Pardon on Erap, A Second Chance?

by ⋅ 8 Comments

erap.jpgMy first reaction was disappointment at our President when she granted absolute pardon to Erap. What happened to all that government money spent on his trial? By giving Erap that absolute pardon, our president restored all his civil and political rights, which were automatically removed by his conviction of atrocious crimes involving illegally amassing billions of pesos by virtue of his public office. I am not going to talk about the political implications of Erap’s absolute pardon.

I believe everyone should be given a second chance to fix things right. The thing is a deal was worked out in that Erap can keep some, if not most, of the money he got during his years as a so-called public servant. This was openly admitted by Estrada’s lawyers and Malacanang and is reportedly included in the document giving him executive clemency. I feel bad that he gets to keep most of the money . More than $15.5 million in bank accounts believed to be owned by him would remain in effect, Bunye said.

Read More →

Glorietta 2 Explosion Memories

by ⋅ 9 Comments

explosionMy hubby sent me a text message yesterday to get away from the [tag]Glorietta Ayala Malls[/tag]. He knows it’s my favorite mall since it was just a 10 minute drive from our old home in Makati. I texted him back that I was in another mall and not to worry about me. As soon as I reached home, I googled for “[tag]Glorietta 2 Explosion[/tag]” and was surprised at the Google Search Engine Results. I was suddenly taken back in time. Lauren’s May 18, 2000 entry showed up on the first page that there was a Glorietta 2 explosion on May 17, 2000 which injured teenagers mostly since the blast occured near a video arcade:

Glorietta 2 was bombed yesterday ( the third bombing in just a week ) and one of the girls in my batch, Ana May, was there and got hurt. Twelve were injured and mostly teens cos it happened at the Synergy video arcade (the other arcade we go too sometimes). I guess it’s good that me and Stephen aren’t, well, exactly friends cos if we were, we woulda been there like every other Wednesday and I don’t really like the idea of my body parts flying all over the entire mall.

Why Glorietta 2 again? Not that I want other parts of the mall to be blasted away. It just seems so suspicious. I was at the Glorietta 2 entrance just a few weeks ago and remember raising my eyebrows when the security guard didn’t check my bag. He was busy reading the text messages from his cellphone. (Ayala Mall security, remove their cellphones while on duty please)

Anyway, just 3 days after that May 20, 2000 entry, Lauren wrote another one and this time on the SM Megamall Bombing that happened on May 20, 2000 where a janitor was killed.

Read More →

Feelings Towards Desperate Housewives Slur Episode

by ⋅ 20 Comments

desperate housewivesI thought an apology was enough to placate the hurt feelings of our Filipino countrymen over that Desperate Housewives Episode on Some Med School in the Philippines. Today , Friday (October 5, 2007) at 6:00 PM, there is a planned demonstration/picket at ABC Studio, located at 77 West 66th St. between Columbus and Central Park West. To protest ABC’s wholesale defamation of Philippine-trained medical professionals, a plan of action has been undertaken in some Fil-Am communities.

1. Many Fil-Am communties throughout the US, like the Northern California National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) regional chapter, are meeting to undertake local mass actions against ABC and the Disney Corporation because of this attack on their community;

2. In San Francisco, the NaFFAA are forming a Philippine Anti-Defamation Coalition working with members of the Philippine Medical Society, the Philippine Nurses Asociation, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (California Chapter) and other groups and individuals who were educated in the Philippines and who feel that the ABC [tag]Desperate Housewives[/tag] episode will have a profound negative on the public perception of them. They are planning on engaging in creative actions that will impress on ABC the gravity of the slight inflicted on the Filipino community.

3. Benj cites an indignation letter from the members University of the Philippines Medical Alumni Society in America.

Eric Gamboa, MD, doctor-member of UPMAS even said here: How many of you have been asked by your patients “what med school did you go to?” I have. Lotsa times. It seems that if you’re not White or if you even have some hint of an accent that you’re not as good as the American grads. SO wrong.

