letters from members of the silent majority

The following are letters from the "silent majority" which I have come across while online. I share them with you now because I have the same sentiments as these people, and I believe that a lot of you do too. If you agree with the views of the authors of these letters, please pass them on to others, so that the voice of the silent majority can finally be heard.

*I saw this on the PCIJ blog site while browsing through the comments on one of their articles...

***

Dear Tita Cory, Senators, Congressmen, Businessmen, Mediapeople, Leftists, and all Bleeding Hearts Out There:

I am angry. And I know that there are many out there who are angrier than I am for the same reason. And that reason is simple. I am sick and tiredof all you guys claiming to speak for me and many Filipinos. I feel like screaming every time you mouth words about fighting for my freedom and my rights, when you obviously are just thinking about yours. You tell me that the essence of democracy is providing every citizen the right to speak his or her mind and make his or her own informed judgments, but you yourselves do not respect my silence and the choices I and many others have made.
In other words, your concept of democracy is limited to having your rights and your freedoms respected, at the expense of ours.
I am utterly flabbergasted that you still do not get it: we already responded to your calls, and our response has been very clear - we chose not to heed your calls to go to EDSA or to Fort Bonifacio not because we do not love our country or our freedoms or our rights, but precisely because we love our country even more. Because quite frankly, we are prepared to lose our freedoms and our rights just to move this country forward. You may counter with your ideological propaganda and give me all the dire warnings about the evils of Martial Law, authoritarian rule, suppression of freedom, etc., but quite frankly all we see is your pathetic efforts to defend your rght to continue fulminating, filibustering, and sabotaging this country until you wrestle power for yourselves.
You tell me that you are simply protecting my freedoms and my rights,but who told you to do that? I assure you that when I feel that myrights and my freedoms are at a peril, I will stand up and fight for themmyself. I have done that in the past, and I will do it again when I SEE THE NEED FOR IT, not when you tell me to do it.
You tell us that GMA is not the right person to lead this countrybecause she has done immoral acts. As someone who sees immorality being committed wantonly in many ways every day and by everyone (yes, including the ones you do), I may have become jaded. I may have lowered my standards about what a leader should be. Guess what, Tita Cory, you lowered it yourself. When I accepted your incompetence and fought for you during the many attempts against your government, I already lowered the standards to ridiculous levels. Guess what, Senators and Congressmen, you lowered it yourselves when you ran for office and won and now make fools of yourselves in the august halls of congress.
But the simple truth that you try to obfuscate is this: you have not been able to offer me any viable alternative! On the other hand, GMAhas bent over backwards many times to accommodate you while continuing to work hard despite all the obstacles and the brickbats you have thrown her way.From where I sit, she is the one who has been working really hard to move this country forward while all of you have been so busy with one and only one thing: to make sure she does not succeed. So forgive me if I do not want to join you in your moral pissing contest. Forgive me if I have chosen to see things from another perspective. You say she is the problem. I say, we are - all of us is the problem; more to the point, I think you are a bigger problem than she is. Taking her out may solve part of the problem, but that leaves us with a bigger problem: you. That is right, YOU!
While I felt outraged that she called a Comelec official during theelections and that she may have rigged the elections, I have since then taken the higher moral ground and forgiven her. Yes my dear bishops, have done what you have told me to do since I was a child, which you say is the Christian and moral thing to do: forgive. Especially since she has asked for forgiveness and has tried to make amends for it. Erap certainly has not apologized and continues to be defiant, continuing to insult us everyday with his protestations - and he is part of your cause now! Cory has not apologized for her incompetence but we have forgiven her just the same because like GMA, she has worked hard after all.
I know you do not think that GMA’s apology was not enough, or that she was insincere, or that that apology should not be the end of it, but please spare me the hypocrisy of telling me that you do so for the sake of protecting the moral fibre of society. The real reason is because yousmell blood and wants to go for the kill. Well, I have news for you. I do not like her too. I did not even vote for her. I voted for Raul Roco. But as much as I do not like her, I do not like you even more. I may not trust her, but you know what, I do not trust you even more
You know why I do not trust you? Because all you do is whine andsabotage this country. You belittle every little progress we make,conveniently forgetting that it is not just GMA who has been working so hard to achieve them. Every single day, we keep the faith burning in our hearts that this country will finally pull itself out of the mess and we work so hard to do that. Every little progress is the result of our collective effort, we who toil hard everyday in our jobs.
Yet, you persist in one and only thing: making GMA look bad in theeyes of the world and making sure that this country continues to suffer to prove your sorry point. In the process, you continue to destroy what we painstakinly try to build. So please do not be surprised that I do not share your cause. Do not be surprised that we have become contemptuous of your antics. You have moved heaven andearth to destroy her credibility, you have convened all kinds of fora and hearings and all you have done is test our patience to the core. For all your efforts, you have only succeeded in dragging us further down. I say enough.
Don’t get me wrong. I am not asking that we take immorality lying down, or that we let the President get away with anything illegal. But you e tried to prove your accusations all these time and you have not succeeded, so it is time to let things be. Besides, you are doing something immoral as well if not utterly unforgivable. The Magdalo soldiers are consorting with the communists - the same people who have been trying to kill democracy for years. Cory has been consorting with Erap and the Marcoses.
So please wake up and take a reality check. In the absence of true and genuine moral leadership, many of us have decided to cast our lot with the President, even if we do not like her. A flawed leader is better than scheming power hungry fools who can not even stand up for their convictions in the face of an impending arrest.
Your coup attempts and the denials that you have consequently madeonly underscore what we think is true: you are spineless and unreliable people who only want power but not the consequences and the sacrifices that go with the quest. Your one and only defense is to cry suppression when your ruse does not work. You are nothing but BULLIES who taunt and provoke, but cry oppression when taken to task for your cruelty. You call for the rule of law and respect for authority, but so brazenly display your defiance and disrespect for the same things you claim to be fighting for. I would have respected you if you took the consequences of your actions like real heroes: calmly and responsibly instead of kicking and screaming and making all kinds of lame excuses. You say you are willing to die for us, that you do all these things for the country and the Filipino, but you are not even willing to go to jail for us. Come on, you really think we believe that you did not want to bring down the government when THAT IS THE ONE AND ONLY ONE THING THAT YOU HAVE BEEN DESPERATELY TRYING TO DO in the last many months?
We love this country and we want peace and progress. Many among us do not give a f*&k who sits at Malacanang because we will work hard and do our share to make things work. We the people will and can make it work, if only you get out of the way and let us do it. If you only do your jobs, the ones you are supposed to be doing, things would be a lot simpler and easier for all of us.
The events during the weekend only proved one thing. You are moredangerous and a serious threat to this country than GMA is. We haveseen what you are capable of doing - you are ready to burn this country and reduce everything to ashes just to prove your point. If there is something that we need protection from, IT IS PROTECTION FROM YOU.

S. C. Austero

***

*This one was sent to me in an email...

Dear friends,

I share the sentiments of whoever wrote this. these
are words i would have wanted to pen down myself. It
is sad to note that all this hullaballoo boils down to
only one thing ... selfish, manipulative, greedy, and
big-time, dirty old politicians taking the whole
country for a ride! Labanan ito ng mga politikong
walang malasakit sa kapakanan ng mga maliliit at mga
nagsisikap lamang na paunlarin ang bayan at
papag-aralin ang kanilang mga anak, at bigyan sila ng
magandang kinabukasan.

hindi kasinungalingan at kadayaan ang isyu dito ...
lahat sila pati yung mga nagsisigaw dahil sa kadayaan
diumano ay madadaya rin. ang sistema ang bulok. kahit
sino ilagay mong presidente, ganyan pa rin ang
mangyayari.nakita nyo ba yung mga buwitreng politiko
(trapos) na noong nagkakagulo sa fort boni ay
nagdagsaan para daw tumulong at makiisa sa hinagpis ng
mga sundalo? vamos a ver ... noong matapos na ang
lahat, nawala silang parang bula. at kung naghahanap
kayo ng prayer leader sa inyong mga chapel, social
hall, at covenanted communities, alaw nyo na kung sino
ang dapat imbitahin ... kasama nga lang ng mga
madadaya at sinungaling na trapos, mga pulahan, at mga
armadong hindi alam kung sino ang dapat sundin.

i ask my readers and friends only one thing ... look
at the bigger picture. discern ... we cannot allow
ourselves to play into the hands of these
manipulative, scheming politicians, power grabbers,
and ideologues at yung mga nanagana na noong araw na
wala namang nagawa rin (nangurakot rin naman!) gasgas
na ang people power. we need new wineskins for new
wine; we cannot remain with old paradigms. how vain it
is to build a fence by destroying a wall on the other
side (khlil gibran. we cannot miss the forest for a
tree. we need to fight corruption in and out of
government, but we cannot afford to burn the whole
house in the process. i was reminded of a news story
that came out two months ago. a houseowner saw a pesky
rat in his house. sa galit nya, binuhusan ng kerosene
at sinindihan ang peste. Pumasok ang daga sa bahay
habang siya ay nagliliyab. namatay ang pesteng daga,
at NASUNOG ANG BUONG BAHAY.

