Freedom's Abode II

Fourth of July: A Celebration on Chains

2010-07-05T15:52:00.000+08:00

Fourth of July.

It is the day when all Americans commemorate their Independence Day from the Kingdom of Great Britain after the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence. It was also the Philippine's day of declaration of independence from the United States of America.

Or a bogus declaration of independence I should say. Historians strongly point out that there were numerous strings attached to that relinquishment of sovereignty. We are indeed the door to the great Pacific and it would be greatly advantageous for a superpower to have control on such a territory. So, even after the said independence, their military bases were retained; they've dictated and have been dictating directly their access and control over our economy so that they can molest our natural resources.

All of that were granted to them by the then congress unless we will rebuild our own nation all by ourselves and say, "No, thank you. We can manage," to their post World War II rebuilding funds. This has been the US government’s dirty strategy of blackmailing and taking advantage of a powerless state’s dire needing. You won't privatize your water or energy sources and World Bank or IMF loans won't be approved. They're basically done with a lot of our Government Financial Institutions (GFIs) and Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCCs) starting with late President Cory Aquino's presidency and intensified under President Fidel Ramos – both are US puppets just like their predecessors.

Right now, our country's economy greatly depends on other countries' investments. Perfect to mention are the ones in the Business Process Outsourcing industry. Yes, it provides us jobs but in reality a lot of injustices are being done to us. But better live with it than none is the common mentality.

What I am trying to point out though is that our nation has not really experienced any real and genuine Independence. The US government's idea of an empire has been deeply rooted in our system and being religiously nurtured until now. And yes, we have faced very grave and heavy consequences - our deteriorating educational system, the arbitrary, unlawful and extrajudicial killings of journalists and activists, just to mention a few.

Prof. Bienvenido Lumbera, National Artist and Chair of Educators for Development (EfD) at the IBON National Educators’ Conference in Cebu City on 28 April 2010 perfectly put my thoughts into words:

"It must be pointed out that the colonial educational system did not go away after the so-called grant of independence in 1946. Like a parasitic plant it sunk deep roots on Philippine soil, nurtured by the original products of the Thomasites, and later when it had begun to age, revived by the Peace Corps volunteers. From time to time, there would be talks of reform, but the bureaucratic infrastructure set up by the Bureau of Education proved to be impervious to re-structuring in the hands of men and women who were themselves products of such a structure and therefore could not bring themselves to undo a system that made them what they are."

He added:

"Educators born generations away from the architects and vanguards of the colonial system can only hope that a new generation of educators with a nationalist orientation would arise to institute radical changes in the way the youth in schools are formed."

If students have not stood up together to stop the tuition fee increase in major state universities like UP and PUP, what could have become of our worsening educational state already?

In the same manner, the US government led war on terror has indeed created ghastly terrors in our own land not just in Afghanistan or Iraq. For the past 9 years, the US-Arroyo administration has 900 lives of activists who were critical of the government, including students and labor leaders, to account for. No other administration in the Philippine history has so much blood spilled on their hands than the one under the US-puppet President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Under the Oplan Bantay Laya, the US government has been using our own security forces to harass, exterminate and summarily slaughter our own people as they hide behind their just War on Terror that they themselves have created so that they can take over the entire world’s economy and resources. They and their brilliant idea of an Empire.

A lot have been hoping that the neophyte administration under the newly elected President Noynoy Aquino would bring about the advent of a new and reformed government. This five-day old administration has shown that it has no fangs and no serious motive to do something about the unrepressed arbitrary, unlawful, and extrajudicial killings and summary executions of journalists and activists in our country.

Today, the first extrajudicial killing under the Aquino administration happened with impunity. Fernando Baldomero, the provincial coordinator in Aklan of the party-list group Bayan Muna and also a town councilor of Lezo, Aklan, was shot dead by two unidentified gunmen early Monday.

The extrajudicial killing came two days after Jose Daguio, a 75-year-old reporter and commentator of Radyo Natin and a columnist of a community newspaper, was shot dead in his home in Tabuk City Saturday night.

This is the real independence we are currently enjoying. Moreover, it is so sad to say that the present generation, or many amongst us have been blinded and neutralized, are already apathetic, towards these issues. The United States’ strategy of instilling a false propaganda such as going to war for just causes like anti-terrorism, economic partnership and instability is slowly gnawing through our patriotic minds. So that one will be left questioning oneself, when will our hands and feet be unchained?

Quoting and rephrasing Prof. Lumbera’s words: we can only hope that a new generation of Filipinos with a nationalist orientation would arise to institute radical changes.

Let us fight for true Liberty!!!
No to US Imperialism!!!
Justice for all the victims of Oplan Bantay Laya II!!!

Sources:

"History of the Philippines (1946-1965)," http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Philippines_%281946%E2%80%931965%29
"Analysis on Privatization," http://www.skyinet.net/~courage/position/private1.htm
"THE POLITICAL PROCESS AND NATIONALIST EDUCATION by Prof. Bienvenido Lumbera," http://www.ibon.org/ibon_events.php?page=&id=57
"First killing of activist under Aquino condemned," http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view/20100705-279295/First-killing-of-activist-under-Aquino-condemned
http://kabataanpartylist.com/

In Defense of the Truth

2010-04-10T00:52:00.000+08:00

Kabataan Party-list is at the height of its campaigns. All through the years, the culture of Philippine politics had always been painted with name calling, harassment, destroying a candidate or a group's reputation and even murder and homicide. Most recent is the hideous Ampatuan Massacre in Maguindanao. We critique those who are not worthy, specially the government puppets. Oftentimes, those who just want to do it for fun and baseless rattling taints the essence of these critiquing. Oftentimes as well, we critics or the opposition are being critiqued. This became evident in one of the comments in our official campaigning website (http://kabataanpartylist.com/):

ray joey 03:53
ano ba yang nilagay nyo na text sa isang poster nyo binasura nyo ba ang no permit no exam policy? di yan totoo, tsaka sa pork barrel na natatanggap nyo sana marami kayong skolar,nagpapayaman rin kayo

I cannot blame the likes of Ray Joey. A politician even told us the same thing when we solicited assistance for a regional activity.

A party-list is a group that represents the minority. Duly mandated by none other than our constitution itself, it aims to protect the rights and interests of the minority or the marginalized and underrepresented sectors. Yes, as a party-list voted upon by the people, we are also entitled to the P70 Million annual pork barrel allocation which will finance identified, worthy and endorsed projects for the sector or group the party-list is representing.

On our case, such big money could have indeed financed a lot of less fortunate yet worthy students through scholarship programs. However, as a matter of fact we were never given our pork barrel allocations. Last year, we, including other left-wing party-lists Bayan Muna, Anakpawis and Gabriela, were even accused by Bantay Rep. Jovito Palparan Jr. and Anad Rep. Pastor Alcover Jr. (both government puppet party-lists) of using our pork barrel to organize and finance anti-government rallies and procure firearms and ammunition for communist rebels.

Then Quirino Rep. Junie Cua, chairman of the House committee on appropriations confirmed this and then after he briefly conferred with Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr., he told us that the problem was lack of funds.

“We will not beg for the pork barrel funds and we cannot be silenced despite the oppression that we are being subjected to. But we want the people to know that despite the absence of our pork barrel funds, we even earned two seats for Gabriela and Bayan Muna got three seats in this chamber,’’ quoting Rep. Liza Maza of Gabriela as she told the Manila Standard Today.

There is no lack of funds. We were oppressed. Hon. Prospero C. Nograles, Speaker of the House of Representatives and Hon. Edcel C. Lagman's, Chairman of the Committee on Appropriations explained and justified pork barrel in their Understanding the “Pork Barrel”, "Indeed, understanding the PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund) is appreciating its necessity and import. It is not by any measure akin to the sinful “pork barrel” of the original American mold."

Despite the justification, many still believed that it is being used in favor of and against the enemy of the government. It was used during the times of the dictator Pres. Ferdinand Marcos (Salvador Miranda, “The Politics of Pork”, November, 1996). It is being used as well today by the corrupt and neodictator Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to oppress her enemies and critics, including us leftist party-lists. You might want to ask, how is that possible? She cannot. Well, unfortunately, she can. Let me copy here the exact words of Nograles and Lagman:

In the precedent-setting case of Philconsa vs.Enriquez, et al., the High Court declared in no uncertain terms that the CDF is valid and constitutional. It was ruled that:

Under the Constitution, the spending power called by James Madison as “the power of the purse,” belongs to Congress, subject only to the veto power of the President. The President may propose the budget, but still the final say on the matter of appropriations is lodged in the Congress. The power of appropriation carries with it the power to specify the project or activity to be funded under the appropriation law. It can be as detailed and as broad as Congress wants it to be.

The Supreme court further held that:

The Constitution is a framework of a workable government and its interpretation must take into account the complexities, realities and politics attendant to the operation of the political branches of government. Prior to the GAA of 1991, there was an uneven allocation of appropriations for the constituents of the members of Congress, with the members close to the Congressional leadership or who hold cards for "horse-trading," getting more than their less favored colleagues. The members of Congress also had to reckon with an unsympathetic President, who could exercise his veto power to cancel from the appropriation bill a pet project of a Representative or Senator.

And the sad truth is that, the Congress is dominated by Administration representatives. President Arroyo can veto our prospected projects and the Congress will support her. In spite of this, we were able to deliver impressive number of votes last 2007 elections. We were able to accomplish a lot even before we aspired for Congress and run as a party-list.

The most recent of our youth's victories are:

1. Anti No Permit, No Exam Policy

It was Kabataan Partylist that filed the HB6799 or the “Anti-No-Permit, No-Exam Policy” filed by Palatino last September 10, 2009. CHED duly acknowledged and said Okay to it with Commission on Higher Education's (CHEd) issuance of CHEd Memorandum Order (CMO) 02 series of 2010, directing Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to be flexible in the implementation of ‘no permit, no exam’ policy.

CHED officially issued the memo on January 22, 2010. The CHED Memo states in Section 3 . Specific Guidelines, “As such, HEIs shall allow students with delinquent accounts to take school examinations.”

2. No to Tuition Fee Increase (TFI)

The stoppage of tuition fee increase in Major Universities in the country and even hundreds of other Universities nationwide after Rep. Raymond "Mong" Palatino of Kabataan, along with student and youth leaders, conducted a dialogue with Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chairman Emmanuel Angeles. He even asked to be furnished a list of schools being complained in the Kabataan Partylist hotlines that are planning to raise tuition fees and so that he would not approve them - that was after Palatino raised that most of the 233 private schools have tuition hike proposals that have violated consultation guidelines with students and parents. (http://kabataanpartylist.com/blog/breaking-news-students-triumph-over-tuition-hikes-ched-chair-angeles-declares-no-tuition-hike-in-pup/).

This May 2010, we are running once again for Congress not to collect our pork barrel and worse not to make ourselves rich, but to continue what we have started and aim for more and greater victories - victories that will address one by one the roots of the problems and dilemmas that confront not only the youth but the Philippine society as a whole. We, as the first and only youth partylist in Congress today, will continue to stand for the rights of the youth, students and every Filipino citizen to free and accessible education; adequate jobs for all new graduates and the protection of workers’ rights; against corruption and works for the immediate prosecution of corrupt government officials at all levels; continue its pro-environment advocacy.

Most importantly, Kabataan Party-list means politics of change.

In this time of corrupt governance and political unrest, the nation needs young, vibrant and innovative minds that will restore integrity and morality in governance and lead the nation to genuine progress and social change. This is what we stand for.

Ipagpapatuloy natin ang laban!

Mabuhay ang mga Iskolar ng Bayan na lumalaban!

Mabuhay ang Kabataang Pilipino!

Re-elect for Congress - KABATAAN PARTY-LIST!!!

References:

http://kabataanpartylist.com/

"Understanding the “Pork Barrel," by Hon. Prospero C. Nograles, Speaker of the House of Representatives and Hon. Edcel C. Lagman, Chairman of the Committee on Appropriations

"Leftwing solons demand release of their pork barrel," http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/insideNews.htm?f=2009/october/17/news5.isx&d=/2009/october/17

"10 Reasons Why We Should Vote for Kabataan Partylist on May 10," http://kabataanpartylist.com/blog/10reasons/

When We Have To Make A Stand

2010-02-28T20:52:00.001+08:00

The other day, I met my friend Cris over at Mr. Donut in one of the malls here in Naga City. She told me a story about how a mother chose the lives of thousands of people over her own child. Destiny is really fond of testing our faith once in a blue moon. Faced with such circumstance, we oftentimes choose what we believe is right morally.

One is expected to choose either of the two, never both or none at all. We are forced to choose either the left or the right way. These roads are most of the time trudged by only a few. Why of all the people in the world do I have to make this choice?

Responsibility. Is it wrong that once in your life you’d find courage to bear on your shoulders the others’ responsibility? Or is it more wrong to avoid that responsibility when you have an obligation to fulfill? Is there any difference between responsibility and obligation?

Well, as they said, once you step a single foot on a pit, you might bring your entire body into it in spite of your struggle to keep the other foot out of it. That is if you don’t know how deep that pit is. Or if they will ever let you know I should say.

Moreover, internal contradictions and personal beliefs, molded by your upbringing and faith, often come in the way. Social morality tells you it is right, but personally for you it is not moral at all. It is just justified by the saying “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” And the belief that power should be yours to attain the coveted, the much needed change.

Violence is part of our society, part of our being human. We tend to be violent even to ourselves whenever our instincts send the impulse to our mind to feel such feeling. But it is something that can be pacified, controlled. Violence to counter violence is deadly. Everything will just be in circles – unending. Somewhere, there has to be a dot, separating the infinite number of dots in a circle. Someone has to sacrifice.

Ah! I can’t think straight. I cannot decide. I cannot elaborate either. I envy a three-toed sloth. At least it doesn’t have to worry about the world even about itself. All it does is hanging upside down a tree enjoying the sky, barely moving. Meditating the sky?

Requiescat In Pace: When The Dead Are Politicized

2010-02-24T12:01:00.002+08:00

Requiescat In Pace: When The Dead Are Politicized

November 30, 2006, our country especially the province of Albay was ravaged by the super typhoon Reming (international codename: Durian). That was barely two months after Milenyo (international codename: Xangsane), another typhoon hit us.

Its winds reached gusts of 265 kph or about 165 mph with 446 mm of rainfall, the highest amount of rain recorded in Albay since 1967 (equivalent to an average accumulated rainfall for a month), according to Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). It also claimed about 388-430 lives affected 800, 000 residents. Bicol Region incurred the greatest damage in houses with 215,510 houses destroyed and 328,592 houses partially damaged according to the National Disaster Coordinating Council's (NDCC) December 14 report on the effects of typhoon Reming.

When all of these were taking place, I was in Baguio attending the annual National Convention of YMCA Philippines with my fellow USC (University Student Council of Bicol University) officers and officers from the College-based YMCAs. Helpless, we can only watch and pray that our own families are safe and that our province will be raised hopeful from all these hopelessness. We were having breakfast when the news came, however, for our peace of mind; we weren't allowed to watch any further news.

Lahar and volcanic debris with boulders almost wiped out an entire baranggay in Legazpi City. Until now, Brgy. Padang has not fully recovered from the devastation of the typhoon, after almost 4 years after it happened. I have a firsthand account of the aftermaths of the typhoon. Transportation can go until Brgy. Arimbay Bridge only. From there one has to walk about 5.4 kilometers just to reach Sto. Domingo Bridge, the farthest the jeepneys can go from Tabaco City. Along the way, you will pass by National Highways littered by electric posts, fallen trees. Along Brgy. Padang, you will trudge on sands, boulders higher than buses, water flowing from every direction, the stench of death in the air. At that time, we still saw a hand protruding from a mound of sand just beside the remaining window of a lone wall of a once concrete house. One woman shrieked at the site. It was ghostly.

We conducted relief operations in different municipalities in the region through the efforts of the BU-USC, Kabataan Party-list and Bikol Movement for Disaster Response (BMDR).

Months after that, every time the bus passes by that place while I was on my way to the University, I kept thinking of that experience. Then an idea came to my mind that time. Why not at least create a shrine for those who died and for those who were never found?

The idea excites me. I was also a member of the University YMCA that time and we can spearhead that project. Plans are forming on my mind. We can contact friend organization abroad and get a grant - why not? Proposals are on my mind. However, sadly, I was not able to materialize that goal.

Then here comes election time. A new party-list advertising a major project of creating a similar memorial site in Brgy. Padang. Their rationale is: [Ako Bikol] has adopted baranggay Padang, Legazpi City as a memorial site to serve as a reminder not only of the tremendous losses of lives and properties as a result of the havoc wreaked by typhoon Reming in the Bicol region, but more importantly, to serve as a mute testimony of the resiliency of Bicolanos to rise above personal tragedies, to overcome fears, and to transforms weaknesses into strengths. Eventually, this site will become a major tourist attraction that will generate additional income to the locals.

I am happy that an organization had fulfilled this dream of mine. They have a gallant vision. However, I cannot help but be afraid that our beloved dead may be used for politicizing. They say that everything happens on certain times for specific reasons. They could have done these 3 years ago if they don't want to give this a color of politics. The party-list just surfaced recently, but the individual organizations/groups/companies behind it didn't. My question then now is what is their purpose?

For those who lost their lives - even those unaccounted for - I leave you a prayer.

Requiescat in pace.

A Safer Haven for Bloggers: No More

2010-01-25T12:26:00.000+08:00

The Philippines was declared as one of the unsafest place for Journalists since the dawn of Marcos's Martial Law in 1986. The Arroyo government was worse - journalists' blood colors the waters around Malacañang Palace bloody red. The last most inhumane treatment of Journalists was still unsolved as of Press time, referring to the Maguindanao Massacre done in cold blood by the Ampatuans - fed by the bloody hands of Malacañang.

Then the past few days, another alarming case reached my interest through one of the wall posts from Rep. Liza Maza of Gabriela Women's Party-list: Maza raises questions on libel case filed against blogger. The blogger was named Ella who allegedly "exposed and criticized the DSWD’s alleged inability to deliver relief goods to typhoon victims and hoarding of relief items in its warehouses on October 21, 2009 at the height of relief operations for victims of tropical storm Ondoy," quoting Maza's statement on her website.

This fact is alarming. I have been a blogger for quite sometime now and oftentimes speaking my rage, sentiment, opinion on different issues that confront me as a citizen imbued with the right to freedom of speech and expression. To blog and speak against an entity - person or organization, who is known to the public as not different from what you are saying is now a ticket for you to stand before a judge and a court? Well, I don't think Ella is alone in her sentiments, isn't she? It is not only DSWD for chrissake.

Filipinos were never dumb Secretary Cabral. so don't make us one. Rep. Maza was correct - show us the facts and we will decide. But is it worth questioning is the question.

Now, with the new law that they are trying to pass in Congress - the CyberCrime Act, would things be worse than this?

Will there be no more safer haven for even us bloggers?

