Mother Claims Aswang Killed Her Daughter

THE Guardian, a local daily in Western Visayas, today has this most intriguing news report from Antique province entitled "Witch Killed My Daughter" written by their correspondent Albert Mamora:

HAMTIC, Antique – Mystery shrouds the death of a 13-year-old girl in a village here amid speculations that an aswang or flesh eating ghoul may have snuffed her life away. Estelita Adrada, 48, of Brgy. Asluman here had the shock of her life when she discovered her eighth child April Rose already lifeless inside their nipa hut early morning yesterday.

What shocked Estelita more was the wound on April Rose’s lower right jaw as if an animal bit her face off (see photo). Bruno Adrada, 24, April Rose’s elder brother, said April Rose was already feeling ill days before. Instead of eating a full dinner, April Rose only took bread and milk because of the fever and headache she contracted. Estelita said she was hugging her daughter while they were sleeping because the latter was not feeling well. All went well inside the Adrada residence until 4am yesterday when Estelita felt April Rose already cold and not moving.

The caretaker of a nearby beach resort home said their three dogs were barking at the Adrada house between 10pm and 11pm Wednesday but he did not see anything unusual in the area. Dr. Maria Eva Pacificador, Hamtic municipal health officer, who conducted an initial autopsy on April Rose’s remains, said the victim died between 10pm Wednesday and 1am Thursday.

Read the rest of the story here.

A Case "Of Particular Importance to the Philippines"

For some time now, the Subic rape case controversy has merited much discussion and debate in national media. The "midnight" transfer of Lance Corporal Daniel Smith from the Makati City Jail back to the US Embassy has become THE issue of the day. Now, media reportage is delving into the legal interpretation of the VFA i.e. who really should have custody of Lance Corporal Smith, with some quarters calling for the disbarment of several Cabinet secretaries and even some lawyers' group suggesting that the case may spark a constitutional crisis in the country.

Back in 1999 when the Philippine Senate was deliberating the VFA, I was then working as a legislative aide for Senator Roco. I was fortunate enough not only to hear the plenary debates but actually study the VFA and help Roco come up with a stand on the VFA. I still remember it clearly for three reasons: one, because it was one of the few occasions where he was openly impressed with my work; two, it was one of the few occasions wherein I disagreed with his position; and three, it was the first time I heard the word "interoperability."

Back then, the internet was still a novelty and our office had just had an internet connection. Thru the web, I was able to source all the other VFAs and SOFAs (Status of Forces Agreements) entered into by the US with other countries. I even compiled them into matrix form complete with my annotations. After reading my "comprehensive" and "well-researched" work, I remember that Roco was suitably impressed enough to say it out loud (one of the few times he did so).

In the course of my "internet-based" research (my very first), I learned that the main goal of joint US-RP military exercises is to achieve "interoperability" - meaning that the two armed forces must be able to operate as one army during times of conflict or war. After all, that is what allies do: fight against a common enemy. And allies must be able practice in order to operate together seamlessly (i.e. use each other's equipment) and also to prevent accidents (i.e. "friendly-fire") in wartime. Well and good. But previous incidents involving American servicemen and "natives" neccessitate that some form of agreement, a "visiting forces agreement," must be in place to govern the conduct of American servicemen in the Philippines. In other words, before they send out their troops to the Philippines, the Americans wanted some clear-cut commitment and rules on how their troops will be treated in case of "accidents" and incidents like the one involving Smith today.

I ended my report by recommending to Roco that he ratify the VFA. I argued that with our limited DND budget, the only opportunity our troops will have to target practice and hone their military manuevering skills is during the periodic RP-US "wargames" which the Americans will be funding for the most part. Besides, Filipinos at that time wanted the VFA - no less than 55% of the population according to SWS wanted the Senate to ratify the VFA. I thought that since Roco said he was happy with my work, he would heed my recommendation. I was wrong.

Watching the plenary debates in the Senate, I was torn between doing my job of providing my boss with data to support his position and intellectually agreeing with the other side. As a professional, I performed my job and never told anyone outside our office of my views. In the Senate floor, I remember that it was Senator Blas Ople (then Chair of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee) who was the staunchest and I may say ablest defender of the VFA. He most eloquently argued for the VFA, first be laying down the context: visiting US soldiers in the Philippines are not tourists. They are in the Philippines not of their own accord but upon orders of their government. And since visiting US soldiers would not have found themselves in the Philippines if not for their government, American officials justifiably feel that they have some responsibility and obligation to protect their soldiers from unjust charges. Thus, the need for the VFA.

But Senator Roco objected to the VFA's provisions on the criminal jurisdiction of American troops, particularly Article V section 3 (d) which states:

"Recognizing the responsibility of the United States military authorities to maintain discipline and good order among their forces, Philippine authorities will, upon request by the United States, waive their primary right to exercise jurisdiction except in cases of particular importance to the Philippines. If the Government of the Philippines determines that the case is of particular importance, it shall communicate such determination to the United States authorities within twenty (20) days after the Philippine authorities receive the United States request."

Roco claimed that this provision is a "red herring" (another new expression for me then) designed to confuse our people into thinking that we have the option to keep the offending American. He argued that in reality, the above provision has absolutely no chance of being implemented for no Philippine President can and will say no to the Americans. More than 8 years before the Smith case, Roco saw what will happen.

How I wish I could go over the old Senate transcripts now. If someone (a reporter perhaps) could just read the transcripts, he/she would find that the Smith rape scenario has been foreseen and debated upon by our senators some 8 years ago. At one point, frustrated that the debate on the VFA seemed to focus only on the rape scenario, Roco quipped to me (in private, of course) that perhaps the reason why Filipinos are so obsessed with rape and are too afraid of foreigners raping our women is because we do it to our women, what with gruesome rapes being reported in the tabloids everyday.

