Pinoy Law Student

2010 Bar Exam Results

2011-03-17T17:54:00.002+08:00

TOP 10

1. Caesario Antonio S. Singzon, ADMU, 89.000
2. Filemon Ray L. Javier, ADMU, 86.850
3. Paolo Carlo C. Tolentino, Arellano, 86.800
4. Janette R. Ancog, ADDU, 85.900
5. Johanna Sunga, ADMU, 85.850
6. Krizelle Marie F. Poblacion, UP, 85.650
7. Maria Christina C. Ortua, UP, 85.050
Krystal Lyn T. Uy, UP, 85.50
8. Johanna Eileen M. Capones, UP, 84.800
9. Wiliam Benson S. Gan, ADMU, 84.750
10. Glenn C. Carampatana, University of San Carlos, 84.550
Darren L. Salipsip, Arellano, 84.550

AND THE REST:

1. ABAD, Charmee R .
2. ABADA, Merlin I .
3. ABARIENTOS, Ma. Theresa M .
4. ABBAS, JR., Yusoph M .
5. ABELLA, Charmian Maria F .
6. ABELLA, Sheena Marie R .
7. ABIERA-MONTESA, Rosalyn B .
8. ABING, Ramil P .
9. ABONG, Mark Julio U .
10. ABRAGAN, Martin Luke G .
11. ABRAHAM, Sarah Joan M .
12. ABUBACAR, Rayhanah M .
13. ABUGAN, Herbert Calvin P .
14. ABUNDO, Judith Rowena D .
15. ABUZO, Djerovin T .
16. ABUZO, James M .
17. ACACIO, Rea Andria L .
18. ACAYAN, Moises Y .
19. ACEJO, Michael A .
20. ACUÑA, Emmanuel L .
21. ADAOAG, Maria Efelin C .
22. ADRIANO, Jasmine M .
23. ADRIATICO, Maria Clarissa N .
24. ADVINCULA, Margaux A .
25. AFIADO, Manuel Emilio B .
26. AFRICA, Marie Denise G .
27. AGA, Dennis M .
28. AGLIBOT, Ma. Katrina J .
29. AGNO, Regina Domini L .
30. AGUILA, Mary Jasmin P .
31. AGUILERA, Raymond G .
32. AGUINALDO, Ma. Angela Leonor C .
33. AGUSTIN, Paulo Francisco A .
34. AJERO, Chris A .
35. AKUT, Charissa Joy C .
36. ALADO, Patrick Vincent A .
37. ALAMIN, Lorajean A .
38. ALBARICO, Allesandra Fay V .
39. ALBERTO-ESTRELLA, Grace Irish C .
40. ALBURO, Alvin L .
41. ALCALA, Carla Diana P .
42. ALCANTARA, Rina C .
43. ALCOMENDRAS, Andrey A .
44. ALEGRADO, Julius P .
45. ALFARO, Plebiscito T .
46. ALIAS, Margarita R .
47. ALICAYA, Giancarlo T .
48. ALICO, Wendy Josephine L .
49. ALMAZAN, Gladys Joy B .
50. ALMIRANTE, JR., Eduardo Q .
51. ALONZO, Ronalin B .
52. ALVAREZ, Tyrone O .
53. ALVIOR, Marianne Carmel D .
54. ALZONA, Ivin Ronald DM.
55. AMOROSO, Dranyl Jared P .
56. AMURAO, Mark Anthony T .
57. ANCHETA, Glenn Thyron S .
58. ANCOG, Janette R .
59. ANDOY-GAWIDEN, Sol Marie P .
60. ANDRES, Ryan D .
61. ANDRES, JR., Antonio D .
62. ANG, Noel C .
63. ANGGOT, Anabelle A .
64. ANIAG, Bernard Benjamin T .
65. ANTONIO, Chantal Charisse Q .
66. APOLINAR, Jannierose O .
67. APOLINAR, Leanne Maureen S .
68. APOLINARIO, Reiner P .
69. AQUINO, Mark Christian M .
70. AQUINO, Philipe T .
71. ARANAS, Lucky Angelo T .
72. ARANDELA, Melrose R .
73. ARAO, Amador Iñigo L .
74. ARCENO, Arnold P .
75. ARCEÑO, Dee A .
76. ARDET, Arnie T .
77. ARENAS, Mark Ranier C .
78. ARNOCO, Marvey J .
79. ARQUILLO, Ma. Golda G .
80. ASDILLO, Angeline T .
81. ASENIERO, Antonio C .
82. ASILO, Kathrine Ann D .
83. ASIS, Enrico D .
84. ASIS, John Michael V .
85. ASUNCION, Amiel Victor A .
86. AUSTRIA, Katherine M .
87. AUSTRIA, Laurice Marie Angela T .
88. AVENIDO, Gian Marco F .
89. AVILA, Analyn G .
90. AZNAR, Katrina Monserrat F .
91. AZURA, Jules Emmanuel N .
92. AÑONUEVO, Leo Angelo Miguel R .
93. BABATUAN, Lei Maurae E .
94. BABON, Joanne B .
95. BABOR, Sarah Faye Q .
96. BACABAC, Candice V .
97. BACANI, Ramon Miguel E .
98. BACLAYEN, Pilipinas D .
99. BACSAL, Eric Allan E .
100. BADANDO, Artemis Q .
101. BAGAFORO, II-ARELLANO, Agnes Farida S .
102. BAGAMASPAD, Cris Lawrence A .
103. BAGO, Jayfrancis D .
104. BALAG-EY, Paul M .
105. BALAJADIA, Christine B .
106. BALALENG, Emil Rey I .
107. BALANA, Carmie A .
108. BALANAG, Kristine Gay B .
109. BALANSAY, Lorelei S .
110. BALAO, Edward Vincent P .
111. BALBASTRE, Billie Joy A .
112. BALDOZA, Limuel V .
113. BALGUA, JR., Mariano V .
114. BALISI, Reody Anthony M .
115. BALISONG, Analene V .
116. BALITA, Vanessa Juvy O .
117. BALMORES, John Paul M .
118. BALUCANAG, Suzette B .
119. BALUYUT, Cesar M .
120. BANDAL, Jason M .
121. BANDONG, Jayvee Laurence B .
122. BANGAYAN, Carrie Mae C .
123. BANTILAN, Bryan G .
124. BAQUIRAN, Joseph Lemuel B .
125. BARCENA, Johann Carlos S .
126. BARGAMENTO, Hazan F .
127. BARRAMEDA, Paul Isaac A .
128. BARRIENTOS, Marie Aileen L .
129. BATAAN, Aleah Rafel G .
130. BATALLER, Diana Elaine B .
131. BATALLONES, Gino Angelo P .
132. BATAY-AN, Rex D .
133. BAUTISTA, Carlo Antonio A .
134. BAUTISTA, Claribelle S .
135. BAUTISTA, Gilbert B .
136. BAUTISTA, Jose Javier P .
137. BAUTISTA, Melissa Ann M .
138. BAUTISTA, JR., Raymundo B .
139. BAUZA, Brian Ashley M .
140. BAYBAY, Ray-an Francis V .
141. BAÑEZ, Roselyn G .
142. BECEIRA, Rona M .
143. BEDING, Ronald Y .
144. BEJOSA, Theeza Danielle P .
145. BELCIÑA, Celeste B .
146. BELDEROL, Mary Joy P .
147. BELGICA, Marietta M .
148. BENITEZ, Lovelle B .
149. BENTULAN, Mae L .
150. BERAMO, Maria Daniaflor F .
151. BERNABE, Ericia P .
152. BERNARDO, Romina R .
153. BERNARTE, Kristine M .
154. BESOÑA, Rholie C .
155. BEÑAS, Kristine Paul B .
156. BIBANGCO, Jorlett L .
157. BISA, Myzel B .
158. BISNAR, Gerardo Alfredo M .
159. BLAS, Herbert J .
160. BONGCAWIL, Cherrie Mae J .
161. BORAIS, Charlyn D .
162. BORROMEO, Renato P .
163. BOSANTOG, Marlon P .
164. BROFAR, Reinier John G .
165. BUCIO, Erwin B .
166. BUDUHAN, Diana Grace D .
167. BUEN-MERENCILLA, Paula Michelle O .
168. BUENAVENTURA, Kathy C .
169. BUENAVENTURA, Kristoffer N .
170. BUENO, Gemicks Ace T .
171. BUENSUCESO, Sean M .
172. BUETA, Gregorio Rafael P .
173. BULAC, Michelle Mae C .
174. BULANG, Oliver C .
175. BULIYAT, Marie Mae D .
176. BUMATAY-GEMARINO, Sharon N .
177. BURKLEY, Florence Diana V .
178. BUROG, Marie Irahlyn C .
179. BUSQUE, Janice H .
180. BUSTONERA, Chito Noel D .
181. CABATINGAN, Marisar Ivy C .
182. CABE, Rodalice P .
183. CABRADILLA, Fritz M .
184. CABRERA, Stanley Kristoffer V .
185. CABUDOC, Edsel R .
186. CABUGAO, John Philip O .
187. CADAYDAY, JR., Clayton C .
188. CADLUM-BOCO, Eusebia A .
189. CAGUETE, Joan Kathlyn C .
190. CAGUIAT, Johnny DC.
191. CAGUIOA, Francis Carlos C .
192. CAHIG, Carmela Rosario C .
193. CALANGI, Amelia A .
194. CALI, Nesrin B .
195. CALIBUYOT, Gwin V .
196. CALIMAG, Maria Rizza M .
197. CALINGASAN, Christian C .
198. CALIP, Norren Joy B .
199. CALIPAYAN, Jamaal James R .
200. CALO, Ludmilia L .
201. CALSADO, Anna Carmi R .
202. CAMPOS, Rosalinda G .
203. CANCINO, Christopher M .
204. CANDA-MELODIAS, Cherry P .
205. CANO, Darwin F .
206. CANTRE, JR., Recolito Ferdinand N .
207. CAPONES, Joanna Eileen M .
208. CAPUL, Christopher P .
209. CARAMPATANA, Glenn C .
210. CARANDANG, Carlo Brian S .
211. CARLOS, Kristine Joy G .
212. CARREON, Divina N .
213. CARREON, Jerilee R .
214. CASIS, Rainier J .
215. CASIÑO, Rhett S .
216. CASPE, Ma. Jesusa D .
217. CASTILLO, Lysander N .
218. CASTILLO, Margaret V .
219. CASTRO, Premier Dee Ewigkeit C .
220. CATABAY, Criselda J .
221. CATEDRAL, Ralph Vincent G .
222. CAYMO, II, Apolinario L .
223. CELIS, Ana Katrina C .
224. CENIZA, Brian P .
225. CERCADO, Crispin Simoun P .
226. CERO, De Mille V .
227. CHAGUILE, Adryan B .
228. CHERREGUINE, Clarence G .
229. CHING, Margaret R .
230. CHING, Princess Bambi B .
231. CHOTRANI, Dolly J .
232. CHUA, Germaine L .
233. CHUA, Katrina Pearl C .
234. CHUA-ASIS, Maria Aileen R .
235. CHUA-CHAM, Rosita
236. CHUNG, Jae Woo
237. CIUDADANO, Gil Norman D .
238. CLARAVALL, Benedicto Bienvenido C .
239. CO, Joan Kristel C .
240. CO, Zsa Zsa Lae K .
241. CODERA, Jandy P .
242. COLOMA, Janice G .
243. COLONIA, Chito John J .
244. COLOYAN, Sigrid Smile P .
245. COMIA, Frankie E .
246. CONCEPCION, Aleli U .
247. CONCEPCION, Anthony Chadd R .
248. CONDE, Bethany V .
249. CONOS, JR., Servillano A .
250. CONSTANTINO, Jeffrey B .
251. CORPUS, Ponciano Dexter Hector S .
252. CORTEZ, Deneesse Lou T .
253. CORTEZ, II, Jose Charito I .
254. COSALAN, Katarina Gabrielle V .
255. CRUZ, Eric C .
256. CRUZ, Jonas C .
257. CRUZ, Nicolette Ann P .
258. CRUZ, Ria Carmela R .
259. CRUZ, Trisha Andrea G .
260. CRUZ, Vincent Patrick R .
261. CUADRA-ROBINTA, Madyll S .
262. CUANAN, JR., Edgard B .
263. CUARTERO, Mary Anne C .
264. CUERPO, Von Bryan C .
265. CUIZON, Jasmine L .
266. CURADA, Alvin B .
267. CUTARAN-CONTACTO, Yvette F .
268. DADULA, Joel B .
269. DALAGAN, Maria Romina M .
270. DALAUIDAO, Jan Michael U .
271. DALIVA, JR., Anacleto I .
272. DARVIN, Daniel Nicholas C .
273. DATO-ABUEL, Juanita Lilet A .
274. DAVID, Melba A .
275. DAVIS, Herbert C .
276. DE ALBAN, Ma. Caren Gail M .
277. DE CASTRO-BAQUIRAN, Cristine A .
278. DE CHAVEZ, Maricel L .
279. DE GUZMAN, Adrian T .
280. DE GUZMAN, Angela T .
281. DE GUZMAN, Ria Flor C .
282. DE LA CRUZ, Paul Vincent G .
283. DE LA CRUZ-JAVIER, Sheba V .
284. DE LEON, Carlos Rafael G .
285. DE LEON, Ian Jerny E .
286. DE VERA, Reagan S .
287. DEAÑO, Carmelita D .
288. DEIPARINE, Sydrick Jose Andrei G .
289. DEL BARRIO-ALCANSE, Franchesca L .
290. DEL CAMPO, Charisse Kay J .
291. DEL ROSARIO, Jerome F .
292. DEL ROSARIO, Powell A .
293. DEL ROSARIO, Richard M .
294. DEL VALLE, Irish Kay J .
295. DELA CRUZ, Ramon Alfredo E .
296. DELA CRUZ, JR., Cresencio D .
297. DELA PEÑA, Plen John Mark M .
298. DELOSO, Izelle Iamly P .
299. DENSING, Teresita A .
300. DIAZ, Robelita B .
301. DIGAUM, Ma. Zusabel R .
302. DIMAANO, Mae Belle D .
303. DIMAANO, Manuel M .
304. DIMARUCUT, Bernadette C .
305. DIONISIO, Emmylou M .
306. DIONISIO, Lorenze Angelo G .
307. DIZON-VICTORIO, Cristy B .
308. DOCENA, Melinda L .
309. DOCTOR, Brenn A .
310. DOLENDO, Arvin C .
311. DOLON, Nadine B .
312. DOMASIAN, Evan E .
313. DOMINGO, Jennifer V .
314. DONALVO, Percy Valsan Jun P .
315. DONATO, James Daniel S .
316. DUGASAN, Ann Kilsa M .
317. DULHAO, Mary Joan M .
318. DULLA, Maria Estrella G .
319. DULLANO, Phoebe Lou B .
320. DUMALE, Eraño A .
321. DUMDUM, Genevieve T .
322. DUMLAO, Nadine U .
323. DUÑGO, Carl Derick C .
324. DUÑOS, Lory Jean G .
325. EDQUILAG, Michael R .
326. EGAY, Aimee Faith L .
327. ELEAZAR, Norguel Yazer M .
328. ELMACO, Lloyd Jeson L .
329. EMATA, Sheila Marie P .
330. EMRALINO, Maria Virginia P .
331. ENCONADO, Aman Y .
332. ENDICO, Marricar C .
333. ENDRENAL, Anthony L .
334. ENDRINO-FRANCISCO, Florida L .
335. ENRIQUEZ, Kristie Auriel T .
336. EPONDULAN, Yvonne A .
337. ESCALANTE, Daisy L .
338. ESMAN, Persel G .
339. ESPEDIDO, Spence V .
340. ESPINA, Julius A .
341. ESPONILLA, Ryan P .
342. ESTANISLAO, JR., Rizalino C .
343. ESTRADA, Lea S .
344. ESTRELLA, Anatoly N .
345. EVANGELISTA, Edmon B .
346. EVARDONE, Pearl Fatima L .
347. FABELLON, Katherina S .
348. FABIAN, Jocelyn T .
349. FABROS, Ari Vergil P .
350. FACULANAN, Jefferson T .
351. FACUN, Ramon D .
352. FELICIANO, Joseph Dexter M .
353. FERMO, Augusto P .
354. FERNANDEZ, Jamara Leigh C .
355. FERNANDEZ, John Dennis C .
356. FERNANDEZ, Joseph Christopher Y .
357. FERNANDEZ, March Jefferson M .
358. FERNIZ, Betsie A .
359. FEROLIN, Perr R .
360. FERRER, Kristine R .
361. FERRER, Sherwin C .
362. FLORES, Lyra Miragrace C .
363. FLORES, Reynaldo L .
364. FORTES, Gladys A .
365. FRANCISCO-LAO, Katrina Marie C .
366. FUYONAN, Milanie M .
367. GAANAN, JR., Eduardo Cezar D .
368. GABRIEL, Golda May D .
369. GAERLAN, Rosette S .
370. GALAN, Rene Rose DS.
371. GALIDO, Jeffrey P .
372. GALLEGA, Francis Avelyn B .
373. GALLEGO, Rhonalyn C .
374. GALLENERO, Sharmen D .
375. GAN, William Benson S .
376. GANDILLO, Alpha Faith A .
377. GARCIA, Aristeo Franklin M .
378. GARCIA, Enrico C .
379. GARCIA, Radney R .
380. GARCIA, Richard V .
381. GASPAR, Jervis A .
382. GATDULA, Isser Josef V .
383. GATMAITAN, Camille Bianca M .
384. GEMELO, Therese Xyza D .
385. GEMENTIZA, JR., Diosdado N .
386. GENDRANO, Jose Federico M .
387. GENERAL, Reuben Carlo O .
388. GENEROSO, Analie L .
389. GENIO, Jill Julie V .
390. GERALDEZ, Gia Angeli R .
391. GIALOGO, Edward G .
392. GO, Aldwill T .
393. GO, Eunice C .
394. GO, Gracyl Criste D .
395. GO, Lauren Niña A .
396. GO, Mary Jane L .
397. GO, Natasha M .
398. GOLOSINO, June Marianne E .
399. GOMEZ, Diana G .
400. GONZAGA, Rey Daniel N .
401. GONZALES, Geepee A .
402. GONZALES, Genevieve N .
403. GONZALES, Jose Paulo G .
404. GONZALES, Marvey Jay A .
405. GONZALES, Tristram E .
406. GONZALES-AGUINALDO, Melissa R .
407. GONZALES-DARADAL, Abigail M .
408. GORRA, Jypsie Rose M .
409. GRANDE, Joanalyn A .
410. GUADES, Jose Crisostomo Y .
411. GUARIN, Rudolph Val F .
412. GUEVARRA, Loralee Suzette A .
413. GULTIANO, Eudisan P .
414. GUMABUN, Leonardo Nick D .
415. GUTIERREZ, Margarita N .
416. GUTOC, Abraham A .
417. HALLARES, John Fred C .
418. HAUTEA, Kathryn Joy Q .
419. HAW, Charmaine Rose K .
420. HERNANDEZ, Ana Lynn O .
421. HERNANDEZ, Dave John T .
422. HERNANDEZ, Jeffrey C .
423. HERNANDEZ, Maria Rowena P .
424. HERRIN, Mark Andrew C .
425. HO, Aaron Jarveen O .
426. HO, Charlie L .
427. HOSAKA, Jenicka Elizabeth E .
428. HUMANGIT, Maria Carmen Hazel N .
429. IBARRA, Marvin B .
430. IFURUNG, Nina Diorella K .
431. IFURUNG, Viralysa E .
432. ILAGAN, Rowell D .
433. ILEDAN, Jerald I .
434. ILO, Cecille Marie D .
435. ILUSTRISIMO, Vanessa L .
436. INFANTE, Maria Katrina L .
437. INTERINO, Honey Lyn B .
438. ISON, Jayson Jay P .
439. ITCHON, Reyna Fe C .
440. JABINES, III, Arturo B .
441. JACINTO, Gino Carmine S .
442. JACOME, John R .
443. JADULCO, Francis A .
444. JALIT, Ruby Ann S .
445. JARAMILLA, Dennis L .
446. JAVELOZA, Eric B .
447. JAVIER, Filemon Ray L .
448. JAVIER, Geraldine F .
449. JAVIER, III, Francisco P .
450. JIMENEZ, Ma. Cecilia B .
451. JIMENEZ, Minerva A .
452. JIMENEZ-SERRANO, Ethylene Grace A .
453. JO, Arvin A .
454. JOAQUIN, Dyanne O .
455. JOBOCO, Christian Alexander A .
456. JOCOM, Allister Michael C .
457. JOSE, Frederick August I .
458. JOSE, Raphael Augusto I .
459. JUMAMIL, Gerard Joseph M .
460. JUPLO, Ember Jann M .
461. KASILAG, Andrei Josef Y .
462. KOTAKE, Hiroshi R .
463. LA CHICA, Justin Vincent J .
464. LABAGUIS, Alden Patrick C .
465. LABANDRIA, Julius D .
466. LABOR, Sheeherazadee A .
467. LABUGUEN, Eric O .
468. LABUGUEN, Rhyss William G .
469. LACAMBACAL, Maria Icel L .
470. LACANDAZO, Jamahlin D .
471. LADERA, Jairo M .
472. LAGAN, Ana Pia Amor M .