Out of Inspiration

2010-01-16T16:31:00.000+08:00

When writing, I always look for an inspiration to write..

As of now, there is none. I don't know when one may come.. till then

soy un escritor de pluma-menos...

Dukot (Desaparecidos) Movie

2009-10-20T14:44:00.012+08:00

From January 21, 2001 to March 31, 2009, there are a total of 1, 013 victims of extrajudicial killings in the Philippines according to KARAPATAN (Alliance for the Advancement of People's Rights) Monitor from January to March 2009. This is no secret even to the international community. If you will read Wikipedia's article about extrajudicial, you will find the same data and information.

According to the same website, the meaning of extrajudicial killings is:

Extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances in the Philippines refer to the illegal liquidations, unlawful or felonious killings and forced disappearances in the Philippines. These are forms of extrajudicial punishment, and include – extrajudicial executions, summary executions, arbitrary arrest and detentions, and failed prosecutions due to political activities of leading political, trades union, dissident and/or social figures, left-wing political parties, non-governmental organizations, political journalists, outspoken clergy, anti-mining activists, agricultural reform activists, members of legal political parties or organizations that the military claims are allied with the communist movement or suspected supporters of the NPA and its political wing, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) by either the state government, state authorities like the armed forces and police (as in Liberia under Charles G. Taylor), or by criminal outfits such as the Italian Mafia.

Same perpetrator as well: the Philippine's own government, headed by the President herself, Gloria-Macapagal-Arroyo, and her agents such as the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) - of course backed and funded by the imperialist United States government. These has been investigated and proven by local non-governmental human rights organization KARAPATAN. The said organization's reports were further investigated and agreed upon by the international community through the following:

UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions Philip Alston
3 FIDH experts, Mr. Nabeel Rajab (Bahrain), Mr. Mouloud Boumghar (France) and Mr. Frédéric Ceuppens (Belgium), on August 13 to 23, 2007

Victims range from small children, to early teens, adults and even elderly. Children, women and church people even the media, none was spared as long as you are tagged and alleged as members of left-wing organizations opposing the government. Allegations again include being members, supporters and sympathizers of the New People's Army (NPA) and its its political wing, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). The victims were also found out to be listed on various Orders of Battle being recovered from state agents such as the military or on crime scenes.

KARAPATAN has aired its fears that this killings might increase with the advent of the deadline of Oplan Bantay Laya 2 (OBL 2).

That is why, a very timely release of a new movie by Joel C. Lamangan will surely increase the people's awareness of these inhumane killings of activists:

You can also sign in our online petition that is being automatically sent to the following:

Department of Justice of the Philippines
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions
Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines
Pope Benedict XVI

Let us work together to prevent more blood spilled with impunity in our country to stop once and for all.

Justice for all the victims of extrajudicial killings in the Philippines!!!

End Oplan Bantay Laya 2!!!

Uphold our constitutional and democratic rights!!!

Finally: Solon files bill ensuring BPO workers’ welfare, protection

2009-10-18T16:23:00.001+08:00

In a move seeking to protect workers of the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industry from labor abuses, KABATAAN Representative Mong Palatino today filed a bill that would allow BPO workers to join and form unions, institutionalize an occupational safety and health policy, and ensure just compensation for BPO workers who attend work during non-working holidays.

House Bill 6921 or the BPO Workers’ Welfare and Protection Act of 2009, Palatino said, seeks to ensure the welfare and protection of BPO workers and recognize of rights as provided by the Labor Code of the Philippines. Palatino also said his office has also been receiving a steady stream of reports and complaints on violations and abuses by BPO companies from call center workers.

Citing a data from the National Labor Relations Committee, Palatino said 327 cases were filed against BPOs involving 408 workers in Metro Manila. During the first semester of 2009, 124 cases were filed against BPOs involving 175 workers.

“There is an urgent need to pass a law that would ensure the rights of our BPO workers especially since the BPO industry touted by the government as the sunshine industry. Despite our labor laws, violations and abuses are repeatedly committed by companies, who put premium on ensuring profits at the expense of our workers’ rights and welfare,” Palatino said.

The young solon said, “We should not be distracted from the fact that even if this is a dollar earning industry, our mandate, especially the mandate of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), is to protect the workers in this sector. I think it will be advisable for the DOLE to immediately come up with a proposal to establish programs or even a committee within the department with the major intention of advancing the welfare of BPO workers,” Palatino said.

Data from the DOLE shows that there are already 500,000 workers in the BPO sector, and government predicts that the number will increase to one million by the end of 2009.

Under the proposed legislation, erring companies shall be punished with a fine of not less than Ten Thousand Pesos (P10,000) and/or imprisonment of not less than two (2) months but not more than one (1), or both at the discretion of the Court.

Meanwhile, Palatino said Kabataan Partylist would launch a series of fora and symposia among call center workers to inform them about their rights as workers of the BPO industry.

Full text of the bill can be read here.

Typhoon Ondoy (International name Ketsana): Nature's Not-So-Motherly Reminder

2009-10-18T16:22:00.001+08:00

September 26, 2009, Typhoon Ondoy, with winds of up to 85 kilometers per hour and gustiness at up to 100 kph, devastated more than 30 areas, including Metro Manila, while it inches closer to Central Luzon that same day. In less than 24 hours time, the nation's capital experienced the worst flooding it had in 42 years. Rich and poor people alike were affected, no one was spared. Many lost a lot of their possessions; cars seem to be parked all over the place, parked askew. It was a day unexpected and dreaded by all. But it was also a very comforting and hair raising experience especially to see everyone trying to help. The media, non-governmental organizations, environmental organizations such as Green Peace, progressive partylists, personalities each did their share. Each and every ordinary person helping in his/her own way.

However, such devastation could have never befallen us, only if we are learning. We can see Mother Nature's wrath unleashed that day to our capital, where you will seldom see a patch of living greenery. We could have prevented these ordinary typhoons from becoming super typhoons if we could have taken care of our world; there could be no such a term as global warming as well.

Yes, the one affected the worst by our actions is Nature. However, if we will analyze deeper, it is not just Nature. But let us look into them one by one.

Global Warming

We don’t need any study or reference to prove that pollution in the country is worsening every day be it air, water or soil pollution. In addition, we do not want to present here numbers or data collected supposedly as to justify funds or foreign aid, e.g. the World Bank’s reports. Anyway, pollution in the country has contributed much to us experiencing the subtle yet worsening effects of global warming.

The months starting September until January are really typhoon seasons in the country. However, these typhoons are not the usual ordinary typhoons that we used to experience before. It seems like they’re leveled up typhoons.

Wherever you go around the world, all these never before experienced environmental catastrophes were all blamed to global warming, which is a fact. If we could just be more serious in proper factory waste disposal (which already killed the Pasig River and hundreds of rivers across the country), waste management, plastic eradication and stoppage of illegal logging, it could just have been one ordinary typhoon.

However, with the kind of environmental agency that we have in the face of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and our government herself represented by our President who always favor foreign requests for them to freely rape our own environment and sovereignty with the promise of prosperity, I don’t think that this would be given solution at the soonest possible time.

If the Pasig River is an alive and flowing river today, it could have easily drained the city of the waters and spilled them all to the sea. But with its current situation, it is one river that is being desperately revived with the efforts of Kapit Bisig Para Sa Ilog Pasig started by ABS-CBN, whose advocacy I also support by constantly sending GIVE ILOG to 2366.

One major cause as well of environmental problems especially landslides in some areas affected by typhoons is the unconstitutional and unregulated mining, legalized by our own government through the Mining Act of 1995. There was never such a thing as profit from these mining in the very start if you will read the said Mining Act but what is returned to us is poisoned seas, unusable soil, molested forests, destroyed lives.

Corruption in the Government and Misallocation of Its Funds

I read one post in Facebook on the height of the typhoon Ondoy that says that instead of the President spending millions for a dinner in the U.S., the said money could have been used to buy rescue boats that could have saved hundreds of trapped residents in different places in Manila.

Well that is not a bad solution indeed. Moreover, they could have come up with better solution other than buying rubber boats. We could have never experienced such catastrophe which also killed many lives if the government is building high-quality and efficient drainage system, which garbage clog from time to time. Instead of the people’s money going to the pockets of government officials and to some petty projects like paving of streets which after 3 or so months would be a hellish drive because the cement were already chipped off. That money could have been used honestly to building those lasting and efficient infrastructure.

Well, enough dreaming of Utopia. As long as this government remains to its current trending, then nothing will happen. (I do not mean Charter Change here OK. I am not in favor of it. I meant change as to whom the government is for.) But with such rigorous, patriotic and heart-full citizens and people that we saw after the typhoon, even a government who does nothing will be forced to do what it’s supposed to do and accomplish – hopefully. But this government should know its priroties. A government was created to serve the people, not a foreign few, and mostly not the few people holding positions on it.

BLOG ACTION DAY 2009: Filipino bloggers take a stand on climate change

2009-10-11T12:44:00.003+08:00

On October 15, bloggers worldwide will speak as one on climate change. We, Filipino bloggers, have much to say and share in this global conversation.

We just survived and continue to grapple with supertyphoons Ondoy (Ketsana) and Pepeng (Parma) that snatched hundreds of lives, destroyed property and livelihood and took the issue of climate change to the very center of our conversations with family, friends, classmates, colleagues.

That it was caught unprepared to mitigate the effects of the rampaging floods is the government’s lightest offense. The worst is that it apparently ignored serious warnings raised in 2007 when an international study found the Philippines as the No. 1 victim of climate change in the previous year.

We cannot be apathetic or cynical. We as a people have the solemn duty to accept the reality of climate change, to study it, and to take a stand.

Bloggers Kapihan thus calls on Filipino bloggers to take time out on Oct. 15 to post your thoughts and aspirations, frustrations and hopes, photos, videos and stories, on climate change and how it affects our family, community, country and the globe, and how we wish to make things better.

If you wish to join this event, write a post on climate change on Oct. 15 and place a link to this post. You may also spread the word about Blog Action Day by placing this badge on your blog:

OFW

2009-09-21T19:11:00.004+08:00

I entered one of the internet cafes in the City, and the only vacant seat was that beside a mother and with her is her daughter, which I guess is about 7 or 8 years old. The poor child has to give way of course for me. Anyway, I became curious what the mother and her daughter were up to. I saw the mother setting up the webcam and the headphone. They are going to chat with her husband. The husband, I learned through eavesdropping (sorry!) is an Overseas Filipino Worker or OFW as known to all.

While I was so busy checking my farm in Country Story*, I can see the child so busy typing what she wanted to tell her father, while the mother is busy talking with her husband over the headphone. Fine, I cleaned my tanks and sold the adult fishes in Fish World*. Then, the mother started scolding the daughter slightly. The daughter was crying silently. Poor little girl, and one can see the missing, the sadness, the loss she’s feeling in between those silent sobs.

That was the time that I started to come back to my senses. That has caused my week-old writer’s block to dissolve in thin air. So here I am, writing, while listening to David Archuleta’s songs. Running is currently playing.

OK, I am done with cleaning my restaurant and successfully leveled up to Level 8, hired my fifth worker, and had my helpers rest in Restaurant City*, the little girl is still so busy typing on the chat window the words she wanted to tell her father, though I cannot read them. There was this still constant tear that I can see forming on the side of her eyes. (Though the lady on my left is pissing me off as she was singing Jai Ho while watching a video over You Tube, where there are lyrics as well. Imagine her singing with that not so good voice, with the headset on her ears! I am so bad really :-)...)

Anyway, going back. They are the perfect picture and the epitome of the real economic situation of the country. Parents forced to leave their children and their families to work abroad, for some even in very destitute situations, with hopes that that ultimate sacrifice will eventually hurl their loved ones from the slowly killing poverty.

We cannot do anything for them at times but to feel sorry for them. Helpless overseas workers, facing death penalties on foreign soils, mothers and female workers raped, abused, treated like dogs, experiencing all kinds of abuses, are some of the situations all aspiring to work abroad are dreadful of and praying to be not their fate.

But again, these are the sad realities that await some of our not so fortunate Kababayans. If we will look on the bigger picture, we can attest the situation to the very poor situation in the country. This is the very reason why we question the government’s claims of creating millions of jobs every year. Again, to hell with their words, especially the Malacañang executives headed by the foreign-serving President herself, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Philippine unemployment rate in April 2008 rose to 8.0 percent according to a report published by AFP in March of the same year.

To quote,

"Unemployment in the Philippines rose to 8.0 percent in April as economic growth began to ease amid soaring food and energy prices, the government said Tuesday.

This was up from 7.4 percent in January, the National Statistics Office said in its quarterly employment report.

Manila and the surrounding provinces, which together account for more than half the country’s economic output, had double-digit jobless rates topped by Manila’s 13.8 percent.

Of those who were employed, 35.7 percent only had part-time work of less than 40 hours a week, the office said. Economic growth eased to 5.2 percent in the three months to March amid rising oil prices, the slowing US economy and the strong peso, which impacted on exports and pushed up inflation.

The economy grew 7.2 percent for the whole of 2007. Some 49.6 percent of those employed worked in the services sector, 35.5 percent in the agriculture sector and 14.9 percent in industry.

Unskilled workers made up 32.6 percent of those employed, while farmers, forestry workers and fishermen accounted for 17.3 percent.”

Now, these I believe has neither changed nor improved as you all will agree, won’t you? On her recent State of the Nation Address (SONA), the President, again, boasted of the jobs she has created. What jobs, those street sweepers and cleaners contracted only for some months? And afterwards, what will happen? Of course, back to unemployment.

This is due to the programs of the government which are not meant to really help and give jobs, real and stable jobs, for the Filipino people. If the government is really sincere in her intentions, there will be no jobless Filipinos in the long run. The problem again is that this government is always after the thumbs up of foreign investors. These present government has been in the office for almost 9 years, but things has been worse than before.

To site as an example, she [the government] could have opposed the law that allows companies to hire workers as contractual workers only. That has alleviated big companies the pain-in-the-ass process of regularizing their employees, and of course relieved of the duties they have for regular employees. Due to that, the employees’ rights are continually and openly violated many times. I have experienced such oppressing scheme in a former job I have. For a good employee to stay in the company when her contract ends, re-application is a must, UNDER A DIFFERENT NAME, under a different identity, again to be a contractual worker.

Secondly, until now, the HB 1722: Legislating the P125 Across the Board Wage Hike is still sitting in Congress, being fought for by our Representatives, Representatives of the real pro-masses progressive Party-lists (Bayan Muna, Anakpawis, and Gabriela, being supported by Kabataan Party-list, the only legitimate youth party-list in Congress).

The said bill is impractical according to DOLE. That would hurt more the workers in the long run according to Esther Guirao, officer-in-charge of National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC) (back in 2001 when this statement was released). Many establishments that would be unable to grant P125 across-the-board increase in December, she said, might just opt to close their businesses, leading to massive unemployment.

It would adversely hit many of the people and cause more suffering because the affected manufacturers and producers would raise the prices of their commodities rather than absorb the added weight of increased wages by themselves.

Clarifying reports that the NWPC was blocking a P125 daily wage hike, Guirao said the wage boards, while deliberating on the amount of increment to be given to workers, are opposed only to an across-the-board mode of increase.

That was in 2001. It is 2009 already and nothing has come out of “consultations conducted in at least five other regions”. Again, that was back in 2001.

But, is that really the reason behind DOLE and the government’s turtle-like speed in addressing this issue? Or is it due to the pressures of the crocodiles living in the waters around Malacañang palace? If this bill will be passed in Congress, in the Senate and eventually by the President, then I don’t think I will be seeing another mother and daughter with the same heart-breaking situation in the near future. These companies have already enjoyed all these years the benefits of underpaying and under compensating their employees. So I don’t think it would be very hard for them to adjust. And besides, if the government will support such move, I don’t think there would be much problem, wouldn’t it? If that HB will be passed into a law, I don’t think the brain drain that is happening in the country will continue.

When will the government start to be for her people and not for anybody else?

P125 Across the Board Wage Hike Now!!!
Real jobs for the Filipino people!!!
Protect the democratic rights of workers!!!

*These are games in Facebook, a Networking site.

No To Legazpi As Casino City!!!

2009-08-20T11:05:00.029+08:00

This has been the one of the hottest news in Legazpi City. A Casino will soon open in Embarcadero, described as "one of the most anticipated developments in the city of Legazpi" and "is a major waterfront development located at the harbor area of Legazpi City adjacent to the alluring Kapuntukan Hill (also called Sleeping Lion Hill)".

I just posted this in my Facebook account: "No to Legazpi as Casino City!", and a couple of reactions have been cast already. Well, such reaction is anticipated as is a rain with a heavy and dark mass of clouds. Well, this is a legitimate question indeed, "What's wrong with a Casino in a premiere city such as Legazpi?" Another friend even made a comment that sounds like, "are these people protesting against a casino in Embarcadero taking morality as their grounds are actually living a moral life?" Two legitimate questions actually.

With the first question, there are too many to mention short-time and long-time effects of Casinos. Quoting CBCP former president and Archbishop Oscar Cruz of the Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan in Pangasinan, when he slammed the proposal to allow casinos to operate in the country when they were first proposed last year with P2.85 billion (approx US$60.5 million) budget for 2009, “These official gambling houses do not only cater to those who crave for the money of everybody else, but in effect provide for the making of gambling addicts, for their commission of different crimes to sustain their vice of gambling—to the extent of doing away with own families." This was further supported by Pamalakaya, a legitimate fisherfolk alliance in the country. They knew the one of the effects of casinos in the lives of the small fishermen when 16 years ago, the government forcibly evicted about 5,000 fishing families in Pasay Reclamation Area along Manila Bay to pave way for more reclamation of more coastal waters to host the ambitious multi-billion dollar casino and entertainment complex along the bay.

Not only those, the real point of casinos in the lives of people is that they usually produce an array of crimes like prostitution, breaking up of families, theft, embezzlement of funds, issuance of bad checks and aggravated burglary, including increasing cases of child abuse and family abandonment. All of those so to sustain their vice of gambling. All of those mentioned are just a few reasons why we are questioning and protesting against the putting up of casinos in Legazpi City. All of those are the reasons why we question it based on the grounds of morality.

In addition, people who are proposing the said casinos' are boasting of thousands or even millions of pesos of revenues that these casinos will bring to the city. Well those revenues will just be spent to the cost to society of the problem gambler.

To illustrate the exact impacts of casinos on public, Pamalakaya cited the report made by U.S. Senator Paul Simon to the U.S. Senate Committee investigating the effects of casinos on the American public. Quoting Simon's report in the U.S. Senate in the early 1990s, the group said, “Costs to society of the problem gambler vary from the most conservative estimate of US$13,200 to US$30,000 per year."

According to a study cited in the senator report, "Overall, the state gains US$326 million in net revenue from the presence of the casinos. However, this figure is reduced substantially -- to US$166.25 million -- when even the lowest estimated social costs of compulsive gambling are included in the calculations. With mid-range estimated social costs, the overall impact becomes negligible, while with higher social-cost estimates, the impact becomes clearly negative."