This house, the whole Philippine society, is festered
with rats. They are all over the place not excluding
congress, senate, malacanang, the military, the
private sector (including one well known university),
and... why not? including religious groups and
denominations. the Naia alone is a seedbed of
corruption, as is every city, every town, every
barangay ... from top to bottom! but to destroy these
rats, including the one in malacanan, we cannot afford
to burn the whole house, for that would mean all of us
would end up losers.

perspective is what i request from everyone. when we
see the bigger picture, merely shouting in mendiola,
and joining rallies, ranting and railing against
oppression and injustice (whatever that means) and
other forms of inane sloganeering, might not be the
best course of action. L'ottimo nemico del bene ...
the best is the enemy of the good. let's face it ...
our president is not the best of the lot ... but let
him who has no sin cast the first stone. who is the
best? who can these noisy holier than thou personages
that are irredeemably angry at the present leadership
offer as alternative? crispin beltran? liza maza? the
one whose only expertise is to read news written by
other people? the one who obviously is drooling for
the presidency, whose name exactly sounds like he's
drilling and digging for power?

WE all want these rats out of the scene. But
perspective will tell us that mere violent overthrows
never worked and will never work. perspective should
tell us that the solutions of today may end up
becoming the problems of tomorrow.we need to discern.
we need guidance from above. and last thing i
heard,that type of pesky behavior exhibited by rats,
begins in the human heart - the heart of each and
everyone of us. another word for this is SIN, both
personal and social, and lest we forget, "all men have
fallen short of the glory of God." May I add a
memorable poetic line from Hopkins? Referring to the
human heart, he says: "There in your heart is your own
small commonweal. There ... rid the dragons; root out
there the sin!"

The tenant in the house by the dirty river may be
guilty of dishonesty and other forms of sin. "a just
man sins seven times a day." but so, too, are all
those who want to stone her, who push and drive her to
declare a state of national emergency, and then
vociferously rant and rail against it. What a shameful
hypocrisy!

I won't bore you any further ... here is the forwarded
message:

Ako ay isang middle class pinoy, isang officer sa
isang malaking
korporasyon at may asawa...dalawa anak. Di na
importante pangalan ko kasi
parepareho naman tayong mga middle-class....trabaho
9-5, inom konti tapos
uwi sa pamilya, laruin si baby, itutor si ate/kuya
tapos tulog na, pag wala
na pera intay nala ng ng sweldo.

Sa nangyayari ngayon sa ating bansa, lahat nalang ng
sector ay maingay at
naririnig, tayo lang mga middle-class, tax paying at
productive Pinoys ang
di naririnig. Subalit, buwis natin ang nagpapaikot sa
bansang ito. Pag
may mga gulo na nangyayari, tayo ang tinatamaan. Kaya
eto ang liham ko sa
lahat ng maiingay na sector na sana makagising sa
inyong bulag na
pag-iisip.

Sa Mga Politiko:

- diyos ko naman, sa dami na nang nakurakot ninyo di
na ba kayo makuntento
kelangan nyo pa ba manggulo.

Sa Administrasyon:

- hayan ayus na ha pinatawad na namin ang pandaraya
nyo sa eleksyon,
pruweba dito e di kami umaatend sa mga panawagan ng
people power, kaya sana
naman gantihan nyo kami ng magandang serbisyo at
magaling na pamumuno at
malaking bawas sa kurakot naman please para kahit
papano maramdaman naman
namin na may napupuntahan ang binabayad naming buwis.

Sa Oposisyon:

- di nyo pa b a nakikita na dalawang klase lang ng tao
ang nakikinig sa
inyo....isa ay bayaran na mahihirap kungdi man ay
tangang mga excited na
reporter na parang naka-shabu lagi....mga praning e at
naghahallucinate.

- Bago man lang kayo maglunsad ng kilos laban sa
administrasyon, pumili
muna kayo ng magiting at nararapat na ipapalit sa
liderato ngayon. Hirap
sa inyo paresign kayo ng paresign wala naman kayo
ipapalit na maayos.
Advise lang galing sa isang middle-class na syang
tunay na puwersa sa likod
ng lahat ng matagumpay na People Power, magpakita muna
kayo ng galing bago
nyo batuhin ang administrasyon. Wala na kaming
narinig sa inyo kundi
reklamo, e wala naman kayong ginagawa kundi
magreklamo....para kayong
batang lagi na lang naaagawan ng laruan.....GROW UP
naman...sa isip sa
salita at sa gawa.

- please lang gasgas na rin ang pagrarally nyo na
katabi nyo ay mga bayaran
na mahihirap, magtayo nalang kayo ng negosyo at iem
pleyo ang mga rallyista
para maging productive silang mamamayan. Sige nga,
pag nagrarally kayo
yakapin nyo nga at halikan yang mga kasama nyong
nagrarally!! Nung People
Power namin nagyayakapan kami lahat nuon.

- Wala naman mangyayari sa mga rally nyo nakakatraffic
lang, kami pang
middle-class ang napeperwisyo. Di nyo kayang
paghintayin ng 3 araw ang mga
rallyista nyo kasi kelangan nyo pakainin at swelduhan
ang mga yan. Kung
gusto nyo tagumpay na People Power kami ang isama
nyo....pero pagod na kami
e, sori ha.

Sa Military:

Alam nyo lahat tayo may problema, pati US Army may
problema, 2,000 plus na
patay sa kanila sa Iraq na parang walang rason naman,
pero nakita nyo ba
sila nagreklamo? Wala diba kasi professional sila na
sundalo.....yan dapat
ang sundalo di nagtatanong sumusunod lang. Kasi may
mga bagay na di kayang
maintindihan ng indibidwal lamang, at ang mga
nakatataas lang ang
nakakai ntindi ng kabuuan, kaya ito ang panuntunan ng
lahat ng military ng
lahat ng bansa. Pero parang military natin yata ang
pinaka-mareklamo.
Sabi nga sa Spiderman "with great power comes great
responsibility".....kaya maging spiderman kayo lahat
at protektahan ang
mamamayan. Sa totoo lang natatakot kami kapag
nagrereklamo kayo, kasi may
baril kayo at tangke, kami wala.

Wala ako comment sa mga mahihirap, di naman kasi sila
maingay na kusa e,
may bayad ang ingay nila. Saka wala rin naman sila
email.

Kaya paano na tayong mga middle-class?? Eto hanggang
email nalang tayo kaya
ikalat nyo na ito at magdasal tayo na umabot ito sa
mga dapat makabasa nito
at makiliti naman ang kanilang mga konsyensya.



Signed,

Isang Middle-Class pinoy na walang puknat na
binabawasan ang sweldo ng
Buwis!

overreaction

It has been said that the President was overreacting when she declared a state of national emergency. True, Proclamation 1017 appears draconian at first glance, but take a good look at it and all you'll see is just a statement saying that there is a national emergency. I believe that the negative reaction it received from various sector was due to its perceived similarity to a declaration of martial law. The warrantless arrests, the raid on the Daily Tribune, and the dispersal of rallies on the 20th anniversary of the first People Power revolt were all too reminiscent of the bad old days under Marcos. As with the previous issues which have turned our country into a political morass, perception metamorphosed into fact, and the declaration of a state of emergency became a declaration of emergency rule in the eyes of some: a return to dictatorial rule in the guise of PP1017.

But again, take a closer look at the circumstances. The alleged coup was planned to coincide with the rallies, with the soldiers marching with the rallyists to declare their withdrawal of support from the government. If a firefight erupted between loyal soldiers and the rebels, thousands could have been caught in the crossfire. Therefore, the ban on and dispersal of the rallies could have been ordered by the president in order to safeguard the lives of innocent civilians.
The raid on the offices of the Daily Tribune has earned the ire of journalists from all over. This was perceived as an attack on press freedom, and the suppression of the right of free expression. But, looking into the Tribune, one may notice an obvious bias in the wording of the news reports. Journalists should present facts in their reports; unbiased, uneditorialized facts. The biased reports could have been interpreted by the readers as fact, thus causing confusion and spreading disinformation. Freedom of the press does not entail the freedom to mislead the public through sensationalism, misinformation, or outright disinformation. If I were the President I would have shut the paper down entirely, but I am not the President, and she has refrained from doing this extreme action. In fact, the Tribune is still in circulation, biased stories and all.
The warrantless arrests of certain people has sparked cries of human rights violations, with images of the torture and abuse experienced by those picked up by the police during martial law. However, these warrantless arrests were within the law. Why? Those arrested were charged with rebellion, which is considered a "continuing crime". This precludes the requirement of a warrant, since a person charged with rebellion is considered as in the process of committing the crime. The others who were arrested during the rallies at EDSA, like Prof. Randy David, were arrested because their permit to rally had been revoked with Proclamation 1017.

So, who has overreacted?

The opposition has cried bloody murder over the suppression of rights by Proclamation 1017, a declaration of a state of emergency. Habeas corpus was not suspended, the President did not receive any emergency powers, there was no declaration of martial law; it was just a statement saying that there was an emergency.
The media has condemned Proclamation 1017 as an attack on the freedom of the press, saying that the government has muzzled the press and has stifled the expression of dissent. If this is true, why has the Tribune continued its circulation? Why has ANC continued to present editorialized news reports? Why is Conrado de Quiros of the Philippine Daily Inquirer able to criticize the President and call for her immediate ouster? Why have we been able to debate upon or even discuss the issue of Proclamation 1017 in the newspapers, on TV, in the Internet, and on the radio if its goal was to muzzle the press? Is this not a manifestation of the freedom of the press?

What is there to fear from Proclamation 1017? Nothing, unless you are its real target. The target of PP1017 is neither the press nor the public, but those who would rather see the Republic of the Philippines in ashes, albeit under their rule. These people have every reason to fear the crackdown, as this would spell the end of their selfish quest for power. They are the ones overreacting to the strong response of the government, using every trick in the book to muddle the issue and confuse the populace so that they can protect their own hides.

***

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo lifted the state of emergency at around 11:30 this morning.
(More here.)

crackdown

In a list forwarded to the Department of Justice yesterday, about 59 leftists and renegade soldiers have been tagged by the PNP for arrest on charges of rebellion and insurrection. Since these crimes are defined as "continuing crimes", these people can be arrested at any time without warrants.
(More here.)