473. LAIDAN, Karym B .
474. LANDAYAN, Paula Danica B .
475. LANDICHO, Alvin B .
476. LAPE, Janice S .
477. LARAÑO, Melbian Jerome E .
478. LASMARIAS, Peter Elfred A .
479. LASTIMOSO, Fritz A .
480. LAURENTE, Ann Camille A .
481. LAUZON, Mario Ryan E .
482. LAVISTA, Honoriza Krystle M .
483. LAYGO, JR., Hospicio I .
484. LAYUS, Cecilia Maeve T .
485. LAZARO, Jose Miguel N .
486. LAZARO, Vladi Miguel S .
487. LEDESMA, Mariness L .
488. LEE, Bryan Vince M .
489. LEE, Gene Nicholas A .
490. LEGASPI, Warren-derick T .
491. LEJANO, Charles Albert R .
492. LEQUIN, Lloyd M .
493. LIBANG, Gabriela Andrea R .
494. LIBATIQUE, III, Reynaldo C .
495. LIBUNAO, Dennis G .
496. LIDUA, Randall F .
497. LIGUTAN, Leo J .
498. LIM, Alexander F .
499. LIM, Camille Alison D .
500. LIM, Dyan Danika G .
501. LIM, Emma Malou U .
502. LIM, Esther Claudine F .
503. LIM, Ruth Katherine K .
504. LIMBO, Leonardo Oliver F .
505. LIMPANGOG, Junella G .
506. LIMPASAN, Fahkriemar H .
507. LINAG, Christopher S .
508. LIPAR, Mark Anthony H .
509. LLESOL, Rey T .
510. LLIDO, Jc Ma. Rose B .
511. LLOREN, Julie G .
512. LLUZ, Hobert N .
513. LOABLE, Nestor A .
514. LOINAZ, Maria Del Carmen Beatriz L .
515. LOPEZ, Jake J .
516. LOPEZ, Lew Carlo C .
517. LORENZO, Christine F .
518. LOTERTE, Vitto Duart C .
519. LU, Jocelyn B .
520. LU, Kristi Fe Mari E .
521. LUCAS, Margie Joy F .
522. LUMANLAN, Jennifer R .
523. MACALALAD, Alpheus D .
524. MACALINO, Joel U .
525. MACASAET, JR., Virgilio I .
526. MACASERO, Richyl Marie A .
527. MADAMBA-MALAPITAN, Roxan D .
528. MADREDIJO, Aemilda B .
529. MADRIAGA, Jesus Malcolm G .
530. MADRIAGA, Ma. Charizma B .
531. MADRIAGA, III, Frederick Faustino A .
532. MADRID, Nicolina C .
533. MAGALE, Suerlan T .
534. MAGALGALIT, Noel B .
535. MAGALLANES, Jonathan P .
536. MAGALLANES, Mark Anthony Lester N .
537. MAGBIRAY-PE, Monica S .
538. MAGSINO-SILOTERIO, Maria Elizabeth G .
539. MAGTANAO-TAGUINOD, Minerva R .
540. MAGTURO, Gale Auzen M .
541. MAGUIWET-FAUSTINO, Grace P .
542. MAJAROCON, Mandy R .
543. MAKALINGGAN-GLORIA, Gemma E .
544. MAKILING, Raymond S .
545. MALADAGA, Arabella L .
546. MALANYAON, Vera Q .
547. MALASIG, Alvin C .
548. MALIHAN, Marjorie B .
549. MALIWAT, Anselma P .
550. MALIWAT, Dax P .
551. MALLARI, Ianne Joy R .
552. MAMAD, Norsary S .
553. MANA-AY, Gary Angel S .
554. MANALOTO, Grace A .
555. MANGALINDAN-ESCALA, Olive M .
556. MANGASAR, Lora L .
557. MANGROBANG, III, Jonas Cesar C .
558. MANGUBAT, Brenda D .
559. MANGUIAT, Maria Pia Caterina M .
560. MANLANGIT, Nikko Rey Aicetel T .
561. MANONGSONG, Marie Joyce P .
562. MARASIGAN, Cyril G .
563. MARCELO, Dave Francis G .
564. MARIANO, Maria Antoniette V .
565. MARTELINO, Dino B .
566. MARTIN, JR., Edward Cesar C .
567. MARTINEZ, Judith R .
568. MARTINEZ, Marinelli T .
569. MASANGCAY, Jay G .
570. MATEO, Arnel D .
571. MAURO, Adryan S .
572. MEDALLA, Meiline C .
573. MEDINA, Gerald Y .
574. MEDINA, Narcisa T .
575. MEJIA, Vina Grace B .
576. MENDIOLA, Peter Leo G .
577. MENDITA, Francis Roy F .
578. MENDOZA, Bernice C .
579. MENDOZA, Charlene Clara G .
580. MENDOZA, Jocelyn Q .
581. MENDOZA, Jowell A .
582. MENDOZA, Zeus Gamaliel S .
583. MENESES, Christian Gil P .
584. MERCADO, Maria Tara A .
585. MERCANO, Steve Paolo A .
586. MERIOLES, Paul Michael G .
587. MESA, Maria Monette F .
588. MIANE, Jojane D .
589. MIGRIÑO, Charlene Mae S .
590. MILITANTE, III, Reynaldo Gregorio T .
591. MIRALLES, Marvin M .
592. MISCALA, Melvin A .
593. MIÑOZA, Mary Hazel B .
594. MOLERA, Sheryl Anne S .
595. MONARES, Unalee R .
596. MONGE, Vanessa Joyce I .
597. MONTALBO, Jeremy P .
598. MONTEMAYOR, JR., Jose C .
599. MONTEROLA, Janice P .
600. MONTES, Lemuel R .
601. MORALES, Mitzele Veron L .
602. MORALES, JR., Jesus Emmanuel O .
603. MUNZING, Susan A .
604. MUSICO, Keith Andrew G .
605. MUSONG, Richard Joseph R .
606. NABUNAT, JR., Maurice C .
607. NACAR, Jansen T .
608. NACILLA, Elvin Kein M .
609. NAJERA, JR., Jose A .
610. NAPAY-LITUSQUEN, Jean S .
611. NAVARRO, Michael Jourdan J .
612. NEPOMUCENO, Jonathan Francis C .
613. NG, Edison L .
614. NG, Jacob T .
615. NICDAO, Katrina Myra M .
616. NICOL, Ma. Donna Marcy B .
617. NOCOM, Hans Chester T .
618. NONATO, Regina Ann L .
619. NUDO, John Joenelle V .
620. NUESTRO, Juan Carlos P .
621. OBERIO, Charmagne Joie T .
622. OBLIGAR, Norhan C .
623. OCAMPO, Darwin S .
624. OCCIANO, Salvador Justino E .
625. ODI, Athenie Laarni S .
626. OI, Michico Rizza G .
627. OLA, Winnie Fred C .
628. OLARTE, Theodeus M .
629. OLAVERE, Erwin N .
630. OLBES, Renato P .
631. OMAR, Sorayda M .
632. OMELIO, JR., George C .
633. ONDA, Amie Rose L .
634. ONDI, Rey Mar G .
635. ONG, Ferlyn C .
636. OPERIANO, Aimee Joy B .
637. ORBE, Joanna Lyn P .
638. ORDOÑEZ, Levy P .
639. ORIG, Esperanza Caridad A .
640. ORPILLA, Julius G .
641. ORTEGA, Pinky D .
642. ORTIGUERRA, Marcel M .
643. ORTIZ, Martin Iñigo C .
644. ORTIZ, Rotela Fatima A .
645. ORTUA, Maria Christina C .
646. PACO, Michelle U .
647. PACURIBOT, Ban Mikhael C .
648. PADATE, Danieza Julaidah J .
649. PADATE, Wallad Abdani J .
650. PADILLA, Maria Vinina Bonita A .
651. PADLAN, Darwin Troy J .
652. PADLAN, Jay Vincent S .
653. PADRE, JR., Edgardo T .
654. PAGDANGANAN, Joeffrey G .
655. PAJARON, Jose Marie N .
656. PAJE, Scarlet Joy C .
657. PALAYON, Jethro M .
658. PALER, Paula Shena P .
659. PAMMIT, Oliver Gem C .
660. PANAHON, Emmar Benjoe B .
661. PANALIGAN, Marjorie B .
662. PANCHO, Jose Carlo C .
663. PANELO, JR., Salvador Paolo A .
664. PANLILIO, Carmina Marie R .
665. PANTI, Dante W .
666. PAPANDAYAN, Omar Camal G .
667. PARADA, Williamore P .
668. PARCIA, Charls Mark B .
669. PARIDO, Ma. Pelisa Corazon S .
670. PASIONA, Brix A .
671. PAYOT, Junefe G .
672. PAÑO, Diana Abigail A .
673. PELLAZAR, Brian B .
674. PENDINATAR, Aisa L .
675. PERALTA, Jeffrey P .
676. PERALTA, Siena Karen DG.
677. PEREZ, Ryan Romeo P .
678. PEREZ, Tara Tsarina B .
679. PEÑA, Rita Carla Fernandina O .
680. PEÑAFLORIDA, Kay Angela R .
681. PICCIO, Kathleen Joy C .
682. PICHAY, III, Benedict R .
683. PINEDA, Jesse Kenneth B .
684. PIZARRO, Abigail Camille A .
685. PLETE, Marianne P .
686. PO, Christine Glaisa S .
687. POBLACION, Krizelle Marie F .
688. POBLACION, Samantha L .
689. PULA, Sahlee T .
690. PULAYAN, Sherwin Peter O .
691. PUNO, Reginald Anton J .
692. PUNO, Theresa Marie C .
693. PUNZALAN, Kristine F .
694. PURUGGANAN, Kristin-zia B .
695. QUAZON, Paolo Justino T .
696. QUEJANO, Paolo Dominique O .
697. QUERRER, Anna Marie T .
698. QUILANG, Jennica M .
699. QUILOÑA, Zoraida P .
700. QUINAY, Pamela Elaine B .
701. QUINTO, Emma F .
702. QUINTO, Fitz Gerald G .
703. QUINTOS, Jay Antonell M .
704. QUIOC, Noven Joseph P .
705. QUISMORIO, Leo Angelo A .
706. RABE, Merryl Ann Hermila M .
707. RABON, Janine A .
708. RAFALES, Wilfredo B .
709. RAMA, Globel N .
710. RAMA, Mikel F .
711. RAMA, Tara Triztina C .
712. RAMEL, Ava Mari F .
713. RAMENTO, IV, Serafin L .
714. RAMOS, Archibald S .
715. RAMOS, George Ramil C .
716. RAMOS, Ma. Josephine M .
717. RAMOS, Ronald Allan D .
718. RANARA, Ruth D .
719. RANCES, III, Renato Ramon B .
720. RAÑESES, Ben John B .
721. REGAL, Miguel Antonio S .
722. REGOSO, Janice C .
723. REGUETA, Shyr Phoebe F .
724. REGUNTON, Katrina Gladys G .
725. REMEDIO, Irish Dwight L .
726. RETUYA, Niño Rey B .
727. REVIL, Jo Kristine C .
728. REYES, Alessandra Maria Anna Gloria O .
729. REYES, Alex Miguel P .
730. REYES, Catherine S .
731. REYES, Felix Conrad B .
732. REYES, Gerald James B .
733. REYES, Jan Manuelle
734. REYES, John Dominee A .
735. REYES, John Erwin A .
736. REYES, Lili-mae T .
737. REYES, Margaret Joyce M .
738. REYES, Mark Wilfred M .
739. REYES, Norly P .
740. REYES, III, Felipe Joaquin A .
741. REYES, JR., Isidro Martin F .
742. REYNALDO, Suzette R .
743. RICALDE, Rowena R .
744. RIEZA, Danielle Marie S .
745. RIMANDO, Clarence B .
746. RIVERA, Yvonne Marie A .
747. RIVERO, III, Roberto A .
748. RIÑOS, Shiela A .
749. ROCAFORT, Regulus R .
750. RODRIGUEZ, Christian Patrick S .
751. RODRIGUEZ, Francis Jerome V .
752. RODRIGUEZ, Josefina S .
753. RODRIGUEZ, Paolo Manuel T .
754. RODULFO, Vivien Leigh S .
755. ROMERO, Rafael Al D .
756. ROMULO, Mikhail G .
757. RONCALES, Gretchelyn G .
758. ROQUE, II, Rosalio D .
759. ROSALES, Robert H .
760. ROSARIO, Jearemmy S .
761. ROSARIO, Resida Rose T .
762. ROSAUPAN, Daniel T .
763. ROUX, Alma Jean Ganayo L .
764. ROXAS, Liberty D .
765. ROXAS, JR., Alan Maximilian Y .
766. RUBLICO, Roberto S .
767. RUFIN-CAIRO, Maricel C .
768. RULE, Eileen D .
769. RUPERTO, Ramon Antonio A .
770. SABIO, Jose Conrado Barker C .
771. SACO, Ronaldo B .
772. SACPA, Allan C .
773. SALANDANAN, Irish Krystle S .
774. SALAVANTE, Joanne P .
775. SALAZAR, Francisco Domingo Pascua L .
776. SALCEDO, Leandro B .
777. SALENDAB, Badr E .
778. SALGADO, Sabrina Gretchen D .
779. SALILIN, Arnan Amor P .
780. SALINAS, Stephen Ivan M .
781. SALIPSIP, Darren L .
782. SALISE, Rhys Hywel N .
783. SALOM, Kristoffer Bryan L .
784. SALONGA, Regina S .
785. SALUNAT, Blossom Joy V .
786. SALVADOR, Ralph Jerome D .
787. SALVAHAN, Jon Paulo V .
788. SALVOSA, Paolo R .
789. SAM, Rizza Mae H .
790. SAMBAJON, John Zernan T .
791. SAMONTE, Gerald Joseph H .
792. SAMONTE, John Paul T .
793. SAMPANA, JR., Alfonso G .
794. SAMSON, Ramon Miguel C .
795. SAN BUENAVENTURA, Maidy S .
796. SAN JUAN, Bryan A .
797. SAN JUAN, Sara Jei L .
798. SAN LUIS, Sophia Monica V .
799. SANTIAGO, Edlyn Margaret C .
800. SANTIAGO, Ryan Erik C .
801. SANTIAGO, Vesmind T .
802. SANTIAGO, JR., Roberto T .
803. SANTOS, Daryll Matthew T .
804. SANTOS, Sandra Jill S .
805. SANTOS, II, Honorio R .
806. SANTOS, JR., Emelito O .
807. SANTOS, JR., Roberto K .
808. SARANGAYA, Mary Joyce M .
809. SARAUM, Michelle Kristine D .
810. SARAUSOS, Janine J .
811. SAREMI, Kurush R .
812. SARENAS, Francesca Lois V .
813. SARIA, Eva Christine I .
814. SARITA, Jacky T .
815. SARMIENTO, Glaiza G .
816. SARMIENTO, Patrick P .
817. SARMIENTO, JR., Conrado R .
818. SARSABA, Ayn U .
819. SASTINE, Edda Marie M .
820. SASUMAN, Carl Vincent D .
821. SAVELLANO, Charmaine Joy R .
822. SEACHON, Art Ryan L .
823. SEBIDO, John Paul L .
824. SEGUIT, John Ryan E .
825. SEIJO, Edward Jason P .
826. SERGIO, Gerald C .
827. SERRANO, Czarina Grace A .
828. SEÑGA, Francesca Lourdes M .
829. SHALIM, Faye Miriam T .
830. SHONTOGAN, Genevieve M .
831. SICAT, Melissa Ann B .
832. SICO, Michael Angelo G .
833. SIMBULAN, Reuben Antonio A .
834. SIMON, Robin P .
835. SINGZON, JR., Cesareo Antonio S .
836. SINON, Elvamay M .
837. SISON, Eva Marie M .
838. SISON, Ryan Donviv C .
839. SISON, III, Maximo Paulino T .
840. SO, Ralph David D .
841. SOLANO, Marc Gregory M .
842. SOLIVA, Peter Paul A .
843. SONGUITAN, Olive Ruth A .
844. SORIA, Ma. Maharani Liwaya P .
845. SORIA, Marinheide B .
846. SORIANO, Karl William Louise L .
847. SORIANO, Paolo T .
848. STA. ANA, Erwin D .
849. STA. MARIA, Karen Kaye M .
850. SUAN, Lordan G .
851. SULLA, Ronald Jose C .
852. SUMCAD, Antoniette K .
853. SUMONGCAD, Elsie B .
854. SUNGA, Johana T .
855. SUPERIO, Leoncio H .
856. SUSTENTO, Rex S .
857. SY, Candice Niña Marie O .
858. SY, Marianne Camille C .
859. SZE, Louie Brian R .
860. TABIRARA, Glacy S .
861. TABOTABO, Bianca Chloe S .
862. TADENA, II, Reuben A .
863. TADEO, Domer B .
864. TAGALAG, Bernadette V .
865. TAGUDIN, JR., Joseph T .
866. TAGUINOD, Carol B .
867. TALIPING, JR., Rogelio R .
868. TALON, Krizia Katrina Leanne D .
869. TAMBIS, Mariedel P .
870. TAMONDONG, Blessalyn M .
871. TAN, Candy N .
872. TAN, Elaine G .
873. TAN, Jean Cathleen Y .
874. TAN, Luis Martin V .
875. TAN, Manuel Anthony S .
876. TAN, Rolan L .
877. TANCHICO, Reizel Ann A .
878. TANYAG, Lauren Rose R .
879. TAVERNER, Marianne S .
880. TAWAY, IV, Gil G .
881. TE, Wryan Martin C .
882. TECSON, Ma. Christina E .
883. TEJIDA, III, Guillermo C .
884. TEMPLADO, Ruby R .
885. TEMPROSA, Francis Tom F .
886. TENORIO, JR., Orlando F .
887. TETANGCO, Anna Teresa G .
888. TEVES, Patrick Ryan G .
889. TIANSAY, Kristoffer L .
890. TIROL, Roxanne Rhea G .
891. TIU, Kenneth R .
892. TIUSECO, Manolito T .
893. TOBIANO, Irish L .
894. TOBOSO, Stephen Jacon M .
895. TOLDANES, Cora Antonnette B .
896. TOLENTINO, Aaron S .
897. TOLENTINO, Florence O .
898. TOLENTINO, Paolo Carlo C .
899. TOPACIO, Vicente Jaime M .
900. TORRECAMPO, Charlene M .
901. TORREJA, Richard P .
902. TORRES, Christopher John A .
903. TORRES, Jesus G .
904. TORREVILLAS, Manuelindo Josef A .
905. TOYOKAN, JR., Simon K .
906. TRESVALLES, Tristan Frederick L .
907. TRIA, Grace Sarah S .
908. TROJILLO, Ernelson Q .
909. TUAZON, Shirley C .
910. TUBLAN, Benzon C .
911. TUGADE, Jose Arturo M .
912. TUGDAY, Carmi Czarina V .
913. TULAGAN, Glaiza L .
914. TULAY, Michael Samuel C .
915. TUMALA, Dindo A .
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917. TURLA, Dodie O .
918. UJANO, Shella T .
919. ULIBAS, Maria Karen Riza B .
920. UMALI, Al Matthew P .
921. UMALI, Mildred Yovela S .
922. UNO, Mark Cyrus C .
923. UY, Edwin Alden V .
924. UY, Joan Marie W .
925. UY, Jonathan Paul T .
926. UY, Krystal Lyn T .
927. UY, Phillip Francis M .
928. UY, Rachel T .
929. UY, Ryan M .
930. VALDERRAMA, Maricef F .
931. VALDEZ, II, Melquiades Marcus N .
932. VALENCIA, Dianeth L .
933. VALIENTE, Ryan Christian M .
934. VALMONTE, Joseph Alden H .
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937. VEGA, Joseph S .
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940. VELO, Eileen T .
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947. VILLAGRACIA, Jayvee E .
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950. VILLANUEVA, Don D .
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952. VILLANUEVA, Jerusha O .
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955. VILLARIN, Erwin Glenn Q .
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959. VILORIA, JR., Gil P .
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978. ZAMORA, Fatima Anne C .
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Why President-Elect?