The fisherfolk group further stressed the presence of casinos would attract more people to gamble as in the case of Illinois: “The Simon report points out that nationally, less than 1 percent or 0.77 percent of the population are compulsive gamblers, but when enterprises are located near a population, that number increases two to seven times."

The second question of are we living moral lives to speak against something immoral? Well, she might first ask the people in the Diocese of Legazpi if they do, because they are in the front lines with us against the putting up of casinos in the city. Besides, that is out of the question. As I've answered her, immorality is man's second nature. But as men, we do struggle to the point of overcoming such weakness. Besides, if we will allow ourselves to be conquered by our own weakness, then we will stay in one corner, with our tails between our legs. Anyways, that is basically out of the question. She's a political science student, so I know she will understand the hollowness in her reasoning.

Going back, we had the same questions before the Embarcadero was opened. That time, they did not even tilted a head to listen. Now, many local fisherfolks were dislocated as they were forcibly evicted as well so the construction of Embarcadero will push through. Remaining local fishermen are also ailing because of the alarming scarcity of fishes which was unlikely before the Embarcadero was constructed. Soon, we will be summarizing here the many lives and families broken and disentangled and many more social problems that will pester the city like flies and cockroaches.
People might see us as hindrance to development. People might see this as just for the sake of protesting, the leftist way. Again, the question here is morality, not economy. Lest we will answer to the children of the deranged and broke gamblers who will be attracted by these casinos. If we can stop such hideous effects now, what's to be afraid of voicing out againsts the cause?

YES TO PROGRESS, NO TO GAMBLING!
NO TO LEGAZPI AS CASINO CITY!

Brace for jeers at wake, solon tells Arroyo - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

2009-08-09T12:32:00.001+08:00

Brace for jeers at wake, solon tells Arroyo - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos

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The Color Yellow As The Symbol For Peace and Freedom: The Death of President Corazon "Tita Cory" Aquino

2009-08-03T21:30:00.013+08:00

3:18 a.m. Saturday (3:18 p.m. Friday ET), August 1, 2009, former President Corazon "Tita Cory" C. Aquino died of cardio-respiratory arrest at the Makati Medical Center. She has been battling with colon cancer as well since March 2008. Today has been another more than sad times from us Filipinos. An icon of democracy not just of our country, but of the whole world has passed away.

According to color experts the color yellow symbolizes optimism, enlightenment, and happiness. Shades of golden yellow carry the promise of a positive future.

If you are a Filipino, whenever you see the color yellow, you will only think of one thing and of one person, the people’s revolution of 1986 and former President Corazon C. Aquino, the champion of the said revolution. I can just speculate that she chose that color for the aforementioned reasons, specifically the “promise of a positive future.” During those times when she died from her private life of being the plain housewife of then assassinated opposition leader Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, the Philippines have been in such dire situation and turmoil under the military regime of President Ferdinand Marcos.

The color that she chose when she took responsibility over what was left and expected of her fallen husband by an ailing nation, is a beacon of hope in itself and a silent promise for a positive future. She led demonstrations and marched during her campaigns wearing that symbolic color, literally all the time. During the historic People Power Revolution I, the dominant color that you will see is the color yellow, the color that toppled a dictatorship. She has led the Philippine nation in one of the world's most peaceful people power movement, the EDSA Revolution I or People Power I, which toppled the Marcos dictatorship in 1986. We Filipinos will never forget the horrors of the said dark regime sent by hell itself. I have not lived yet in those times, but knowing what happened then made me shudder and be outraged.

A lot of Filipino lives have been lost, some were never found, whole tribes and groups massacred. Even the then Opposition leader Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, Tita Cory's husband, was gunned down the moment he stepped down the plane he boarded from the U.S., supposedly to save the ailing Filipino nation. That was the time that Tita Cory's unprecedented political rise started. She took over the responsibility of becoming the nation's leader and mother against the dictatorship of Marcos. Seeing just the videos and pictures of the EDSA I will make the hairs behind my neck stand up.

[We should never forget as well the real heroes, working underground, the UGs as they are called, who were fighting with their heads on the scaffold for National Democracy. We have thousands of desaparicidos in our line. A lot of unsung real martyrs of democracy]

With this, Tita Cory gave another meaning to the color yellow. For us Filipinos, and for the whole world, it didn’t just become a promise of a positive future but it has become the fulfillment of that positive future, the symbol of freedom, of genuine democracy. Sadly, our icon of democracy passed away. The whole nation, opposition or not, Catholic or not, along with the whole world, mourns for such a huge loss. If one will think over it, we might ask ourselves, did that beacon of light for a better future dimmed away with her death? But alas, not, for that beacon has stayed with us all Filipinos. As long as we have the color yellow, hope remains.

However nowadays, it seems like many of us have misinterpreted the said color. What I mean is their understanding of freedom and the way of fighting for it has adopted that color; in layman’s term, “dilawan.”

In one of the mass demonstrations of student youths here in Naga City, a student leader from a college publication in the same city said (quoted not in verbatim): “We are one with the Filipino youth’s advocacy. Even if we can’t find time to go and attend mass demonstrations and rallies, our hearts are with you and we are fighting.”

I whispered to a colleague, “In simple terms, don’t hope that they will ever join any rally or street demonstrations.”

We can’t help it but just smile to ourselves. But thanks anyway because at least they attended that demonstration. Well, that was supported and attended by the President of one of the city’s premiere University so that the said demonstration was wiped away of the taint of usual rallies organized by “leftists” as they say. But being one in heart is empty.

Like what a Bible passage says, “Faith without deeds are useless.” So is true with words. So those words are thus empty as well. Nothing can be accomplished if words will not be put into action. Even in the case of Dr. Jose Rizal, our National Hero, his words might have been empty if people who believed in those words did not enact and live by them. His words of patriotism were lived by the likes of Andres Bonifacio, Gregorio Del Pillar, and the thousands of unsung heroes Ramon Abella and Mariano Arana to name a few, who were martyred for their belief of a free and better nation.

This new generation of ours should learn from our history. It's time to end apathy which has become a cancer of our society. Let us live the color Yellow as it should be lived, not as a sugar coat of people who only wants spotlights over their worldly selves.

Lie-Filled: A Personal Thought on PGMA's Last SONA on Economy

2009-07-29T07:35:00.011+08:00

Last July 27, 2009, Monday, 4:00 PM, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (PGMA) delivered her last State of the Nation Address (SONA) in Batasan Pambansa. As usual, since PGMA is an economist, she lobbied her "good" points when it came to our Economy.

It has affected us already. But the story of the Philippines in 2008 is that the country weathered a succession of global crises in fuel, in food, then in finance and finally the economy in a global recession, never losing focus and with economic fundamentals intact.

A few days ago, Moody's has just announced the upgrade of our credit rating, citing the resilience of our economy. The state of our nation is a strong economy. Good news for our people, bad news for our critics.

She proudly presented numbers such as 1.5% Inflation rate, lowest since 1966; public debt to GDP ratio has declined from 78% in 2000 to 55% in 2008; half the debt of government corporations was cut from 15% to 7; foreign debt was likewise cut from 73% to 32%. Well, such numbers are indeed very impressive. But the real question herewith is how will the ordinary Juan Dela Cruz understand and measure such statistics - none other than his stomach right? Yes, some may say that changing such long-time demon of a country won’t take overnight, but for goodness’ sake, she has been sitting on that very same seat for almost 9 years now. Ask a Juan whom you will meet on the streets if he ever experienced such “better-than-other” economy, and he will ask from you money to at least meet the ends for that day, or ask you for a sustainable job. In the 9 years of her stay in Malacañang, the Filipino nation continued to ail. The Philippine Economy was actually worse under her administration according to economists. We’re not impressed by your Katas ng Pantawid Koryente, which was actually the money of those to whom you gave them. She even bragged about the BPO Industry. If some of you are not aware of what BPO is, it stands for Business Process Outsourcing, or in layman’s term, the Call Center Industry.

Kung noong nakaraan, lumakas ang electronics, today we are creating wealth by developing the BPO and tourism sectors as additional engines of growth. Electronics and other manufactured exports rise and fall in accordance with the state of the world economy. But BPO remains resilient. With earnings of $6 billion and employment of 600,000, the BPO phenomenon speaks eloquently of our competitiveness and productivity. Let us have a Department of ICT…

Madame President, I could be one of the beneficiaries of the BPO sector you were bragging as one of the most resilient industries, which your administration has developed. We are one of the unfortunate victims of the worse insufficiency of real and adequate jobs, or jobs in line with our degrees. This is the other side of the coin of the BPO industry you are bragging about. Or I should say, just one side of the many coins she tossed at us during her not-so-cleared last SONA, to which her aliporeses clapped upon. You might throw us the impatient question, “Why can’t you just be grateful?!” With our spirits scalded by a few racists and so seldom discrimination has been our daily bread, will we be grateful? This is a simple and subtle way of selling out your country’s brains. The least noticed biggest brain draining industry in the country. Unless the government takes a genuine step to create real sustainable jobs, then we on the BPO sector will remain as donkeys of foreigners taking advantage of our minds and strengths.

No wonder the President delivered her SONA in English so the common tao will not understand and not be outraged. The SONA is supposedly for the Filipino people, not for foreign investors who are actually leaches sucking all good things from us, giving little or no great things in return. Hopefully, this will be the last lie-filled address to the nation that you will give to us Madame President. But alas, you never said crystal clear, upfront, that this will be your last. You even have plans beyond 2010.

The real question then is how are we going to give realistic and genuine solution to these economic problems that our country’s experiencing and has experienced? Well, stop the rampant graft and corruption in the government. Spend the money to feasible and helpful projects aiming to benefit Filipino people, not other countries or your own tummies and pockets. Lastly, step down President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, or at least stop your ambitions in 2010, kung may hiya ka pa po.

LET THERE BE GENUINE CHANGE!

Mabuhay ang Pilipino: A Filipino's Dream for the World

2009-06-12T04:40:00.005+08:00

Above was Google's logo. A symbol of Google's sympathy to the ailing Filipino nation: celebrate with her her 111th Year of Independence. This may be so simple, but its big impact is the fact that the whole world is united, celebrating another nation's dreams, successes and aspirations. A world united by one air to breath, bread to break and water to gulp. A world worthy to live in.

Oh when will that be? When will we have a world wherein no one is pushing another to go down? When will we have a world not driven by each and every one's personal ambitions and greed? When?

Until that time comes, then there will as well come the time that we can say, we are free, we are independent, we are great.

Still, MABUHAY ANG SAMBAYANANG PILIPINO! (HAIL, THE FILIPINO PEOPLE!)

Prosper my beloved country.

Youth, students outraged over Con-Ass; GMA behind ‘Con-Ass scandal’ – Kabataan Party-list

2009-06-05T00:56:00.003+08:00

Wed 7:21pm

Youth, students outraged over Con-Ass
GMA behind ‘Con-Ass scandal’ – Kabataan Party-list

Kabataan Party-list Rep. Mong Palatino today said to expect widespread youth and student outrage over the railroading of Con-Ass in Congress last night.

Supporters of Kabataan Party-list and youth and student groups led by Anakbayan, League of Filipino Students, College Editors Guild of the Philippines, Student Christian Movement and the National Union of Students of the Philippines stormed Mendiola today to condemn Malacanang’s hand in the rash passage of House Resolution No. 1109 Tuesday evening

“What happened yesterday was a scandal of the sickest and most perverse degree. Only a veteran in political scandals like President Arroyo can stage such a costly production. Only Malacanang has the machinery and resources to put up a show like that,” Palatino said.

Palatino added, “Dozens of administration lawmakers may have flocked to support the Con-Ass resolution in Congress but it’s a flop everywhere else. Filipinos, especially the youth, simply abhor it.”

The young lawmaker said today’s protest actions are just the start of a series of anti-Cha-Cha demonstrations in schools, communities and even in cyber space.

"We will not allow this government and its lapdogs in Congress to compromise the youth and the nation's future for selfish political ends. The railroading of the Con-Ass resolution only shows the real intentions of those who are pushing for it. These critical times warrant our defiance and collective action against abusive and greedy power wielders,” Palatino said.

“It is the responsibility of every patriotic and freedom-loving young Filipino to oppose the proposed Cha-cha. Our nation's future depends on us.” #

Let us stop the madness of these administration lawmakers and lapdogs. They are driven by their personal ambitions and interests, with our country's future at stake. Let them feel the power of the Filipino people which toppled a dictatorship in 1986, if they need to. Speak, walk, rally, write, pray against Con-Ass!!!

STOP CHA-CHA!!!

OUST GLORIA!!!

Fishy Huh

2009-05-04T12:24:00.000+08:00

Asked why the Balikatan humanitarian mission was held in Bicol, Kenney said, “This is a sovereign nation and you have to ask the Armed Forces of the Philippines because they are the ones which decide (the venue of) this exercise.”

The Child's Silent Cry for Peace

2009-05-04T03:53:00.001+08:00

I was enjoying my day off from work though I was at the office. While I was killing time, I went to watch television and I was channel surfing when I saw Discovery Channel's two-part special - Indochine: A People's War in Colour. I really was dumbstruck by the presentation. I believe the first part was during the French colonialism and war against Japanese while the second part, the one I was able to watch, was under the Americans. It (2nd part) retold the Vietnamese peoples' struggle, anguish, patriotism and hate against the Americans, sharpened by past experiences with the French and Japanese. The Vietnamese people were primarily led by the VietCom thru influence from the North. While the pictures and the footage were rolling, on the background, you will hear the explanations and accounts of first-hand witnesses along with the narrator. Very disturbing pictures were shown, of slain VietCom (though it was emphasized in the documentary that the Americans along with Australians, New Zealanders, and South Koreans, have branded all South Vietnamese as VietComs even before arriving), people forced to leave their houses, villagers living underground, children laughing, learning and anguishing, and a lot more, mostly disturbing and outrageous.

There was even this part wherein a first-hand medical person was narrating how they moved underground just to be able to operate. They'd never leave their patients and let them die alone.

One witness recalls how the South Koreans and some Vietnamese (those who have waged war against their own people) raped their women and did "more outrageous things." Depicted as well were how captured VietComs were tortured and forced to confessions (eventually killed we could guess).

Furthermore shown were slow motion videos of jets as they dropped bombs on all houses that lay on it's path. These air raids were authorized by then U.S. President Lyndon Johnson. A witness recalled how one of their shelters with five women in it was bombed. Only one woman was recognizable. There was that one woman who was hugging her dead child very hard that that they were unable to separate them.

It was really morale boosting how the Vietnamese retaliated against the U.S. and foreign forces, of women fighting, especially those women on the North whose husbands were fighting in the South. The Vietnamese had their share of violence of course, when they have these American pilot captives, whom they as well punished, before their authorities, though the citizens wanted to kill them right there and then, fueled by anger, by anguish of their loved ones lost. How they as well tortured those pilots through solitary confinement, physical torture and hunger. I however, don't know who did the worse evil when it came to torturing their captives.

One man witness even recalled how she got his wife's letter only after 2 years, and all he can do by then is kiss it because the writings were unreadable. It was so because the letters have to be hand carried by soldiers from the South through Cambodia and Laos before they reach their destinations in the North. That means going through rivers and everything.

But even after the Americans and all its allies left beaten, the war continued in the South, this time preventing the Communist North from taking over totally, which eventually the North was able to do later on.

What really touched me most was the crying child at the end of the documentary, with bombs exploding in the not so far background behind him literally. It was the most silent yet loudest and hardest message, or more of an appeal to all people. Stop this selfish fights. END WARS!

PEACE!!!

Racism in Hong Kong?!

2009-04-06T11:48:00.001+08:00

Filipinos protest Hong Kong writer's maid column

By MIN LEE,Associated Press Writer AP - Monday, April 6

HONG KONG - Hundreds of Filipinos marched through central Hong Kong on Sunday to protest a newspaper column denounced by the Philippine community as representative of racism they say is endemic in the Chinese territory.

Hong Kong columnist Chip Tsao made a public apology earlier this week, saying he had not intended to insult Filipinos with what he characterized as a satirical article poking fun at Hong Kongers' poor treatment of their maids.

But hundreds of Filipinos still protested Sunday in the Central financial district. Marching peacefully, many wearing red T-shirts, they carried signs that said "No Chip shots at Filipinos" and "We are workers, not slaves."

About 130,000 Filipinos work as maids in wealthy Hong Kong to help support their families back home. They make a minimum monthly salary of 3,580 Hong Kong dollars ($462).

In the article published last Friday in the weekly HK Magazine, Tsao wrote he was so angered by the Philippines' claim on the disputed Spratly Islands, which China also claims, that he summoned his Filipino maid to give her a lecture.

Calling the Philippines "a nation of servants" that shouldn't challenge China, he wrote that he would be forced to fire her in the event of a war between the two countries.

Protest organizer Eman Villanueva said Tsao's column was an example of larger racism toward ethnic minorities in Hong Kong.

"This is also beyond Chip Tsao because Chip Tsao's article is just a symptom. It's not the main problem. The problem is racism. The problem is the unfair treatment of ethnic minorities in Hong Kong," Villanueva told Hong Kong's Cable TV in an interview.

Tsao said Sunday he had no further comment.

Filipino activists criticized the article and the Philippine government put Tsao on an immigration blacklist.

"He targeted and insulted the Philippine people, the Philippine nation and in particular Filipino domestic helpers in Hong Kong," Villanueva told The Associated Press in a phone interview.

Philippine Foreign Affairs spokesman Ed Malaya said Sunday the Philippine Consulate in Hong Kong has recommended that the ban on Tsao visiting the country be lifted after he apologized and "indicated interest to visit the country some day."

___

Associated Press writer Jim Gomez in Manila contributed to this report.

RAMBO

2009-02-13T07:58:00.003+08:00

It was sunny morning when I left our office in Daraga and boarded a jeepney going to Legazpi City. Preoccupied with lots of things for the day, I did not give a glance to the mother and son going out of an elementary Christian school, and boarding the same jeepney where I was in. Until I saw the printed at the back of the mother’s shirt.

Considering the kind of vocation I have chosen, I found the words so fitting to me that even though I had a hard time deciphering due to my eye difficulty, I hastily took out my phone and began typing and saving them in the outbox folder.

After that tiring day, I immediately showed my saved message to a colleague. And to my greatest shock, those were the words of a fellow Albayano. Though I neither met him in person nor worked with him, I still call him a fellow.

These were the words in red, printed on the back of the shirt of that woman:

“If the bullets of my enemies will
trigger them to be happy so be it… in
my 21 years..."

Rambo

I thought that that the Rambo printed on the woman’s shirt was the famous action movie protagonist from David Morrell's novel First Blood, who demonstrated heroism through raging bullets and fierce fight scenes as portrayed by Sylvester Stallone on its big screen version. I thought those words were from one of his movies. But I was wrong.

