful and arrogant as a mere defence mechanism, and how onion-skinned they are in the face of guilt. I want to write how proud I am that this President we have right now, no matter how perceived by many as incompetent and disoriented, has finally found his balance, his direction and his confidence to walk through that path and poke at the impediments on its way. I want to write at how he dared this time to speak for himself, and not on behalf through his spokesperson, Abigail Valte or Edwin Lacierda. He's no Colin Firth in "The King's Speech", but the strength and confidence he mustered to do such feat is worth a movie script. I want to write about how the President’s acts cannot lead to a constitutional crisis or in the downsizing of the Supreme Court’s integrity, for it is not Court itself that has committed these whimsical and impartial acts against the people, but the justices which Arroyo have placed for herself in the last minute. The President has not attacked the Court, but the personification of its incompetence and prejudice which we now know by name as Renato Corona. The President has not attacked the Court but has somehow defended it, by pointing out what it should be doing otherwise since day one of this administration. Corona should be even thankful to have not been stabbed at the back, but upfront. That only shows he has a true friend in PNoy, as Oscar Wilde said.

In the end, what do I want write? Looking back, I’ve written it already. There is nothing more I want to write today.

An Intensive Look at the Philippine Navy

The Philippine Navy used to be Southeast Asia’s most equipped naval force. In fact, its more powerful neighbors such as Indonesia and Malaysia once looked up at the Philippines for assistance in developing their own navies back when they were just emerging nations in the 1960s.

But now, more than 40 years later, the Philippine Navy is one of the weakest forces in the region.

With an old, decrepit fleet and a formidable yet ill-equipped marine corps, the Philippine Navy cannot stand a chance against the emerging and evolving security threats in Southeast Asia. It has been left behind by neighbors it once trained, who have now emerged as the regions most adept naval forces, capable of thwarting threats not only internally or regionally but also beyond their reach.

I just received reports that the Royal Malaysian Navy has freed a hijacked tanker off the coast of Somalia securing both ship and hostages without the loss of life.

Insensitive

Timing is everything in politics. Whether you opt to make a speech, file a bill in legislature, or run for public office, timing play a vital role in all these actions. A public official ought to be consulting his peers and advisers on the timing of his/her actions lest s/he faces the consequences it may incur. In politics, observance of good timing can be a tool to build up trust and confidence, even integrity; the lack of which only spells catastrophe especially for novice politicians.

2010: A Year to Forget?

Miss Universe 2010 4th runner up Maria Venus Raj and the Philippine Azkals

2010.

It's amazing how a word which is spelled by only four digits would hold a lot of events that changed human society, especially for the Philippines. A lot has happened in our country these past twelve months which really challenged and tested our resolve as a nation. I could say these events have united us on certain occasions and have also divided us. But nevertheless, whatever these events have done to us, the only common and most important thing that these events did were to change our consciousness of things around us.

To Err or Not to Err?

You have read from my first post about the errors found in the newly redesigned Philippine banknotes and of the plethora of criticisms it garnered. After posting that article I scouted Facebook once gain, particularly the GMA News profile page for more comments on the issue and I was stunned at the massive turnout. But it is more than just the turnout because what makes it more stunning is the variety of perspectives that the commentators presented.

I tried classifying these comments based on their similarities in perspectives. I might not be accurate about this since this just how I observed it.