2010-06-09T23:11:00.005+08:00

Today marks a momentous occasion in which Noynoy Aquino and Jejomar Binay were proclaimed by the joint congress as President-elect and Vice-President-elect, respectively.

The term President-elect has been thrown around lately, although as to why the term is being used may be unclear to Juan dela Cruz.

Why can't we call Aquino Mr. President yet? Because the Presidency will be turned over only June 30, when he will be inaugurated as the President.

Until then, our president is still you-know-who.

Before today (when Congress was still canvassing the votes), Aquino was not even President-elect yet. We only assumed that he's going to be the next President because partial and unofficial counts showed he was ahead by a wide margin.

In the eyes of the Constitution, he was still a mere candidate.

But after the proclamation by Congress earlier, we can now officially refer to him as the President-elect.

It has important consequences, especially when it comes to vacancy.

Section 7, Article VII of the 1987 Constitution reads:

The President-elect and the Vice President-elect shall assume office at the beginning of their terms.

If the President-elect fails to qualify, the Vice President-elect shall act as President until the President-elect shall have qualified.

If a President shall not have been chosen, the Vice President-elect shall act as President until a President shall have been chosen and qualified.

If at the beginning of the term of the President, the President-elect shall have died or shall have become permanently disabled, the Vice President-elect shall become President.

Where no President and Vice-President shall have been chosen or shall have qualified, or where both shall have died or become permanently disabled, the President of the Senate or, in case of his inability, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, shall act as President until a President or a Vice-President shall have been chosen and qualified.

xxx

The first paragraph pertains to the start of their term, "which shall begin at noon on the thirtieth day of June next following the day of the election and shall end at noon of the same date, six years thereafter." (Sec 4, Art VII)

The second paragraph will not come into operation, presumably because both Aquino and Binay are qualified.

(Note: It's not really hard to be a qualified candidate, you just need to be a natural-born citizen, registered voter, be able to read and write, be at least 40 years old on election day, and be a resident for at least 10 years prior to elections. [Sec 2, Art VII])

Third paragraph will not come into play, since there is no question that the voters had chosen their President-elect.

The fourth and fifth paragraphs are crucial: if something untoward happens to Aquino and/or Binay (knock on wood), these will come into play.

Hopefully, nothing bad happens to both Aquino and Binay between now and June 30. The Constitution's Section 7, Article VII works best if it's not used at all, and relegated to sexennial trivia.

Photo: Jeffrey Avellanosa, Wikimedia, Creative Commons

Absent!

2010-06-07T16:14:00.004+08:00

One news bit has caught my attention today, headlined Lack of quorum delays canvassing for president, VP.

Just a few days ago, the lower house was in the news because they failed to reach a quorum upon the reading of the Freedom of Information Bill.

It's just funny that our congressmen do not bother to attend congressional sessions. Attending these sessions are the most important of their job; if they do not attend these sessions, how in the world will they know about the bills that are being passed? In fact, how will they pass a bill when the required minimum number of congressmen are not present?

It is normal practice to cajole (bribe?) our solons in order to pass important bills. Which means that our congressmen are like 5-year-old kids - they need to have an incentive in order to do something they are supposed to do in the first place.

However, I'm doing a great disservice to the 5-year-olds. They need less coaxing, if at all.

If these congressmen were working in normal jobs, they would have received a major tongue-lashing from their boss. Or worse, they wouldn't have received their pay. Or worst, they would have been fired long ago for not doing their jobs.

But no, these congressmen are special. And we're stuck with them.

Photo: Robert S. Donovan, Flickr, Creative Commons

Voter's Guide for the 2010 Philippine Elections

2010-05-04T03:46:00.001+08:00

I have prepared a simple primer for all of you voting on May 10. We only have 6 days to go, so by now you should know what to do. If not, here is a quick guide.

BEFORE THE ELECTION DAY

Voter eligibility
The first question is: are you eligible to vote? If you have just registered last year, you obviously are.

If you have already previously voted, you are eligible UNLESS you have not voted in the last two consecutive elections. This means that if you have not voted during the May 2007 national elections AND the October 2007 Barangay elections, you cannot vote on May 10. You're probably in the deactivated list. Stop wasting the other voters' time and yours. Stay at home and watch the elections unfold on TV.

If you voted on either May 2007 or October 2007 elections, but not on both, you can still vote.

Precinct Number
Know your precinct beforehand so you don't have to shove your way to the voter's list posted outside the precincts (they're not official anyway).

Find out your precinct number now by clicking here. With your precinct number at hand, you can go to your designated precinct directly on election day.

Note: If your name is not on the list that is posted outside the precinct (aka PCVL or posted computerized voter's list), don't panic. The EDCVL (or election day computerized voter's list - the official list. The Board of Election Inspectors (aka BEI aka teachers) of your precinct has a copy. That is why you can just go straight to your designated precinct. If your name is still not on the EDCVL, you have probably been deactivated.

Sample Ballot
You already know who to vote for, right?

For those who are already decided (good for you!), prepare your cheat sheet. You can get a copy of the sample ballot here (national posts only).

ON ELECTION DAY

Things to Bring:

COMELEC ID / Official ID / Student's ID
Sample Ballot/ Cheat Sheet
Hanky / Tissue Paper / Hand Sanitizer (to keep your hands dry and clean)

Vote Early
Voting is from 6 AM to 6 PM, but I advise everyone to vote early.

All of us are unfamiliar with the automated system, even the BEI members. There are many unknowns on May 10, so it is better to be there early.

While the rules state that you can still vote if at 6PM you are within 30 meters from the precinct, it's better not to risk it.

There is also the slim chance that the precinct runs out of ballots. Take note, a particular ballot can be read by only one PCOS machine and no other.

So if you go to the precinct late, you might not be able to cast your vote.

Accomplishing the Ballot
Read the COMELEC guide, Pinoy Voter's Academy guide (HT: BenTambling) and the Inquirer guide. They do a much better job at explaining the process than I ever will.

I'm just going to add some things:

When filling out the ballot, be quick, but don't hurry. This is when your sample ballot comes in handy. Be careful when shading, though. Avoid smudges.
Handle the ballot with care. Keep your hands clean. Don't crease the ballot. If your ballot is dirty, the PCOS machine might not read it. After feeding it four times, your ballot will be nullified. You cannot fill out another ballot - there is no second try.
It's ok to under vote, but never over vote.
Feed the ballot into the PCOS machine yourself. Do not let a BEI member do it. This is part of making your vote count.
When feeding the ballot to the machine, make sure the ballot is sandwiched between the secrecy folder, with the ballot's top part jutting out.

Planting Seeds of Doubt

2010-04-11T03:08:00.004+08:00

Back in January, perhaps the biggest boxing match of the decade was all but set. There were no problems with the venue, the catch weight, the date and the purse split. The Floyd Mayweather- Manny Pacquiao match was all but signed.

But then, the negotiations were brought to a standstill, because the Mayweather camp insisted on random blood testing. They pushed for the drug testing because they thought Pacquiao couldn't have demolished his past opponents so easily without the help of performance-enhancing drugs.

The Pacquiao camp cried foul. They were adamant that Pacquiao should not be subjected to drug testing outside the Nevada state-sanctioned requirements. There was no reason for Pacquiao to undergo additional testing, he was never caught of using illegal substance from all his previous fights.

But it didn't matter by then. The seeds of doubt have already been planted. While many supporters backed Pacquiao's stance, there was arguably an equal number of doubters who said that if Pacquiao wasn't hiding something, then he should not be afraid of undergoing blood testing. Whatever the case, the Filipino's reputation has been tarnished. There will always be an asterisk after his name, all because of the accusation.

An eerie parallel has cropped up in the local political scene. A document has popped up alleging that Noynoy Aquino is insane (or mentally imbalanced, or whatever the term PC people call such a condition nowadays).

The Aquino camp cried foul. The document is a fake, they said (the blogger who first released the document had since deleted his blog). There is no reason to suppose that the presidential candidate is suffering from some mental infirmity.

But then, the seeds of doubt have already been planted. Tina Monzon-Palma of ABS-CBN (the news org that first leaked the news) suggested that if Aquino isn't hiding something, then he should undergo psychiatric tests. This call was echoed by his main rival in the surveys.

Aquino is now in a quandary. Should he or should he not take the psychiatric tests? If he is truly sane, then there is no reason not to take the test. But should he succumb to pressure and take the test anyway? All because of a baseless accusation?

There are baseless accusations and accusations founded on a nugget of truth. There is a world of difference between an accusation out of thin air and an accusation corroborated by evidence (or at the very least, conjectures). The accusation on Aquino falls in the first category.

I don't see any reason why people would think he has a psychological problem. After all, we see Aquino everyday on the news, with nary a shred of insanity. He may be eccentric, yes. But all people have some certain quirks and eccentricities.

I think Aquino can be aloof sometimes, which is somewhat of an abnormality among ever-smiling politicians. However, that reason alone will not suffice to doubt his lucidity. I actually find it refreshing to see politicians without the fake smile plastered on their face.

And one thing I am sure of: at least he is not suffering from megalomania, unlike many political aspirants out there.

Photo: David Midgly, Flickr, Creative Commons

Hierarchy of Values

2010-03-10T20:17:00.003+08:00

Question: What is more immoral: greed (e.g. theft), intemperance (e.g. premarital sex), or hypocrisy (umm...)?

Photo: Andreanna Moya, Flickr, Creative Commons

Jason Ivler in hot water; what about his mother?

2010-01-19T13:54:00.007+08:00

After two months of hiding, fugitive Jason Ivler has finally been apprehended by NBI operatives.

Ivler is suspected to be involved in two separate incidents on the road, one leading to reckless imprudence resulting to homicide (2004) and the other leading to murder (2009).

With the arrest of Ivler, authorities score some brownie points, showing that not everyone can get away from the (long?) arm of the law.

Ivler was not as cooperative though. He seemed to have tapped into his inner Scarface, firing upon the arresting officers, injuring two in the process.

Jason Ivler Ivler is dead meat for sure. What about his mother Marlene Pollard, who said that her son was in Hawaii when weeks later her son was found in her very own home?

P.D. 1829 deals with crimes relating to obstruction of justice, the pertinent provisions of which are:

Section 1. The penalty of prision correccional in its maximum period, or a fine ranging from 1,000 to 6,000 pesos, or both, shall be imposed upon any person who knowingly or willfully obstructs, impedes, frustrates or delays the apprehension of suspects and the investigation and prosecution of criminal cases by committing any of the following acts: xxx

(c) harboring or concealing, or facilitating the escape of, any person he knows, or has reasonable ground to believe or suspect, has committed any offense under existing penal laws in order to prevent his arrest prosecution and conviction; xxx

(i) giving of false or fabricated information to mislead or prevent the law enforcement agencies from apprehending the offender or from protecting the life or property of the victim; or fabricating information from the data gathered in confidence by investigating authorities for purposes of background information and not for publication and publishing or disseminating the same to mislead the investigator or to the court. Ms Pollard can take refuge in the fact that there is a seeming inconsistency between par (c) and Art. 20 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC). The RPC exempts from criminal liability any person who harbors or conceals a descendant who is a principal of a crime.

Since P.D 1829 did not expressly repeal the RPC provision, Ms Pollard can argue that RPC will apply in this case (since it is favorable to her, the accused).

She will have a harder time as to par (i) of P.D. 1829. What is undeniable is that she gave a statement in December that her son was in Hawaii. That may or may not be true at the time she said it. But if it's not, I cannot see how she can escape an unfavorable verdict.

Photo: State Library of New South Wales collection, Flickr, The Commons

Lacson and the Immunity from Arrest

2010-01-14T18:48:00.005+08:00

JP Lopez of Malaya Insights reports that senate president Juan Ponce Enrile will give protection to senator Panfilo Lacson in case he gets arrested.

The Constitution provides that a senator is privileged from arrest for offenses punishable for not more than six years imprisonment.

Lacson, who is being linked to the Dacer-Corbito murder case, can face around 17-40 years of jail time.

This means that if the charges push through, Lacson will NOT be immune from arrest. The question of whether the senate is in session or not is irrelevant (The question of bail is another matter).

I am not implying that Lacson is culpable. That is not the point. But I'm just wondering, why would senator Enrile go out of his way to help his colleague, while allowing another (Antonio Trillanes IV) to languish in jail? You know the saying, what's sauce for the goose and all that?

Just asking.

Photo: Tim Pierce, Los Gatos, Flickr, Creative Commons

Where's My 2010 Calendar?

2010-01-10T01:20:00.004+08:00

To tell you honestly, 2009 had left me drained. So I'm really glad it's already 2010. Time to change the calendar.

However, no one gave us new calendars, as in the past. You know those calendars from so-and-so hardware, or even the calendars with pictures of religious icons? None. Nada. Zip.

Anyway, it's easy enough to print those calendars, with so many out there in the web. A friend pointed out to me a calendar by Ramon Bautista. Remember the titillating (some say tacky) cigarette and liquor calendars? Well take a look for yourself, click here for a peek. 3 parts funny, 1 part commentary. 100% genius.

Season's Greetings!

2009-12-25T16:27:00.002+08:00

Taken from xkcd

The Tale of the Bad Mother

2009-12-08T21:10:00.003+08:00

Once upon a time, there lived a mother who had many children. She's not like other mothers. To paraphrase an animal story, this mother treated her children equally, although some are more equal than the others.

The mother hated the independent-minded children. She punished them for the slightest infractions. Even if they knew they were doing the right thing, the mother did not look at them with loving eyes.

The mother liked her brown-nosing kids - those who gushed at her every move, who praised her despite her partiality and cruelty. She gave them what they wanted as long as their loyalty was hers. And their devotion to her grew, thanks to all the gifts they received.

Needless to say, the mother loved her children conditionally.

There was one son that the mother loved most of all. Once, this child brought home a diamond ring as a gift to her mother. Everyone knew the child couldn't have afforded it, but the mother accepted the gift nonetheless. Her adoration for the child even grew.

As time passed by, the child grew into a bully. If he set his sight on something, he would get it at any cost. But no one would stop him, not even the mother. He was the mother's fair-haired boy, and she was the son's doting parent.

One day, he had a squabble with her sister. She wanted the bully's candy, which enraged the boy. The bully beat her sister to a pulp, all because she longed for his candy. All the other children were shocked. Some were outraged, some were scared. None could do anything about it.

The mother wouldn't have lifted a finger as well, although she knew that she had created a tyrant. If it weren't for the neighbors' horrified looks, she wouldn't have considered a slap on the wrist. Truth be told, he kind of frightened her, so she was afraid to hurt the boy's feelings. She tiptoed around the boy's room, looking for a way to approach him.