In the end, Roco lost together with four (4) other anti-VFA senators namely Pimentel, Guingona, Sergio Osmeña and Loren Legarda. The senators who voted for the VFA are the following:

1. Rodolfo Biazon
2. Blas Ople
3. Franklin Drilon
4. Marcelo Fernan
5. Francisco Tatad
6. Rene Cayetano
7. Tessie Aquino-Oreta
8. Robert Barbers
9. Robert Jaworski
10. Ramon Magsaysay, Jr.
11. John Osmeña
12. Juan Flavier
13. Miriam Santiago
14. Juan Ponce Enrile
15. Tito Sotto
16. Ramon Revilla, Sr.
17. Nikki Coseteng
18. Gringo Honasan

Senators Ople, Fernan, Cayetano, and Barbers have long since passed on but the rest of the senators who voted for the VFA are still with us. With the possible exception of Senator Enrile, all pro-VFA senators are conspicously silent on the issue. I am most particularly interested to hear the opinion of Senators Biazon, Miriam Santiago and Drilon (who are usually outspoken) on the legality of Malacañang's move to transfer back Smith to the US Embassy. In my mind, it is clear that the American request was justified under the VFA because Malacañang do not consider the Subic rape case "of particular importance" to the Philippines. Of course, no Malacañang official will be so brazen as to say it out loud. But the Subic rape case, while sensational, is not big enough for Malacanang to sever its ties with the Americans. GMA is not about to displease Dubya again (remember OFW truck driver Angelo dela Cruz and the Filipino troop withdrawal from the Coalition of the Willing?) over some girl named Nicole, especially when public sympathy is mixed between her and Smith.

The question then is: what would make a case of "particular importance" to Malacañang? That was the question Roco asked in the Senate floor some eight years ago. My answer to that is: if the case is big enough to threaten or bring about the ouster of the occupant in the Palace, then the case would become "of particular importance" to the Philippines.

P.S.

In case you are interested to read more about the VFA, here are some recommended readings.

1. SWS survey (here)
2. The Visiting Forces Agreement (here) (courtesy of Chan Robles)
3. Wikipedia has a concise backgrounder on the VFA (here)
4. But if you want a more detailed version, I suggest you read the Supreme Court case file (here)

The Year That Was in Western Visayas

Without a doubt, the biggest newsmaker in the region for 2006 was the Petron Oil Spill in Guimaras. Several months after it occurred, the tragedy is still being reported not only in local but also in national media outlets. By now, most of the victims have received their monetary claims and the affected shoreline cleaned up and people are ready to put the incident behind them. But up to now, the oil lying in the bottom of the ocean has not been taken out yet as the officials concerned continue to dillydally and bicker on the best method for sucking the oil out. In other words, the bomb is still ticking and the danger is still there but the people are happy (pacified might be a better word) because they have money. Many may have already forgotten that there is still oil in the hull of the ill-fated MV Solar I and it can again wreak havoc on the environment anytime. For my part, the only long-range solution I see to this problem is for government to order the oil companies to use only double-hulled tankers in transporting their oil. This and this alone would prevent further oil leaks in the future.

2006 also saw Milenyo and Reming batter not only Western Visayas but the entire country, with the Bicol Region hardest of all. In a country periodically wracked by typhoons, Milenyo and Reming were among the strongest and most destructive in a long time and thousands of poor people were displaced, hundreds died and millions of crops and properties destroyed. In this sense, 2006 was a year of calamities, both natural and man-made.

But there were bright spots. The 1st Philippine Mt. Everest Team, which was spearheaded by an Ilonggo (Art Valdez of Bacolod City), reached the summit of Mt. Everest. Manny Pacquiao, who is from South Cotabato and speaks Ilonggo fluently, won convincingly over Morales in Las Vegas. Tony Meloto (another Ilonggo from Bacolod/Molo, Iloilo City) of Gawad Kalinga won the Ramon Magsaysay Award and the diwal (a delicious mollusk found only in Capiz) is making a comeback. In her SONA, President Arroyo declared that she will make Western Visayas the tourism capital of the Philippines and promised to earmark funds to improve the region's tourism facilities. Tourist arrivals in Boracay were at an all time high, this despite the hullabaloo created by the government's plan to title and auction off prized lots in the island paradise. The sugarcane planters and millers of Negros are also hopeful that the Ethanol Bill will signal another "boom" in the sugar industry. Lastly, almost all economic indicators are positive - revenue collections are up, inflation down, the peso strong, foreign investments and domestic savings picking up, tourist arrivals at an all-time high, etc. - all of which contributed to merit a credit rating upgrade for the Philippines from international rating agencies.

So with things seemingly looking up, I was not really surprised to read the other day the recent SWS survey finding that 9 out of 10 Filipinos are hopeful that things will get better for them in 2007. This, despite the fact that another SWS survey said that hunger in the country is at an all time high: SWS claims that 19% of families (or 3.3 million Filipinos) experienced "involuntary hunger" in the past 3 months. It only confirmed what is already well-known: that the Filipino is an eternally optimistic person. Even when he is hungry, he is happy. Our optimism, our sunny disposition and rosy outlook of life I think is what differentiates us from the rest of our Asian neighbors and makes us more Latin-European rather than Asian in outlook. Our sunny optimism is both our greatest asset and biggest flaw as a people. I say it is our biggest flaw because it allows us to easily forgive and forget just so we can "move on." And I say this not only for the CDE but the AB class as well: ask the Makati Business Club to conduct a survey of its members and I'll bet many CEOs will agree to free Erap because "he has suffered enough." But at the same time, I believe that our optimism is our greatest asset because it has allowed us to continue surviving as a nation no matter what the calamities, problems and setbacks that come our way. Filipinos laugh in the face of tragedy and we sing even when we are hungry. How else can you explain the popularity of Xtreme Magic Sing when hunger is at an all time high in the country?