Four leftist lawmakers have already been placed under house arrest at the House of Representatives, as charges and warrants for their arrest and detention are being prepared.
(More here.)

Three words:

It's. About. Time.

***

What's the big deal about Proclamation 1017? Everyone is talking about it, everyone has an opinion of it. "It's martial law", one would say. "A clampdown on our rights", says another. Still another person says that "it's Arroyo's last attempt to hold on to power".

I beg to differ. Proclamation 1017, or the declaration of a national state of emergency, is simply that: a declaration of a state of emergency. Despite the Marcosian overtones (remember PD1081?), it is not a declaration of martial law; it does not give the president any additional powers nor does it place the country under authoritarian rule. It simply states that the president believes that there is a national emergency, in this case an attempted coup d'etat, and that she is calling out the AFP to deal with the threat, which is well within her powers as commander-in-chief.

Three words:
That's. About. It.

in the spirit of people power

20 years ago, a united Filipino nation fought for and regained its freedom from a corrupt dictator. The first People Power revolution, described by many as "one brief shining moment in our history", toppled the decades-old authoritarian rule of Ferdinand Marcos. Different people from different walks of life marched together at EDSA, facing down tanks and helicopter gunships with flowers and rosaries. Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue was a sea of yellow, as millions rallied in the name of freedom. They were not there in support of any political party or ideology; they were there for the restoration of democracy and for the reform of our society. They were there for the Philippines and for all Filipinos.

Sadly, the spirit of People Power has been hijacked by people bent on grabbing power for themselves. The political opposition has been trying to simulate its own "People Power moment" since the "Hello Garci" scandal erupted last July, desperately trying to draw the people out into the streets to demand the resignation or ouster of President Arroyo. In the days leading up to the 20th anniversary of EDSA 1 they have been using People Power as a rallying point for their protest actions against the government, even going so far as to using the commemoration of the event as a cover for their rallies and demonstrations.
20 years after the triumph of People Power, opportunistic and self-centered people are using it to further their own ends, calling on the people to come out by fomenting dissent and exposing dubious "scandals" in what appears to be a planned destabilization effort, forgetting that the original People Power was not planned or calculated. It was a spontaneous event, propagated by people fed up with the abuses of the authoritarian regime and hungry for change. They forget that the people did not march for any political party or ideology; the people came out for the good of the entire country, not for one person or party.

The Philippines is now under a state of national emergency, thanks in no small part to the selfish ambitions of adventurist soldiers and power-hungry politicians. The opposition has cried foul, calling it undeclared martial law and raising the spectre of the return of authoritarian rule and the loss of freedom, conveniently forgetting that it was their noise and mudslinging and destabilizing activities which brought about Proclamation 1017.
Many see it as ironic that exactly 20 years after the restoration of democracy, the Philippines is now on the brink of returning to authoritarian rule. However, it is more ironic is that the "one brief shining moment" which united the nation is now being used as a political tool by selfish individuals to further divide the Filipino people. We are one step away from returning to the days of martial law precisely because of this.

I believe that the true spirit of People Power is not about the fight for freedom and democracy, or about the use of peace to bring about change in society. The true spirit of People Power is in the unity of a nation. Ang tunay na diwa ng People Power ay ang pagkakaisa ng sambayanang Pilipino. People Power would have never succeeded; freedom and democracy would not have been restored, if not for the united efforts of the Filipino nation.
So now, in the true spirit of People Power, let us unite as one nation and work for the betterment of the entire country, instead of uniting against each other and bringing down our economy in the process. Let us cast away our differences and work together to make our nation great again.

pushing the envelope

I'm not a morning person. I take 10 minutes just to wake up, and another 15 minutes just to stand up from my bed. 5 minutes to floss and brush my teeth. 20 minutes in the shower is a speed record for me. 5 minutes to dress up then 15 minutes to comb my hair, fix my things, and drink some coffee. I spend one hour and ten minutes every morning preparing for school, so I try to wake up as early as possible.

Yesterday was a typical day. I woke up at 7:30, since my class was at 10:00. It was still too early so I fired up my computer and logged on to the Internet. Time flies when you're having fun, so when I next looked at the clock, it was already 8:30! I turned off the computer and rushed through my morning routine. By 9:25 I was scrambling to get out of the door. I reached the FX terminal 3 minutes later, where an FX taxi was just leaving. Luckily there was one more seat in the back, so I got in and hoped that I could get to Katipunan Avenue in 20 minutes.

25 minutes later I was paying my fare for the UP-Katipunan jeepney; looking at my watch I saw that I had 9 minutes to get to class. 7 minutes later I got off in front of the Econ building. Racing past all the people outside I got in and saw that the doors were already closed! I was already running when I saw a little itsy-bitsy sign outside our door:

ECON 151 UNDER PROF. PUYAT
NO CLASSES TODAY

Damn.

my turn! :D

Leave a comment here and...
1. I'll respond with something random about you.
2. I'll tell you what song/movie reminds me of you.
3. I'll pick a flavor of jello to wrestle with you in.
4. I'll say something that only makes sense to you and me.
5. I'll tell you my first/clearest memory of you.
6. I'll tell you what animal you remind me of.
7. I'll ask you something that I've always wondered about you.
8. If I do this for you, you must post this on your journal.

2006 na pala? :D

wow... i've been blogging for one year already... hehehehehehehe...

wala lang... :p

hopeless?

Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope or confidence. ---Helen Keller

It's saddening to note that a lot of people have lost all hope for the country. In a recent Pulse Asia survey, the number of Filipinos who feel that the country is a hopeless case has increased, along with the number of people who want to leave and migrate to other countries. Has our country sunk so low that more and more people are losing hope and are leaving for greener pastures? Is our country really a "hopeless case"?

I don't think so. The Philippines is one of the richest countries in the world. We have abundant natural resources; precious metals, minerals, and forests can be found throughout the archipelago. Food abounds in our seas and in our fields. Our people are adaptive and intelligent, providing a highly educated workforce that excels in whatever they do, here and abroad.

Our nation can be great again. We have the resources. We have the manpower. We only need the will to reach for it, the perseverance to work for it, and the leadership to guide us to it. We have to unite as a true Filipino nation and work together to raise our country from the ashes of poverty and corruption. We have to be optimistic about our future, and work for a better country for our children. We should never lose hope, for it is our hope for a better future that would drive us towards that future.

where is the truth?

"In war, truth is the first casualty."

The country's political crisis has dragged on for so long now that the issues that gave birth to it have become sufficiently muddled as to be totally unrecognizable. What happened to 'Hello Garci'? Did anyone find Garcillano? What happened to the jueteng exposes? Did anyone find out the truth behind all the issues that exploded a mere 5 months ago? More to the point, was there really any truth to these issues? The people who started it all, the vaunted whistleblowers and tape-makers, seem to have moved on, forgetting the revelations they so passionately dumped on us through press conferences and congressional investigations in aid of legislation. Why, after exploding their bombshells, did these people just disappear? Where is Samuel Ong? What happened to Sandra Cam? In their speeches and in their conferences these people sounded like they knew it all; the crimes, the lies, the deception going on in the hallowed halls of government. Yet now, where are they? They sounded as if they held the truth in their hands, the real truth behind everything that has been going on in our country. But why did they just disappear? If what they told us was the truth, why leave it at just telling us? Where is the evidence? Why, after shocking us with their stories, did they just fade away? Why did they not prove their stories first? It seems as if their job was to do just one thing: shock us.

Did they present substantial evidence that would prove their stories?

No.

Did we even try to verify their claims?

No.

Did we find out the truth?

No.

5 months after 'Hello Garci' hit the airwaves and became the most popular CD in Philippine history we still have not determined its authenticity. 5 months after Sandra Cam et. al. unleashed their 'shock and awe' campaign we still have no conclusive proof of their claims. 5 months after the crisis began, where are they?

It is as if there really was no truth behind it all, that it was all a game, and that we poor, unfortunate souls were just spectators in a struggle for power. For if it was all about the truth, why did they not try to prove it? Why did they not have Samuel Ong's vaunted 'mother of all tapes' authenticated? Why do we have only stories of jueteng payoffs and corruption? Why do have only hearsay as 'proof' of these stories?

Truth, it appears, was the first casualty of this war. Yes, it is a war; a war for power. They did not fight to prove their stories because they didn't have to. They only had to air their allegations, have the media sensationalize their stories, and leave it to Juan dela Cruz to fall into the trap. It's all about perception. We see and hear them on TV crying bloody murder and our sympathy goes out to them, leaving whatever vestige of rationality we have behind. Before long we take what they say as true, blinded by the sensationalism around the stories and caught up in the speed of events that we forget to check if what we are hearing is true. We take their stories at face value, forgetting or not caring about what may be behind the anger and the tears. Now, 5 months after, they are gone, leaving us bitter and confused, divided and nearly at each other's throats.

It was all an exercise in psychology. The barrage of information from these whistleblowers and the firestorm ignited in their wake has destroyed the people’s confidence in the government. That was their mission; to confuse and divide, not to reveal the truth. Relating a story heard from a friend who heard it from another friend who heard it from his friend is not telling the truth, it’s perpetuating gossip. Yet in our country, where showbiz gossip takes up more airtime in news programs than the news itself, the stories promulgated by these people are readily believed by the hungry masses.

Today, the issue is the renewed threat of martial law, as shown by the circulating rumors of an imminent declaration of a 'state of emergency' and the appearance of controversial executive orders, most recently EO 454(?), which puts the National Telecommunications Commission under the Department of Transportation and Communication. Add to that the government's 'calibrated pre-emptive response' policy towards street protests, and you have fertile ground for renewed fear of returning to dictatorial rule. But is there any truth to the rumors, or are we again being taken for a ride? Are we being told the truth, or are we being played like instruments in a grand orchestra?