On the other hand, the author of those words was also famous. He is Rei Mon Guran. He is ‘Ambo’ to his family and ‘Rambo’ to his friends.

Rambo was a second year political science student of Aquinas University of Legazpi. He was the Provincial Spokesperson of the League of Filipino Students (LFS) in Albay and an active member of UCCP's Christian Youth Fellowship.

Sad to say, he is now dead.

He just turned 21 last 30 July 2006, a day before he succumbed to four gunshot wounds – two in the head, one in the body and another in the hand, while onboard a bus on his way to school. The outrageous killing of Rambo was accomplished ten days after churches and religious organizations held the Human Rights and Peace Summit. Two more activists were killed on the same day. Four months before, 19 March to be exact, when a very good friend of him, Cris Hugo, was extra judicially killed too. Adding to their number are five more Bicolano youth killed in a span of two years, totaling to the number of seven youth, extra judicially killed!

On Tuesday, 31 July, will be the first year death anniversary of Ambo. Still there is no justice for Rambo’s death.

Will it still be served? That is our question.

We have to be realistic on these pressing issues. The summary killings of activists I believe were done by the state itself through the military and their agents. And sadly, they were done with impunity that not even a single case was solved.

The Permanent People’s Tribunal (PPT), headed by Prof. Phillip Alston, the Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Human Rights Council on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, pronounced that the RP President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and US President George W. Bush were liable to these extrajudicial killings of activists. In spite of this, the government has continued being obstinate on the issue and idle to prove to the international community that the verdict of the PPT is misguided.

Worse, the killings continued. And fear lurked in the hearts of many. And many more succumbed to that fear. So that gone is the many who fight for their rights. But then, there are still few who’s unafraid. Few who continued fighting for the advocacies that has been fought for by our ancestors, none other than real liberty.

I personally believe that as long as the perpetrators are being protected by the government, clear answers will always be impossible, and justice will never be served. Ever.

But still, we want justice and real freedom. And if we will lurk in the corner of our houses because of the fear that bullets would hit our borrowed bodies, nothing we shall attain.

In all kinds of liberation, blood is a necessity. Even man, when finally liberated from the chains of sin, has to sacrifice a fellow man’s blood – Christ himself. The same thing is happening in the country. In our continued search for liberation, many men have to offer their blood to attain liberty. And proud are those chosen to take part in this sacrifice. However, I am not saying that things have to be as brutal as to drain society of patriotic blood. It is animalistic and outrageous reaction of a threatened and guilty government with its sins against its people. Killing summarily its critics is the government’s last resort of survival. Unfortunately, it was wrong. For every man’s life taken extra-judicially, is an army of patriotic men bathed in that one Man’s blood.

Much to our and the international communities’ dismay, the Arroyo government continued denying its involvement in the killing of more than 863 Filipinos and forced disappearances of 197 more. It has resorted to saying that the perpetrators of the said killings are also from the line of the activists. Such ignorance! Those were the same allegations that the Jews threw to Christ when He cast out demons and evil spirits from many people during His time. They called Him Beelzebub (name of the leader of the devils), for He can cast away evils. And He said to them “… every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth. If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? Because he say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub. And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out?”

Funny is the government for pointing Beelzebubs and sowing confusion to the people. Where is the state’s transparency and truthfulness when it deprives the people of the truth that it must give without any prejudice of doubt, protected by the Philippine Constitution itself in Article III, Section 7? But what the government is doing is the exact opposite.

And now, these acts of the state (though how animalistic they may be) will be legalized and justified with the implementation of the Anti-Terrorism Law or the Republic Act 9372 euphemistically titled as the Human Security Act of 2007. This law slaps our human rights in both faces most especially our civil liberties.

They have been saying that this law is toothless. Yeah, for them, for this is a State Security Act. Now, our fear would be the number that will be added to the anthill of victims of human rights violations. Last 20 July, a Martial Law was unofficially declared all over the land. Lady Justice was not only blindfolded but now, she was also gagged and chained! However, in spite of this looming danger, many are still dumb, deaf and blind. Their reason: “why should we be afraid if we have nothing to fear about?” Crap! Such selfishness! They are collaborating with this fascist government in violating human rights for a temporary liberty. They indirectly consent to the commission of crimes against humanity. And they, according to Sir Benjamin Franklin, “who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither Liberty nor safety”. Would you allow a person to be stripped off of his rights when you know that that person also deserves the same right as you do? And you know you can do something to prevent that, yet you chose not to do something? Well, threefold of Rambos will be added to the list of killed patriotic youth if we do nothing.

This government of ours will do everything to silence the people especially we —the youth. The final words of the President in her recent State of the Nation Address (SONA) were disturbing, suggestive and warning when she said:

Uulitin ko: Hindi ako sagabal sa ambisyon ninuman.

But make no mistake. I will not stand idly when anyone gets in the way of the national interest and tries to block the national vision. From where I sit, I can tell you, a President is always as strong as she wants to be.

There is only one question that we have to ask ourselves. It is: For whom are we? If we say we are for the people, then be for the people and only for the people. Our interests should be always for the benefit of the people. No many buts and ifs. If you are for the government, then be for the government. It is either left or right. In this existence, there is no gray area, no neutrality. When will we ever make a stand? When we are the next victim? Let us never forget the words of Pastor Martin Niemoeller in Nazi Germany:

"In Germany they [the Nazis] came first for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up."

Rambo's Death Anniversary

2009-02-13T07:56:00.000+08:00

"If the bullets of my enemies will
trigger them to be happy so be it, in
my 21 years..."

These are the words of Rei Mon Guran,
a former student of Aquinas Unviersity
of Legazpi and provincial spokesperson
of the League of Filipino Students in
Albay.

Former, because he is dead.

Those are the words of sadness and
preparation for death but full of
courage and patriotism. As a fellow, I
definitely understand the feeling of
Ambo when he uttered those words,
words that seem to pierce every
colleagues soul and being.

And in his first year anniversary, I
again Hail him as a Hero of the youth
in the modern times, when humanity is
experiencing the greatest repression
from their co-humans, worse than
before, when men were still
uncivilized.

He was not alone though, for there are
863+ more and 197 nowhere to be found
and many still epected to follow,
depending upon the hands of those
thinking of themselves as gods.

Hail to these heroes. One thing is
sure, their blood won't be wasted.

For soon, is real liberation.

KABATAAN strongly opposes ROTC’s return in the Philippines!

2009-02-13T07:54:00.000+08:00

KABATAAN strongly opposes ROTC’s return in the Philippines!

PRESS RELEASE
August 26, 2007

KABATAAN strongly opposes

ROTC’s return!

The youth organization, KABATAAN Party in Bicol strongly opposes the return of Reserve Officers Training Corps or ROTC to college students as requisite for graduation. It was after news of Malacañang’s positive response to ROTC’s revival, where an earlier buzz occurred in the House of Representatives, came out in the news last week.

“ROTC was removed because of the anomalies happening inside it and the anti-student and anti-youth campaigns and values being taught by it, then here comes the news of its revival? We really do not learn from the past,” said Albert B. Bañel, the Regional Coordinator of Kabataan Party in Bicol.

If we will recall, the “open secret” of the ROTC was revealed to the nation by Mark Welson Chua and other cadets of UST-ROTC, particularly the anomalies happening inside ROTC especially in the aforementioned university, which are surely common stories in other universities and colleges all throughout the country. Three months later, Mark Chua’s cadaver rolled in a carpet, his mouth taped and his hands and feet bounded, was found afloat the Pasig River. Chua’s death was an outrageous reaction of the UST-ROTC and a bold threat to those who will be speaking badly against ROTC. But they were proved wrong by the strong student and youth movement after militant youth and student organizations, student councils and publications launched ABOLISH!, aimed to fight for the abolition of ROTC and started the “1-M signature campaign” against it.

“Besides, it (ROTC) teaches discipline, patriotism and love of country but what you will hear from their officials is the unlimited “GODDAMIT”, other verbal insults to cadets, physical abuses, discrimination and barbarism; even sexual abuses and harassments are being experienced by female and gay cadets. The cadets on the other hand won’t speak out against these abuses because what was inculcated in them is ‘what you see, what you hear, when you go, leave it here’ mentality. So the hazing, emotional, psychological and other physical abuses and other human rights violations remain unseen and unheard of,” said Bañel. “Is this the kind of discipline and patriotism that they are going to inculcate to the students if ROTC will be revived once again as requisite for graduation?” he added.

Considering the present economic situation of the country, ROTC’s revival will be additional burden to the pockets of the parents of students. Before a student can graduate, he has to spend about P 2, 400.00 to P 8, 000.00 just for ROTC alone – ROTC fee, uniform, combat shoes, et cetera. And knowing for the fact that this will just go to the pockets of corrupt ROTC officials!

Moreover, the ROTC continue to be a notorious threat to the rights of students and student leaders, it being the core of the notorious Student Intelligence Network (SIN), commanded by the local Police and Military, spying and conducting surveillance on students especially those in the student councils, publications and members of legal and progressive youth and student organizations. SIN is clear violation against the civil liberties of the youth.

No to ROTC’s return as requisite for graduation of college students!

Uphold the youth’s civil liberties!

Reference:

Regional Coordinator, KABATAAN Party

YOUTH FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF CIVIL LIBERTIES (YACL)

2009-02-07T09:32:00.003+08:00

YOUTH FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF CIVIL LIBERTIES (YACL)

Concept Paper

Civil liberties are freedoms that completely protect the individual from government. Civil liberties also set limits for government so that it can not abuse its power and interfere with the lives of its citizens. Common civil liberties include freedom of association, freedom of assembly, freedom of religion, and freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and additionally, to due process, to a fair trial, and to privacy. They are basic rights given to every man of the world. However, there are times when these civil liberties are blatantly disregarded by the government.

In the present regime, the Arroyo government continued to implement rules and policies that benefit foreign interests and not of the Filipino people. And most of the times, violations of the civil, political are committed and human rights of the Filipino people were disregarded. The needs of the youth, most especially, were not given sufficient attention. The Philippine Constitution itself recognizes the importance of the Youth in a strong republic. In Section 13 of the Article II, it says that “the State recognizes the vital role of the youth in nation-building and shall promote and protect their physical, moral, spiritual, intellectual, and social well-being. It shall inculcate in the youth patriotism and nationalism, and encourage their involvement in public and civic affairs.” And no less than the National Hero Jose Rizal called the youth as “the hope of the fatherland”.

Even the simplest duty of the government to the youth was disregarded like better, accessible and free education and even social services to the youth. When in fact the Philippine constitution says that the government must give education the highest budget allocation, the Arroyo administration allots the national budget to debt servicing and militarization, leaving Education as the third priority.

In public elementary and secondary schools, the ratio of teachers to their pupils is 1:60. In general, there is a constraint of 25, 000 classrooms, 15 million books and 39, 000 teachers. From 27% last 1960, the national budget for education for 2002 reached only 12%. The tuition fee in the University of the Philippines, the premier state university, increased by 300%! Each year, SUCs are forced to increase their tuition fees because of the lack of subsidy from the national government. Worthy to mention here too is the program of the government to privatize SUCs, which will give unimagined burden to the already burdened Filipino nation.
The same trend is happening today. The students’ criticism on the government intensified and became a serious issue. When students protest against these atrocities being done to them, the government’s answers are riot policemen, barricades, tear gas, fire trucks and imprisonment. When the youth and students joined legal youth organizations that fight for the rights of the youth and the students, the government started tagging them as communists, front of NPA and so on. The persecution of activists started and the US-Arroyo government is behind the persecution.

These atrocities were intensified when George W. Bush, President of the United States of America, declared the worldwide “war on terror” after the 9/11 bombing, with the Philippines as second in line. The present regime intensified the militarization of many areas all over the country. It implemented dangerous and deadly regulations like the Oplan Bantay Laya I and II, Calibrated Preemptive Response (CPR, or the “no permit, no rally” policy), Executive Order 464 (that prevents cabinet members, police and military generals, senior national security officials, and "such other officers as may be determined by the President" to attend congressional hearings unless the President gives permission to those who will attend the said proceedings) and the Presidential Proclamation 1017 (the declaration of the Philippines under a State of National Emergency last 2006).

Because of this counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism strategies of the present regime, the human rights group Karapatan has recorded over 863 cases of extrajudicial killings and 197 cases of forced disappearances and abductions, whose victims were innocent citizens – youth and students especially, and members of legal organizations being tagged by the government as fronts of communists; not spared too are human rights activists, church people, journalists, lawyers and judges, who were known critics of the present regime’s puppetry and atrocities, and numerous other human rights violations. This is an ironical picture of her promise of an empowered youth and nation when she assumed power thru the people’s uprising during the EDSA People Power II.

Even the Bicolano youth were not spared from the claws of the US-Arroyo regime. To date, there are already 7 youth victims of extrajudicial killings in the Bicol region alone, namely:

Cris Hugo, 20 years old student of Bicol University and regional spokesperson of the League of Filipino Students (LFS), a progressive national organization, shot dead on March 19, 2006 by two unidentified motorcycle-riding men. He has reported to have been receiving death threats from military since 2005.

Rei “Mon” Guran, 22-years old student of Aquinas University, shot dead on July 31, 2006, while onboard a bus. He was an active member of the Christian Youth Fellowship, and provincial spokesperson of LFS in Albay.

Joel Asejo, a Bicol University Student and an active member of Tau Gamma Phi and a member of Anakbayan in Daraga, Albay. He was shot dead while in a beach in Sto. Domingo, Albay.

Farly Alcantara, 23 years old and member of the League of Filipino Students, who was shot dead last February 15; the killing happened during the visit and investigations on the political killings in the Philippines by Philip Alston, the UN Special Rapporteur on Extra-judicial, Summary or Arbitrary killings.

Roberto “Jun-Jun” Bagasbas (26 yrs. old) and Ronilo Brezuela (16 yrs. old), KABATAAN PARTYLIST Poll watchers abducted and killed while doing their duty during the canvassing of votes in Capalongga, Camarines Norte. People from the military told the residents the next day that the victims were killed in a “legal encounter” with the armed left though they were known in the community as non members of communists.

The seventh youth killed in Bicol was under Karapatan’s reported but undocumented case, but it was confirmed by Karapatan-Camarines Sur that the youth killed was a member of Suara Bangsamoro, one of the five progressive partylists who joined the 2007 election; reports said that he has 57 gunshot wounds all over the body.

Considering the widespread civil, political and human rights violation being experienced by the Bicolano youth, the voice of unity and patriotism is once again heralding in the wilderness. There is a dire need of a unified Bicolano youth.

Responding to the need and duty of a unified Bicolano Youth, we are convening the Youth for the Advancement of Civil Liberties (YACL). This alliance aims to unify the Bicolano youth in particular and other sectors who are with the youth and their advocacies like the Church, the Academe, the Media and the Bicol Movement Against inHuman Security Act, the Regional multi-sectoral alliance against HSA, whose initiative is to secure and protect the civil liberties of the Bicolano youth.

We believe that the Church, has been a prime advocate of the youth’s rights ever since. The Church also creates public opinion which is an important medium to reach out to the greater number of the Region’s youth populace.

In the same manner, the Academe plays an important role in this advocacy. They can be our venue to enlighten and awaken the intellectual sectors of the society of the real face of society and their effects on the youth and the students. The Media, being the most influential factor of any society will be the medium for the dissemination of information and of our being critical to the present atrocities being experienced by the Bicolano youth as a whole.

Objectives of the YACL

· To unify the different youth organizations to protect the civil liberties of the youth;

· To rekindle the youth’s passion for human rights advocacy and justice;

· To gather support from the various sectors;

· To educate the youth on the real situation of the youth in the country;

· To mobilize the youth, personalities, individuals, and groups for the upholding of the civil liberties of the youth;

· To unite individuals to adhere with this advocacy to prevent the further trampling of our right;

· To enrich network of youth civil, political and human rights defenders and advocates, local and international alike.

Organization Initiators:

Kabataan Partylist

National Union of Students of the Philippines (NUSP)

Student Christian Movement (SCM)

College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP)

Act Now to Defend Human Rights and Morality (AND-HRM)

League of Filipino Students (LFS)

Bicol University - University Student Council (BU-USC)

“Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, eserve neither Liberty nor safety.” -- Benjamin Franklin

What Your Supermarket Won't Tell You

2009-01-18T19:13:00.004+08:00

While I was surfing the net, I read this one in one of Yahoo!'s Featured Articles from SmartMoney.com. Please read through it, because you might find helpful tips on how we can survive in this not-so-loose economy. Happy reading!

What Your Supermarket Won't Tell You

by Jim Rendon
Thursday, January 8, 2009provided by

1. “Feel the squeeze? Actually, so do we.”

When the economy slows and businesses begin to feel the heat, grocery stores are often exceptions to the rule. That’s because when consumers cut back on frills like eating out, they tend to make even more trips to the supermarket. Still, all bets may be off in the wake of the crash of 2008.

Citi Investment Research analyst Deborah Weinswig forecasts falling same-store sales growth at many of the major chains in 2009; for one, she sees top performer Kroger experiencing a decline in same-store sales growth, from about 5 percent in 2008 to 4 percent in the coming year. Meanwhile, supermarket chain Supervalu forecasts its own flat sales growth through 2009.

Even the big-box stores—now established contenders in the grocery industry—are facing tough headwinds in the wake of the market meltdown. Weinswig says she expects dips in same-store sales growth for BJ’s Wholesale Club, from 11 percent in 2008 to under 7 percent in 2009, and a drop from 8 to 6 percent growth over the same period for Costco. Bottom line, “it’s tough to pass through higher costs when consumers have such a laser-like focus on price,” says Mitchell Corwin, a senior equity analyst for Morningstar.

2. “You’re getting less for the same price.”

When Linda Edwards, a nurse in East Windsor, N.J., picked up her usual $4.99 jug of orange juice at Shop Rite this summer, she was surprised to discover that it contained 7 ounces less than it normally did. A few months later she noticed her Skippy peanut butter and chicken strips were also lighter but not any cheaper. “Everything seems to be shrinking, but my family hasn’t shrunk,” says the single mother of five boys. A spokesperson for Unilever, which owns Skippy, says reducing product size is one way the company is coping with higher food and fuel costs.

Manufacturers know that in a tight economy, consumers are driven away by price hikes, so they quietly shrink products, hoping a few ounces here or there won’t be missed, says Alexia Howard, a senior research analyst for Sanford C. Bernstein. But it’s starting to backfire, says Ben Popken, editor of Consumerist.com, who says he’s getting more complaints from readers about shrinking products. “People are really sensitive to any decrease in their purchasing power,” he says. Popken recommends checking the unit price between brands to see whether you’re paying the same price for less food.

3. “We jack up prices where you’re least likely to notice.”

When times are tough, super-markets know vigilant shoppers notice even tiny changes in the price of foods like milk, cereal, bread and cheese. In fact, there are about 500 such products, and stores raise prices on these staples at their own peril.