Tis' the Season to Rally

Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo has called on his flock to join a prayer rally tomorrow (Friday) at the Jaro Cathedral (read here). In a statement issued to the media, Archbishop Lagdameo, who is also President of the influential CBCP, said, “As we have said before, if Charter change is really needed, or when such shall be decided to be held, the best option is to do it through a Constitutional Convention. Please, hold the Con-con purified from the ‘negative impact’ that accompanied the People’s Initiative and Con-ass. The Filipino people deserve the best of the best.” He also said that the work of the Con-con should be the work of statesmen “whose concern will not be to fit it to a pre-determined framework, but who will discern, discuss, debate on what will be the best for our country.” The prayer rally in Iloilo City comes 2 days ahead of the prayer rally being planned this coming Sunday in Manila's Luneta Park which is expected to draw opposition leaders and thousands of people.

Meanwhile, the coming May election promises to be a ho-hum affair in Negros Occidental what with Governor Marañon's UNA (United Negros Alliance) dominating provincial politics. This early, Marañon has already firmed up his slate for the province's 6 congressional districts (read this Visayas Daily Star article).

This news article caught my attention: "Rebel leader weds in Bacolod Hotel amid tight security" (read here). Naks ala Salvatore Guiliano (The Sicilian) a!

See Reuters' Picture of the Year:


Picture of the year 2006: US President George W. Bush hands back a crying baby that was handed to him from the crowd as he arrived for an outdoor dinner with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Trinwillershagen, Germany, July 13, 2006. [Reuters]

Have a nice day!

Con Ass is Dead, Long Live Cha Cha!

It is now clear that Speaker Joe de Venecia misjudged the mood of the people. Filipinos are apathetic but not apathetic enough - they will object and go to the streets when they see wanton display and brazen abuse of power. Watching JDV, et al. on ANC last Saturday, it almost seems that they are desperate (Manolo Quezon in his column described them as "weepy") to change the Constitution. The House leadership has since withdrew their 72-hour ultimatum and more diplomatically "requested" the Senate to approve a Resolution calling for a Consitutional Convention. But lest anti-JDV opponents think that they have won, the Man of the House, the Godfather of Backroom Politics has come out with another gambit: I'll scrap Con Ass if you call for a Con Con.

While most opinion makers in Manila would rather just demonize the House members, I for my part would like to find explanations for their "brazen" behavior. Certainly, there are bad eggs in Congress but I refuse to believe the "one-dimensional" portrayal of Congressmen by media as "pure evil." No one person thinks he is evil (most especially politicians) and there must be underlying reasons that make otherwise rational individuals to act so brazenly.

For one, I suspect that most incumbent congressmen are not ready for elections in May 2007. It may be that most of them bought Speaker Joe's "PI/no-election scenario" hook, line and sinker. Having been promised that there will be no elections come May 2007, many may have been complacent in their constituency work and neglected their "fund-raising" activities. Thus, the rather "weepy" look of most congressmen during the presscon called by JDV last week. Understandably, JDV is combative because he may well lose the Speakership if he doesn't deliver on his promise to his House colleagues.

If it's any consolation, Speaker JDV succeeded in "polarizing" politics along Pro and Anti Cha Cha adherents. Before the aborted Final Push, the usual "People Power people" had no compelling political issue to use to bring the people out to the streets. Before the aborted Con Ass, our Senators were just sitting on their asses and were just ignoring the repeated requests of the House for them to Cha Cha. All the Senate have to do to defeat Con Ass is to do nothing.

It is weird but I have yet to meet anyone who is against Charter Change. Almost anyone who oppose Cha Cha claim that they are not against amending the Constitution per se but that they feel now is not the right time and suspect that it will be used by the powers-that-be to extend their reign. Cory Aquino used this line in 1997 when she rallied People Power in Luneta to oppose the Pedrosa-led Pirma. Ten years later, Cha Cha opponents are still using the same line to justify their opposition to Cha Cha. So the question to current anti-Cha Cha forces then is, when is the right time? Or more appropriately, who is the person you think should be in power for you to say that now is the right time?

At least, the coming May 2007 elections will be an issue-driven campaign (hopefully) and any candidate will have to decide on where he will stand on the issue. This country has not had an issue-driven campaign since the U.S. Bases Treaty issue. Now, senatorial candidates will be supported by local kingpins based not only on their winnability but also on their stand on the Cha Cha issue. Reelectionist local politicians, most of whom are in favor of Cha Cha, will have to explain to their constituents why they are for amending the Constitution. Voters will be forced to think and listen to both sides of the debate. The May 2007 elections may well prove to be a referendum on Cha Cha.

Finally, an Ilonggo Golfer Qualifies for the PGA Tour

Coming off the heels of Pacquiao's convincing win in Las Vegas, another Pinoy athlete is set to make a name for himself in the international stage. Ilonggo golfer Juvic Pagunsan is all set to play in a PGA Tour event, the Sony Open in Hawaii January next year. Pagunsan, a former caddy from Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, came out of nowhere to bag the Asian Tour’s "Rookie of the Year" award after finishing second in the UBS Hong Kong Open last week. His runner-up prize lifted him to seventh in the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit with earnings of $288,794, aside from giving him an automatic slot at the Sony Open. Only 28 years old, Juvic has a long, promising golfing career ahead of him. (read more here)

And The Hits Just Keep on Coming... for Petron

SunStar, a newspaper based in Southern Philippines, reports that the barge contracted by Petron to transport the oil sludge from Guimaras to the Holcim Plant in Lugait, Misamis Oriental SANK last Monday somewhere off the coast of neighboring Misamis Occidental province (read more here). After Guimaras Governor Rahman Nava, it is now Misamis Occidental Governor Loreto "Leo" Ocampos' s turn to agonize over a "mini-oil spill" in his province.