She is still scuttling outside the room, thinking of ways to make the most out of the situation, as all the neighbors and children look on.

The end?

Photo credit: Brian Yap, Flickr, Creative Commons

Maguindanao Massacre

2009-11-24T17:47:00.002+08:00

I was browsing through an Australian newspaper online when I chanced upon the ghastly news that is the Maguindanao massacre. I thought it was a "normal" scuffle between supporters of two political factions. Boy was I wrong. What happened in Maguindanao is the very definition of massacre.

We are a nation used to exaggerations. Take the word massacre for example. Ask everyday Pinoy what massacre means, and the first thing that comes to mind is Carlo Caparas and his tacky rape films in the 90s. Massacre actually means the killing of a large people indiscriminately; slaughter; savage and excessive killing of many people. However gruesome those rape cases (and movies) were, massacre, they were not.

Now, what happened in Maguindanao, that is what you call a massacre.

That kind of heartless act is what you would normally see in the movies, or read in history books. You would not expect in 21st century Philippines. It is saddening and enraging at the same time to see that kind of barbaric act - and for what? For a mere gubernatorial position? How low can you go?

I don't care if it's a political, cultural or religious thing. This is just plain unacceptable. I hope the national government is not just paying lip service when it says it will suppress lawless violence in the area.

Just when the nation is at a high, thanks to the great feat of Efren Penaflorida (and to a lesser extent, Manny Pacquiao), we are now again in the global news for the wrong reason.

Photo: Andrew Mason, Flickr, Creative Commons

Premature Campaign Rant

2009-11-23T02:32:00.006+08:00

Finally, COMELEC has spoken up on the issue of premature campaigning. But it is still not enough to stop the deluge of premature campaigning.

A snippet of a Sun Star news article says:

Comelec earlier warned the candidates that once the certificate of candidacy (COC) is filed, infomercials and other forms of propaganda materials must be stopped. Even solicitation for the holidays is not allowed.

Which means that an elective aspirant can file his COC on the last day. Until then, he can bombard us with those annoying infomercials.

I'm sick of these commercials. There is one which describes what a leader ought to be, conveniently forgetting the fact that when the person was in position, he did not do what he ought to have done. There is one which is fully packed with personalities and nothing else. There is one which pits the sans culotte against the supercilious. This is the worst sort of propaganda - the mud-slinging type. It will only get ugly from here on out.

The only good thing I can say is that there is no aspirant yet who has graced us with a song and dance number to the tune of a tacky jingle. Oh wait, I forgot about Bobby Syjuco.

So wala. Walang magandang maidudulot ang mga infomercial na 'yan. Just don't ask the big networks, who are laughing all the way to the bank.

Photo: The Library of Congress, Flickr, Creative Commons

Political Ad Overload

2009-11-19T19:44:00.003+08:00

Anyone tired of political ads raise your hands.

Almost every presidential and vice presidential candidate is doing it. The problem is, no one - not even COMELEC - can stop it. COMELEC itself has said that there is no premature campaigning if a person has not submitted his certificate of candidacy. But anyone with a functioning eye or ear knows that these people are throwing away money in order to make themselves known. And this leads to the inevitable conclusion that they are campaigning, tama po ba?

The problem is with the our election law; it allows a "non-candidate" to show ads to toot his own horn months before the campaign period. Perfectly legal under the law but it runs counter to the most common of common sense. Can we trust our legislators to plug this gaping loophole? I doubt it.

So the ball is in our court. It is up to us viewers to discern which ad is true and which is not. Just remember, these political ads are just that - advertisements. And like any other advertisement, the the real thing almost always falls short of the product shown in the commercial. Just like mouth-watering hamburgers shown in ads, but are bland in real life.

Caveat emptor. Let voter beware.

Photo: Ollie Crafoord, Flickr, Creative Commons

Hector de Leon Now Online

2009-10-23T11:35:00.000+08:00

I first encountered Hector de Leon during college, when his books were the required reading materials for our Obligations and Contracts and Partnerships and Corporations class. I would later find out during law school that he has authored numerous books covering a wide array of legal topics, rivaling perhaps only Jose Nolledo (If you are a law student and you have not been hiding under a rock, I'm sure you have encountered de Leon). Because he has written books for a wide spectrum of law subjects, he may be suspected as a Jack-of-all-trades, master of none type. But make no mistake, he is a successful author because he writes in a clear and understandable manner especially helpful to students. For that he should be given credit.

Thanks to Lex Discipulus, I have found out that Hector de Leon Jr. (Son of the ubiquitous Hector de Leon, who co-authored some books with his father, I think) has gone digital. He has a blog, Lexoterica: A Philippine Blawg, which can be a very useful tool for law students and practitioners alike. What I like best about his blog is that he makes a summary of the latest Supreme Court cases, which can greatly help lawyers in refreshing their knowledge of Philippine jurisprudence. Perhaps next only to Lawphil, the Supreme Court site and ChanRobles, this is probably the most useful website for those in the legal profession.

Inundation

2009-10-16T12:11:00.002+08:00

The bulk of the news today still center on the devastation wrought by Pepeng and Ondoy. It is heart-wrenching to see our brethren helpless amidst storms, floods and landslides. When Ondoy struck, practically everyone in greater Manila area was affected, including us in Malabon. People in our area are used to floods, so the only casualties were the properties not brought to higher ground. Not so lucky were people in other parts of Luzon (notably Marikina and Pasig), some of whose lives were lost. The same goes true for the people in Pangasinan, who bore the brunt of typhoon Pepeng's wrath. For those who lost loved ones, my heartfelt condolences.

It is an anomaly that for a nation hit regularly by typhoons year in and year out, we still seem unprepared for the worst. My father observed that the recent events show that the Philippines is still a country in infancy – we seem to have no set policy and standards on, among other things, disaster preparedness. Almost every action is backed by guesstimation. Tantsahan ba. Hopefully, as we pick up ourselves from the shambles, every person has gotten some learning experience from these events. It is about time, right?

Photo: Dan Saavedra, Flickr, Creative Commons

The Return

2009-10-16T01:10:00.003+08:00

After a forlough of several months, I am back to writing (hopefully regularly) in this blog. I'll admit that writing again seems like an unfamiliar territory for me, much like a person who has not ridden a bicycle in a long time. Hopefully, I will get my groove back ASAP.

President Cory: Gone, But Will Never be Forgotten

2009-08-05T02:51:00.000+08:00

What I will say might have already uttered a great many times, but no matter. This is my tribute to our beloved President Cory Aquino.

I have to say that I am deeply affected by the demise of President Cory, I cannot exactly pinpoint why. I was only in 4th grade when she stepped down as president. Sure, I saw her on TV every once in a while. I had a vague idea of who she was and what she represented (through class lessons and stories from my parents). But the significance of what Cory did never really hit me until a few years later, during EDSA II. I would imagine that EDSA II paled in comparison with the original People Power, in terms of magnitude and chutzpah. But that sense of control, empowerment and pride felt during EDSA II made me appreciate what the Cory-led revolution was and what it stood for.

I also think that the loss of Cory is so palpable because she passed away at a time when our nation is desperately longing for a true leader. We have an abundance of people acting as warlords, but we have not enough people acting as servant-leaders. What I admire about Cory is that for her, power was a means, and not an end. This is, of course, in sharp contrast to the contemporary politicians, who do everything they can to cling to power, and who spend millions advertising on TV, already campaigning for an election which is still 10 months away.

I take my hats off to President Cory. I have nothing but respect and gratitude. I'm sure history will be very kind to her. For what she represented, she will be immortalized in the collective memory of the Filipinos. For all the good that she did, she will always be revered by a grateful nation.

By the way, if you want to offer prayers or condolences to the Aquino family, you can do so by clicking here.

Cheaper Medicines Now

2009-07-20T15:59:00.000+08:00

A controversy regarding the Cheaper Medicines Act arose a few days ago, when Senator Juan Ponce Enrile revealed an alleged bribe by one pharmaceutical company. It's not exactly a bribe, more of a donation, in favor of the government. And that is not necessarily a bad thing, and there's nothing illegal with such an act. It is within a corporation's power to donate to the government. In fact, it is a good thing. Taken at face value, giving discount cards for the people to use is a nice gesture on the part of the pharmaceutical company.

The alleged bribery was denied by the company, so we must give them the benefit of the doubt. If they say that there's no intention to bribe, then let us assume that the discount cards were given out of pure gratuity.

Same with the voluntary price cut proposals. From the point of view of pharmaceutical companies, proposing voluntary price cuts can be a win-win compromise for both parties. It is understandable from the perspective of a profit-driven entity to maximize money coming in.

However, these acts should NOT in anyway influence the full implementation of the Cheaper Medicines Act. The implementation of the price ceiling is long overdue, and much needed by the people. We have suffered long enough from having exorbitant prices of medicines. It is only natural that pharmaceutical companies will do everything in their capacity in order to stall or prevent the implementation. But who is in charge here anyway? The government should correct the anomaly in our country of having one of the cheapest cigarettes while having one of the most expensive medicines in Asia, if not the world. The cigarette situation will take a longer time to correct, but having cheaper medicines would be a good start.

Succession Bill: Massive Failure

2009-05-22T23:16:00.000+08:00

Trust our solons to make the most inane and opportunistic suggestions.

I had to laugh when I read about the suggestion of some of our lawmakers to pass a Succession Bill in case of a failure of elections next year. The proposed bill will give powers to Congress to appoint a temporary president.

First off, if you were disgusted/appalled/turned off by this suggestion, then the parliamentary form of government is not for you. The set-up that our lawmakers are proposing is akin to a parliamentary form of government. The parliamentary system, in a nutshell, is when we vote for the legislators, and the legislators vote for the prime minister. So when the issue of the parliamentary system in charter change comes up, remember your reaction when you first heard of the Succession Bill, and base you decision with that in mind.

Second, I don't know if the proponents of the bill know their law (as they should, they are the ones who make them in the first place), then it would be patently clear to them that what they are proposing is unconstitutional. The Constitution provides that the president should be voted at large. An exception to this is if in case president resigns, dies, becomes permanently disabled or is removed from office. in such a case, the line of succession will apply i.e. Vice President (gasp!), Senate President (double gasp!), House Speaker (triple gasp!). Another exception is when there is an extra-constitutional move to replace the president (e.g. EDSA, but this will not likely happen in the near future). So there is no way for congressmen to give themselves the power to choose who the president would be, whether acting or not, and whether there is a failure of elections or not.

Photo: fireflythegreat , Flickr, Creative Commons

An Extreme Disbarment Case

2009-05-12T12:38:00.000+08:00

We have some shady lawyers in this part of the globe, but the story of a Florida lawyer is one for hte books.

AP reports about a Florida lawyer who had sex with his clients. But it's not just some simple, consensual sex. The report goes:

[T]he man admitted having sex with his 18-year-old client and another woman in exchange for credits toward her $2,300 fee for handling an assault case.

He agreed to take off $200 every time he had sex with her and $400 when she arranged sex with another woman.

The end result? Disbarment.

Case Digest: Ormoc Sugar Company v. Treasurer of Ormoc

2009-05-11T14:59:00.000+08:00

ORMOC SUGAR COMPANY, INC., plaintiff-appellant, vs. THE TREASURER OF ORMOC CITY, THE MUNICIPAL BOARD OF ORMOC CITY, HON. ESTEBAN C. CONEJOS as Mayor of Ormoc City and ORMOC CITY, defendants-appellees.

G.R. No. L-23794, February 17, 1968

BENGZON, J.P., J.:
Ormoc city passed an ordinance which provides:

"There shall be paid to the City Treasurer on any and all productions of centrifugal sugar milled at the Ormoc Sugar Company, Incorporated, in Ormoc City, a municipal tax equivalent to one per centum (1%) per export sale to the United States of America and other foreign countries."

Ormoc Sugar Company filed a complaint against the city of Ormoc, alleging that the afore-stated ordinance is unconstitutional for being violative of the equal protection clause (Sec. 1[1], Art. III, Constitution) and the rule of uniformity of taxation (Sec. 22[1]), Art. VI, Constitution)

ISSUE: W/N the ordinance violates the equal protection clause and the uniformity of taxation/

RULING: YES

The equal protection clause applies only to persons or things identically situated and does not bar a reasonable classification of the subject of legislation, and a classification is reasonable where (1) it is based on substantial distinctions which make real differences; (2) these are germane to the purpose of the law; (3) the classification applies not only to present conditions but also to future conditions which are substantially identical to those of the present; (4) the classification applies only to those who belong to the same class.

A perusal of the requisites instantly shows that the questioned ordinance does not meet them, for it taxes only centrifugal sugar produced and exported by the Ormoc Sugar Company, Inc. and none other. At the time of the taxing ordinance's enactment, Ormoc Sugar Company, Inc., it is true, was the only sugar central in the city of Ormoc. Still, the classification, to be reasonable, should be in terms applicable to future conditions as well. The taxing ordinance should not be singular and exclusive as to exclude any subsequently established sugar central, of the same class as plaintiff, for the coverage of the tax. As it is now, even if later a similar company is set up, it cannot be subject to the tax because the ordinance expressly points only to Ormoc City Sugar Company, Inc. as the entity to be levied upon

The Philippine Economy from the Outside Looking In

2009-05-09T19:56:00.000+08:00

If there is one thing that the Pacquiao-Hatton match has shown us, it's that middle class Filipinos still have money to burn. Last Sunday, cinemas and restaurants showing the match were still filled with Pinoys wanting to watch the fight live (instead of waiting until 3pm to see the knockout punch on free tv). And it's not cheap - prices range from P250-P750 per person.

So it is a paradox called the Philippines, wherein almost every country in the world is feeling the effects of global financial crunch, and yet the Filipinos' lives go on.

Philip Bowring of the New York Times gives his take on the Philippine economy, and explains why the very things that keep us afloat are the very reasons why we have not advanced, and will not advance, economically. Click here for the article.

Pacquiao and the Congressmen, distinguished.

2009-05-07T17:21:00.003+08:00

One of my favorite columnists, Conrado de Quiros, always has a way with words. In his column yesterday , he illustrated how Congressmen differ from Manny Pacquiao. Here's the best one:

When Pacquiao left for Vegas, he did so using his own money. Or whoever it is that pays for the travel expenses of prizefighters when they fight in strange shores. As soon as he got to Vegas, he went straight to the gym and got to business. A thing that alarmed his trainer, Freddie Roach: Pacquiao was so determined to work Roach feared he might overdo it. Pacquiao himself knew he was playing for very high stakes, his nation’s honor being on the line, and didn’t want to gamble with it wantonly.

When the congressmen left for Vegas, they used our money, except that they said they were using their own money. In their minds at least they weren’t lying—they have always assumed our money to be theirs. As soon as they got there, they hit the bars and the casinos, determined not to lose any time sleeping. A thing that much elated the managers of those joints. At the rate the Filipino congressmen were spending, they thought, they could bail America out of its recession. The congressmen knew they were playing for very high stakes, their personal fortunes being on the line, and they gambled in wild abandon.

Funny stuff.

Baring the Consequences of the Naked Truth

2009-05-06T19:20:00.001+08:00

Last week, four scantily clad members of People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) held a mini-demonstration in front of Manila Zoo, bearing placards which read, "Have a Heart, Boycott the Zoo."

Here's a snippet of a news report by ABS-CBN:

"We need to do what it takes to get people to pay attention, and if it means showing some skin, that's what we'll do. We think it's important to raise awareness on a very serious issue, and we thought using a fun, attention-grabbing way would be the best way to draw attention to the issue of these suffering animals in Manila Zoo," said Rochelle Regodon, PETA campaign manager.

The trick worked, Regodon said, because their office phones were ringing off the hook from people eager to get more information about the Manila Zoo campaign and help their cause.

It elicited more than double takes from the crowd. It drew the attention of the Bureau of Immigration, holding that the foreigners who took part in the demonstration (3 of the 4 were caucasians) could face deportation. A GMA news report reads:

Commissioner Marcelino Libanan said the country’s immigration laws do not allow foreigners to join mass actions.

"We welcome them here as visitors. They cannot just protest here, especially if it violates the culture of Filipinos," he said.

I'm not familiar with all the immigration and deportation laws, but is there a ground (a statute or a administrative regulation) for doing so?

And even assuming that there is a ground, wouldn't it run counter to the Constitution? Our most fundamental law guarantees full civil rights even to aliens (Vera v. Avelino), which includes the right to free speech (Simon v. CHR).

Oh sure, the mode of expression may be shocking for some, but there were more demonstrations which were more shocking to the senses (remember the sexy starlet in her birthday suit who said "Yes to War, No to Peace!" instead of the other way around?). And besides, the cause PETA is fighting for is definitely legit.

I haven't heard about this issue again, but surely, it was merely a knee-jerk reaction of the honorable BID Commissioner?

Photo: Bob Kramer, Flickr, Creative Commons

Running for the Wrong Reasons

2009-05-05T17:20:00.001+08:00

The campaign season hasn't officially started. But some politicians are already making moves which, by all indications short of saying that they are running, proclaim to the whole nation that they are running. While they are in their right to burn their OWN money (note the emphasis) by buying primetime TV ad spots, the whole thing is kind of crass.

Anyway, here's a Dilbert comic strip that I archived months ago, knowing fully well that it will come in handy in the future. How right I was.

When Pacquiao Fights, You Do Not Blink

2009-05-03T12:57:00.000+08:00

You should not take your eyes of the screen, you should not do anything else.

That being said, as the 2nd round of his fight with Hatton was coming to a close, I reached for my cellphone and WHAM! The fight was over. I didn't see the knockout punch.

2009 Bar Examniations Coverage

2009-05-02T12:30:00.004+08:00

Note: I just checked the Supreme Court website , but the coverage for the 2009 Bar exams has not been posted. However, I got this from an email, and I think this is the real deal.

POLITICAL LAW AND INTERNATIONAL LAW

*Decisions of the Supreme Court, promulgated up to 30 June 2008, and Republic Acts, Presidential Decrees and Executive Orders, promulgated up to 31 December 2007.

1. Constitutional Law

2. Political Law

3. Administrative Law and Law on Public Officers

EXCLUDE: Implementing Rules and Regulations of different agencies

4. Laws on Suffrage

5. Local Government Code (R.A. 7160) (Basics)

EXCLUDE: Provisions Relating to Local Taxation

6. Public Corporations

7. Public International Law

LABOR STANDARDS/TERMINATI ON LAW AND SOCIAL LEGISLATION

* Decisions of the Supreme Court, promulgated up to 30 June 2008, and Republic Acts, Presidential Decrees and Executive Orders, promulgated up to 31 December 2007.