The recent dispersal of a ‘religious procession’ in Mendiola, where religious and political figures were hosed down by a water cannon brings back images of the martial law years. But is that all there is to it? If it was really just a religious procession why were former communist NPA leaders among the participants? Why, in their program in Plaza Miranda, did they attack the government’s policies? Why did they insist on going to Mendiola, even though the place had been declared as a ‘no rally zone’? They were allowed in Plaza Miranda. They were allowed to go to San Sebastian Church. Yet why did they insist on going to Mendiola? There are many other places where they could air their grievances, the so-called ‘freedom parks’ like Liwasang Bonifacio and Rizal Park. Did they have another agenda? Was it really just a religious procession in the first place?

It looks as if they really had a different agenda, as their ‘procession’ was supposed to end at San Sebastian Church. However, a ‘breakaway group’ proceeded on towards Mendiola, where they were stopped by the police. Were they trying to test Malacanang’s CPR? If they were, the police played into their hands, giving them ammunition against the government. Right now they are screaming “human rights violations” and threatening to take their case to the United Nations. Right now the bishops are starting to sympathize with the militants.

It is, yet again, another exercise in psychology. These people provoke the police and the government, and then when the government strikes back they cry bloody murder and hide behind the shield of human rights, the same human rights protected by the Constitution that they repeatedly trample yet proclaim to promote and protect. The images and videos played and replayed on TV play on the fear of the people that martial rule will return. The facts behind the matter may be that these militants are trying to sow confusion and disorder, but the perception of the public will be that of a government increasingly desperate and authoritarian. That is the hidden agenda of the people trying vainly to break into Mendiola. Their objective is not to protest in Mendiola itself, but to be seen trying to enter Mendiola and being stopped then dispersed by the police.

In the end, were back to where we were 5 months ago. These people are not trying to reveal the truth; they are just trying to get into Malacanang, literally and figuratively. As with Garci et. al., they are now just trying to incite the people to support their cause by playing with their feelings and sympathies through the miracle of mass media. It’s all about perception. It’s all about what they let us see and hear. There is no truth behind it all. That is why the so-called silent majority is so silent. There is nothing to shout about. We all just want to live in a prosperous country. We want our children to have a bright future. So please, all you politicians and militants; shut up and just do your jobs. And if you don’t have jobs, or have nothing else better to do, let those who do have jobs do their work. End all this pointless bickering and mudslinging. Stop playing with our feelings and perceptions. We are not pawns in your silly little game. Your job is to serve us, the Filipino people, not your own selfish interests. There are bigger, more pressing problems to solve, so please, end this mad quest for power, and let those who have work to do do their jobs.

singaw

I have this "singaw"(trans.: open mouth sore) on my lower lip. Actually there are two of them; one on top of the other. Due to their presence my mouth is perpetually dry. Talking is hard. Eating is painful. Smiling is almost impossible. I could put "tawas" on them to close the wound and speed up the healing, but it would be excruciatingly painful. So I put up with the singaw. I talk through my teeth. I eat using only the right side of my mouth, so that I look like a half-inflated blowfish. I try to smile, but I think people see me as constipated. I try to alleviate the pain, just to avoid using tawas. I use ice cubes to cool it down. I smear toothpaste on it, believing that it would work just like tawas, minus the pain (nice try). I press on it with my fingers; no benefit, I just like to remind the damned thing who's boss. So I live with it. The cure is there, yet I choose to live with it.

By this time you might be thinking that I'm just plain weird, writing about something as mundane as an open mouth sore. But think about it. Aren't we all like that? We have a problem, we complain, we see a solution, yet we reject it as it's too painful. So we just live with the pain. We tolerate it, and sometimes even exacerbate it. We make problems worse, instead of finding solutions that work.

So, what is our problem? Pointless and pathetic as it is, the political crisis is a problem, but it also generates an even bigger problem: an economic crisis. Our country's economy has been weak(floundering would be a better term) for many years now, but the growing confusion, disorder, and discontent fomented by our patriotic, selfless, truth-seeking, progressive opposition has pushed our economic woes to new heights. It's all a matter of perception. The world sees our country embroiled in politicking and mudslinging and rallies and never-ending "investigations in aid of re-election".

The international investors have second thoughts about investing in a country so unstable and unruly. Less money enters the country, fewer jobs are made, more people become poor, and the poor become poorer.

In Makati's financial district businessmen are forced to work in a noisy, congested environment thanks to the rallyists shouting annoying rhymes, blaring loud music, and blocking Ayala Avenue. Productivity drops. Less money is made. Fewer jobs are made. More people become poor. The poor become poorer.

In the major roads normal people leading normal lives are blocked from working by the masses of rallyists hefting red banners. Traffic jams are created. Productivity at offices drop. Less money is made. Fewer jobs are created. More people become poor. The poor become poorer. And more people get angry after waiting three hours in EDSA or in Ayala thanks to the progressive groups blocking the streets calling for PGMA's ouster and, get this, complaining about he poverty and hardship due to the weak economy of the country. Couple that with rising fuel prices, the worsening "brain drain", and the ballooning debt the country owes, and you have one hell of a singaw in your mouth.

Yet do we do anything to address the problem? No! We make it worse! Instead of uniting the people to take on the crisis, the enlightened politicians divide them, focusing instead on power-grabbing and destabilization. Instead of presenting solutions, they present more unauthenticated, unverified, sensationalized "evidence" from untrustworthy, sometimes criminal sources. Instead of working with the government, they undermine it, destabilize it, and destroy the people's trust in it. Don't get me wrong, however. I'm not condoning the anomalies and corruption in our government. I'm just saying that in a time of crisis we should rally behind our leaders, not against them. I'm also not saying that PGMA is the be-all end-all solution to the crisis. I believe that she is a weak leader, but she is still the President of our country. I'm only saying that she provides one very important thing to the country: stability. Yes, the opposition is raising hell now, but that is nothing compared to what could happen if PGMA is removed from office. With their conflicting agendas, ideologies, and plans for the future the opposition's desperate alliance would fragment and bring the country to the brink of anarchy the moment that the President is ousted.

So pano gagaling ang singaw? Dudutdutin pa ba natin ito gamit ang ating daliri? Hahayaan nalang ba natin itong lumaki, sumakit, o mas lalong lumala? O lalagayan na natin ito ng tawas, kahit masakit, para gumaling na? Tama na ang siraan, ang takutan, ang kagaguhan. Oras na para magkaisa laban sa gulo, sa dibisyon, sa pamumulitika. Unahin naman sana ang interes ng mamamayan, wag ang pangsariling interes at ambisyon. Naghihirap na ang bayan, huwag niyo nang dagdagan. Oo, importanteng malaman ang katotohanan, kahit na kayo-kayo din ang nagsimula ng kaguluhan, ngunit dapat mas mangibabaw ang kapakanan ng bawat mamamayan, ang kapakanan ng ating Inang Bayan.

Healing takes time, and may even be painful, yet let us think of the greater good; of our people, of our country, of our children. Now, more than ever, we need unity. A divided house cannot stand. Our country will not be able to withstand any crisis if its people are at each other's throats. Let's put tawas on our singaw, and just bear the short period of pain, instead of just tolerating it now and making it worse, for in the long run, it will get worse. Talking will be excruciatingly painful. Eating will be nearly impossible. Smiling will be impossible.

"People Power" AGAIN?!

With the junking of the impeachment complaint in the House of Representatives last week, the opposition has returned to calling for President Arroyo's ouster. It's "People Power" all over again, with Corazon Aquino calling on Filipinos to go out to the streets and demand the President's resignation, along with new characters such as the Estradas(former President Joseph Estrada was booted out by another "People Power revolt), the so-called "Hyatt 10"(who sang "If We Hold On Together" with the President barely a week before turning their backs on her), the Left(militants who seize at every opportunity to topple any government), militant priests(such as Fr. Robert Reyes, a.k.a "the running priest", who seems to have forgotten his hunger strike pledge), and the poor, gullible masses.

Di pa ba tayo nagsasawa sa panay "People Power" na yan? Pangatlong beses na a!

The first was applauded, the second was tolerated. The third time, well, we would probably become a laughingstock; an immature society that squeals like a baby whenever it feels a pinch. We claim to be a democracy, yet whenever we don't approve of our leaders' actions we turn into an anarchical society, where the law is trampled upon in the name of vox populi. The people's voice, or the voice of opportunistic, power-hungry, greedy personalities using the uneducated and gullible masses as puppets to further their own ends?

C'mon! Look at the people who are calling us out to the streets: hodgepodge of liars, traitors, opportunists, anarchists, and communists! These are people that we would never in our right minds invite into our homes, yet we tolerate their shenanigans and disruptive behavior. We choose to listen to people whose reputations are questionable at the least, criminal at the worst. Heck, these same people, in different circumstances, would choose not to be seen with each other! Remember Hacienda Luisita? The militant farmers supported by the left against the Aquino family? Remember the past election, when the opposition was divided between FPJ and Panfilo Lacson? Is this unity? No! The moment PGMA steps down, the "United Opposition", the "Bukluran para sa Katotohanan", or whatever these people call their desperate alliance, will fragment into squabbling factions vying for the vacated seat of power. And you think that the country is in trouble now?