Incidentally, Leo Ocampos is an old friend. I first met him when he was just a faculty (and later Dean) of the College of Engineering at Misamis University, Ozamis City and we became fast friends. He is a jolly and very funny fellow and his laugh is infectious. And since he is quite tall, I used to kid him and called him "The Richard Gomez of Ozamis." He was very popular with his students. When he first ran for Board Member, he instantly became a hit (especially with the youth) and garnered the highest number of votes among the Board Members. When you are the Number 1 Bokal, people egg you to run for Vice Governor and that's what exactly Leo did, again winning handily against his opponent. Hardly had he warmed his seat as Vice Governor when his Governor suddenly died of illness, thereby making him the Main Man of Misamis. His reelection was a cinch and I think he is already on his third and last term as Governor of Misamis Occidental right now. I consider Leo a model local-level politician - someone who has both brains and charisma, dynamism and drive, and the most important, a sense of humor. You have to have a sense of humor in order to last in politics and you must not take yourself too seriously (masyado pa-importante) in order not to lose your old friends.

Anyway, back to the sinking. The incident occured last Monday and it is now Wednesday but our National Disaster officials have yet to issue a report on what oil spill mitigation measures they are doing or are planning to do in Misamis Occidental. Although Petron was quick to downplay the incident claiming that the environmental effects would not be as calamitious as the oil spill in Guimaras, the fact is that that damned Petron Oil Sludge is like a roving Black Plague spreading and contaminating different areas in the country. I myself have no rage left; when I read about the incident all I can do is sigh in exasperation. I don't know whether the Petron people (who chose and contracted the barge) are idiots or just plain malas. They should probably have their offices feng shui-ed or something to ward off the "evil spirits" because "PR calamities" like this just keep on hitting Petron.

He Who Is More Committed Wins

I watched the delayed telecast of the Pacquiao-Morales fight over at ABS-CBN yesterday and I was completely impressed by Manny's performance. There is no other way of describing the fight: he totally out-classed and demolished Morales. (It's good Pacquiao ended the fight in the 4th Round though because if it lasted 12 Rounds I think the people's patience would have been really tested because of all those commercials).

You have to hand it to Pacquiao: he is not only a talented but more importantly, a disciplined fighter. During the pre-fight broadcasts, Manny's rippling muscles and lean physique was a clear indication that he really trained hard and sacrificed a lot to attain top form. In contrast, Morales looked weaker and not as "well-chiseled" as during their second match in Las Vegas. A news photo I saw also showed that Morales gained a lot of weight after their 2nd fight, which may expain partly why it was harder for him to regain his old form. Without a doubt, si Pacquiao "ang mas ara sa condisyon" between the two.

Both fighters are naturally-gifted boxers and are about evenly-matched in terms of skills and ring experience: Pacquiao is a powerful, knock-out puncher while Morales is a wily fighter and an excellent counter-puncher. And in a game where both are evenly matched, it is training and preparation, committment and perseverance that will ultimately make a difference. The Pacquiao-Morales Fight Part III to me proved that "He Who Is More Committed Wins."

Hopefully, this latest victory will silence his detractors who have been claiming that success had gone to Manny's head. I, for one, initially thought that financial success will make Pacquiao "soft." On the contrary, Pacquiao remains committed to his craft and (as his latest fight bore out) even improved as a boxer. We should therefore not begrudge him for savoring the fruits of his labor (such as when he bought a Porsche and built a mansion) because he works hard for it. And far from making him "mellow down," success has in fact made Pacquiao more committed as ever to improving his skills in boxing.

Si Lolo Eddie Pa Golf-Golf Na Lang

After (seemingly) giving up on Charter Change, Former President Fidel Ramos is seen taking it easy and "pa-golf golf" lang sa Iloilo. Ramos was here last Thursday (November 16) to do the ceremonial tee-off at the 9th Bamboo Tee Ceremonial Tournament of the Iloilo Golf and Country Club. As an aside, legend has it that golfers in IGCC used to use tees made of bamboo - I don't know if they still do today - hence the tournament name. (I really think we should promote the use of bamboo instead of plastic tees because it is more environment-friendly). The News Today has this photo of the signature Ramos swing complete with jubilant, jumping golf buddies in the background. One look at the photo and I know it was "staged" - I don't think Mr. Ramos typically grins when hitting his drive. Irregardless, it makes for a good photo op and I would like to thank FVR for generating publicity for IGCC.

More commonly known as Sta. Barbara to locals, the Iloilo Golf and Country Club will be celebrating its 100th anniversary next year, which makes it the oldest existing golf course in the Philippines and one of the oldest in Asia. The Club is now a certified member of the prestigious Society of 1907, which is comprised of golf courses established in 1907. This means that IGCC members can now play golf at all Society of 1907 member-clubs in the UK for free (I don't think even tony clubs like Manila Golf and Wack Wack can boast of reciprocal playing rights like this). To celebrate its centenary, the Club has lined up a series of activities (see its website for more details).

"Nadakpan na si Gringo!"