So how do markets deal with rising food costs? They tinker with the price of the roughly 45,000 items people don’t buy regularly enough to have a fixed idea of their cost—tacking on 3 to 4 percent to specialty products like, say, gourmet pasta sauce or fresh-squeezed juices, without consumers noticing. “There’s an opportunity to make some margin back on those items,” says Jim Hertel, managing partner of Willard Bishop, a consultant for the industry.

But don’t expect the savings to be passed on to you when costs come down. Many manufacturers lock in prices well in advance, and they often hold off on bringing prices back down to make up for the resulting losses, says Howard. One way to be sure you’re getting the best deal when prices drop: Stick to basics. Products like coffee and meat are likely “to reflect their underlying costs more quickly than most other foods,” Howard says.

4. “You can’t always believe our nutrition claims.”

It seems people are more concerned with their health these days, but nutrition labeling on most foods can be tough to decipher. Hoping to bridge the gap, grocery chain Hannaford Bros. developed a program called Guiding Stars, which posts nutrition ratings of one to three stars on the shelf tags of some products. “We’d like to see the FDA adopt the program nationally,” says Bruce Silverglade, legal affairs director at the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Sounds great, but according to a Government Accountability Office report, the FDA hasn’t randomly checked the accuracy of nutrition labeling in over a decade, and of those products it has tested due to obvious red flags, more than 20 percent had errors. (An FDA spokesperson says random sampling isn’t necessary; the FDA tests products according to guidelines set by its Office of Regulatory Affairs.) With so little oversight, consumers can’t fully trust manufacturers’ nutrition labels or any ratings system based on that data.

“It’s the manufacturer’s responsibility to provide accurate information—that’s all we can use to assess products,” says Julie Greene, director of healthy living for Hannaford Bros.

5. “We won’t take your coupons.”

The Sunday paper used to be the source for grocery coupons. But now they’re increasingly available online, from sites like Coupons.com as well as manufacturers’ and supermarkets’ own Web pages. The problem is, they aren’t always easy to use. Over 10.6 million Internet coupons were redeemed last year, according to Carolina Marketing Services. While that amount is expected only to increase, it’s still a fraction of all coupons redeemed, and many stores are still unfamiliar with them.

That’s what 61-year-old retiree C.J. Shearrer discovered when he printed out about $30 worth of coupons and took them to a Wal-Mart in Midwest City, Okla. Shearrer says the manager told him the store didn’t accept online coupons; only when he showed him a printout of Wal-Mart’s coupon policy, says Shearrer, did the manager agree to take them. (A company spokesperson says Wal-Mart accepts one Internet coupon per item per customer, as long as it’s legitimate and scans at the register.) Stephanie Nelson, founder of information site CouponMom.com, suggests doing what Shearrer did: Bring along a copy of a given store’s coupon policy, which should be found on its Web site.

6. “Our loyalty cards help us cater to our biggest spenders...”

Many supermarkets offer shoppers loyalty cards that get scanned at checkout for savings on specially marked products. But saving money isn’t what these cards are really about. Whenever you use your card, stores record your purchases in vast databases that contain years’ worth of your purchasing information. That means they know what you buy year after year, how often you shop and when a coupon influences your purchases. And they use

this information for everything from promoting new products to deciding what to stock.

More important, stores tap this data to target customers who buy lots of groceries on a regular basis. Woolf says that as much as 65 percent of a store’s sales are derived from these core shoppers, who make up just 12 to 25 percent of its customers. Loyalty-card programs allow stores to cater to these folks by sending them free samples, offering special bargains other shoppers don’t get and structuring discounts to reward them for their regular, expensive shopping trips. “Those customers who contribute more profits, you look after them better,” says Woolf.

7. “...but they’re not always your best bet for big savings.”

Stores that use these loyalty programs want you to think you’ll save big by participating. But that’s not always the case: Wal-Mart, which has no such program, undercuts competitors on price, and most stores without these programs match their regular prices to competitors’ discounted card prices. In many cases, these retailers may even be able to offer lower prices than stores with elaborate loyalty-card programs, says David Livingston, managing partner with industry consultant DJL Research. “Loyalty-card programs do add an expense for stores,” Livingston says. “And stores can offer the same bargains without the card programs.”

In the end, what do consumers get for handing over their data? It depends. According to Stephen Hoch, a marketing professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, loyalty-card discounts really just shift higher prices onto those without cards. And even the best rewards don’t always amount to much. Supermarkets have a tight profit margin of about 2 percent, making it “hard for supermarkets to give customers big rewards,” says Hoch.

8. “Big sales may not mean lower costs for you.”

Supermarkets know you want bargains. And they’ll use bargains to get you through the door, via promotional flyers and advertised discounts. But the key is to make sure they don’t give away too much once you get inside.

How do they do it? For starters, atmosphere. Supermarkets know the first thing you see when you walk in sets the tone for your shopping trip. If it puts sale items or highly discounted products near the entrance, it can create the impression there’s real value to be had, whether that’s the case or not, says consultant Hertel. That’s also why space at the end of aisles is often used to display a small number of sale items. Stores know that you’re likely to buy lots of other products while you’re shopping—many of which will not be on sale or will be store brands—helping to cover the discounts on promotional items. Indeed, studies show that supermarkets have been effective at limiting giveaways, says K. Sudhir, a professor at the Yale School of Management. “Stores want to create the perception that customers are getting a good deal,” he says. “But they don’t want everyone to get the lowest prices.”

9. “We may carry local produce, but we’re no farmer’s market.”

When former Chicago software engineer Michael Morowitz wants to buy strawberries, he waits until summer and looks for those grown locally. “Strawberries shipped to Chicago in February are never going to be as good as those grown nearby in June,” says Morowitz, who runs The Local Beet, a Web site about locally grown food in Chicago. Like Morowitz, more people are looking for goods from nearby farms as a way of getting better, fresher foods and supporting local growers, not to mention cutting down on pollution from transportation. And supermarkets have heard the call—so much so that megaretailer Wal-Mart now touts locally grown produce.

But it’s not as clear-cut as it sounds. For one thing, there’s no agreement on what local means. For example, Wal-Mart defines local produce as that grown within the same state, but in a large state like California, that doesn’t mean much. Also, it’s tough for big chains to find enough local farms to fulfill their needs, and smaller farms can struggle to keep up with a large chain’s demands, says Julia Stewart, a spokesperson for the Produce Marketing Association. In the case of Wal-Mart, some of its local suppliers are the same massive farms that normally provide its produce. “It just makes for a positive press release,” Livingston says. A Wal-Mart spokesperson says the company works with farms of many sizes and doesn’t preclude its local farmers from selling their produce elsewhere.

10. “We’re experts in human behavior.”

Marketers know a lot about how you shop and what’s likely to make you pick up a product. For example, stores have discovered that shoppers are more comfortable staying to the right as they move through a store, says Ron Larson, associate professor of marketing at Western Michigan University. How much difference does it make? According to market-research firm Sorensen Associates, shoppers moving counterclockwise spend
$2 more per trip than those who go the opposite direction.

How to avoid getting psyched out by savvy marketing? Know what you want to buy before you enter the supermarket. Livingston recommends planning meals for the week and sticking firmly to your list once in the store. Also, grab the smallest cart that will hold all your items, and heed the old saw “Never shop when you’re hungry.”

Church oppose Balikatan in Bicol

2009-01-18T16:33:00.002+08:00

Militants welcome Church’s opposition to Balikatan

Urges other sectors to do the same

The militant Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-Bikol (BAYAN-Bikol) welcomed the opposition of the Catholic Church against the planned Balikatan here in the region. This developed as Bishop Lucilo Quiambao of the Diocese of Legazpi, voiced out his view that the Balikatan will just be a bane to Bicolanos because civilians will be the ones caught in the crossfire when US troops are engaged in armed encounters. The bishop also said that prostitution would increase with the presence of US troops and the morality of our youth will be endangered.

According to Tessa Lopez, public information officer of BAYAN-Bikol, “this is a positive development and we hope that this will encourage other sectors to speak up against Balikatan 09. Even the good bishop does not believe that the US troops will only be engaged on their so-called “humanitarian missions” because in every Balikatan exercise, war games and even actual combat operations are part of the package,”

“We are calling on all patriotic Bicolanos to stand up and oppose this new type of invasion. Oragons should join rallies, sign petitions and participate in discussions opposing Balikatan, these are just some of the ways we can show our disgust against the US troops,” ended the militant leader.

Pandesal

2007-10-13T23:53:00.000+08:00

Pandesal (or pan de sal; literally, salt bread) is a rounded bread usually eaten by Filipinos during breakfast. It is a bread made of flour, eggs, lard, yeast, sugar, and salt. It has a soft, powdery texture and can be prepared in a number of ways by using numerous sandwich spreads. It is also used for dipping into tsokolate (from Spanish chocolate), a Spanish chocolate drink very much like hot chocolate but with pure cocoa as its main ingredient. Despite the literal meaning of its name, the taste of pandesal varies from bland to slightly sweet. It usually costs one Peso (about 4 cents U.S.), with larger varieties costing 2 Pesos.
Pandesal is the most popular yeast-raised bread in the Philippines. They are shaped like garrison caps due to its unique method of forming. The dough is rolled into long logs (baston) that are rolled in fine bread crumbs first before being cut into individual portions with a dull dough cutter and then allowed to rise and baked on sheet pans. Its taste and texture closely resemble those of the very popular rolls of the Dominican Republic called Pan de Agua and Mexico’s most popular type of bread Bolillos for the reason that they all use a lean type of dough and follow similar techniques that were learned from Spanish or Spanish trained bakers early in their history. As in most commercially produced food items, they vary in quality to meet taste requirements and economic standards of various communities in the Philippines where there are bakers in particular cities and towns that simply produce better quality pandesal such as in certain towns of Pampanga and Bulacan so that they command higher price, gain renown and their pandesal sought after by consumers all over the region.

That was the short history of pandesal here in the Philippines.

Aside from the facts mentioned above, pandesal, for the Filipino people, is the bread of the masses. In same manner, I think it is right to say that pandesal is the measuring tool of the Philippine's real economic situation.

Just last month, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo proudly announced to the whole world that our economy is becoming good. She was even defensive when a reporter asked a question about the credibility of her report. Know what she answered her? "Ayan ang statistics."

Yeah, nagtaray ang Lola Gloring mo. But with the price increase of pandesal, its future price increase, the alarming oil-price hike, and the Php 12.00 price increase of LPG within a month, the question now is, "Does she has the right na magtaray to those who question her good economic standing?"

As mentioned above, pandesal costs only Php 1.00 each piece. If its size before is as big as a man's fist, today, because of its too small size, you can eat pandesal in one bite. And worse, its price will increase on Monday; meaning, there will no longer be any bread that will cost you only Php 1.00. What will happen now to the masses?

Government statistics may say that poverty rate decreased, a good implication of the government's actions in addressing this root-problem of the society, reality however will falsify these statistics. No one was alleviated from this problem, worse, their worse condition became destitute. Even the independent SWS Survey said that last September this year the poverty rate increased by 21.5%, higher than that of the previous months, indication of a worsening scenario. Practical example: sugar costs only Php 6.00 before, now it's Php 9.00 per 1/4 kilo. And I am not hoping that its price will decrease. In the present situation of the country, its better not to hope but rather look for a job and earn something to augment to the expenses for the already high prices of commodities. However, the next problem will be the lack of jobs.

Going back, what will the toiling masses have for breakfast or snacks now? Php 1.00 has no more value today in the Philippines. No one can be sustained by a peso now, even one pandesal will be imposible to be bought by it. Juan dela Cruz will have to tighten his belt once again, till when he has to tighten his belt, only time knows. And, no one's hoping that Juan dela Cruz will ever loosen his belt even once.

I just want to share one instance here.

President Arroyo has a friendster account, maybe one of here fans. And all of the posted bulletins are all good news about her administration - good economy for example.
And I even had a hot discussion with the moderator of that account. He told me to visit the statistics and even said that I do not know how to do math and have no idea about economics. I told him I definitely know how to do math for my minor subject is math.

And now, all I wanted to tell him: HERE IS THE PROOF OF THE DESTITUTE Conditons of the country. Once again i would like to tell him this: Bring your statistics to hell. Look at the destitute people around you and better shut your mouth and eat yourstatistics.

P.S. When you throw your statistics for to hell, please include the President GMA.

The Coca-Cola Commercial

2007-09-04T10:55:00.000+08:00

Coca-Cola's new commercial is something I will highly recommend to everyone.

Personally, I really hate those video games which most of the children - school children most especially, play nowadays. And the fact that those school children are only 8-12 years old! Based on my baby research on the cause of Children's Violence, focusing mainly on Televiolence, todays culture of violence among adults play a major role in shaping violent children. And modern technology - internet, video games, television, et cetera, contribute largely on that existing culture.

A very good example to that is the Simpson's show. It is being rated as a Child show but the kind of moral and culture that it presents is a culture of violence, immorality and it is for adults and not for children. Imagine, adults doing acts of violence, immodesty and even immorality, with children watching them. Maybe in their culture it is just normal, but how about us, where such things are taboo? No one can deny the violence that it shows too. Its like, "Uuhhh! What's that?!"

Violence in the television is very rampant in general. According to studies and researches, children inhibiting violence in them normally are television addicts. Even cartoons and anime programs are so violent in nature. Those children or adolescents would normally stay late at night watching t.v. Television is such a very strong and effective channel thru which anyone can induce to a person anything that that person wants to induce to another - whether be it good or bad.

Going back to the Coke commercial, that video/computer game used in the commercial, which name i do not know (not so familiar with video and computer games, especially violent ones), is very violent. I have seen it once played by children in a computer cafe near our residence. The attitude of the man in the Coke commercial is the irony of the real character in the game - violent, unkind, criminal, reckless, all negative attitude of a man that you can think of. With those circumstances, and with the fact that many children are playing and even advocating that game, no one will be able to deny the truth of its negative influence on the young minds of the children. The man in the game will drive so recklessly(!!!), will drive over anyone he wishes, will steal another man's car, every evil act that he was given a chance to do, he did it.

But the Coke commercial soften, and even changed the image of that character. I've heard one child said, "Ang bait naman ng lalaki." ("The man is so kind.") If only all those people behind this what we call technology, will use them for the good of everyone, for the growth of every human being, then, there will be no more problems in this society - no violence, no misunderstanding, only LOVE. And any LOVE done to another man will surely be repaid with LOVE.

HUMAN SECURITY ACT OF 2007 (REPUBLIC ACT 9372)

2007-08-29T21:21:00.000+08:00

Last month of July, the Human Security Act of 2007 was implemented in spite of the numerous protests against this repressive Anti-Terror Law. What is really this HSA of 2007? Now, many people who protests against this law are from the left or known critics of the government, so the Filipino people, most of whom are apathetic and allergic to these leftists, say that this is just a nonsense move and protest for the sake of protesting. But then, I am leaving the decision to you my dear people. You read this, and you decide if the protests are for the sake of protesting, or does they really have a point.

Republic of the Philippines

CONGRESS OF THE PHILIPPINES

THIRTEENTH CONGRESS

Third Regular Session

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9372

AN ACT
TO SECURE THE STATE AND PROTECT OUR PEOPLE FROM TERRORISM

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title. – This Act shall henceforth be known as the “Human Security Act of
2007.”

SEC. 2. Declaration of Policy. – It is declared a policy of the State to protect life, liberty, and property from acts of terrorism, to condemn terrorism as inimical and dangerous to the national security of the country and to the welfare of the people, and to make terrorism a crime against the Filipino people, against humanity, and against the law of nations. In the implementation of the policy stated above, the State shall uphold the basic rights and fundamental liberties of the people as enshrined in the constitution. The State recognizes that the fight against terrorism requires a comprehensive approach, comprising political, economic, diplomatic, military, and legal means duly taking into account the root causes of terrorism without acknowledging these as justifications for terrorist and/or criminal activities. Such measures shall include conflict management and post-conflict peace-building, addressing the roots of conflict by building state capacity and promoting equitable economic development. Nothing in this Act shall be interpreted as a curtailment, restriction or diminution of constitutionally recognized powers of the executive branch of the government. It is to be understood, however, that the exercise of the constitutionally recognized powers of the executive department of the government shall not
prejudice respect for human rights which shall be absolute and protected at all times.

SEC. 3. Terrorism. – Any person who commits an act punishable under any of the following
provisions of the Revised Penal Code:
A. Article 122 (Piracy in General and Mutiny in the High Seas or in the Philippine
Waters);
B. Article 134 (Rebellion or Insurrection);
C. Article 134-a (Coup d‘Etat), including acts committed by private persons;
D. Article 248 (Murder);
E. Article 267 (Kidnapping and Serious Illegal Detention);
F. Article 324 (Crimes Involving Destruction, or under
(1) Presidential Decree No. 1613 (The Law on Arson);
(2) Republic Act No. 6969 (Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Waste Control Act of 1990);
(3) Republic Act No. 5207, (Atomic Energy Regulatory and Liability Act of 1968);
(4) Republic Act No. 6235 (Anti-Hijacking Law);
(5) Presidential Decree No. 532 (Anti-piracy and Anti-highway Robbery Law of 1974); and,
(6) Presidential Decree No. 1866, as amended (Decree Codifying the Laws on Illegal and
Unlawful Possession, Manufacture, Dealing in, Acquisition or Disposition of Firearms, Ammunitions or Explosives) thereby sowing and creating a condition of widespread and extraordinary fear and panic among the populace, in order to coerce the government to give in to an unlawful demand shall be guilty of the crime of terrorism and shall suffer the penalty of forty (40) years of imprisonment, without the benefit of parole as provided for under Act No. 4103, otherwise known as the Indeterminate Sentence Law, as amended.

SEC. 4. Conspiracy to Commit Terrorism. – Persons who conspire to commit the crime of terrorism shall suffer the penalty of forty (40) years of imprisonment. There is conspiracy when two or more persons come to an agreement concerning the commission of the crime of terrorism as defined in Section 3 hereof and decide to commit the same.

SEC. 5. Accomplice. – Any person who, not being a principal under Article 17 of the Revised
Penal Code or a conspirator as defined in Section 4 hereof, cooperates in the execution of either the crime of terrorism or conspiracy to commit terrorism by previous or simultaneous acts shall suffer the penalty of from seventeen (17) years, four (4) months one day to twenty (20) years of imprisonment.

SEC. 6. Accessory. – Any person who, having knowledge of the commission of the crime of
terrorism or conspiracy to commit terrorism, and without having participated therein, either as principal or accomplice under Articles 17 and 18 of the Revised Penal Code, takes part subsequent to its commission in any of the following manner: (a) by profiting himself or assisting the offender to profit by the effects of the crime; (b) by concealing or destroying the body of the crime, or the effects, or instruments thereof, in order to prevent its discovery; (c) by harboring, concealing, or assisting in the escape of the principal or conspirator of the crime, shall suffer the penalty of ten (10) years and one day to twelve (12) years of imprisonment. Notwithstanding the above paragraph, the penalties prescribed for accessories shall not be imposed upon those who are such with respect to their spouses, ascendants, descendants, legitimate, natural, and adopted brothers and sisters, or relatives by affinity within the same degrees, with the single
exception of accessories falling within the provisions of subparagraph (a).