I. Labor Laws (Labor Standards Law and Labor Relation Law)

a) Labor Code of the Philippines (P.D. No. 442, as amended)

Books I, II, III, V, VI, and VII

EXCLUDE: Book IV

b) Thirteenth (13th) Month Pay Law (P.D. No. 851, as amended)

c) The Omnibus Rules Implementing the Labor Code of the Philippines

d) Guidelines for the Exercise of the Right to Organize of Government Employees, etc. (Executive Order No. 180, June 1, 1987)

II. Social Legislation

a) Social Security Act of 1997 (R.A. No. 8282)

b) Government Service Insurance Act of 1997 (R.A. No. 8291)

c) Anti-Sexual Harassment Act of 1995 (R.A. No. 7877)

d) Agrarian/Land Reform Laws

EXCLUDE:

Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law

Employees Compensation and State Insurance Fund

CIVIL LAW

* Decisions of the Supreme Court, promulgated up to 30 June 2008, and Republic Acts, Presidential Decrees and Executive Orders, promulgated up to 31 December 2007.

1. Civil Code of the Philippines

INCLUDE: The Law on Sale of Subdivision Lots and Condominium (P.D. No 957) and the Condominium Act (R.A. No. 4726)

EXCLUDE the following:

a) Code of Muslim Personal Laws of the Philippines (P.D. No. 1067)

b) The Rental Law (B.P. Blg. 25 and amendments)

c) Intellectual Property Law

2. The Family Code of the Philippines

EXCLUDE: Child and Youth Welfare Code (P.D. 603)

3. Domestic Adoption Act of 1998 (R.A. No. 8552)

4. Inter-Country Adoption Act of 1995 (R.A. No. 8043)

5. Property Registration Decree (P.D. No. 1529)

INCLUDE: Public Land Law (C.A. No. 141, as amended)

6. Conflict of Laws (Private International Law)

TAXATION

* Decisions of the Supreme Court, promulgated up to 30 June 2008, and Republic Acts, Presidential Decrees and Executive Orders, promulgated up to 31 December 2007.

1. General Principles of Taxation

2. National Internal Revenue Code

INCLUDE:

a) Comprehensive Tax Reform Act of 1997 (R.A. No. 8424) – Provisions in effect

b) All Value Added Tax (VAT) laws in effect

3. Tarriff and Customs Code

EXCLUDE: Arrastre and Classification of Commodities

4. Republic Act No. 1125, Creating the Court of Tax Appeals, as amended

5. The Local Government Code on Taxation

MERCANTILE LAW

* Decisions of the Supreme Court, promulgated up to 30 June 2008, and Republic Acts, Presidential Decrees and Executive Orders, promulgated up to 31 December 2007.

1. Code of Commerce

a) Merchants and Commercial Transactions, Articles 1-63

b) Letters of Credit Under the Code of Commerce (Articles 567-572)

INCLUDE the ff:

i) Bulk Sales Law (Act No. 3952)

ii) The Warehouse Receipts Law (Act No. 2137 in relation to the General Bonded Warehouse Act [Act No. 3893])

iii) Presidential Decree 115 on Trust Receipts

2. Negotiable Instruments Law

3. Insurance Code

INCLUDE: Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation Act (R.A. 3591)

4. Transportation Laws

a) Common Carriers (Civil Code, Arts. 1732 to 1766)

b) Commercial Contracts for Transportation Overland

(Code of Commerce, Arts. 349 to 379)

c) Maritime Commerce (Code of Commerce, Arts. 673 to 736; also Arts. 580-584 of Code of Commerce, as superseded by R.A. No. 6106; Arts. 806 to 845 of Code of Commerce; Paragraph 6 of section 3 of Carriage of Goods by Sea Act ([Com. Act. 65])

d) Public Service Act (Com. Act No. 146), as amended

e) The Warsaw Convention of 1929 (Limited to the Carrier’s Liability)

5. Corporation Law

a) The Corporation Code (B.P. Blg. 68

b) Securities Regulation Code (R.A. 8799)

c) Banking Laws (General Terms and Provisions)

i) The New Central Bank Act (R.A. No. 7653) (Basics)

ii) Law on Secrecy of Bank Deposits (R.A. No. 1405, as amended)

6. Intellectual Property Code (R.A. No. 8293) (Basics)

EXCLUDE: Implementing Rules and Regulations

7. Special Laws

a) The Chattel Mortgage Law (Act 1508 in Relation to art. 1484, 1485, 2140, and 2141 of the Civil Code)

b) Real Estate Mortgage Law (Act. No. 3135, as amended by R.A. No. 4118)

c) Truth in Lending Act (R.A. No. 3765)

EXCLUDE the following:

1) Omnibus Investment Code of 1987 (E.O. No. 226)

2) Foreign Investment Act of 1991 (R.A. No. 7042)

CRIMINAL LAW

* Decisions of the Supreme Court, promulgated up to 30 June 2008, and Republic Acts, Presidential Decrees and Executive Orders, promulgated up to 31 December 2007.

1. Revised Penal Code (Books I and II), as amended

EXCLUDE: Penalties for Specific Felonies

2. Indeterminate Sentence Law

3. Probation Law

4. Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (R.A. No. 3019, as amended)

5. Anti-Fencing Law (P.D. No. 1612)

6. Bouncing Checks Law (B.P. Blg. 22)

7. Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 (R.A. No 9165, as amended)

8. Heinous Crimes Act (R.A. No. 7659, as amended)

9. Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2001 (R.A. No. 9160)

EXCLUDE: Civil Forfeiture Rules

REMEDIAL LAW

* Decisions of the Supreme Court, promulgated up to 30 June 2008, and Republic Acts, Presidential Decrees and Executive Orders, promulgated up to 31 December 2007.

1. The Rules of Court, as amended

a) 1997 Rules of Civil Procedure

b) Revised Rules of Criminal Procdure (effective December 1, 2000)

c) Rules on Evidence

d) Rules on Special Proceedings

2. The 1991 Revised Rules on Summary Procedure

3. Local Government Code on Conciliation Procedures

(Book III, Title I, Chapter 7)

4. The Judiciary Reorganization Act of 1980 (B.P. Blg. 129), as amended by R.A. No. 7691 and rules issued thereunder (emphasis on jurisdiction excluding purely administrative provisions)

5. Judiciary Act of 1948

EXCLUDE the following:

a) P.D. No. 946 (Reorganizing the CAR)

b) Military Justice

6. Jurisdiction of Sandiganbayan

a) R.A. No. 7975

b) R.A. No. 8249

7. The Rule on the Writ of Amparo (A.M. No. 07-9-12-SC)

8. The Rule on the Writ of Habeas Data (A.M. No. 08-1-16-SC)a

LEGAL ETHICS AND PRACTICAL EXERCISES

* Decisions of the Supreme Court, promulgated up to 30 June 2008, and Republic Acts, Presidential Decrees and Executive Orders, promulgated up to 31 December 2007.

1. Code of Judicial Conduct

2. Code of Professional Responsibility

3. Grievance Procedures (Rule 139-B, Rules of Court)

4. Legal Forms

One Flu Over the Pig's Pen

2009-05-01T14:48:00.000+08:00

I have been battered by fever, cold, headache and sore throat for over a week now, When I asked my sister about it, she said it must be swine flu. She was joking, of course ( or I hope she is). Anyway, because of the swine flu scare, people would probably be conscioutheir health again s of (much like when there was a SARS outbreak). In relation to this, Rina Jimenez-David has some rules of etiquette when coughing. And here I quote her unabashedly:

DO YOU know that there are "etiquette rules" to follow when coughing? Our most instinctive reaction when we cough or sneeze is to cover our mouth and nose with our bare hands. But, say health authorities, this only increases the spread of germs since hands, if left unwashed or sanitized after, could very easily transfer the microbes.

Some would sneeze into the sleeves, taking care to cover their mouth and nose, although this is not easy to achieve. If one doesn't have a handkerchief or tissue at hand, the "proper way" of coughing, say health authorities, is to cough into one's shirt, holding the neckline over one's face to prevent the spread of germs carried in the air through droplets expelled by your mouth or nose to other people.

Washing one's hands frequently, or using alcohol hand cleansers, are also practices we can adopt to prevent spreading not just swine flu virus but other germs as well.

Germs can spread by direct physical contact, or by holding items that an infected person has held before. Our mothers were right: wash hands before and after eating, after using the bathroom, and after sneezing or coughing.

Shooting the Messenger

2009-05-01T13:14:00.001+08:00

Isn't it ironic that in this country, the whistle blowers are, more often than not, incarcerated; while the target of the expose roam freely in to do continue wreaking havoc in this land?

Such is the case of Jun Lozada, the whistleblower in the NBN-ZTE deal. He did everything he could do create awareness of the scam, and he did everything he could do protect himself from harm. And yet, he finds himself on the wrong end of the deal by having a perjury charge lodged against him.

Yesterday's Philippine Star's editorial is right on point:

Rodolfo Lozada Jr. can surely afford to post the minimal bail bond needed in a criminal case filed against him. But Lozada's refusal to post bail drives home one point: there are many individuals who should be behind bars or at least on trial in connection with the broadband network deal between the government and China's ZTE Corp. So who gets a warrant of arrest first? The whistle-blower.

Report: 90% of Cops Can't Fire Guns Properly

2009-04-26T01:58:00.001+08:00

Click here for the full story.

Kaya pala tutukan kung tumira...Joke!

The New Party List Rule: Painting the Town Red, in More Ways Than One?

2009-04-25T01:57:00.000+08:00

The Supreme Court recently rendered a major decision (Banat v. COMELEC ), setting forth a new doctrine (for the nth time) regarding the party list system in our country. The Court abolished the two percent rule (wherein only those parties who garner at least two percent of the votes cast shall be allowed a seat), thereby allowing more parties to participate in the circus that we know as the House of Representatives.

The decision has yielded mixed reactions. The resounding nay comes from speaker Prospero Nograles himself, who said that increasing the number of representatives is going to be a logistical nightmare. Also (and ironically), some incumbent party list representatives bemoan the decision, since an increase in the number of congressmen would necessarily lead to increase in government expenditures, by way of pork barrel.

Those who applaud the decision point to the fact that an increase in the number of congressmen will mean that it would be harder to get the required number for a charter change. That, it is argued, is good enough a reason to give kudos to the Supreme Court.

The increase in the number of representatives will benefit "The Butcher" Jovito Palparan and a sister of the "first" "gentleman", among others. But it will also give seats to somewhat deserving party list groups.

Evidently, the Supreme Court decision is a double-edged sword. At present, party list representatives are some of the more active members of the house. They point out every inequity and illegality committed by the government and their peers, despite the perception that their acts are futile. But the party list system can also be abused. It can be infiltrated by incompetent or undeserving people. Or it can be taken advantage of by some groups, who are not at all marginalized (thereby defeating the purpose of the party list scheme), but who can easily win seats by their clout alone.

We may have a good thing going with the party list system. But in five or ten years, who knows? In the Philippines, anything can happen,especially when it comes to politics.

Bar Matter: Two Examiners per Subject

2009-04-13T22:52:00.000+08:00

Republic of the Philippines
SUPREME COURT
Manila

B.M. No. 1161 February 3, 2009

Re: Proposed Reform in the Bar Examinations

Sirs/Mesdames:

Quoted hereunder, for your information, is a resolution of this Court dated February 3, 2009.

"Bar Matter No. 1161.- Re: Proposed Reform in the Bar Examinations. - The Court Resolved, upon the recommendation of the Committee on Legal Education and Bar Matters, to APPROVE, the proposal of Atty. Ma, Cristina B. Layusa, Deputy Clerk of Court and Bar Confidant, regarding the (1) implementation of Paragraph 4 Part B of Bar Matter No. 1161, or the designation of two (2) examiner per Bar subject; and (2) increase in the honorarium of the examiners from P130.00 to P200.00 per booklet.

Hence, every Bar subject shall be divided into two (2) parts - Part I and Part II. Each examiner shall be assigned a specific scope from which to formulate his/her questions. The time allotted for each Bar subject of four (4) hours for the morning subjects and three (3) hours for the afternoon subjects shall not change. In answering the questions, the Bar examinees have the discretion in utilizing the time allotted for answering. Thus they may opt to begin answering a particular part of the examination which he or she feels is relatively easier that the others.

As with the previous Bar examinations, only one set of test questionnaire and one examination booklet for each Bar subject shall be given to each Bar examinee. Each examination booklet shall also be divided into two (2) parts, marked as Part I and Part II, where the answers are to be written corresponding to Part I and Part II of the questionnaire, respectively. A separated card for the grades or rating received by the Bar examinee for each part of the examination shall be attached to the front cover of the booklets marked as Part I and Part II. Upon review and correction of the two examiners' respective part of the examination, the attached card shall be detached immediately thereafter before transmittal to the other examiner for review and correction of the other part of the examination. This is to ensure that the other examiner would not be influenced by the grade or rating given by the other.

In this connection, there shall be an increase in the honorarium of the Bar examiners from P130.00 to 200.00 per booklet per Bar subject or P100 per booklet per examiner." (adv132)

Very truly yours,

(Sgd.)
MA. LUISA D. VILLARAMA
Clerk of Court

Another Look at Philosophy and Morality

2009-04-12T19:26:00.000+08:00

I read an interesting article in New York Times by David Brooks, entitled the end of Philosophy.

Socrates talked. The assumption behind his approach to philosophy, and the approaches of millions of people since, is that moral thinking is mostly a matter of reason and deliberation: Think through moral problems. Find a just principle. Apply it.

But the problem with this approach is that “it has been hard to find any correlation between moral reasoning and proactive moral behavior, such as helping other people. In fact, in most studies, none has been found.” Instead, a new view likens moral thinking to aesthetics. "As we look around the world, we are constantly evaluating what we see. Seeing and evaluating are not two separate processes. They are linked and basically simultaneous."

Think of what happens when you put a new food into your mouth. You don’t have to decide if it’s disgusting. You just know. You don’t have to decide if a landscape is beautiful. You just know.
Moral judgments are like that. They are rapid intuitive decisions and involve the emotion-processing parts of the brain. Most of us make snap moral judgments about what feels fair or not, or what feels good or not. We start doing this when we are babies, before we have language. And even as adults, we often can’t explain to ourselves why something feels wrong.
In other words, reasoning comes later and is often guided by the emotions that preceded it. Or as Jonathan Haidt of the University of Virginia memorably wrote, “The emotions are, in fact, in charge of the temple of morality, and ... moral reasoning is really just a servant masquerading as a high priest.”

The article reminds me of Yano's opus, which goes:

Nangangaral sa kalye ang isang lalake/
Hiningan ng pera ng batang pulubi/
Pasensya na para daw sa templo/
Pangkain lang po sabi ng paslit/
Talagang di ba pupwede?
Lumipat ng pwesto ang lalake.

Banal na aso, santong kabayo/
Natatawa ako hihihihi.

Photo: Ben Crowe, Flickr, Creative Commons

Of Corruption Surveys

2009-04-09T19:00:00.000+08:00

The survey that said that Philippines was the most corrupt country in Asia last year has "downgraded" the country to "only" sixth place.

Is this reason to celebrate?

Not just yet.

While it is welcome news, there is no real movement to curb corruption in the country. The sudden dip in the rankings may be attributable to many factors, e.g. corruption in the Philippines may have paled in comparison to massive corruption in other countries, or small-time corruption in the country may not have been reported with as much zeal as high-profile corruption. But the bare fact is that corruption is still present in the country, with no reprieve in sight. A quick look at the newspaper headlines this past year reveals that corruption is still a very big issue. And with our guard dog - the honorable Ombudsman - sleeping on her job, would anyone be faulted if he takes the survey with a grain of salt?

And I hope that corrupt officials do not take this as a sign that they aren't robbing enough.

Photo: watchsmart, Flickr, Creative Commons

Much Ado About Nothing

2009-03-16T02:30:00.004+08:00

Remember when Bush went here on a State visit about 6 years ago. GMA was so happy about it that she decided to renege on her promise before Jose Rizal's monument not to run for presidency. She believed Bush's unofficial anointing would be enough reason to break her word.

If GMA took advantage of every exposure she had with bumbling Bush (she and her countrymen being the butt of Bush's jokes, notwithistanding), what more of a popular U.S. president in the person of Obama?

A news report says that GMA was giddy after talking to Obama over the phone, with the conversation revolving mainly around the VFA. And I'm sure that GMA's men will milk this event and portray the two presidents as best buddies (or something to that effect). But really, what's the fuss? Obama spoke not just with GMA that day. He also talked to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia and to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. In other words, Obama was just doing his presidential duty of checking up on his country's "allies" - nothing more to it.

Furthermore, the phone call doesn't change the fact that VFA is grossly against our favor. The Inquirer report said it best:

[Palawan Rep. Abraham] Mitra said Obama’s charm did not boost the merits of having a VFA.

"His blackberry call might be a special moment for the President but it should not trigger a euphoric celebration for the rest of us. The US can invoke the VFA when it suits them but in the same vein, they can disown it when it threatens their interest as in the case of Smith. If Obama had told the President that Smith will be turned over to us, then that would have made our day, a change in policy that we could believe in," said Mitra in a text message.

Photo: Enrique Dans, Flickr, Creative Commons

Book Review: Antonio Bautsista's Basic Evidence

2009-03-13T23:52:00.001+08:00

Atty Antonio Bautista's Basic Evidence features a topical discussion of the rules on Evidence. It is mainly an academic discussion of the subject. The discussion generally go into the spirit of the rules. The book discusses the wisdom, the pros and cons of a particular rule.

U.S. caselaws and American authorities like Wigmore, Lilly and Kirkpatrick are extensively quoted to shed light on the various topics. And while our rules on Evidence are based on common law, some discussions may not apply in our jurisdiction on all fours.

The book is recommended if you want to know about the rationale of our rules on Evidence. But if you are studying for the bar, I won't recommend this book.

It's Automated Elections in 2010

2009-03-06T18:16:00.001+08:00

At long last, we'll be having computerized elections nationwide come 2010.

It's good to finally do away with manual counting. It is highly susceptible to manipulation, not to mention grossly inefficient. So the full automation is welcome news indeed.

There are still concerns about the new system Senator Chiz Escudero has this to say:

I am not willing to spend even a single centavo for a system which is not tested, for a system we cannot even describe or define, or a system that we’re not even sure of delivering a clean, honest and fair election.

Which is a perfectly valid point. But I think that it is better to have computerized elections in 2010 than continue with our old ways. This is one instance where the cost is immaterial. If we find out that the system falls short of expectations, then we will have to find a suitable one come the next elections. But to continue with manual counting is unacceptable. We have to start sometime, Why not now?