Gringo Honasan is once again in the news. "Nadakpan na si Gringo" (Nahuli na si Gringo) was the typical conversation starter yesterday. Scanning today's reportage on the incident, I think Manila Standard TODAY has the best photo which they aptly captioned "End of the Line." The photo of a gray-haired Honasan being wheeled away on a wheelchair seems to say it all: Gringo is now a tired, old, "broken" man. His former Senate colleague Tito Sotto is at his side, looking on with grave concern. Inquirer reports that Honasan fractured his left foot jumping from the roof of the Greenmeadows townhouse where he was located by authorities. During his heydey as a dashing Special Forces colonel), Gringo could probably jump from a two-storey building without breaking his leg. But the fact is, he is no longer in his prime. Honasan is now but a shadow of his former self.

Another conversation topic yesterday closer to home was the shooting incident inside the Iloilo Provincial Capitol involving members of the politically prominent Nava clan of Guimaras province (JC Rahman Nava is currently the Governor). The Nava vs. Nava confrontation involved Sumakwel Nava (father of Plaridel Nava who is currently the Provincial Legal Officer of Guimaras) and Napoleon Nava, his nephew, a local "media practitioner" - meaning he is a blocktimer for Aksyon Radio. According to reports, Sumakwel Nava (the Uncle) got pissed with his nephew (Nap Nava) because the latter was using his name when asking for money from politicians. Uncle berated Nephew for tarnishing the family name with his illicit "fund-raising activities." And when Nephew answered back, Uncle shot him in the leg with his .45 caliber pistol. At present, Nephew is in the hospital and Uncle is nowhere to be found.

Now, people are asking how Sumakwel was able to bring a gun inside the Governor's Office. Board Members Niel Tupas, Jr. and Domingo Oso are now blaming the security guards for the "lax security" at the Capitol and are planning to conduct an inquiry into the matter. Are you kidding me? If they body searched all the mayors (who were conducting a meeting at an adjoining room when the shooting incident occured), I'll bet most of them were carrying firearms. It is no secret that almost every politician in Iloilo packs a gun for his/her protection. The same is true with most local journalists. If you are an ordinary security guard, would you have the audacity to frisk a mayor or a reporter and ask him to relinquish his gun to you? Remember that these people are in constant fear for their lives. Asking them to surrender their guns would be tantamount (at least from their point of view) to asking them to entrust their lives to you. I honestly doubt if these people would entrust their lives to some security guard they do not know. The only time politicians and local journalists agree not to carry their pistols is everytime President Arroyo visits Iloilo because the PSG absolutely prohibits guns (not their own) near the President.

Please, Board Member Oso, Board Member Tupas, spare the guards. They are just doing their jobs... No, they just like to keep their jobs. If you really like to solve the problem, you must lend your name and political will into the "No-Guns in the Capitol" campaign. You must be prepared to lose much political capital and kiss a promising career in politics goodbye. For most mayors/reporters consider their guns as their security blanket and stripping them of it would really piss them off. The Capitol guards must be able to say with conviction to a complaining mayor or gun-toting journalist: "kay Board Member Oso, or kay Board Member Tupas na lang kamo magreklamo ser. Gina-sunod lang namon order nila." But if you are unwilling to lose political capital over this issue, it is best to just let the issue die a natural death.

STL No Go in Capiz

A warrant of arrest has been issued against Mia Gonzalez, a journalist who writes for Newsbreak Magazine and Business Mirror, by virtue of a libel case that First Gentleman Mike Arroyo filed against her two years ago for her story entitled "Will She Now Change?." Newsbreak Magazine has issued a statement deploring the "surprise" arrest warrant and those interested can read Gonzalez's alleged libelous article here which was published on June 7, 2004 (under her nom de plume Concepcion Paez) .

*****

As I have said, the coming elections in Iloilo City will have national repercussions and there are already reports that Malacañang is "very interested" in the outcome of our polls here. Citing anonymous sources in the Palace, THE GUARDIAN Newspaper reports that no less than President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo called up Secretary Raul Gonzalez Sr. when she heard about Drilon's impending candidacy in Iloilo City (read more here). The same anonymous source claimed that “the President vowed to spend money against Drilon’s candidacy in Iloilo.”

Most media practitioners in Iloilo are also sore at Drilon basically because hindi marunong "maglambing," such as this local columnist who wrote:

"On another occasion, three Ilonggo mediamen waited for more than one hour to see him in his Senate office. He never let them in. When finally he went out to go to the session hall, he told the visitors, “Just proceed to the session hall and listen to me there.”

While campaigning for reelection in 2001, he called for a press conference at the airport. He ordered batchoy—for himself. The invited mediamen just “ate” his words."


******

Senator Mar Roxas reportedly is angry after finding out that his political lieutenants are planning to approve the entry of STL (Small Town Lottery) in Capiz without his prior clearance. The young senator is not called the "Political Kingpin of Capiz" for nothing: upon learning about Mar's stance, Governor Bermejo called up all his mayors and ordered them to desist from campaigning for STL. Earlier, 12 out of the province's 16 mayors issued a joint statement "interposing no objection" to the operation of STL in Capiz. But now, with just one signal from Senator Roxas, every LGU leader suddenly is mum on STL. And quite right too - while I am not against gambling per se, I do not believe in STL because it takes money away from the poor. I would rather want to see a casino set up in Panay because it takes only (well, mainly) the money of the rich and the foreign tourists.

*******

Now, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago is saying that she is "too young to be Chief Justice. Earlier she said she is willing to pose naked for the SC post. Ano guid bala gusto mo Inday Miriam? Daw ma-buang na kami sa imo!

Witchcraft Paraphernalia Discovered in loilo City

The Guardian, a local newspaper in Iloilo, has this intriguing news item today:

‘HIWIT’
Skull and bones, tools of witchcraft recovered in Mandurriao house
By Francis Allan L. Angelo

HALLOWEEN is long over but chilly tales of a suspected witch is gripping the residents of a village in Mandurriao, Iloilo City. The tale began after Edison Paredes, 37, of Brgy. Hibao-an Norte, Mandurriao found Thursday afternoon a strange-looking bag in the house of his brother Marcelito.