SEC. 7. Surveillance of Suspects and Interception and Recording of Communications. – The
provisions of Republic Act No. 4200 (Anti-wire Tapping Law) to the contrary notwithstanding, a police or law enforcement official and the members of his team may, upon a written order of the Court of Appeals, listen to, intercept and record, with the use of any mode, form, kind or type of electronic or other surveillance equipment or intercepting and tracking devices, or with the use of any other suitable ways and means for that purpose, any communication, message, conversation, discussion, or spoken or written words between members of a judicially declared and outlawed terrorist organization, association, or group of persons or of any person charged with or suspected of the crime of terrorism or conspiracy to commit terrorism. Provided, That surveillance, interception and recording of communications between lawyers and clients, doctors and patients, journalists and their sources and confidential business correspondence shall not be authorized.

SEC. 8. Formal Application for Judicial Authorization. – The written order of the authorizing division of the Court of Appeals to track down, tap, listen to, intercept, and record communications, messages, conversations, discussions, or spoken or written words of any person suspected of the crime of terrorism or the crime of conspiracy to commit terrorism shall only be granted by the authorizing division of the Court of Appeals upon an ex parte written application of a police or of a law enforcement official who has been duly authorized in writing by the Anti-Terrorism Council created in Section 53 of this Act to file such ex parte application, and upon examination under oath or affirmation of the applicant and the witnesses he may
produce to establish: (a) that there is probable cause to believe based on personal knowledge of facts or circumstances that the said crime of terrorism or conspiracy to commit terrorism has been committed, or is being committed, or is about to be committed; (b) that there is probable cause to believe based on personal knowledge of facts or circumstances that evidence, which is essential to the conviction of any charged or suspected person for, or to the solution or prevention of, any such crimes, will be obtained; and, (c) that there is no other effective means readily available for acquiring such evidence.

SEC. 9. Classification and Contents of the Order of the Court. – The written order granted by the authorizing division of the Court of Appeals as well as its order, if any, to extend or renew the same, the original application of the applicant, including his application to extend or renew, if any, and the written authorizations of the Anti-Terrorism Council shall be deemed and are hereby declared as classified information: Provided, That the person being surveilled or whose communications, letters, papers, messages, conversations. Discussions, spoken or written words and effects have been monitored, listened to, bugged or recorded by law enforcement authorities has the right to be informed of the acts done by the law enforcement authorities in the premises or to challenge, if he or she intends to do so, the legality of the interference before the Court of Appeals which issued the written order. The written order of the authorizing division of the Court of Appeals shall specify the following: (a) the identity, such as name and
address, if known, of the charged or suspected person whose communications, messages, conversations, discussions, or spoken or written words are to be tracked down, tapped, listened to, intercepted, and recorded and, in the case of radio, electronic, or telephonic (whether wireless or otherwise) communications, messages, conversations, discussions, or spoken or written words, the electronic transmission systems or the telephone numbers to be tracked down, tapped, listened to, intercepted, and recorded and their locations or if the person suspected of the crime of terrorism or conspiracy to commit terrorism is not fully known, such person shall be subject to continuous surveillance provided there is a reasonable ground to do so; (b) the identity (name, address, and the police or law enforcement organization) of the police or of the law enforcement official, including the individual identity (names, addresses, and the police or law enforcement organization) of the members of his team, judicially authorized to track down, tap, listen to, intercept, and record the communications, messages, conversations, discussions, or spoken or written words; (c) the offense or offenses committed, or being
committed, or sought to be prevented; and, (d) the length of time within which the authorization shall be used or carried out.

SEC. 10. Effective Period of Judicial Authorization. – Any authorization granted by the authorizing division of the Court of Appeals, pursuant to Sec. 9 (d) of this Act, shall only be effective for the length of time specified in the written order of the authorizing division of the Court of Appeals, which shall not exceed a period of thirty (30) days from the date of receipt of the written order of the authorizing division of the Court of Appeals by the applicant police or law enforcement official. The authorizing division of the Court of Appeals may extend or renew the said authorization for another non-extendible period, which shall not exceed thirty (30) days from the expiration of the original period: Provided, That the authorizing division of the Court of Appeals is satisfied that such extension or renewal is in the public interest: and Provided, further, That the ex parte application for extension or renewal, which must be filed by the original applicant, has been duly authorized in writing by the Anti-Terrorism Council.
In case of death of the original applicant or in case he is physically disabled to file the application
for extension or renewal, the one next in rank to the original applicant among the members of the team named in the original written order of the authorizing division of the Court of Appeals shall file the application for extension or renewal: Provided, That, without prejudice to the liability of the police or law enforcement personnel under Section 20 hereof, the applicant police or law enforcement official shall have thirty (30) days after the termination of the period granted by the Court of Appeals as provided in the preceding paragraphs within which to file the appropriate case before the Public Prosecutor’s Office for any violation of this Act. If no case is filed within the thirty (30)-day period, the applicant police or law enforcement official shall immediately notify the person subject of the surveillance, interception and recording of the termination of the said surveillance, interception and recording. The penalty of ten (10) years and one day to twelve (12) years of imprisonment shall be imposed upon the applicant police or law enforcement official who fails to notify the person subject of the surveillance, monitoring, interception and recording as specified above.

SEC. 11. Custody of Intercepted and Recorded Communications. – All tapes, discs, and
recordings made pursuant to the authorization of the authorizing division of the Court of Appeals, including all excerpts and summaries thereof as well as all written notes or memoranda made in connection therewith, shall, within forty-eight (48) hours after the expiration of the period fixed in the written order of the authorizing division of the Court of Appeals or within forty-eight (48) hours after the expiration of any extension or renewal granted by the authorizing division of the Court of Appeals, be deposited with the authorizing Division of the Court of Appeals in a sealed envelope or sealed package, as the case may be, and shall be accompanied by a joint affidavit of the applicant police or law enforcement official and the
members of his team. In case of death of the applicant or in case he is physically disabled to execute the required affidavit, the one next in rank to the applicant among the members of the team named in the written order of the authorizing division of the Court of Appeals shall execute with the members of the team that required affidavit. It shall be unlawful for any person, police officer or any custodian of the tapes, discs and recording, and their excerpts and summaries, written notes or memoranda to copy in whatever form, to remove, delete, expunge, incinerate, shred or destroy in any manner the items enumerated above in whole or in part under any pretext whatsoever. Any person who removes, deletes, expunges incinerates, shreds or destroys the items enumerated above shall suffer a penalty of not less than six (6) years and one day to twelve (12) years of imprisonment.

SEC. 12. Contents of Joint Affidavit. – The joint affidavit of the police or of the law enforcement
official and the individual members of his team shall state: (a) the number of tapes, discs, and recordings that have been made, as well as the number of excerpts and summaries thereof and the number of written notes and memoranda, if any, made in connection therewith; (b) the dates and times covered by each of such tapes, discs, and recordings; (c) the number of tapes, discs, and recordings, as well as the number of excerpts and summaries thereof and the number of written notes and memoranda made in connection therewith that have been included in the deposit; and (d) the date of the original written authorization granted by the Anti-Terrorism Council to the applicant to file the ex parte application to conduct the tracking down, tapping, intercepting, and recording, as well as the date of any extension or renewal of the original written authority granted by the authorizing division of the Court of Appeals. The joint affidavit shall also certify under oath that no duplicates or copies of the whole or any part of any of such tapes, discs, and recordings, and that no duplicates or copies of the whole or any part of any of such excerpts, summaries, written notes, and memoranda, have been made, or, if made, that all
such duplicates and copies are included in the sealed envelope or sealed package, as the case may be, deposited with the authorizing division of the Court of Appeals. It shall be unlawful for any person, police or law enforcement official to omit or exclude from the joint affidavit any item or portion thereof mentioned in this Section. Any person, police or law enforcement officer who violates any of the acts proscribed in the preceding paragraph shall suffer the penalty of not less than ten (10) years and one day to twelve (12) years of imprisonment.

SEC. 13. Disposition of Deposited Materials. – The sealed envelope or sealed package and the
contents thereof, which are deposited with the authorizing division of the Court of Appeals, shall be deemed and are hereby declared classified information, and the sealed envelope or sealed package shall not be opened and its contents (including the tapes, discs, and recordings and all the excerpts and summaries thereof and the notes and memoranda made in connection therewith) shall not be divulged, revealed, read, replayed, or used as evidence unless authorized by written order of the authorizing division of the Court of Appeals, which written order shall be granted only upon a written application of the Department of Justice filed before the authorizing division of the Court of Appeals and only upon a showing that the Department of Justice has been duly authorized in writing by the Anti-Terrorism Council to file the application with proper written notice the person whose conversation, communication, message discussion or spoken or written words have been the subject of surveillance, monitoring, recording and interception to
open, reveal, divulge, and use the contents of the sealed envelope or sealed package as evidence. Any person, law enforcement official or judicial authority who violates his duty to notify in writing the persons subject of the surveillance as defined above shall suffer the penalty of six (6) years and one day to eight (8) years of imprisonment.

SEC. 14. Application to Open Deposited Sealed Envelop or Sealed Package. – The written
application with notice to the party concerned to open the deposited sealed envelope or sealed package shall clearly state the purpose or reason: (a) for opening the sealed envelope or sealed package; (b) for revealing or disclosing its classified contents; (c) for replaying, divulging, and or reading any of the listened to, intercepted, and recorded communications, messages, conversations, discussions, or spoken or written words (including any of the excerpts and summaries thereof and any of the notes or memoranda made in connection therewith); and, (d) for using any of said listened to ,intercepted, and recorded communications, messages, conversations, discussions, or spoken or written words (including any of the excerpts and
summaries thereof and any of the notes or memoranda made in connection therewith) as evidence. Any person, law enforcement official or judicial authority who violates his duty to notify as defined above shall suffer the penalty of six (6) years and one day to eight (8) years of imprisonment.

SEC. 15. Evidentiary Value of Deposited Materials. – Any listened to, intercepted, and recorded
communications, messages, conversations, discussions, or spoken or written words, or any part or parts thereof, or any information or fact contained therein, including their existence, content, substance, purport, effect, or meaning, which have been secured in violation of the pertinent provisions of this Act, shall absolutely not be admissible and usable as evidence against anybody in any judicial, quasi-judicial, legislative, or administrative investigation, inquiry, proceeding, or hearing.

SEC. 16. Penalty for Unauthorized or malicious Interceptions and/or Recordings. – Any police or law enforcement personnel who, not being authorized to do so by the authorizing division of the Court of Appeals, tracks down, taps, listens to, intercepts, and records in whatever manner or form any communication, message, conversation, discussion, or spoken or written word of a person charged with or suspected of the crime of terrorism or the crime of conspiracy to commit terrorism shall be guilty of an offense and shall suffer the penalty of ten (10) years and one day to twelve (12) years of imprisonment. In addition to the liability attaching to the offender for the commission of any other offense, the penalty of ten (10) years and one day to twelve (12) years of imprisonment and the accessory penalty of perpetual absolute disqualification from public office shall be imposed upon any police or law enforcement personnel who maliciously obtained an authority from the Court of Appeals to track down, tap, listen to, intercept, and record in whatever manner or form any communication, message, conversation, discussion, or spoken or written words of a person charged with or suspected of the crime of terrorism or conspiracy to
commit terrorism: Provided, That notwithstanding Section 13 of this Act, the party aggrieved by such authorization shall be allowed access to the sealed envelope or sealed package and the contents thereof as evidence for the prosecution of any police or law enforcement personnel who maliciously procured said authorization.

SEC. 17. Proscription of Terrorist Organizations, Association, or Group of Persons. – Any
organization, association, or group of persons organized for the purpose of engaging in terrorism, or which, although not organized for that purpose, actually uses the acts to terrorize mentioned in this Act or to sow and create a condition of widespread and extraordinary fear and panic among the populace in order to coerce the government to give in to an unlawful demand shall, upon application of the Department of Justice before a competent Regional Trial Court, with due notice and opportunity to be heard given to the organization, association, or group of persons concerned, be declared as a terrorist and outlawed organization, association, or group of persons by the said Regional Trial Court.

SEC. 18. Period of Detention Without Judicial Warrant of Arrest. – The provisions of Article 125 of the Revised Penal Code to the contrary notwithstanding, any police or law enforcement personnel, who, having been duly authorized in writing by the Anti-Terrorism Council has taken custody of a person charged with or suspected of the crime of terrorism or the crime of conspiracy to commit terrorism shall, without incurring any criminal liability for delay in the delivery of detained persons to the proper judicial authorities, deliver said charged or suspected person to the proper judicial authority within a period of three (3) days counted from the moment the said charged or suspected person has been apprehended or arrested, detained, and taken into custody by the said police, or law enforcement personnel: Provided, That the arrest of those suspected of the crime of terrorism or conspiracy to commit terrorism must result from the surveillance under Section 7 and examination of bank deposits under Section 27 of this Act.
The police or law enforcement personnel concerned shall, before detaining the person suspected
of the crime of terrorism, present him or her before any judge at the latter’s residence or office nearest the place where the arrest took place at any time of the day or night. It shall be the duty of the judge, among other things, to ascertain the identity of the police or law enforcement personnel and the person or persons they have arrested and presented before him or her, to inquire of them the reasons why they have arrested the person and determine by questioning and personal observation whether or not the suspect has been subjected to any physical, moral or psychological torture by whom and why. The judge shall the submit a written report of what he/she had observed when the subject was brought before him to the proper court that has jurisdiction over the case of the person thus arrested. the judge shall forthwith submit his/her
report within three (3) calendar days from the time the suspect was brought to his/her residence or office. Immediately after taking custody of a person charged with or suspected of the crime of terrorism or conspiracy to commit terrorism, the police or law enforcement personnel shall notify in writing the judge of the court nearest the place of apprehension or arrest: Provided, That where the arrest is made during saturdays, sundays, holidays or after office hours, the written notice shall be served at the residence of the judge nearest the place where the accused was arrested. The penalty of ten (10) years and one day to twelve (12) years of imprisonment shall be imposed upon the police or law enforcement personnel who fails to notify any judge as provided in the preceding paragraph.

SEC. 19. Period of Detention in the Event of an Actual or Imminent Terrorist Attack. – In the event of an actual or imminent terrorist attack, suspects may not be detained for more than three (3) days without the written approval of a municipal, city, provincial or regional official of a Human Rights Commission or judge of the municipal, regional trial court, the Sandiganbayan or a justice of the Court of Appeals nearest the place of the arrest. If the arrest is made during Saturdays, Sundays, holidays or after office hours, the arresting police or law enforcement personnel shall bring the person thus arrested to the residence of any of the officials mentioned above that is nearest the place where the accused was arrested. The approval in writing of any of the said officials shall be secured by the police or law enforcement personnel concerned
within five (5) days after the date of the detention of the persons concerned: Provided, however, That within three (3) days after the detention the suspects, whose connection with the terror attack or threat is not established, shall be released immediately.

SEC. 20. Penalty for Failure to Deliver Suspect to the Proper Judicial Authority Within Three (3) Days. – The penalty of ten (10) years and one day to twelve (12) years of imprisonment shall be imposed upon any police or law enforcement personnel who has apprehended or arrested, detained and taken custody of a person charged with or suspected of the crime of terrorism or conspiracy to commit terrorism and fails to deliver such charged or suspected person to the proper judicial authority within the period of three (3) days.

SEC. 21. Rights of a Person Under Custodial Detention. – The moment a person charged with or
suspected of the crime of terrorism or the crime of conspiracy to commit terrorism is apprehended or arrested and detained, he shall forthwith be informed, by the arresting police or law enforcement officers or by the police or law enforcement officers to whose custody the person concerned is brought, of his or her right: (a) to be informed of the nature and cause of his arrest, to remain silent and to have competent and independent counsel preferably of his choice. If the person cannot afford the services of counsel of his or her choice, the police or law enforcement officers concerned shall immediately contact the free legal assistance unit of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) or the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO). It shall be the duty of the free legal assistance unit of the IBP or the PAO thus contacted to immediately visit the person(s) detained and provide him or her with legal assistance. These rights cannot be waived except in writing and in the presence of the counsel of choice; (b) informed of the cause or causes of his detention in the presence of his legal counsel; (c) allowed to communicate freely with his legal counsel and to confer with them at any time without restriction; (d) allowed to communicate freely and privately without restrictions with the members of his family or with his nearest relatives and to be visited by them; and, (e) allowed freely to avail of the service of a physician or physicians of choice.

SEC. 22. Penalty for Violation of the Rights of a Detainee. – Any police or law enforcement
personnel, or any personnel of the police or other law enforcement custodial unit that violates any of the aforesaid rights of a person charged with or suspected of the crime of terrorism or the crime of conspiracy to commit terrorism shall be guilty of an offense and shall suffer the penalty of ten (10) years and one day to twelve (12) years of imprisonment. Unless the police or law enforcement personnel who violated the rights of a detainee or detainees as stated above is duly identified, the same penalty shall be imposed on the police officer or head or leader of the law enforcement unit having custody of the detainee at the time the violation was done.

SEC. 23. Requirement for an Official Custodial Logbook and Its Contents. – The police or other
law enforcement custodial unit in whose care and control the person charged with or suspected of the crime of terrorism or the crime of conspiracy to commit terrorism has been placed under custodial arrest and detention shall keep a securely and orderly maintained official logbook, which is hereby declared as a public document and opened to and made available for the inspection and scrutiny of the lawyer or lawyers of the person under custody or any member of his or her family or relative by consanguinity or affinity within the fourth civil degree or his or her physician at any time of the day or night without any form of restriction. The logbook shall contain a clear and concise record of: (a) the name, description, and address of the detained person; (b) the date and exact time of his initial admission for custodial arrest and detention; (c) the name and address of the physician or physicians who examined him physically and medically; (d) the state of his health and physical condition at the time of his initial admission for custodial detention; (e) the date and time of each removal of the detained person from his cell for interrogation or for any purpose; (f) the date and time of his return to his cell; (g) the name and address of the physician or physicians who physically and medically examined him after each interrogation; (h) a summary of the physical and medical findings on the detained person after each of such interrogation; (i) the names and addresses of his family members and nearest relatives, if any and if available; (j) the names and addresses of persons who visit the detained person; (k) the date and time of each of such visits; (l) the date and time of each request of the detained person to communicate and confer with his legal counsel or counsels; (m) the date and time of each visit, and date and time of each departure of his legal counsel or counsels; and,
(n) all other important events bearing on and all relevant details regarding the treatment of the detained person while under custodial arrest and detention. The said police or law enforcement custodial unit shall upon demand of the aforementioned awyer or lawyers or members of the family or relatives within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity of the person under custody or his or her physician issue a certified true copy of the entries of the logbook relative to the concerned detained person without delay or restriction or requiring any fees whatsoever including documentary stamp tax, notarial fees, and the like. This certified true copy may be attested by the person who has custody of the logbook or who allowed the party concerned to scrutinize it at the time the demand for the certified true copy is made. The police or other law enforcement custodial unit who fails to comply with the preceding paragraph to keep an official logbook shall suffer the penalty of ten (10) years and one day to twelve (12) years of imprisonment.