There are also concerns that cheating will still continue despite the new system. Realistically speaking, I think it's highly improbable that cheating will be totally eradicated. But at least it will be greatly minimized. While there are fears that the wrong contractor will be chosen, or that the system chosen will still be vulnerable to manipulation. But I think COMELEC Commissioner Jose Melo has enough credibility and has proven competency for the job ahead.

Photo: bfick, Flickr, Creative Commons

Who's Afraid of Automated Elections?

2009-03-04T03:47:00.001+08:00

In a time when everything is fast-paced, our leaders doggedly cling to the tortoise-like pace of counting ballots.

An Inquirer report has this to say:

Malacañang should understand that there is no more time to implement full automation in the May 2010 election, Deputy Speaker and Cebu Representative Pablo Garcia said.

We've been through this for a very long time. We know the advantages of having automated elections - how wonderful it is to see elections in other countries where counting takes only a few hours. What's stopping us from implementing the same here?

Okay, the implementation of full automation may be difficult, but it is not insurmountable. The expenses may be high, but I'm sure the government can throw in a few more bucks just to overhaul our antiquated system. If we can award millions of pesos to Mega Pacific for junk, then we can surely afford an effective system.

Our congressmen would have none of that. There are other problems to tackle:

[Congressman Pablo] Garcia said full automation could not be carried out because Republic Act 9369 mandated the use of both manual and the electronic system.

It also requires the participation of watchers in the counting of votes in the precinct. If the votes in the precinct will be counted by the machines, then the watchers will no longer have participation in the process, he added.

“The danger is there is no more human intervention, the machine will perform or function as it is told to do by the brain or source code,” Garcia said.

Counting the votes in the precinct level using the machines will also require some 80,000 machines and the same number of persons who should be “technically-competent” and certified by the Department of Science and Technology.

As to the illegality of full automation because it goes against R.A. 9369, it is merely making a mountain out of a molehill. They are Congress, for Aout loud! Amend the law so the issues can be reconciled! Problem solved!

As to human intervention, I don't think more human involvement helps the cause. In fact, it is more of a hindrance. Less human intervention means less chances of cheating, right? Or maybe, that's exactly what politicians fear.

Now, the problem of "technically-competent" persons merit serious consideration. As to how technically competent the machine operator would be would depend on the machine involved. If the machine is user-friendly enough, I'm sure our teachers are able enough to know how it works. The issue, therefore, hinges on the machine to be obtained, and not necessarily to the operator thereof.

Sure, there are risks in implementing a new system like this. But I believe that the pros far outweigh the cons. There is no better time than now to change our election system and to minimize election cheating. Resources are not lacking, willpower is.

Photo: Ken Bosma, Flickr, Creative Commons

The Sleeping Watchdog

2009-02-25T12:06:00.000+08:00

Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez has been receiving flak for the past couple of years or so. I would have to say the flak is not undeserved.

The Ombudsman Act is clear on the Ombudsman's mandate:

Section 13. Mandate. - The Ombudsman and his Deputies, as protectors of the people, shall act promptly on complaints filed in any form or manner against officers or employees of the government, or of any subdivision, agency or instrumentality thereof, including government-owned or controlled corporations, and enforce their administrative, civil and criminal liability in every case where the evidence warrants in order to promote efficient service by the Government to the people.

As such, the office is given a wide latitude on how to prosecute a case. The Supreme Court even held that the Ombudsman can act based solely on an anonymous letter (as opposed to a criminal action against a private person, in which witnesses' affidavits are needed in order for a complaint to prosper).

If the Ombudsman can investigate a person based merely on an anonymous tip, more so can it act on a full report given by an international organization, right?

Among Gutierrez's shortcomings is its lack of action on the World Bank report about the rigging of WB-funded road projects. It gets even more damning as the report was already given to the office of the Ombudsman as early as May 2006, as Malaya has reported. If that is the case, what was done about it? A report served on a silver platter, and all the Ombudsman had to do was follow the trail. But nothing is apparently done about it. Nada, Zilch. Zip. Ditto for the other seemingly obvious graft cases i.e. ZTE-NBN deal and the Fertilizer Fund.

As the saying goes: ang pinakammahirap gisinging ay ang nagtutulog-tulugan.

Photo: tomsaint11, Flicr, Creative Commons

Abolishing the VFA

2009-02-17T04:16:00.000+08:00

I believe that Visiting Forces Agreement causes more headaches than benefits, as the Subic Rape Case has shown. Sure, our military may have learned a thing or two from their American counterparts, but this has not produced tangible results in almost ten years that the VFA is in existence - the Mindanao situation is as bad as ever.

It's high time that the VFA is abolished.

Senator Francis Pangilinan's resolution calling for the abolition of the agreement is welcome news. But as to whether this call will gather enough steam is still in doubt. There are still holdovers from the '99 Senate vote (Enrile, Santiago, Biazon and Honasan ratified; while Pimentel and Legarda rejeced the ratification). But more importantly, GMA is more likely to be loathe to abolish the VFA. GMA, as any president we have ever had, irrationally relies on uncle Sam as an emotional crutch. And where GMA goes, so goes her lackeys in the Senate.

So will the VFA be abolished? I'll believe it when I see it.

Photo: visualcuriosity, Flickr, Creative Commons

Fiddling While Rome Burns

2009-02-08T18:23:00.000+08:00

In a time when everything seems to be in the verge of collapse, is now the proper time for new ChaCha talks?

I don't think so. House Speaker Prospero Nograles believes otherwise.

But if we are to believe Nograles, we shouldn't worry about term extensions. That is not part of the agenda, he says.

And as far as Juan Ponce Enrile is concerned, only the economic provisions of the Contitution should be changed.

I agree with JPE on this, but I still believe that now is not the time for a Constitutional revision - economic or otherwise.

Look, companies right now are not looking to invest. In fact, they are pulling out. Even if we open up our economy to foreign investors, I very much doubt if there will be takers of the opportunity to invest in an open Philippines. There are much more viable options as of the moment, China being the most feasible one.

So no. Now is not the time for Constitutional change talks. If Congress is really intent on keeping the economy afloat, it should implement statutes which should encourage growth from within, not without.

Nograles should focus his energy on finding practical ways to pump-prime the economy right now. Talks of ChaCha or Con-Ass these days, especially if it is just used as a means for a term extension, is almost vulgar. It's like fiddling while Rome burns. It's dancing Cha Cha while the Philippines is crumbling..

Photo: Diego Cosenza, Flickr, Creative Commons

It's the Economy, Stupid

2009-02-07T18:08:00.003+08:00

I've been out of the loop these past few weeks. I am ever aware of the news hogging the headlines, but I feel I have nothing substantial to add. The major issue in my mind is, of course, the raging worldwide economic crisis. We are very much vulnerable to this, as can be seen by the recent spate of lay-offs and plant/factory closures. I thought a few months ago that we can roll with the waves. But that doesn't seem so at the moment.

The contractor mess and the recently resurfaced (but ever-present) drug problem are matters of national concern, but they seem to be trivial compared to the looming economic doom. Can we afford a recession right now? Can we afford more job cuts amid the rising consumer prices?

What will happen to Ramdam ang Kaunlaran?

Photo: woodley wonderworks, Flickr, Creative Commons

A Look at Justice Diosdado Peralta

2009-01-22T04:05:00.000+08:00

Diosdado Peralta was recently sworn in to become the newest member of the Supreme Court.

He might be more popularly known as a member of the Sandiganbayan division which found Joseph Estrada guilty of plunder (For those who watched the promulgation of the decision, he was the sloucher, although he explained later on that he had nonchalant posture because he was trying to mask his nervousness). The monumental decision showed that Peralta (as well as Justices De Castro and Villaruz) is not afraid to render controversial decisions.

He is also well known in legal academic circles. The sough after Peralta notes go the rounds whenever Bar season arrives. His review classes are always packed. Former students swear that they left his classes wiser, although they gripe that the good Justice does not hesitate to flunk a student or two.

But will he unabashedly and unfairly side with whatever case is lodged against his appointer? That I do not know. There are reports that he has ties with GMA, although we have yet to see if it will affect his decision-making.

In any case, I'm glad that he is the one chosen, instead of some of the nominees who have nothing to show but their credentials and unwavering fealty to the current administration.

Photo: nyghtowl, Flickr, Creative Commons

Reflections on Obama Inauguration

2009-01-21T02:40:00.000+08:00

Another great speech by Barack Obama as he was inaugurated a while ago. The ball is now not just in the hands of Obama, but in the hands of all American people as well. As the new PUSA said:

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends - hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism - these things are old. These things are true.

What does this all mean to us? Well, we can gain inspiration from Obama's words. Back to basics. No shortcuts. Relying on our own selves more. Do we really have to wait for our rotten leaders to change? Our hairs will turn white before that actually happens. A change in government personnel is very much welcome, but maybe we, as private citizens, have to take up the cudgels. Let us be responsible for our own fates, without losing sight of our responsibility to our nation.

Heavy stuff? I'm sorry I can't help it. Obama's words have that effect on me.

Photo: ajagendorf25, Flickr, Creative Commons

Ignorant Opportunists

2009-01-17T23:28:00.000+08:00

There were lots of time during my childhood days when it was hard to play with or against other kids who do not know the rules of the game. How can you play a game when the players have no clue as to what the game is?

This memory popped up - weirdly enough - when I read about the kidnapping of International Committee on the Red Cross personnel just outside a jail facility they were inspecting.

This act obviously deserves condemnation. Kidnapping is never justifiable. But what makes it more ignominious is the fact that the people kidnapped were Red Cross/ICRC personnel, even using the Red Cross vehicle as a getaway car.

While Red Cross is more known in this part of the world as a recognized collector of blood (thanks to the amazing efforts of Rosa Rosal), the organization is much much more than that. It is a humanitarian entity which protects the victims of international and internal armed conflicts. The ICRC is a neutral entity which tends to the sick and wounded in war ravaged parts around the world, This means that they do not care about who the combatting states are, but they will see to it that they are on both sides of the fence, tending to those who need their help.

So of all people to kidnap, this group - whatever group it is - had to pick Red Cross personnel. If the motive behind the kidnapping is political, then the captors are ignorant buffoons. It is very basic, as insurgent group SHOULD know, that Red Cross personnel are universally recognized as specially protected persons. Which means that they should NEVER be endangered in any conflict in any part of the world. Holding ICRC personnel as leverage puts a bad light in your group. A release should be in order.

If the motive is purely for financial considerations, then may the heavens have mercy on you. Release these poor people, please; there may still be hope for your souls

Photo: Kazunori Matsuo, Flickr, Creative Commons

Jovencito Zuño and the Forced Leave

2009-01-15T19:09:00.000+08:00

Mayor Antonio Sanchez. Congressman Romeo Jalosjos. President Joseph Estrada.

They all have one thing in common: Chief State Prosecutor Jovencito Zuño had a hand - in one way or another - in the conviction of these people.

Jovencito Zuño has been chief prosecutor since the administration of President Fidel Ramos. Zuño got involved with the high profile criminal cases back then (and there are many high profile cases during the 90s). His involvement in the investigation and prosecution of a criminal case instills a sense of fear among the accused, and a sense of security among the public.

But credibility of Zuño is now tarnished, because of the alleged bribery in the Alabang boys case. That is too bad, because Zuño is one of the few good men we have left in the government.

About the bribery case, I take it with a grain of salt. As Chief Prosecutor Zuño said, show the public the circumstance of the bribery try against him. So far, no one has come up with a smoking gun. Moreover, his procedure of review of the Alabang Boys case was all by the book. The proper procedure for the buy-bust operation was not religiously followed. As such, he had no choice but to dismiss the case - the three accused still have constitutional rights, you know. Thus, Zuño is receiving an undeserved flak.

And that is the problem with the whole forced leave. The post of chief state prosecutor is a career service position, which means that an administrative case should be filed against Zuño in order to be legally suspended. But in this time when the issue is burning hot, the powers-that-be deem it more convenient to force upon someone like Zuño a leave of absence. Too bad for Zuño, who is not in anyway within the inner circle of the ruling power - his 30 plus years of government service be damned. What a way to reward someone for all his years of service to the public.

Photo: Kate Williams, Flickr, Creative Commons

Of Liars and Evolved Brains

2009-01-04T15:54:00.000+08:00

Mark T. Market of The Critical Thinker has an interesting post entitled, Lying Is A Sign Of An Evolved Brain. He cites a New York Times article about a study made regarding lying and primates:

Deceitful behavior has a long and storied history in the evolution of social life, and the more sophisticated the animal, it seems, the more commonplace the con games, the more cunning their contours.

In a comparative survey of primate behavior, Richard Byrne and Nadia Corp of the University of St. Andrews in Scotland found a direct relationship between sneakiness and brain size. The larger the average volume of a primate species’ neocortex — the newest, “highest” region of the brain — the greater the chance that the monkey or ape would pull a stunt like this one described in The New Scientist: a young baboon being chased by an enraged mother intent on punishment suddenly stopped in midpursuit, stood up and began scanning the horizon intently, an act that conveniently distracted the entire baboon troop into preparing for nonexistent intruders.

Much evidence suggests that we humans, with our densely corrugated neocortex, lie to one another chronically and with aplomb.

If this is finding is true, then the Philippines must be the breeding ground of people with the most evolved brains. What better evidence than those at the top of the Philippine food chain - our current administration?

Photo: palindrome6996, Flickr, Creative Commons

New Year's Resolutions

2009-01-03T18:25:00.000+08:00

From Fr. Duds Hila SDB:

1. Di na ko mangangako, PROMISE!

2. Di na ko mag-iingles, NEVER AGAIN!

3. Di na ako magsusugal. PUSTAHAN TAYO!

4. At di na ko magsasalita ng tapos. PERIOD.

Happy New Year!

Photo: Ananta Bhadra Lamichhane, Flickr, Creative Commons

Outrage

2008-12-31T15:21:00.001+08:00

I was bloghopping the other day and I came across Mrs S, M.D.'s post about an incident involving an arrogant local politician. Curious, I clicked on the link which led me to Bambee de la Paz's blog.

I felt pure outrage after reading the blog (Paraphrasing Bambee's post would do injustice to the story. I highly recommend that you read it for yourself). What is it with these "bigwigs" who think that everyone else should bow before them?

Sure, the unheard-of-but-now-infamous mayor (Hindi ba kita kilala? Hindi. Ako, hindi mo ko kilala? Hindi rin? O, pareho lang tayo. Now STFU!) may not have been the one to initiate the physical altercation. But come on! The mayor and his goons against two men - one past his physical prime, the other an adolescent kid? As a "public servant," the mayor should have taken the high road;but I guess that is asking too much from him.

This should not be left unresolved, for the sake of the de la Pazes and the rest of all of us "small people." Criminal sanctions should be meted to this small-town mayor and his cohorts. A pipe dream? Let's hope not.

As for the mayor's father, he should resign from his cabinet post; sense of propriety dictates so. Or is propriety among our "public servants" a misnomer?

Photo: Todd H. Page, Flickr, Creative Commons

Abogago

2008-12-27T04:42:00.000+08:00

You know how in the Philippines, we make fun of the abogado and call him abogago? I had nothing to do yesterday, so I searched the web for the term. Several interesting hits came up.

There is abogago.blogspot.com. It has not been updated for a long time, but it has some interesting posts. There is also an abogago.multiply.com - a personal site of a Bedan (from what I gather).

But the most interesting site I found is this:

If you take a closer look, you'll see this:

If this law clinic were operating in the Philippines, it would closed down a long time ago.

Badjao in the City

2008-12-22T13:58:00.004+08:00

Badjao.

The first time I encountered the term was during my elementary years. Our teacher asked us to bring used clothes, toys and books to donate to Badjaos, Maranaos, Tausugs and other indigenous tribe members. The word was soon locked away deep in the recesses of my mind. I was more concerned with touching ball and prikidam back then. I would encounter the term in the next few years only sporadically, usually in history classes.

Badjaos, according to Wikipedia, are an indigenous ethnic group of Malaysia and the southern Philippines. According to ThinkQuest:

The Badjaos are oppressed tribe. They are referred to as palao or lumaan (God forsaken) by the Tausugs. Badjaos developed an inferiority attitude towards the Tausugs and the Samals who always look down on them. Originally, they used to live on the land but the constant pressure on their safety by the other Muslim tribes forced them to seek the sea. They eventually found that the sea afforded them greater avenues of escape in the event of attack.

The Badjao was a faceless countryman until about four weeks ago.

I was riding a jeepney to school when two kids - a girl about eight years old and holding a homemade drum; the other, a boy about five years old; both of them shabby-looking - suddenly rode the jeep. The driver announced gleefully to his designated barker, "O, ayan na ang mga Badjao!"

I didn't need to take his word for it. The kids handed out envelopes with a handwritten message which reads: Kami po ay mga Badjao. After making sure that each passenger had a crumpled white envelope, the girl sat on the jeep's footboard and proceeded to beat on her drums and sing lyrics I couldn't understand. The boy squatted in the middle of the jeep and swayed his hands to the beat. After the song, they retrieved the envelopes, almost all heavy with coins.

But as the weeks passed, the novelty wore off. Fewer passengers put anything in the Badjaos' envelopes. Some passengers even ignored them altogether. The drivers' fascination of these nameless kids turned to irritation. I remember one driver yelling at one Badjao crossing the street, "Tumabi ka dyan Badjao! Sasagasaan kita!" Whether he meant it as a joke or not, I couldn't tell.

Things came to a head this morning. Two Badjao kids rode the jeep that I was on. Before they even proceeded to hand out the envelopes, the driver shouted, "Baba! Baba!"

The kids did as they were told. But before the jeep could accelerate, the two kids screamed invectives at the driver - cuss words that would make Mar Roxas proud.

The Badjaos are not faceless to me anymore. Sadly, in a span of a few short weeks, they have become as jaded as any Manileño could ever be.

Photo: girlpixieshoot, Flickr, Creative Commons

Getting a Break

2008-12-21T14:59:00.001+08:00

Here's a Sunday picker-upper from the Inquirer:

NAGA CITY, Philippines—Just like Juliette Binoche’s character in the movie “Chocolat,” Marian Gabrielle Bordado, 23, is bound to stir up her hometown with homegrown confections—premium chocolates with pili nuts instead of almond and macadamia.

Two years after graduating from college, Bordado is now earning as much as P60,000 a month during peak season. Thanks to her chocolate business, which all started as a requirement to pass her entrepreneurship course at the Ateneo de Naga University.

It just goes to show that anyone a little innovation and guts can go a long way.

Hopefully, in a month or two I (we) can have a big break too.