Edison said he was horrified by the contents of the bag—a human skull, two pieces of bones, four pieces of black candles, five photographs with burnt marks and two T-shirts.

A strip of red cloth was tied around the skull’s forehead.

Even more chilling was Edison’s discovery of a piece of paper tucked in the remaining teeth of the skull—his name was written on the paper.

Edison suspected that he is a victim of hiwit or witchcraft perpetrated by a certain Luz Elbanbuena, the live-in partner of his brother Eduard. The couple stayed in Marcelito’s house until they left for Maasin several days ago.

Edison claimed that Elbanbuena, a native of Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, threatened to harm him using her knowledge of black magic.

“We had a fight in August and she threatened to kill me in two days. My hunch was confirmed when I found these items,” Edison said.

*****

The Philippine Daily Inquirer reports that Senator Drilon has transferred his voter registration to Iloilo City yesterday (read here). "I am keeping my options open" was Drilon's reply to persistent questions by local reporters whether he is indeed running for the city's Lone Congressional District post. Although he refuses to make a categorical statement, I think it is good as go that the veteran Ilonggo politician will vie for the said post in the May polls. This is a "make or break" election for Mr. Drilon's political career. What's at stake here is not only who will represent the district of Iloilo City but also the leadership of the Liberal Party since if he loses, Drilon will also lose his preeminence among the "anti-GMA" wing of the Liberal Party. In other words, this local election will have a significant impact on national politics.

American Defense Secretary Resigns (ala Cruz)

In a move that sent shockwaves throughout the world, US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has resigned (read the full news article here). Rumsfeld's suprise move is uncannily reminscent of the sudden resignation from the Cabinet of Avelino "Nonong" Cruz, our own Defense Secretary, only a week ago. While some may say that the reasons and circumstances of Cruz's resignation is totally unrelated to Rumsfeld's, I say that both individuals resigned for largely the same reason: POLITICS. Someone must always absorb the blame for a defeat: Cruz for the PI defeat and Rumsfeld for their mid-term election debacle.

By now, everyone knows that the Democrats have won. For the first time in 12 years, the Democrats will control the House of Representatives and hold 28 out of the 50 State governorships. All eyes are now on two women leaders, both respected stalwarts in the Democratic Party: long-time House Minority Floor Leader Nancy Pelosi (who is favored to become the next Speaker) and New York Senator Hillary Clinton (who is being touted as a strong contender for President in 2008). Pundits predict that President Bush will become a lame duck president (read this October article by the Washington Post "Election may leave Bush an early lame duck").

I suspect that our government officials are now analyzing what the impact of the US elections will be on our relations with the Americans. I predict that Filipino columnists and opinion-makers are now crafting their analysis of the different repercussions of a Democratic Party victory on Filipinos. For my part, I welcome the win of the Democrats because it will hopefully mean that a "softer" US Immigration Reform Actwill be passed in Congress.

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The Senator from Iloilo, Miriam Defensor-Santiago, has been quoted as saying that she is willing to pose naked for the SC post. Now I think we really do need to impose psychiatric testing as a requirement for our SC nominees!

Salary Standardization Law Part 3

It is not being reported in the media but the entire civil service bureaucracy is abuzz with talk about an imminent across-the-board wage increase and the total overhauling of the government salary grade system under a new Salary Standardization Law III (SSL 3). In public offices, government corridors and hallways, pantries and cafeterias, ordinary rank-and-file staff are quietly discussing and debating the merits/demerits of the proposed bill in Congress. At first, SSL 3 started as a rumor or as some sort of "urban myth" among civil servants - someone knows someone who has heard about it but no one has actually seen the bill.

But the SSL 3 "myth" is no more: it is actually turning into a reality. There is now a bill pending in the House of Representatives which seeks to amend the old Salary Standardization Law (RA 6758) entitled "Government Classification and Compensation Act." Also, Secretary Andaya of the Department of Budget and Management confirmed recently that they are pushing to increase government salaries starting next year.

I predict that the proposed SSL 3 will be very controversial and will elicit much condemnation especially from employees of GFIs and GOCCs. Just a cursory glance tells me that some of the proposed bill's provisions will be dynamite. For example, Section 35 repeals ALL special salary laws and regulations." This means that employees of GFIs (Government Financial Institutions) and GOCCs (Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations) like GSIS, Bangko Sentral, Land Bank, etc. will no longer enjoy SSL exemption and will receive the same salary levels as the rest in government. The bill also overhauls the entire Salary Grade structure, reducing it from 33 salary grades (with SG 1 as lowest and SG 33 highest) to only 22 job grades. Under the current system, if you are an SG 18 employee and get promoted to SG 19 you only get less than a P1,000 increase. Under SSL 3, pay differentials between ranks are much bigger. A Job Grade 13 holder, for example, receives P46,301 while a Job Grade 14 P52,783 or a difference of around P6,000. Pay differential between ranks becomes bigger as the ranks get higher.

But perhaps the greatest revision is in the "spirit" of the law. The proposed SSL 3 removes the "bias" of old SSL law (click here for a copy) for the low-ranking employee. Section 3 (a) of the present SSL states that: "All government personnel shall be paid just and equitable wages; and while pay distinctions muct necessarily exist in keeping with work distinctions, the ratio of compensation for those occupying higher ranks to those at lower ranks should be maintained at equitable levels, giving due consideration to higher percentage of increases to lower level positions and lower percentage increases to higher level positions (italics mine). This provision is no longer present in the proposed bill. In its place is a sentence which lays down the new Governing Principles to be observed - under Section 3 (c) states "Recognizing the need to attract, retain and motivate such a corps of civil servants, the State shall develop, implement, and maintain a rational compensation and benefits system which shall be internally and externally equitable, performance-based, and easy to administer."