So is this taking it overboard?

Read More →

Philippine Elections 2007 at my Backyard

by ⋅ 14 Comments

voting pollIt seemed like a hundred people talking in deep hush tones almost sounding like busy bees. The persistent buzzing sounds woke me up at 6:00 AM. Thinking it was 7:00 AM , I wanted to catch sight of the first voters of Philippine Elections 2007 in my voting district (in Pasig City). Yeah right, the, voting center of the village is right across the side of my home. The barangay multi-purpose hall was converted to a voting center for the comfort of our neighbors. I placed a temporary fence around my newly landscaped garden knowing voters could use my side garden as a “tambayan” (waiting area). As I swept the garden, voters teased me that I should have placed a food stall for the hungry voters. Haha. I was more preoccupied on cars parking at my front yard. It seems some neighbors are not aware of property lines and insist on parking on my pebbled driveway when there is a whole street in front of them. Ugh.

While sweeping the yard, my husband called me inside. “Why are you suddenly sweeping?”

I had to laugh. I said “I can’t stand the garbage strewn across our house”. Butch must think I am so manic. As I continued on with my sweeping, I kept thinking why can’t people throw garbage in the right place? No discipline…blah Bored with the sweeping chore, I thought of checking my name in the list of registered voters.

Fat chance.

The dutiful Election poll watcher sifted through the pages and found a “Dado…” but the name belonged to my husband. Hmm . Why is his name listed and not mine? Then I remembered that the last time I voted was more than 10 years ago. They must have purged my name off the list. Every May elections, I am out of the country or out on a vacation. Oh well, my husband was really excited that he could vote. But first, we fetched Lauren from the airport, fresh from her vacation in Boracay.

At around 12 noon, I went along with him to take more photos of the voting center.

Policemen are by the entrance of the voting entrance.

Oh my, the poll watchers are getting sleepy.

Looking for one’s name is crazy. They list the names alphabetically by street address. How crazy is that?

What a lovely view from the second floor?

A narrow aisle greets the voters .

Butch verified that indeed his name is among the registered voters.

He then gets his ballot.

I checked out other precincts and took photos of the voters. I thought they had actual booths. It seems the booth is a piece of folder that can shield someone from peeping .

Poll watchers from another precint.

My husband is ready to vote in his “booth”

I left my husband in his voting “booth” and decided to take more photos around the voting center.

The guy and girl in white shirt warned me that photo shooting is not allowed inside. Really? I was already taking shots all over the place and no one stopped me.

A tired voter, watcher or kibitzer?

I was almost tempted to take a “gulaman” drink but I remembered my house is just beside this center. haha

Tired of waiting for my husband at the poll center, I went home. Later he shows off the indelible ink placed on his fingernails.

And a thumbmark as proof that he voted.

It’s 3:12 PM and the voting center is still full of people

Lots of people are just waiting outside the polling place. Perhaps waiting for the canvassing to start. I’ll go out and watch .

It’s now 3:45 PM and the tallying will start shortly.

at 4:00 PM, ballot boxes are still waiting to be opened.

The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) are also watching the election returns.

Poll watchers of different organizations and candidates are just waiting.

The vote tallying started alright. It’s around 6:30 PM and our incumbent Mayor Eusebio is leading so far.

Went back at 7:15 to check on the national election results. Click on the thumbnail.

Looks like Joker Arroyo, Ed Angara, Noynoy Aquino, Chiz Escudero, Kiko Pangilinan, Loren Legarda, Panfilo Lacson, Alan Cayetano, Manuel Villar are leading in this Pasig City precint.

watch for more photos and updates. Might watch the canvassing of election returns..
View the rest of my Philippine Elections 2007 photos

Get Out and Vote

by ⋅ 2 Comments

vote“Get Out and Vote” is probably the first sentence I learned as a toddler. Posters of “Get out and Vote” in yellow and white colors were plastered all over our house. My dad used to lead the Citizen’s Quick Count in Cebu, the equivalent of today’s civilian quick count. I lost count of the names. Is it NAMFREL? Though dad was not involved in politics, the civic duty of citizen’s tabulation rested on his sharp mathematical skills.