Photo: Daniel Haran, Flickr, Creative Commons

Hoping to Hope

2008-12-19T20:26:00.000+08:00

From an Inquirer report: a survey reveals that nearly seven in ten Filipinos believe the country is not hopeless while five of 10 say they would not migrate to another country even if they had an opportunity.

With all the shenanigans of our public servants, it is easy for anyone to be filled with despair. It is a good thing that Filipinos have not given up.

Photo: silent shot, Flicker, Creative Commons

The Iraq War and Bush's Cat-Like Reflexes

2008-12-16T08:45:00.000+08:00

Here is a parody of the throwing incident:

Senate as Watchdogs

2008-12-13T17:49:00.001+08:00

The Senate resolution rejecting the lower house's move to unilaterally convene Con-Ass, signed by all 23 senators, is a welcome development.

At least we know (at face value) where the Senate stands on the matter. That's one more body standing in the way of a constitutional revision before 2010.

Photo: Jeremy Burgin, Flickr, Creative Commons

Riding the G.O.A.T.

2008-12-11T00:16:00.000+08:00

Manny Pacquiao's drubbing of Oscar dela Hoya is an ego-booster for Filipinos. It shows that Pinoys can excel in a field given that everything is equal. His fight last Sunday was a respite from the everyday problems encountered by the average Juan. By bringing joy to the people, Pacman can be considered a hero in his own right.

Having said that, what is it with senator Migz Zubiri? ABS-CBN says in its report:

Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri filed a proposed Senate resolution Monday commending the victorious Manny Pacquiao by declaring the fighter as the "Greatest Filipino Boxer of Our Time."

Zubiri said he hopes that proposed Senate Resolution No. 792 would be approved by Tuesday in time for Pacquiao’s expected arrival in Manila the next day.

Zubiri said the resolution will serve as the Senate’s “gift” to Pacquiao for his magnificent win over 10-time world boxing champion Oscar de la Hoya, whom the Filipino fighter defeated in eight rounds.

I have a few questions regarding the good senator's proposal.

First, do we really need a senate resolution for that? Isn't it the job of sports analysts to annoint which boxer is the greatest of all time?

Second, doesn't Zubiri have anything better to do in the senate? You know, like drafting meaningful laws and stuff like that?

Third, I'm not saying at all that Zubiri is an opportunist, but is the senator just riding Manny's jock to gain free publicity?

Photo: Mclaire2, Flickr, Creative Commons

Manny Pacquiao - Oscar dela Hoya Fight Result

2008-12-07T13:42:00.001+08:00

Show your support.
Post a shoutout for Manny.

Manny Pacquiao dominates Oscar dela Hoya to force the latter to quit before the start of the 9th round.

Kinakain ko na ang sinabi ko nung huli. But no matter. I'm ecstatic over Pacman's win right now. He is really something. Oscar dela Hoya is no pushover, but Pacman toyed around with dela Hoya the whole fight. And it just goes to show Pacquiao's greatness.

Thanks to TeamPilipinas.info for the video streaming. I don't have P550 to burn to watch the match in the cinemas, and I was ready to listen over the radio to know the result quickly (Watching it over free tv is, and never was, an option. Too frustrating to watch. Too many commercials). Luckily, I found your site. Salamat.

Waiting for the Dream Match

2008-12-06T15:57:00.000+08:00

Everyone I know will be watching the Manny Pacquiao-Oscar dela Hoya match tomorrow.

I personally think that dela Hoya will win. He's just too big for Manny. I really hope I'm proven wrong.

Erebus Garden

2008-12-04T03:46:00.000+08:00

Shameless plug: Please visit Erebus Garden (http://erebusgarden.blogspot.com), my girlfriend's blog.

I believe she will be discussing matters of transcendental importance, like body parts and male chauvunism, to name a few.

For her second post, she asks a burning question: "Has boob size become the defining factor of women's beauty?" A compelling read.

Spam Sunday: Masterpiece of Driving

2008-11-30T05:00:00.000+08:00

I'm not into cars, and I don't understand how anybody can sit for hours watching NASCAR. But this clip is just too good to pass up.

Amy Winehouse and Jerry Seinfeld: separated at birth.

The 20 Stupidest GI Joe Vehicles Ever.

Take a Break: Sound Advice

2008-11-29T02:50:00.000+08:00

Manny Pacquiao and trainer Freddie Roach already has a game plan set for the fight against Oscar dela Hoya. Oddly enough, it is similar to the advice in a lawyer's sex manual. It says: In and out. Repeat if necessary.

Photo: Nitro101, Flickr, Creative Commons

Craving for Good News

2008-11-28T00:05:00.001+08:00

I've had enough of the impeachment and the charter change. I need a reprieve. In fact, I think everyone is yearning to hear some positive stories about the Philippines. Even Malacañang seems to agree. An inquirer report says:

Malacañang wants the local media to play up more positive stories about President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who has received a battering in recent public approval and public trust surveys.

Ok.... Something positive about GMA.... ummm..... let's see..... ermmm.....

....

...

Well here's some (non-GMA related) good news: Ex-barber’s cream fights skin cancer. Hindi ito kwentong barbero:

By reformulating his amazing cream that gets rid of warts and moles without surgery, Rolando dela Cruz, 71, came up with DeBCC that combats skin cancer.

Doctors from Philippine General Hospital (PGH) have already certified the DeBCC cream as a viable treatment for basal cell carcinoma (BCC), the most common type of skin cancer.

On Friday, Dela Cruz received the World Intellectual Property Office gold medal for DeBCC as an outstanding invention during the closing ceremonies of the National Inventors Week.

Galing!

Some more good news: Deutsche Bank is planning to increase its employees here by 900 for the next year. Citibank also plans to expand and hire 1,000 more workers in the Philippines next year, presumably as part of the cost-cutting measures of the ailing company. This is definitely good for us, but not for those whose jobs will be transferred here. We all know that the U.S. is in the midst of a recession. Confidence in banks and other traditional financial institutions is at an all-time low. Some Americans have even turned to non-banking institutions like Truth in Equity to help get them out of debt.

Oh well....

Photo: Ali Farid, SXC

Bulag Pipi at Bingi

2008-11-27T02:02:00.001+08:00

I am still seething over the 42-8 vote of the lower house's committee of "justice" junking the impeachment complaint against GMA. The result didn't really come as a surprise. But still, it is amazing how brazen some of these congressmen are.

In one instance, Rep. Liza Masa asked those congressmen who had any involvement with the fertilizer fund to inhibit themselves. Not one solon heeded the call.

There is this notion that generally, politicians are two-faced - saying one thing and acting under the influence of another. But our congressmen are of a different breed; they aren't two-faced at all. In fact, they are as transparent as air. They do not bother to hide their partisanship. They don't even take into account the sentiments of those they vowed to represent, choosing instead to defend the interest of someone other than those who voted for them. I repeat, our "representatives" are not two-faced. Iisa lang ang mukha ng mga 'yan, makapal at matigas nga lang.

Before the hearing was put to a close, one pro-impeachment congressman (i didn't get his name) said that some of his colleagues are bulag, pipi at bingi. An anti-impeachment congressman bristled at the assertion, immediately moving to have the statement stricken off the records. I'm sorry to say, but even if you expunge the statement from the record, nothing can erase that perception. Some of them are truly deaf, mute and blind, not to mention dumb. The truth hurts; the pro-impreachment congressman just called a spade a spade.

Photo: Lucy Boynton and Mace2000, Flickr, Creative Commons

Crucified Superstars

2008-11-26T16:31:00.000+08:00

I wonder why congressman Pablo Garcia has not been struck by lightning for comparing GMA with Jesus Christ.Wendell Vigilia of Malaya reports:

REP. Pablo Garcia (Kampi, Cebu) yesterday compared President Arroyo to Jesus Christ saying she is being persecuted by the opposition based only on mere perception, the same way Pontius Pilate turned over Christ to the mob to be crucified.

"Our Lord Jesus Christ lost in the survey and he was crucified and that’s how we’re going to judge President?" he asked the committee on justice.

Traditionally, Philippine presidents' approval ratings decline right after the so-called honeymoon period. But GMA is a special case. At least her predecessors did not have negative dissatisfaction ratings. GMA has never experienced a positive net satisfaction rating since 2004. A negative dissatisfaction rating for more than 3 years - that is no fluke. And not for an arbitrary reason: she has been hounded by legitimacy and corruption issues throughout her rule.

GMA should even be thankful that she is only being crucified in the opinion polls. If Garcia and his ilk had done their jobs right, GMA would have been rightly banished from her seat and punished for her transgressions. Jesus Christ she is not.

But come to think of it, there is a similarity between the two. Jesus Christ's act of multiplying bread and fish to feed the multitude made him even more famous; GMA's act of multiplying her own votes to keep feeding congressmen made her even more infamous.

They're comparable in that respect.

Photo: Marcelo Moura, SXC

Richard Gordon and the Blue Ribbon

2008-11-26T00:18:00.000+08:00

I heard Senator Richard Gordon running the fertilizer fund hearing over the radio yesterday. Presiding the hearing as the Blue Ribbon Committee Chairman for the first time, I think he held his own.

He steered the proceedings well - asking the right questions, pulling the reins when needed, gave other senators their time to question the witnesses.

However, there were instances when he has gone overboard. He was to giddy at times (maybe it has nothing to do with his new post, he is just plain giddy all his waking life). He also made an inappropriate joke at one point (saying something like: Your lawyer advising you to tell the truth? That's new. [or maybe there is a grain of truth there...]). But his gravest sin in my opinion is when he cut off the witnesses in the middle of the sentence. Maybe he didn't like where the witnesses' answers were leading, but that should be the senators' problem, not the witnesses'. A good interrogator leads the witness deftly, even if the witness throws a curveball.

But all in all, he deserves a passing mark.

Photo: pablo pi, SXC

JDV, Front and Center

2008-11-25T01:04:00.000+08:00

I heard parts of congressman Jose de Venecia's testimony for the impeachment hearing yesterday morning. Voice full of emotion, the former house speaker told his side of the story. He said he was in China only to play golf with the Arroyos and former COMELEC chairman Ben Abalos. If you take his words at face value, it seems as if he was only dragged into the mess like an innocent kid by a scheming pedophile. But methinks he is conveniently omitting some details as to his own liability in the whole mess.

Needless to say, it casts some doubt as to his whole testimony.

Why is JDV doing this anyway? Has he finally seen the light? Is he doing this to save face? To wash his hands a la Pontius Pilate? To claw his way back to relevancy?

Whatever his motivation is, I'm glad that JDV is speaking out and casting his support in favor of the impeachment complaint. There is nothing in his speech that we have not heard of before. But still, it's good that the people - the administration included - are reminded every so often of the sins of GMA. For one, it will put the administration on the defensive yet again. That is a good thing, given that the administration is trying to cram charter change down our throats, even if majority of Filipinos reject it. With the cha cha rejection and JDV's (non)exposé staring right at her face, *maybe* GMA will have an epiphany and decide to fade into the sunset. Exactly on June 30, 2010. Or resign before said date.

And who knows, maybe JDV might sway some of his house colleagues to vote for the impeachment, however miniscule the probability is.

Photo: Kevin Walsh, Flickr, Creative Commons

The Catholic Church's Reproductive Health Initiative

2008-11-22T01:22:00.001+08:00

A Reuters report has this for a headline: Philippine Catholic Church drafts own population bill. It's an interesting read. It goes:

MANILA (Reuters) - Powerful Roman Catholic bishops in the Philippines are drafting their own version of a bill on maternal health care, rejecting a pending bill that also promotes artificial contraception.

Reverend Father Melvin Castro of the Episcopal Commission on Family and Life said Thursday that the bishops have been working with lawmakers to draft an alternative to the population control bill pending in the lower house of Congress.

"It should not be labeled as a church bill," Castro told foreign correspondents in Manila. "There are so many Catholics there in Congress who are willing to sponsor the bill and the church is only helping draft it."

Castro said the bishops have rejected the current bill in Congress, describing it as unconstitutional and infringing on religious rights of most Filipinos. About 85 percent of nearly 90 million Filipinos are Roman Catholics.

"We would not allow a legislation that would allocate money from a majority of the taxpayers who are Catholics to be allocated to a program which is against their beliefs," he said, referring to provisions that promote artificial contraception.

The Philippines is already the world's 12th most populous country and is projected to have a population of over 140 million by 2040, putting a huge strain on its creaking health system, schools and other services, and its ability to feed itself.

The bill on maternal health care, which requires the government to promote artificial contraception if it becomes law, has become a battleground between the powerful church and activists in the staunchly Roman Catholic nation.

Some bishops have said they will refuse communion and other sacraments to politicians who support the bill. xxx

Three points in relation to the abovequoted article:

First point. With all due respect to our prelates, there is this little provision in the Constitution also known as separation of church and the state. Let me iterate that in passing a law, the lawmaker does not merely look at the interest of a particular RELIGIOUS group alone. More so if the bill will benefit the majority, especially those in the lower strata of our society. Okay, I'm not really a credible source, so let me quote Fr. Joaquin Bernas on this matter:

The fundamental fact of the matter is that our nation today is characterized by religious diversity more pronounced than when we first accepted a democratic system of government. We have chosen to reject the established church of Spanish times. But “We,” the sovereign people in the Preamble of our Constitution, who have covenanted to “establish a government that shall embody our ideals” are a people who, while firmly adhering to certain common ideals, are nevertheless divided in many vital matters, many of them flowing from religious belief. Hence for the purpose of maintaining unity amid diversity we have also covenanted to respect religious liberty within a system that institutionally divides church and state.

If a married Catholic woman does not want to avail of artificial contraceptives, she is free to do so. But she should not deprive the non-Catholic of availing these contraceptives by blocking H.B.5043 , just because they have differing opinions on the matter. That, I think, is the essence of the separation of church and state.

Second point. Again, with all due respect, the Catholic church - singing praises for natural family planning - has not even lifted a finger in disseminating the information about the method that they sacrosanctly uphold. No information about it in church bulletin boards or in homilies. Maybe parish priests feel queasy about discussing it because it's too intertwined with sex. Indeed, the only information related to family planning that the church propagates is "Go forth and multiply!" We all know where that will lead to.

Third point: I don't know, but refusal of communion and other sacraments to politicians who support the bill is such a childish tactic in my opinion. What about refusing communion to politicians who actually break the Ten Commandments: openly cohabiting with someone who is not his/her spouse, stealing people's money, ordering extrajudicial killings? I'm nitpicking, sure.

I'll stop at three - my parents might excommunicate me for blasphemy if I give more arguments.

May I just offer a humble suggestion to our church leaders. If you really believe that there is a groundswell of support for natural family planning and natural family planning alone, maybe you should do an Initiative. R.A. 6735, otherwise known as Initiative and Referendum Act, allows the people to directly enact a law. You don't even have to include congress. All you need is to prepare your petition; to get the signatures of at least 10% of the total number of the registered voters, of which every legislative district is represented by at least 3% of the registered voters thereof; and to register the same with COMELEC. With 85% of the Filipinos being Catholic, it shouldn't be hard for the church to get the needed signatures.

A parting shot: if the church exhibited the same fervor in denouncing graft and corruption, our country would be a much more moral place.

Photo: B Cleary, stock.xching

Attempt at Con-Ass Once More

2008-11-21T00:25:00.001+08:00

A snippet of an Inquirer report, headlined Arroyo son leads Charter change move:

MANILA, Philippines—Charter change is gathering steam in the House of Representatives with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's eldest son, Pampanga Representative Juan Miguel "Mikey'' Arroyo personally leading a signature drive to amend the Constitution through a constituent assembly (Con-Ass).

Time is running out, and Jess Dureza's prayer will (second by slow second) mostly likely be unanswered (we have a merciful God, after all - although Dureza says that God has a lot of sense of humor. In which case, God might actually answer Dureza's prayer). Someone is probably getting desperate to stay in the high chair beyond 2010, wanting to leave no chance to the whims of God. Things can't be left to administration allies in Congress either - they wrecked the cha cha train many times before. Thus, taking matters into his own hands, presidential son Mikey is now leading the solicitation of signatures for another attempt at Con-Ass.

Garapalan na 'to!

Side Comment: I love how everyone, except the congressmen, calls the constituent assembly con-ass for short (solons prefer the more dignified consa). Double entrendre, harhar!

Photo: justinsomnia, Flickr, Creative Commons

This just in: I just read Ms. Tordesillas' recent post, right after finishing mine. It says:

House Speaker Prospero Nograles, who authored the resolution, needs only 15 more signatures to meet the required 175 signatures, representing three-fourth of the House of Representatives to bring the resolution to the Committee on Constitutional Amendments, then to the plenary.

My post was tongue-in-cheek. But with the lower house just 15 votes short, this is no laughing matter anymore.

The Tail Wagging the Dog

2008-11-19T03:22:00.001+08:00

Malaya's Jake Macasaet published an article entitled Taking media for a ride two days ago. In this article, Macasaet says that Malacanang is encouraging the prosecution of former PNP comptroller Eliseo de la Paz in order to divert the attention of the people away from the much more damaging fertilizer fund scandal.

[Joc Joc Bolante] might have lied through his teeth by design, of course. It is unfortunate that the senators could not pin him down. So far, he has appeared unscathed. And that is the way Malacañang wants to see the situation.

The concentration of the congressional inquiry on Dela Paz, the way he is being grilled and the way Malacañang has successfully evaded the issue so far by scantily talking about it either in defense of the man or in saying justice shall be done, is a successful way of getting the heat off Malacañang.

Media and the senators are being taken for a ride. The investigation of Joc Joc is more important. That of Dela Paz is not comparable to how Joc Joc squandered P728 million which could have provided us a little more food if the money had been spent for the farmers as programmed.

Media and the Senate are helping Malacañang cool off the Joc Joc scandal. We have forgotten the fact that Joc Joc did not act on his own in squandering the money. xxx

The stakes in the case of Joc Joc are too high. That is why the tricksters of Malacañang are busy at work. Unfortunately, media seems to be cooperating by focusing on Dela Paz and impeachment.

These issues are less important than getting Joc Joc to identify who authorized him to disburse the P728 million in taxpayers money intended for the farmers.

This reminds me of the movie Wag the Dog. In the film, The U.S. president's advisor (played by Robert de Niro) contracts a Hollywood producer (Dustin Hoffman) to "produce" a made-up war in Albania in which the U.S. subsequently intervenes. The reason for the elaborate hoax: to divert the attention of the media away from a sex scandal that the President is involved in.

What we have is like the scenario in Wag the Dog, only much more perverse. Instead of a good (albeit false) story covering up the bad, here in the Philippines, a bad story covers up a more repulsive one.

But with the current administration, what else is new?