While SSL 3 proposes to increase the salaries of ALL government employees, it reserves the biggest pay raise to higher-ranking officials - the higher the rank, the bigger the salary hike. The President of the Philippines, which under SSL receives an unbelievable P25,000 a month, will now have a base pay of P140,277 a month. An Undersecretary, classified as a Salary Grade 30 position receiving P18,975 a month, will now be classified as a Job Grade 18 and will be receiving a monthly salary of P89,149 at SSL 3's first year of implementation (which will reach up to P115,893 5 years later). Mid-ranking or supervisory-level government officials will also be receiving between P40,000 to P80,000 a month according to the bill's proposed Base Pay Schedule.

SSL 3 seeks to upgrade the salaries of our government employees to bring it up to par with inflation and private sector rates. For my part, I welcome its passage because it has been more than 10 years since our civil servants received an increase. I believe that SSL 3 will not only promote efficiency but also reduce corruption in government. Sometimes, you cannot blame public servants for being corrupt and inefficient because their salaries are so unbelievably low and our civil service system promotes mediocrity and does not reward excellence with appropriate remuneration. We definitely need SSL 3 if we want to keep and attract outstanding Filipinos in government.

Manila Bulletin Scores a Major Scoop (Again!)

Manila Bulletin again has "outscooped" all other national dailies with its banner story today: "Nation Honors Its Departed Loved Ones on All Saints' Day." Read also its editorial titled simply: "All Saints' Day."

Boracay is a major revenue earner in the Philippines, with total BIR collections amounting to P300 million as of September 2006. Now called "The Crown Jewel of the Philippine Tourism Industry," revenue collections in Boracay have been consistently rising in the past five years, indicating a "tourism boom" in that island-resort. But all is not well in paradise. Disgruntled employees of Club Panoly picketed the Caticlan Jetty Port to protest their retrenchment and the said resort's alleged unfair labor practices. Also, government wants to enforce a "one-entry, one-exit" policy to better secure the island from terrorists and criminals. The plan is being opposed by boat operators and residents there. And of course, there is the long-standing controversy regarding the ownership of lots in Boracay. Long-time residents and resort-owners are opposing Proclamation 1064 which seeks to reclassify 628 hectares as forest and agricultural land. The present occupants would rather acquire their lots thru "judicial titling."

Finally, President Arroyo has accepted the resignation of all PRC-BON (Board of Nursing) members. After several false starts, the Court of Appeals okayed the oath-taking of new nurses. NCLEX executives, in their courtesy call in Malacañang recently, also said that they were hopeful that the Philippine government would be able to resolve the nursing leak controversy satisfactorily. The only thing missing now is the punishment of those that caused the leakage. But all in all, I am glad that things are slowly working out for our nursing graduates.

"Lambino Group Tried to Hoodwink the Filipino People" - SC

I finished reading the full text of the Supreme Court decision (which is already available online) last night. Aside from the audacity of the Lambino-led Sigaw ng Bayan group in trying to deceive our people, what struck me most about the Court's decision was its finding that under the proposed amendments no Senator will be qualified to become Prime Minister during the interim period of government. Absolutely no one (whether from media, academe, politics, blogosphere, etc.) has pointed this out and this is honestly news to me. But the Supreme Court has seen it - in street parlance, nasilip pa nila yun! - and I have to say that I'm impressed. Here are excerpts:

"There is another intriguing provision inserted in the Lambino Group’s amended petition of 30 August 2006. The proposed Section 4(3) of the Transitory Provisions states:

Section 4(3). Senators whose term of office ends in 2010 shall be members of Parliament until noon of the thirtieth day of June 2010.

After 30 June 2010, not one of the present Senators will remain as member of Parliament if the interim Parliament does not schedule elections for the regular Parliament by 30 June 2010. However, there is no counterpart provision for the present members of the House of Representatives even if their term of office will all end on 30 June 2007, three years earlier than that of half of the present Senators. Thus, all the present members of the House will remain members of the interim Parliament after 30 June 2010.

The term of the incumbent President ends on 30 June 2010. Thereafter, the Prime Minister exercises all the powers of the President. If the interim Parliament does not schedule elections for the regular Parliament by 30 June 2010, the Prime Minister will come only from the present members of the House of Representatives to the exclusion of the present Senators.

The signature sheets do not explain this discrimination against the Senators. The 6.3 million people who signed the signature sheets could not have known that their signatures would be used to discriminate against the Senators. They could not have known that their signatures would be used to limit, after 30 June 2010, the interim Parliament’s choice of Prime Minister only to members of the existing House of Representatives.

An initiative that gathers signatures from the people without first showing to the people the full text of the proposed amendments is most likely a deception, and can operate as a gigantic fraud on the people. That is why the Constitution requires that an initiative must be “directly proposed by the people x x x in a petition” - meaning that the people must sign on a petition that contains the full text of the proposed amendments. On so vital an issue as amending the nation’s fundamental law, the writing of the text of the proposed amendments cannot be hidden from the people under a general or special power of attorney to unnamed, faceless, and unelected individuals. "

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In local news, Tourism Secretary Ace Durano announced that over P29 Billion in infrastructure projects will be allocated to improve the region's facilities and make it into the tourism hub of the Philippines (read more here). He made this announcement during the Western Visayas Tourism Assembly currently being held in Iloilo City. Boracay in Aklan province is by far the foremost tourist destination in the country, bringing in P10 billion in revenues last year. Also, Western Visayas is known for its festivals the more famous and more established of which are the Dinagyang Festival and Candelaria (for cockfighting aficionados) of Iloilo City, Ati-Atihan Festival of Aklan, Masskara Festival of Bacolod City. Other provinces are also trying to cash in on the tourism wave: Capiz is promoting its caves and Aswang Festival, Antique its Sinadya, Guimaras its beaches. Palawan, which is now part of Region 6, promises to be another Boracay with its pristine white sand beaches and beauteous coves..