Why in the world are they instigating another "People Power" revolt? Because of the still unauthenticated "Gloria Tapes"? Because of the testimonies of self-admitted criminals? What a load of crap. The junking of the impeachment complaint was also the oppositions fault. Let's face it, if they had filed their complaint in the House of Representatives first instead of bombarding the people through the media with weekly exposes and whistleblowers with the obvious aim of fomenting another "People Power" then we would be gearing up for an impeachment trial in the Senate by now! And why foment anarchy? Why destabilize the government? In a time of global economic crisis due to skyrocketing oil prices, why jeopardize the already shaky economy? Why divide a country? We seem so adept at uniting against each other instead of coming together as one people. We seem to be so hell-bent on getting our own way that in the process we forget the well-being of the nation.

We don't need this "People Power" to solve our problems. We don't need more bickering and mudslinging, whistleblowers and exposes. We only need to set aside our differences. Find solutions instead of finding faults. Initiate dialogue instead of conflict. Come together as one nation; one people with one purpose. Stability, prosperity, unity; those should be our goals, not how many people we can draw to the streets! We have the power to achieve a higher level of democracy, one which we claim to have yet seldom put into practice. That is a true democracy, where the people work together in the best interests of the entire nation. "People Power" revolts are a thing of the past. If we are to prove our maturity as a society, we should learn to follow the rule of law. We should make democracy work in our country; not in the anarchical and disruptive "parliament of the streets", but within the order and structure of our Constitution.

crybabies

In a flurry of flying papers, heckling, and shouting, pro-impeachment lawmakers walked out of the House of Representatives' Justice Committee hearing yesterday over the refusal of the committee chairman to hear some new "revelations" brought up in an earlier press conference by former DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman.

Immaturity resides in our Congress. Like babies denied their mother's milk, the opposition representatives' walkout only showed how immature, impatient and maybe even how desperate our esteemed pro-impeachment representatives are. Crying out and throwing things around makes them look more like spoiled brats and not as members of the House of Representatives.

I agree with them(pro-impeachment representatives) that President Arroyo should be impeached so that her innocence(or her guilt) can be established and so end the political crisis that has so deeply divided our nation. However, keep in mind that 'impeachment' is the process wherein the President is put on trial in the Senate to determine if she is guilty or not of the accusations leveled at her. Impeachment does not necessarily lead to removal from office; if she is found innocent, she stays on as President.

But throwing tantrums in the most hallowed hall of our great democracy is not the right way of determining the truth. Screaming, shouting, jeering, taunting, and booing will get you nowhere.

Going to the so-called 'parliament of the streets', as some people have suggested, is also another sign of immaturity. Those commie, er, 'militant groups' marching and shouting in the streets are only adding to the pollution of the city with their annoying rhymes and the trash they leave behind.

Speaking of 'militant groups', I find their claims that the youth are behind their cause as insulting. Sure, maybe some youth groups support them, but not all! Do you see the youth leaving their classes to shout in the streets and go up against the anti-riot police? Oh, and another thing, why do these groups campaign for a higher budget for education, yet feel free to waste the very resource they are supposed to be fighting for by walking out of their classes? Oops. But back to the topic at hand.

No one has a monopoly of the truth. Everyone has a different version of the truth, so there are rules and processes that exist to ensure that the whole, entire, unbiased, verified truth is determined and presented. If in the process we do not get what we want, we should accept the outcome as it is a part of the process. Mere theatrics and rabble-rousing tactics such as this 'walkout' will not contribute to the determination of the truth. They will only contribute to the country's division.

overheard

My parents and I had a good laugh over this last Sunday...

THE SITUATION: Two men where left standing. Ang isa kalbo. After about five
questions, wala pa ring makasagot. Kung meron man, malimali. I think we were
down to the last question in the bin.

HOST: Okay … fill in the blanks…

( The complete line was " Necessity is the mother of all invention." The
word "necessity" was missing)

HOST: Blank is the mother of all …
(nag-press si kalbo) Ok, for the win … Yes?

CONTESTANT KALBO: Mother of
all tapes!

From Joey de Leon's article in the Manila Bulletin.

crime and punishment

I was on my way home yesterday, napping on my seat in the FX taxi, when I was jolted awake by the mention of the word 'hold-up'. I thought that it was our FX that was being robbed, but it turned out to be just the driver talking with somebody outside about what was happening up the road. Apparently, while I was dreaming about the money market equilibrium, we had been stuck in traffic for about 20 minutes because of a robbery incident near Concepcion Market. The police had cordoned off the area and traffic enforcers were rerouting traffic around the location of the incident. I don't know the specifics but from what I heard it was another FX taxi or a jeepney that was held up by some deranged fool from the squatter's area. As we continued on our way I listened to the animated conversation between two men in the back of the taxi, about lazy bums who had nothing else to do, about wiping out the squatter colonies, and about how the robbers who frequent that stretch of road run into the alleyways of the nearby slums and disappear before the police catch them. Being a victim of a robbery along that same road, I couldn't help but agree when they expressed their hope that they could be part of the angry mob that was sure to descend upon the hapless robber who dared to strike in broad daylight. I was also thinking about the story Erika told me earlier in the day about how she witnessed a thief alight from a jeepney and run right smack dab into the fast and furious traffic of the Quezon Memorial Circle with a very angry man right on his tail. The supposed victim caught the thief in a headlock and pummeled him with his fists, while bystanders and police converged on the scene and while traffic nearly halted to a standstill.

Scenes like this are very common here in this country. Everyday you hear stories about jeepneys, buses, and taxis held up and robbed by armed men. Everyday you hear about people who feel someone brush beside them then suddenly discover that their bags or purses or cellphones had been snatched away. More serious crimes such as rape and kidnapping also get their time in the spotlight almost everyday. We also hear stories about the corrupt and greedy people we have in our government.

Ours has almost become a culture of criminality, so much so that even members of religious orders have been accused of sexual abuse and corruption. There is also the constant threat of terrorism from secessionist groups in the south, from the Communist insurgency in the north, and from the local Al-Qaida cell Jemaah Islamiyah. It is getting to the point that not one day passes without at least one major criminal event.

We also hear stories of jails filled to the brim with people, of children jailed for petty crimes incarcerated along with murderers and rapists in cramped and smelly jail cells. CNN recently aired a story about our jails, and it was a very unflattering view of the Philippines.

Our justice system has its own problems. Some cases take years before they even get to court. Loopholes in our laws also assure criminals of lesser sentences. The plunder case of former President Joseph Estrada, all but forgotten in the wake of the current political crisis, has not yet been concluded, four years after he was removed from office. The Constitution itself is regularly trampled upon by power-hungry rabble rousers, even by government officials who have sworn to uphold and defend the very document they spit upon and ignore when they call for extra-Constitutional means to further their own ends in the current political crisis.

Such a situation is unacceptable in a nation that is supposed to be based on laws.

What can we do to rectify this problem? The death penalty we put into law years ago has not been allowed to reach its full potential as a deterrent to crime because of inconsistent application. The jails are so full of people, mostly criminals, but some are innocent, thanks to a bungling justice system that seems to be run more by politics and money rather than by a true commitment to justice.

How about some of these ideas?
Humiliate them(criminals).

What better way to ensure that criminals who have been caught don't return to their old ways than to destroy their dignity? Like for hold-uppers and snatchers. After the angry mob lynches them let's tie them on telephone poles or to trees for a few days, with a sign saying 'kick me' or some variation of that. Or like for corrupt government officials, why not tell their stories on national TV and plastering their faces on posters listing their crimes? Let's see them get voted into office again after that!

Conscript them into the Armed Forces.

Our military is one of the weakest in Southeast Asia. We can't even defeat a band of terrorists stranded on a little island! The infusion of all able-bodied men locked away in our prisons would give us the manpower, and decongest the prisons as well. Besides, why throw away PMA graduates in a charge on rebel positions? This would give us expendable cannon fodder!

Put them to work.

Instead of leaving them languishing in crowded prisons, why not put the criminals to work building our infrastructure? Or why not put them to work in mines or on farms? Aside from the productive work being done, our economy would also receive a boost from the improvements in our infrastructure and the new products supplied by our erstwhile untapped mines and farmland.

Remove the option of posting bail.

We must not give criminals a chance to escape the law. What if a robber uses the money he robbed to post bail when he is caught? This would also level the playing field between the rich and the poor, allowing our cultured and pampered corrupt officials to share the same comforts that poor, hardened murderers enjoy today.

Apply fully the death penalty.

No more staying executions. No more pardons. If you're a murderer, a rapist, or a kidnapper, you die.

Revamp the prison system.

Separate the children from the adults and create a better environment that would make their lives more productive.

Fix the justice system.

Ensure that the judiciary is fair and impartial in judging cases. Clear the backlog of cases and speed up the trial process. Cut the bureaucratic red tape and purge the system of corrupt elements.

Reduce, or better yet, eliminate poverty.

The number one cause of criminality. A vibrant, stable and growing economy will provide jobs for the large number of unemployed that have turned to crime to feed their families. A consistent population management program will lessen the competition for resources and services. Provision of good education will ensure an adherence to the rule of law and further enhance the capabilities of the population, invigorating the economy over the long run.

We can ill afford a culture of criminality. I believe that these, and other ideas have the capability of cleansing our nation of the unsightly blight that is crime if they are implemented by a government that has the will to implement them and the capacity to follow through with them. We need leaders. Strong, intelligent, patriotic leaders. Not only to eradicate crime, but to also lift our beleaguered nation out of the hole we have so joyously dug for it.

la vista loca

Another whistleblower surfaced this week. Former presidential staff officer Michaelangelo "Louie" Zuce, a nephew of controversial ex-Comelec Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano, presented at a press conference new evidence linking President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to jueteng. The new evidence and testimony of Zuce showed how President Arroyo used jueteng money to bribe at least 20 Comelec officials to ensure her victory in the 2004 presidential elections. Zuce claimed that payoffs made to Mindanao-based Comelec officials came from Pampanga-based 'jueteng lord' Rodolfo 'Bong' Pineda and his wife Lilia. According to Zuce, some of the alleged payoffs were made after a secret dinner hosted by President Arroyo at her La Vista, Quezon City home in January 2004.