I tagged along with my dad to those quick count centers. The numbers tallied on the board excited me. Strange thing. I probably grew to love numbers because of my father. I can add a long list of numbers without the use of calculators because the latter just slows the tabulation.

Memories on election day remind me so much of my dad that’s why I wrote it today.

My entry is Get Out and Vote yet I can’t vote. Not because I don’t want to vote. I stupidly forgot to re-register. Still in denial, I checked my name at the online COMELEC Precint finder. And what do you know?

Read More →

Hell Hath No fury Like a Woman Scorned

by ⋅ 4 Comments

Edit: the disbarment was never filed at the Supreme Court

woman scornedLet’s just assume that indeed Maria Celia Virginia Suarez (otherwise known as Maricel or Virgie) is the former mistress of the First Gentleman, Mike Arroyo then she must have had some knowledge of the “Etiquette of being a Mistress”. Her complaint, Disbar the First Boor is either a black propaganda of the first gentleman’s enemies or a result of a woman scorned. The petition says that “Sometime in the mid-1980’s, the relationship turned sour when petitioner discovered Respondent’s secret relationship with Vicky Toh (Vicky).”

I am not an expert with mistresses but I have met a few who would rather move on with their lives than fight out a legal battle. Still, I am sure Celia Suarez felt betrayed.

Whatever made her file this disbarment petition looks like a “Hell Hath No fury Like a Woman Scorned” action.

You know there can never be a promise of marriage until the final papers of annulment are approved. This is so funny.

Well settled is the rule that when a member of the Bar seduces a woman to have carnal knowledge with her on the basis of misrepresentation that he is going to marry her is deemed a grossly immoral act. (Almirez vs. Lopez, G.R. Adm. Case No. 481, 28 February 1969, 27SCRA 169). In fact, the acts of Respondent are so corrupt and false and so unprincipled or disgraceful to a reprehensible degree which will justify his disbarment! This is reflected in the that all throughout their relationship, Respondent would always promise to marry petitioner declaring that she was already separated from GMA. The petitioner readily believe the respondent the latter being a lawyer at that. It was only after a while that petitioner came to know that Respondent Arroyo tricked, deceived and used her in order that she would continue in allowing him to 1have carnal knowledge with her.

Even without the promise of marriage, most mistresses know that it does not happen overnight and some are resigned living that kind of life. I think most mistresses know they are contented to be with their lover even without the benefits of marriage. It’s terribly naive of any girl to think that she wasn’t aware of the marital status of their lover.

Read More →

Kris Aquino and Hope Centeno are not Victims

by ⋅ 23 Comments

kris.jpgThe other woman, Hope Centeno wept and claimed she might be pregnant with James Yap’s kid . ““I also deserve the same sympathy as Kris” from the public. The 7 month pregnant [tag]Kris Aquino[/tag] just checked out of the hospital and minced no words. ““How dare you say sorry to me?” Kris scolded Hope. She then went on to blame Hope for her ““false labor” and subsequent hospitalization last Thursday.”

My jaw dropped as Kris lamented that “an innocent baby ” is at stake. “How dare you say sorry to me now after you endangered a defenseless child?” and added “You just want to ruin us,” “You attempted to steal my husband. You forgot I am seven months pregnant.”

and the other woman, [tag]Hope Centeno[/tag] “I don’t know if I can find another job. I am ruined. My only sin is that I loved James. I wish I was not judged,” she said, dabbing a piece of tissue paper at her eyes and nose.

Read More →

Time Magazine Person of the Year 2006 is You

by ⋅ 2 Comments

time [tag]Time Magazine’s Person of the Year[/tag] issue is coming out on Monday, and guess who that person is?