Ilonggo Doctor Delivers Baby in Airplane

Anthony Roland Golez, an Ilonggo (my guess is he is from Silay, Negros Occidental because Golezes are from there usually) medical doctor delivered a baby on board a KLM plane from Amsterdam enroute to Manila (read more here). Curiously, the plane had to land (of all places!) in strife-torn Kazhakstan which recently has been in the papers. The baby, a boy, was delivered premature but otherwise healthy. See photo below (courtesy of Visayan Daily Star).

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And so it seems that the May 2007 elections will push thru with the Supreme Court junking Lambino's petition. Some of the elected politicians I talked to who are pro-Cha Cha have this common reaction: SAYANG!! For a more comprehensive discussion on the issue, please visit Manolo Quezon's blog. But if you want it straight from the horses' mouth so to speak, I suggest you read the full text of the Supreme Court decision which is not only very enlightening but surprisingly also easy to digest and I dare say entertaining to read. Whoever penned that decision (and I mean the junior legal staff at SC who researched and actually wrote it) should be congratulated - the decision is lawyering at its finest. Makes me think of taking up law too.

What the F*&%$#!??

This one is for the books - unidentified armed men "planted" 22 banana trees along a rough, uncemented patch of road in Oton town, Iloilo to the bewilderment of the people there. To see is to believe, so kindly see this picture below (courtesy of The News Today):

All I can say is, what are the jokers who planted the bananas trying to prove? If this is another one of the "publicity stunts" of those NPA rebels, I do not exactly get the message they are trying to impart the public.

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I heard from "highly unimpeachable sources" that Speaker Jose de Venecia was extremely jealous of Muhammad Yunus, the founder of Grameen Bank - a pioneering micro-lending institution in Bangladesh, for winning this year's Nobel Prize. Reports say that JDV was so green with envy that he decided to do this (read this Philippine Star report.)

Have a nice day!

Gunfight at OK Corral

Three cops engaged in a "drawing" match in Dueñas town, Iloilo over the weekend. Police Officer 3 (PO3) Jose Diestro, the ranking officer and detachment commander, was said to have been challenged to a "duel" by his subordinates PO3 Ronilo Dequito and PO1 Lemuel Paparon whom he earlier scolded for drinking while on duty. When the smoke cleared, the two lesser-ranking cops laid dead and the "victorious" PO3 Diestro fled the scene of the gunfight (read more here and here). Claiming self-defense, he later surrendered to authorities.

Reports say that when Dequito attempted to draw his .45 caliber service firearm, PO3 Diestro shot him with his M16 rifle along with his "drinking buddy," PO1 Paparon. The moral of the story: One, do not engage in a gunfight when you are drunk (because alcohol slows your reflexes and reaction time). Two, do not pick a fight with someone with a sub-machinegun, especially when you only have a pistol.

Reading the media reports, one also gets a sense that outside Iloilo city limits it's a "Wild Wild West" out there. Once in a while, you hear stories of brutal murder, rape and even aswangs coming from the "Interior," as Ilonggos refer to the towns outside Iloilo City. Incidents like these are, well, not naman frequent but it occurs regularly. And it takes so little to spark a fight when people have imbibed alcoholic spirits: a careless glance, singing My Way, a simple remark would already send fists flying, knives slashing and guns blazing. Some Ilonggo males, like he three police officers who engaged in that shooting match, have a surfeit of testosterone. As Tagalogs say, "nasobrahan sa tapang."

A Solomonic Decision?

The Court of Appeals has issued a decision ordering the retake of only 1,687 Nursing Licensure Exam takers out of the 17,322 total board passers (read more here). The CA ruled that 1, 687 examinees would retake tests 3 and 5, which the PRC, by virtue of Resolution 31, invalidated due to reports that questions in those tests had been leaked. Everyone seems to agree that it was a Solomonic decision; even Labor Secretary Arturo Brion said that he will abide by and will no longer call for a retake of NLE passers. I also agree. Let's just cross our fingers and observe whether CGFNS will see it that way also.

If everyone (especially Brion and Dante Ang) just waited for the NBI findings to come out before shooting off their mouths, then things would have been better all around. Let this be a lesson to all public officials: do not issue statements to the media if you have only incomplete information or partial picture of the problem. I think Secretary Brion wanted to make an impression to the public ("naga-pasikat"), hence his rather "rash" pronouncement. Now the public's first impression of him is as the new Cabinet Secretary who ate his own words. It's a pity that he will make his public debut (I was not even aware that he is the Labor Secretary) in the public consciousness this way. It is ironic that Brion, who was a Court of Appeals justice before being appointed to the Labor portfolio, was "contradicted" by his former colleagues at the CA.

Hard-hitting journalist Stella Arnaldo has unearthed a old Manila Times article about Petron Chair Nicasio Alcantara regarding a land dispute controversy in Mindanao that his family was involved in. Authorities say that they will be siphoning the Petron oil spill early next year at the earliest. Well, that is, if there is still oil left in the cargo hold of MT Solar I. Reports say oil continues to leak from the ill-fated ship and the way things are going, there might not be oil left for IOPC to siphon. Also, Guimarasnons deny Petron's claim that their island province is already "safe" and "clean." Nice try, Petron PR guys -- close but no cigar...