Really? But why surface only now? Why did Mr. Zuce not reveal the alleged bribery before? For that matter why did all the so-called whistleblowers that have appeared recently not tell their stories before? Why only now?

Life in danger? Attack of conscience? Money? Truth? What is the real reason why these people come out and spill the beans on alleged illicit activity? As varied as their respective 'bombshells' are, these whistleblowers share one thing in common: they are all making life hard for President Arroyo.

Is it a coordinated attack or is the truth really coming out? Who knows? The situation is so muddled; one scandal explodes right after the other that before one issue is sufficiently investigated another 'revelation' is brought to the public, stealing attention from the previous issue but adding to the confusion and further eroding the public's trust in the government, or, more to the point, their trust in the President.

This really is 'trial by publicity'; people airing their grievances through the media without giving the accused a proper forum for answering the accusations leveled at them AND influencing public opinion at the same time with sensational 'revelations' that are accepted at face value without further verification. Case in point: the vaunted "Hello Garci" tapes have not even been authenticated yet people are basing their opinions and stands on them, calling for the resignation or ouster of President Arroyo because of what she 'said' on the tapes.

Even if the recent events aren't a planned and coordinated destabilization plot they are having the same effect. Our country has never been so divided, our government has never been so paralyzed. The opposition and the administration are at each other's throats, while the Filipino people are suffering from the effects of this political crisis. An unstable government discourages foreign investment, which further weakens the economy, which exacerbates our poverty problem, which breeds crime and discontent, which further destabilizes the country, etcetera.

While the Senate and House of Representatives wallow through "investigations in aid of legislation", while the administration and the opposition hurl mud and rocks at each other, while President Arroyo dances the Cha-cha, while Susan Roces screams at the camera "not once, but twice", while Samuel Ong hides along with Virgilio Garcillano, and while Michelangelo Zuce blows the whistle on this latest scandal, Juan dela Cruz suffers from poverty and confusion.

Oh, and by the way, what is the real truth behind all this?

tenth planet discovered!

Read more about it here.

damn.

UP just lost to Ateneo.
'nuff said.

state of a nation divided

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo delivered her State of the Nation Address in a joint session of Congress at the Batasang Pambansa yesterday afternoon. Unlike her previous SONAs, this one was concise and straight to the point. Instead of the usual 'long list of accomplishments' (though she did mention quite a few of her achievements), President Arroyo cut straight to the chase.

Our political system has degenerated to the extent that it has become impossible for anyone to make any headway yet keep his hands clean. Perhaps we have strained the present political system to its final limit.

She acknowledged the failings of our current political system and its implications on the growth of our nation. To solve this problem, she called for a Constitutional Assembly which will change our current presidential-unitary system to a parliamentary-federal system.

It is time to start the great debate on charter change.

Charter change, an issue that has been around since former President Fidel V. Ramos' administration, calls for the amendment of the Constitution through either the aforementioned Constitutional Assembly, where Congress is turned into a "constituent body exercising special power to formulate a new constitution or propose amendments to the constitution", or through a Constitutional Convention, where the people elect delegates that will form a body which will either amend the existing Constitution or frame an entirely new Constitution.

The major amendments to the Constitution suggested by those who support charter change include a shift from a presidential system of government to a parliamentary system, and a reorganization of the country into a federal republic.

A parliamentary system of government is characterized by the fusion of the executive and legislative bodies of a presidential system into one body called a 'parliament'. Members of Parliament elect a Prime Minister, who serves as the head of the government. There may also be a president, but he/she would only be holding a 'ceremonial' position. The obvious difference from our current system is that the head of state is no longer elected by the people, but by the representatives of the people. Another difference is the removal of the 'checks and balances' of the presidential system, where the separate executive and legislative bodies serves as a check to either bodies' initiatives.

Federalism is a system of government that unites independent states within a larger political framework, but still allows each state to maintain its own political integrity. It is a shift from the centralized government we have today, where all decisions filter down from the center of power. Federalism allows the individual states to have their own laws and gives local government a greater autonomy in managing their constituents. The state governments would also be able to tailor their policies to better serve their state, allowing more efficient allocation of resources and development of local economic centers. The people will also be able to participate more in government, as power has been devolved to units closer to the people. Federalism also allows the central or federal government to focus on issues of national importance, removing the need for the national government to micromanage local issues.

(For more information see the Institute for Popular Democracy's Primer on Charter Change and the Newsbreak article "A New Order")

However, one can question the timing of the proposed charter change. Is this an administration ploy to appease the legislators who may in the near future vote to impeach President Arroyo? Is it a last-ditch attempt to save an embattled President who has barely survived numerous consecutive scandals that have threatened to destroy her presidency? But more importantly, is the country really ready for charter change?

Granted, the country does need a systemic change to clear out the roots of the problems plaguing the nation. I am still a bit skeptical of parliamentarism, but I believe that federalism will do great wonders for our country, as it holds great potential for solving the problems in Mindanao for it will allow the Muslims greater autonomy, and it will also help boost our weakened economy. However, with the current political climate and the massive number of problems that need immediate attention, is this really the right time to be talking about charter change? More to the point, is the country stable enough to allow the constitutional assembly proposed by President Arroyo?

I don't think so. Our politicians today are, how can I say it, not trustworthy enough to be allowed to draft a new Constitution. With the prevalence of corruption among the ranks of our esteemed legislators, and their tendency to place self interest before national interest, I believe that a Constitutional Assembly is too risky a means for constitutional change. Our country is also plagued by socio-economic problems such as the diminishing quality of education and the weakening of our healthcare due to the exodus of qualified teachers, doctors, and nurses from our country and the lack of funds due to a budget that prioritizes debt servicing (94% of the national budget) above the needs of the people. Before we even consider putting government on hold for a charter change, we should first stabilize the country and attend to the needs of the people.

Then and only then can we start the 'great debate on charter change'.

joke time

ANOTHER tape???!

First there were the 'Gloria tapes', now we have the 'X-tapes'? Governor Chavit Singson's new expose, however, looked like a ploy to distract the people from the controversy now hounding President Arroyo. Those tapes allegedly contain conversations between former President Joseph Estrada and a retired chief of staff of the Armed Forces, where they discussed the 2004 elections. However, in the last part of the tapes they start talking about destabilizing the government and assassinating key political figures. This is where the problem starts. Governor Singson claims that his tapes were part of the 'mother of all tapes' held by Samuel Ong, yet the destabilization plot could not have been planned when the elections had not even been concluded yet. Another problem with the 'X-tapes' is that even though the first parts seem authentic, the last part seems fabricated since the conversation suddenly clears up, like it was recorded at a studio. The so-called voice of former president Estrada also sounds like it was spliced from recordings of his voice. There is no consistency in the conversation, it sounded like it was cut and pasted. In a story posted at the PCIJ's blog site, it is said that the makers of the tapes "could have done a better job by getting professional advice from one of the music pirates at Makati Cinema Square..." What a joke.

Sentiments of the "Filipino people"

In interviews and talk shows we hear the opposition say that "according to the surveys the majority of Filipinos don't trust President Arroyo". What a joke. 'Majority of Filipinos'? Maybe a majority of Metro Manila residents. The recent survey that the opposition proudly announced to the country was only taken here in Metro Manila. No survey was taken in Baguio. No respondents from Cebu. None from Iloilo. Zero from Zamboanga. Manila is not the Philippines, the Philippines is not Manila. So before we all go jumping to the conclusion that the entire nation distrusts President Arroyo, maybe we should find out first where our information comes from.

Supreme sacrifice

A lot of groups are now calling on President Arroyo to resign because of the wiretapping and jueteng controversies. Her former allies, most notably former President Corazon Aquino and Senate President Franklin Drilon, and her former economic team, have asked her to make the 'supreme sacrifice' for the good of the nation. Have they lost their minds? If President Arroyo resigns, who will take her place?

Former President Joseph Estrada? Sure, we booted him out in EDSA 2 for corruption and now we restore him to power?

Actress Susan Roces? Wow. We would finally and truly become a 'showbiz republic'. Who's going to be the Vice President? Willie Revillame?

A military junta? Say goodbye to our (pretend) democracy!

What the opposition and the people calling for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's resignation seem to not understand (or choose to ignore) is that there is virtually no one who can step up and replace President Arroyo. Take her out of play and you will get a power vacuum wherein everyone would try and grab the power and position vacated by President Arroyo. The opposition may be united now, but wait 'til that time comes and you would see them crumble into squabbling factions vying for the highest position in the land. And keep in mind that President Arroyo has not even been proven guilty of the accusations leveled at her. Should we have her resign on the basis of unauthenticated wiretapped conversations that came from former Senator Kit Tatad? What a joke. We should follow the due process of law if we really want a change of leadership. That's why we have that piece of paper called the Constitution. We must not repeat the same mistake we made in 2001. EDSA 2 was a very big mistake. We were all swept by events, and in the process we showed our political immaturity. If this happens again, what would happen in the future? When we tire of our leaders would we just go out in the streets and shout at the top of our lungs? That is not democracy. That is anarchy. Mob rule. We would be forever gripped by anarchy, for this mindset will be inherited by future generations who see that they only need to swarm en masse into the streets to remove a president that they don't agree with or a government that imposed a 1 peso increase in text messaging costs. We now stand at a crossroads in our history. We have to make a choice. Let as make the rational choice, and not push for President Arroyo's immediate resignation. Let us make the intelligent choice, and not repeat the mistakes of the past. Let us think of the future, and show that we have indeed grown up as a nation, and follow the due process of the law.

read this!