SEC. 24. No Torture or Coercion in Investigation and Interrogation. – No threat, intimidation, or coercion, and no act which will inflict any form of physical pain or torment, or mental, moral, or
psychological pressure, on the detained person, which shall vitiate his free-will, shall be employed in his investigation and interrogation for the crime of terrorism or the crime of conspiracy to commit terrorism; otherwise, the evidence obtained from said detained person resulting from such threat, intimidation, or coercion, or from such inflicted physical pain or torment, or mental, moral, or psychological pressure, shall be, in its entirety, absolutely not admissible and usable as evidence in any judicial, quasi-judicial, legislative, or administrative investigation, inquiry, proceeding, or hearing.

SEC. 25. Penalty for Threat, Intimidation, Coercion, or Torture in the Investigation and
Interrogation of a Detained Person. – Any person or persons who use threat, intimidation, or coercion, or who inflict physical pain or torment, or mental, moral, or psychological pressure, which shall vitiate the freewill of a charged or suspected person under investigation and interrogation for the crime of terrorism or the crime of conspiracy to commit terrorism shall be guilty of an offense and shall suffer the penalty of twelve (12) years and one day to twenty (20) years of imprisonment. When death or serious permanent disability of said detained person occurs as a consequence of the use of such threat, intimidation, or coercion, or as a consequence of the infliction on him of such physical pain or torment, or as a consequence of the infliction on him of such mental, moral, or psychological pressure, the penalty shall be twelve (12) years and one day to twenty (20) years of imprisonment

SEC. 26. Restriction on Travel. - In cases where evidence of guilt is not strong, and the person
charged with the crime of terrorism or conspiracy to commit terrorism is entitled to bail and is granted the same, the court, upon application by the prosecutor, shall limit the right of travel of the accused to within the municipality or city where he resides or where the case is pending, in the interest of national security and public safety, consistent with Article III, Section 6 of the Constitution. Travel outside of said municipality or city, without the authorization of the court, shall be deemed a violation of the terms and conditions of his bail, which shall then be forfeited as provided under the Rules of Court. He or she may also be placed under house arrest by order of the court at his or her usual place of residence. While under house arrest, he or she may not use telephones, cellphones, e-mails, computers, the internet or other means of communications with people outside the residence until otherwise ordered by the court. The restrictions abovementioned shall be terminated upon the acquittal of the accused or of the dismissal of the case filed against him or earlier upon the discretion of the court on motion of the prosecutor or of the accused.

SEC. 27. Judicial Authorization Required to Examine Bank Deposits, Accounts, and Records. –
The provisions of Republic Act No. 1405 as amended, to the contrary notwithstanding, the justices of the Court of Appeals designated as a special court to handle anti-terrorism cases after satisfying themselves of the existence of probable cause in a hearing called for that purpose that (1) a person charged with or suspected of the crime of terrorism or conspiracy to commit terrorism, (2) of a judicially declared and outlawed terrorist organization, association, or group of persons, and (3) of a member of such judicially declared and outlawed organization, association, or group of persons, may authorize in writing any police or law enforcement officer and the members of his/her team duly authorized in writing by the anti-terrorism council to: (a) examine, or cause the examination of, the deposits, placements, trust accounts, assets and records in a bank or financial institution; and (b) gather or cause the gathering of any relevant information about such deposits, placements, trust accounts, assets, and records from a bank or financial institution. the bank or financial institution concerned shall not refuse to allow such examination or to provide the desired information, when so ordered by and served with the written order of the Court of Appeals.

SEC. 28. Application to Examine Bank Deposits, Accounts, and Records. – The written order of
the Court of Appeals authorizing the examination of bank deposits, placements, trust accounts, assets, and records: (1) of a person charged with or suspected of the crime of terrorism or conspiracy to commit terrorism, (2) of any judicially declared and outlawed terrorist organization, association, or group of persons, or (3) of any member of such organization, association, or group of persons in a bank or financial institution, and the gathering of any relevant information about the same from said bank or financial institution, shall only be granted by the authorizing division of the Court of Appeals upon an ex parte application to that effect of a police or of a law enforcement official who has been duly authorized in writing to file such ex parte application by the Anti-Terrorism Council created in Section 53 of this Act to file such ex parte application, and upon examination under oath or affirmation of the applicant and the witnesses he may produce to establish the facts that will justify the need and urgency of examining and freezing the bank deposits, placements, trust accounts, assets, and records: (1) of the person charged with or suspected of the crime of terrorism or conspiracy to commit terrorism, (2) of a judicially declared and outlawed terrorist organization, association or group of persons, or (3) of any member of such organization, association, or group of persons.

SEC. 29. Classification and Contents of the Court Order Authorizing the Examination of Bank
Deposits, Accounts, and Records. – The written order granted by the authorizing division of the Court of Appeals as well as its order, if any, to extend or renew the same, the original ex parte application of the applicant, including his ex parte application to extend or renew, if any, and the written authorizations of the Anti Terrorism Council, shall be deemed and are hereby declared as classified information: Provided, That the person whose bank deposits, placements, trust accounts, assets, and records have been examined, frozen, sequestered and seized by law enforcement authorities has the right to be informed of the acts done by the law enforcement authorities in the premises or to challenge, if he or she intends to do so, the legality of the interference. The written order of the authorizing division of the Court of Appeals designated
to handle cases involving terrorism shall specify: (a) the identity of the said: (1) person charged with or suspected of the crime of terrorism or conspiracy to commit terrorism, (2) judicially declared and outlawed terrorist organization, association, or group of persons, and (3) member of such judicially declared and outlawed organization, association, or group of persons, as the case may be, whose deposits, placements, trust accounts, assets, and records are to be examined or the information to be gathered; (b) the identity of the bank or financial institution where such deposits, placements, trust accounts, assets, and records are held and maintained; (c) the identity of the persons who will conduct the said examination and the gathering of the desired information; and, (d) the length of time the authorization shall be carried out.

SEC. 30. Effective Period of Court Authorization to Examine and Obtain Information on Bank
Deposits, Accounts, and Records. – The authorization issued or granted by the authorizing division of the Court of Appeals to examine or cause the examination of and to freeze bank deposits, placements, trust accounts, assets, and records, or to gather information about the same, shall be effective for the length of time specified in the written order of the authorizing division of the Court of Appeals, which shall not exceed a period of thirty (30) days from the date of receipt of the written order of the authorizing division of the Court of Appeals by the applicant police or law enforcement official. The authorizing division of the Court of Appeals may extend or renew the said authorization for another period, which shall not exceed thirty (30) days renewable to another thirty (30) days from the expiration of the original period, provided that the authorizing division of the Court of Appeals is satisfied that such extension or renewal is in the public interest, and provided further that the application for extension or renewal, which must be filed by the original applicant, has been duly authorized in writing by the Anti-Terrorism Council. In case of death of the original applicant or in case he is physically disabled to file the application for extension or renewal, the one next in rank to the original applicant among the members of the team named in the original written order of the authorizing division of the Court of Appeals shall file the application for extension or renewal: Provided, That, without prejudice to the liability of the police or law enforcement personnel under Section 19 hereof, the applicant police or law enforcement official shall have thirty (30) days after the termination of the period granted by the Court of Appeals as provided in the preceding paragraphs within which to file the appropriate case before the Public Prosecutor’s Office for any violation of this Act.If no case is filed within the thirty (30)-day period, the applicant police or law enforcement official shall immediately notify in writing the person subject of the bank examination and freezing of bank deposits, placements, trust accounts, assets and records. The penalty of ten (10) years and one day to twelve (12) years of imprisonment shall be imposed upon the applicant police or law enforcement official who fails to notify in writing the person subject of the bank examination and freezing of bank deposits, placements, trust accounts, assets and records.
Any person, law enforcement official or judicial authority who violates his duty to notify in writing as defined above shall suffer the penalty of six (6) years and one day to eight (8) years of imprisonment.

SEC. 31. Custody of Bank Data and Information Obtained after Examination of Deposits,
Placements, Trust Accounts, Assets and Records. – All information, data, excerpts, summaries, notes, memoranda, working sheets, reports, and other documents obtained from the examination of the bank deposits, placements, trust accounts, assets and records of: (1) a person charged with or suspected of the crime of terrorism or the crime of conspiracy to commit terrorism, (2) a judicially declared and outlawed terrorist organization, association, or group of persons, or (3) a member of any such organization, association, or group of persons shall, within forty-eight (48) hours after the expiration of the period fixed in the written order of the authorizing division of the Court of Appeals or within forty-eight (48) hours after the expiration of the extension or renewal granted by the authorizing division of the Court of Appeals, be
deposited with the authorizing division of the Court of Appeals in a sealed envelope or sealed package, as the case may be, and shall be accompanied by a joint affidavit of the applicant police or law enforcement official and the persons who actually conducted the examination of said bank deposits, placements, trust accounts, assets and records.

SEC. 32. Contents of Joint Affidavit. – The joint affidavit shall state: (a) the identifying marks,
numbers, or symbols of the deposits, placements, trust accounts, assets, and records examined; (b) the identity and address of the bank or financial institution where such deposits, placements, trust accounts, assets, and records are held and maintained; (c) the number of bank deposits, placements, trust accounts, assets, and records discovered, examined, and frozen; (d) the outstanding balances of each of such deposits, placements, trust accounts, assets; (e) all information, data, excerpts, summaries, notes, memoranda, working sheets, reports, documents, records examined and placed in the sealed envelope or sealed package deposited with the authorizing division of the Court of Appeals; (f) the date of the original written authorization granted by the Anti-Terrorism Council to the applicant to file the ex parte application to conduct the examination of the said bank deposits, placements, trust accounts, assets and records, as well as the date of any extension or renewal of the original written authorization granted by the authorizing division of the Court of Appeals; and (g) that the items enumerated were all that were found in the bank or financial institution examined at the time of the completion of the examination. The joint affidavit shall also certify under oath that no duplicates or copies of the information, data, excerpts, summaries, notes, memoranda, working sheets, reports, and documents acquired from the examination of the bank deposits, placements, trust accounts, assets and records have been made, or, if made, that all such duplicates and copies are placed in the sealed envelope or sealed package deposited with the authorizing division of the Court of Appeals. It shall be unlawful for any person, police officer or custodian of the bank data and information obtained after examination of deposits, placements, trust accounts, assets and records to copy, to remove, delete, expunge, incinerate, shred or destroy in any manner the items enumerated above in whole or in part under any pretext whatsoever. Any person who copies, removes, deletes, expunges incinerates, shreds or destroys the items enumerated above shall suffer a penalty of not less than six (6) years and one day to twelve (12) years of imprisonment.

SEC. 33. Disposition of Bank Materials. – The sealed envelope or sealed package and the
contents thereof, which are deposited with the authorizing division of the Court of Appeals, shall be deemed and are hereby declared classified information, and the sealed envelope or sealed package shall not be opened and its contents shall not be divulged, revealed, read, or used as evidence unless authorized in a written order of the authorizing division of the Court of Appeals, which written order shall be granted only upon a written application of the Department of Justice filed before the authorizing division of the Court of Appeals and only upon a showing that the Department of Justice has been duly authorized in writing by the Anti-Terrorism Council to file the application, with notice in writing to the party concerned not later than three (3) days before the scheduled opening, to open, reveal, divulge, and use the contents of the sealed envelope or sealed package as evidence. Any person, law enforcement official or judicial authority who violates his duty to notify in writing as defined above shall suffer the penalty of six (6) years and one day to eight (8) years of imprisonment.

SEC. 34. Application to Open Deposited Bank Materials. – The written application, with notice in writing to the party concerned not later than three (3) days of the scheduled opening, to open the sealed envelope or sealed package shall clearly state the purpose and reason: (a) for opening the sealed envelope or sealed package; (b) for revealing and disclosing its classified contents; and, (c) for using the classified information, data, excerpts, summaries, notes, memoranda, working sheets, reports, and documents as evidence.

SEC. 35. Evidentiary Value of Deposited Bank Materials. – Any information, data, excerpts,
summaries, notes, memoranda, work sheets, reports, or documents acquired from the examination of the bank deposits, placements, trust accounts, assets and records of: (1) a person charged or suspected of the crime of terrorism or the crime of conspiracy to commit terrorism, (2) a judicially declared and outlawed terrorist organization, association, or group of persons, or (3) a member of such organization, association, or group of persons, which have been secured in violation of the provisions of this Act, shall absolutely not be admissible and usable as evidence against anybody in any judicial, quasi-judicial, legislative, or administrative investigation, inquiry, proceeding, or hearing.

SEC. 36. Penalty for Unauthorized or Malicious Examination of a Bank or a Financial Institution. – Any person, police or law enforcement personnel who examines the deposits, placements, trust accounts, assets, or records in a bank or financial institution of: (1) a person charged with or suspected of the crime of terrorism or the crime of conspiracy to commit terrorism, (2) a judicially declared and outlawed terrorist organization, association, or group of persons, or (3) a member of such organization, association, or group of persons, without being authorized to do so by the Court of Appeals, shall be guilty of an offense and shall suffer the penalty of ten (10) years and one day to twelve (12) years of imprisonment. In addition to the liability attaching to the offender for the commission of any other offense, the penalty of ten (10) years and one day to twelve (12) years of imprisonment shall be imposed upon any police or law enforcement personnel, who maliciously obtained an authority from the Court of Appeals to examine the deposits, placements, trust accounts, assets, or records in a bank or financial institution of: (1)
a person charged with or suspected of the crime of terrorism or conspiracy to commit terrorism, (2) a judicially declared and outlawed terrorist organization, association, or group of persons, or (3) a member of such organization, association, or group of persons: Provided, That notwithstanding Section 33 of this Act, the party aggrieved by such authorization shall upon motion duly filed be allowed access to the sealed envelope or sealed package and the contents thereof as evidence for the prosecution of any police or law enforcement personnel who maliciously procured said authorization.

SEC. 37. Penalty of Bank Officials and Employees Defying a Court Authorization. – An employee, official, or a member of the board of directors of a bank or financial institution, who refuses to allow the examination of the deposits, placements, trust accounts, assets, and records of: (1) a person charged with or suspected of the crime of terrorism or the crime of conspiracy to commit terrorism, (2) a judicially declared and outlawed terrorist organization, association, or group of persons, or (3) a member of such judicially declared and outlawed organization, association, or group of persons in said bank or financial institution, when duly served with the written order of the authorizing division of the Court of Appeals, shall be guilty of an offense and shall suffer the penalty of ten (10) years and one day to twelve (12) years of imprisonment.

SEC. 38. Penalty for False or Untruthful Statement or Misrepresentation of Material Fact in Joint Affidavits. – Any false or untruthful statement or misrepresentation of material fact in the joint affidavits required respectively in Section 12 and Section 32 of this Act shall constitute a criminal offense and the affiants shall suffer individually the penalty of ten (10) years and one day to twelve (12) years of imprisonment.

SEC. 39. Seizure and Sequestration. – The deposits and their outstanding balances, placements,
trust accounts, assets, and records in any bank or financial institution, moneys, businesses, transportation and communication equipment, supplies and other implements, and property of whatever kind and nature belonging: (1) to any person suspected of or charged before a competent Regional Trial Court for the crime of terrorism or the crime of conspiracy to commit terrorism; (2) to a judicially declared and outlawed organization, association, or group of persons; or (3) to a member of such organization, association, or group of persons shall be seized, sequestered, and frozen in order to prevent their use, transfer, or conveyance for purposes that are inimical to the safety and security of the people or injurious to the interest of the State. The accused or a person suspected of may withdraw such sums as may be reasonably needed by the monthly needs of his family including the services of his or her counsel and his or her family’s medical needs upon approval of the court. He or she may also use any of his property that is under seizure or sequestration or frozen because of his or her indictment as a terrorist upon permission of the court for any legitimate reason. Any person who unjustifiably refuses to follow the order of the proper division of the Court ofAppeals to allow the person accused of the crime of terrorism or of the crime of conspiracy to commit terrorism to withdraw such sums from sequestered or frozen deposits, placements, trust accounts, assets and records as may be necessary for the regular sustenance of his or her family or to use any of his or her
property that has been seized, sequestered or frozen for legitimate purposes while his or her case is pending shall suffer the penalty of ten (10) years and one day to twelve (12) years of imprisonment.

SEC. 40. Nature of Seized, Sequestered and Frozen Bank Deposits, Placements, Trust Accounts,
Assets and Records. – The seized, sequestered and frozen bank deposits, placements, trust accounts, assets and records belonging to a person suspected of or charged with the crime of terrorism or conspiracy to commit terrorism shall be deemed as property held in trust by the bank or financial institution for such person and the government during the pendency of the investigation of the person suspected of or during the pendency of the trial of the person charged with any of the said crimes, as the case may be and their use or disposition while the case is pending shall be subject to the approval of the court before which the case or cases are pending.

SEC. 41. Disposition of the Seized, Sequestered and Frozen Bank Deposits, Placements, Trust
Accounts, Assets and Record. – If the person suspected of or charged with the crime of terrorism or conspiracy to commit terrorism is found, after his investigation, to be innocent by the investigating body, or is acquitted, after his arraignment or his case is dismissed before his arraignment by a competent court, the seizure, sequestration and freezing of his bank deposits, placements, trust accounts, assets and records shall forthwith be deemed lifted by the investigating body or by the competent court, as the case may be, and his bank deposits, placements, trust accounts, assets and records shall be deemed released from such seizure, sequestration and freezing, and shall be restored to him without any delay by the bank or financial institution concerned without any further action on his part. The filing of any appeal on motion for reconsideration shall not state the release of said funds from seizure, sequestration and freezing. If the person charged with the crime of terrorism or conspiracy to commit terrorism is convicted by a final judgment of a competent trial court, his seized, sequestered and frozen bank deposits, placements, trust accounts, assets and records shall be automatically forfeited in favor of the government. Upon his or her acquittal or the dismissal of the charges against him or her, the amount of Five Hundred Thousand Pesos (P500,000.00) a day for the period in which his properties, assets or funds were seized shall be paid to him on the concept of liquidated damages. The amount shall be taken from the appropriations of the police or law enforcement agency that caused the filing of the enumerated charges against him or her.

SEC. 42. Penalty for Unjustified Refusal to Restore or Delay in Restoring Seized, Sequestered
and Frozen Bank Deposits, Placements, Trust Accounts, Assets and Records. – Any person who
unjustifiably refuses to restore or delays the restoration of seized, sequestered and frozen bank deposits, placements, trust accounts, assets and records of a person suspected of or charged with the crime of terrorism or conspiracy to commit terrorism after such suspected person has been found innocent by the investigating body or after the case against such charged person has been dismissed or after he is acquitted by a competent court shall suffer the penalty of ten (10) years and one day to twelve (12) years of imprisonment.