It’s me. Well yeah, it’s me, it’s you, and apparently, everyone else in the internet.Read Time Cover story. Every year Time Magazine recognizes one person, or persons, that, through ability, invention, accomplishment, or otherwise, has significantly influenced the world for that year. ” YOU were named TIME magazine ‘Person of the Year’ Saturday for the explosive growth and influence of user-generated Internet content such as ‘blogs’, video-file sharing site YouTube and social network MySpace… You — YES, YOU — beat out candidates including Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, China’s President Hu Jintao, North Korean leader et. al.”

America loves its solitary geniuses—its Einsteins, its Edisons, its Jobses—but those lonely dreamers may have to learn to play with others. Car companies are running open design contests. Reuters is carrying blog postings alongside its regular news feed. Microsoft is working overtime to fend off user-created Linux. We’re looking at an explosion of productivity and innovation, and it’s just getting started, as millions of minds that would otherwise have drowned in obscurity get backhauled into the global intellectual economy.

Who are these people? Seriously, who actually sits down after a long day at work and says, I’m not going to watch Lost tonight. I’m going to turn on my computer and make a movie starring my pet iguana? I’m going to mash up 50 Cent’s vocals with Queen’s instrumentals? I’m going to blog about my state of mind or the state of the nation or the steak-frites at the new bistro down the street? Who has that time and that energy and that passion?

The answer is, you do. And for seizing the reins of the global media, for founding and framing the new digital democracy, for working for nothing and beating the pros at their own game, TIME’s Person of the Year for 2006 is you.

Do you deserve the award?

Read More →

Moving on after the Subic Rape Case Decision

by ⋅ 8 Comments

MovingAfter the verdict on the Subic Rape Case was read yesterday, Nicole thanked God for hearing her prayers, saying that God heard her plea for justice.

“Nagpapasalamat po ako sa Diyos na dininig niya ang dasal ko. Thank you Lord. Nagpapasalamat din po ako pati kay Judge Pozon. Judge Pozon ang bait ninyo,” Nicole said in an interview aired by GMA Channel 7.

She said that in her lonely search for truth and justice, she called to God and He did not fail her.

“Ang bait po talaga ng Diyos sa akin” (God is really good to me),” she said

When asked whether she could forgive Smith, ““Nicole” was uncertain, simply saying, ““God is good.”

I believe that even with the Court’s decision on the [tag]Subic Rape Case[/tag] that proclaimed Lance Corporal Daniel Smith “guilty”, we are uncertain if the accused will actually stay in jail or that the decision will be appealed. One thing I know for certain is that God is the final judge.

I watched Nicole’s mother on TV as she heaved a sigh of relief. She prays that her daughter can now move on with her life. Any mother would want her daughter to be happy after going through such a harrowing ordeal. I read the other day that Nicole already set plans on taking up a job in the Philippines and even enrolled in a fitness gym. She also has plans of working abroad. It took guts and courage for her to sit through the 4 months trial. It’s time to move on indeed. Whenever I read current events, I look back on my recovery principles to ponder on and imagine how it can be done to others like Nicole. Nicole will not start over. She will move forward in perfectly planned progression of lessons.

When the lessons have been mastered, we will move on. We will find ourselves in a new place, learning new lessons , with new people. The lessons are not all painful. We will arrive at that place where we can learn, not from pain but from joy and love. We know Nicole did not lose her faith during the trial. I hope others like her will learn to accept and be grateful for middles, endings and new beginnings.

Meantime, Lance Smith is facing prison term. I feel pity for this poor boy. He’s almost the age of my eldest daughter. Do you honestly think without reasonable doubt that Smith is guilty of rape? Though not a popular opinion, I have been having doubts he is really guilty. But then again , we will let the Courts of Appeal or the Supreme Court decide. The evidence will speak for itself .

Justice will be served.

Like Smith, justice over my son’s death will be realized. I will be patient. I will keep my faith. God is good. You will all know the truth one day.

You can read the legal aspect of the [tag]Subic Rape Case decision [/tag] here:

Subic Rape Case Part 1
Subic Rape Case Part 2
Subic Rape Case Part 3