Found this while surfing the 'net:
Walang Kwenta Ang Pilipinas (Daw)

All I can say is... wow... I agree with everything this guy said!

anger management

A column of red ants marches in the dimming light towards a dead lizard. Their comrades had already begun to tear at the flesh of the lifeless reptile, and they were there to carry the food back to their nest.
Nakakainis talaga. Ang tanga tanga ko. Multiple choice na nga yung exam binagsak ko pa!

Suddenly, a green bottle appears, tipping over and drenching the ant column in alcohol. The ants panic and break away from their formation, but the flood of alcohol stings at their bodies and keeps them from going far.

Isipin mo ba naman, 12 over 20! Nakakairita talaga! Buti nalang quiz lang yun, at pasado naman ako e, 50% naman nung highest score daw yung passing. Eh 19 lang yung highest...

The alcohol drenches the entirety of the ant column. Hundreds of ants are now wading through the stinging liquid when suddenly, a light flickers in the darkness...

Bakit ba ang iinit ng ulo niyo? Bakit ba ang susungit niyo? Minsan na nga lang tayo magkita e...

A fireball blazes in the sky; molten plastic from the burning cotton swab drops in the middle of the alcohol lake and explodes. A wall of blue flame sweeps over the hapless ants and incinerates them where they stand.

Dami namang problema... Nakakainis talaga! Bakit ba ganito? Bakit ba ganyan? Di ko talaga maintindihan!!!

Whoosh. Crackle. Pop. The sound of the burning ants fills the air. Not one survived the fireball; all were turned into blackened, crispy, twisted carcasses. But that ant column came from somewhere...

Nalulungkot talaga ako ngayon. Depressed ba? Di naman siguro. Weirdo lang siguro ako. Wala akong sinabihan pero muntikan na akong mapaiyak kanina. Nahawa ba ako sa kanila? Di naman siguro... sana...

Thunder. Whistling. Boom! Crash! Kaboom! Kablam! Artillery pounds the hill that contains the ant nest. Rocks fly through the air, crashing into the soft earth and sand.

Haaay, buhay talaga... May klase pa nga pala ako, pero leche! Lagi nalang late prof ko! 1:00 ang klase, 1:20 darating! Kainis!

A metal-tipped umbrella slams into the soil, piercing into the bowels of the colony. Tunnels collapse and chambers crumble. But the entire colony sallies forth, thousands swarm out of the devastated ant hill.

Isa pang mabagal... Ano ba yan! Tatlumpung minuto na akong nakatayo dito, wala pang jeep! Puro Toki at Ikot, walang Katipunan! Aaaargh!!!!!

Thousands of ants emerge into the surface; a red horde bent on revenge. But the green bottle appears once again, pouring alcohol on the seething red mass crawling on the ground. The ants try to scatter, sensing the impending doom. Too late.

Traffic?! Nakakainis na talaga! Ang tatanga naman kasi ng mga lecheng ito e! Diretso ng diretso, walang nagbibigayan! Busina ng busina, harurot ng harurot! Punong puno ng usok ang mainit na hangin; mahirap huminga, mahirap mag-isip!

Again the fireball falls. Again the blue flames burn. Genocide. Thousands of ants now lie dead on the ground. Scorched earth. Even the bushes nearby are scarred by the heat of the flames. The few survivors flee into the dark grass, refugees from the holocaust perpetuated by a sadistic madman.

Sa wakas, nakauwi narin. Tapos na ang araw na ito. Pahinga na. Relax na. Tama na ang pag-iisip. Magpalamig na ng ulo. Makalabas nga sa hardin, marami nga palang langgam doon...

day of rest...

It's been a very hectic month for me. I feel like I'm about to keel over and die from exhaustion. Who knew that four subjects could generate so much pressure? Who knew that I would end up missing Math 17? Hehehehehe... Seems like the only respite I get from the brutal mental sweatshop is, well, today. Well of course there are weekends, but it is only on a Wednesday when I get to sleep up until 12 noon without anyone banging on my door demanding that I get dressed for church or for a party. It is only on a Wednesday that I am free from my cute little crazy sister (at least until she gets home from school), and it is only on a Wednesday that I can sleepily emerge from my sanctuary wearing tattered clothes and sporting an electrified look without fear of colliding with a horde of relatives or with my sister's friends. Finally, it is only on a Wednesday that I have total and complete control over the computer, so I can "study" my "lessons" (sure...) in tranquility. Wednesdays for me are an oasis in the middle of a hot, unforgiving desert; a welcome retreat from the rigors of academic life... Yes, Wednesdays are made for crazy handsome fools like me.

failed gamble?

Thoughts on President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's statement to the nation

Mga minamahal kong kababayan.
For the last several weeks, the issue of the tape recordings has spun out of control. Tonight, I want to set the record straight. You deserve an explanation from me, because you are the people I was elected to serve.
At last, President Arroyo breaks her silence on the wiretapping scandal. For 22 days she refused to comment on the tapes allegedly containing wiretapped conversations between the President and Comelec commissioner Garcilliano, now she appears on national television to address the issue.

As you recall, the election canvassing process was unnecessarily slow even after the election results were already in and the votes had been counted.
I was anxious to protect my votes and during that time had conversations with many people, including a Comelec official.
So, she admits to speaking with a Comelec official, but does that confirm that it was her voice on the tapes? A lot of people seem to think so.

My intent was not to influence the outcome of the election, and it did not. As I mentioned, the election has already been decided and the votes counted. And as you remember, the outcome had been predicted by every major public opinion poll, and adjudged free, fair and decisive by international election observers, and our own Namfrel.
If it was indeed her voice on the tapes, this would be false, as the wiretapped conversations took place while votes were still being counted in Mindanao. These places were mentioned in the tapes, along with assurances from "Garci" that President Arroyo would still lead in the polls.

That said, let me tell you how I personally feel. I recognize that making any such call was a lapse in judgment.
Lapse in judgment? How can that be if the tapes showed that she called Commissioner Garcilliano at least 14 times? And if the alleged conversations really took place, why did she not do something about Commissioner Garcilliano's "assurances" that she would win the election?

I am sorry.
Her apology, delivered in a robotic voice and with blank eyes, looked forced and insincere; although speaking live to a confused and mostly angry populace and saying "I am sorry" does take a lot of guts.

I also regret taking so long to speak before you on this matter. I take full responsibility for my actions and to you and to all those good citizens who may have had their faith shaken by these events. I want to assure you that I have redoubled my efforts to serve the nation and earn your trust.
We'll see about that.

Nagagambala ako. Maliwanag na may kakulangan sa wastong pagpapasya ang nangyaring pagtawag sa telepono. Pinagsisisihan ko ito nang lubos. Pinananagutan ko nang lubusan ang aking ginawa, at humihingi ako ng tawad sa inyo, sa lahat ng mga butihing mamamayan na nabawasan ng tiwala dahil sa mga pangyayaring ito. Ibig kong tiyakin sa inyo na lalo pa akong magsisikap upang maglingkod sa bayan at matamo ang inyong tiwala.
I think that she has her work cut out for her. Scandal after scandal has destroyed or at least shaken the people's trust in her. Her unpopular fiscal measures have done nothing to raise her popularity. A president can govern effectively only if he/she has the trust of the people.

I took office with a mandate to carry out a plan for the nation.
That remains open to debate, as the tapes cast doubts on her victory in last year's election.

Since that time, I have focused on making the tough but necessary decisions to make up for years of economic neglect. We passed a comprehensive, fiscally responsible national budget; raised new and necessary revenues to invest in the people; and implemented new anti-corruption measures that have led to the highest collection of taxes in history.
The expanded value added tax took effect today and my wallet took a very hard hit. Let's just hope that those "new and necessary revenues" are really used to invest in the people.
However, her anti-corruption measures leave a lot to be desired.

Nothing should stand in the way of this work, or the next phase of my reform agenda, which includes new investments in education and social services with our new revenues; and an expansion of our successful, anti-corruption and lifestyle checks.
Again, let's hope that that does happen, and that the revenues taken would not land in their pockets.

That is why I want to close this chapter and move on with the business of governing.
Unfortunately most of the people don't want to "close this chapter"; a lot of the articles in the newspapers, a lot of people interviewed on TV, a lot of threads in websites, and of course the political opposition, show unwillingness to just forget this issue.

I ask each and everyone of you to join hands with me in a show of unity, to help forge one Philippines, where everyone is equal under the law, and everybody has the opportunity to use their God-given talents to make a better life.
You wish. With the prevailing mindset among our people, that would remain an idealistic dream. If only we can change that...

Our nation is strong and getting stronger.
Oops. If the recent events show anything, our nation is getting weaker and weaker due to the division of its people and the rampant corruption in its government.

The progress is steady and I ask you to walk with me on this journey to rebuild our great nation. I remain your humble servant and promise you that I will fulfill my constitutional oath of office to serve the people to the best of my ability.
I hope she keeps this promise, given that she broke her previous promises...

God bless the Philippines.
I couldn't have said it better myself.

breaking the silence?

Ei! Just found out that President Arroyo is going to address the nation tonight "on a matter of great importance" (did I get that right?). I wonder what they meant by that... Maybe she's going to declare martial law! Hahahahahahahaha! Nah... Just kidding. But seriously now, I hope that she would FINALLY break her silence on the wiretapping controversy. It's about time that she does something about the political turmoil sparked by those tapes, and explain her side of the story to a lot of confused Filipinos. Anyway, we'll soon find out what she has to say.

inciting to sedition?