SEC. 43. Penalty for the Loss, Misuse, Diversion or Dissipation of Seized, Sequestered and
Frozen Bank Deposits, Placements, Trust Accounts, Assets and Records. – Any person who is responsible for the loss, misuse, diversion, or dissipation of the whole or any part of the seized, sequestered and frozen bank deposits, placements, trust accounts, assets and records of a person suspected of or charged with the crime of terrorism or conspiracy to commit terrorism shall suffer the penalty of ten (10) years and one day to twelve (12) years of imprisonment.

SEC. 44. Infidelity in the Custody of Detained Persons. – Any public officer who has direct custody of a detained person under the provisions of this Act and who by his deliberate act, misconduct, or inexcusable negligence causes or allows the escape of such detained person shall be guilty of an offense and shall suffer the penalty of: (a) twelve (12) years and one day to twenty (20) years of imprisonment, if the detained person has already been convicted and sentenced in a final judgment of a competent court; and (b) six (6) years and one day to twelve (12) years of imprisonment, if the detained person has not been convicted and sentenced in a final judgment of a competent court.

SEC. 45. Immunity and Protection of Government Witnesses. – The provisions of Republic Act No. 6981 (Witness Protection, Security and Benefits Act) to the contrary notwithstanding, the immunity of government witnesses testifying under this Act shall be governed by Sections 17 and 18 of Rule 119 of the Rules of Court: Provided, however, That said witnesses shall be entitled to benefits granted to witnesses under said Republic Act No. 6981.

SEC. 46. Penalty for Unauthorized Revelation of Classified Materials. – The penalty of ten (10)
years and one day to twelve (12) years of imprisonment shall be imposed upon any person, police or law enforcement agent, judicial officer or civil servant who, not being authorized by the Court of Appeals to do so, reveals in any manner or form any classified information under this Act.

SEC. 47. Penalty for Furnishing False Evidence, Forged Document, or Spurious Evidence. – The
penalty of twelve (12) years and one day to twenty (20) years of imprisonment shall be imposed upon any person who knowingly furnishes false testimony, forged document or spurious evidence in any investigation or hearing under this Act.

SEC. 48. Continuous Trial. - In cases of terrorism or conspiracy to commit terrorism, the judge
shall set the case for continuous trial on a daily basis from Monday to Friday or other short-term trial calendar so as to ensure speedy trial.

SEC. 49. Prosecution Under This Act Shall Be a Bar to Another Prosecution Under the Revised
Penal Code or Any Special Penal Laws. - When a person has been prosecuted under a provision of this Act, upon a valid complaint or information or other formal charge sufficient in form and substance to sustain a conviction and after the accused had pleaded to the charge, the acquittal of the accused or the dismissal of the case shall be a bar to another prosecution for any offense or felony which is necessarily included in the offense charged under this Act.

SEC. 50. Damages for Unproven Charge of Terrorism. – Upon acquittal, any person who is accused of terrorism shall be entitled to the payment of damages in the amount of Five Hundred Thousand Pesos (P500,000.00) for every day that he or she has been detained or deprived of liberty or arrested without a warrant as a result of such an accusation. The amount of damages shall be automatically charged against the appropriations of the police agency or the Anti-Terrorism Council that brought or sanctioned the filing of the charges against the accused. It shall also be released within fifteen (15) days from the date of the acquittal of the accused. The award of damages mentioned above shall be without prejudice to the right of the acquitted accused to file criminal or administrative charges against those responsible for charging him with the case of terrorism. Any officer, employee, personnel, or person who delays the release or refuses to release the amounts awarded to the individual acquitted of the crime of terrorism as directed in the paragraph immediately preceding shall suffer the penalty of six (6) months of imprisonment. If the deductions are less than the amounts due to the detained persons, the amount needed to complete the compensation shall be taken from the current appropriations for intelligence, emergency, social or other funds of the Office of the President. In the event that the amount cannot be covered by the current budget of the police or law enforcement agency concerned, the amount shall be automatically included in the appropriations of the said agency for the coming year.

SEC. 51. Duty to Record and Report the Name and Address of the Informant. - The police or law enforcement officers to whom the name of a suspect in the crime of terrorism was first revealed shall record the real name and the specific address of the informant. The police or law enforcement officials concerned shall report the informant’s name and address to their superior officer who shall transmit the information to the Congressional Oversight Committee or to the
proper court within five (5) days after the suspect was placed under arrest or his properties were sequestered, seized or frozen. The name and address of the informant shall be considered confidential and shall not be unnecessarily revealed until after the proceedings against the suspect shall have been terminated.

SEC. 52. Applicability of the Revised Penal Code. - The provisions of Book I of the Revised Penal Code shall be applicable to this Act.

SEC. 53. Anti-Terrorism Council. – An Anti-Terrorism Council, hereinafter referred to, for brevity, as the “Council,” is hereby created. The members of the Council are: (1) the Executive Secretary, who shall be its chairperson; (2) the Secretary of Justice, who shall be its Vice Chairperson; and (3) the Secretary of Foreign Affairs; (4) the Secretary of National Defense; (5) the Secretary of the Interior and Local Government; (6) the Secretary of Finance; and (7) the National Security Advisor, as its other members. The Council shall implement this Act and assume the responsibility for the proper and effective implementation of the anti-terrorism policy of the country. The Council shall keep records of its proceedings and decisions. All records of the Council shall be subject to such security classifications as the Council may, in its judgment and discretion, decide to adopt to safeguard the safety of the people, the security of the Republic, and the welfare of the nation. The National Intelligence Coordinating Agency shall be the Secretariat of the Council. The Council shall define the powers, duties, and functions of the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency as Secretariat of the Council. The National Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Immigration, the Office of Civil Defense, the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Anti-Money Laundering Council, the Philippine Center on Transnational Crime, and the Philippine National Police intelligence and investigative elements shall serve as support agencies for the Council. The Council shall formulate and adopt comprehensive, adequate, efficient, and effective antiterrorism plans, programs, and counter-measures to suppress and eradicate terrorism in the country and to protect the people from acts of terrorism. Nothing herein shall be interpreted to empower the Anti-Terrorism Council to exercise any judicial or quasi-judicial power or authority.

SEC. 54. Functions of the Council. – In pursuit of its mandate in the previous Section, the Council shall have the following functions with due regard for the rights of the people as mandated by the Constitution and pertinent laws:
1. Formulate and adopt plans, programs and counter-measures against terrorists and acts of
terrorism in the country;
2. Coordinate all national efforts to suppress and eradicate acts of terrorism in the country
and mobilize the entire nation against terrorism proscribed in this Act;
3. Direct the speedy investigation and prosecution of all persons accused or detained for the
crime of terrorism or conspiracy to commit terrorism and other offenses punishable under
this Act, and monitor the progress of their cases;
4. Establish and maintain comprehensive data-base information systems on terrorism, terrorist activities, and counter-terrorism operations;
5. Freeze the funds property, bank deposits, placements, trust accounts, assets and records
belonging to a person suspected of or charged with the crime of terrorism or conspiracy to
commit terrorism, pursuant to Republic Act No. 9160 otherwise known as the Anti-Money
Laundering Act of 2001, as amended;
6. Grant monetary rewards and other incentives to informers who give vital information
leading to the apprehension, arrest, detention, prosecution, and conviction of person or
persons who are liable for the crime of terrorism or conspiracy to commit terrorism;
7. Establish and maintain coordination with and the cooperation and assistance of other
nations in the struggle against international terrorism; and
8. Request the Supreme Court to designate specific divisions of the Court of Appeals and
regional trial courts in Manila, Cebu City and Cagayan de Oro City, as the case may be, to
handle all cases involving the crime of terrorism or conspiracy to commit terrorism and all
matters incident to said crimes. The Secretary of Justice shall assign a team of prosecutors from: (a) Luzon to handle terrorism cases filed in the regional trial court in Manila; (b) from the Visayas to handle cases filed in Cebu City; and (c) from Mindanao to handle cases filed in Cagayan de Oro City.

SEC. 55. Role of the Commission on Human Rights. - The Commission on Human Rights shall
give the highest priority to the investigation and prosecution of violations of civil and political rights of persons in relation to the implementation of this Act; and for this purpose, the commission shall have the concurrent jurisdiction to prosecute public officials, law enforcers, and other persons who may have violated the civil and political rights of persons suspected of, accused of, or detained for the crime of terrorism or conspiracy to commit terrorism.

SEC. 56. Creation of a Grievance Committee. - There is hereby created a Grievance Committee
composed of the Ombudsman, as chair, and the Solicitor General, and an undersecretary from the Department of Justice (DOJ), as members, to receive and evaluate complaints against the actuations of the police and law enforcement officials in the implementation of this Act. The Committee shall hold office in Manila. The Committee shall have three (3) subcommittees that will be respectively headed by the Deputy Ombudsmen in Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao. The subcommittees shall respectively hold office at the Offices of Deputy Ombudsmen. Three (3) Assistant Solicitors General designated by the Solicitor General, and the regional prosecutors of the DOJ assigned to the regions where the Deputy Ombudsmen hold office shall be members thereof. The three (3) subcommittees shall assist the Grievance Committee in receiving, investigating and evaluating complaints against the police and other law enforcement officers in
the implementation of the Act. If the evidence warrants it, they may file the appropriate cases against the erring police and law enforcement officers. Unless seasonably disowned or denounced by the complainants, decisions or judgments in the said cases shall preclude the filing of other cases based on the same cause or causes of action as those that were filed with the Grievance Committee or its branches.

SEC. 57. Ban on Extraordinary Rendition. - No person suspected or convicted of the crime of
terrorism shall be subjected to extraordinary rendition to any country unless his or her testimony is needed for terrorist related police investigations or judicial trials in the said country and unless his or her human rights, including the right against torture, and right to counsel, are officially assured by the requesting country and transmitted accordingly and approved by the Department of Justice.

SEC. 58. Extra-Territorial Application of this Act. – Subject to the provision of an existing treaty of which the Philippines is a signatory and to any contrary provision of any law of preferential application, the provisions of this Act shall apply: (1) to individual persons who commit any of the crimes defined and punished in this Act within the terrestrial domain, interior waters, maritime zone, and airspace of the Philippines; (2) to individual persons who, although physically outside the territorial limits of the Philippines, commit, conspire or plot to commit any of the crimes defined and punished in this Act inside the territorial limits of the Philippines; (3) to individual persons who, although physically outside the territorial limits of the Philippines, commit any of the said crimes on board Philippine ship or Philippine airship; (4) to individual
persons who commit any of said crimes within any embassy, consulate, or diplomatic premises belonging to or occupied by the Philippine government in an official capacity; (5) to individual persons who, although physically outside the territorial limits of the Philippines, commit said crimes against Philippine citizens or persons of Philippine descent, where their citizenship or ethnicity was a factor in the commission of the crime; and (6) to individual persons who, although physically outside the territorial limits of the Philippines, commit said crimes directly against the Philippine government.

SEC. 59. Joint Oversight Committee. - There is hereby created a Joint Oversight Committee to
oversee the implementation of this Act. The Oversight Committee shall be composed of five (5) members each from the Senate and the House in addition to the Chairs of the Committees of Public Order of both Houses who shall also Chair the Oversight Committee in the order specified herein. The membership of the Committee for every House shall at least have two (2) opposition or minority members. The Joint Oversight Committee shall have its own independent counsel. The Chair of the Committee shall rotate every six (6) months with the Senate chairing it for the first six (6) months and the House for the next six (6) months. In every case, the ranking opposition or minority member of the Committee shall be the Vice Chair. Upon the expiration of one year after this Act is approved by the President, the Committee shall review the Act particularly the provisions that authorize the surveillance of suspects of or persons charged with the crime of terrorism. To that end, the Committee shall summon the police and law enforcement officers and the members of the Anti-Terrorism Council and require them to answer questions from the members of Congress and to submit a written report of the acts they have done in the implementation of the law including the manner in which the persons suspected of or charged with the crime of terrorism have been dealt with in their custody and from the date when the movements of the latter were subjected to surveillance and his or her correspondences, messages, conversations and the like were listened to or subjected to monitoring, recording and tapping. Without prejudice to its submitting other reports, the Committee shall render a semi-annual report to both Houses of Congress. The report may include where necessary a recommendation to reassess the effects of globalization on terrorist activities on the people, provide a sunset clause to or amend any portion of the Act or to repeal the Act in its entirety. The courts dealing with anti-terrorism cases shall submit to Congress and the President a report every six (6) months of the status of anti-terrorism cases that have been filed with them starting from the date this Act is implemented.

SEC. 60. Separability Clause. – If for any reason any part or provision of this Act is declared
unconstitutional or invalid, the other parts or provisions hereof which are not affected thereby shall remain and continue to be in full force and effect.

SEC. 61. Repealing Clause. – All laws, decrees, executive orders, rules or regulations or parts
thereof, inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, amended, or modified accordingly.

SEC. 62. Special Effectivity Clause. - After the bill shall have been signed into law by the
President, the Act shall be published in three (3) newspapers of national circulation; three (3) newspapers of local circulation, one each in Ilocos Norte, Baguio City and Pampanga; three (3) newspapers of local circulation, one each in Cebu, Iloilo and Tacloban; and three (3) newspapers of local circulation, one each in Cagayan de Oro, Davao and General Santos City. The title of the Act and its provisions defining the acts of terrorism that are punished shall be aired everyday at primetime for seven (7) days, morning, noon and night over three (3) national television and
radio networks; three (3) radio and television networks, one each in Cebu, Tacloban and Iloilo; and in five (5) radio and television networks, one each in Lanao del Sur, Cagayan de Oro, Davao City, Cotabato City and Zamboanga City. The publication in the newspapers of local circulation and the announcements over local radio and television networks shall be done in the dominant language of the community. After the publication required above shall have been done, the Act shall take effect two (2) months after the elections are held in May 2007. Thereafter, the provisions of this Act shall be automatically suspended one month before and two months after the holding of any election.

A Blabbermouth Department of Justice Secretary...

2007-08-29T21:11:00.000+08:00

SHAME! SHAME! If you have been watching the news for the past days, weeks, months, and years since this secretary assumed office, you will really hate this man...he acts like he is an uneducated man, yes, ladies and gentlemen..his answers are out of this world and senseless! Nakakahiya, eh, mataas pala ang pinag-aralan niyan? I thought he is just a high school graduate, and a very good friend of you-know-who-she-is, that's why he was able to assume office. posible, diba?! presenting, SEC. RAUL GONZALES. The way he comments are so insulting and baseless...! defensive! of what? or is it just a strategy of a desperate justice secretary who has no answer to questions being thrown to him...puwede, baka wala lang siyang maisagot...! hahahahah!!!!!! in one word, isa pala siyang TANGA! dakilang tanga!
well even the media is not spared by this spit spitting chicken-ass mouth...shameless, even in front of cameras, to be shown to national television...
sana naging bibig na alng siya...again, a mouth like this: spit spitting chicken-ass mouth. and he will be the great mouth of you-know-who-she-is, spitting filthiness on her behalf...they have chemistry infairness...
well, to have more of this spit spitting chicken-ass mouth, check this out!
Solidarity group says “this is no Singapore”, calls Gonzales statement a disservice to Filipinos

Friday, 29 December 2006
This is not Singapore. Referring to the statement of Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales who says that protesters during the ASEAN Summit will be thrown “into the Mactan Straits and let the sharks eat them there”, the Asia-Pacific Solidarity Coalition (APSOC), an off-shoot of the Asia-Pacific Conference for East Timor (APCET), considered the statement irresponsible and a great disservice to the Filipino people.Secretary Gonzales was almost flawless when he shamelessly said that the government will impose “an iron-curtain” to prevent the protesters from disrupting the Summit -- reminiscents of the Marcosian era and resembling closely with that of Singapore's iron-hand policy against legitimate protests. Singapore had earned the opprobium of the international community when it barred international activists from entering the city-state when the World Bank and the International Monetary Bank held meeting in Batam last month.Calling the protesters as “troublemakers”, the justice secretary had only succeeded to show how little did his respect of the people's rights to assembly in furtherance of their collective interests. Gonzales revealed not only his shallowness of his understanding on the difference between legitimate people's right to express dissent and that of mere trouble rousing, but also of his dictatorial tendencies while holding office supposed to uphold people's democratic rights.It might be of help to remind the justice secretary that the ASEAN Secretary General Ong Keng Yong himself is of the belief that the civil society is indispensable in tackling the issues attendant to the envisioned ASEAN community. This is so especially at this stage when the ASEAN leaders has embarked on an ambitious tasks of building a “caring and sharing ASEAN Community” by maintaining regional security, driving economic integration and solidifying social stability. A task soenormous that ASEAN governments alone, if left by themselves, can only do so much without the participation by the civil society in the region.The goal of ASEAN One, as others have put it, highlights the need to improve participation by the relevant groups in the region. It should be clear among stakeholders, including the government which Secretary Gonzales is serving, unless income gaps were narrowed; unless the disadvantaged were no longer disenfranchised; and unless the potential of women and the young were actively developed, the ASEAN member countries would lack the social stability that was so necessary to make regional integration a reality. In other words, as long as there are officials of the governments in the region who behave like Gonzales, as if this country is Singapore or Burma, the envisioned regional integration can never be attained.There should be a tacit recognition among governments in the ASEAN that to arrive at truly “caring and sharing community” is to let our diversity be not a hindrance to progress. That to stifle dissent as expressed by the peoples of the region through their different legitimate civil society organizations is to negate the very purpose of a “caring and sharing community”. In this respect, the statement of the justice secretary is doing great injustice to the dreams of the ASEAN leaders for a united and vibrant ASEAN Community. And to suppress the people from expressing dissent would only invite division instead of unity, discord instead of harmony, and resentment instead of cooperation towards the common dream of One ASEAN.APSOC, as a regional solidarity organization, calls on the civil society in the region to brave the cold waters of the creeping authoritarian tendencies of some officials of the governments in the ASEAN and to stand guard as we put forward our contribution towards attaining a truly caring and sharing ASEAN Community. Let our voices be heard both in the hallowed halls where the 12^th ASEAN Summit leaders will meet and in every imaginable avenue available to us even if the “sharks” of the Mactan Strait will eat us.Many years ago, we knew of one Raul Gonzales, a human rights lawyer. We are not sure, however, if this Secretary Raul Gonzales at present is one and the same with that Gonzales we knew of before. Or maybe, the man has simply changed.Asia-Pacific Solidarity Coalition (APSOC)Media Contact:Antonio M. ManaytayResearch OfficerInitiatives for International Dialogue (APSOC Secretariat)
SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME! SHAME!
CHECK THIS OUT TOO!
http://www.defendsison.be/pages_php/0612210.php