Photo: Sammis Co, Flickr,Creative Commons

Leadership Change in the Senate

2008-11-18T02:27:00.000+08:00

I read it first in Ms.Ellen Tordesillas' blog: senator Juan Ponce Enrile is now the new senate president.

There are too many issues involved here, so I'm just gonna make some observations:

I'm no big fan of senator Manny Villar, but I think the primary reason for his ouster is in connection with the 2010 presidential elections.

With senator Enrile - a staunch GMA ally - at the helm, will this mean less Senate investigations of the anomalies of the current administration?

With Senator Allan Peter Cayetano relinquishing chairman of the Blue Ribbon Committee, what will happen to the inquiries regarding de la Paz, the fertilizer fund and the NBN-ZTE?

Senator Gringo Honasan was reportedly one of those who orchestrated the coup against Villar. Insert your punchline here.

It's a surprise that senator Jinggoy Estrada and senator Chiz Escudero voted for Enrile. Political affiliations are really a mystery to me. Is it because of convenience or of principles? Is the preceding question an obviously stupid one?

Politics really does make strange bedfellows.

Photo: Rick Audet, Flickr, Creative Commons

Constitutional Change When Circumstances Change

2008-11-17T05:18:00.000+08:00

There is a Malaya report the other day to the effect that our congressmen are attempting yet again to railroad proceedings on measures seeking changes to the 1987 Constitution.

At the resumption of the hearing of the House committee on constitutional amendments chaired by Rep. Victor Ortega (Kampi, La Union), Rep. Mauricio Domogan (Lakas, Baguio) moved to put to a vote the question of whether there is a need to change the Constitution.

"The motion is whether there’s a need for change or not. Obama or McCain?" Ortega asked the panel, obviously implying that voting for change is the best choice as proven in the recent US presidential election.

Ortega's insinuation is flawed, to say the least. There is a change for the better and a change for the worse. Obama won based on the change platform because of the perception that he will reverse the damaging policies of the bumbling Bush. The "change" that Ortega proposes will most likely result to more years of hellish GMA rule.

Naturally, any Constitutional revision will be met with skepticism, if not hostility. GMA has shown her ability to cling to power despite the odds. It is thus not an unfounded fear that GMA will take advantage of a Constitutional change to prolong her unwelcome stay as the head of the nation.

Our Constitution is not a perfect document. It has provisions which are either redundant, irrelevant or passé. It can use a little tweaking. Having said that, the million peso question is: should we change our Constitution?

Ask me in a couple of years.

Photo: lanuiop, Flickr, Creative Commons

Spam Sunday: Men's national anthem

2008-11-16T01:28:00.005+08:00

Barney's everyday nightmare.

If you're going to have a senior moment, make it memorable. Here is one example.

Innovative pillows for long lasting sex! Or is it a shrinker?

What to do with melamine-tainted milk? Well... make bricks out of them! Duh!

Batman wants its name back, and royalty fees as well.

Oust the Imp

2008-11-15T14:05:00.000+08:00

GMA's penchant for committing impeachable offenses year in and year out never ceases to amaze me. And her actions reflect her unpopularity.

Being a popular president does not make him a good one. Being an unpopular president does not make her a bad one either. Indeed, a president has to make unpopular decisions when needed. But GMA is a special case. Her decisions are not favorably received because they are just patently wrong.

Do we have to endure two more years of her rule? Oust the Imp emphatically says NO:

The more we say let’s just make Gloria finish her term, the more they rob and steal us of our monies. It’s time to expose Gloria’s transgressions against the People. Time to make her pay.

Why wait when there is an opportunity to banish her right now? To quote Rage Against the Machine:

It has to start somewhere,
It has to start sometime.
What better place than here?
What better time than now?

Attention honorable congressmen!

Photo: Keith Bacongco, Flickr, Creative Commons

Binay and the Presidency

2008-11-14T21:18:00.003+08:00

Makati City Mayor Jejomar “Jojo” Binay just announced his intent to run for president in the 2010 national elections. The question is, does he have the goods to be the next president of the country?

My two main criteria for choosing the president (or any elective official, for that matter) are integrity and competency. Having integrity, the most important trait for a public official, is the quickest way to gain the trust and confidence of the people. With the people's trust, a president will have an easier time in leading the country forward. Take away integrity and we'll have another Gloria rule. Competency is important as well. Would you trust an albularyo to perform your open heart surgery? In the same way, would you trust someone to be the president if he doesn't know what he's doing?

With regard to competency, Jejomar Binay has proven himself, in my opinion. It is not an accident that Makati is still the premier city in Metro Manila, if not the Philippines. Sure, you can argue that cosmopolitan Makati will still be Makati without Binay. I say that Makati can easily become the next old Manila (with the urban blight and all) if it's not run well. Keeping Makati as it is requires careful planning and development. That can be attributed to Binay.

Observe how traffic rules are strictly followed; how MAPSA, Makati's traffic enforcers, are respected (at least more respected than the MMDA); how ordinances are implemented (e.g. on smoking); how trash is regularly collected; how tanod men are roving the streets at night. For Makati residents, they have green cards, in which they can avail of discounts in establishments (even in hospitals); better infrastructure; well-run public schools; school supplies for students; great benefits for senior citizens (free movie passes, among others, I think). In short, Binay has turned Makati into a well-oiled machine. That is a mark of a good administrator.

In sum, his qualifications are formidable as opposed to the other presidentiables, whose qualifications are more apparent than real (some are going to run armed only with weak track records, even weaker soundbites and lots of money to pay for PR).

However, Binay's integrity is suspect. There are whispers of graft and corruption in Makati (as to the veracity of such, I cannot say). Also, Binay's close association with the Erap camp turns off some who want the Philippines to have a fresh start (comparisons to Obama are laughable). Having said that, Binay's loyalty to Erap can be turned into a positive amidst rampant turncoatism in political circles. His loyalty - in a time when many of his brethren have changed allegiances as quickly as they change their underpants - may be a redeeming quality for voters.

All in all, he can make a good presidentt. I, for one, have not yet placed him in my Do Not Vote list.

As to the question of whether he can win, or if he will even get the support needed to run (as per Emmanuel Pasyon), that is an altogether different matter.

Photo: barrera_marquez2003, Flickr, Creative Commons

Joc Time in the Senate

2008-11-14T03:25:00.000+08:00

I heard bits and pieces of the Senate hearing of the fertilizer fund scam yesterday over the radio, and I *almost* felt sorry for former Department of Agriculture assistant secretary Montes and undersecretary Joc Joc Bolante.

A Senate hearing is worse than appearing before a court. It is even worse than appearing before the Supreme Court. At least in the Supreme Court, the questions are limited to the issues of the case. Not so in a Senate hearing. A senator (or all 23 of them) can ask a person under oath about practically anything. As shown in the hearing yesterday, a witness' canned responses (e.g. that is based on my personal knowledge; I do not know anything about it; etc) are no match for the senators' burning questions.

But as for Bolante, the senators could not quite pin him down. He was as slippery as a snake, wriggling his way out of questions when he obviously knew the answers. In one sequence, Senator Aquilino Pimentel (I think) asked Joc Joc the names of the people who availed of the fertilizer fund. Joc Joc said he didn't know. Senator Pimentel then mentioned some names for Joc Joc to identify: "Do you know congressman X of Ilocos? Do you know congressman Y of Cebu? Do you know congressman Jose de Venecia of Pangasinan?

Joc Joc seemed to have developed amnesia as he answered that he did not know the people being mentioned, not even congressman Jose de Venecia of Pangasinan (In fact, the had developed such a severe case of amnesia that he forgot Rotary's - his favorite social club's - four-way test, when he was previously asked of the same).

An exasperated Pimentel then blurted out, "Have you been living in Mars?" or something to that effect.

I almost pitied Bolante until I had to remind myself that he was most certainly hiding something, had evaded Senate questioning for two years and had been preparing for this moment since then. The fleeting feeling of pity was then dismissed just as easily as Joc Joc's empty answers.

Photo: david drexler, Flickr, Creative Commons

Grasp the Nettle, Eliseo de la Paz

2008-11-13T00:10:00.000+08:00

Malaya reports that the Senate ordered the arrest of retired PNP Comptroller "Eliseo dela Paz for snubbing the summons issued by the Senate foreign relations committee which is conducting a probe into the so-called euro generals." This stemmed from the fact that de la Paz did not show up at the Senate inquiry on October 23, prompting Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago, committee chair, to order his arrest.

De la Paz seems to be ready now, according to his lawyer. He has reportedly sent feelers that he will surrender to the chamber Today or on Friday.

Mr. de la Paz, if I were you, I would not dilly-dally. It only gives the impression that you are buying time to hide your guilt. As Proverbs 28:1 says: The wicked run when no one is chasing them, but an honest person is as brave as a lion.

Photo: Corey Leopold, Flickr, Creative Commons

A Little Courtesy

2008-11-11T08:23:00.000+08:00

Armando Doronilla has an analysis in the Inquirer entitled "Snubs Show Obama is No U.S. Friend." He goes on to say:

In the first blush of victory, US President-elect Barack Obama accepted congratulations from nine presidents and prime ministers and returned their calls. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, one of the numerous early callers, was not one of the chosen few.

xxx

The sidelining of the Arroyo call gave a glimpse of the importance of the Philippines to the United States at a moment of change of administration.

It is clear that the Philippines stands on the outer perimeter of US concerns in world affairs.

The first telephone conversations reveal the Philippines is not within the charmed circles of the Obama administration. It is a leper outside looking in.

It is imperative that Manila should rearrange its priorities vis-à-vis Washington. Obama is not our friend.

I don't think we have to over-analyze this issue. The Philippines is not that relevant a country in the international scene, so our president's call may not be as important that of the France's president. Or Obama may think that GMA is a Republican symphatizer - given that GMA practically swoons everytime she and Bush get within 5 five feet of each other. Or Obama may have read of GMA and he doesn't like her and her policies. I can't blame him - majority of the Filipinos do not like her and her policies.

Whatever the reason is, I don't think we have to fret.

Call me naive, but maybe this snub will even do us some good. The U.S. has become the political crutch of every Philippine President. Remember Erap? I thought he was not going to seek the favors of the U.S. (He voted against the US bases in 1991, after all). But surprisingly, one of his first moves as president was to actively push for the Visiting Forces Agreement. So what if Obama is not a friend? As far as I can recall, we have long ceased to be a colony of the U.S. And as far as I can recall, our U.S. president-friends haven't actually done us good that much.

Oh sure, The U.S. gives a lot of dole outs to the Philippines, but sometimes, these are not gratuitous giveaways. Sometimes, these dole outs are so onerous that we usually are on the losing end of the bargain. We have to remember that U.S. is not our only ally. Maybe this is a good time for the Philippines to foster our friendship with other countries, especially our South East Asian neighbors.

And with this situation, maybe the tibak groups will give a rest the oft-used and abused placards saying No to American Imperialism. It's about time they outgrow that mantra.

Photo: ZenRNforObama, Photobucket

Spam Sunday: Presidential Contest - Pokemon Style

2008-11-09T01:30:00.003+08:00

Herr Hitler meets Donatella Versace. I wonder what she thinks of her new president-elect...

Good at sudoku? Try this.

Planning to open up a business despite the bad times? Fear not.

Used panties vending machine in Japan is not an urban legend. What is it with Japanese and their fetish for used panties anyway?. If you're ever in Japan and you want to buy yourself some, here are the directions.

What To Do with the Fertilizer Fund and the Beneficiaries?

2008-11-08T05:51:00.001+08:00

I'm glad that Senator Aquilino Pimentel is putting into question all those who may have gotten involved in the Fertilizer Fund scam. Malaya reports that Sen. Pimentel "sought the inclusion of around 100 former and incumbent congressmen who received a share of the P728 million fertilizer fund" in the Senate Blue Ribbon committee probe.

But will this be an exercise in futility when the Senate cannot even get hold of Joc Joc Bolante? As Booma Cruz of Vera Files reports:

Experts predict a whitewash or coverup in the investigation on former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn “Joc Joc” Bolante, with the Arroyo administration apparently shielding him from media scrutiny and the Ombudsman sitting on recommendations that he be charged in court.

If getting Joc Joc to attend Senate hearings is like pinning Jello to a wall, what more our wily congressmen? If the Ombudsman has delayed hearing Bolante's case for years, how long will the congressmen's cases be delayed? Would the Ombudsman even dare touch our congressmen?

Be that as it may, it's good that Pimentel is making some noise about this thing, to make the people involved know that not everyone is indifferent. It's good to keep the ball rolling, in the hopes that it may lead to something productive and decisive.

Miriam Doesn't Make it to the ICJ

2008-11-07T17:04:00.000+08:00

Here's an excerpt of the report by the Inquirer:

The country has lost its bid for a seat in the International Court of Justice to Somalia, the Philippine Mission to the United Nations said in an e-mailed statement to media.

"Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago's bid for a seat in the ICJ came to an unsuccessful end on Thursday (Friday morning in Manila) but not after the Philippine candidate came up with a good fight that forced voting to go on for the entire day," the Mission said.

That's too bad...

The Philippines would have done away with a big headache had Miriam left the Senate for the ICJ....

Sayang.

The Lost Art of Public Speaking

2008-11-06T21:55:00.001+08:00

What about Barack Obama's victory speech, huh? Simply beautiful. Watching him deliver the speech is an even more riveting experience. Granted, he probably read from a teleprompter when he delivered the speech. But he is an outstanding orator, even without any aids or cue cards - he had proven that in the presidential debates against John McCain. A New York Times article intimates that Obama was already a great public speaker before he became a politician:

Standing in his favorite classroom in the austere main building, sharp-witted students looming above him, Mr. Obama refined his public speaking style, his debating abilities, his beliefs.

In the Philippines there are only a few orators who come to mind: Chiz Escudero, Joker Arroyo and Teddyboy Locsin. Other than those three, I can't think of anyone else. Our president definitely isn't (I am sorry speech, anyone?).

President-elect Obama's oratorical skills is even magnified when compared to the outgoing president's. Bush Jr. has got to be one of the worst speakers ever. Youtube has tons of videos showing Dubya's gaffes. The video below is just one example.

U.S. Election Results 2008

2008-11-05T14:07:00.001+08:00

It's over, Barack Obama wins.

Obama garnered a whopping ~~338~~ 349 electoral votes (270 are needed to win) over John McCain's ~~141~~ 163 to become the 44th President of the United States. McCain has graciously accepted the result. He said, "Today, I was a candidate for the highest office in the country I love so much, and tonight, I remain her servant."

For Obama, winning the presidential race is the easy part. The hard part comes next - which is actually leading his country.

For the next four years, Obama will have his hands full. He would have to deal with the economic crisis that the U.S. is currently experiencing; the troops in Iraq; foreign relations; the energy/oil siuation; the budget deficit; healthcare and taxes. I don't expect any radical changes happening in the near future, but I believe positive changes will happen during his term. He can't do any worse than Dubya, can he?

The Credit Information System Law

2008-11-05T00:07:00.000+08:00

Last week, GMA signed into law R.A. 9510 or the Credit Information System Law. As reported in Sun Star, the law "aims to ensure the credibility of credit standing borrowers. The law also establishes the Central Credit Information Corporation that would oversee the compiling of data from all financial institutions in an effort to facilitate creditworthiness checks."

I haven't read the new statute in full, but the general idea of an institutionalized credit information system is a welcome development, especially for small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Collectively, SMEs are a major economic force in the Philippines. They comprise about 98 percent of the country’s businesses and employs about 70 percent of the work force.

But taken singly, a small-time entrepreneur usually has a hard time obtaining capital for a business. Banks are usually loathe to grant loans to small businessmen, because the cost and the effort to process a P1 million loan is more or less the same as that of a P10 million loan. The businessman, strapped for cash, usually resorts to friends for loans (if he's lucky) or to loan sharks (if he's unlucky).

With the credit information system in place, a person can build his credit standing over time. And with the sharing of information, the banks can process the loans faster and with less risk to themselves. For the lendee, this means that he can obtain the loans more quickly, and may possibly be granted a lower interest rate if his credit standing is good. It's basically a win-win situation.

In the press release of the government website, R.A. 9510's salient features include:

* The establishment of a Credit Information Corporation (CIC) with the primary mandate to receive and consolidate basic credit data and to act as a central registry of credit information which will provide access to reliable standardized information on credit history and financial condition of borrowers;

* The allocation of 60 percent of the total common share of the corporation in favor of the national government and the remaining 40 percent to be owned and held by qualified investors such as industry associations of banks, quasi-banks and other credit related associations.

The amount of P75 million will be provided by the national government in the General Appropriations Act representing its equity share and the P50 million to be subscribed and paid up by qualified investors;

* The designation of a chairperson of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as chairman of the 15-men board of directors of the corporation. The directors representing the government shares shall be appointed by the President;

* Strict confidentiality of credit information is to be maintained by the corporation, the submitting entities, the accessing entities, outsource entities. The special accessing entities and duly authorized non-accessing entities;

* The SEC shall act as the lead government agency to implement and enforce the provisions of RA 9510 and shall submit an annual report to Congress on its implementation status;

* The law is not meant to be an exception to the Bank Secrecy Law (BSL) because confidential information under the Law of Secrecy of bank Deposits, Foreign Currency Deposit Act, General Banking Law and the Anti-Money Laundering Law are expressly excluded from the information to be shared in the system.

What are the drawbacks for the law? The sharing of information is usually a red flag as regards our right to privacy. But we still have to see if there would actually be an improper intrusion or not.

Coffee For Your Vote

2008-11-04T08:56:00.001+08:00

If Americans still aren't enticed to go out and vote later, maybe this bit of information will entice them: Starbucks shows its civic duty (and marketing savvy) by giving away a cup of coffee to people who will vote on the 4th. Their tagline: If you care enough to vote, we care enough to give you a free cup of coffee.

Ba't walang ganyan dito sa Pinas?

The World Poll

2008-11-03T19:58:00.000+08:00

My mini-poll (right side of the screen) currently shows Barack Obama leading John McCain 9-3, with 1 abstention. Not surprising really, as the Gallup polls reveal that world citizens prefer Obama to McCain by more than 3-to-1.

What is surprising is that in the Philippines, more people prefer McCain over Obama. An Inquirer article about a week ago states:

A Gallup Poll survey conducted in the Philippines in late May found 28 percent of respondents endorsing Republican John McCain -- and only 20 percent in favor of Democrat Barack Obama. A slim majority, 52 percent, had no opinion or refused to respond.

The Philippines thus earned a distinction as one of a handful of countries – the others include Georgia, Laos and Cambodia – where McCain is more popular than Obama.

Anyway, I prefer Obama, because of several reasons. I found this article in Dail Mail that pretty much sums up the reasons for my preference.