I've noticed that a lot of the "hits" being registered on my blog have been from people searching for the "Gloriagate" tapes. They are not on this site. Hehehehehehehe... However, you can find the mp3 files of the 3-hour tape from the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism here while you can find their transcript here. Atty. Alan Paguia's version of the tapes along with transcript can be found here. You can also buy copies of said tapes in Baclaran for only 5 pesos.

I've listened to both tapes, and I found that the voices sound eerily similar to the personalities they allegedly belong to. However, I can't say for certain that the tapes are authentic and that the conversations recorded in them really took place.

Let's just hope that the truth will be revealed in time.

random gibberish

It's been a long time since I've posted anything here. It seems like ages since I've had the time to just sit down and write about whatever comes to my mind. Well, it has only been two weeks since my last post, two weeks spent adjusting to a new schedule and more advanced subjects. The past two weeks have also seen scandal after scandal threatening to topple the already shaky government of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
I have been thinking about a lot of things for the past weeks; some are depressing, some are just downright weird. Here are some of those thoughts...

Time flies...
June 17, 2005. Wow. It's been two years since I first entered the University of the Philippines. I'm now on my third year here, still a student in the School of Economics, even after the two year Math 17 debacle. Wow. I've been here for two years. Seeing and meeting a few freshmen seems to have triggered this... this... weird feeling. I don't know. I feel like time is moving so fast. Only two years ago I was a young, naive, somewhat lost freshman trying to find my Physics 10 class. Now I'm about a year, maybe two years from graduation, no longer that poor, wandering soul who followed the room numbers in Palma Hall looking for PH4123. I'm no longer the naive teenager who knew, no, understood scarcely anything about the world around him. I've changed. For better or for worse? I don't know. But I know that I've changed. two years of education in a liberal environment made sure of that. I've learned a lot, like that Palma Hall does not have 4000 rooms... Hahahahaha... Kidding aside, I've learned a lot about how the world works, and how it doesn't work. Haaay... And I've got two more years to go before I graduate and enter another world...

Hello? Hello Garci?
The scandal triggered by the appearance of tapes allegedly containing wire-tapped conversations between President Arroyo and Comelec commissioner Garcilliano has captured the attention of the entire nation. Almost everything you hear has something to do with the topic of wire-tapping and the implications of the conversations in the tapes released first by Secretary Bunye, then by Attorney Paguia, and then by former NBI Deputy Director Samuel Ong. Every public information and news program on TV had the recent developments as their topic. Hell, someone even made a ringtone with some of the conversations in the tapes, and that ringtone is now the most popular download among cellphone users. With all the attention this scandal is getting, with almost everyone having an opinion about the tapes, it seems strange that the person in the middle of it all, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, has kept her silence on the issue. Her detractors say that this is proof of her guilt and call for the President's resignation. Her allies say that she has the right to remain silent on the issue, and question the authenticity of the tapes. Nevertheless, an investigation of the issue will begin next week, with the political opposition planning to play the tapes in public. If you ask me I think that President Arroyo should speak up, as most Filipinos want to know what she has to say about the issue. At least she should try to prove her innocence and stem the rising tide of discontent borne out of this and other scandals hounding her family, her policies, and other issues concerning the country.
She should act quickly, as a lot of other parties are making noises about removing her from power.

Hostile takeover
Along with the jueteng and wiretapping scandals come rumors of destabilization plots and coups d' etat, even another "people power" revolt. Indeed, the simultaneous appearance of scandals seemingly aimed at the President and her family has the potential of being the opening move in a plot to topple the administration and replace the government with... someone else. The attacks on the President and her family are casting doubts on their credibility; the jueteng scandal implicating the President's son and brother in law in illegal gambling operations, and the "Gloriagate" scandal concerning the President herself, where tapes of wiretapped cellphone conversations of the President with a Comelec official seem to point at the occurrence of cheating in last year's presidential election. Key opposition figures have jumped on the opportunity to remove President Arroyo from power, calling on her to resign. Some retired military officials have started a movement to replace the current government with a civilian-military junta. There are fears of a military coup being planned by disenchanted elements in the military; the Armed Forces of the Philippines went on red alert yesterday due to an intelligence report it received about a possible coup attempt. The stability of the government, no, of the entire country is at risk. The trouble being caused by recent events could do much to damage our already fragile economy, further delaying our development. Before this happens, I believe that the President should restore the people's faith in her by answering the accusations being hurled at her and proving her innocence, so that whatever destabilization attempt would not have the support of the people.

Ummm...
Just this Thursday, I was in my Economics 101(Macroeconomics) class. I was expecting the usual lecture when my professor started asking us questions about things that I could barely remember. You see, my Economics 11(Introduction to Economics) class was two years ago, and whatever I learned before was somehow lost in the wind. So, the professor asks us about how to compute GNP and every other thing that you can derive from it. I couldn't remember anything, what with the pressure and my lack of preparation. It was a good thing that I wasn't called, but that experience really put fear in my heart, and taught me a valuable lesson.

Oops...
Economics 101 is fast becoming a source of frustration. We were advised to get a copy of the book used as the basis for the course outline, Macroeconomics by Mankiw. I stumbled upon a copy of the book at a newly opened bookstore behind Vinzons Hall which cost a whopping 197 pesos. Being the "economist" that I am, I immediately bought the book. Imagine my surprise when I found out that the book I had a was the 1997 edition and was vastly dissimilar to the edition used by my professor. Vastly dissimilar. The content and the layout was different, so much so that I couldn't find the topics written in the course outline in my book. Haaay...

Recognition
While checking attendance for my Economics 102(Microeconomics) class, my professor gave the class something to remember me by...
Sir Paderanga: Andre Obidos?
Me: (raising my hand) Present!
-a moment passes-
Sir Paderanga: (suddenly looks at me) You remind me of someone...
Me: Huh? Sir?
Sir Paderanga: Ah! You look like Gilbert Remulla!
Class: Hahahahahahahaha!
Sir Paderanga: Maybe its the hair...
-some time later-
Sir Paderanga: (asking questions)
Me: (listening to discussion)
Sir Paderanga: (suddenly looks at me) Gilbert!
Me: Huh?
-lunch time, at the College of Science canteen-
Someone: Oy Tin!
Tin: Hi! Yadda yadda yadda...
Someone: Yadda yadda (looks at me) Classmate kita a!
Me: San?
Someone: Sa Econ 102! Ikaw si Gilbert diba?
Me: Andre!
Someone: Ah! Hahahahahaha!

-------->Haaay... Life...

here we go...

hah! i've finished my registration today, and only after about 3 hours of waiting in line!
its the start of another school year again, back to the classroom with the requisite sleepless nights, anxiety attacks, and cramming...
i've only got four, repeat, four subjects for this semester, and i've got the schedule that i've always been dreaming of; 8 am to 2:30 pm on mondays and thursdays and 8 am to 12 pm on tuesdays and fridays, with one hour breaks between subjects...
hahahahahahahahahaha!
what's more, i'm back in the econ building! after the two year delay caused by that damn math 17 subject. i can finally get on with my life and take my econ subjects.
haaay... i finally get a change in scenery...
i hope i get to enjoy this new school year as much as i enjoyed the last one. it would be nice to maintain my sanity as i would be tackling major subjects this year; no more easy g.e. courses for me 'til next semester.
it's graphs, graphs, and more graphs for me, with a sprinkling of statistics and a dash of calculus.
hahahahahahahahahahaha...
only four subjects... right... :p
well, i think i'll end here, as i would like to enjoy my last few hours of relaxation, for tomorrow, the torture and the suffering begins!
hahahahahahahahahahahaha!

aaaawwww.... :D

Your Heart is Red


What Color is Your Heart?
brought to you by Quizilla

hehehehehehehe... :D

You were destined to have a Red Lightsaber.

Red is the color of fire and blood, so it is
associated with energy, war, danger, strength,
power, and determination as well as passion and
desire. You have seen the Strength and Power of
the Dark Side of the Force and have you thirst
for more of it.


What Colored Lightsaber Would You Have?
brought to you by Quizilla

how ironic... hehehehehe...

Balut: A fetilized duck egg that is boiled and
seasoned with salt


Which Filipino Food Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

okay... :D

Your Birthdate: December 21

Being born on the 21st day of the month (3 energy) is likely to add a good bit of vitality to your life. The energy of 3 allows you bounce back rapidly from setbacks, physical or mental. There is a restlessness in your nature, but you seem to be able to portray an easygoing, "couldn't care less" attitude. You have a natural ability to express yourself in public, and you always make a very good impression. Good with words, you excel in writing, speaking, and possibly singing. You are energetic and always a good conversationalist. You have a keen imagination, but you tend to scatter your energies and become involved with too many superficial matters. Your mind is practical and rational despite this tendency to jump about. You are affectionate and loving, but very sensitive. You are subject to rapid ups and downs.

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

......

ahhh... what a life...
there are a lot of things i don't understand
and a lot of things i will never understand
if only i could bend the world to my will
if only i had the power to comprehend the universe around me
but no, i'm only me
imperfect
only human
i can't help it if i can't do some things
or if i fail in doing others
haaay...

hahahahahahahahahahaha....
i'm just feeling wierd today
don't mind me.

lucky day!

YES!!!
I'm back online!!!
I finally got my modem to work properly again!
No more waiting for 10 minutes just to sign in to Yahoo Messenger!
It rained today!!!
After 2 months of sweltering heat, I finally got to feel naturally produced cold air once again!
Friday the 13th?
What a load of crap!
Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha....

Wala lang... :p